WWE Royal Rumble: 5 Longest Runner-Up Performances in History

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin - 56:38 minutes (Royal Rumble 1999)

The Royal Rumble in 1999 revolved around Austin-McMahon Rivalry.

It is quite ironic that someone who thrashed two Iron Man performances to win two of his three Royal Rumble matches was also a victim of the same fate. The Attitude Era was at its peak in early 1999, so was the rivalry between Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon, and Royal Rumble in 1999 was centered around this very rivalry.

Steve Austin had won the Royal Rumble match in 1997 and 1998, and to make sure he didn't win it for the third straight year, Mr. McMahon had him enter the match as the #1 entrant and himself as the last entrant. To the Boss' dismay, he was chosen as the #2 entrant by Commissioner Shawn Michaels, forcing him to start the match with Austin.

While McMahon, after taking an early beating from Austin, stayed outside the ring for most of the match, the Rattlesnake fought his way through 28 other Superstars. He eliminated 8 Superstars and made it to the final two of the match, with only McMahon left to deal with.

The two brawled for some time, both outside and inside the ring, before Austin gained the upper hand. However, before he could eliminate McMahon from the match, a distraction by The Rock, Austin's nemesis and WWF Champion, allowed The Boss to eliminate him and win the 1999 Royal Rumble match.

Austin, the first to enter and the last to be eliminated, stayed in the match for 56 minutes and 38 seconds, a record that still stands as the longest time spent by a Runner Up in the Royal Rumble match.