The Royal Rumble match is one of the most talked-about match gimmicks in WWE history. Many fans consider it as a career-changing match. The reason behind it is that the winner of the Royal Rumble match gets to headline WrestleMania. Multiple Superstars have taken their careers to the next level by winning the Royal Rumble. It is not everyone’s cup of tea to win a Royal Rumble match.
The match traditionally features 30 WWE Superstars. Two Superstars begin the match. After a fixed time interval, a new Superstar joins the match. While it is easier to win the match from number 30, only three Superstars have won the match from that number. The first position is the toughest but two Superstars have won the match from that position as well. Winning the Royal Rumble match once is a considerable achievement, however, these seven Superstars achieved this feat more than once.
(Source – Wikipedia)
7. Randy Orton
Randy Orton is a future Hall of Famer Superstar. The Apex Predator has been wrestling for years now. He has defeated many big names in the business. Also, he belongs to a family of wrestlers. Orton has won the Royal Rumble match twice in his career.
His first Royal Rumble victory came in the year 2009. Till date, Randy is the only Superstar to win a Royal Rumble after entering at number 8. His second win came in the year 2017. He eliminated Roman Reigns last to win the match. Later, Orton beat Bray Wyatt to become WWE Champion at WrestleMania 33.
6. John Cena
John Cena is another Superstar who is a guaranteed future Hall of Famer. Cena is one of the most popular Superstars of all time. His name is well-known across the world. Along with wrestling, Cena has also made a name for himself in Hollywood. He has done a lot of charity work as well.
John won his first Royal Rumble match in 2008. He had entered that match as a surprise entrant at #30. Not many fans expected John to recover from his injury so soon. However, he overcame the injury to return and win the match. Cena won his second Royal Rumble in 2013 to set up a WrestleMania main event with The Rock.
5. Batista
Batista retired from WWE after losing to Triple H at WrestleMania 35. The Animal won multiple championships during his run in the company. Batista’s unique entrance captured every fan’s attention. Also, he had an incredible physique. He has now transitioned to Hollywood.
During his time as a WWE Superstar, Batista won two Royal Rumble matches. His first victory came in the year 2005. He eliminated six Superstars in that match. Then, he made his return to WWE in 2014 and won the Royal Rumble. However, the fans booed him after his victory as they wanted Daniel Bryan to win the match.
4. Triple H
Batista, Randy Orton, and Triple H were once a part of the Evolution stable. All members of that faction achieved much success in the WWE. Like Orton and Batista, even HHH won two Royal Rumble matches. His first win came in the year 2002. He became the first Superstar to win the match from number 22 then.
His second win came in the 2016 Royal Rumble match. Roman Reigns defended his WWE Championship in that bout. Triple H made his surprise return at #30 and eliminated Dean Ambrose last to win the match. Eventually, Reigns and HHH met in the main event of WrestleMania 32. Roman avenged the Royal Rumble loss and became WWE Champion again.
3. Shawn Michaels
Triple H was a part of another group during his prime. That faction was known as DX. HHH and Shawn Michaels were the two most popular members of that group. Like Triple H, Shawn won two Royal Rumble matches in his career. His victories came in back-to-back years.
Michaels won his first Royal Rumble in 1995. He was the first Superstar to win the match from the number 1 position. In 1996, Shawn won his second Royal Rumble match. Till date, he is the only Superstar to win the match from number 18. It is noteworthy that Shawn Michaels was the runner-up in 1994 Royal Rumble.
2. The first man to win the Royal Rumble match twice – Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan was the biggest name of his era. The Immortal One main event multiple WrestleMania shows during his prime. He is a Hall of Famer now. Also, he makes sporadic appearances on WWE TV. Hogan won his first Royal Rumble match in the year 1990.
Hulk was the first Superstar to win two consecutive Royal Rumble matches. His second triumph came in the year 1991. No one has won the Royal Rumble from the 25th position barring Hulk Hogan. Thus, Hulk Hogan has some distinct achievements to his name. Rumours suggest that the 67-year-old wants one more match inside the squared circle.
1. The only man to win the Royal Rumble match thrice – Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin was one of the major reasons behind the Attitude Era’s success. Austin was the biggest babyface of his time. Till today, he receives a thunderous pop from the crowd. The pop he receives is louder than any other current Superstar. Austin’s career ended early because of injuries.
Nevertheless, during his time as a WWE Superstar, Stone Cold achieved the rare feat of winning the Royal Rumble match three times. He won his first Royal Rumble in 1997. He joined Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan in the group of Superstars with consecutive Royal Rumble wins by winning the match in 1998. Three years later, he won his third Royal Rumble match. Thus, Austin is the most successful Superstar in Royal Rumble history.
