10 Strangely Unique WWE Facts

6. Bret Hart Was The First Ever Royal Rumble Entrant

Co-winning the 1994 match with Lex Luger, Bret 'Hitman' Hart would move on from the Royal Rumble to win the WWF Heavyweight Title for a second time at WrestleMania X. Undoubtedly, the '94 match will remain his biggest appearance in the Rumble, but that wasn't the first time the Canadian star had been part of the annual showpiece.

In fact, Hart holds the distinction of being the first ever entrant into the Royal Rumble. Back in 1988, the match only featured 20 wrestlers, but Bret was the first one through the curtain. Lasting just over 25 minutes, he was thrown over the top rope by Don Muraco, but it was clear even then that Hart was destined for a good run in the federation.

'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan was the eventual winner of the 1988 Rumble, but he wouldn't have the same level of success that Bret Hart did in the WWF/WWE. Incredibly, Bret would only compete in the Royal Rumble on 3 other occasions, in 1990, 1991 and 1997, as he was often in main event or title matches elsewhere on the card.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.