These days, we're all familiar with the Royal Rumble, and the importance of winning it, and the effect it can have on the careers of those that do. But back in the early days of the Royal Rumble, there was no actual prize for the winner, other than the right to say that you'd won it. It wasn't until 1992 that the winner received an award for their achievements, but instead of getting the Wrestlemania main event slot that subsequent winners get, the winner that year instantly won the WWE Championship. The title became vacant after Hulk Hogan was stripped of it in December 1991, so it was decided that the Rumble would determine the winner. Despite entering at #3, Ric Flair stayed alive in the Rumble for the best part of an hour, and pulled off the victory to become champion. By doing so, he's the only man to have won the title as a result of winning the Royal Rumble, and can also say that he won the WWE Championship match with the most contestants in history.
