10 WWE wrestlers that never won the Royal Rumble
It's January again, and you know what that means. Outside the broken New Years' resolutions and the struggle to go back to work after the Christmas and New Years' holidays, it also means that we are in Royal Rumble season.
One of WWE's flagship events has rolled around once again with many names throwing their hat into the ring. The list of great wrestlers that have won the event includes names like Shawn Michaels, Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, Triple H, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and many more.
The achievement is up there with some of the toughest things to achieve in WWE, as the event only rolls around once a year and 20-40 wrestlers compete in each rumble to outlast their opponents.
This year's Royal Rumble is sure to be among the most competitive in the event's history. Not only has Brock Lesnar entered the Royal Rumble. but also AJ Styles, Ricochet, Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, Kevin Owens, and Samoa Joe. The list also includes former winners like Seth Rollins, Shinsuke Nakamura, Roman Reigns, Randy Orton, and Rey Mysterio.
As of Friday Night Smackdown, 27 of the 30 entrants have already been announced for the men's Royal Rumble, with John Morrison and The Miz officially entering the Royal Rumble. Aside from a wrestler being taken out before the match and replaced, this only leaves 3 spots to fill in the men's Royal Rumble this year.
Over the event's 35 year history, only 27 different superstars have won the Royal Rumble, with two female Royal Rumbles also taking place over the last two years. That being said, many legends went their whole career without ever winning the Royal Rumble.
The following list is 10 great wrestlers in WWE who participated in at least one Royal Rumble match, but were never able to win the event:
# 10 Ted DiBiase
"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase was one of the most iconic characters in WWE during the 90s. Unfortunately, DiBiase's career came at the same time as the height of Hulkamania, where every resource at McMahon's disposal was invested in Hulk Hogan.
This meant that wrestlers like Jake Roberts, DiBiase, and countless others played second fiddle to the main man. Luckily enough, Hogan was fond of DiBiase and allowed him to play a major part in WWE.
This never materialized into much in the way of titles or reigns. The Million Dollar Man purchased the World Heavyweight title from Andre the Giant. However, DiBiase did manage to win the 1988 King of the Ring tournament and had three reigns with the tag team title.
DiBiase entered 4 Royal Rumble matches 1989, 1990, 1992, and 1993. His best effort came in the 1989 Royal Rumble where he bribed Akeem for the number 30 spot in the Royal Rumble.
DiBiase managed to eliminate Brutus Beefcake and The Red Rooster before he was eliminated last by Big John Studd. In the Royal Rumble the following year, DiBiase entered first, eliminating Koko B Ware, Marty Jannetty, and Earthquake, before he was eliminated by the Ultimate Warrior.