The main event of the 2021 Royal Rumble was the Men’s Royal Rumble, pitting thirty WWE Superstars against one another. One of the big stories heading into this year’s match was the in-ring return of Edge, who had been out of action since this past June; at WWE Backlash, he suffered a torn triceps in his match against Randy Orton. Leading up to the Royal Rumble, Edge made his intentions clear: to win the match and go on to become world champion at WrestleMania. Edge is one step closer to achieving his goal, as he is now a tw0-time Royal Rumble winner.
Edge entered the 2021 Men’s Royal Rumble match at number one. Ironically enough, it was Randy Orton who entered at number two. Edge wasted no time, as he quickly made his way to Orton, which sparked a brawl on the ramp. The fight soon spilled to ringside, Edge and Orton taking their time actually getting inside of the ring. During the match, an incensed Edge attacked Orton’s knee, the bad blood between them since the summer still very much palpable. Orton was attacked so severely that he had to be escorted to the back by WWE officials, “The Viper’s” status in the Royal Rumble match uncertain.
.@AJStylesOrg battling @EdgeRatedR in the 2021 #RoyalRumble Match. This is real, and it's happening right now on @WWENetwork. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/gpSeMmwHIw
— WWE Network (@WWENetwork) February 1, 2021
Throughout the match, Edge’s endurance was undeniable. He eliminated Seth Rollins and even assisted in eliminating Braun Strowman, the latter being the largest competitor in the match. Edge even enjoyed a reunion with long-time tag team partner and friend, Christian. Following Edge’s elimination over Rollins, it was believed that the “Rated R Superstar” had won the match. Suddenly, he was attacked from behind by Orton, who dropped him with an RKO. Believing he had the match won, Orton lifted Edge and sent him into the ropes. However, Edge shifted the momentum, officially throwing Orton over the top rope to win the 2021 Men’s Royal Rumble match. With this victory, Edge will receive a world title match at WrestleMania in April.
Edge is now part of an exclusive class of men that have won the Royal Rumble match on more than one occasion. The other competitors that can boast this accomplishment are Orton, Batista, John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Hulk Hogan, all of whom won the Royal Rumble twice in their careers. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is the only competitor to have won the Rumble on three occasions. Edge’s previous Royal Rumble victory took place in 2010, when he made a surprise return in the match at number twenty-nine, eliminating Chris Jericho and finally Cena to win.
.@EdgeRatedR is No. 1 and headed to #WrestleMania! #RoyalRumble pic.twitter.com/wLrhIs4SfM
— WWE (@WWE) February 1, 2021
Another notable aspect of this Royal Rumble victory is that Edge is only the second man recognized by WWE to have run the entire gauntlet. Back in 1995, Shawn Michaels entered the Royal Rumble at number one, lasting over 38 minutes to win the match. This year, Edge lasted over 58 minutes to win, beating Michaels’ time.
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