5 Royal Rumble Runners-Up That Went On To Win The Match 

#2 The Rock

The first Royal Rumble winner of the Millenium.

One of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Dwayne Johnson is one of the very few wrestlers that have transcended the sport and made a name for himself in the entertainment industry. But before we saw Johnson lighting up cinema with his action flicks, wrestling fans had experienced a side of this man we might never see again in wrestling.

From 1997 to 2003, The Rock was tearing up Raw and Smackdown like no one else back then. It was awesome, it was refreshing, and it made WWE a lot of money, but there was a time before Rock was the favourite in every match.

In 1998 The Rock was still coming up as one of the hottest stars in the company. But he couldn't call himself the face of the industry, as one man was reaching levels of megastardom no one has witnessed in a long time.

It was Stone Cold Steve Austin's time to shine that year, as Austin won his second Royal Rumble by eliminating The Rock. The Rock would taste victory in the match just two years down the line by winning the first Royal Rumble of the Millenium.

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#3 The Undertaker

The Undertaker winning this match was a must.

You can't use the word 'legend' without bringing up The Undertaker in that conversation, as there might not be a wrestler more respected inside and outside the industry than the phenom.

Undertaker's legacy was not achived overnight, as this is a man that worked his hardest over 30 long years to prove that he is a professional of the highest order in the industry. The Undertaker never needed to win any World Titles to prove he is a legend. This is simply because the contribution he made to grow the business is more than enough to justify his legacy.

However, in WWE there has to be a time when the company rewards their biggest stars with the big one. For Undertaker, that came in 2007 when he won the Royal Rumble match by outlasting Shawn Michaels in the greatest final ten minutes in Royal Rumble history. Before that win, Undertaker nearly came close to winning the match, as a distraction from Evolution let Lesnar pull off the upset and eliminate 'the phenom'.