5 WWE Superstars you may have forgotten won the Royal Rumble match
The 2022 Royal Rumble Premium Live Event is almost upon us. The 35th annual spectacle will occur at The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, January 29.
The first-ever over-the-top-rope match took place in 1988 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. That night, WWE Hall of Famer "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan outlasted nineteen other superstars to win the match, last eliminating the One Man Gang.
Since then, the Rumble event has become a crucial part of WrestleMania season. The winners of the respective Men's and Women's Battle Royals go on to challenge the champions of their choice in the main event of the Show of Shows.
Pat Patterson was more than the first Intercontinental Champion & father of the Royal Rumble Match. He helped lay the foundation for WWE as we know it. His mentorship shaped careers, his creativity sparked innovation and his friendship lifted spirits. Love you, Pat. We miss you. https://t.co/TugpAOrN6O
Former WWE Champions, including Hulk Hogan, Randy Orton, John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Edge, have all won the match twice. Stone Cold Steve Austin, who has won the Battle Royale three times, currently holds the record for the most wins.
From the long list of Rumble winners, fans might not recall some of them or would like a timely reminder. That being said, let's take a look at five WWE Superstars you may have forgotten won the Royal Rumble match.
#5 Shinsuke Nakamura won the Royal Rumble match in 2018
Shinsuke Nakamura eliminates Roman Reigns and wins the 2018 Royal Rumble. He will get a world championship match at WrestleMania in New Orleans. https://t.co/QSuTCJ4bTK
It has been four years since Shinsuke Nakamura won the Men's Royal Rumble match. He entered the match as the #14 entrant and lastly eliminated Roman Reigns to secure the main event spot at WrestleMania.
The win marked the anniversary of the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion's signing with the company two years ago. The victory signaled a remarkable push for the Japanese superstar in WWE, who initially debuted on NXT in April 2016.
Shinsuke Nakamura faced AJ Styles for the WWE Championship in a dream match. The two had previously contested against each other in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but never in North America.
The bout saw The Phenomenal One retain his championship using his Styles Clash finisher. However, after the match, Nakamura turned heel by delivering a low blow to Styles in the middle of the ring after handing him the title.
Nakamura and AJ Styles' feud continued, concluding on June 17 in which the latter came out on top once more. It is fair to say, since this period, Shinsuke hasn't quite hit the same heights and has remained a mid-card talent for the company.
No matter how his career turns out in WWE in the future, his name will always remain amongst some of the elite superstars of all time as a Royal Rumble winner.