The luck of the draw is a phrase commonly associated with the Royal Rumble. Getting a later number means that one would have a better chance of winning the match. Every wrestler hopes for a later number, and we can see that hope disappear when they draw an early entrant.
The unluckiest of these entrants are numbers 1 and 2. These numbers are not wanted, as they mean that the wrestlers must go the distance if they hope to walk away the winner. They are also the first two numbers to start the match and set the tone for the remainder of the contest.
As much as the first two entrants are a detriment, there have been times when they have been the best part of the Royal Rumble. There have been great pairings that are the lasting memory of the evening. Below are some examples of when the numbers 1 and 2 entrant were fantastic.
Triple H and Rey Mysterio (2006)
Quite often, numbers 1 and 2 are comprised of one star and one fodder to get the star over. In 2006, WWE went in a different direction when they put together two of the favorites to win the whole match.
Rey Mysterio and Triple H were a fantastic pairing as the first two entrants. They were active throughout the match, combining for 12 eliminations.
There were no other men that even came close to the impact either Mysterio or Triple H had on the match. Also, it doesn’t hurt that both lasted over an hour and were part of the last three men in the match.
Ax and Smash (1989)
The Royal Rumble was still in its infancy in 1989. Only the 20-man version had been produced, and the fans were not as invested as they are nowadays. WWE needed a great match to sell the world on the PLE and bringing out tag champions as the first and second entrant was the perfect way to do it.
WWE wanted to sell the Royal Rumble as a match where it was every man for himself. It was advertised as brother against brother for the prestige of winning the Royal Rumble.
That is why it was fantastic to see the tag team champions not hesitate to pound on one another when the bell rang. It sold how important winning the match was, that the long-time partners were willing to throw it aside for their chance at glory.
The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels (2008)
Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker put on a clinic as the last two men in the 2007 Royal Rumble. They had a fantastic mini-match to finish the match, and it is widely considered to be the best finish in Royal Rumble history. So, why not run it back with them starting the Royal Rumble the next year?
HBK and The Undertaker didn’t put on the clinic they did in 2007 but their sprint to start the 2008 Royal Rumble was incredibly entertaining. It was exactly what needed to happen to get the crowd hot for the rest of the night. They kept their feud going for a solid 33 minutes before both were dumped out but not before putting on one of the best 1-2 punches in Royal Rumble history.
Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon (1999)
The feud between Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon was what made the Attitude Era. Their program took over everything that it touched, including the 1999 Royal Rumble.
Labeled as “No Chance in Hell”, the Royal Rumble featured Austin and McMahon as the first entrants. It was the first chance Austin had to get his hands on the boss, and it was played perfectly.
The timing gave him a chance to get his licks in before anyone else could enter the match and the crowd loved it. Once a crowd got in the match, they took their violence outside of the ring and around the arena. It was the highlight of an otherwise underwhelming match.
Alexa Bliss and Bianca Belair (2020)
The Women’s Royal Rumble was one that was still short on main roster stars in 2020. It was a top-heavy division but that forced WWE to get creative and produce an amazing pairing to start off the Rumble match.
Alexa Bliss was an established star and a great one to start off the match. She had the credibility to go far in the contest and the heat with the crowd to get some great reactions. It was a great start but one that was made better by having NXT star Bianca Belair making a surprise appearance.
Belair and Bliss played off each other incredibly well. It was the story of speed versus strength with each woman getting their chance to shine.
They worked well together and combined for a total of 12 eliminations lasting 20 minutes each. Alexa Bliss and Bianca Belair put on a show and started the Royal Rumble on the right foot.
Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho (2013)
Surprise returns are at the heart of every Royal Rumble. They are what the fans beg to see every year, and they are a huge reason why the match is as popular as it is. That is why the pairing of Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho was such a home run.
Ziggler was the cocky heel that expected to go the distance. Number 1 was not a detriment to him and his promo before the match demanded the next man because he was going to dominate. Then the crowd erupted when Jericho’s music hit, and we saw Y2J come through the curtain.
It was a return that no one was expecting, and one made better by the heel promo cut by Ziggler a mere seconds before. Once locked up, the two men were fantastic. They were dynamic together and were the ironmen of the Royal Rumble.
Clocking in at 49 and 47 minutes respectively, they were the best parts of the evening, overshadowing eventual winner John Cena.
CM Punk and Daniel Byran (2011)
The 40-man Royal Rumble was an attempt by WWE to drum up more excitement for the match. It fell slightly flat, to say the least, near the end, but we were still given a great opening pairing with the two indie darlings themselves.
Daniel Bryan and CM Punk had a massive following outside of WWE, and they loved that the two men were paired to start the match. Both were comfortably into their heel and face roles and worked them well to start the match.
There wasn’t a ton of back and forth between the two but the fact that they were starting the match was enough. The two indie professionals had made their way to the big show and were starting one of the biggest matches of the year.
Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho (2003)
The Royal Rumble, by nature, is a tool used to create new programs and intensive existing rivalries headed into WrestleMania season. We have seen examples of this throughout the history of the event but there might not be a better example of it than the beginning of the 2003 Royal Rumble.
Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels were headed for a WrestleMania match but they needed to build it up first. Having them enter as the first two men was a great way to start that off.
Especially considering that Jericho used underhanded tactics to get Michaels eliminated only two minutes into the match. It was a shocking sight to see HBK covered in blood so early into the match but one that sparked their emotional journey to a 5-star classic at WrestleMania.
Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch (2018)
The first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match was a historic event. No longer would they live in the shadow of the men’s contest. It was a fantastic match with so many surprises, and it started with one of the best first pairings in WWE history.
Of course, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks knocked their appearance out of the park. There was not much resting going on as they tore into each other and then proceeded to tear into everyone else who entered the fray. They lasted over 30 and 54 minutes respectively earning Iron Woman honors for the first-ever entrants in the women’s Royal Rumble.
Shawn Michaels and British Bulldog (1995)
In 1995, WWE tried to revamp the Royal Rumble by shortening the entrant times to 30 seconds. It created a fast and furious Royal Rumble but one that was dominated by a single storyline. A story of struggle between one of the best first pairings in company history.
Shawn Michaels and The British Bulldog were the rising stars that could have benefited most from being numbers 1 and 2. They had their history and tore into one another the second the bell rang.
It was a match that had other stars, sure, but it was these two that kept finding their way back to one another. The crowd loved that the issues between the two ran from the opening bell to the final move.
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