Batista
First Royal Rumble Match: 2003
| Entrant Number | 28 |
| Time In The Match | 9:55 |
| Number Of Eliminations | 2 (Test & Rikishi) |
| Eliminated By | The Undertaker |
Batista made his WWE main roster debut in May 2002, as Reverend Devon’s bodyguard on SmackDown. The future six-time WWE world champion was known as Deacon Batista at the time, and the partnership didn’t last long. Batista was sent to Raw a few months later, where he found a new mentor in the legendary Ric Flair, and he defeated Kane at Armageddon 2002.
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This new and improved version of Batista entered the Royal Rumble Match at number 28 – a number that would mean so much to The Animal throughout his WWE career. Batista eliminated two wrestlers in his Royal Rumble debut, and he exceeded everyone’s expectations in 2003 as he made it to the Final Four alongside The Undertaker, Kane, and the winner, Brock Lesnar.
Last Royal Rumble Match: 2014
| Entrant Number | 28 |
| Time In The Match | 13:02 |
| Number Of Eliminations | 4
|
| Eliminated By | N/A (Winner) |
In December 2013, WWE announced Batista would come back after a four-year hiatus to compete in the 2014 Royal Rumble Match. Batista had left WWE in May 2010 to focus on other projects, but he was now back as a full-time competitor. And The Animal couldn’t have asked for a better return – in kayfabe(!!) – as he won the Royal Rumble from the #28 spot.
Competing in his very first match since the “I Quit” loss to John Cena at Over the Limit 2010, Batista eliminated four wrestlers (Erick Rowan, Ryback, Alberto Del Rio, and Roman Reigns) and became the number one contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Unfortunately for Big Dave, the fans were more interested in Daniel Bryan and ended up turning on Batista, whose second WWE run didn’t quite work out as expected.
