Royal Rumble

:This article is about the professional wrestling event, for the Xiaolin Showdown episode see Royal Rumble (Xiaolin Showdown).

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The Royal Rumble is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced every January by World Wrestling Entertainment. The main event is the actual Royal Rumble itself but other matches also feature. In the UK, it is one of four WWE PPV's broadcast on Sky Box Office - Sky having acquired the license from Channel 4.

Related Topics:
Professional wrestling - Pay-per-view - World Wrestling Entertainment - Sky Box Office - Channel 4

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The Rumble is a thirty man event, which begins with two men in the ring, and 28 other wrestlers entering the ring at regular timed intervals (usually, but not always, every two minutes). A wrestler is eliminated when leaving the ring over the top rope, and then having both feet touching the floor. An egress between the second and third rope or under the bottom rope is not a valid elimination. The winner of the event is the last wrestler remaining after all others have been eliminated.

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Although the order of entry is supposed to be random, it is common to have storylines where wrestlers compete for the right to enter last, or ask for a low number in order to prove their stamina by outlasting all others. A wrestler may also be assigned a high or low number by a figure of authority as a reward or a punishment. In reality, the order of entrance and elimination is carefully planned by the booker in order to put on an entertaining match. For example, once a wrestler has quickly eliminated several other wrestlers, the next wrestler to approach the ring will often be an enemy of theirs.

Related Topics:
Storylines - Booker

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Since the 1991 event, every winner (other than in 1992, 1997 and 1999) has gone on to challenge the WWE Champion or the World Heavyweight Champion at WrestleMania, but this was not made an official stipulation of the match untill 1993. This championship match is often the last event on the WrestleMania card. As the WWE also has a February pay-per-view event, the winner may have this privilege put on the line on that pay-per-view card. In 1999 at the February "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" event, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Vince McMahon, the winner of the 1999 Royal Rumble, in a Steel Cage Match for his title shot.

Related Topics:
1991 - 1992 - 1997 - 1999 - WWE Champion - World Heavyweight Champion - WrestleMania - 1993 - February - Stone Cold Steve Austin - Vince McMahon - Steel Cage Match

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With the brand extension, the 30 entrants consist of 15 wrestlers from RAW and 15 from SmackDown!. This is, therefore, the only event other than WrestleMania (and certain combined non-televised shows held around WrestleMania time) with inter-brand competition. Originally, the Rumble winner faced their brand's champion at Wrestlemania, but starting in 2004, due to a supposed "loophole" in the Rumble's stipulations, the Rumble winner had the option of challenging either champion (but not both at the same time). Because of this, storylines may ensue that pit the two brands against one another: for example, a champion may accuse the other brand's champion of an action disrespectful to the Rumble winner in order to ensure that the Rumble winner challenges the other champion, not them (although both champions would inevitably defend their titles at WrestleMania).

Related Topics:
RAW - SmackDown! - 2004

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The first Royal Rumble took place on January 24, 1988 in Hamilton, Ontario. Jim Duggan won but did not receive a title shot as a result of his victory.

Related Topics:
January 24 - 1988 - Hamilton, Ontario - Jim Duggan

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