Since it's inception in 1988 the Royal Rumble PPV has always been the second biggest event on the WWE's calendar and created tons of excitement among wrestling fans. The annual January event is built around a 30-man over the top rope battle royal that gives the winner a title match at WrestleMania. With this year's Royal Rumble right around the corner (Jan. 31, Georgia Dome), it's a great time to take a look at the Top Ten Royal Rumble moments from the Royal Rumble match itself...
10. Ric Flair wins the WWE Title; 1992
Remains the only Royal Rumble match in history where the title was up for grabs; Flair was the third entrant and outlasted Hulk Hogan, the Undertaker, Sid, Randy Savage and Rowdy Piper to win the match.
9. Mick Foley enters match THREE times; 1998
Foley had three gimmicks at the time - Cactus Jack, Mankind and Dude Love - all three made appearances and eliminated at least one wrestler in the 1998 rumble match. The sheer goofiness of the concept had fans enjoying all three entrances by Foley's different personas.
8. Steve Austin sets record, eliminates 10 wrestlers; 1997
Austin broke Hulk Hogan's record by eliminating 10 competitors in the '97 match, which he also won by throwing Bret Hart over the top rope. Stone Cold eliminated the Undertaker, Vader, Jesse James, Savio Vega, Marc Mero, Owen Hart, Jake Roberts, Bart Gunn and Phineas Godwinn.
7. Vince McMahon and Steve Austin go all over the building; 1999
McMahon and Austin battled it out in the ring, in the crowd, in the arena's bathrooms, at the announcer's table and more during the '99 Rumble. It was unpredictable with Austin and McMahon making the match their own personal battleground.
6. Bret Hart and Lex Luger BOTH declared winners; 1994
Fans would see a similar finish over a decade later in 2005 with Batista and John Cena, but in that case officials restarted the match. This remains the only Royal Rumble with TWO winners, that BOTH received title shots. It was an exciting finish that held up to instant replay; Hart and Luger timed the end perfectly and hit the ground at the same time.
5. Cena surprise 30th entrant; 2008
A torn pectoral muscle put John Cena on the sideline and everybody thought he wouldn't be able to physically return to wrestling until much later in 2008, but the former World Champion shocked fans by coming out as the 30th entrant two years ago. He eventually won the match by eliminating Triple H and set a record for shortest time in the ring by a Royal Rumble winner.
4. Hulk Hogan eliminates tag team partner Randy Savage; 1989
They were the biggest tag team in the world, Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan - The Mega Powers, but the Royal Rumble in 1989 was a turning point for the duo. Hogan accidentally eliminated Savage in the match and that almost led to blows between the two because Savage was so angry. They held things together that night, but things would never be the same and the two would face off at WrestleMania two months later.
3. Austin wins for THIRD time; 2001
Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin each won two straight Royal Rumble matches in their wrestling careers, but only Austin was able to win a third time. He remains to this day the only wrestler in history to accomplish the feat. In 2001 he was able to win the match by eliminating Kane with the help of some vicious chair shots and a clothesline.
2. Hulk Hogan and Ultimate Warrior face off; 1990
A very notable moment for a few reasons, both wrestlers were champions at the time (Hogan was the WWF Champion, Warrior was the Intercontinental Champion), it remains the only time a World Champion has competed in the Royal Rumble match, it was Warrior's first and only Royal Rumble match and it was the first major confrontation between the two major superstars. Warrior prevented Hogan from being eliminated by Rick Rude and Barbarian, Hogan returned the favor by eliminating Warrior. This would set up a major feud between the two and a match at WrestleMania that year.
1. Shawn Michaels escapes elimination and outlasts 29 competitors; 1995
One of the best Royal Rumble matches ever, Michaels and the British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith were the first and second entrants in the match respectively and survived the entire match to be the last two men standing as well. The end of the match saw Michaels thrown over the top rope and ALMOST eliminated by Smith, but he held on and only one of his feet touched the ground. As Smith celebrated Michaels get back in the ring and eliminated him. It was the first time ever a WWE wrestler won the Royal Rumble while being the first entrant.
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