The Royal Rumble is one of the best things to come out of WWE. Since 1988, 20/30 wrestlers have entered the ring vying for the opportunity to etch their name in history. Naturally, with the format of the match, one would think that the number 30 entrant has a distinct advantage over the field. As we all know this is rarely the case, most of the time the number 30 entrant has had a less than glowing Royal Rumble stint.
On the other side, there have been some number 30 entrants that are great. There have been some that get a pop from the crowd and are a perfect final entrant for the Royal Rumble. Below we will take a look at the 5 best and worst Number 30 entrants in Royal Rumble history!
Best – Ted Dibiase 1989
The Million Dollar Man was one of the best heels to come out of WWE. The man who could use his immense wealth to buy whatever he wanted was a gimmick that fans could hate.
This gimmick was used to perfection in the 1989 Royal Rumble. DiBiase buying his way to the number 30 spot was a great bit of storytelling by WWE. They combined his “Everybody has a price” schtick with the advantageous 30th spot in the Rumble. In the early stages of the Royal Rumble, this was one of the best ways to have someone enter at number 30.
Worst – Warlord 1992
For the first time in history, the WWE Championship was on the line in the Royal Rumble. This gave the company the perfect opportunity to load the match with as many big names as they could.
With this chance, it made no sense for the Warlord to come in at number 30. There was not a fan in attendance that thought the jacked wrestler had a shot at winning the world title. It would have made much more sense to have a huge name come in at 30 and give the fans thought that he may win the match.
Best – Undertaker 2007
We all knew that the first time the 30th entrant won the Rumble they would make it on this list. The Undertaker’s 2007 spot was a beautiful way to end the drought. He was a well-respected man and going after a world title for the first time in a while.
Also, the mini-match between him and HBK was fantastic. It was the best finish in Royal Rumble history and helped to solidify The Undertakers’ historic win.
Worst – Duke Droese 1996
The match between HHH and Droese to determine the numbers 1 and 30 entrants was a great idea, it just had the wrong result. It made no sense to give the number 30 spot to Droese. He wasn’t as over as WWE wanted him to be, and his chances of winning the match were zero.
However, HHH was a star on the rise and the number 30 spot could have pushed him up the card. WWE should have stopped with the garbage man gimmick and gone with the blueblood instead.
Best – John Cena 2008
Being on the sidelines with an injury for months, there wasn’t a person in the world that expected Cena to come through the curtain.
When his music his the MSG crowd jumped to their feet which is saying something. Cena was one of the more hated men by WWE fans and their reaction spoke volumes. The shock of his return got a huge face pop from the crowd and it was unexpected, to say the least.
It was also a great addition because Cena won the match. WWE matched a huge surprise return with an unexpected victory. All in all, a great 30th spot in the Rumble.
Worst – Chyna 1999
Not taking away from the fact that this was a historic accomplishment for the 9th Wonder of the World, but her time in the Royal Rumble was a dud.
After surprisingly winning the Corporate Royal Rumble, Chyna won the right to be the 30th entrant in the Royal Rumble. After entering the match she lasted for a grand total of 35 seconds. This was an embarrassing showing and one that would have been better served for a wrestler the company wasn’t trying to push.
Chyna was at the forefront of WWE trying to change the perception of women’s wrestling. It would have served everyone better to have her last longer than a minute. Her time in the Rumble made her look weak and ruined some of the aurae around her character.
Best – Triple H 2016
Winning the Royal Rumble at number 30 will get you a spot on this list. Winning the world title in the match will ensure a memorable performance for years to come.
HHH was past his prime as a performer at this point but he still had some gas left in the tank. He was in the midst of a heel authority run opposite Roman Reigns, so having him as a surprise at number 30 made sense.
The Game was able to plow through the field and eliminate the reigning world champion on way to winning his 14th world championship. It was quite the accomplishment for HHH and was the third time the number 30 entrant walked away the winner.
Worst – Rey Mysterio 2014
This is not a comment on Rey Mysterio as much as it is the terrible booking of WWE. This match was at the height of the Yes Movement. Daniel Bryan was the most over wrestler in the company but WWE’s refusal to give him a push was driving the WWE Universe crazy.
After losing to Bray Wyatt earlier in the pay-per-view, fans were holding out hope that Bryan would be competing in, and winning, the Royal Rumble. When Mysterio was out at number 30 it was clear that Bryan would not be in the Rumble. The hatred from the Pittsburgh crowd was deafening.
The misstep of having Mysterio enter instead of Bryan was a terrible mistake by WWE. It nearly ruined Mysterio and became one of the worst number 30 entrants in Royal Rumble history.
Best – Shayna Baszler 2020
The Queen of Spades was one of the most dominant forces in NXT. She had run through all the competition on the Black and Gold brand and decided to try her hand on the main roster.
When Baszler came into the Rumble at number 30 she turned in one of the all-time great performances. In just over 4 minutes Baszler tossed 8 women out of the Royal Rumble. It was astonishing to see her cut through the field so easily.
In either the men or women’s Royal Rumbles no one had the impact that Baszler did. She dominated the match like no other and should have come out with the victory. Of course, the golden woman of WWE, Charlotte, was given the victory.
Worst – Adam Bomb 1994
The 1994 Royal Rumble had a lot of future stars in the match, Adam Bomb was not one of them. Coming into WWE, the man from 3-Mile Island was positioned for great things. He never amassed to more than a lower-mid card jobber for the company.
There were many other better options for the number 30 entrant in the Rumble, going with Adam Bomb was a mistake. Lasting under 5 minutes, Bomb did not make an impression in the match. He wasn’t given much of a chance to shine and he looked incredibly weak before getting eliminated by Lex Luger. A year later Adam Bomb was getting squashed by Mabel…