10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2013 Facts

2. The Rock Became The Second Man To Win The WWE Championship In Three Different Decades

The Rock Royal Rumble 2013
WWE.com

On November 15, 1998, The Rock won the 14-man "Deadly Games" tournament to capture his first WWE Championship, at the age of 26. Over the next four years, he would hold that particular championship seven times. His five-week reign with the belt in 2002 coincided with the end of his days as a full-time wrestler.

The victory over Punk at the 2013 Rumble meant that Rock had won the WWE Championship in the 2010s, 2000s, and 1990s, the first of two wrestlers that won (not just simply held) the belt in those three particular decades. Triple H would be the other, joining him after winning the belt at the 2016 Royal Rumble.

The first wrestler to do this was Hulk Hogan, who captured the WWE Championship in the eighties, nineties, and aughts, culminating with his nostalgia-laden win over Triple H in 2002.

Contributor
Contributor

Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.