Guide Note

Royal Rumble is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view held by World Wrestling Entertainment. The main event is a 30-man over-the-top-rope battle royal. The winner faces the WWE Champion at WrestleMania, the company's premier wrestling event.

John Cena won the 2008 Royal Rumble match.

Fast Facts

1. 2008 Royal Rumble Winner: John Cena
2. Cena was supposedly sidelined with a torn pectoral muscle
3. Cena entered the Rumble at #30
4. Cena eliminated Triple H to win the match
5. Event Date: January 27, 2008
6. Venue: Madison Square Garden
7. Location: New York City
8. Attendance: 20,798¹

To the surprise of most fans, John Cena entered and won the Royal Rumble. He was not advertised to appear or wrestle at the event.

Cena had been out of action for four months prior to the pay-per-view due to a torn pectoral muscle. The WWE previously reported that it would take as long as a year for it to heal.¹

Triple H, the arguable favorite to win the Rumble match, was the last man eliminated. Cena went on to face both Triple H and then-WWE Champion Randy Orton at WrestleMania XXIV. At that event, Orton retained his title.

• 1988 - Jim Duggan
• 1989 - Big John Studd
• 1990 - Hulk Hogan
• 1991 - Hulk Hogan
• 1992 - Ric Flair
• 1993 - Yokozuna
• 1994 - Bret Hart and Lex Luger
• 1995 - Shawn Michaels
• 1996 - Shawn Michaels
• 1997 - Stone Cold Steve Austin
• 1998 - Stone Cold Steve Austin
• 1999 - Vince McMahon
• 2000 - The Rock
• 2001 - Stone Cold Steve Austin
• 2002 - Triple H
• 2003 - Brock Lesnar
• 2004 - Chris Benoit
• 2005 - Batista
• 2006 - Rey Mysterio
• 2007 - The Undertaker
• 2008 - John Cena