10 Best Performances From Number 1 In WWE Royal Rumble Match

6. Dolph Ziggler - 2013

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Dolph Ziggler was hot as hell in 2013

He was Mr. Money in the Bank, partnered up with Big E and AJ Lee, and was being positioned as one of the company's top heels. So, naturally, the fans were super into him.

In April of 2013, Ziggler had one of the most iconic Money in the Bank cash-ins ever when he became World Heavyweight Champion on the Raw after WrestleMania 29. What doesn't get talked about nearly as much though is Ziggler's equally-iconic start to the 2013 Royal Rumble match.

Ziggler took the unorthodox approach of starting the Rumble match with a promo. He claimed that it didn't matter who the second entrant was, because he was up to any challenge. He then invited number two to come out, which prompted the surprise return of Ziggler's old rival, Chris Jericho.

The Ziggler/Jericho storyline lasted pretty much the entire match, ending when Ziggler eventually got the better of Y2J and threw him out after a staggering 47 minutes and 23 seconds. Ziggler would last another two minutes before he was eliminated by Sheamus.

Ziggler's run in this Rumble was impressive not just because it lasted almost 50 minutes, but also because of the expertly told match-long story with the future Le Champion.

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Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.