Royal Rumble by (Entry) Numbers: 29

Edge's return at No. 29 in 2010 dropped a ton of jaws Photo Credit: WWE.com

Winners: Brock Lesnar (2003); Edge (2010)
Final four: Sid Justice (2nd, 1992); Triple H (2nd, 2008); Chris Jericho (2nd, 2012); Rick Martel (4th, 1989); Hercules (4th, 1990); Davey Boy Smith (4th, 1996)
Multiple draws: Rob Van Dam (2002, 2004);
Longest: Rey Mysterio (2011), 19:07
Shortest: The Miz (2007): 0:07.
Most eliminations: Six — Triple H (2008)

In a way, perhaps the oddest thing about No. 29 is it’s the final of three entry spots that’s never seen a contestant eliminated by more than one wrestler. Look at the list of those who eliminated anyone who entered at Nos. 1, 22 or 29, and there has never been even a double team. Does it mean anything? Absolutely not — especially if you want to argue Sid Justice was the victim of a double team of Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan in 1992. It’s my policy not to credit Hogan with an elimination since he was already out of the match, but to be fair to Sid, Flair alone didn’t do the damage.

It’s not all that odd to see Steve Austin and Big Show pop up in the eliminated by column three times, just as it’s not surprising to see Shawn Michaels in there twice. This is the end game, where the ring is almost always populated with champions, legends and future (and sometimes current) hall of famers. So who qualifies as the best No. 29?

It’s time to throw longevity out the window. Obviously No. 29 is at the tail of a conventional Rumble, and has been the case with a lot of these endgame positions, the “iron man” honors go to the 2011 entrant, in this case Rey Mysterio, who lasted 19:07 in the 40-man Rumble. But he only made two eliminations and missed the final four. Not good enough.

The longest stint in a 30-man Rumble is the possession of Chris Jericho, who memorably returned in time for the 2012 Rumble, lasted 11:34, made two eliminations and nearly defeated Sheamus. It’s fresh in the minds of many fans, but it’s nothing like the 11:21, six-elimination performance of Triple H in 2008, although that night was more memorable for the surprising return of the 30th entrant. Triple H failed to win — that hurts him in this analysis.

Speaking of surprising returns, when the clock hit zero for the 29th entrant in 2010, just about everyone in Atlanta was stunned to hear the familiar “You think you know me…” blare over the Phillips Arena speakers as Edge made his way to the ring. After 7:19 and two eliminations — Jericho and John Cena — The Rated R Superstar was the second No. 29 to win and be on his way to WrestleMania.

As amazing as that night was, it’s tough to take away top honors from the quintessential Heyman Guy, Brock Lesnar. In his first and, so far, only Rumble appearance, Lesnar went nearly nine minutes (he’d beaten the Big Show earlier in the night to earn his Rumble spot) while eliminating Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, Matt Hardy and that year’s No. 30, a returning Undertaker. When entering this late in the game, winning trumps all else, so Lesnar gets a narrow edge over Triple H’s impressive 2008 showing, as well as Sid’s 5:55, five-elimination run in 1992.

A reminder here that although No. 29 would be much more likely to win in an unscripted conflict, the spot has produced as many winners as No. 2. In fact, Nos. 1 and 30 also accounted for only two winners each. For some reason, the “talented guy comes in toward the end and cleans house” is not a well-worn trope. Perhaps because the Rumble is better served as a vehicle for unpredictability (even though it has often been very predictable).

Back to the arcane — Lesnar’s dumping of tag-team partners Haas and Benjamin was the only sixth such occurrence to that point — but it did happen again in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2012.

Overall, No. 29 has been responsible for half as many eliminations (26) as No. 30 (52). Some 14 of the 15 No. 29s made no eliminations. Ten 29th entrants have come up shy of five minutes in the ring. The worst was The Miz in 2007, a whopping seven seconds made to look even worse by his 45:39 run in 2012. The 45:32 gap from best to worst is ninth all time on that list. Edge is at 18th on the same ranking, his 7:19 as a winner in 2010 being 36:43 shy of his run in 2007.

Also on the list from No. 29 are Davey Boy Smith, whose a 35:02 gap (3:39 in 1996 and 38:41 in 1995 — in the final four both times) is 24th of the top 30; 28th is Rob Van Dam, a 31:44 chasm (2:12 in 2002, 33:56 in 2003). Again, we can’t expect longevity from a 29th entrant. That four No. 29s are on this “biggest gaps” list primarily says a lot of guys who drew 29 also had the chance in other Rumbles to enter early and show off their endurance skills.

It’s no great leap to predict 2014’s No. 29 will be around long enough to be in the final four. If that man happens to be Batista, he would join the exclusive club of four men who have made the final four five times, leaving Triple H and John Cena alone in the four-timer’s club. Kane, if he enters, has a chance to make his sixth final four, though he hasn’t been since 2008. It’s a safe bet we won’t see Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels or Steve Austin in the Rumble — and the three-timer’s club (Big Show, Davey Boy Smith, Edge, Hulk Hogan, the Rock and the Undertaker) is pretty unlikely to promote a member to four.

But then again, there was a time many people never thought they’d see Batista in another Rumble. But he’ll be there. Anything, as they say, can happen in the WWE.