With TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs over with and the New Year rapidly approaching, one of the best and longest-running WWE events is rapidly approaching as the 28th annual Royal Rumble emanates from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Jan. 25.
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Throughout the years, this event has become a favorite among WWE fans due to the Rumble Match main event where 30 men battle in an over-the-top-rope elimination bout with the chance to headline WrestleMania hanging in the balance.
The Rumble Match first emanated in 1988 and the WWE didn't add the WrestleMania stipulation until 1993, but it has always been highly regarded and was an instant classic among WWE fans when it first launched.
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Though there have been 27 events, repeat winners have caused there to only be 21 different winners in Rumble Match history and we here at Sports World News will rank them from worst to first.
21) Vince McMahon, 1999: That's right; the chairman of the WWE won the Rumble Match in 1999 by last eliminating "Stone Cold" Steve Austin with help from a distraction by The Rock. Though he came in at No. 2 that night at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, the boss didn't do much work inside the ring and was easily the worst selection to win the match even if it did set up a memorable Steel Cage match between Austin and McMahon the following month. Booking decisions like this one are why the WWE's famed Attitude Era doesn't age well.
20) Big John Studd, 1989: Studd was the first man to win from what would become the luckiest number in Rumble history as he came in at No. 27 and last tossed out "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase to win the match. With his career winding down, Studd was a curious choice to be the man to leave The Summit in Houston as the Rumble Match winner.
19) "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, 1988: Duggan will forever have the distinction of being the first man to win the Rumble Match when he escaped a 20-man version of the match in 1988 that aired on USA Network as a special rather than on pay-per-view. Duggan came in at lucky No. 13 and last eliminated the One Man Gang to leave the Copps Coliseum in Ontario as the inaugural Rumble Match winner.
18) Yokozuna, 1993: The WWE billed Yokozuna as an unstoppable monster, so while it makes sense that they made him win the Rumble Match, it wasn't the greatest choice based on the fact that his matches were slow and plodding. With 1993 being the first year that the winner of the match headlined WrestleMania, it didn't make much sense that one of the roughest workers on the roster won the Rumble Match, no matter how thin the roster was. Yokozuna came in at No. 27 and last eliminated "Macho Man" Randy Savage at the Arco Arena in Sacramento.
17) Lex Luger, 1994: Though Luger was co-winners with Bret "Hitman" Hart, the WWE should have just pulled the trigger on Hart winning the bout instead of having a split decision. Luger came in at No. 23 at the Providence Civic Center in Rhode Island and he and Hart eliminated each other and landed on the floor at the exact same time. While the decision helped set up an interesting two-match main event at WrestleMania X with each man getting a title shot, the co-winners thing wasn't the best idea.
16) Alberto Del Rio, 2011: While Del Rio's win in what was the first and only 40-man match was unexpected, it was another case of the WWE rushing somebody's push. Del Rio came in at No. 38 and after a fake out was able to eliminate Santino Marella at the TD Garden in Boston to stamp his ticket to WrestleMania, but his win ultimately felt flat.
15) Sheamus, 2012: Like Del Rio, Sheamus probably wasn't ready to carry the weight of winning the Rumble Match, but the WWE headed down that path anyway. Sheamus last eliminated Chris Jericho, which irked a lot of people, and won from No. 22 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. He may have won the Rumble, but he has been middling around in the midcard ever since.
14) Batista, 2005 and 2014: Batista is a mixed bag as a Rumble Match winner as his win in 2005 cemented him as a force to be reckoned with while his 2014 win left a lot to be desired. Batista and John Cena both spilled out to the floor in 2005, causing Vince McMahon to storm to the ring and legitimately hurt himself as he re-started the match. Batista then tossed Cena to win from No. 28 at the Savemart Center in Fresno, Calif. Batista then won upon returning last year from No. 28 after last eliminating Roman Reigns at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Batista's 2014 win was the WWE shoving him down the fans' throats, which ultimately led to the WWE Universe turning on him and changing the landscape of WrestleMania XXX.
13) John Cena, 2008 and 2013: Like Batista, the "Cenation" leader's Rumble wins are also a mixed bag. In 2008, Cena made a shocking return to the squared circle and became just the second man -- and second Superstar in as many years -- to win the Rumble Match from No. 30 when he last eliminated Triple H at Madison Square Garden in New York City in a shocking surprise. Less thrilling, however, was Super Cena's 2013 win in which he came in at No. 19 and eliminated Ryback last at the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix to pick up his second Rumble Match win.
12) Triple H, 2002: All great Superstars have to win at least one Rumble and "The Game" did just that in 2002. Whether you love him or hate him, the thing that separates HHH's win in '02 how obvious it was that he was set to win. The WWE made a big deal about him returning from injuries and overcoming the odds, so when Triple H came out at No. 22 and last disposed of Kurt Angle at the Philips Arena in Georgia, it was already a foregone conclusion.
11) Bret Hart, 1994: As mentioned above, it was a weird booking decision for the WWE to have co-winners in 1994, but Hart has such a storied career that it would be a shame if a Rumble win wasn't on his resume. Hart was No. 27 in this match and ended up landing on the floor at the same time as Luger, leading to a tie. Hart would go on to have arguably the best opening match in WrestleMania and WWE history with his brother Owen Hart two months later and defeat Yokozuna for the WWE Championship later that night.
10) The Rock, 2000: Much like Hart, it would be a shame if the People's Champion didn't have a Rumble win on his resume, but luckily enough the WWE awarded him one in 2000. Like Triple H's, the thing that holds The Rock back is how obvious it was that he was going to win the match due to the lackluster talent he was surrounded by. The Rock entered Madison Square Garden in New York City as No. 24 and last eliminated The Big Show -- albeit in controversial fashion -- to win the match.
9) Hulk Hogan 1990 and 1991: Hogan became the first man to ever win the Rumble Match twice and to win it in back-to-back years. Hogan came in as No. 25 and last eliminated Mr. Perfect at the Orlando Arena in Florida in 1990 and followed it up by tossing Earthquake at the Miami Arena the following year after entering at No. 24. Hogan is a legend in this business and while his Rumble wins were predictable and happened at a time where there was no prize on the line, he's still a big part of Royal Rumble lore.
8) Randy Orton, 2009: "The Viper" put on an impressive performance after coming out as the No. 8 entrant in 2009 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Orton last eliminated Triple H to stand tall and pad his WWE resume.
7) Brock Lesnar, 2003: The current WWE World Heavyweight Champion had an impressive first year by bursting on the scene and winning the King of the Ring in 2002 and his first WWE Championship at SummerSlam two months later, but "The Beast" was just getting warmed up. Lesnar entered the 2003 Rumble Match as the 29th entrant and last eliminated The Undertaker to earn his first and only Rumble win at the Fleet Center in Boston. Though his win was obvious, it added to his unreal first year in the WWE.
6) The Undertaker 2007: While the "Deadman" is known for his now-defunct WrestleMania streak, he was able to add to that already impressive list of accomplishments by finally winning the Rumble Match in '07. The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels put on a very memorable closing sequence during the bout that eventually saw 'Taker defeat the hometown boy at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX. 'Taker became the first man to ever win the Rumble Match as the No. 30 entrant.
5) Edge, 2010: Though his Hall of Fame career was cut short, Edge was able to squeak out a Rumble win in one of the best moments in Rumble Match history. Edge, who had been on the shelf due to an Achilles injury, made a surprise return as the No. 29 entrant into the match at the Philips Arena in Atlanta and ended up last eliminating John Cena to the surprise of many fans in the WWE Universe.
4) Chris Benoit, 2004: While his name evokes bad memories, looking at Benoit as just a wrestler his win at the 2004 Royal Rumble was stellar. Benoit became only the second man to win the match as the No. 1 entrant, last eliminating The Big Show at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.
3) "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, 1997, 1998 and 2001: Austin is the only man to ever win the Rumble Match three times. In his first win, he was actually eliminated but snuck back in to throw out Bret "Hitman" Hart and win the Rumble Match as the No. 5 entrant at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. Austin became the third man to win back-to-back Rumbles -- though this one was obvious -- as the No. 24 entrant in 1998 when he last tossed out The Rock. Finally, Austin won as the No. 27 entrant after last eliminating Kane at the 2001 edition of the event at the New Orleans Arena.
2) Shawn Michaels, 1995 and 1996: "Mr. WrestleMania" has a special place in Royal Rumble lore as he became the first man to ever win the Rumble Match as the No. 1 entrant in 1995 and he followed it up by winning for a second consecutive year in 1996. Michaels last eliminated The British Bulldog at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa to become the first man to enter at No. 1 and be the last man standing. In 1996, Michaels entered the fray at No. 18 and last eliminated Diesel at the Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif. en route to his first WWE Championship.
1) Ric Flair, 1992: "The Nature Boy" is by far the best Rumble Match winner of all-time as he was the only man to ever win the WWE Championship in a Rumble Match. Flair came in at No. 3 and last eliminated Hulk Hogan to escape the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany as the 1992 Rumble winner and WWE Champion. Flair's impressive performance and surprising win mixed with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's hilarity on commentary make this one of the best moments in WWE history.
The WWE presents the Royal Rumble live from the Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 25 in Philadelphia and the WWE Universe will find out who the latest man will be to leave with his head held high after the Rumble Match
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