Here are some statistics and records for the WWE Royal Rumble event over the years including entrants from 2007 onward, heel/face breakdowns of the competitors, a list of all Royal Rumble winners, longest iron man times, most eliminations and some more standard occurrences that seem to show up each and every year.
TABLE OF CONTENTS - LINKS TO JUMP TO THIS SECTION:
WINNERS | ELIMINATIONS | TIME | APPEARANCES | HEEL & FACE BREAKDOWN | OTHER
ROYAL RUMBLE WINNER RECORDS
LIST OF ROYAL RUMBLE WINNERS (by year and entrant number):
1988 = Hacksaw Jim Duggan (#13)
1989 = Big John Studd (#27)
1990 = Hulk Hogan (#25)
1991 = Hulk Hogan (#24)
1992 = Ric Flair (#3)
1993 = Yokozuna (#27)
1994 = Lex Luger (#23) and Bret Hart (#27)
1995 = Shawn Michaels (#1)
1996 = Shawn Michaels (#18)
1997 = Steve Austin (#5)
1998 = Steve Austin (#24)
1999 = Vince McMahon (#2)
2000 = The Rock (#24)
2001 = Steve Austin (#27)
2002 = Triple H (#22)
2003 = Brock Lesnar (#29)
2004 = Chris Benoit (#1)
2005 = Batista (#28)
2006 = Rey Mysterio (#2)
2007 = Undertaker (#30)
2008 = John Cena (#30)
2009 = Randy Orton (#8)
2010 = Edge (#29)
2011 = Alberto Del Rio (#38)
2012 = Sheamus (#22)
2013 = John Cena (#19)
2014 = Batista (#28)
2015 = Roman Reigns (#19)
2016 = Triple H (#30)
2017 = Randy Orton (#23)
2018 [Men] = Shinsuke Nakamura (#14)
2018 [Women] = Asuka (#25)
Greatest Royal Rumble = Braun Strowman (#41)
2019 [Men] = Seth Rollins (#10)
2019 [Women] = Becky Lynch (#28)
2020 [Women] = Charlotte Flair (#17)
2020 [Men] = Drew McIntyre (#16)
2021 [Women] = Bianca Belair (#3)
2021 [Men] = Edge (#1)
2022 [Women] = Ronda Rousey (#28)
2022 [Men] = Brock Lesnar (#30)
2023 [Men] = Cody Rhodes (#30)
2023 [Women] = Rhea Ripley (#1)
2024 [Women] = Bayley (#3)
2024 [Men] = Cody Rhodes (#15)
2025 [Women] = Charlotte Flair (#27)
2025 [Men] = Jey Uso (#20)
- Entries in grey didn't receive a WrestleMania match, either because that wasn't a rule at the time, the title was on the line during the Royal Rumble match, or they opted for a title shot prior to WrestleMania.
- Entries in red failed their WrestleMania challenge.
- Entries in black successfully defeated their WrestleMania opponent.
MULTIPLE ROYAL RUMBLE VICTORIES:
- 3 wins = 1 Superstar (Stone Cold Steve Austin)
- 2 wins = 10 Superstars (Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge, Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes, Charlotte Flair)
LUCKY NUMBERS WITH THE MOST WINS:
- 5 wins (2) = #27, #30
- 4 wins (2) = #1, #28
- 3 wins (2) = #3, #24
- 2 wins (6) = #2, #19, #22, #23, #25, #29
- 1 win (12) = #5, #8, #10, #13, #14, #15, #16, #17, #18, #20, #38, #41
OTHER INTERESTING WINNER / WINNING NUMBER FACTS:
- Four Superstars have won back-to-back Royal Rumbles: Hulk Hogan (1990 and 1991), Shawn Michaels (1995 and 1996), Stone Cold Steve Austin (1997 and 1998) and Cody Rhodes (2023 and 2024)
- Batista is the only person to win from the same spot twice, at #28
- 2007 and 2008, as well as 2022 and 2023, were the only times the same number won in succession, and both were #30.
- When adjusted for inflation, Hacksaw Jim Duggan's #13 win out of 20 wrestlers instead of 30 becomes an equivalent of #19.5 (rounded up to #20) by today's standards
- When adjusted for deflation, Alberto Del Rio's #38 win out of 40 wrestlers translates to #28.5 (rounded up to #29) by normal standards
- When adjusted for deflation, Braun Strowman's #41 win out of 50 wrestlers translates to #24.6 (rounded up to #25) by normal standards
- If you factor in all current 48 Royal Rumble winners as of 2025, the average winning entry number is #19.116 (adjusted) and 19.52 (normal), making the most likely winning number #18 or #19.
Statistics show that entries #1-10 have produced 12 winners, entries #11-20 have only produced 9 winners, and entries #21-30 have produced 27 winners (if you count #38 and #41).
Therefore, 56.25% of the time the winner will be from 21-30, 25% of the time they'll be in the first 1-10 entrants, and 18.75% of the time the winner will be from 11-20. WWE has made a concerted effort to have more 11-20 winners from 2013 onward, as prior to that, it had only happened 2 out of 26 times.
ROYAL RUMBLE ELIMINATIONS RECORDS
LIST MOST ELIMINATIONS PER ROYAL RUMBLE (by year):
1988 = One Man Gang (6)
1989 = Hulk Hogan (9)
1990 = Ultimate Warrior (6)
1991 = Hulk Hogan (7)
1992 = Sid Justice (6)
1993 = Yokozuna (7)
1994 = Diesel and Lex Luger (7)
1995 = Shawn Michaels (8)
1996 = Shawn Michaels (8)
1997 = Steve Austin (10)
1998 = Steve Austin (7)
1999 = Steve Austin (8)
2000 = Rikishi (7)
2001 = Kane (11)
2002 = Steve Austin and Undertaker (7)
2003 = Chris Jericho (6)
2004 = Chris Benoit (6)
2005 = Batista and Edge (5)
2006 = Rey Mysterio (6)
2007 = The Great Khali (7)
2008 = Triple H (6)
2009 = Big Show and Triple H (6)
2010 = Shawn Michaels (6)
2011 = CM Punk and John Cena (7)
2012 = Cody Rhodes (5)
2013 = Ryback and Sheamus (5)
2014 = Roman Reigns (12)
2015 = Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns and Rusev (6)
2016 = Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns (4)
2017 = Braun Strowman (7)
2018 [Men] = Finn Balor and Roman Reigns (4)
2018 [Women] = Michelle McCool (5)
Greatest Royal Rumble = Braun Strowman (13)
2019 [Men] = Braun Strowman (5)
2019 [Women] = Charlotte Flair (5)
2020 [Women] = Bianca Belair and Shayna Baszler (8)
2020 [Men] = Brock Lesnar (13)
2021 [Women] = Rhea Ripley (7)
2021 [Men] = Big E and Damian Priest (4)
2022 [Women] = Charlotte Flair (5)
2022 [Men] = AJ Styles (6)
2023 [Men] = Cody Rhodes (5)
2023 [Women] = Rhea Ripley (7)
2024 [Women] = Nia Jax (8)
2024 [Men] = Bron Breakker and Cody Rhodes (4)
2025 [Women] = Nia Jax (9)
2025 [Men] = Jacob Fatu, Roman Reigns (4)
- Entries in green also won the match that year
MOST ELIMINATIONS (total):
Top 10 Cumulative Men's Eliminations
- Glenn Jacobs (45 as Kane + 1 as Isaac Yankem)
- The Undertaker (40) - Shawn Michaels (39 recognized eliminations)
- Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns, Steve Austin (36)
- Big Show, Brock Lesnar, Triple H (32)
- Randy Orton (29)
- John Cena (28)
- Hulk Hogan (27)
- Edge (25)
- CM Punk, Cody Rhodes (22)
- Chris Jericho (19)
- Batista, Drew McIntyre (17)
- Seth Rollins, Sheamus (16)
- Rey Mysterio (15)
- Baron Corbin, British Bulldog, Chris Benoit (13)
- Rikishi (12)
- Booker T, Dolph Ziggler (11)
- Great Khali, Lex Luger, mick Foley, The Rock, Ted DiBiase, Yokozuna (10)
- Bobby Lashley, Bray Wyatt, Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, Rick Martel (9)
- AJ Styles, Akeem / One Man Gang, Big Boss Man, Crush, Earthquake, Gunther, Mark Henry, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Rob Van Dam, Viscera/Mabel (8)
- Bret Hart, Bron Breakker, Damian Priest, Elias, Finn Balor, Kurt Angle, Luke Harper, Owen Hart (7)
Top 10 Cumulative Women's Eliminations
- Nia Jax (28)
- Rhea Ripley (20)
- Charlotte Flair (19)
- Bayley (18)
- Shayna Baszler (16)
- Bianca Belair (15)
- Natalya (10)
- Liv Morgan (9)
- Michelle McCool (8), Sonya Deville (8)
- Asuka, Becky Lynch, Nikki Bella (7)
- Iyo Sky, Ruby Riott (6)
- Alexa Bliss, Brie Bella, Dakota Kai, Lacey Evans, Sasha Banks (5)
MOST ELIMINATIONS (in a single match):
- Men's Record = Braun Strowman and Brock Lesnar (13), Roman Reigns (12), Kane (11)
- Women's Record = Nia Jax (9)
- Most Collective Eliminations At One Time Record = Nia Jax (5) in 2025
AVERAGE MOST ELIMINATIONS: 6-7 eliminations
FEWEST ELIMINATIONS TO WIN: Vince McMahon (1) and Randy Orton (1)
ROYAL RUMBLE TIME RECORDS
EVERY ROYAL RUMBLE'S LONGEST TIME FOR IRON MAN/WOMAN:
1988 = Bret Hart (00:25:42) - Entrant #1
1989 = Mr. Perfect (00:27:58) - Entrant #4
1990 = Ted DiBiase (00:44:47) - Entrant #1
1991 = Rick Martel (00:52:17) - Entrant #6
1992 = Ric Flair (00:59:26) - Entrant #3
1993 = Bob Backlund (1:01:10) - Entrant #2
1994 = Bam Bam Bigelow (00:30:12) - Entrant #15
1995 = Shawn Michaels (00:38:41) - Entrant #1
1996 = Hunter Hearst Helmsley (00:48:01) - Entrant #1
1997 = Stone Cold Steve Austin (00:45:07) - Entrant #5
1998 = The Rock (00:51:32) - Entrant #4
1999 = Vince McMahon (00:56:38) - Entrant #2
2000 = Test (00:26:17) - Entrant #10
2001 = Kane (00:53:46) - Entrant #6
2002 = Stone Cold Steve Austin (00:26:46) - Entrant #19
2003 = Chris Jericho (00:38:54) - Entrant #2
2004 = Chris Benoit (1:01:30) - Entrant #1
2005 = Chris Benoit (00:47:26) - Entrant #2
2006 = Rey Mysterio (1:02:12) - Entrant #2
2007 = Edge (00:44:02) - Entrant #5
2008 = Batista (00:37:42) - Entrant #8
2009 = Triple H (00:49:55) - Entrant #7
2010 = John Cena (00:22:11) - Entrant #19
2011 = CM Punk (00:35:21) - Entrant #1
2012 = The Miz (00:45:39) - Entrant #1
2013 = Dolph Ziggler (00:49:47) - Entrant #1
2014 = CM Punk (00:49:15) - Entrant #1
2015 = Bray Wyatt (00:46:58) - Entrant #5
2016 = Roman Reigns (00:59:50) - Entrant #1
2017 = Chris Jericho (1:00:13) - Entrant #2
2018 [Men] = Finn Balor (00:57:38) - Entrant #2
2018 [Women] = Sasha Banks (00:54:46) - Entrant #1
Greatest Royal Rumble = Daniel Bryan (01:16:05) - Entrant #1⋆⋆
2019 [Men] = Seth Rollins (00:43:00) - Entrant #10
2019 [Women] = Natalya (00:56:01) - Entrant #2
2020 [Women] = Bianca Belair (00:33:20) - Entrant #2
2020 [Men] = Drew McIntyre (00:34:11) - Entrant #16
2021 [Women] = Bianca Belair (00:56:49) - Entrant #3
2021 [Men] = Edge (00:58:28) - Entrant #1
2022 [Women] = Bianca Belair (00:47:30) - Entrant #8
2022 [Men] = AJ Styles (00:29:06) - Entrant #1
2023 [Men] = Gunther (01:11:25 reported on commentary / 01:11:40 on WWE.com) - Entrant #1⋆⋆
2023 [Women] = Rhea Ripley (1:01:08) - Entrant #1
2024 [Women] = Bayley (1:03:03) - Entrant #2
2024 [Men] = Jey Uso (00:50:55) - Entrant #1
2025 [Women] = Roxanne Perez (1:07:47) - Entrant #3⋆⋆
2025 [Men] = Penta (00:42:05) - Entrant #2
- ⋆⋆ = current men's and women's records
TOP 25 MEN'S LONGEST CUMULATIVE TOTAL ROYAL RUMBLE TIME:
- Chris Jericho (4:59:33)
- Rey Mysterio (4:39:27)
- Randy Orton (4:34:08)
- Cody Rhodes (4:05:14)
- Triple H (4:00:50)
- Shawn Michaels (3:47:32)
- Sheamus (3:41:59)
- Edge (3:32:55)
- CM Punk (3:28:42)
- Roman Reigns (3:21:21)
- Kane (3:19:40)
- John Cena (3:19:03)
- Dolph Ziggler (3:08:39)
- Seth Rollins (2:57:59)
- Kofi Kingston (2:51:49)
- Drew McIntyre (2:51:41)
- Steve Austin (2:45:04)
- Chris Benoit (2:37:24)
- Undertaker (2:31:21)
- The Miz (2:26:13)
- Daniel Bryan (2:24:21)
- British Bulldog (2:06:02)
- The Rock (1:58:02)
- Dean Ambrose (1:55:55)
- Shinsuke Nakamura (1:54:44)
TOP 25 WOMEN'S LONGEST CUMULATIVE TOTAL ROYAL RUMBLE TIME:
- Bianca Belair (3:54:42)
- Bayley (3:05:49)
- Naomi (3:05:41)
- Liv Morgan (3:04:37)
- Natalya (2:55:54)
- Charlotte Flair (2:36:32)
- Rhea Ripley (2:19:08)
- Iyo Sky / Io Shirai (1:40:55)
- Zelina Vega (1:28:12)
- Shayna Baszler (1:23:52)
- Roxanne Perez (1:20:50)
- Becky Lynch (1:17:28)
- Asuka (1:05:55)
- Piper Niven (1:04:54)
- Sasha Banks (1:04:30)
- Nia Jax (1:03:13)
- Lacey Evans (1:02:45)
- Ember Moon (1:00:26)
- Candice LeRae (0:55:42)
- Zoey Stark (0:53:30)
- Nikki Cross (0:53:14)
- Alexa Bliss (0:51:36)
- Mia Yim / Michin (0:46:15)
- Tamina (0:45:35)
- Chelsea Green (0:44:41)
MEN'S LONGEST IRON MAN TIME:
- Daniel Bryan (1:16:05) in Greatest Royal Rumble
- Gunther (1:11:25 according to Michael Cole on commentary, 1:11:40 on WWE.com) in 2023
- Rey Mysterio (1:02:12) in 2006
MEN'S SHORTEST IRON MAN TIME: John Cena (00:22:11) in 2010
LONGEST IRON WOMAN TIME:
- Roxanne Perez (1:07:47) in 2025
- Liv Morgan (1:07:00) in 2025
- Iyo Sky (1:06:45) in 2025
- Bayley (1:03:03) in 2024
- Naomi (1:01:18) in 2024
- Rhea Ripley (1:01:08) in 2023
- Bianca Belair (00:56:49) in 2021
- Natalya (00:56:01) in 2019
SHORTEST IRON WOMAN TIME: Bianca Belair (00:33:20) in 2020
SHORTEST MEN'S ROYAL RUMBLE TIME: Santino Marella (1.9 seconds) in 2009
SHORTEST WOMEN'S ROYAL RUMBLE TIME: Chelsea Green (5 seconds) in 2023 and Valhalla (5 seconds) in 2024
LONGEST ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH TIME: 2025 Men's (1:20:15)
AVERAGE IRON MAN/WOMAN ENTRANCE NUMBER: #5 (4.78)
AVERAGE IRON MAN/WOMAN TIME: 00:46:56
TOTAL TIME FOR IRON MEN/WOMEN: 36:46:15
AVERAGE LENGTH OF ROYAL RUMBLE MATCHES: 59 minutes and 37 seconds
AVERAGE TIME WINNERS STAY IN THE ROYAL RUMBLE: 27 minutes and 31 seconds
ROYAL RUMBLE APPEARANCES
MOST APPEARANCES IN ROYAL RUMBLES (MEN):
- 18-20 appearances = Kane (18 as Kane, 1 as Isaac Yankem, 1 as Fake Diesel)
- 16 appearances = Kofi Kingston, The Miz
- 15 appearances = Dolph Ziggler
- 14 appearances = Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio
- 13 appearances = Goldust
- 12 appearances = Big Show, Shawn Michaels
- 11 appearances = Chris Jericho, Sheamus, Shelton Benjamin, Undertaker
- 10 appearances = Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry, Rikishi
- 9 appearances = Big E, Booker T, Drew McIntyre, Edge, Great Khali, John Cena, R-Truth, Triple H, Viscera/Mabel
- 8 appearances = Baron Corbin, Braun Strowman, CM Punk, Godfather, John Morrison, Matt Hardy
MOST APPEARANCES IN ROYAL RUMBLES (WOMEN):
- 8 appearances = Liv Morgan, Natalya
- 7 appearances = Naomi
- 6 appearances = Bayley, Dana Brooke, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Sonya Deville, Tamina, Zelina Vega
- 5 appearances = Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, Carmella, Charlotte Flair, Nikki Cross, Sarah Logan/Valhalla, Shotzi
- 4 appearances = Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, Chelsea Green, Kairi Sane, Mandy Rose, Mia Yim/Michin, Mickie James, Rhea Ripley, Xia Li
WOMEN APPEARING IN MEN'S ROYAL RUMBLE MATCHES:
- Chyna (Royal Rumble 1999)
- Chyna (Royal Rumble 2000)
- Beth Phoenix (Royal Rumble 2010)
- Kharma (Royal Rumble 2012)
- Nia Jax (Royal Rumble 2019)
MEN APPEARING IN WOMEN'S ROYAL RUMBLE MATCHES:
- Santino Marella (as Santina Marella) in 2020 Royal Rumble
ROYAL RUMBLE ENTRANT HEEL & FACE BREAKDOWN
To get an estimate of who will show up when, I've broken down the past few years, writing down all the entrances and cataloging whether they were a babyface or a heel at the time.
As you can see, some trends occur. Certain spots tend to breed heels or babyfaces. #30 is always someone important (usually a big guy, too) as opposed to a low-level midcarder.
Some of these trends don't hold up with older events, but I felt as though that was unnecessary to study, seeing as how this better reflects their current mindset and the writers they use now. Back in 1988, there were only 20 people and they hadn't worked out the bugs of the system yet, but now they seem to have it down to a science in some respects.
ROYAL RUMBLE'S STANDARD EVENTS AND OCCURRENCES:
The following is a list of things that typically happen during the Royal Rumble match every year.
1) Quick Elimination = A competitor is eliminated within 10 seconds of entering the ring.
2) Comic Relief Segment = Something happens that is intended solely for comedic value and nothing else. Drew Carey's interaction with Kane in 2001 is an example, as is Ernest 'The Cat' Miller's "somebody call my momma" segment in 2004.
3) The Action Stops = For one reason or another, the action simply stops and there is only one person left in the ring. Rikishi took this time to dance in 2000. Austin used it to check his watch several times. CM Punk cut some promos in 2010.
4) Post-Elimination Elimination = Someone that has previously been eliminated will orchestrate the elimination of someone else, normally the one who just threw them out.
5) Attacked Before Entrance = Before someone can make it to the ring, they get attacked. Oftentimes, this person will return later on to eliminate said person when THEY come out, hearkening back to #4.
6) Shock Entrance = A superstar nobody was expecting to show up is one of the participants, whether they were thought to be injured or a retiree or legend making a special appearance/return. Nobody expected RVD in 2009 or John Cena in 2008.
7) Nostalgia Competitor = A relic who isn't from the current roster competes. Oftentimes, this overlaps with #6. A great example is Piper and Snuka from 2008.
8) Tag Team Succession = Frequently, a tag team member isn't too far off from his partner in terms of entrance number. Most of the time, they're the next person or two people away.
9) Spawned Feud = This hasn't happened lately as much as it used to, but a wrestler gets eliminated by someone, then that sparks a feud between the two.
10) The Big Man Team-Up = In order to eliminate one of the giants, several people gang up on him.
11) The House Cleaner = A wrestler thins the ring out by eliminating multiple people at once. The average seems to be 3 or 4 within the span of a minute.
12) Shockingly Quick = Not necessarily the fastest elimination, but this is when someone who should have lasted much longer gets the short end of the stick and doesn't.
13) Friend or Foe = An ally turns on his friend.
If you are using any of this information, please cite this link, Anthony Mango and Smark Out Moment. A lot of time and effort went into this and it is appreciated this is not just copied without a proper reference and credit.
