Road to Survivor Series 2010 - A History of the Battle Royal

Summer Slam 2010 is here.

There are new readers this week.  Welcome.

Something you might note is the Royal Rumble doesn't contain the "royal rumble."  

There is, however, a "royal rumble" - a Number One Contender Battle Royal that WWF does every other year, and has for the past two decades (note, I'd call it the Royal Rumble and I'd call the Royal Rumble "Justice Sunday", but I didn't want to change the names of the "big 4" for purposes of this exercise) and as Dos Caras, Jr. revealed in the open to Summer Slam, the battle royal is just a couple of weeks after Summer Slam, on the 900th episode of RAW.

When I get to that post, sometime in early September squeezed around fantasy football drafts, there will be a little preface, discussing some of the specific build to the battle royal - but it's essentially what you think it is, 30 men, a top rope, and the winner going to Survivor Series to face Edge for the WWF Title.

It's Battle Royal 11.

Below is some collected facts and figures about the previous 10.  

Battle Royal 1

1991 – Following WM VII

First two entrants:  Hawk and Animal.

First elimination: The Barbarian, by the Road Warriors.

Most eliminations:  Undertaker – 10

Longest Performance- Shawn, 1 hour.

Final 4 Eliminated: Shawn, Bret, Taker, Sid

Winner: Davey Boy

Battle Royal 2

1993 – Following WM IX

First two entrants: Owen and Shawn

First elimination: Doink, by Owen and Shawn

Most eliminations: Luger – 7

Longest Performance: Shawn, 1 hour 10 minutes

Final 4 Eliminated: Owen, Perfect, Savage, Shawn

Winner: Razor

Battle Royal 3

1995 – Following WM XI

First two entrants: Waltman and Bob Holly

First elimination: Holly, by Hunter

Most eliminations: Davey Boy – 6

Longest Performance: Waltman – 35 minutes

Final 4 eliminated: Davey Boy, Candido, Shawn, Razor

Winner: Hakushi

Battle Royal 4

1996 – Following WM XII

First two entrants: Billy and Bart

First elimination: Marty, by Al Snow

Most eliminations: Austin – 7

Longest Performance: Owen, 45 min

Final Four eliminated: Cactus, Taker, Davey Boy, Austin

Winner: Owen

Battle Royal 5

1998 – Following WM XIV

First two entrants: Rock and HHH

First elimination: Mr Aguila, by HHH

Most eliminations: Austin – 9

Longest Performance: Rock, 52 min.

Final four eliminated: Taker, Regal, Shamrock, Austin

Winner: Cactus

Battle Royal 6

2000 – Following WM XVI

First two entrants: Angle and Bob Holly

First elimination: Crash, by Angle

Most eliminations: Angle – 8

Longest Performance – Angle, 1 hr, 6 min.

Final Four eliminated: Snow, Eddy, Angle, Jericho

Winner: Rock

Battle Royal 7

2002 – Following WM XVIII

First two entrants: Jericho and Edge

First elimination: Regal, by Jericho and Booker

Most eliminations: Diesel, 8 (many in coordination with the rest of the Clique)

Longest Performance: Shawn, 46 min

Final Four eliminated: Taker, RVD, Flair, Shawn

Winner: Rey

Battle Royal 8

2004 – Following Summer Slam 2004

First two entrants: Tajiri and Yang

First elimination: Yang, by Benjamin

Most eliminations: Leviathan, 12 (many in coordination with the rest of the Horsemen)

Longest performance: Chavo, 35 min

Final four eliminated: Leviathan, Jericho, Chavo, Christian

Winner: Eddy

Battle Royal 9

2006 – Following Summer Slam 2006

First two entrants: Punk and 2 Cold

First elimination: Kennedy, by Carlito

Most eliminations: Lashley, 5

Longest performance: Punk, 1 hr 20 min. 

Final four eliminated: Fit, Orton, Edge, Jeff

Winner: Punk

Battle Royal 10

2008: Following Summer Slam 2008

First two entrants: Nitro and Santino

First elimination: Santino, by Nitro

Most eliminations: Edge, MVP 4

Longest Performance: MVP, 42 min.

Final Four eliminated: Matt, Leviathan, Jeff, Edge

Winner: Jericho