5 WWE Superstars who debuted at The Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious pay-per-views that WWE showcases every year.

Since its inception in 1988, this awe-inspiring event has delivered some great championship matches, apart from the 30-Men and 30-Women Royal Rumble match.

On January 29 at St. Louis, Missouri, fans will witness the 35th edition of this stupendous event with much to look forward to.

Thirty men and women will fight in the traditional rumble match to headline WrestleMania 38. Apart from these momentous bouts, the WWE Championship, the Universal Championship, and the RAW Women's Championship will also be up for grabs.

While The Royal Rumble has seen numerous superstars realize their dream to headline the main event at WrestleMania, it has also been the platform where a host of superstars have debuted.

Some big names like AJ Styles and Ronda Rousey have used the Royal Rumble as a stepping stone to accomplish unparalleled heights in this business. They have overcome all obstacles since making their debuts at this prestigious event to be anointed among the very best.

In this article, we look at five superstars who debuted at The Royal Rumble:

#5 Former WWE Superstar - Giant Gonzalez (Royal Rumble 1993)

One of the most intimidating men to ever step foot in the squared circle, the late Giant Gonzalez made his presence felt in the 30-Man Royal Rumble match in 1993.

Although not an official participant in this bout, the giant made his debut in this event and completely destroyed The Undertaker. Such was the devestation he unleashed on The Phenom that the latter was unable to compete further in the Rumble match.

The two would lock horns in the infamous WrestleMania 9 match and at SummerSlam that year, with The Deadman prevailing in both the bouts.

#4 Former Royal Rumble Co-winner - Lex Luger (Royal Rumble 1993)

Lex Luger has arguably been one of the most sought-after wrestlers to step foot in WWE with a physique worth every praise.

At the Royal Rumble event in 1993, the late Bobby Heenan introduced "The Narcissist" Lex Luger, who showed off his impressive physique albeit not competing in a match.

Lex went on to win The Royal Rumble the following year jointly with Bret Hart, which undoubtedly gave him a significant push in 1994. His bout with Yokozuna at WrestleMania 10 was also certainly very impressive.

While Luger could not win a title during his time at Vince McMahon's promotion, his WCW stint saw him win the WCW World Heavyweight title twice, among a host of other titles.

#3 Former WWE Superstar - Vader (Royal Rumble 1996)

One of the most dominant forces to step foot in WWE, the late Vader made his debut in the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match at the 1996 event.

The 450-pound behemoth entered the Rumble at #13 and eliminated some famous names like Jake 'The Snake' Roberts and Savio Vega before being eliminated by Shawn Michaels.

Having been irked by his elimination, Vader came back into the ring and absolutely annihilated the Heart Break Kid.

Despite not reaching the ultimate success of winning a championship in the company, Vader did have some memorable feuds with the late Yokozuna, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker.

#2 Former RAW Women's Champion - Ronda Rousey (Royal Rumble 2018)

Ronda Rousey is undoubtedly one of the strongest women that WWE has seen.

The former UFC star made her long-awaited debut at the Royal Rumble in 2018 after Asuka had won the first-ever 30-Woman Royal Rumble Match. As Ronda marched to the ring, fans were certainly elated.

She pointed to the WrestleMania sign as RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss and SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair looked on, signaling her championship intent.

She made her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 that year in a Mixed Tag Team match that saw her and partner Kurt Angle overcome real-life couple Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.

Rousey would subsequently soar to accomplishing her dream of becoming champion when she beat Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women's Title at SummerSlam 2018.

It is rumored Ronda will make her much anticipated return to the promotion at the upcoming Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

#1 Former WWE Champion - AJ Styles (Royal Rumble 2016)

AJ Styles is undoubtedly one of the most gifted wrestlers in Vince McMahon's promotion, both with his strength as well as high-flying maneuvers.

The Phenomenal One entered at the 30-Man Royal Rumble Match in 2016 at the #3 position and went on to eliminate Curtis Axel and Tyler Breeze before being eliminated by Kevin Owens. This would serve as the start of an impressive WWE career for Styles which saw him soar to the very top.

He won the WWE Championship twice along with a host of other titles like the U.S. Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and the RAW Tag Team Championship.

Having announced his participation in this year's 30-Man Royal Rumble Match, one would surely hope to see the babyface superstar win his maiden Royal Rumble.