Rumble Winners who won "Qualifying Matches"
 

Did anyone win the Royal Rumble after winning a qualifying match, or have all the Rumble winners been entered without having to wrestle a specific qualifying match (e.g. they already qualified by virtue of winning enough matches to be a solid midcarder or main eventer)?

Brock Lesnar in '03 is the only one I remember

Before someone flips out and says this should be in the Q & A forum I'll answer this by saying Jim Duggan. Don't know if that's the answer but I just like Hacksaw. Hoooooooooooooooooooo!

Didn't Chris Benoit have to win qualifying matches before his win?

Pretty sure he did then when he won his qualifying match he was made number one... I mean who?

Chris Benoit has half a page in the new WWE Encyclopaedia, it's ok to remember him again :y:

Chris Benoit is an animal lover. He let the dogs out by the pool. Why don't people remember that? Folk always hav to dwell on the negative.

Everyone who posted above is correct! Thank you for the information leads!

I found a WWE page recollecting Batista's qualifying match for the 2005 Rumble, which he also won. So I guess that makes at least three: Lesnar, Benoit, and Batista.
http://www.wwe.com/videos/batista-vs...-2005-26032017

Surely Austin was made to qualify in 98 or 99?

Nah, Vince made him #1 entrant then Shawn made Vince #2. I mean, leave the dogs out by the pool.

Yes Austin had to beat Undertaker in a Buried Alive match in order to qualify for the 99 Rumble, correct me if I'm wrong.

Rix, you're exactly right! Austin beat Taker at a UK PPV. Thank you for the lead!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Bottom:_In_Your_House

Austin lost that Royal Rumble.

Gillberg def Matt Hardy at Rock Bottom?

Very good point, as I had just read the Wikipedia entry to RR 1999 but somehow missed the fact that McMahon threw Austin out. Whoops! Thanks for catching that.

So I guess the list remains Lesnar, Benoit, and Batista.

I was also surprised that a "Kevin Quinn" beat Brian Christopher. Does anyone know where Kevin Quinn worked after that? He doesn't have a Wikipedia entry.

Canada is part of the UK now?

Rock Bottom will always go down as having the worst wrestling crowd ever for a PPV. Dear God, during the main event, during a rest hold, there at one point is absolute silence.

Thank you for the clarification, DDP Bang! I'm sometimes loopier than Loopy Date (peace be upon him)! :)

Heel Alex Wright would have loved it!
David Penzer: Ladies and gentlemen, Alex Wright has requested absolute silence during his match!

I mean, the match was an absolute snooze fest. They had their right. The only things on that show worth anything was the WWF Title match and Owen Hart vs. Steve Blackman. And Debra stripping.

Yeah, that Debra bit on my VHS was probably a little worn out back in the day. I remember Shawn Michaels kept on getting in the way of my business though. If I hadn't completed my mission by a certain point, I'd be doing the business with Shawn waving money behind Jeff's head. Good times.