Which WWE Superstar has been the runner-up of the Royal Rumble match for the most number of times?
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The Royal Rumble is arguably the most thrilling match in all sports. A WWE Superstar’s life could be drastically altered if he or she wins the 30-man (and 30-woman) over-the-top battle royal.
WWE is known for surprising fans with its decisions in the middle of a feud, but the victors of the previous few Royal Rumble matches have been quite predictable. Winning the Royal Rumble is a challenging task. Men who have finished second in multiple Rumbles, on the other hand, are virtually as uncommon.
Hence, let’s have a look at the superstar who has been inch close to winning the Royal Rumble match by finishing 2nd, for the most number of times:
The Tribal Chief Roman Reigns – 4 Times Royal Rumble runner-up
Roman Reigns has the record for being the only guy in WWE history to finish second in four Royal Rumble contests. Roman Reigns has the most runner-up finishes in WWE history. In 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2020, the Big Dog finished the second four times. There’s no disputing, though, that Reigns is a fantastic Rumble performance.
Royal Rumble 2014
Roman Reigns was the top performer in his first Rumble in 2014, eliminating 12 competitors, shattering Kane’s record of 11 eliminations set in 2001. With Batista depriving Reigns of the chance to headline Wrestlemania XXX, that was the only time he was applauded in a match.
Royal Rumble 2017, 2018 and 2020
Roman got it to the final two in 2017, but Randy Orton caught him off guard with an RKO and knocked him out of the ring to secure the win. Shinsuke Nakamura did the same thing a year later in the Royal Rumble match of 2018 when he booked his way to WrestleMania 34 by knocking Reigns out at the last.
The Royal Rumble match of 2020 was very anticipated by the fans are Reigns was a mega-favorite to win the match. He managed to make it to the final two, however, was clamored out of the ring by Drew McIntyre.
Royal Rumble 2015
Despite his sole Royal Rumble victory in 2015, the Big Dog was unable to claw Brock Lesnar’s WWE World Heavyweight Championship away from him at WrestleMania 31. Seth Rollins, his former Shield buddy, cashed in his Money in the Bank clause and pinned Reigns in the middle of the ring to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time.
Walking into the 2022’s Royal Rumble, Reigns holds the WWE Universal Championship. But, this does not withdraw the likes of Reigns entering the Rumble match. But the question is, that, will he? and if he does, can he clinch the battle? Let’s wait as the Royal Rumble airs on January 2022.
Also read: Top 5 Royal Rumble Matches Of All Time
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Utsav Jaiswal
(332 Articles Published)