5 Superstars who nearly won the WWE Royal Rumble
In the history of the Royal Rumble match, there have been 39 victors to date, with a handful of those winning it multiple times.
Of course, between 1988 and 2017, the Rumble match was restricted to male superstars only. However, the occasional female performer entered the bout over the years; legends like Chyna and Beth Phoenix competed in the contest.
In 2018, as part of WWE's Women's Evolution, the company introduced a Rumble match for the female superstars as well. The 30-woman over-the-top-rope battle has been contested annually ever since. The company has taken steps toward recent years for equality, and this progress has also been reflected elsewhere in the sport.
Whilst the WWE Universe isn't always in agreement, many of the Royal Rumble winners over the years have certainly earned their triumph. Drew McIntyre, Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch have been some of the best examples of fan-favorite winners.
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But on the flip side, others garnered quite a negative reaction. Batista was booed out of the building when he won the Rumble match in 2014. At the time, the WWE Universe was disappointed that Daniel Bryan had not entered and won the match to secure his place at WrestleMania.
Bryan was massively over with fans, as he built up a natural wave of support with the "YES!" Movement. Fans soon learned that there was a much larger story at play, which would eventually lead him to the main event of WrestleMania 30. There, he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a historic win that reflected the way the company changed its initial plans.
Likewise, there have been several scenarios where superstars were initially slated to win the Rumble, but WWE's plans ultimately changed.
That being said, let's take a look at five superstars who nearly won the WWE Royal Rumble. You can also watch the video here:
#5 The Rock almost won the 2019 Royal Rumble match
The Rock Current Betting Favorite to Win 2019 Royal Rumble
comicbook.com/wwe/2018/08/23… https://t.co/42FoaSz4T0
In 2019, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was set to win the Royal Rumble for a second time.
The trusted Twitter account WrestleVotes reported that The Great One was considered to be a favorite for the match. Prior to the bout, the betting odds were also in favor of the former WWE Champion.
Rumble tidbit: Plan at one point was for The Rock to win the Royal Rumble & face Roman Reigns at Mania. That’s obviously not happening. Can Rock still win it & face Lesnar? I guess. Depends what kind of agreement Rock and WWE have. Once plans changed, Rock may have reconsidered.
The Rock was booked to face Roman Reigns at that year's WrestleMania. But the plans changed due to the latter's battle with leukemia. While Reigns did return in time for The Show of Shows, he faced Drew McIntyre at the event instead.
Of course, there is speculation once again that we may see The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania somewhere down the line. Time will tell whether this dream match finally becomes a reality.