WWE Royal Rumble 2018: Greatest Superstars Never to Win Battle Royal
Not everyone can win the Royal Rumble match three times like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
Not everyone can be in the right place at the right time like Sheamus or Alberto Del Rio.
Not everyone is tapped for future success like John Cena, Roman Reigns or Batista.
Unfortunately, the history of WWE's Royal Rumble match is littered with iconic stars and all-time greats who have not had the fortune or honor of winning the bout and etching their names in the history books.
From former world champions to a pop culture phenomenon, the illustrious history of the Rumble match is made up of missed opportunities and Superstars whose sparkling resumes are missing that one victory in the annual extravaganza.
Ahead of Sunday's Royal Rumble, where 29 Superstars will experience the agony of defeat and be forced to wait another year for their shot at immortality, relive these eight all-timers whose lack of victory in the bout is the one prominent blemish on their records.
Big Show
1 of 8
The World's Largest Athlete should be one of the most formidable opponents in a Royal Rumble match given his size and strength. At seven-feet-tall and nearly 500 pounds, he should be nearly impossible to dump over the top rope.
That has not been the case, though.
He enjoyed a quality run in 2000 and was the last man eliminated by The Rock. Though controversy would arise and questions about The Great One's feet touching the floor first came to the forefront, Show was still denied the official victory.
In 2004, he once again found himself as one of the final two Superstars in the match. This time, he dominated the much-smaller Chris Benoit but found himself headlocked and pulled to the floor, giving The Crippler his most significant win to date.
As the years pass and Big Show's career winds to a close, the opportunities for the giant to win a Rumble dwindle.
At this point, it appears unlikely he will ever win the contest.
Ted DiBiase
2 of 8
"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase was one of the integral parts of the early success of the Royal Rumble match.
In 1989, he bought his way to the No. 30 slot. A year later, President Jack Tunney put in place measures to ensure that never happened again. That year, he drew No. 1 and lasted an unheard of 45 minutes.
He featured in 1992 and 1993, and he even commentated on the 1994 edition of the show.
No matter his star-power or his place on the card, the iconic future Hall of Famer was never allowed the opportunity to savor victory in the match. Not as a singles Superstar, not even in the putrid 1993 match as a tag team specialist.
For whatever reason, he was never deemed worthy by Vince McMahon to win it all and become even more detestable for his ability to buy his way to victory.
Razor Ramon
3 of 8
Not only did Razor Ramon never win a Royal Rumble during his Hall of Fame career, he never competed in a single 30-man bout.
Not a single one.
The Bad Guy spent 1993-96 competing in either WWE or Intercontinental Championship matches on the undercard, thus never having the opportunity to compete in the Rumble match itself.
It is almost stunning that a Superstar who was such an integral part of the company for a four-year period was never involved in one of its marquee bouts, but he was such a strong worker he was trusted to carry singles bouts elsewhere on the card.
Not even as a nostalgia act has Ramon entered the match, making him one of the rare Hall of Famers and iconic Superstars to never compete in the annual battle royal spectacular.
Mr. Perfect
4 of 8
Mr. Perfect almost always ends up on any list of "greatest Superstars to never win X," and for good reason.
Arguably the most talented in-ring performer of his generation, he was often overshadowed by the bigger, more muscular and hulking Superstars of his era. He bumped like crazy for them, putting them over and making them look good. He was rarely afforded the same luxury by the marquee babyfaces on the roster.
Of the numerous Rumble matches Perfect appeared in, he was never poised for a win more than he was in 1990.
The hottest heel in the company and its best wrestler, he should have defeated Hulk Hogan to win the Rumble and elevate his star even beyond where it was at that point.
Still undefeated and incredibly over with the fans, it would have given him a bragging right that would have enhanced his character and left him in a position to main event in the wake of WrestleMania VI.
Instead, he became just another name on a list of Superstars to be conquered by The Hulkster. He was the final Superstar eliminated, giving the red and yellow-wearing icon another unnecessary victory.
He would come close again in 2002, the third-to-last man tossed from the Rumble in what was a magnificent comeback.
Kane
5 of 8
Over the course of his 19 Royal Rumble appearances, Kane has eliminated 44 Superstars, five more than any other competitor in the long and illustrious history of the match.
In 2001, in what is one of the finest performances of his entire career, he dumped 11 to set a record that would stand for 13 years before being broken by Roman Reigns.
The Big Red Monster has made the Royal Rumble his own personal playground, the site of many destructions and demolitions.
For all the Superstars he has tossed over the top rope and as many memorable performances in the match as he has turned in, Kane has never been in the right place, at the right time, to actually win one.
While Kane has gone on to be part of several high-profile WrestleMania matches and moments, he has never been the guy management has thrown all of its faith behind and pushed to the point that he could win a Rumble and headline the biggest show of the year.
It is disappointing, almost, that a Superstar so closely associated with a match like the Rumble has not been allowed to win one. Of course, that is a testament to his performance as well. So strong is he in that particular setting that he does not have to win it but is still so fondly remembered for his contributions to it.
Chris Jericho
6 of 8
Chris Jericho is recognized by many as the greatest of all time, a multitalented and evolving Superstar who somehow manages to stay a step ahead of staleness.
He has developed into a real iron man of the Royal Rumble, a Superstar who may have bad luck but has routinely lasted the longest of his fellow competitors.
Most recently, he lasted over one-hour in 2017.
It was his 2012 performance that nearly netted him that elusive victory in the prestigious bout.
Fresh off a red-hot return, he was the favorite to win and battle CM Punk for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XXVIII. When the match came down to him and SmackDown's Sheamus, it appeared as if all prognosticators had gotten it right: Y2J would finally win his first Royal Rumble match.
After a spirited exchange, he would fall prey to a Brogue Kick that would end his night in disappointing fashion and guarantee him a spot on this list.
Randy Savage
7 of 8
You would be hard-pressed to find a man or woman, wrestling fan or not, who have never heard the name "Macho Man" Randy Savage or seen his likeness on a t-shirt, Slim Jim commercial, movie or any other form of media and marketing.
One of the greatest and most recognizable stars in the history of professional wrestling, Savage was somehow both ahead of his time and perfect for his era.
He was flashy, brought pomp and circumstance to every one of his performances and was as engaging an on-screen personality as the sport has ever produced.
Perhaps that is why, in a match lineage that includes winners like Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio, Savage was never put in a position to win the Royal Rumble.
He came close in 1993, as the last man eliminated by winner Yokozuna. He would appear in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1994 matches as well, but in none of them would he ever be close to actually earning the victory.
A departure for WCW later in '94 made it an impossibility that he would ever add that accolade to his sparkling resume.
Kurt Angle
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Kurt Angle has appeared in three Royal Rumble matches and was the runner-up in 2002, but timing and booking plans prevented him from actually winning the historic bout in his Hall of Fame career.
It was that 2002 match that represented his finest performance in the contest.
On that January night, he fended off the likes of Rob Van Dam, Booker T, Big Show, Kane, Mr. Perfect and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to become one of the final two Superstars in the battle royal.
Unfortunately for him, he was unable to thwart the onslaught of the freshly returned Triple H, falling prey to a big clothesline over the top and to the floor.
He would turn in another quality performance in 2004 but fall just shy of winning the Rumble and cashing his ticket to the WrestleMania main event.
An Olympic gold medalist who has accomplished everything there is to accomplish in WWE, save for a Royal Rumble victory, he is among the most glaring omissions on any Rumble winners list.
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