10 WWE Legends Who Never Competed In A Royal Rumble Match

Some wrestlers just weren't built to face 29 other men. 

razor ramon
WWE.com

At 30 years old and featuring at least 30 scheduled participants in 29 years of its existence, the Royal Rumble has seen nearly 800 entrants come and go.

800!

In addition to being the largest match of the year, the Royal Rumble is typically the longest match of the year, but also the most exciting. It started out as a unique gimmick match that was little more than a feather in the cap of early winners Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Big John Studd, and Hulk Hogan. By the mid-90s, the Royal Rumble match had been established as the precursor to the WrestleMania main event and, because of that, was equally anticipated.

Considering the stakes, pretty much every superstar was entered into the yearly battle royal in order to built up the prestige of winning the Royal Rumble and showcasing the glory of WrestleMania's main event. With that said, there have been a very small number of WWF and WWE superstars that have not had a chance to compete in the Royal Rumble.

Whether it was due to injury, poor timing, or simply because the storylines called for something else, the following 10 superstars have all been around for the Royal Rumble's existence, but for one reason or another, never found themselves a part of the year's most exciting match.

10. Giant Gonzalez

razor ramon
WWE Network

The Giant Gonzalez made a monster impact upon his WWF debut in January 1993. Ironically, Giant Gonzalez first appeared at the '93 Rumble and he brought the entire battle royal to a complete halt.

Gonzalez was lead to the ring by Harvey Wippleman and immediately set his sights on The Undertaker. As retribution for taking out Kamala, Harvey Wippleman had employed the services of an even larger man to try and take out the Deadman.

While Giant Gonzalez wasn't an official participant in the 1993 Royal Rumble match, he entered the ring just after the midway point and eliminated The Undertaker by chopping him over the top rope, onto the floor. After the elimination, Wippleman's new henchman gave The Undertaker a beating the likes of which had never been seen before, thus making a huge statement in the Giant Gonzalez's debut.

Gonzalez feuded with Undertaker for the majority of 1993 before briefly turning face by chokeslamming his (former) manager at the conclusion of SummerSlam's Rest In Peace match. A few weeks later, Gonzalez would participate in Monday Night RAW's Intercontinental Championship battle royal, but would leave the company just days later.

Giant Gonzalez will go down as a battle royal participant, yes, but never an official Royal Rumble entrant.

Contributor
Contributor

A former stuntman for Paramount Pictures, Matt enjoys sports, water skiing, driving fast, the beach, professional wrestling, technology, and scotch. At the same time, whenever possible. Having attended many famous (and infamous) shows including WrestleMania XV, In Your House: Mind Games, and the 1995 King of the Ring, Matt has been a lifelong professional sports and wrestling fan. Matt's been mentioned in numerous wrestling podcasts including the Steve Austin Show: Unleashed, Talk Is Jericho, and Something To Wrestle With Bruce Prichard. As a former countywide performer, Matt has been referred to as Mr. 300 for his amazing accomplishments in the world of amateur bowling. He is also the only man on record to have pitched back-to-back no hitters in the Veterans Stadium Wiffle Ball League of 2003.