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On Saturday, January 27, WWE will present the 37th edition of the historic Royal Rumble Premium Live Event. The show has always marked the beginning of the road to WrestleMania, with the winners of the Men's and Women's Rumble matches booking their ticket to a World Championship match at The Grandest Stage Of Them All.
Owing to its rich history, the Royal Rumble match throws up interesting stats, including the luckiest number in the contest, the longest duration a superstar has spent in the match, and so on.
Join us, as we take a look at 3 'lucky' facts you need to know ahead of the 2024 Royal Rumble:
#3 - 21- 30 is a great spot to be in
With the Royal Rumble match tending to last longer than an hour, it's hardly surprising that the superstars who arrive late in the contest tend to emerge as victors more often than not.
59.09% of WWE Superstars that have entered the contest between numbers 21 and 30 have gone on to win the marquee battle royal across its past 42 editions.
One of those performers was John Cena who won the match from number 30 position when he made his shocking return to the company in 2008. Speaking on Something To Wrestle, company executive Bruce Prichard discussed the formalities behind John's return in '08:
"You have John Cena he’s returning let's make a big deal out of it and let's advertise it, let's talk about him coming into the Royal Rumble. Will he be ready you know ask all those questions in front of it versus allowing you don’t always get those opportunities? They have a big surprise like that sometimes again if it’s been that long, but it wasn’t that long with John. So, let's get him back, and let's get him in there. Let's make a surprise that’s my feeling." (H/T 411Mania)
#2 - Which number is the luckiest?
Apart from John Cena in 2008, four other WWE Superstars have won the Royal Rumble from the number 30 position with The Undertaker, Triple H, Brock Lesnar, and Cody Rhodes all coming out as the final entrant. Unarguably, it is the luckiest number when it comes to the battle royale.
The American Nightmare was the most recent performer to achieve this feat as he made his return to WWE last year after suffering a horrific pectoral injury before, with him then going on to win a Royal Rumble match.
Speaking with FOX’s Ryan Satin after his huge win Cody looked back on what a victory at the Royal Rumble meant to him:
"This is a real story. I don’t know how I stumbled onto this. I have the privilege but also the burden of I don’t play a character. I’m me and me was enough tonight… I popped my eardrum but I don’t care but, gosh, just a wonderful Royal Rumble, and like I said, the Rhodes don’t have any frame of reference on going to WrestleMania in terms of going on last in a big, big spot. So I’m proud to be able to say I’m the one to do it." (H/T Post Wrestling)
#1 - WWE history has repeated itself in recent years
While it is advantageous to enter the Royal Rumble match in the later stages, many performers have entered at number one or two to claim the title of Iron Man (and Woman) of the contest by lasting longer than anyone else.
Since 2011, there have been a combined 20 Royal Rumble matches, and except for five of those contests, the WWE Superstar that drew either number one or two has gone on to be the Ironman or Woman.
Last year, the number-one entrants made WWE history as Rhea Ripley and Gunther broke the record for the longest time spent in a Women's and Men's Rumble match respectively.
Rhea, who would go on to win the Rumble lasted 1 hour, 1 minute, and 8 seconds, and Gunther made it to 1 hour, 11 minutes, and 40 seconds before Rhodes eliminated him to win.
During a recent interview on My Love Letter to Wrestling, Gunther revealed when he found out he was going to spend a lengthy time in the 2023 Rumble match:
"I got the heads up the day or two that I might be busy that day, but then I found out on the day. I wasn’t even focused on the time, like how much time am I going to spend there. I was busy with having all my stuff down, more or less." (H/T Sportskeeda)
Overall, four superstars have gone on to win the Royal Rumble from the number one spot.
