32 Must Know Facts About The Royal Rumble

The "Royal Rumble" Pay-Per-View (PPV) is my all-time favorite wrestling event! It's classified among the company's "Big Four" events held annually along with WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series. The next Royal Rumble is scheduled to take place on January 27, 2019, and will be held at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

Royal Rumble 2019 will be the 32nd installment to the PPV series, which does not include the "WWE Greatest Royal Rumble" which took place on April 27, 2018, and was hosted by the company's RAW, SmackDown, and 205 Live brands at The Shining Jewel in Saudi Arabia.

In anticipation of my all-time favorite wrestling event, here are 32 Must Know Facts About The Royal Rumble!

Prior to the match, 30 Superstars draw an entry number from the Royal Rumble lottery. The match begins with entry numbers 1 & 2 standing toe to toe. Superstars individually enter the ring every 2 minutes thereafter. The objective in a Royal Rumble is to try and eliminate as many Superstars as possible. An elimination occurs when a Superstar goes over the top rope, and both their feet touch the ground. After 29 Superstars have been eliminated, the last man (or woman) in the ring is declared the winner.

In order to possess better odds of winning, Superstars desire to obtain entry number 30. Winner of the Royal Rumble is granted a title match at WrestleMania for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The current WWE World Champion is Daniel Bryan.

32 Must Know Facts About The Royal Rumble:

• The Royal Rumble is based on the original Battle Royal match.
• All 32 Royal Rumble PPV's have consistently been scheduled in January.
• Butch Reed was the 1st Superstar eliminated at the 1st Royal Rumble in 1988.
• Ax & Smash were the 1st tag team to draw numbers 1 & 2 at Royal Rumble 1989.
• The 1st Royal Rumble in 1988 included 20 Superstars (instead of 30).

• In athletic and creative ways, Kofi Kingston has avoided the most amount of eliminations.
• After drawing entry number 1, Shawn Michaels went on to win Royal Rumble 1995. Currently, Michaels and Chris Benoit are only Superstars to hold this record. Chris Benoit won Royal Rumble 2004 after drawing entry number 1.
• Although The Rock is considered Royal Rumble 2000's victor; technically, the Big Show won. The Rock's feet touched the floor before Big Show at Royal Rumble 2000. A rematch was determined which the Big Show subsequently won.  
• The winners of Royal Rumble 2001 - 2007 have gone on to win a World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.
• Chairman and CEO, Vincent K. McMahon won Royal Rumble 1999 after eliminating Stone Cold Steve Austin.

• Mick Foley entered 1998's Royal Rumble 3 different times as Mankind, Cactus Jack, and Dude Love. Foley is the only Superstar in Royal Rumble history to hold this record.
• Royal Rumble 2011 was the 1st and only event to include 40 Superstars.
• Roman Reigns currently holds the record for most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match with 12 eliminations; however, Braun Strowman beat that record last year at the "WWE Greatest Royal Rumble" with 13 eliminations while outlasting 49 competitors.
• Kane held the record for most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match (Royal Rumble 2001) for 13 years prior to Roman Reigns beating his record in 2014. 
• After entering 3rd at Royal Rumble 1992, Ric Flair was the last man standing. This match remains historic because; for the 1st time, Flair won the vacated title that night.

• 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan won the 1st Royal Rumble in 1988.
• Sasha Banks is the first woman to have spent the most time in a single Royal Rumble match at the first ever women's Royal Rumble which took place in 2018 at WrestleMania 34. She spent an impressive 54 minutes and 46 seconds in the ring.
• Bret Hart and Lex Luger both "co-won" Royal Rumble 1994 by eliminating each other at the same time.
• The fastest elimination happened at Royal Rumble 2009, when Kane eliminated Santino Marella in under 1 second.
• It was decided in 1993 that the winner of the Royal Rumble match would become the number 1 contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and compete at WrestleMania.

• Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, Batista, Triple H and John Cena have each won the Royal Rumble twice.
• Stone Cold Steve Austin has won the Royal Rumble 3 times.
• In 2005 Vince McMahon tore both quadriceps in a freak accident while entering the ring.
• In 1989, Andre the Giant eliminated himself after seeing Jake "The Snake" Roberts' python named Damien.
• Chris Jericho holds the record for most cumulative time spent in the Royal Rumble PPV series with 5 hours, 1 minute, and 30 seconds.

• After a remarkably fast recovery, John Cena returned from a torn pectoral muscle injury to enter number 30 at Royal Rumble 2008 and win (in heroic fashion).
• Chyna is the 1st woman ever to enter and compete in a men's Royal Rumble match. She competed at Royal Rumble 1999, and Royal Rumble 2000.
• Kane has made the most Royal Rumble appearances with 19 total entries.
• Kane holds the record for most eliminations in cumulative Royal Rumble matches with 44 total eliminations.
• Daniel Bryan holds the record for longest time spent in a single Royal Rumble match from 2018 at 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 5 seconds.
• Prior to Daniel Bryan, for 13 years Rey Mysterio, Jr. held the record for longest time spent in a single Royal Rumble match (Royal Rumble 2006) at 1 hour, 2 minutes, and 12 seconds.
• Asuka won the first ever women's Royal Rumble at WrestleMania 34.

Follow me on Twitter! @EP_81

Follow me on Instagram! @edrajp