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The WWE Royal Rumble is one of the most popular gimmick matches in pro wrestling history. Generally, thirty men participate in this bout. The match begins with two Superstars in the ring, and a new participant enters the battle royal after a fixed time interval.
The late Pat Patterson created this match, which has gained incredible popularity in the last 33 years. Since 1993, the winner of the Royal Rumble has received a world title shot at WrestleMania.
Sometimes, the company decides shake up the battle royal. The world championship has been on the line twice in this 30-man bout. WWE increased the number of contestants to 40 in 2011 and 50 in 2018 for the Greatest Royal Rumble. But these occasions proved to be one-offs.
Since the match requires significant stamina levels, younger Superstars usually have the upper hand against their elders. The likes of Brock Lesnar (25), Yokozuna (26), The Rock (27), and Roman Reigns (29) have proven why the younger stars have a better chance of succeeding in the Royal Rumble match.
However, veteran Superstars have also had their moments at the Royal Rumble. Many Superstars over the age of 40 have punched their ticket to WrestleMania by winning this bout. Here's a look at the top five oldest men who have ever won a Royal Rumble Match.
#5 1992 Royal Rumble, Ric Flair - 42 years, 10 months, and 25 days
Ric Flair jointly holds the record for the most world title wins in WWE history. "The Nature Boy" is a 16-time WWE Champion, and one of his world championship victories came at the 1992 Royal Rumble.
The vacant WWF World Heavyweight Championship was up for grabs in the 1992 Royal Rumble match. Ric Flair, who was close to 43 years old at the time, entered the bout at the third spot. The veteran Superstar lasted for over an hour, and he eliminated Sid Justice last to stand tall at the end of the show.
Flair sent five Superstars over the top rope in that contest. Apart from Sid Justice, Ric also eliminated The British Bulldog, The Texas Tornado, Big Boss Man, and Randy Savage (w/Sid Justice). He was the oldest Royal Rumble winner in WWE history until 1999.
#4 2014 Royal Rumble, Batista - 45 years, 8 days
Shortly after his 45th birthday, Batista returned to WWE and stunned the fans by winning the Royal Rumble Match in 2014.
The fans expected WWE to push Daniel Bryan to the top on the Road to WrestleMania XXX. While Bryan was the fan-favorite to win the battle royal, WWE shockingly left him out of the Royal Rumble.
CM Punk and Seth Rollins kicked off the 30-man bout. As the match went on, thunderous 'Daniel Bryan' chants filled the arena. Batista made his comeback at the 28th position and dominated the bout s by eliminating Erick Rowan, Alberto Del Rio, and Ryback.
Batista and Roman Reigns were the last men standing. The disappointed fans in attendance backed Reigns to win the Royal Rumble. But Batista sent "The Big Dog" outside the ring to seal his spot in the WrestleMania main event.
Although Daniel Bryan did not receive an opportunity to enter the Royal Rumble, he ultimately made it to WrestleMania XXX's main event and won the world title.
#3 2016 Royal Rumble, Triple H - 46 years, 5 months, and 28 days
Another Evolution member to appear on this elite list is the 2-time Royal Rumble winner, Triple H. "The King of Kings" won his first Royal Rumble in 2002 after he entered at #22.
Fourteen years later, Triple H made his surprise return to the ring as the final entrant in the Royal Rumble Match. Roman Reigns defended his WWE World Heavyweight Championship against 29 other Superstars in that contest. To make things even more challenging for Reigns, Vince McMahon made him the first entrant.
Before the pay-per-view, Reigns had brutally attacked Triple H. "The Game" avenged that beatdown by eliminating "The Big Dog" from the Royal Rumble. Triple H and Dean Ambrose were the last two Superstars left in the ring. The 46-year-old HHH tossed his rival out to the ringside area and secured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Eventually, Triple H lost the title to Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 32. Still, "The Game" created a new record by being the oldest Superstar to win a Royal Rumble after entering in the final spot.
#2 2021 Royal Rumble, Edge - 47 years, 3 months, and 1 day
Edge is the most recent winner on this list, as he won the bout this year. "The Rated-R Superstar" made his miraculous return to the ring in the 2020 Royal Rumble Match. While Edge did not win that bout, he made his intentions clear to headline WrestleMania ahead of the 2021 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
Unfortunately, Edge had to compete from the most challenging number in the Royal Rumble. He opened the match along with his nemesis, Randy Orton. Many Superstars younger than Edge entered the bout, but they failed to eliminate the Hall of Famer.
Edge persevered and lasted for over 58 minutes in the ring. In that time, he ended Seth Rollins' and Braun Strowman's hopes of main eventing WrestleMania. Randy Orton and Edge were the last two Superstars in the contest.
When Orton prepared to hit his rival with an RKO, it seemed like he would become the second Superstar to win three Royal Rumble Matches. But Edge countered at the last moment to throw Orton out of the ring and become the second-oldest Superstar to win the 30-man bout.
#1 1999 Royal Rumble, Vince McMahon - 53 years and 5 months
There has been only one Royal Rumble winner above the age of 50, and he is the company's CEO, Vince McMahon. The 75-year-old won his only Royal Rumble Match 22 years ago at the Arrowhead Pond.
Mr. McMahon was the second entrant in the 1999 Royal Rumble match. His enemy Stone Cold Steve Austin was in the ring waiting for him in the initial phase of the 1999 Royal Rumble Match. Both Austin and McMahon escaped the squared circle and stayed alive in the contest until the very end.
In the match's final moments, Stone Cold Steve Austin eliminated Triple H, Owen Hart, and Big Boss Man to ensure that he and his boss were the last men remaining. The Rock, who was the WWF Champion at the time, proved to be the difference-maker in the battle royal.
The Rock distracted Stone Cold by taunting him with the world title in his hand. Mr. McMahon to capitalized, as he eliminated Austin from the bout. But when McMahon decided to renounce his chance of headlining WrestleMania, WWF Commissioner Shawn Michaels transferred this opportunity to the runner-up, Stone Cold Steve Austin.
McMahon tried his best to deny Austin a chance to main event WrestleMania. But his best efforts could not stop Stone Cold from becoming the WWF Champion at the "Showcase of the Immortals."
