WWE Royal Rumble: 5 Longest Runner-Up Performances in History
There is no gimmick match in professional wrestling right now that is more exciting and breathtaking than the Royal Rumble. An argument can be made that Hell in a Cell, TLC, and Elimination Chamber are as legendary as the Rumble, but the longevity and surprise factor gives Royal Rumble an edge over all other matches.
An encounter that involves 30 performers and lasts over an hour, in some cases, it is not just about surprise and innovation in the Rumble match. The number a superstar draws definitely ranks among the most important factors while participating in the Royal Rumble, but survival instinct and technique also rank right at the top, given that the goal is not getting eliminated from the match.
Over the last 34 years, there have been over a dozen superstars who have managed to instigate their will and stayed in the Rumble match until the closing stretch. While a handful of them actually managed to go all the way to win the match, some of them were not so lucky, as they were the last men to be thrown out.
Let's look at 5 superstars who had the longest runs in the Royal Rumble match as the Runner up.
#5 Triple H - 50:00 minutes (Royal Rumble 2009)
Triple H is no stranger to being the Iron Man of the Royal Rumble match, only to end up falling just short of winning the whole thing. After all, he lasted for over an hour in 2006, starting at #1, only to end up being the second last person to be eliminated from the match.
Exactly three years later, luck was not on his side once again at the Royal Rumble as he fell short of going all the way, despite being in the match for the longest period.
This time, however, he ended up being the last man to be eliminated after putting up a gutsy fight against the three members of Legacy, before Randy Orton brought an end to his stay in the match
His run of exactly 50 minutes was the longest in the match, and he eliminated 6 men, including both Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. His elimination from the match, which led to Randy Orton's victory, further fueled their Mania rivalry.