The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event, produced every January by professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[1] The event was created in 1988 with the inaugural event held on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. The event however was not a pay-per-view but was originally shown as a television special on USA Network. The following year's event was the first Royal Rumble pay-per-view event. The first Royal Rumble match was won by Jim Duggan. The event's main feature is a Battle Royal-type match,[2] entitled the Royal Rumble. The pay-per-view was a part of WWE's "Big Four", along with WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series.[3] The Royal Rumble has been classified as being one of WWE's most popular pay-per-view events.[4]
The match is based on the classical Battle Royal match, in which a number of wrestlers, usually twenty or thirty, aim at eliminating their competitors by placing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the floor.[1][2][5] The winner of the event is the last wrestler remaining after all others have been eliminated.[1][4]
The Royal Rumble differs from the classical Battle Royal as the thirty contestants do not enter the ring at the same time but instead are assigned entry numbers (by a kayfabe lottery). This usually takes place before the Rumble begins.[1] The match begins with the two wrestlers who have drawn entry numbers one and two, with the remaining 28 wrestlers entering the ring at regular timed intervals, either ninety seconds or two minutes, according to their entry number.[1] These peculiarities are credited to Pat Patterson.[6]
Steve Austin holds the current record for most Royal Rumble match wins; with three.[7]
The match has no stipulations or rules other than that elimination must occur by a participant being placed over the top rope and both feet touching the floor. If they have any other part of the body touching they are out as well. A wrestler who exits the ring without going over the top rope is not eliminated from the contest.
Source: Wikipedia
Subject: The Royal Rumble 
Tue Jun 29, 2010 10:38 am
