5 times the first two entrants of Royal Rumble match created History
The annual Royal Rumble match is one of the most awaited spectacles in the entire year for the wrestling fans. 30 men compete in this match to book their berth for the main event at WrestleMania.
The toughest spots in this match are the starting two positions, as the entrants have to survive through all the other competitors to win the match.
This year, Brock Lesnar has decided to become the number one entrant in this match. Notably, he is the current WWE Champion. Yet, he has decided to compete in the match as he felt no single Superstar was worthy of getting a shot at his championship.
Let’s take a look back at five such Superstars, who started this match. Not all of them were victorious, but each of them had a major impact on the landscape of WWE.
#5 Royal Rumble 2016: Roman Reigns defended the World Championship
Traditionally, the winner of the Royal Rumble match gets the opportunity to face the Champion at WrestleMania. However, the McMahons had a different plan for the year of 2016.
In their attempt to take away the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Roman Reigns, they forced the Big Dog to become the number one entrant in the match and defend the championship against 29 other Superstars.
Ultimately, the Big Dog was eliminated by Triple H, who returned in the Royal Rumble match as the final entrant and won the title.
Historical Impact:
Even though the WWF World Heavyweight Championship was on the line in the 1992 Royal Rumble, the match was for a vacated title and technically, no Superstar was defending it. Roman Reigns, despite losing the match in 2016, created history by defending his title in a match that was created to name a challenger for the championship.