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Brian Mazique, Contributor

WWE Royal Rumble 2019: By-The-Numbers Preview

Royal Rumble BTN

The Royal Rumble is by far my favorite pay-per-view event, and second place (Money in the Bank) really isn’t even close. There’s something about that counter and not knowing who’s going to come running down the aisle that gets me every year.

The 2019 version will take place in Phoenix, Arizona at Chase Field on Sunday, January 27. The Rumble is as numbers focused as anything, so I’ve taken 20 significant digits to make a by-the-numbers approach to this year’s event. Rumble stats per ProWrestlingHistory.com.

 

48,686: Capacity of Chase Field.

PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 19: A general stadium overview of the Arizona Diamondbacks stadium prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves at Chase Field on April 19, 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) photo credit: 2012 Norm Hall

 

1: The first time the Rumble has been at Chase Field. This is the second time the event has been held in Phoenix. The 2013 Rumble, won by John Cena, was held at the US Airways Center.

 

$30: Cheapest remaining ticket according to Vivid Seats.

 

$2356: Most expensive ticket available, per Vivid Seats.

 

$9.99: Cost of a WWE Network subscription. Between the WWE Network and ESPN+, it’s difficult to determine which streaming service has the best value. Right now those two are battling for the No. 1 spot in my book, but DAZN and UFC Fight Pass aren’t exactly rip-offs. For a reasonable monthly cost, WWE fans get every pay-per-view, original content and the most insane library of classic matches available anywhere.

 

$54.95: Cost of the PPV on AT&T if you’re not a subscriber to the WWE Network.

 

32:  Years running for the Royal Rumble series. It began in 1988 with Hacksaw Jim Duggan winning the first Rumble.

NOVI, MI – MAY 16: ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan attends day 1 of the 25th annual Motor City Comic Con at Suburban Collection Showplace on May 16, 2014, in Novi, Michigan. (Photo by Paul Warner/Getty Images) photo credit: Getty Images

7: Number of titles on the line on Sunday. The Royal Rumbles aren’t the only matches on Sunday. Brock is Lesnar defending his Universal title against Finn Balor. Daniel Bryan will also defend his WWE heavyweight title against AJ Styles.

Brock Lesnar celebrates, with his manager Paul Heyman, after winning the WWE Universal Championship match as part of as part of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Crown Jewel pay-per-view at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh on November 2, 2018. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo credit should read FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images) photo credit: AFP/Getty Images

 

9: Total number of scheduled matches. Here is the entire card (order isn’t confirmed):

Matches Stipulations
Preshow – Rusev (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Singles match for the WWE United States Championship
Preshow – Buddy Murphy (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami vs. Kalisto Fatal Four-Way match for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship
The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) (c) vs. The Miz and Shane McMahon Tag-Team match for the WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship
Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Sasha Banks Singles match for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship
2019 Men’s Royal Rumble match 30-Man Royal Rumble match for a world championship match at WrestleMania 35
Asuka (c) vs. Becky Lynch Singles match for the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship
2019 Women’s Royal Rumble match 30-Woman Royal Rumble match for a women’s championship match at WrestleMania 35
Daniel Bryan (c) vs. AJ Styles Singles match for the WWE Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Finn Bálor Singles match for the WWE Universal Championship

 

35: Meaning, WrestleMania 35. Throughout the evening on Sunday, you’ll hear a lot of references to this event. The winners of both Rumbles will get title shots at the industry’s biggest show.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – MARCH 16: Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque at the press conference announcing WWE Wrestlemania 35 returning to METLIFE Stadium in 2019 at East Rutherford, New Jersey on March 16, 2018. Credit: George Napolitano/MediaPunch/IPX

30: Number of participants in each Rumble match. Only the 2011 Rumble, which included 40 Superstars, has had more.

 

19: Most Royal Rumble appearances. No one has appeared in more Royal Rumbles than Kane. He hasn’t been on WWE television for a while as he’s now the mayor of Knox County in Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 13: Mayor of Knox County Glenn Jacobs sits courtside during the between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on November 13, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 66-53. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)

 

3: Number of former winners in this year’s Rumbles. Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, and Cena are the only previous winners in either the men or the women’s Rumble. That could change. Rumors are suggesting Cena will be pulled from the match.

 

3: Record for most Rumble victories. No one has won more Rumbles than Stone Cold Steve Austin. He won in 1997, 98 and 2001.

 

2: Number of surprise entrants who have won the Rumble. There is always room for surprise in this match. That’s part of what makes it fun. Only twice has a previously unconfirmed entrant been the last person standing. In 2008, Cena won as No. 30, and in 2010, Edge won from No. 29.

 

0:01: The record for shortest stay in a Rumble match. Talk about records that can never be broken. Santino Marella was immediately eliminated from the 2009 Rumble by Kane.

 

13: Record for most eliminations in a single Rumble. Braun Strowman set the Rumble record for most eliminations in a single match, though it feels a little cheap because it happened at the Greatest Rumble Ever event in April 2018. Somehow it feels like this shouldn’t count.

 

27: The Rumble draw that has produced the most winners. Big John Studd, Yokozuna, Bret Hart and Austin all won from this spot.

 

42: Most eliminations in Rumble History. Kane has eliminated more participants than anyone but has never won the match.

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