The Untold History Of The Royal Rumble

THIS Sunday brings with it the 29th Royal Rumble, one of the biggest events in the World Wrestling Entertainment calendar.

The incredible event, which sees 30 men attempt to survive being thrown from the ring until one emerges victorious, may seem like an outlandish and roundabout way to settle grudges and determine a champion, but very few people know that the Royal Rumble wasn’t invented by WWE; it has roots in history that stretch as far back as the dawn of man.

Cave paintings in France that date back to 10,000 BC show what is perhaps the first ever Royal Rumble, as squads of prehistoric men battle to throw each other off the edge of a cliff. The etchings are so clear, you can almost hear another primitive man commentating over the action “ugh almight! Tork has been broken in half!”

By Medieval times, horses had been introduced to the rumble, and the term “royal” had been coined as it would usually take place in front of kings and queens. Spears and swords were soon outlawed, although tables, chairs and fire extinguishers remained in play.

By the 1800s, the rumble had become very similar to what we see today, except it took place on ships in the Caribbean and people were STILL getting stabbed before getting thrown over the edge. Dastardly Jim O’Scoundrel was one of the most popular participants of this time, winning 5 straight rumbles and killing 1,600 men in the process.

The fields of the Somme remains to this day the site of one of the most epic rumbles of all time, where thousands of participants did their best to stay in the relative safety of the trenches. Countless unlucky rumblers were forced over the top and eliminated, in a rumble that lasted for years. Will this Sunday’s event be as hard to watch as this one? Many are suggesting that it could be even worse.