Randy Orton

As far as nicknames go, Randy Orton’s nickname of “The Viper” is apt for both his character and his Royal Rumble Appearances. With top 10 appearances in both the most eliminations and longest cumulative time, Randy Orton’s Royal Rumble record is one of the best out there – despite never being the best performer even in the matches he won.

Orton’s first appearance was an early entrant in the 2004 Royal Rumble. As a member of Evolution, he had a great debut, lasting over half an hour with 5 eliminations, only to be eliminated by Mick Foley. This then set in motion his “Legend Killer” run.

His first win came in the 2009 Royal Rumble, again a member of a faction – Legacy with fellow winner Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase Jr., Orton lasted nearly 50 minutes to win the event and go onto Wrestlemania. His second victory, at the Royal Rumble in 2017, also saw him enter as part of the Wyatt Family, although he would go on to face the leader Bray Wyatt at that year’s Wrestlemania. That performance wasn’t nearly as impressive – only eliminating one person in the 20 minutes he was in.

Other than that, surprisingly, Orton’s appearances are generally shortish, rarely impactful, but usually there or there abouts. Over half of his appearances have seen him in the final 4, and has finished in the top 2 a whopping 4 times. Usually drawing a late number, the Apex Predator of the WWE may not last the longest in each match, nor have the most eliminations, but whoever takes him out usually goes on to win the match.