10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2018 Facts
2. The First And Only Time Someone Has Won From #14
Not only was Shinsuke Nakamura the first ever former NXT Champion to win the Royal Rumble, the King of Strong Style also has another record to his name.
While certain spots have long been famed for being winning positions in the Royal Rumble match - #24, #27 and #30 proving to be particularly fruitful spots over the decades - Nakamura is the first person in the history of the Royal Rumble match concept to win the contest after entering at #14.
Having entered in that position, Shinsuke put in an impressive near-45-minute stint in the men's Royal Rumble battle. Even though this was a lengthy outing that saw the Artist alongside fellow former NXT Champ Finn Bálor as the ironmen of the Rumble, Nakamura only actually eliminated three people of his way to emerging victorious.
Those three eliminations? Sami Zayn, John Cena, Roman Reigns. Not too shabby a trio, right?
After a super-brief tease of whether to go after WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar or WWE Champion AJ Styles, it came as no surprise to see Shinsuke Nakamura opt to rekindle his New Japan Pro Wrestling rivalry with the Phenomenal One at WrestleMania 34.