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The Royal Rumble is arguably the most exciting event of the entire year. We've had thousands of WWE Superstars, past and present, who have entered the fray and left their thumbprints on the Royal Rumble match, forever to be etched in the annals of time.
There is unfortunately no clear blueprint on the ideal type of wrestler who can beat the odds at the Royal Rumble. From cruiser weights like Rey Mysterio to heavyweights like the Undertaker, the winners have had polarizing physiques and careers. So it all comes down to survival tactics and some of the best in the business adapt to the same, emerging victorious.
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While many wrestlers have come and gone, today we are going to focus on the top big men who have dominated, won, or simply left a big impression (no pun intended) on the WWE Universe.
To qualify for this list, these wrestlers have to either be at or around seven feet tall (Kevin Nash), weigh over 300+ pounds (Mark Henry, Vader, etc.), or even both in some cases (Andre the Giant). Without any further ado, turn on the traditional Royal Rumble theme song in the video below, kick back, relax and let's get started with number five!
#5 - Vader (Royal Rumble 1996)
Starting off our list is the man they call Vader! Fresh off a memorable run in WCW, Vader made his debut in the WWE at the 1996 Royal Rumble. Wrestling fans were very excited to hear that Vader was going to make his debut for the WWE and knew that he was going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Vader debuted as a heel, aligning himself with Jim Cornette's stable, "Camp Cornette," along with the likes of Yokozuna, Owen Hart, and The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith. He came into the Royal Rumble match at #13 and quickly made a big impression upon the competitors inside the ring.
Upon entry into the Royal Rumble match, Vader eliminated four WWE Superstars: Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Manual, Doug Gilbert and Savio Vega. He was eliminated by "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels after lasting 11 minutes in the match-up. After being eliminated, Vader lost his cool and proceeded to illegally eliminate everyone in the ring before being ejected out of the arena by WWE officials.
The match was an acceptable debut for Vader, as he was being groomed by WWE to be their next big monster heel for the company, even exchanging blows with Yokozuna who was also apart of Camp Cornette that would set up a face turn for Yokozuna a month or so later.
Vader passed away in 2018 following various health issues.
#4 - Big John Studd (Royal Rumble 1989)
Our next entry is none other than Big John Studd. Studd became known to many fans within the WWE Universe for his historic feud and match-up with Andre the Giant at the inaugural WrestleMania in 1985.
Studd lost the "$25,000 Body Slam Challenge" to Andre, then quickly began to go downhill for the rest of his first WWE tenure. He was a member of the "Heenan Family," Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's illustrious alliance of heel mid-to-main event-level WWE Superstars. He would briefly retire from wrestling, then return to the WWE in 1989 where things got interesting.
Big John Studd returned to the company and was offered his spot back in the Heenan Family. Studd declined the spot, as Heenan had now aligned himself with Andre the Giant; Studd's former adversary. This would make Big John Studd a babyface, as he would go on to feud with members of the Heenan family, including Andre. This would lead to the 1989 Royal Rumble match, where Studd would debatably have the biggest moment of his wrestling career.
Studd entered the match at number 27, a number that is now historically linked to many favorites who have won the Royal Rumble match over the last three decades. Studd would eliminate only two WWE Superstars: Akeem and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase. Studd would eliminate Dibiase to win the 30-man Royal Rumble match.
This victory by Big John Studd was a nice, feel-good moment. This would be Studd's curtain call, so to speak, in wrestling in terms of performing.
Studd would go on to be a special guest referee at WrestleMania V, a few months later, for a match between Andre the Giant and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Studd would wrestle his last WWE match against Hillbilly Jim on May 4, 1989, before eventually retiring for good from the wrestling business due to illness. He would later pass away due to cancer in 1995.
#3 - Kevin Nash/Diesel (Royal Rumble 1994)
The next WWE superstar on our list is a former WWE and WCW World Champion and Hall of Famer, among many other accolades. Kevin Nash would make his debut for the WWE after a failed run with WCW in 1993 as Shawn Michaels' bodyguard, "Diesel." The sheer size and presence of Diesel was the perfect catalyst for the future makings of a major WWE superstar in the eyes of Vince McMahon.
At 7 feet, 317lbs, he was a monster and very intimidating inside the squared circle. Throughout 1993, Diesel spent the majority of his time doing Shawn's dirty work, protecting his best friend and making sure that any WWE Superstar who dared step foot in his path was going to be taken out and decimated.
Diesel would have his big, breakout moment at the 1994 Royal Rumble. "Big Daddy Cool" would set a record that would not be touched until the 2001 Royal Rumble (more on that in a bit). Diesel would come into the Royal Rumble match at number 7, lasting over 17 minutes in the match.
Diesel came into the match and was an absolute wrecking machine! Taking out and eliminating a total of 7 WWE Superstars: Scott Steiner, Kwang, Owen Hart, Bart Gunn, Bob Backlund, Billy Gunn, and Virgil. After this incredible feat for the time, Diesel would be eliminated by the combination of Bam Bam Bigelow, Crush, Mabel and Bob "Spark Plugg" Holly.
After being eliminated, Diesel would earn the respect of the WWE Universe as they chanted, "Diesel! Diesel! Diesel!" as he made his way to the backstage area. This was a pivotal moment in the career of Kevin Nash, as this was the spark that ignited the flame in the rise of Diesel that would culminate with a face turn following a huge argument with Shawn Michaels at the 1994 Survivor Series in November, following with a WWE Championship victory over Bob Backlund at a WWE Live Event from Madison Square Garden in just eight seconds to kickstart the "Diesel Push", as many wrestling fans would refer to Nash's push at the time.
Nash would later compete in the 1996 Royal Rumble match but was eliminated by Shawn Michaels at the conclusion of the match. Nash would make his surprise return to the WWE in the 2011 Royal Rumble match, reprising his "Diesel" persona to a thunderous reception. Diesel would be eliminated by Wade Barrett.
Kevin Nash is currently semi-retired from professional wrestling and still makes appearances from time to time for the WWE.
Nash also has a popular chapter in WWE history dedicated to him owing to his contribution in bringing the Monday Night Wars to the fore. Nash and Scott Hall left to rival brand WCW and triggered the domino action that changed the phase of the industry forever.
#2 - Kane (Royal Rumble 2001)
Number two on our list is one of the greatest big men in WWE history, and that goes with all due respect to everyone who has been named or mentioned on this list. In my honest opinion, you cannot have a top big man list for the Royal Rumble match and not bring up "The Big Red Machine", Kane.
Kane has had many historical moments throughout his WWE career: Feuds, storylines, angles, various heel and face turns, etc.. He has been loved and hated by the WWE Universe over the last two decades, but his performances in the Royal Rumble match were something to behold. In particular, I will be focusing on his run during the 2001 Royal Rumble match-up.
Kane entered the match at number 6. After scaring the living daylights out of comedian Drew Carey (who was a "surprise" entrant of sorts), bashing a guitar over the head of WWE Legend, The Honky Tonk Man and of course, eliminating a then-record 11 WWE Superstars, breaking the previous elimination streak held by Diesel (Kevin Nash) from the 1994 Royal Rumble.
Kane would eliminate Raven, Perry Saturn, Al Snow, Steve Blackman, Grandmaster Sexay, Honky Tonk Man, The Rock, Tazz, Albert, Crash Holly and Scotty 2 Hotty. Kane would make it all the way to the very end, where he was eliminated by "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Kane lasted a little over 53 minutes as well, which is quite a feat for a big man and showed the endurance Kane had during the prime of his wrestling career.
Kane would go on to have many more historic Royal Rumble moments and of course career highlights, but none would fail to compare to his dominance in the 2001 Royal Rumble.
Kane is still currently a semi-active member of the WWE roster but has taken a much-reduced role due to his real-life duties as the Mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
Kane would have been considered number one on my list had it not been for the performance of our next and final entry...
#1 - Yokozuna (Royal Rumble 1993)
I may get some heat for this. Opinions are opinions, after-all. Everyone has them. I am happy to agree to disagree. This was a very tough decision to make, but I felt that picking Yokozuna as my number one was the right choice for a variety of reasons.
Certainly, Yokozuna didn't eliminate the most athletes like a Diesel or Kane. However, for the time (1993), no one had seen a WWE Superstar this massive in terms of girth/weight since the days of Andre the Giant, and Andre was in a league of his own.
Yokozuna entered the match at number 27 (statistics don't lie, boys and girls). Yokozuna came in and eliminated six WWE Superstars: Tatanka, Earthquake, Carlos Colon, Tito Santana, Owen Hart and "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Yokozuna lasted close to 15 minutes as he became the 1993 Royal Rumble winner by last eliminating Savage.
Having said that, Yokozuna historically became the biggest Royal Rumble winner in the history of the WWE, if you go by weights and measures here. Secondly, in comparison to guys like Kevin Nash and Kane, Yokozuna did win the Royal Rumble match versus coming up short and being eliminated.
Finally, Yokozuna was the first man to ever win the Royal Rumble match and go on to face the WWE Champion at a WrestleMania, which at the time was a new stipulation starting in 1993 to give the WWE Superstars an extra prize aside from bragging rights to winning the match.
Yokozuna would go on to face Bret "The Hitman" Hart at WrestleMania IX, defeating Hart to win the WWE Championship. However, Yokozuna would foolishly challenge Hulk Hogan following the title match, putting the WWE Championship at stake and losing to "The Hulkster" in a squash match to drop the title in mere seconds. Yokozuna would go on to get his rematch and his revenge on Hulk Hogan at the 1993 King of the Ring, then dominate the main event scene throughout the remainder of 1993.
Yokozuna would unfortunately pass away in October 2000.
Do you agree with this list? Who would you choose for your list of the greatest big men in Royal Rumble history?
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
