The WWE Royal Rumble has seen very few wrestlers who have won the prestigious event from the first five entrants position.
In the WWE Royal Rumble, the normal rule of the thumb is that if there is a wrestler who comes in the very beginning of the 30-man battle royale, his chances of winning the Royal Rumble are very difficult as there will be fresh wrestlers coming in after every two minutes and that the wrestler who has been there from the very beginning will be fatigued and unable to last the entire journey. It is no wonder that many wrestlers who have won the Royal Rumble have been entrants beyond the Number 20 and many more. However, there have been some wrestlers who have defied the odds and given some memorable performances.
There have been only six wrestlers who have ever won the Royal Rumble when they were in the top five entrants in the tournament. There have been only three winners who have come as the first entrant and hung in to win. In this gallery, we explore the winners of the Royal Rumble who have come as the first five entrants. There are some legends and some surprises as we look at the past winners of the Royal Rumble as being the first five entrants. And to give you a feel as to how difficult it is, there has been no winner in the Royal Rumble in the first five entrants list ever since 2009.
1. Shawn Michaels winner
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Shawn Michaels has achieved plenty of things in his career and that is why he is the show-stopper. Shawn Michaels was the first winner who came as the first entrant in the 1995 Royal Rumble. Michaels has been simply great as a wrestler and the Royal Rumble is proof. (Image credit: Twitter)
2. Chris Benoit Royal Rumble
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This may be a controversial update but it is true. Most of Chris Benoit's record in WWE has been expunged due to the murder of his son and wife due to drug abuse. But, in 2004, Chris Benoit became the second wrestler after Shawn Michaels to win the Royal Rumble from the No.1 entrant position. It is a shame that Benoit's record has been expunged. (Image credit: Twitter)
3. Rey Mysterio Royal Rumble
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Rey Mysterio Junior has also achieved plenty of achievements in his past. In 2006, Rey Mysterio defeated Randy Orton in the Royal Rumble encounter as he sealed his legacy as one of the best in the business. (Image credit: Twitter)
4. Vince McMahon winner
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Yes, even the boss has won it! Vince McMahon stunned the entire world when he won the 1999 Royal Rumble and that too as the second entrant behind Stone Cold Steve Austin. For most parts, Mr McMahon was just a passenger and enjoyed as the other wrestlers fought it out. To make matters easy for him, Stone Cold Steve Austin was injured. However, just when he was about to be crowned the winner, Austin came back and dished out a beating. It took a distraction from The Rock to ensure that Vince McMahon won the Royal Rumble, that too from the No.2 position.
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin
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Stone Cold Steve Austin is the ultimate superstar when it comes to the Royal Rumble, being the only wrestler in history to have won it three times. Austin has also won the Royal Rumble as one of the top five entrants. In the 1997 Royal Rumble, Stone Cold Steve Austin was the fifth entrant and he won the match by beating Bret 'The Hitman' Hart. (Image credit: Twitter)
6. Ric Flair winner
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Who else but the Nature Boy to do something out of the ordinary? The 16-time WWE champion became the first individual to win as one of the first three entrants in the Royal Rumble in 1992. In that match, he defeated Psycho Sid to win the match in grand style. (Image credit: Twitter)
