5 Best No. 1 Entries in the Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble, one of WWE's big 4 or big 5 PPVs of the year, is one of the biggest annual spectacles the WWE has to offer. This year's Royal Rumble will host the 32nd men's annual Royal Rumble and the 2nd annual women's Royal Rumble.

The Royal Rumble has been a great opportunity for the WWE to celebrate itself in the first major event of the year, and the match itself generally presents an opportunity for current superstars to wrestle with members from the NXT roster as well as returning legends.

The Royal Rumble usually features 30 superstars trying to eliminate each other by throwing each other over the top rope with both feet hitting the floor. However, the first Royal Rumble in 1988 featured 20 superstars and was won by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and the 2011 Royal Rumble featured 40 superstars. Each superstar generally enters the ring in turn with 90 seconds between each entry

For many wrestling fans, the Royal Rumble is the best event of the year as it showcases the current day superstars, returning superstars, new signings for the WWE, NXT call-ups and returning legends appearing for a one-off. While usually, part-timers returning to the company is seen as a negative by many WWE fans, The Royal Rumble allows fans to see their former favorites in a way that doesn't detract from the current product.

This article covers the best and most memorable first entries to the Royal Rumble, like Chris Benoit's record run in 2004 or Steve Austin almost going back to back to back, and will count down the days until the 32nd Royal Rumble event on January 27th, 2019.

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#5 Sasha Banks (2018) - 4th - 3 Eliminations

Sasha Banks made history in 2017 as she became the first entrant into the first women's only Royal Rumble. The match itself was a huge victory for women's wrestling and Banks has been a big part of changing the face of women's wrestling from the days of the Diva's division to the hard-hitting serious contests that the female wrestlers of today have.

In coming out first, Banks was given the Iron Woman spot of the Rumble, the spot usually given to a talented in-ring worker with the stamina to last for a long time in the ring for a large portion of the rumble. Banks eliminated Bayley, Trish Stratus and Vickie Guerrero, before being eliminated in the final 4 by the Bella Twins.

Her full time in the ring during the Royal Rumble match was clocked at 54 minutes and 46 seconds, the longest time in the Rumble by any female competitor and 11th overall.

#4 Triple H (2006) - 3rd - 6 Eliminations

The 2006 Royal Rumble was an emotional affair, it took place a mere two months after the passing of WWE Superstar Eddie Guerrero, and the first two entrants were Triple H and Eddie Guerrero's friend Rey Mysterio. Rey would dedicate his performance in the Rumble to his deceased friend entering the arena in a low rider, paying homage to the entrance that Guerrero used during his career in the WWE.

While Rey would go on to win the match, Triple H would last until the final three with Rey and entry 30 Randy Orton. While Rey's victory was emotional, it is also important to note the extreme workmanlike effort Triple H pulled during his stint in the 2006 Royal Rumble as well.

Despite not winning the match, Triple H clocked up over an hour in the ring and was within a minute and a half of recording the longest time spent in a single Royal Rumble. On his way to his 3rd place finish, Triple H eliminated Simon Dean, Ric Flair, and the Big Show.

#3 Stone Cold Steve Austin (1999) - 2nd - 8 Eliminations

Stone Cold won the 1997 and 1998 Royal Rumble, but he was put in a difficult position when he was drawn the first entry "randomly" by Vince McMahon. On top of this, McMahon put a $100,000 bounty on Austin that would go to the superstar that could eliminate Austin.

After failing to enter himself at the 30th entry, the WWE CEO was forced to enter the Rumble second, leaving the two in the ring for 90 seconds before the next entrant came to the ring. After Golga's elimination, McMahon escaped the ring with Stone Cold in pursuit. McMahon lead Austin around the arena, before leading him into a trap, where Austin was jumped by members of the Corporation stable.

After the attack, Austin was loaded on to a hospital gurney, packed into the back of an ambulance and taken to a nearby medical facility. Later in the event, Austin returned in the ambulance and re-entered the rumble.

Austin would go on to eliminate Ken Shamrock, Billy Gunn, Test, Chyna, Triple H, Owen Hart, and the Big Boss Man before being eliminated by Mr. McMahon. Stone Cold's 56 minutes and 38 seconds was a record for a first entry until Chris Benoit in 2004.

#2 Shawn Michaels (1995) - Winner - 8 Eliminations

In 1995, Shawn Michaels became the first ever person to go the entire distance, winning the Royal Rumble from the first ever position, and apart from 2004, no one else has managed to copy Michael's Rumble heroics.

While others on this list have been taken for their ironman performances, or else, spent much of the time selling injuries on the floor, Michaels seemed to be constantly in danger of being eliminated during the Rumble performing several "skin the cat" moments, moments in which a wrestler is narrowly eliminated but manages to avoid it.

Despite teetering on the apron, over the top rope or on the top of the turnbuckle for what seemed like the majority of the match, Michaels managed to eliminate 8 wrestlers, including Lex Luger, the British Bulldog, Duke Droese, Tom Prichard, Jacob Blu, Aldo Montoya and both the Bushwhackers.

Michaels last eliminated the British Bulldog, who came in as the second entry, after Bulldog believed he had won the match when Michaels was sent over the top rope but only had one foot hit the floor. Michaels was able to take advantage of the "two feet" rule and knock Bulldog off of the turnbuckle as he celebrated.

# 1 Chris Benoit (2004) - Winner - 6 Eliminations

Nine years after Shawn Michaels went end to end at the Royal Rumble, Chris Benoit managed to emulate the Heart Break Kid's achievement and win the Royal Rumble from the first position, lasting over an hour and setting a new record, at the time, for the longest time in a single Royal Rumble. Benoit was put in the Rumble first by SmackDown's General Manager at the time, Paul Heyman, as an act of revenge after Benoit had helped Cena qualify for the Rumble.

Benoit would eliminate 6 different superstars on his way to victory, including Mark Henry, Bradshaw, Rhyno, Matt Morgan, A-Train and finally the Big Show. Benoit would use his WrestleMania title shot to challenge Triple H and Shawn Michaels to win the World Heavyweight Title, creating the highly emotional scene with Eddie Guerrero at the end of WrestleMania XX where both men would embrace with their titles at the end of the event.

Unfortunately, due to the nature of Chris Benoit's downfall, this Rumble isn't often mentioned in the WWE these days, and Benoit's record was eclipsed by Rey Mysterio a mere 2 years later.