The WWE Royal Rumble is one of the most prestigious events that wrestling fans look forward to yearly. Since 1993, there has been an added incentive for Royal Rumble match winners as the victorious man and woman punch their ticket to a guaranteed world championship match at WrestleMania.
The Rumble has proven to be a catalyst for some wrestlers to go on to win their first world championship. The likes of Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin, and Batista were among the major names who converted their Rumble victories into their first world title wins at WrestleMania.
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Of course, winning the Royal Rumble match is an incredible achievement, but winning the Rumble for the first time is an impressive feat. A select few of wrestlers entered the hectic battle royale for the first time in their careers and got the job done right away.
Only 12 entrants have won the Royal Rumble match on their debut appearance. Obviously, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan in 1988, and Asuka, three decades later in the 2018 Women’s Royal Rumble match, won their inaugural Royal Rumble matches. The likes of Big John Studd and Lex Luger have also featured on that exclusive list. Nevertheless, only two competitors who won the Rumble in their debut outing went on to win their world championship matches at WrestleMania.
5. Shinsuke Nakamura – 2018 Men’s
The 2018 Men’s Royal Rumble match was star-studded with the likes of former winners and former world champions John Cena, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and Rey Mysterio among the field. However, “The King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura shocked the world by overcoming 29 other competitors to win the 2018 men’s Royal Rumble match.
The fans welcomed Nakamura’s victory, but it was the beginning of Nakamura’s downward trajectory in the pecking order as a major star in WWE. Nakamura lastly eliminated the 2015 winner, Roman Reigns, to win the Royal Rumble for the first time. However, Nakamura failed to beat AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 34 and turned heel after the match.
