3. Triple H – 2 (2008, 2009)
Triple H has enjoyed success at the Royal Rumble. He’s won the event twice, in 2002 and 2016, with his 2016 win securing a WWE World Championship for the 14th time. However, in the 2000s, Triple H didn’t always feature in Royal Rumble matches as he was focused on defending a world title at the event.
The Game entered the 2008 Royal Rumble match hellbent on main eventing WrestleMania. However, his quest was halted by John Cena, who shocked the world by returning ahead of schedule. He eliminated Triple H to win the Rumble for the first time.
A year later, Triple H feuded with Legacy, and the numbers game proved to be too much. Randy Orton lastly eliminated Triple H to win the 2009 Royal Rumble match. Nevertheless, Triple H still managed to feature in WWE Championship matches at WrestleMania 24 and 25.
2. John Cena – 3 (2005, 2010, 2025)
John Cena won the Royal Rumble match twice in 2008 and 2013, with his second victory leading to him beating The Rock for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29. However, Cena has three Royal Rumble runner-up finishes to his resume. The first time was in 2005 when he and Batista infamously both went over the top rope, but the match restarted with the Animal winning the Rumble.
Five years later, Cena was eliminated by Edge in the 2010 Royal Rumble match. The 2025 men’s Royal Rumble match was John Cena’s final outing in a Royal Rumble match. The leader of the Cenation was attempting to edge one step closer to a 17th world championship reign.
Ultimately, Jey Uso shockingly eliminated him to win the 2025 men’s Royal Rumble match. Nevertheless, Cena finishing as a runner-up has been a good thing, as he’s gone on to have three WWE Championship matches at WrestleMania and walked out with the WWE Championship on each occasion.
