Battle royal (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a battle royal (sometimes battle royale; plural battles royal or battle royals[1]) is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner. Typical battle royals begin with 20 participants in the ring, who are then eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and having both feet touch the venue floor.[2] Although the WWE features large numbers in the ring, 1990s World Championship Wrestling matches only consisted of four wrestlers.
Variations
Battlebowl
Created by World Championship Wrestling in 1991, the Battlebowl battle royal involved a multiple ring setup. Wrestlers were first thrown—over the top rope—from the first ring to the second, not actually being eliminated until going over the top rope of the second ring. "Survivors" of the first ring were allowed a rest period until the other ring was cleared.[3]
Bunkhouse Stampede
The National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) Bunkhouse Stampede involved wrestlers wearing what was described as "bunkhouse gear"—cowboy boots, jeans, t-shirts—instead of their normal wrestling tights and not only allowed but encouraged the bringing of weapons. In 1988 the NWA named a pay-per-view after the Bunkhouse Stampede, which featured a Bunkhouse Stampede match held inside a cage.[4]
Dragon Scramble
Two wrestlers start a Dragon Scramble with two extra participants entering simultaneously from different corners of the ring at the one-minute intervals. Wrestlers are eliminated by pinfall, submission, or being thrown over-the-top-rope.[citation needed]
Gauntlet for the Gold
Gauntlet for the Gold is a variation on the battle royal used by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. In this version two wrestlers begin in the ring, with additional wrestlers entering on a set time period. Wrestlers are eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and to the floor until two wrestlers are left, at which point a standard singles match begins.[5]
Last Blood battle royal
A Last Blood battle royal is essentially a multi-competitor First Blood match. The winner is the last wrestler in the match not bleeding.[6]
Reverse battle royal
A reverse battle royal begins with wrestlers surrounding the ring instead of inside it. At the start of the match they battle for half of them to get in to the ring, at which point a standard last person standing wins the battle royal.[7]
Royal Rumble
World Wrestling Entertainment's Royal Rumble is a 30-person battle-royal with the wrestlers receiving staggered entrances of 1 minute, 90 seconds, or 2 minutes rather than all beginning at the same time.[8]
World War 3
World Championship Wrestling's World War 3 (also III) was an annual three ring, 60-man battle royal. The match begins with the wrestlers spread evenly between the three rings, and when 30 remain they are consolidated into the center ring. For the final year the rules were modified to allow pinfall and submission eliminations and change the consolidation point to 20.[9]
Team variations
Team variations of battle royals consist of two or more teams of wrestlers, with the number of wrestlers on each team usually being equal. There are different types of such matches:
- A team is eliminated when only one wrestler for that team is eliminated.
- Matches end when there are wrestlers for only one team (the winners), who have not been eliminated.
Notes
- ^ "battles royal". Merriam-Webster. 1671.
- ^ "Battle Royal". Specialty Matches. WWE. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ^ Prevost, Emer (2004-07-13). "Let's Go To War". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
- ^ Furious, Arnold. "NWA Bunkhouse Stampede". 411mania. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ^ "June 19, 2002". NWA: Total Nonstop Action PPV results. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ^ Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.192-194)
- ^ "October 26, 2006". TNA iMPACT! results. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ^ "Royal Rumble". Specialty matches. WWE. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
- ^ "World War III results". DDT Digest. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
References
- Mick Foley (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins. ISBN 0061031011.