Vince McMahon quietly shares unwanted Royal Rumble landmark with WWE legend

WWE’s Royal Rumble has long been framed as the ultimate endurance test.

30 wrestlers – occasionally more – one ring, and close to an hour of attrition designed to reward stamina, resilience and output.

WWE

Every January, fans instinctively judge performances the same way: how long someone lasted, and how many bodies they threw over the top rope.

The numbers largely support that reading. Across the Rumble’s history, its most celebrated performances follow a familiar pattern: wrestlers who survive close to an hour, who clear the ring in short, violent bursts; Wrestlers who visibly carry the match for long stretches, either winning outright or falling at the final hurdle.

Shawn Michaels, Bob Backlund, Daniel Bryan. These are the runs that dominate highlight packages and anniversary countdowns, because they look and feel earned.

Elimination totals work in much the same way. Throw out ten or more competitors and the assumption is simple: you dominated the Royal Rumble, regardless of the final result.

In 2014, Roman Reigns eliminated a then-record 12 men, flattening much of the field and visually carrying the match, only to fall short as Batista went on to win. The workload shaped the memory, even if it did not shape the outcome.

Occasionally, those ideas align perfectly. A wrestler lasts forever, racks up eliminations, and then punches their WrestleMania ticket.

Stone Cold Steve Austin did exactly that in 1997, throwing out ten competitors on his way to victory and setting the template for what fans still consider a ‘proper’ Royal Rumble win.

McMahon’s hidden Rumble history

However, this is WWE and there’s always a treat or two buried in the same stats: not all Royal Rumble wins are created equally.

Only two winners in Royal Rumble history have won the match while eliminating just one opponent. One was deliberately cynical. The other was presented as business as usual.

Vince McMahon’s 1999 victory was never meant to be heroic. He avoided conflict from the off, relied on The Corporation, ducked and weaved either side of the odd good kicking and eliminated Steve Austin at the death and won – all to spite the Rattlesnake and rile up the fans who were right behind him.

WWE

WWE

WWE

The lack of effort was the story, the evil McMahon always leaning on executive power rather than his in-ring ability – despite boasting bulging biceps that put many of the active roster at the time to shame.

Randy Orton’s 2017 win told a different story. Orton spent long stretches inactive, waited for the right moment, eliminated Roman Reigns once and stood tall on his way to WrestleMania where he unseated Bray Wyatt to win the WWE title.

Statistically, it mirrored McMahon’s effort. Narratively, it was treated as a legitimate modern Royal Rumble triumph.

It exposes a quiet truth about the match – for all WWE’s bluster about stats, facts and unforgettable feats of conditioning, the Rumble bout is, just like everything else on screen, a storytelling vehicle rather than genuine test of endurance and will.

The 2026 instalment of Royal Rumble, meanwhile, is just over a week, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 31st.

WWE legend days from retirement?

Some winners have been predictable – this year’s cohort appears a little harder to choose between, though early declarations already point toward another endurance-heavy field over a quick-hit cameo.

Most eliminations in a WWE Royal Rumble

• Braun Strowman (Greatest Royal Rumble) – 13 eliminations
• Brock Lesnar (2020) – 13 eliminations
• Roman Reigns (2014) – 12 eliminations
• Kane (2001) – 11 eliminations
• Steve Austin (1997) – 10 eliminations
• Hulk Hogan (1989) – 9 eliminations
• Nia Jax (2025) – 9 eliminations
• Bianca Belair (2020) – 8 eliminations
• Shayna Baszler (2020) – 8 eliminations
• Rhea Ripley (2021) – 7 eliminations

Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Jey Uso, Rey Mysterio and Penta are among those confirmed for the men’s match.

Rhodes and Uso are the last two men to win the Royal Rumble, setting recent expectations around long, central runs rather than opportunistic victories.

Gunther’s record-breaking Iron Man performance in 2023 only reinforced that thinking, becoming one of the clearest modern examples of endurance being treated as a moral victory, even without the win.

On the women’s side, the same pattern is emerging. Rhea Ripley, Bayley, Roxanne Perez, Liv Morgan and Iyo Sky all enter the conversation on who will march forward into WrestleMania and compete for some of WWE’s biggest prizes.

Elsewhere, Drew McIntyre’s first major defence of the WWE Championship will feature at Royal Rumble, his challenger to be determined by the winner of a fatal four-way match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

AJ Styles puts his career on the line against Gunther as The Ring General bids to take down another legend having recently seen off John Cena.

WWE

With a week to go until two stars unleash that unmistakable point towards the WrestleMania sign, it’s anybody’s guess as to who will stand tall at the end of Royal Rumble – but it might not necessarily be those who get through the biggest workload.

As history occasionally shows, some grab the glory by going the short route.