WWE Royal Rumble 2017: Ranking All 30 Match Winners

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23. Jim Duggan – 1988

Jim Duggan won the first-ever Royal Rumble match in 1988. No one knew how significant that match would become over the coming years, especially with there being no WWE Championship match stipulation for WrestleMania yet. There were also just 20 Superstars in the inaugural bout.

When looking back on the match, though, there were better options to win this, like Bret Hart, who went on to dominate the 1990’s in WWE. He could have used this to officially push him into the main event scene as one of the top guys in the company. While Duggan had a significant role during this time, he never rose to an elite stature following the 1988 Royal Rumble win.

One Man Gang, the Ultimate Warrior, and Jake “The Snake” Roberts could have been options as well for the first Rumble. It’s not to say Duggan was a poor choice, but someone else could have been used to get the boost by winning.