WWE Royal Rumble Debut Wrestlers: Where Are They Now?

The Ultimate Warrior was in the midst of his first push at the time of the first Royal Rumble. Spending his early days handily running through a host of jobbers, Warrior tasted his first defeat to future rival Rick Rude that December, and it took both Dino Bravo and the monstrous One Man Gang to eliminate him from the '88 Rumble.

Warrior became a megastar shortly afterwards. He remains one of his era's most divisive stars, but Warrior was a huge draw in his prime and there's no denying the impact he had on the business. Ending the hated Honky Tonk Man's lengthy run as Intercontinental Champion shot him up the card, and his 1990 feud with Hulk Hogan sent him stratospheric.

He entered semi-retirement in 1992, but returned to WWE in 1996. This is where Warrior's career started its biggest downturn, and Warrior was soon released from the company for no-showing several house shows. His WCW run in 1998 was a complete disaster, and Warrior soon became a persona non grata in the wrestling business. His grudge with Vince McMahon endured for years, and he was never shy of ripping into the company on his Warrior's Machete blog.

The two parties eventually reconciled their differences, and Warrior made his first Raw appearance in 18 years on April 7th, 2014, two days after his Hall of Fame induction. Tragically, Warrior collapsed clutching his chest the very next day, and past away following a heart attack. A sad ending for one of wrestler's most turbulent superstars, but at least he gained closure with WWE beforehand.