5 Best No. 14 Entries in the Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble, first run by the WWE in 1988, was the brainchild of legendary wrestler and backstage personality Pat Patterson. Patterson is considered one of the finest wrestling minds in the business and helped shape the WWE to be the global phenomenon it is today alongside Vince McMahon.

During his in-ring career, Patterson wrestled with several promotions across Canada and the United States. However, his greatest run came as a competitor for the Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation. It was there he was crowned as the promotions inaugural Intercontinental Champion in 1979. He would also feud with Bob Backlund, Ted DiBiase, and Sgt Slaughter during his time with the promotion before retiring from in-ring action in 1984 and take up a role backstage. Despite his retirement, Patterson would occasionally wrestle a one-off match for the promotion every so often over the years.

It was as this backstage role that Patterson created and pitched the concept of the Royal Rumble match to Vince McMahon. Patterson would also work in talent relations for the company, alongside his job as a booker and writer. However, Patterson was fired after he was accused of sexual harassment by a former ring announcer.

Patterson would be rehired in the late 90s after the charges were dropped and mainly played an on-screen stooge for Vince McMahon alongside Gerald Brisco. Patterson would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in the class of 1996.

You can see the other entries in this series below:

Part 1 is here; Part 6 is here; Part 11 is here

Part 2 is here; Part 7 is here; Part 12 is here

Part 3 is here; Part 8 is here; Part 13 is here

Part 4 is here; Part 9 is here

Part 5 is here; Part 10 is here

#5 Ron Bass (1988) - Eliminated 16th - 2 Eliminations

"The Outlaw" Ron Bass, making his way to the ring for the first ever Royal Rumble

"The Outlaw" Ron Bass was the 14th entrant at the first ever Royal Rumble and finished in the top 5 behind Don Muraco, Dino Bravo, the One Man Gang, and eventual winner "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan.

With the total Rumble lasting 33 minutes in length, Bass' 10 minute and 14-second performance meant that he was in the ring for almost a third of the Rumble. During the Royal Rumble, Bass would eliminate Sam Houston and the 20th entry, the Junkyard Dog. He would be eliminated from the Royal Rumble by Don Muraco.

Following the Royal Rumble, Bass would have a feud with the Junkyard Dog who eliminated Ron Bass during a 20-man Battle Royal at that year's Wrestlemania. Following his feud with the Junkyard Dog, Bass would feud with Brutus 'The Barber' Beefcake and in an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event leading up to the 1989 Royal Rumble, Bass lost a hair versus hair match to the Barber and appeared at the 1989 Royal Rumble without hair.

#4 Michelle McCool (2018) - Eliminated 13th - 5 Eliminations

Michelle McCool made her comeback at the 2018 Women's Royal Rumble

Michelle McCool made her in-ring return at the WWE at the 2018 Royal Rumble, about 7 years since her last wrestling match. Coming down as the 14th entrant, McCool would go on a streak, eliminating several wrestlers in quick succession including Sonya Deville, Liv Morgan, Molly Holly, and Lana. She was also a part of the group that eliminated Vickie Guerrero. However, she would be eliminated from the Royal Rumble by former rival Natalya.

With the 5 eliminations, Michelle McCool sits at top of the elimination record holder in the woman's Royal Rumble, with the next best being current day Superstars Nia Jax and Nikki Bella with 4 eliminations each.

McCool's return had been long rumored due to her marriage to WWE Legend, The Undertaker. Her return was one of the many high spots in the women's Royal Rumble as it gave a chance for one of the many women that wrestled in a period where women's wrestling wasn't taken seriously and would never have been given the chance to headline a Pay-Per-View, let alone their own Royal Rumble.

#3 Umaga (2008) - Eliminated 26th - 1 Elimination

Umaga fighting with Batista during the 2008 Royal Rumble

When Edward Fatu first joined the WWE he did so with his cousin, and fellow member of the famous Anoa'i family, Matt Anoa'i. The two of them were billed as Rosey and Jamal, or Three Minute Warning, under the guidance of the then-Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff. However, within a year of his main roster call up Fatu, or Jamal was released from the WWE after he was reportedly involved in a fight at a bar.

However, he was brought back to the WWE after spending a few years on the Independent wrestling scene, as well as stints with TNA and AJPW. Unleashed as Umaga, a dominant savage with tribal tattoos and piercings, he would go on to have a winning streak that would last from April 2006 to January 2007 where he would suffer his first pinfall defeat at the hands of John Cena in a match for the WWE title.

He would enter the 2008 Royal Rumble as the 14th entrant and last until the final 5 when he was eliminated by Batista. Despite lasting 26 minutes in the Royal Rumble, Umaga only managed one elimination and that was the elimination of Bob Holly.

#2 The British Bulldog (1991) - Eliminated 27th - 3 Eliminations

The British Bulldog making his way to the ring for the 1991 Royal Rumble

Davey Boy Smith, or as he is better known as The British Bulldog, wrestled for the WWF over several stints over the course of 3 decades.

His first stint from 1984-1988 came when he was paired with his cousin, the Dynamite Kid. His second stint with the WWF occurred between 1990 to 1992, his third stint from 1994 to 1997 and his final stint occurred between 1999 to 2000 with reports that he was training to get back into action shortly before he passed away in 2002.

It was during his second run with the WWF that Smith entered the 1991 Royal Rumble as entry number 14. Hitting the ring just after the Undertaker and Jimmy Snuka had entered the ring, Smith lasted until the final 4 before being eliminated by the combination of Earthquake and Brian Knobbs. However, the British Bulldog would manage to eliminate Mr. Perfect, Haku, and the Ironman of that year's Royal Rumble Rick Martel.

The British Bulldog would go on to better this performance 4 years later when he came agonizingly close to winning the entire Royal Rumble from the second entry, only to be knocked out by Shawn Michaels while celebrating.

#1 Shinsuke Nakamura (2018) - Winner - 3 Eliminations

Two years after the King of Strongstyle, Shinsuke Nakamura, signed for the WWE he was standing at the pinnacle of the company, having just won the Royal Rumble.

Nakamura is the first and only person to have won from the 14th entry and in the process of winning he managed to eliminate Sami Zayn, John Cena and finally Roman Reigns.

Through the Rumble, Shinsuke was the second longest competitor, finishing with a time of 44 minutes and 38 seconds, behind the Ironman and another former NXT Champion in Finn Balor who lasted 57 minutes and 38 seconds.

Nakamura's victory would lead him to a showdown with AJ Styles at Wrestlemania. Unfortunately, the match failed to live up to the hype, as did most of the matches in their series as Nakamura turned heel and was moved down the card to become the United States Champion.