WWE Royal Rumble 2017: 5 Stats That Could Hint the Potential Winner

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1. Is Being the Iron Man Actually a Good Thing?

Every year, we hear Michael Cole scream, “Look at him! He’s been in the Royal Rumble match for an astounding 45 minutes!” It seems like a great thing for the Superstar and makes it like they have the best chance of winning. Is this really the case, though?

Only six times in Royal Rumble history has the Iron Man won. This would be Ric Flair (1992), Shawn Michaels (1995), Stone Cold Steve Austin (1997), Vince McMahon (1999), Chris Benoit (2004), and Rey Mysterio (2006). We’ve gone 11 years since the last Iron Man won, and six out of 29 matches seems like very little, so does it actually matter when WWE calls out someone for being in the match so long?

In recent years, we have seen the likes of CM Punk, Bray Wyatt, and Roman Reigns nearly go the distance as the Iron Man of their respective match. They would all get eliminated toward the very end of the bout.

So, if you’re looking toward the Iron Man winning the Royal Rumble, it’s not such a guarantee. This could also be due to nine of the past 10 winners entering at No. 19 or afterward.

Could these Royal Rumble stats hint anything about who the winner may be? Are there other factors to consider?

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