8 Longest Times Spent in the Royal Rumble Match
The Royal Rumble match came into existence 30 years ago as an attraction match on a special TV event shown on the USA Network.
Devised by the first-ever Intercontinental Champion and WWE owner Vince McMahon's right hand man, Pat Patterson, the 'Rumble match pitted 20 (from 1989 onward, the match featured 30 performers, the 2011 version had a then-record 40) superstars against each other where elimination could only occur by a competitor being thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor.
The match differed from the traditional Battle Royal in that the match began with just two participants with an additional superstar entering the encounter at regularly scheduled intervals, between 90 seconds and two minutes.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan won the first edition of the match and the inaugural 'Rumble event proved so successful that WWE added the event to its burgeoning pay-per-view schedule in 1989.
In 1993, the prize for winning the match that everyone knows today was added. The winner of the bout would be named the number one contender for the WWE World Championship at Wrestlemania.
In 2018, WWE added a Woman's Royal Rumble match to their annual event for the first time and will host another in 2019.
On April 27, 2018, WWE promoted a 50-man version of the match for a WWE Network special in Saudi Arabia, won by Braun Strowman.
Winning the match is a major award for wrestlers and can catapult a superstar to superstardom. However, many wrestlers can become stars by being the 'Rumble "ironman" by lasting a long time in the match. The following slideshow looks at the seven men who have spent the longest time in a single 'Rumble match.
#8 Ric Flair - 1992 (59:20)
Ric Flair set the record time spent in a Royal Rumble match back in 1992 after he entered the match as the number three entrant and survived to win the match.
The 1992 edition of the match was the first where something was at stake for winning the bout. The winner of the 1992 Royal Rumble would be declared the new WWF Champion, with the title having been vacated almost two months earlier.
Flair eliminated five men in one of the most impressive 'Rumble performances in history and one that is still discussed fondly to this day.
The finish of the match came when Sid Justice eliminated Hulk Hogan and the Hulkster responded by tugging at Justice's arm. Seeing an opportunity, the wily Flair snuck up and tossed the giant out of the ring for the victory and his first WWF Championship.