8 WWE Superstars who are multi-time Royal Rumble winners

The Royal Rumble Match is one of the greatest stipulations ever invented by WWE. The annual 30-man Battle Royal has become a staple of the calendar year for all wrestling fans. It guarantees surprises, memorable moments, and a signature win for one of the WWE Superstars.

Since 1988, there have been 39 different Royal Rumble matches. In those contests, 31 superstars have won. It could be the star-making performance these individuals have been searching for their entire careers. The victory guarantees them an opportunity to headline WrestleMania and win the World Championship.

The only thing harder than winning one Rumble is winning two or more. Over the course of the past 34 years, there have been eight competitors who have been able to win multiple Rumbles. In this article, let's look at the eight WWE superstars who are multi-time Royal Rumble winners.

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#8 Hulk Hogan - Royal Rumble winner (1990 & 1991)

When Hulk Hogan won the 1990 Rumble Match, the stipulation was still in its infancy. The concept was developing and growing with every year. Hogan's win didn't lead to a WWE Title shot because the Hulkster was the current champion. The victory itself wasn't even the most important moment for the winner in the match.

Hulk Hogan went face-to-face with The Ultimate Warrior and generated an electric reaction. WWE used this moment to build "The Ultimate Challenge" at WrestleMania 6 with WWE Champion Hogan vs. the Intercontinental Champion Warrior in a Winner Takes All battle.

The following year, Hogan came into the Rumble with a goal to win and make a statement. It had been nearly a year since the Immortal One held the top prize in the company.

Hulk Hogan had to overcome a set of large opponents in Brian Knobbs, The Warlord, Tugboat and Earthquake to win back-to-back Rumbles. He became the first man to accomplish this feat.

#7 Shawn Michaels - Royal Rumble winner (1995 & 1996)

Shawn Michaels made history with his first Royal Rumble win in 1995. The Heartbreak Kid started at the No.1 spot and lasted until the end. Just when it looked like The British Bulldog would win, Michaels brought to light a key rule in the Rumble by skinning the cat and only allowing one of his feet to touch the floor before returning to the ring to eliminate Bulldog.

In 1996, Shawn Michaels returned to the Rumble as a different man. He was no longer the cocky villain that the fans hated, but now a courageous hero that they rallied behind.

HBK came in at No.18 this time, but he still lasted until the end. Michaels eliminated his best friend Diesel to win back-to-back Rumbles. This time, he also went on to WrestleMania and won the WWE Championship.

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#6 Triple H - Royal Rumble winner (2002 & 2016)

Triple H made a triumphant return from a quadricep injury at New York City's Madison Square Garden and entered himself into the 2002 Royal Rumble Match. He used this momentum to outlast Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mr. Perfect and Kurt Angle to win. The Game went on to WrestleMania X-8 and defeated Chris Jericho to win the Undisputed WWE Championship.

The King of Kings made history 14 years later when he had the biggest gap between Rumble wins. After being attacked and taken out by Roman Reigns, Triple H returned in the 2016 Rumble.

He got revenge by eliminating the then-WWE Champion Reigns. This left the Game and Dean Ambrose with the title on the line. Triple H eliminated Ambrose to win his 14th world title.

#5 Batista - Royal Rumble winner (2005 & 2014)

The Royal Rumble Match should solidify the rise of a new main event player. The 2005 iteration did just that when Batista eliminated John Cena to win. The Animal was the enforcer of Evolution and had been teasing tension with Triple H, while fans were starting to get behind him. This victory told the WWE Universe that he had arrived.

The 2014 Rumble was fans now telling WWE a clear statement. They wanted Daniel Bryan to win this match and wouldn't take any substitutes.

But what they got was Batista returning from a four-year hiatus to win the Rumble and go on to WrestleMania. The negative response to this victory is still talked about to this day.

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#4 John Cena - Royal Rumble winner (2008 & 2013)

John Cena still owns one of the greatest Royal Rumble returns of all time. Heading into the 2008 edition, Cena had to relinquish the WWE Championship due to a bicep injury that would reportedly keep him out of action for nine months.

Just three months after the injury, the Doctor of Thuganomics returned to an amazing reaction from the typically "Anti-Cena" MSG crowd.

The 2013 Rumble saw Cena come in as a heavy favorite due to the WWE Title scene. Despite CM Punk holding the gold for 434 days, The Rock seemed primed to win the title and main event WrestleMania 29.

To set up a rematch of the WrestleMania 28 Once In A Lifetime main event, Cena had to win. He did that by eliminating Ryback and went on to avenge his loss to The Rock at Mania.

#3 Randy Orton - Royal Rumble winner (2009 & 2017)

Randy Orton came into the 2009 Royal Rumble Match as one of the hottest WWE superstars. The Legend Killer was coming off the heels of a legendary angle where he punted Mr. McMahon in the head.

This, along with the formation of Legacy, gave him a distinct advantage. He used his faction to overwhelm the competition and win his first Rumble.

Eight years later, Orton was doing the bidding of Bray Wyatt as a member of the Wyatt Family. Once again, the numbers advantage came into play. Orton, Wyatt and Luke Harper worked together until the end. After Wyatt was eliminated, the Apex Predator pounced and eliminated Roman Reigns to win the 2017 Rumble.

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#2 Edge - Royal Rumble winner (2010 & 2021)

Edge went down with a serious injury in the summer of 2009. He returned to WWE at the No.29 spot in the 2010 Rumble. He got vengeance on his former partner Chris Jericho for all his trash talking and then eliminated John Cena to win. This victory went down as one of the most shocking returns in the titular stipulation's history.

The Rated-R Superstar has become synonymous with Rumble returns. His 2020 comeback is even more memorable. He went down with a bicep injury a few months later, but Edge returned again in the 2021 Rumble at the No.1 spot. The WWE Hall of Famer survived 29 other competitors to win and headline WrestleMania 10 years after he had initially retired.

#1 Stone Cold Steve Austin - Royal Rumble winner (1997, 1998 & 2001)

There can only be one man to end this list of multi-time Royal Rumble winners. Stone Cold Steve Austin should be the WWE Superstar known as "Mr. Royal Rumble."

He has left a legacy unlike anyone else in the history of the company. Austin started his legendary status with this stipulation in 1997.

Following his 1996 King of the Ring win, Austin became embroiled in a bitter rivalry with Bret "The Hitman" Hart. It was still going strong heading into the 1997 Rumble. Stone Cold put on a fantastic performance here. He came in at the #5 spot and went through every competitor systematically.

His "look at my watch" posturing while waiting for a new superstar to enter was iconic and is still used as a gif today. Austin even got one over on Hart.

After Bret eliminated Stone Cold behind the referee's back, the Texas Rattlesnake snuck back in the ring and eliminated the Hitman. He also took out Vader and The Undertaker to win the match.

The 1998 Royal Rumble Match had a totally different energy than the year prior. Stone Cold Steve Austin was the odds-on favorite and had everyone gunning for him after Mr. McMahon placed a bounty over his head. This didn't stop Austin from overcoming the odds and ultimately eliminating The Rock to win the match. He went on to headline WrestleMania 14 and win the WWE Title for the first time.

Stone Cold Steve Austin joined only Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels as two-time winners of the Rumble.

The WWE Hall of Famer eclipsed any and all legends before him in 2001. That year's Rumble is widely regarded as one of the best iterations ever. The illustrious roster during the Attitude Era was on full display.

Stone Cold was in the midst of a war with Triple H. The Game attacked and bloodied Austin on his way to the ring. This handicapped him during the course of the contest. However, the Texas Rattlesnake never stopped fighting. He had an electric staredown with The Rock and finally eliminated Kane to win the Rumble. This makes Austin the most prolific Royal Rumble winner in history.