5 Best No. 22 Entries in the Royal Rumble

A lot has been made of the 2011 Royal Rumble PPV. The Royal Rumble match saw the number of entrants bumped from 30 to 40. The Royal Rumble saw a battle between the New Nexus and the Corre, a group made up of wrestlers who were involved in the original Nexus run.

While the New Nexus, led by CM Punk dominated the first half of the Royal Rumble match, The Corre and Wade Barrett would dominate the second half. Barrett would record one of his best Royal Rumble performances, eventually eliminated 37th, making it to the final four and having eliminated two legends in Rey Mysterio and Diesel.

The 2011 Royal Rumble saw a unique makeup in the final four, as the WWE usually uses the final stages of the Rumble to identify top talent. Names such as Kane, The Rock, Stone Cold, Shawn Michaels, Roman Reigns, and The Undertaker would usually find themselves in the final four and in line for winning the Royal Rumble match.

However, in 2011 the final four consisted of Wade Barrett, Randy Orton, Santino Marella, and eventual winner Alberto Del Rio. Considering that Barrett had not been in the WWE for a very long time, and Del Rio himself was a surprising champion, let alone Santino making it to the final two of the Royal Rumble. The only name that didn't seem out of place of the biggest Royal Rumble the WWE produced, until 2018 with Saudi Arabia's "Greatest Royal Rumble".

You can see the other entries in this series below:

Part 1 is here; Part 6 is here; Part 11 is here; Part 16 is here; Part 21 is here

Part 2 is here; Part 7 is here; Part 12 is here; Part 17 is here

Part 3 is here; Part 8 is here; Part 13 is here; Part 18 is here

Part 4 is here; Part 9 is here; Part 14 is here; Part 19 is here

Part 5 is here; Part 10 is here; Part 15 is here; Part 20 is here

#5 Kane (2003) - Eliminated 28th - 3 Eliminations

Several wrestlers try to eliminate Kane from the 2003 Royal Rumble

The Big Red Machine Kane has had an exceptional history with the Royal Rumble match. Having entered the Rumble in 19 different occasions across three different gimmicks, Isaac Yankem DDS, the Imposter Diesel, and his most famous persona, Kane. Across al of his participation, Kane has the most eliminations across all Royal Rumbles at 44, ahead of Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker who both are on 40.

While Kane never won the Royal Rumble, he came close a few times, famously eliminating a third of the competition in 2001, breaking the record at the time set by Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. However, in 2003 Kane once again came so close to winning the Royal Rumble, eliminated in the final three by the Undertaker after lasting 20 minutes and 24 seconds.

During the 2003 Royal Rumble, Kane would eliminate Rosey, A-Train, and his tag team partner Rob Van Dam on his way to the final three.

#4 Earthquake (1991) - Eliminated 29th - 4 Eliminations

Earthquake attacking Hulk Hogan during the 1991 Royal Rumble

After debuting in the WWE in late 1989, Earthquake was quickly put to the top of the card feuding with headline star and WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. The two faced each other in a series of matches in 1990, culminating at Summerslam with Hogan victorious over his bigger nemesis.

A few months later, Earthquake enters his second Royal Rumble match, this time as the 22nd entry. Earthquake would eliminate a series of wrestlers, including Animal, Tito Santana, Bushwhacker Luke, and the British Bulldog, making it all the way to the final 2 wrestlers left in the Royal Rumble. Across the ring from the giant Canadian wrestler was former rival Hulk Hogan.

The two would go at it with Hogan eventually eliminating the giant Earthquake, with Earthquake clocking a final Royal Rumble time of 24 minutes and 42 seconds.

#3 Diesel (1996) - Eliminated 29th - 5 Eliminations

Kevin Nash, known during his original run as Diesel, would enter the 1996 Royal Rumble from entry number 22, before being eliminated last by his former friend Shawn Michaels. Nash would later leave the WWE and infamously join their biggest rivals WCW that same year.

Diesel, a former WWF Champion at the time would spend 17 minutes and 51 seconds in the Rumble match of that year before finishing as the runner up to Shawn Michaels. During the match, Diesel eliminated Tatanka, the Ironman of the 1996 Royal Rumble Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Owen Hart, Duke Droese, and Kamala. After eliminating Kamala, Shawn Michaels delivered a Superkick to the giant Diesel and knocked him backwards out of the ring.

While Diesel would end up on WCW TV, an imposter Diesel would appear at the 1997 Royal Rumble, and Nash himself would reprise his Diesel gimmick at the 2011 Royal Rumble. 15 years after he last performed in the Rumble as the Diesel character himself.

#2 Sheamus (2012) - Winner - 3 Eliminations

In 2009, the WWE saw Sheamus debut on the ECW brand after spending 2 and a half years in WWE's developmental program. Not long after being called up, he would move from the ECW brand to Raw to feud with Jamie Noble.

At the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs PPV of 2009, Sheamus would defeat WWE Champion John Cena in a tables match. However, Sheamus would drop the title to Triple H in the Elimination Chamber PPV.

Fast forward a few years to 2012, and Sheamus enters his second Royal Rumble from the 22nd entry. He lasts 22 minutes and 21 seconds in the Royal Rumble eliminating Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, and lastly Chris Jericho for the win.

Within three years of being called up to the main roster, Sheamus would have won a WWE title, the King of the Ring Tournament, the United States Championship and the Royal Rumble match, and would go on to defeat Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania to have his first reign as the WWE Heavyweight Champion.

#1 Triple H (2002) - Winner - 4 Eliminations

The WWE always saw Triple H as a top talent in the company. Before the infamous "Curtain Call" incident, as has been widely spoken about, Triple H was scheduled to win the King of the Ring before the incident only for his push to be delayed.

Triple H would then team up with Stone Cold Steve Austin as the Attitude Era's version of the Mega Powers. However, during a match at the May 21st, 2001 episode of Raw is War where Austin and Triple H were defending their tag team titles, Triple H tore his Quadricep muscle off the bone.

Triple H would only return in January 2002, just two weeks before the Royal Rumble. The Game would enter the Royal Rumble match as entry 22 and last 23 minutes and 14 seconds to win the first Royal Rumble of his career.

During the Rumble, Triple H would eliminate The Hurricane, Faarooq as well as collecting the final two eliminations of the Royal Rumble after taking out Mr. Perfect and Kurt Angle. Triple H would then go on to defeat the WWF Undisputed Champion, Chris Jericho, at Wrestlemania X8.