The second winner of the Royal Rumble was Big John Studd in 1989. On this occasion, it was more like the Rumble fans are familiar with, thirty men competing and around a one hour runtime. It was also the first Rumble event to be broadcast on PPV. But what did it actually count for? Not much. There was no prize for the winner, and at WrestleMania V, Studd ended up as a special referee in the Jake Roberts versus Andre The Giant match. Hardly the sort of spot that is associated with a Royal Rumble victory today. WWE's criteria for booking Studd in the winner spot was basically down to the fact he was big. It wasn't about prestige or a grand plan for him, it was literally just because it made sense for a big man to win such a contest. There was no greater meaning behind it.
