All first eliminations in WWE Royal Rumble history

(Courtesy : WWE)
The first Royal Rumble match was held in 1988
The Royal Rumble match is a pro-wrestling match featuring Battle Royal rules, where competitors eliminate others by throwing them over the top rope. Typically, 30 participants take part, with two competitors starting the match and new wrestlers entering every 90 seconds until all 30 are inside the squared ring.
Since its inception in 1988, the Rumble match has created some of the most iconic moments, and multiple winners have gone on to win the title. However, in the beginning, the PLE only featured men’s Rumble matches, but from 2018 the PLE started featuring two matches in both the men’s and women’s divisions.
Winning the Rumble match is considered a huge achievement, especially for those who enter early and demonstrate extraordinary endurance, resilience, and athleticism by outlasting the competition.
While multiple WWE stars have entered at the number one spot, but few stars have risen to the challenge. While a select few have gone on to win the Rumble match from this position, others haven’t been so fortunate.
For the unlucky ones who are eliminated first, their dreams of challenging for the title and headlining WrestleMania are shattered in an instant. Here we take a look at the list of such stars who were eliminated first in the Royal Rumble match.
Every first elimination in Men’s Royal Rumble
| Name | Year |
| Butch Reed | 1988 |
| Smash | 1989 |
| Koko B. Ware | 1990 |
| Dino Bravo | 1991 |
| Ted DiBiase | 1992 |
| Papa Shango | 1993 |
| Samu | 1994 |
| Jimmy Del Ray | 1995 |
| Bob Backlund | 1996 |
| Razor Ramon | 1997 |
| Tom Brandi | 1998 |
| Golga | 1999 |
| Mosh | 2000 |
| Bull Buchanan | 2001 |
| Big Boss Man | 2002 |
| Shawn Michaels | 2003 |
| Bradshaw | 2004 |
| Daniel Puder | 2005 |
| Simon Dean | 2006 |
| Ric Flair | 2007 |
| Santino Marella | 2008 |
| The Great Khali | 2009 |
| Evan Bourne | 2010 |
| Justin Gabriel | 2011 |
| Alex Riley | 2012 |
| Santino Marella | 2013 |
| Damien Sandow | 2014 |
| The Miz | 2015 |
| Rusev | 2016 |
| Jack Gallagher | 2017 |
| Rhyno | 2018 |
| Sin Cara II | Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 |
| Jeff Jarrett | 2019 |
| Elias | 2020 |
| Jeff Hardy | 2021 |
| Robert Roode | 2022 |
| The Miz | 2023 |
| Grayson Waller | 2024 |
| Carmelo Hayes | 2025 |
Also Read: Top five wrestlers with longest total time spent in WWE Royal Rumble
Every first elimination in Women’s Royal Rumble
| Name | Year |
| Mandy Rose | 2018 |
| Liv Morgan | 2019 |
| Lana | 2020 |
| Shotzi | 2021 |
| Melina | 2022 |
| B-Fab | 2023 |
| Indi Hartwell | 2024 |
| B-Fab | 2025 |
Who do you think will add their name to this unlucky list in this year’s Royal Rumble? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments section.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram & Whatsapp.
Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.
- John Cena officially retires: Two WWE superstars who won their final match
- WWE SmackDown Spoilers for December 19, 2025 episode taped on December 15
- WWE RAW: Rhea Ripley in action; Bayley to face Roxanne Perez & more set for next week (December 22, 2025)
- WWE RAW Results & Winners (December 15, 2025): Mystery masked man revealed; Bron Breakker attacks CM Punk & more
- Four dream matches WWE should consider booking in 2026