10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2003 Facts
6. Four Future Rumble Match Winners Took Part In Their First One In 2003
In the previous year, the gates of Ohio Valley Wrestling opened up, and the gradual migration began, as WWE's stars of tomorrow began filing into the main roster. The Big Four from OVW would all be on WWE television by July 2002, as Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Batista, and John Cena each took root on the main stage.
Three of them would wrestle in the 2003 Rumble match, along with 11 other wrestlers that had never before taken part in the bout. Lesnar, Batista, and Cena were all future Rumble winners (hell, Lesnar that night), and would carry main events for years to come.
The fourth future Rumble winner wasn't an OVW guy, but Rey Mysterio had debuted in McMahonland in July 2002. His presence livened up SmackDown from day one, and he added some zest to the early portion of the 2003 Rumble.