1. John Cena
The finish to the 2005 Royal Rumble match was iconic as the finish was botched with John Cena and Batista going over the top rope simultaneously, with Mr. McMahon coming down the aisle and tearing his quads.
Nevertheless, Cena failed to overcome the Animal in the 2005 Royal Rumble match. Cena defeated Kurt Angle in a number one contender’s match at No Way Out 2005. He defeated JBL with one FU to become the WWE Champion for the first time at WrestleMania 21.
Five years later, Cena entered the 2010 Royal Rumble match, and once again, he was the runner-up. Cena’s old foe, Edge, eliminated Cena to win the Rumble. However, Cena regained the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match, but Batista beat him a month later in an impromptu title match.
Nevertheless, Cena gained his revenge by defeating Batista for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 26. Cena’s win was academic as it was the first time since Cena’s first WWE Title win, five years prior, that the WWE Championship changed hands at WrestleMania.
For the third time in 2025, Cena surprisingly finished as runner-up in the men’s Royal Rumble match to Jey Uso. Nevertheless, Cena put it right a month later by prevailing in a number one contender’s Elimination Chamber match. Cena turned heel after his Chamber win.
Meanwhile, it’s a good omen for Cena to finish as a runner-up in a Royal Rumble match, as every time he’s finished as a runner-up, he’s gone on to win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. “The Never Seen 17” was born as Cena defeated Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 41 Sunday to become a record-breaking 17-time WWE world champion.
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