WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Greatest Superstars Never to Win Battle Royal
On the face of it, the winners list of WWE's annual Royal Rumble match is like a condensed look at the greatest men ever to enter the squared circle.
Names like Hulk Hogan, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and Ric Flair have all lasted the distance and emerged victorious in the 30-man bash, which returns again for the 2017 edition on Jan. 29.
But sadly, there are some legends and icons of the wrestling business who, despite competing in the match, never got the chance to taste victory. Some of them are either current or future members of WWE's Hall of Fame, too.
Here's a look at the greatest WWE Superstars who have never won the Rumble.
Chris Jericho
1 of 5
Given everything he's achieved in a WWE career spanning almost two decades, it's amazing to think that Chris Jericho has never won the Royal Rumble match—but that could change in 2017.
At the age of 46, Jericho is in career-best form right now, and WWE may reward that with a sensational victory in this year's Rumble match.
He was undoubtedly on top of his game in 2016, entertaining fans with some of his best in-ring performances in years, complemented by a number of highly enjoyable segments, too.
The List of Jericho was perhaps the year's biggest triumph, and fans are still waiting to see when WWE will pull the trigger on a Kevin Owens-Jericho feud.
If it decides to run at WrestleMania, then having Jericho win the Rumble and going after Owens' Universal Championship would make for great TV.
It would also have one of the company's most over Superstars finally get a deserved win in one of the biggest matches of the year.
Mick Foley
2 of 5Mick Foley's most memorable moments at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view have been in main event bouts, rather than the annual 30-man jamboree.
The apex of those bouts was at the 1999 show, where he and The Rock engaged in a bloody, brutal and gruelling "I Quit" match.
Twelve months later, he battled Triple H in another war of attrition, this time putting his body on the line in an absorbing Street Fight.
With all that in mind, Foley's best years weren't really spent competing for a place at WrestleMania's main event in the Rumble.
However, he would have to rank on this list. He's a bona fide wrestling legend, after all.
Kurt Angle
3 of 5Unlike most of the men on this list, Kurt Angle has come desperately close to winning the Royal Rumble.
In 2002, he was one of the final two men left standing alongside Triple H but was eventually eliminated by The Game, who went on and headlined WrestleMania that year.
That was the closest Angle ever came. Unless there's a shock return and change of plans this year, it's the closest he will probably ever come.
And it's a shame that Angle's record doesn't show at least one win in the Royal Rumble match, because he certainly contributed enough to the company during his time with WWE to merit a win.
He was one of the most consistently brilliant performers the company possessed around the turn of the century. There's still the possibility for WWE to correct his Royal Rumble record, but time is most certainly running out.
Andre the Giant
4 of 5
When the Royal Rumble debuted in 1988, it seemed like the kind of match Andre the Giant was destined to win.
Who, in all probability, could eliminate this monster of a man of his own accord? Surely Andre would rack up at least one win before he retired from in-ring competition?
Sadly, that wasn't the case.
Perhaps Andre's most infamous moment when it came to the Rumble was when WWE announced he would be taking part in the 1991 event, only to withdraw him due to injury. Tragically, he would die a couple of years later.
Randy Savage
5 of 5Randy Savage had a fair few close calls when it came to the Royal Rumble match, but ultimately, the win always passed "Macho Man" by.
Savage was involved in some of the most iconic moments in WWE's history during the 1980s, but when it came to the Rumble, WWE always had him come up short.
There were near misses for Savage. In 1989, he was eliminated by accident by Hulk Hogan, and four years later, he was the final man to be thrown over the top rope, this time by Yokozuna.
With everything he accomplished in WWE alongside big names like Hogan, it's amazing WWE never once bestowed him with the honor of winning the Royal Rumble match.
In fact, it's a real shame.
