WWE Royal Rumble 2024 kicks off road ro WrestleMania
January 4, 2024
The road to Wrestlemania always starts with one of the most iconic Premium Live Events in the WWE calendar – Royal Rumble. Taking place annually, the highly anticipated clash of WWE titans becomes more and more of a spectacle with every year, gripping fans in their thousands – in fact, the 2023 Royal Rumble was the highest-grossing and most-viewed Royal Rumble in company history.
This year’s event, on January 27th, promises another round of jaw-dropping drama, especially after WWE stalwarts Randy Orton and CM Punk recently made a surprise return to the ring, and are set to battle it out on the Royal Rumble stage.
What is Royal Rumble?
WWE’s Royal Rumble features a unique format for a Premium Live Event. The main match is an epic 30-person battle, kicking off with two Superstars squaring off in the ring, with new contenders entering at 90 second intervals, until all 30 have arrived. Superstars who are tossed over the top rope, with both feet making contact with the arena floor, are disqualified from the match.
The last standing superstar, outlasting all others, will win a grand prize – the chance to headline WrestleMania.
Who are the favourites?
Two of the favourites for this year’s men’s Royal Rumble are CM Punk and Randy Orton
Randy Orton, also known as the ‘Viper’, belongs to a legendary wrestling dynasty – being the grandson of Bob Orton Sr, son of ‘Cowboy’ Bob Orton, and nephew of Barry Orton. Stepping into the WWE arena in 2002, Randy Orton swiftly ascended to stardom and earned numerous Titles, including multiple World Heavyweight Championships.
The Viper made a spectacular return to the WWE stage in December 2023, sending shockwaves across the internet and becoming an instant social media phenomenon. As the Viper re-enters the squared circle, excitement has gotten to fever pitch level amongst fans, as they try to guess what the next chapter holds for Orton.
CM Punk made his WWE debut in the mid-2000s, and became known for his outspoken and rebellious character, as he often challenged the norms of the wrestling industry, and returned with to WWE during the 2023 Survivor Series in Chicago after a near decade-long hiatus. Set to compete in this year’s Royal Rumble, Punk’s return has shaken things up for fans, mostly notably that he’s never won the Royal Rumble during his original WWE stint. Could this be his time?
Cody Rhodes, last year’s winner and, like Orton, from a family of wrestling royalty, is also one of the event favourites as he bids to headline WrestleMania for the second year in a row.
Some notable winners of Royal Rumble
- 1990 & 1991 = Hulk Hogan (#25)
- 1992 = Ric Flair (#3)
- 1995 & 1996 = Shawn Michaels (#1)
- 1997 & 1998 = Steve Austin (#5)
- 1999 = Vince McMahon (#2)
- 2000 = The Rock (#24)
- 2005 = Batista (#28)
- 2006 = Rey Mysterio (#2)
- 2008 = John Cena (#30)
- 2009 = Randy Orton (#8)
- 2015 = Roman Reigns (#19)
- 2016 = Triple H (#30)
- 2019 [Men] = Seth Rollins (#10)
- 2020 [Women] = Charlotte Flair (#17)
- 2020 [Men] = Drew McIntyre (#16)
- 2021 [Women] = Bianca Belair (#3)
- 2021 [Men] = Edge (#1)
- 2022 [Women] = Ronda Rousey (#28)
- 2022 [Men] = Brock Lesnar (#30)
- 2023 [Men] = Cody Rhodes (#30)
- 2023 [Women] = Rhea Ripley (#1)
Who are the most successful Royal Rumble winners?
Stone Cold Steve Austin holds the record for the most Royal Rumble victories with three, while Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, John Cena, Batista, Triple H, Randy Orton, Edge and Brock Lesnar have all won the match twice.
How to watch Royal Rumble 2024
Royal Rumble 2024 is 37th annual Royal Rumble Premium Live Event and will emanate from St Petersburg, Florida on January 27th. UK viewers can tune in on the WWE Network or TNT Sports Box Office.