Since the Royal Rumble began 30 years ago, in 1988, only 23 wrestlers have won WWE’s star-studded event, underlining what a tough feat it is to be the last superstar standing. Winning the Rumble more than once is an even more commendable achievement, with only six wrestlers having managed multiple wins.
Hulk Hogan was the first, winning consecutive Royal Rumbles in 1990 and 1991. Mr. Perfect was Hogan’s final victim in 1990, before Earthquake suffered the same fate a year later.
Shawn Michaels rebounded from being the final star to be eliminated outright in 1994, when the Royal Rumble ended in a tie, to win the next two editions. He was the first superstar to win from the No1 entry in 1995, last eliminating The British Bulldog, before taking out Diesel to clinch a win the next year.
No review of the Royal Rumble can be made without mentioning Stone Cold Steve Austin, the only superstar to win the Rumble more than twice. After consecutive wins in 1997 and 1998, Austin came back and won a record third Royal Rumble in 2001.
It’s no surprise that John Cena features on this list. After winning the 2008 Royal Rumble as an unscheduled entry, Cena repeated his feat in 2013. The 2013 win punched Cena’s ticket to Wrestlemania 29, where he beat The Rock to claim the WWE championship.
Batista has one of the biggest gaps between Royal Rumble wins, first triumphing in 2005 before repeating his victory nine years later. The only WWE star with a longer gap is Triple H, who first won in 2002 by eliminating Kurt Angle. Triple H then won the most recent Royal Rumble, in 2016, to join the multiple winners club.
Royal Rumble 2017 is just over two weeks away. Will anyone else join this select group of WWE stars on January 29?
