Ranking every winner of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal was first introduced in 2014 at WrestleMania 30. It was brought in as a tribute to the legendary Andre The Giant, the first ever WWE Hall of Famer and "King of the Battle Royal."
It was also a good way to get as much of the roster as possible on the esteemed WrestleMania card and offered the promise of success to the winner of the titular match.
Over the years, there have been eight iterations of the Battle Royal and each match has been won by a different individual. In this list, we will look at each winner and rank them from worst to best.
This list will take into consideration the quality of the match and how winning the Battle Royal impacted these men's careers from that point on. Without further ado, let's begin.
#8.Madcap Moss: Won the Battle Royal on the Smackdown before WrestleMania 38
Madcap Moss is your 2022 Andre the Giant Battle Royal WINNER!
@MadcapMoss | #SmackDown https://t.co/aKfgbnRsyU
The latest winner of the Battle Royal, Madcap Moss' victory came at a time when the event has admittedly lost some of its luster. Left off the actual WrestleMania card for the second year in a row, Happy Corbin's sidekick won the match in convincing fashion.
Coming on top in a match that included stars such as Finn Balor, Tomasso Ciampa and Damian Priest, Madcap Moss' victory was just the latest example of WWE trying to give a rub to one of their home-grown talents.
The reason Moss is so low on the list is not really because of his own inadequacy. The recency of his win has not yet allowed us to see where he will go from here and the match's falling prestige has also served to dull his victory somewhat. That being said, Moss' position may very well change depending on what happens down the line.
#7. Mojo Rawley: Won the Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33
Taking place on the pre-show of WrestleMania 33, many consider this event to be the point in time when the novelty behind the Battle Royal began to wear off. Despite featuring stars such as Braun Strowman, Sami Zayn and the soon-to-be-pushed Jinder Mahal, the decision was made to give the trophy to Mojo Rawley.
The former Hype Bro was by no means an undeserving winner. He had a high energy style and a look that would have brought him great success. Outside the ring, he was well-connected and served as an ambassador who brought good PR to the WWE. This win should, by all means, have been able to propel him to greater heights.
Rather than using the victory to propel Rawley himself, more attention was given to his friend, NFL star Rob Gronkowski. Gronk helped Rawley eliminate Jinder Mahal and celebrated alongside him at the end of the match. While it made for some good press on the night itself, Rawley's career did not receive any significant boost.
#6. Matt Hardy: Won the Battle Royal at WrestleMania 34
Taking place on the pre-show of WrestleMania 34, Matt Hardy's win was admittedly quite a surprise. Having recently transitioned into his "Woken" character and coming off a prominent feud with Bray Wyatt, fans questioned why the Eater of Worlds and the Woken One did not take their rivalry to the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Instead, Wyatt was left off the card and Hardy was relegated to the pre-show. This disappointment was mitigated somewhat when Wyatt returned from the Ultimate Deletion to help his former enemy win the match. Saving Hardy from former winners Baron Corbin and Mojo Rawley, fans were happy to see the formation of this new alliance.
While it was by no means a bad match, Hardy's status as the victor of the Battle Royal was quickly overshadowed by his alliance with Wyatt. Rather than promoting the prestige of winning the trophy, that year's Battle Royal seemed more centered around a single storyline.
#5. Jey Uso: Won the Battle Royal on the Smackdown before WrestleMania 37
In 2021, Jey Uso came out fresh from a surprisingly good main event singles run and was now firmly placed as Roman Reigns' right hand man. Thus, it was time for him to earn his share of achievements alongside the Head of The Table.
Unfortunately, the timing behind this could not have been worse. Due to the pandemic, physical audiences were not present and a decision was made to move the Batte Royal from WrestleMania to Smackdown. Despite that, Uso was the appropriate winner and needed an accolade to keep him strong alongside his dominant cousin.
While the choice for that year's victor was no doubt the best, it was unfortunate that Jey Uso did not do more following his victory. When his brother, Jimmy, returned shortly after WrestleMania 37, The Usos once again became a tag team and although they remain in the main event scene to this day, it did dull Jey's victory somewhat.
#4. Big Show: Won the Battle Royal at WrestleMania 31
While the Battle Royal was initially meant to elevate newer talent, there was a necessary exception. The Big Show was always seen as the successor to Andre The Giant and for a time, was even presented as his son. So, it would have been a most fitting tribute to have the 7ft veteran win the match in his honor.
The runner-up of the previous year's match, The Big Show, entered the second ever Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal as a heel, having joined The Authority a few months prior. He then won the match by eliminating fan-favorite Damien Mizdow to the fury of the crowd.
While The Big Show definitely deserved to win the match at least once, the circumstances behind his win did leave a bit more to be desired. Had he been a babyface and won the match in honor of his spiritual predecessor, The Big Show's victory would have meant far more than it did at WrestleMania 31.
#3. Braun Strowman: Won the Battle Royal at WrestleMania 35
Braun Strowman was a megastar in WWE. A larger-than-life figure with brute strength, charisma and ability in the ring, The Monster Among Men had all the tools to be a world champion. However, Strowman suffered from always being lost in the shuffle during WrestleMania season.
Despite being a top superstar who regularly main evented pay-per-views, there were rarely any solid plans for Strowman come WrestleMania. This was fortunately fixed by WrestleMania 35. Although the match did take place on the pre-show, it was a highly publicized affair thanks to Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost and Michael Che.
Strowman won the match in convincing fashion and made quick work of the two comedians who had taunted him in the weeks prior. It was an entertaining match and a good way to give Strowman a dominant showing. The only thing stopping this victory from taking a higher spot is the fact that Strowman was relegated to the pre-show and the overly comedic nature of the prestigious match.
#2. Cesaro: Won the Battle Royal at WrestleMania 30
The Andre The Giant battle royal is kicking off the show, Cesaro picking up Big Show and throwing him over the top rope to win the battle royal at Wrestlemania 30 is the best moment in the history of the Andre The Giant battle royal hands down #SmackDown #WrestleMania https://t.co/AjnPretHTy
The first-ever Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal was built up as both a tribute to the Hall of Famer and a shot at superstardom for its winner. It was a big deal and the audience was genuinely invested in the match.
At the time, fans had no idea who was going to win the match and speculation was rife that a newer superstar was going to get a big push off this victory. When Cesaro won the match, fans were surprised and, at the same time, overjoyed. The Swiss Superman had already lost a match earlier that night and was not announced for the Battle Royal. Lifting the Big Show in the vein of Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant, Cesaro's victory was a starmaking performance.
The next night on RAW, the King of Swing sought to assert his dominance over the WWE with Paul Heyman as his new manager and ride off the success of his victory. While it took time, Cesaro eventually became one of WWE's most popular superstars thanks to his matches against the likes of John Cena and Sheamus.
Cesaro's victory was an amazing choice and should have served as a platform to instantly catapult him to the top. However, the initial decision to keep him heel and his failed partnership with Paul Heyman following his win is just a small hiccup that keeps his victory from reaching the top spot.
#1. Baron Corbin: Won the Battle Royal at WrestleMania 32
The third-ever Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal was certainly the most star-studded edition of the match. Featuring legends such as DDP and Tatanka, former World Champions Kane, Mark Henry and the Big Show as well as NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal, the match was definitely the sleeper hit of WrestleMania 32.
Making an unannounced appearance in the match was NXT Superstar, Baron Corbin. One of NXT's top heels, Corbin's inconspicuous entry into the match was soon triumphed by his shocking victory. Eliminating Kane to win the bout, Corbin got his first victory on the main-roster on the grand stage of WrestleMania in front of the largest crowd in the event's history.
With a shocking triumph over some of WWE's most iconic stars, Corbin was instantly legitimized as a top star on the main roster. In the years to come, Corbin would win the US Title, Money in The Bank briefcase and King of The Ring. He would also headline several pay-per-views and remains an upper card heel to this day.
Baron Corbin's win at WrestleMania 32 is still the best example of how the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal can be used to create new top stars and he remains to this day, the match's best winner.