Royal Rumble winners list: A list of all Royal Rumble winners to date

Royal Rumble winners list: A list of all Royal Rumble winners to date

Lenah Ann
March 10, 2024 at 3:39 PM

The WWE Royal Rumble is one of the most famous sporting events in the world, with millions of fans from every corner of the globe. Since its inception in 1988, various superstars have taken part in the sport; in doing so, some have taken home the title. Legendary wrestlers such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and Shawn Michaels are among the few stars on the Royal Rumble winners list.

Steve Austin (Left), John Cena (Centre), and Edge (Right)
The WWE Royal Rumble is one of the most famous sporting events in the world. Photo: Bill Watters, Mike Marsland, Barry King (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Table of Сontents:

The Royal Rumble competes among 30 wrestlers who enter the ring to eliminate their competitors by tossing them over the top rope. The match is usually held annually at the end of January, and the winner is the last wrestler standing after they have eliminated all competitors with both feet touching the floor.

Royal Rumble winners list

In the Royal Rumble, royal rules stipulate that instead of everyone starting in the ring, the competitors enter the ring simultaneously at prearranged intervals. The winner is given a guaranteed championship spot at WrestleMania against the champion of his choice.

After an in-depth analysis from various sources such as Goal and Khel Now, here is the men's and women's WWE Royal Rumble winners list from 1988 to 2024, arranged from the most recent to the oldest.

Year

Winner (men)

Entry No.

Eliminated

Winner (women)

Entry No.

2024

Cody Rhodes

15

CM Punk

Bayley

3

2023

Cody Rhodes

30

Gunther

Rhea Ripley

1

2022

Brock Lesnar

30

Drew McIntyre

Ronda Rousey

28

2021

Edge

1

Randy Orton

Bianca Belair

3

2020

Drew McIntyre

16

Roman Reigns

Charlotte Flair

17

2019

Seth Rollins

10

Braun Strowman

Becky Lynch

28

2018

Shinsuke Nakamura

14

Roman Reigns

Asuka

25

2017

Randy Orton

23

Roman Reigns

2016

Triple H

30

Dean Ambrose

2015

Roman Reigns

19

Rusev

2014

Batista

28

Roman Reigns

2013

John Cena

19

Ryback

2012

Sheamus

22

Chris Jericho

2011

Alberto Del Rio

38

Santino Marella

2010

Edge

29

John Cena

2009

Randy Orton

8

Triple H

2008

John Cena

30

Triple H

2007

The Undertaker

30

Shawn Michaels

2006

Rey Mysterio

2

Randy Orton

2005

Batista

28

John Cena

2004

Chris Benoit

1

Big Show

2003

Brock Lesnar

29

The Undertaker

2002

Triple H

22

Kurt Angle

2001

Steve Austin

27

Kane

2000

The Rock

24

Big Show

1999

Mr McMahon

2

Steve Austin

1998

Steve Austin

24

The Rock

1997

Steve Austin

5

Bret Hart

1996

Shawn Michaels

18

Diesel

1995

Shawn Michaels

1

Bulldog

1994

Lex Luger, Bret Hart

23,27

Each other

1993

Yokozuna

27

Randy Savage

1992

Ric Flair

3

Sid Justice

1991

Hulk Hogan

24

Earthquake

1990

Hulk Hogan

25

Mr Perfect

1989

Big John Studd

27

Ted DiBiase

1988

Hacksaw Jim Duggan

13

One Man Gang

Most Royal Rumble winners' list by year

Some men wrestlers have had the chance to win the event more than once, and on the other hand, no woman has won it twice since its inception in 2018. Here is the men's most Royal Rumble winners list in order.

10. Cody Rhodes

Cody Rhodes arrives on the red carpet for the premiere of the Peacock original WWE documentary "American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes speaks on the red carpet on 18 July 2023, in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Photo: WWE
Source: Getty Images
  • Full name: Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes
  • Age: 38 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 2023, 2024

Cody Rhodes is among the best wrestlers of recent times and is the recurrent Royal Rumble record holder. Alongside Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin, they are the only athletes on the back-to-back Royal Rumble winners list.

9. Edge

  • Full name: Adam Joseph Copeland
  • Age: 50 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 2010, 2021
Edge is seen during WWE Smackdown at Acer Arena
Edge is seen during WWE Smackdown at Acer Arena on 15 June 2008 in Sydney, Australia. Photo: Gaye Gerard
Source: Getty Images

Edge is a Canadian professional wrestler who has left a remarkable mark on the sports industry. He became a Hall Famer in 2012 and is renowned for his impressive career in WWE from 1998 to 2023. As of March 2024, he has signed with All Elite Wrestling.

8. Randy Orton

  • Full name: Randal Keith Orton
  • Age: 43 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 2009, 2017
Randy Orton visits SiriusXM Studios
Randy Orton visits SiriusXM Studios on 4 June 2013, in New York City. Photo: Robin Marchant
Source: Getty Images

Randy Orton is widely recognized as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time and also as one of the highest-paid. He holds the record for the third-most world championships in history, and in his more than two decades of career, he has achieved significant milestones.

7. John Cena

  • Full name: John Felix Anthony Cena
  • Age: 46 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 2008, 2013
John Cena attends the Los Angeles Premiere Of A24's "The Iron Claw"
John Cena attends the Los Angeles Premiere of A24's "The Iron Claw" at DGA Theater Complex on 11 December 2023, in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Tommaso Boddi
Source: Getty Images

John Cena is a 16-time world champion and one of the greatest wrestlers on the all-time Royal Rumble winners list. He is famous not only for his career in the ring but also for his acting career, appearing in various movies and TV shows.

6. Batista

  • Full name: David Michael Bautista Jr
  • Age: 55 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 2005, 2014
Batista during an interview
Batista during an interview on 18 September 2008, in New Delhi, India. Photo: Ronjoy Gogoi
Source: Getty Images

The renowned star made his professional debut in wrestling in 1999, and since then, his fame has skyrocketed due to his performance in the ring. Aside from his fighting career, he is also an actor, a mixed martial artist, and a bodybuilder.

5. Brock Lesnar

  • Full name: Brock Edward Lesnar
  • Age: 46 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 2003, 2022
Brock Lesnar speaks during a UFC heavyweight championship fight
Brock Lesnar speaks during a UFC heavyweight championship fight on 7 July 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo: Josh Hedges
Source: Getty Images

Brock Lesnar is one of the world's most prolific combat sports athletes. He made history as the only sportsman to bag the main heavyweight titles in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Inoki Genome Federation, WWE, and Ultimate Fighting Championship.

4. Triple H

  • Full name: Paul Michael Levesque
  • Age: 54 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 2002, 2016
Triple H is seen during the WWE Wrestlemania XL Kickoff
Triple H is seen during the WWE Wrestlemania XL Kickoff on 8 February 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Photo: Louis Grasse
Source: Getty Images

Throughout his career, Triple H has won numerous titles, including the lucrative Royal Rumble title twice, defeating great legends such as Kurt Angle and Dean Ambrose. To many, he is one of the greatest professional wrestlers in history.

3. Shawn Michaels

  • Full name: Michael Shawn Hickenbottom
  • Age: 58 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 1995, 1996

Nicknamed the Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest wrestlers in the sport's history. The retired legend participated in the Royal Rumble numerous times throughout his career and won twice.

Shawn Michaels attends the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Shawn Michaels attends the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Philips Arena on 3 April 2011, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Moses Robinson
Source: Getty Images

2. Hulk Hogan

  • Full name: Terry Gene Bollea
  • Age: 70 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 2
  • Years won: 1990, 1991

The former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan is arguably one of the world's greatest and most famous wrestling stars. During the 80s, he made a name for himself, achieving incredible feats and bagging numerous awards and trophies.

Hulk Hogan attends a New Era In Florida Gaming event
Hulk Hogan attends a New Era In Florida Gaming event at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Tampa on 8 December 2023, in Tampa, Florida. Photo: Julio Aguilar
Source: Getty Images

1. Stone Cold Steve Austin

  • Full name: Steven James Anderson
  • Age: 59 (as of March 2024)
  • Most wins: 3
  • Years won: 1997, 1998, 2001

Stone Cold Steve Austin, the renowned WWE Hall Famer, holds the record for the most wins in the Royal Rumble winners list by year. He has bagged the lucrative event trophy three times in his career and has gone down in history as the only superstar to do so.

Stone Cold Steve Austin speaks at Silicon Valley Comic Con
Stone Cold Steve Austin speaks at Silicon Valley Comic Con at the San Jose Convention Centre on 17 August 2019 in San Jose, California. Photo: Bill Watters
Source: Getty Images

Frequently asked questions

Superstars in the WWE take the event as an opportunity to get a highly sought-after ticket to WrestleMania and fight the wrestlers of their choice. Here are some interesting insights about athletes on the all-time Royal Rumble winners list.

Did Roman Reigns win the Royal Rumble?

Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble on 25 January 2015 after eliminating Rusev in the finals, which was held in Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the United States of America. He was the runner-up during the 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2020 competitions.

Who won the most Royal Rumbles in WWE history?

Stone Cold Steve Austin has bagged three WWE Royal Rumble championships, the record for most in the competition's history. His first win came in 1997, his second in 1998, and his third and final win came in 2001.

Has there ever been 2-time Royal Rumble winners?

As of March 2024, only one wrestler has won the competition thrice, and nine have won it two times. These athletes include Hulk Hogan, Batista, and Randy Orton, among others. In the women's category, no one has ever bagged it more than once since its debut in 2018.

Two wrestlers are seen during the WWE Live Show at Lanxess Arena
Two wrestlers wrestle each other during the WWE Live Show at Lanxess Arena on 7 November 2018, in Cologne, Germany. Photo: Marc Pfitzenreuter
Source: Getty Images

Who has competed in the most WWE Royal Rumble events?

With a record of 20 appearances in the WWE Royal Rumble, Kane holds the record for most appearances. With 46 eliminations, 45 as Kane and 1 as Yankem, he also holds the record for most eliminations in the competition.

How many Royal Rumbles has Undertaker been in?

Due to his performance in the ring, the Undertaker had terrific experiences at the Wrestlemania and the Royal Rumble. He participated in 11 Royal Rumble matches, and in doing so, he bagged the title once and was runner-up once.

Final word

Only a few athletes have made it to the Royal Rumble winners list since it is considered one of the most challenging events on the WWE schedule. According to statistics, athletes who enter the ring with entry numbers 21 to 30 have the highest chance of taking home the trophy, while those with entry numbers 1 to 20 have a minimum chance.

READ ALSO: What size is a Premier League football? Find out more here

Sports Brief recently published an article explaining the size of Premier League football. Over the years, the PL has amassed massive fan bases globally, and like any other sport, it has its preference for the type, shape, and size of the ball it uses.

The type of materials used to make the ball has changed over the years, from wrapped-up animal sinew to the current synthetic fibre, but the size has always remained the same. Click the link above to find more details about the size of a Premier League football.

Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.