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Top 50 Royal Rumblers

Are you ready to Rumble? At the very least, you'll be ready to watch the Royal Rumble after going this comprehensive list.

 

Unlike most of the lists on Wrestling Merchandise and Memories, this list is highly scientific. We used a mathematical formula and everything!

In counting the Top 50 Royal Rumblers, we poured through stats for the 422 different competitors that have participated in the Royal Rumble match since 1988 (including the men and women's Rumbles from the past few years and 2018's Greatest Royal Rumble). Then, we looked at three factors to give them a point score:

 

  • How many minutes did they last? This is a running total for every Rumble a wrestler appears in. If a wrestler lasts a full minute, they get one point.  Minutes are rounded to the nearest point, so a showing of 5:30 would give a wrestler 6 points, but lasting 28 seconds would give a wrestler 0 points.

  • How many wrestlers did they eliminate? Each time a wrestler tosses someone out to the floor, they get 5 points. Multiple-wrestler eliminations (e.g. six guys toss out The Big Show) count as 5 points for each wrestler. But if they eliminate themselves for whatever reason, zero points for that. 

  • How many Rumbles did they win? Each time that happens, the winner gets 50 points. Even in 1994, when there were co-winners.

 

So the formula for Royal Rumble points is: Time + (Eliminations x 5) + (Wins x 50) 

 

Of note: if a wrestler competes in a Rumble one year as someone and another year under a different name or persona - we're counting them as one person (even when WWE doesn't).

 

Ready? Here we go!

50.

Vince McMahon

Vince McMahon has perhaps the most unique success story in Royal Rumble history with 112 points. In the 1998 event (titled "No Chance In Hell," oddly enough), he entered the ring second and spent most of the match outside of the ring. When he returned  57 minutes later, McMahon managed to win the match.

48.

Becky Lynch

Becky Lynch has scored 114 points, thanks to her appearance in the first two Womens Royal Rumbles. In the 2018 Rumble, Lynch lasted more than a half an hour and eliminated two people. In 2019, The Man was in the bout for a shorter period of time and still won.

46.

Ted DiBiase

WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase scored 117 points over four Rumble matches. In 1989, The Million Dollar Man "bought" a high number and ended up entering second-last. Then in 1990, after drawing the # 1 spot,  DiBiase lasted about 45 minutes.

44.

Big E

Big E (who also competed in the Royal Rumble as Big E. Langston) has scored 125 points, spread out over nine Rumbes. His most successfully outing was in 2021, when The New Day member lasted nearly 30 minutes, eliminating four competitors.

42.

John Morrison

John Morrison (who also competed in the Royal Rumble as Johnny Nitro) earned 129 points, appearing in seven matches between the years of 2006 and 2021. His most successful outing was his first year, where he lasted nearly half an hour.

40.

Yokozuna / Hardcore Holly

Both WWE Hall of Famer Yokozuna and Hardcore Holly (who had also competed as Bob Holly and Sparky Plugg) scored 134 points. In Yokozuna's first Rumble in 1993, he eliminated seven competitors to win the match. Holly has appeared in seven Rumble matches.

38.

Lex Luger

Lex Luger scored 141 points - an impressive feat for only two Rumble matches. In his first effort (1994), the former WBF Superstar actually co-won the Rumble along with Bret "Hit Man" Hart, lasting 22 minutes and eliminating six men.

36.

Rhea Ripley

A relative newcomer to the Royal Rumble, Rhea Ripley has already scored 143 points, spread out over three Rumble appearances. In 2021, The Judgment Day member lasted more than half an hour and eliminated seven competitors.

34.

Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose has scored 150 points by making five Royal Rumble appearances. The wrestler now known as Jon Moxley lasted over half an hour in 2014, eliminating three men, and lasted even longer in 2017's event.

32.

Ric Flair

WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair scored 162 points over five Royal Rumble matches.... but really it all comes down to one. In 1992, The Nature Boy entered the Rumble third, lasted for nearly an hour and ended up winning the vacated WWF World Championship.

30.

Natalya

Hart Family member Natalya is on the heels of surpassing her famous uncles Bret and Davey Boy with 175 points, spread out over five Royal Rumble matches.  Her finest hour was in 2019, where she lasted nearly an hour and eliminated two competitors.

28.

Bret Hart

WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart scored 180 points over five Rumble matches. The Hitman held the longevity record in the very first match in 1988, and in 1994, he and Lex Luger co-won the match after The Hitman eliminating three other men. He was also the runner up in 1997's event.

26.

Davey Boy Smith

WWE Hall of Famer Davey Boy Smith scored 191 points over over six Rumble matches. His most famous effort was in 1995, when The British Bulldog (no relation) entered the match first and lasted until the very end of the bout.

24.

The Rock

Do you smell what The Rock is cookin'? Because it's worth 219 points, spread out over four Rumble matches. Of course, The Great One's greatest one happened in 2000, when he won the match; and he aslo competed as Rocky Maivia during his first Rumble in 1997.

22.

Dolph Ziggler

Dolph Ziggler scored 227 points for making appearances in the last 14 of the last 15 Rumbles. In 2013, The Show Off had his best appearance to date, starting the match at # 1 and lasting close to 50 minutes, while also eliminating two competitors.

20.

CM Punk

CM Punk scored 247 points over six Rumble matches, and while he never came close to winning, he had some memorable moments. In the 2011 event, Punk entered first and lasted 35 minutes with help from the New Nexus, eliminating seven men.

18.

Bianca Belair

Bianca Belair has scored 253 points in just three Royal Rumble appearances. The EST of WWE has had one of the fastest rises to power in the short history of this study. In 2021, she won the Womens Royal Rumble, lasting nearly an hour and eliminating four competitors.

16.

Sheamus

Sheamus scored 260 points, impressive for a fella who has been in nine Royal Rumbles. The lion's share of that score comes from 2012, when The Celtic Warrior lasted about 22 minutes, eliminated three competitors and went on to (surprisingly) win that year's Rumble.

14.

Batista

Batista has scored 262 points with five Rumble appearances. Among his most memorable Rumbles was 2005, when he eliminated six competitors en route to winning the match. In 2014, The Animal returned to WWE, lasting 13 minutes and eliminating four men  to win the match.

12.

Braun Strowman/Brock Lesnar

Both Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar have scored 296 points. The Monster Among Men had six Royal Rumble appearances, including the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018. The Beast Incarnate won the match in 2003, the first of his five appearances to date.

10.

John Cena

John Cena scored 338 points, spread out over eight Royal Rumble matches between 2003 and 2018. In 2008, he came in to the match at #30 as a surprise entrant and won the match. In 2013, Cena lasted 27 minutes, eliminating four men to win.

8.

Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho never actually won a Royal Rumble in his illustrious career and still earned 393 points, spread out over eleven Royal Rumbles. In 2013, he entered as number two and hung with number one for 48 minutes.

6.

Edge

WWE Hall of Famer Edge has scored 426 points (including several after he was technically retired). The Rated R Superstar made surprise returns in 2010 (where he won the match) and in 2020, while also winning the Royal Rumble in 2021.

4.

Triple H

WWE Hall of Famer Triple H scored 484 points over nine Rumble matches. In his first in 1996 (as Hunter Hearst Helmsley), he lasted 48 minutes. In 2002, Triple H won the Rumble match and in 2016, he was the 30th entrant and captured the vacant WWE World Championship.

2.

Stone Cold Steve Austin

WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin scored 506 points though six Rumble appearances (including his first appearance as The Ringmaster in 1996)Austin won the match in 1997, 1998 and 2001, becoming WWE's first three-time Royal Rumble winner.

49

Elias

Who wants to Rumble with Elias? The quasi-musician has had several decent Royal Rumble outings since 2018, scoring 113 points. That year's Greatest Royal Rumble was actually his best performance to date, as Elias lasted nearly half an hour and eliminated five men, including Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston.

47.

AJ Styles

AJ Styles makes his way on to this annual survey for the first time this year, scoring 115 points over four Royal Rumble appearances. The Phenomenal One made his WWE debut in the 2016 Rumble and eliminated five competitors in the 2022 outing.

45

Goldust

Goldust has 120 points, competing in 13 different Rumbles, more than once returning in the ring after disappearing from the business for months on end or sometimes years. Goldust  competed in both the 2018 Royal Rumble and Greatest Royal Rumble during his most recent run.

43.

Rusev

Rusev has scored 127 points, appearing in five Royal Rumbles. He debuted on WWE's main roster at 2014's event (competing as Alexander Rusev), and lasted more than half an hour in 2015, eliminating six competitors.

41.

Happy Corbin

Happy Corbin (who has also competed as Baron Corbin and King Corbin) has accumulated 131 points in six Royal Rumble appearances. While none of his outings were game changers, many of them lasted more than 10 minutes.

39.

Rob Van Dam / The Miz

Both WWE Hall of Famer Rob Van Dam and The Miz each scored 137 points. RVD appeared in six different Royal Rumbles, while The Miz has competed in 13, including consecutive appearances in seven of them between 2018 and 2018. In 2012, The host of Miz TV started the match and lasted more than 45 minutes.

37.

Rick Martel

Rick Martel scored 142 points for his seven consecutive Rumble appearances between 1989 and 1995. While the former Strike Force member was never really a serious contender to win the match, The Model did hold the longevity record in 1991, lasting 52 minutes. 

35

Rikishi

Thanks to a handful of different personas over the years (including competing in the Royal Rumble as Fatu and The Sultan), WWE Hall of Famer Rikishi scored 146 points, with eleven Rumble matches between 1993 and 2004. 

33.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Shinsuke Nakamura has 160 points to his credit, spread over five Royal Rumble appearances. In 2018, The Artist lasted nearly 45 minutes, eliminating three men (including runner-up Roman Reigns) to win the match during his first Royal Rumble.

31.

Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt has come a long way since joining the Rumble in 2011 as New Nexus flunky Husky Harris. Over five career appearances, The Fiend has scored 168 points, including his 2015 campaign, where he lasted more than 47 minutes and eliminated six men. 

29.

Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan has scored 179 points, spead over five Royal Rumble appearances. However, most of his points were scored at The Greatest Royal Rumble, where Bryan started the match, lasted over one hour and sixteen minutes and even eliminated three men.

27.

Kofi Kingston

Not only is Kofi Kingston responsible for the craziest "near miss" spot in each year's Royal Rumble, but he has also scored 190 points while appearing in the past 14 consecutive Rumbles, hopping, handstanding and even borrowing an office chair to avoid elimination. 

25.

Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre scored 206 points, spread out over six Royal Rumble appearances. His most impressive performance was in 2020, when The Scottish Warrior lasted 34 minutes and eliminated six competitors to capture his first-ever Royal Rumble win.

23.

The Big Show

The Big Show scored 220 points, thanks to appearances in 12 Royal Rumble matches in his career. His standout performance was in 2004, when he lasted nearly 23 minutes and was runner-up. Interestingly, Big Show was also runner-up in the 2000 version.

21.

Hulk Hogan

WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan scored 231 points over four Rumble matches. His track record was helped by winning the Rumble for two straight years (1990 and 1991), but his other two appearances (1989 and 1992) were almost as memorable for The Hulkster.

19.

Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins has racked up 250 points over five Royal Rumble appearances. Rollins' biggest success happened in the 2019 Rumble, in which The Architect eliminated three men on his way to winning, but he also had a great outing in the 2014 event.

17.

Cody Rhodes

Perhaps the most surprising competitor to be ranked so highly, Cody Rhodes has 256 points over seven Rumble matches (where he also competed as Stardust). He had a lengthy appearance In 2012, entering fourth and lasting 42 minutes before being eliminated.

15.

Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair has pulled ahead of her famous father in recent years, scoring 261 points over four Royal Rumble appearances. The Queen lasted nearly an hour in 2019 and eliminated four people, and eliminated just as many people in 2020 while also winning the match. 

13.

Chris Benoit

At 277 points, Chris Benoit participated in four Royal Rumble matches. His biggest moment (and one WWE probably wishes never happened) was in 2004, where Benoit entered first, lasted 61 minutes and eliminated six competitors to win the match.

11.

Roman Reigns

Roman Reigns has been in six Royal Rumble matches, with an impressive 331 points. In 2014, he lasted 34 minutes and eliminated 12 men and in 2015, he won the match, lasting 27 minutes and eliminating six. In 2016, Reigns lasted just short of an hour before losing the Rumble.

9.

Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio scored 380 points, spread out over 13 Royal Rumble appearances. Mysterio entered the 2006 event at number 2 and lasted a record 62 minutes, eliminating six men and winning the entire match in memory of Eddie Guerrero. 

7.

The Undertaker

WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker scored 397 points, with appearances in eleven Rumble matches between 1991 and 2017. The Dead Man's finest hour was in 2007, when he eliminated Shawn Michaels to win the bout. 

5.

Kane

WWE Hall of Famer Kane not only scored 435 points, but is also the highest-ranking wrestler to never win the Royal Rumble. The Demon has competed in 19 Rumble matches, the most of any wrestler. He tossed out 11 competitors in 2001, at the time a record.

3.

Shawn Michaels

WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels scored 502 points over 11 Rumble appearances. His best showing was in 1995, when he entered the match first, lasted nearly 39 minutes, eliminating eight wrestlers and winning the match. He replicated this in 1996, going 26 minutes and eliminating another eight to win.

1.

Randy Orton

Randy Orton is in the sole position of number one (for the first time in eight years of producing and updating this annual list), scoring 518 points through fourteen Royal Rumble appearances, including the last seven events consecutively.  The Legend Killer won the Royal Rumble match in both 2009 and 2017 .

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