Each WWE Royal Rumble match starts with two participants. But what were the best opening pairs from the 1980s to the present day?

Roman Reigns winning the most bleak match in WWE history was a major factor, as tracked by the excellent Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics. The backlash to that dismal match informed the worst ratings pattern on the road to WrestleMania since 1996.

Down through the years, a whole host of wrestlers have been sent packing within the opening 10 seconds of the Royal Rumble match. The record for fastest elimination currently stands at just 1.9 seconds.