At this point, the 35th Royal Rumble pay-per-view is behind us, meaning the road to WrestleMania has commenced. With this in mind, what does winning the Royal Rumble mean for the man (or woman) who outlasts 29 other competitors?
For Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey this year, it means facing a champion of your choice in the biggest pay-per-view. However, how do you go about winning one of the endurance-based matches out there?
#RoyalRumble ? #WrestleMania @RondaRousey @BrockLesnar pic.twitter.com/rOXklsnds8
— WWE (@WWE) January 30, 2022
When WWE Hall of Fame “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan was asked in an interview about the Royal Rumble, he said this:
“Try to stay away from people. The less time you’re in contact with people, the longer you’re in the ring.”
WWE Hall of Famer “Hacksaw” JIm Duggan
At any rate, if there’s anyone who knows about the Royal Rumble, it’s Duggan. He won the inaugural event back in 1988 when it was just 20 superstars before expansion the following year. To illustrate the Hall of Famer’s advice, you have to look at the Royal Rumble by the numbers.
Royal Rumble: By the Numbers
Duggan also had this to say as to winning the Royal Rumble match:
“It’s always better to come in later. You’re fresher than the guys who’ve been out there longer. For the first five guys, that’s a long time in the ring.”
To that end, the numbers show that the later your entry, the better odds of winning it. In summary, the male winners have from the number 27 and 30 positions as Lesnar won from the number 30 position this year. Comparatively, two women have won it from the number 28 spot: Becky Lynch in 2019 and Rousey this year.
On the other hand, there are always exceptions to the rule as a selected few have won from early spots in the Rumble match. Only three wrestlers in the history of the match have won it from the number one spot: Shawn Michaels (1995), the late Chris Benoit (2004), and The Rated “R” Superstar Edge (2021).
In contrast, when Bianca Belair won the Women’s Royal Rumble in 2021, she was entrant number three. Since the inception of the Women’s Royal Rumble in 2015, the EST of WWE is the only one to win from a single-digit position.
Thank you ? https://t.co/DuvsWQeLZ4
— Bianca Belair (@BiancaBelairWWE) February 1, 2021
All in all, it takes a combination of a little luck and a bit of energy to stand alone and punch your ticket to WrestleMania. In the end, it could be worth it if the road ends in a championship.
