10 Best #30 Entrants In Royal Rumble History, Ranked By Performance

Since 1988, Royal Rumble has been a staple of the WWE event calendar. Starting in 1993, the winner of the Royal Rumble Match was awarded a World Championship opportunity at WrestleMania. This made winning the Royal Rumble even more important going forward.

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Mathematically speaking, the best odds of winning the Royal Rumble go to the competitor who enters the match at number 30. While only a handful of performers have won the Royal Rumble from that spot, there have been several number 30 entrants that made the most out of their luck and put on impressive showings in the match.

10 Chyna: 1999

Breaking The Glass Ceiling

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	:35
Number Of Eliminations	1
Eliminated By	Chris Jericho

Admittedly, Chyna's performance in the 1999 Royal Rumble Match wasn't exactly "impressive." After all, "The 9th Wonder Of The World" didn't even last a full minute in the match. That didn't stop her from making history though. That year, Chyna became the first woman to ever compete in the Royal Rumble Match.

Furthermore, she actually managed to make an elimination during her short stint in the match, eliminating Mark Henry. 1999 would turn out to be a career year for Chyna as she'd win the WWE Intercontinental Championship and even briefly be the number one contender for the WWE Championship.

9 Nia Jax: 2019

"The Irresistible Force" Meets The Rumble

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	3:04
Number Of Eliminations	1
Eliminated By	Rey Mysterio

In 1999, Chyna metaphorically crawled into the men's Royal Rumble Match so that women like Beth Phoenix, Kharma, and Nia Jax could one day run. In 2019, 20 years after Chyna entered the men's Royal Rumble at number 30, Nia Jax beat up R-Truth and took his spot as the 30th entrant in the Royal Rumble.

While Jax only lasted three minutes in the match, they were three impressive and extremely entertaining minutes. Jax would manage to eliminate Mustafa Ali before catching a 619, an RKO, and eventually being eliminated by Rey Mysterio. It's hard to think of a woman who had a better showing in the men's Royal Rumble Match.

8 Crush: 1995

Crushing Hopes

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	8:51
Number Of Eliminations	5
Eliminated By	The British Bulldog

Welp, we've reached the entry that's gonna make many readers think, "One of these things is not like the other." It's true, Crush's legacy in pro wrestling doesn't match anyone else's on this list, including the two female performers who preceded him on this countdown. Still, Crush's performance in the 1995 Royal Rumble Match shouldn't be overlooked.

After coming in at number 30, Crush managed five eliminations in just under nine minutes. That's nothing to scoff at. He would make it down to the final three competitors before being eliminated by the eventual runner-up, The British Bulldog.

7 "Macho Man" Randy Savage: 1993

The Infamous Pin Attempt

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	9:01
Number Of Eliminations	1
Eliminated By	Yokozuna

If Mick Foley has taught us anything over the years it's that moments matter more than stats. This is the main reason that "Macho Man" Randy Savage finds himself on this list. By 1993, Savage was more of an announcer than a competitor. That didn't stop him from entering the 1993 Royal Rumble Match at number 30 and giving fans a lasting memory.

Savage would make it down to the final two against the monstrous Yokozuna. At one point, Savage hit his Elbow Drop finisher on Yoko and inexplicably went for a pin. Yoko would kick out and simultaneously eliminate Savage, providing fans with an unforgettable moment.

6 Randy Orton: 2006

The Viper Hits The Rumble

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	13:04
Number Of Eliminations	2
Eliminated By	Rey Mysterio

There's virtually nothing in the wrestling business that Randy Orton hasn't accomplished. He's a bonafide future Hall Of Famer with 14 World Championships under his belt. On top of that, Orton is one of only seven performers to win the Royal Rumble Match twice. In 2006, however, Orton was still looking for his first Royal Rumble win.

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He would have a great chance that year as he entered the match at the coveted number 30 spot. Unfortunately, despite an impressive 13-minute performance, Orton would come up just short and lose the match to Rey Mysterio. The loss wouldn't prevent Orton from challenging for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 22 though.

5 Brock Lesnar: 2022

Suplex City Comes To The Royal Rumble

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	2:32
Number Of Eliminations	5
Eliminated By	Won

Brock Lesnar's booking is a touchy subject for some WWE fans. Some fans feel he's earned his protected booking while others feel his booking takes opportunities away from other deserving performers. Regardless, the fact is that in 2022, Brock Lesnar entered the Royal Rumble Match at number 30 and put on quite a show.

It would only take "The Beast Incarnate" two minutes and thirty seconds to completely decimate his competition. He would manage five eliminations in that short time en route to winning the match and punching his ticket to WrestleMania for a date with "The Head Of The Table."

4 Triple H: 2016

The Game Bites The Big Dog

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	9:03
Number Of Eliminations	4
Eliminated By	Won

Much like Randy Orton, Triple H has accomplished everything there is to accomplish in the wrestling business. He's main-evented multiple WrestleMania's and is a 14-time World Champion. His final World Championship win just so happened to coincide with the second Royal Rumble win of his illustrious career.

At Royal Rumble 2016, Triple H would surprisingly enter the Royal Rumble Match at number 30 and eliminate four competitors, including Roman Reigns to win the WWE Championship. This would mark the final time Triple H ever competed in a Royal Rumble Match. Not a bad way to go out.

3 The Undertaker: 2007

The Phenom Stands Tall

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	13:15
Number Of Eliminations	3
Eliminated By	Won

By 2007, there was seemingly only one thing missing from The Undertaker's WWE resume. That was winning the Royal Rumble Match. That year, 'Taker would have the fortune of entering the Royal Rumble at number 30. Almost poetically, "The Deadman" would last 13 minutes in the match before picking up the win.

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He would eliminate three competitors on his way to victory. His final elimination would be his toughest though. Shawn Michaels would put up one hell of a fight in what many fans still consider to be the best Royal Rumble Match finish ever. In the end though, "The Phenom" would stand tall and head to WrestleMania.

2 John Cena: 2008

A Shocking Return

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	8:28
Number Of Eliminations	4
Eliminated By	Won

One of the main appeals of the Royal Rumble from a fan standpoint is the surprises. Over the years, many stars of yesteryear have made surprise returns during the Royal Rumble Match. This includes guys like Mr. Perfect, Roddy Piper, and "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel. While the 2008 Royal Rumble match did feature surprise appearances from legends, it also featured a major return.

That night, John Cena made an unexpected return from a torn pectoral muscle, way ahead of schedule. When Cena's music hit at number 30 the Madison Square Garden crowd lost its mind. Cena would go on to eliminate 4 competitors in under nine minutes to win the match and head to WrestleMania.

1 Cody Rhodes: 2023

An Unfinished Story

Time Spent In The Royal Rumble	15:08
Number Of Eliminations	5
Eliminated By	Won

In 2022, Cody Rhodes made his improbable return to WWE. Unfortunately, a torn pectoral tendon would rob Rhodes of nine months of action. He would be scheduled to return at Royal Rumble 2023. Understandably, WWE made fans wait until the 30th entry in the Royal Rumble Match to see Rhodes return.

The waiting wouldn't be in vain though. Rhodes would go on to compete for 15 minutes, eliminating 5 competitors to win the Royal Rumble Match. His final few minutes against Gunther were really what put Rhodes' performance over the top. Sadly, Rhodes didn't get to finish his story at WrestleMania, coming up just short of a big win. Still, his Rumble performance was unforgettable.