5 WWE Superstars who won the Royal Rumble in their first attempt
The most exciting gimmick match in WWE history, no match is tougher to win than the Royal Rumble. Less than 30 Superstars can say that they achieved the feat, with the majority of them taking multiple attempts before winning it.
However, there are a few WWE stars who came out on top in their first Royal Rumble Match. Whether it was within months of their WWE debut or simply the first time they did not have a separate match at the Royal Rumble event, several big names won the 30-man melee in their first attempt.
Winning the Royal Rumble at the first time of asking is usually a sign of a big push towards the world title, which was the case in most situations. Either way, each of these victories was incredible for a variety of reasons. There are a couple of things to consider for this list though.
The first editions of the Men's and Women's Royal Rumble matches are not considered, so no 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan or Asuka. Anyway, while the achievement is not limited to just them, here are five WWE Superstars who won the Royal Rumble in their first attempt.
#5 Yokozuna (WWF Royal Rumble 1993)
Debuting towards the end of 1992, Yokozuna was on the fast-track to become a main event star in WWE. He reached that point with a victory in the 1993 Royal Rumble Match. It was the first one where the winner would receive a world title match at WrestleMania.
Yokozuna was booked pretty strong at the event, eliminating seven men from the Rumble. He entered at number 27, which remains the most frequent spot for Royal Rumble winners. The closing moments of the match, however, were pretty baffling though.
'Macho Man' Randy Savage hit his elbow drop on the big man but tried to pin him. The strength of Yokozuna's 'kick-out' sent Savage over the top rope and out of the ring. Nevertheless, this was the first step towards the top of the card for the 'Japanese' heavyweight. Yokozuna would win the WWF Championship twice that year.
A part of the legendary Anoa'i family, Yokozuna remains one of the most unique Superstars in WWE history. His size and in-ring style remain fascinating to viewers, who will get more of a glimpse of him in the WWE Icons series, which premieres after Royal Rumble 2021 on the WWE Network.