5 Legendary WrestleMania Stars Who Never Won The Royal Rumble

As the 2019 Royal Rumble edges ever closer, that means that we’re edging ever closer to the Road to WrestleMania and to WrestleMania itself.

For years now, both the Rumble and ‘Mania have been so closely tied together, largely down to the fact that the winner of the Royal Rumble guarantees themselves a spot in the WrestleMania main event.

Now while so many legendary names have gone on to headline WrestleMania courtesy of a win in the WWE’s annual over-the-top-rope extravaganza, there are also those legendary names who are so synonymous with WrestleMania yet have never managed to get themselves a Royal Rumble match victory.

With all of that in mind, then, it only makes sense to start looking at the relationship between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania as we gear up towards WrestleMania 35. And with that said, it’s even more interesting to look at those WrestleMania main eventers who you may have forgotten had zero success in the Royal Rumble on their way to the Showcase of the Immortals.

Running with that theme and exploring it further, then, why don’t you get yourself cosy, take a load off, get settled and join us while we look at 5 huge WrestleMania names who never emerged victorious at the Royal Rumble.

#5 CM Punk

One of the biggest beefs of CM Punk’s during his WWE tenure was how he never got to truly “headline” WrestleMania.

Granted, the Straight-Edge Superstar did successfully defend the WWE Championship against Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 28, but Punk has made no bones about his dissatisfaction at being overlooked in place of The Rock when it came to battling John Cena at WrestleMania 29. Then again, Mania 29 did see the Chicago native go up against the legendary Undertaker.

Still, the point is, regardless of how unhappy he was at not being the closing act on a WrestleMania, CM Punk had an impressive showing at the annual Showcase of the Immortals, winning two Money in the Bank ladder matches, retaining the WWE Championship, and getting to challenge for The Undertaker’s famed Streak.

Regardless of his strong positioning at WrestleMania, however, the Second City Saint never won a Royal Rumble.

That’s not to say that CM Punk didn’t have some memorable moments in the Royal Rumble match, such as him entering at #1 in the 2011 Rumble and going on to last 35 minutes and eliminate 7 people with the help of his New Nexus.

As of right now, of course, CM Punk’s last ever WWE appearance came at a Royal Rumble; Punk quit the company in the aftermath of the 2014 Royal Rumble show.

#4 Sid

Sid, moments after eliminating Hulk Hogan from the '92 Rumble

These days, having a WrestleMania main event usually means that you’re either a) the WWE Champion, or b) you’ve won the Royal Rumble.

Where Sid – be it Sid Justice, Sycho Sid or even Sid Vicious – is concerned, he’s main evented two WrestleManias in his career. The first of those came in 1992 with WrestleMania VIII as Sid battled Hulk Hogan, and then the Master and Ruler of the World would go on to defend the WWF Championship against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 13.

For his route to each and every WrestleMania that he competed at, however, Sid never managed to win a Royal Rumble contest. In fact, his greatest Royal Rumble match moment came during the beloved 1992 Rumble in which he eliminated Hulk Hogan literally seconds before he himself would be eliminated by Ric Flair as the Nature Flair notched up the W and the WWF Championship.

Given how great a shape the 58-year-old Sid is still in to this day, you can never bet against the former WWF and WCW World Champ turning up as a surprise entry in the Royal Rumble at some point – although even then you’d have to say there’s incredibly slim odds on the one-time Horseman managing to finally win a Royal Rumble contest.

#3 Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho makes his grand entrance at the 2013 Royal Rumble

Currently one of the poster boys of the shiny new All Elite Wrestling, Chris Jericho is widely regarded as one of the very best professional wrestlers of all-time. Simply put, Y2J was and is the best in the world at what he does.

To reel off some credits, the Canadian is the first ever Undisputed Champion, a 3-time World Heavyweight Champion, a 2-time WCW Champion, a 9-time Intercontinental Champion, a 1-time European Champion, a 2-time United States Champion, a 7-time Tag team Champion, and a 1-time Hardcore Champion. And that’s just under the WWE umbrella.

Elsewhere, Jericho has won championships in places such as ECW, WCW and, most recently, New Japan Pro Wrestling. Then you throw into the mix the fact that the Fozzy frontman has been officially competing in the squared circle as far back as 1990.

Jericho has defended titles and won titles at WrestleMania, but on that route he’s never once won a Royal Rumble. If you remember, there was that one time where Jericho was the runner-up to Sheamus in 2012.

In a unique claim to fame, however, the former Thrillseeker holds the record for the most time spent in Royal Rumbles, cumulative. That record currently stands at 5 hours 1 minute and 30 seconds. Whether the former IWGP Intercontinental Champion gets to add to that record, we’ll have to wait and see. But given his involvement in AEW, that has to look unlikely right now.

#2 Randy Savage

Randy Savage confronts Hulk Hogan at the 1989 Royal Rumble

In terms of legends of the ‘80s and ‘90s, there really is only one or two who can match the Macho Man.

Since debuting with the then-World Wrestling Federation in 1985, Randy Savage would go on to become a pop culture icon by the time all was said and done, transcending the wrestling business itself, whether in the WWF or in WCW.

Savage was involved in five Royal Rumble matches during his time in the WWF, with his elimination by Hulk Hogan in the 1989 Royal Rumble being the catalyst for the Mega Powers “exploding” and feuding over the WWF Championship at WrestleMania V.

Despite being involved in those matches and being such a high profile figure in the WWF during that time, Savage was surprisingly not victorious in a single one of the Royal Rumble bouts that he competed in. The closest he would come to a Rumble win was in 1993, where he would be the last person to be eliminated as Yokozuna won the contest.

The Macho Man is someone who is synonymous with WrestleMania and synonymous with huge matches throughout his career, but Randy Savage is one of the legendary figures who never mustered up a Royal Rumble win in their career.

#1 Kurt Angle

Angle battles Mr. Perfect and Steve Austin at the 2002 Rumble

To date, Kurt Angle has competed at eight WrestleManias in his career. He’s been involved in World Championship bouts on three occasions in addition to stealing the show at several Manias.

Simply put, the Olympic Hero is a top, top talent who competed in some of so many fans’ favourite WrestleMania bouts during his initial WWE run – and even in his 2018 return match that saw him team with Ronda Rousey to battle Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in yet another show-stealer.

Despite his initial run in the then-WWF lasting from 1998 until 2006, Angle actually only competed in three Royal Rumble matches during that tenure. Sure, he appeared on the Rumble PPV for most of those years but, instead of competing in the Royal Rumble match, he found himself in bouts against Taz, Triple H, Chris Benoit, a triple threat involving JBL and Big Show, and then a battle against Mark Henry in his 2006 Rumble showing.

Angle came so close to winning in 2002 as he was the last person to be eliminated as Triple H romped to victory. Switching over to 2004, we’d see Angle quickly eliminated by Shawn Michaels before re-entering the ring to decimate the Heartbreak Kid and set up their WrestleMania XX match. Then came 2005, when Angle was eliminated by Big Show after having been pinned in the triple threat match earlier that night for JBL’s WWE Championship.