First five Royal Rumble winners - Where are they now?

The Royal Rumble is one of the most anticipated events of the year for WWE fans. Known as one of the "Big Four," the Royal Rumble is tagged along with Survivor Series, SummerSlam and of course WrestleMania as the biggest annual shows of the year.

The concept was originally the brainchild of the late WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson. The inaugural Royal Rumble event aired on the USA Network in 1988. Following the incredible success of the first Rumble, the company decided to move forward with making the event an annual pay-per-view starting in 1989.

Since the conception of The Royal Rumble, some of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time have competed in the event and many superstars have used the platform as a catalyst for massive success as their careers progressed.

It's been over three decades since the Royal Rumble was born. What has happened to the winners of this historical event? Are they all still with us? Are some still involved in professional wrestling? Well, today we answer some of those questions as we take a look at the first five Royal Rumble winners, and find out just exactly what they are up to these days.

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#5 Hacksaw Jim Duggan - Royal Rumble 1988

The inaugural Royal Rumble event aired on January 24, 1988, in front of over 18,000 fans at The Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This was the only Royal Rumble event to not air on pay-per-view. This particular event only featured 20 participants.

Being the first event of its kind, WWE officials went into the show with a lot of optimism and also a lot of questions that would be answered by the end of the evening. By the time the final bell rang, it was clear that The Royal Rumble was an instant hit and would be considered an annual special event.

As we now know, the winner of the inaugural Rumble match was WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Duggan won the match after eliminating the One Man Gang.

Where is he now?

Now 68 years old, Duggan is still with his wife Debra of over 30 years and the couple reside in South Carolina. After his win at the inaugural Royal Rumble, Duggan saw a lot of success in the ring.

Duggan went on to become one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time. Toting a two-by-four in one hand, and an American Flag in the other, Duggan had fans on their feet as they all chanted "U-S-A!"

Since leaving the WWE, Duggan has remained extremely active and made countless appearances for independent promotions all over the world. He is also known for appearing at numerous wrestling conventions and doing autograph signings.

However, Duggan has not been able to book many events over the past year as his health has taken priority in his life. Jim announced on social media that he was battling cancer. However, following two separate operations, Duggan confirmed that he is now cancer-free. Fans should expect to see the legendary wrestler appear at more events in the coming months as his condition continues to improve.

#4 Big John Studd - Royal Rumble 1989

Fresh off the heels of the successful inaugural Royal Rumble event, the 1989 Rumble was the first to air on pay-per-view television. Airing from a sold-out Summit Arena in Houston, over 19,000 fans packed the venue to see the superstars battle to be the winner of the second annual Royal Rumble.

There were a total of six preliminary matches scheduled for this packed event. This included two dark matches, followed by four exciting undercard bouts. A huge 6-man tag team match saw ''Hacksaw'' Jim Duggan and the Hart Foundation defeat The Fabulous Rougeaus and Dino Bravo. This match was a two-out-of-three falls contest.

There was also a women's championship match which saw Rockin' Robin successfully defend her title against Judy Martin. Finally, there was an interesting gimmick match where Haku defeated King Harley Race, the winner claimed Harley's 'King of the Ring' cape and crown.

Following six preliminary bouts, WWE Hall of Famer Big John Studd eliminated Ted DiBiase to the win the Royal Rumble match.

Where is he now?

Sadly, Big John Studd is no longer with us. Studd passed away in the spring of 1995, following a battle with cancer. At the time of his passing, he was only 47 years old. The legend certainly left his mark on the sport of professional wrestling.

He was a monster among men with his intimidating, towering presence and his unmistakably larger-than-life persona. Studd is widely regarded as one of the greatest "big men" of all time. Standing 6'10', Studd very rarely faced anyone who could match his dominant in-ring presence.

Big John Studd was inducted into the WCW Hall of Fame in 1995. He was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004.

Studd left behind a son, Sean, who is following in his father's footsteps as a professional wrestler. Sean is currently working across the country for various independent promotions.

#3 Hulk Hogan - Royal Rumble 1990 and 1991

The 1990 WWE Royal Rumble took place in front of over 16,000 fans at the Orlando Arena, in Orlando, Florida. In 1991, Miami, Florida was host to the event where another 16,000 plus fans witnessed the show.

There were several preliminary bouts leading up to the Royal Rumble main event. One intriguing match was the culmination of a nearly two-year feud between Ronnie Garvin and Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine. It was a submission match in which Garvin came out victorious after locking Valentine into the 'hammer jammer.'

Other matches on the card included a tag team match in which the Bushwackers defeated The Fabulous Rougeaus. Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake defeated The Genius, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan defeated Big Boss Man.

The main event of the evening featured some of the greatest wrestling superstars of all-time. Ravishing Rick Rude, Roddy Piper, The Ultimate Warrior, Macho Man Randy Savage and Andre The Giant. When the dust settled, there could be only one winner, and that winner was Hulk Hogan.

Where is he now?

When fans discuss the "wrestling Mount Rushmore," there is always one name automatically included. That name is 'The Immortal" Hulk Hogan. The legendary superstar was one of the key figures in bringing professional wrestling to the mainstream public. Today's superstar owe a lot to Hogan for what he has done for the industry.

Despite being 68 years old, Hulk Hogan maintains an active lifestyle. He currently resides in Clearwater Beach, Florida, with his wife Jennifer. Hogan owns and operates two wrestling themed stores in Florida called Hogan's Beach Shop. The first was opened in Clearwater Beach and the other one was opened later, in Orlando. If you are a wrestling fan and you have not visited one of these shops, you are certainly missing out! Everything from autographed memorabilia, to shirts and souvenirs can be found at Hogans Beach Shop.

#2 Ric Flair - Royal Rumble 1992

Albany, New York hosted the 1992 Royal Rumble at the historic Knickerbocker Arena in front of over 17,000 wrestling fans. The Rumble pay-per-view featured a total of 6 matches, which included the Rumble match itself, as well as one dark match.

One of the more notable bouts of the evening saw Rowdy Roddy Piper defeat The Mountie to claim the WWF Intercontinental Championship. Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart teamed up to defeat The Orient Express, and The Natural Disasters defeated WWF Tag Team Champions Legion of Doom, via count-out.

Of course, there was the main event, the Royal Rumble match. Ric Flair entered the match as the third overall participant and after lasting over an hour in the ring, The Nature Boy eliminated Sid Justice to win the 1992 Royal Rumble match.

Where is he now?

At 72 years old Flair currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife, Wendy. Flair has a total of 4 children, one of whom is currently top WWE superstar Charlotte. Ric faced unimaginable tragedy in 2013 when his son and former wrestler Reid Flair passed away at only 25 years old. In March of 2013, Reid was found in a hotel room. The cause of death being an apparent drug overdose.

Ric Flair has been seen at numerous wrestling conventions in recent years, as well as other celebrity events. Flair has also appeared at several independent wrestling events. Most recently, Flair has been the source of controversy after airing one episode of the series "Dark Side of the Ring."

This particular episode focused on the infamous 'Plane Ride from Hell.' Flair was accused by a flight attendant of making unwanted sexual advances towards her. Tommy Dreamer recounted the events from the trip during the show.

Dreamer stated during the show that Flair was "just flaunting, styling and profiling and doing the Ric Flair stuff to make everyone laugh." The drama from the television show appears to have simmered down, with social media posts now few and far between. But knowing The Nature Boy, he really can't go long without controversy following him.

Flair was officially released from his WWE contract on August 3, 2021. Just a few days later, Ric would make an appearance at AAA's Triplemania XXIX, accompanying his future son-in-law Andrade "El Idolo." Flair continues to take select bookings, for various promotions.

#1 Yokozuna - Royal Rumble 1993

The 1993 Royal Rumble featured one of the best cards of all time. Before the Rumble match, fans watched The Steiner Brothers defeat The Beverly Brothers and Shawn Michaels retained his Intercontinental Championship after defeating his former tag team partner, Marty Jannetty.

There was also a co-main event in which WWF Champion Bret Hart defeated Razor Ramon. In the Royal Rumble match, Yokozuna entered the match as the 27th participant. He would eliminate a total of seven other superstars, with Macho Man Randy Savage being the final elimination in route to winning the contest.

Where is he now?

Standing 6'5" and tipping the scales at nearly 600 pounds, Yokozuna moved like someone half his stature. While Yokozuna was a very intimidating presence inside the ring, many superstars have come forward stating that he was one of the kindest superstars behind the scenes.

Unfortunately, the world of wrestling suffered a devastating blow in 2000, when Yokozuna passed away at only 34 years old. The legend passed away as a result of a lung issue.

Yokozuna is a member of the legendary Anoa'i family, which includes names like The Uso's, Rikishi, and The Rock just to name a few. WWE officials immortalized Yokozuna on March 31, 2021, when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Jimmy and Jey Uso accepted the honor in his memory, alongside their father and WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi.