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The Royal Rumble is less than a week away and it's only fitting that the WWE Universe looks into the past to see who has won the match previously. Names like Hulk Hogan, John Cena, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, and Roman Reigns are just a few that pop up when looking into which WWE Superstars have won it.
But, there are some surprising exceptions. In the history of the Royal Rumble, some of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time have never actually won the event. It was one of those rare circumstances where real life is stranger than fiction and some of the names are quite revealing.
Here are 11 WWE Champions that never won the Royal Rumble.
#11. Jinder Mahal
Yes, Jinder Mahal - his first-ever title win was the WWE Championship, which he beat Randy Orton for, was a shock to the system. The man, who was practically a glorified jobber to most, suddenly became WWE Champion. He even won the U.S. Championship and is also a 2-time WWE 24/7 Champion.
Jinder Mahal is currently on the injury list, but there is a good possibility that he could be back sooner than later.
#10. Kofi Kingston
One of the biggest Cinderella stories of last year, Kofi Kingston has always featured in some shape or form in the Royal Rumble. Most times, it's about how he manages to save himself from being eliminated. He's been doing it so long that it has become a regular feature of the Royal Rumble match itself.
It would be fair to say that wrestling fans will be tuning in to see what creative save Kofi will attempt this year.
#9. AJ Styles
One of the biggest success stories of the last few years, AJ Styles was, before coming to WWE, a modern-day journeyman in his own right. One of the TNA originals, he spent two years in NJPW crafting his character and really creating a niche for himself. The hard work paid off as he was offered a WWE contract and made his actual debut at the 2016 Royal Rumble.
How time flies as in a few years, he has already been a 2-time WWE Champion and ironically, never had to win the Rumble match itself to get over.
#8. The Miz
The Miz actually won his WWE Championship after cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase and then went onto WrestleMania 27 to defend the WWE Championship against John Cena.
While The Miz may never win the Royal Rumble, he certainly one of the best WWE Superstars in the last decade, having also been a 9-time Intercontinental Champion. It doesn't get better than that.
#7 Macho Man Randy Savage
One of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, the Macho Man certainly left a lasting impression in the hearts of millions of fans. He became a 2-time WWE Champion and though, he tended to live in the shadow of Hulk Hogan, his impact on professional wrestling can never be underestimated.
On the other hand, The Royal Rumble was another story. In all the years that Randy Savage was with WWE, he never actually won The Rumble. In fact, the closest he came was as the last man to be eliminated by Yokozuna in the 1993 Royal Rumble.
#6 Kurt Angle
Another star who recently retired from active wrestling, Kurt Angle was another sensation and arguably, one of the best athletes to ever grace a WWE ring. The 4-time WWE Champion was never won the Royal Rumble. However, he did face a Rumble winner, in Brock Lesnar, back in 2003 at WresltMania 19.
While Kurt Angle is now a backstage producer, fans will never forget the Olympic Gold Medalist.
#5 Mick Foley
One of the most beloved WWE Superstars to come out of the Attitude Era, Mick Foley made a name for himself as the King of the Hardcore match. Most wrestling fans will never forget the day he was thrown off the Hell in a Cell by Undertaker. It was a historic cement that forever cemented his place in WWE History.
But like others on this list, Mick Foley never won the Royal Rumble. In fact, he actually appeared thrice in the same match in 1998 as Mankind, Dude Love and Cactus Jack. He is (quite possibly) the only man to appear thrice in the same Royal Rumble match.
#4 Bray Wyatt
Yes, the current WWE Universal Champion was WWE Champion but has never won the Royal Rumble. Like others, he actually lost the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 33 to Randy Orton, who had won the 2017 Royal Rumble.
Like Mick Foley, even though he is wrestling in the 2020 Royal Rumble as The Fiend, defending his Universal Championship against Daniel Bryan, there is nothing saying that Bray Wyatt couldn't show up in the Men's Royal Rumble match.
#3 Daniel Bryan
At times in his career, Daniel Bryan always seemed to be treated like a B+ player. Coming back to WWE to compete after retirement due to injury was one of the most inspirational things that a WWE Superstar could do.
Becoming a WWE Champion again and also becoming one of the best heels in the company, it is certainly surprising that he has never won the WWE Royal Rumble. Despite that, his match with Kofi Kingston at WrestleMania 35 was one of the PPV's most emotionally packed moments.
#2 Chris Jericho
If there was one wrestler who had a great 2019, it was Chris Jericho. He is currently one of the best World Champions in the business and it's not even for WWE. The man who was the first WWE Undisputed Champion never won the Royal Rumble himself, despite being in it numerous times.
Like a couple of others, he was on the receiving end as he lost the WWE Undisputed Championship at WrestleMania 18 to Triple H, who won the 2002 Royal Rumble.
#1 CM Punk
The Best Wrestler in the world. CM Punk carved a name for himself that has lived in infamy since he departed WWE back in 2014. Ironically, his last WWE match was in the 2014 Royal Rumble, where he suffered a concussion and was eliminated by Kane.
While he may have returned as a pundit on WWE Backstage, he doesn't actually work for WWE. Of course, it's a big step that he is even discussing wrestling, but a full-time return is not on the cards at the moment, or is it? With rumors that a returning Edge could be coming back at The Rumble, some have speculated that CM Punk could come in at #30.
It would be a huge win for WWE if CM Punk actually returned at the WWE Royal Rumble in 2020. One of the things that Punk always wanted was to be in the main event of WrestleMania. This never happened in his first WWE run and if he does return, it wouldn't be a surprise if that is written into his WWE Contract.
Will the Voice of the Voiceless ever return to a WWE Ring? Wrestling fans will have to tune in and find out.
