10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2003 Facts
5. It Was The First Time That Number One Was The First Man Gone
Shawn Michaels was keeping a light schedule up until WrestleMania 19. While "The Heartbreak Kid" came out of his previous pay-per-view appearances in good health, he was still working sparingly, and had to be convinced to work the Rumble.
To compromise, WWE had Michaels, the number one entrant, get tossed by rival Chris Jericho (who entered second, and back-jumped Michaels) after only a few minutes. It was the first time in 16 Royal Rumble matches that number one, incredibly, was the first man to be eliminated. For every Rumble from 1988 through 2002 (except for 1995), the first man gone was either the second or third entrant.
Only twice since then has the number one entrant been eliminated first: Ric Flair in 2007, and The Miz in 2015. So much for it being the worst number.