10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2020 Facts
1. The First Time That The WWE Championship Hadn't Been On The Line For 30 Years
The 2020 Royal Rumble PPV was the first time in 30 years that the WWE Championship had not been on the line at the company's annual January show.
Across its lineage as the WWF Championship, the Undisputed Championship, the WWE Championship, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, the WWE World Championship, and back to the WWE Championship, this company's grandest prize has been in action at every single Royal Rumble from 1991 onwards. That is, of course, until 2020.
Sgt. Slaughter, Bret Hart, Yokozuna, Diesel, the Undertaker, Sycho Sid, Mankind, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Edge, John Cena, Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, Sheamus, the Miz, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and AJ Styles have all defended the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble - with the belt itself also being up for grabs in the Rumble match a couple of times, too.
In 2020, though, we had the rare exception where the WWE Champion was in the Rumble without the title being up for grabs.
The last time that this happened was back in 1990, where then-WWF Champion Hulk Hogan entered and won the Royal Rumble - with his title not on the line.