5 Royal Rumble records that may never be broken
As one of WWE's 'Big Four' events, Royal Rumble as a concept is steeped in over three decades of history. The first pay-per-view of the year is generally the most exciting, thanks to the element of surprise of who will show up.
Several WWE Superstars, past and present, have made a huge impact in the Royal Rumble match. Many new stars use the Rumble as a chance to steal spotlight.
And when it comes to the Royal Rumble, it is all about the numbers. There are many different aspects of the Royal Rumble that can be quantified. With such a rich history that continues to excite fans, there have been many history-making moments in the Rumble match, with new records being set regularly.
They say records are made to be broken. However, some of them, as we will see, are unlikely to be topped. Here are five Royal Rumble records that may never be broken.
#5 Most participants in a Royal Rumble Match (50 - WWE Greatest Royal Rumble)
The standard number of participants in a Royal Rumble Match is 30, with only three exceptions to the rule. The first Rumble, in 1988, only featured 20 Superstars before it found it's identity over the years. Meanwhile, 2011 saw WWE expand the Royal Rumble field to 40 participants.
It seemed like that would remain the largest Rumble match in WWE history, but this record was broken seven years later. Deviating from the traditional January match, WWE booked a 50-man Royal Rumble for their first pay-per-view in Saudi Arabia. Yes, the Greatest Royal Rumble Match is being considered in this article.
While interesting as a concept, the 50-man Rumble dragged a lot in places. There were some fun moments, nevertheless. None of them were as fun as Titus O'Neil falling over during his entrance and landing completely under the ring. That definitely made the match a lot more bearable, especially after the nine matches on the card before it.
Even with WWE's large roster, it was difficult to fill 50 spots in the Greatest Royal Rumble Match. For that reason, a Rumble of that volume may never happen again. WWE may book another 40-man Royal Rumble at some point, but the record for most participants will likely stay with the April 2018 match from Jeddah.