What is the Royal Rumble? Notable WWE matches, eliminations - ESPN

The next premium live event on the road to WrestleMania 2026 is the Royal Rumble on Jan. 31. The occasion will mark the 39th Royal Rumble, the third-longest annual WWE PLE. The show is built around men's and women's Royal Rumble matches.

What is a Royal Rumble match?

The Royal Rumble typically involves 30 participants (though there have been exceptions), beginning with two. Superstars enter the ring in intervals and eliminations occur when they go over the top rope with both feet touching the outside of the ring. The final performer is the winner.

The winner of the Royal Rumble match earns a championship opportunity at the biggest show of the year, WrestleMania.

Take a look at a selection of historic Royal Rumble matches and memorable eliminations below:

Royal Rumble match, 1988

The first-ever Royal Rumble match in 1988 featured 20 participants, the lowest number in history. From 1989 on, 30 superstars participated with the exception of 2011, which featured 40. In 2018, the WWE presented the Greatest Royal Rumble which featured 50, but it's not considered to be included as part of the annual event. Numbers aside, this inaugural match set the stage for one of the most-anticipated events on the WWE calendar.

WWE Hall of Famer «Hacksaw» Jim Duggan entered at No. 13. The match culminated with Duggan and One Man Gang, who had the most eliminations (5). Duggan recorded the last elimination and will forever be known as the first Royal Rumble winner.

Royal Rumble match, 1992

Generally, the winner of the Royal Rumble match earns an opportunity to challenge for a championship at WrestleMania. Before 1992, there was no official reward, but that changed in a big way.

In 1992, the stakes were even higher as the Rumble match was