Battle royal (professional wrestling)

A 25-Diva battle royal held at WrestleMania XXV.

In professional wrestling, a battle royal (sometimes battle royale; plural battles royal or battle royals) is a multi-competitor match type in which wrestlers are eliminated until one is left and declared winner. Typical battle royals begin with a number of participants in the ring, who are then eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and having both feet touch the venue floor.

Variations

World War 3

Main article: WCW World War 3

Created by World Championship Wrestling in 1995, the World War 3 battle royal involved a three-ring setup and 60 competitors. 20 wrestlers started in each of the 3 rings in which they would wrestle under regular battle royal rules. Once there were only 30 competitors left (except 1997, where the number was 20), all competitors would enter the central and continue in that ring under regular rules until 1 man was left standing.

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, headlined by a Bunkhouse Stampede match held inside a cage.

Gauntlet for the Gold

Main article: 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.

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.

Reverse battle royal

Generally used in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, 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.

Diva battle royal

A diva battle royal is one which features female competitors. However, in this variant divas can be thrown through or under the ropes as well as over the top rope.

Fulfill Your Fantasy battle royal

A WWE diva battle royal with the addition of fetish outfits, such as french maid, nurse, schoolgirl, etc. Often the type of outfit is chosen by an audience poll.

Royal Rumble

Main article: Royal Rumble

WWE's Royal Rumble is a battle royal that begins with two wrestlers in the ring, with the remaining participants introduced one by one at a set time period. Elimination occurs in the normal way with the last person standing, as the winner, after all participants have entered the ring.

Battlebowl

A two ring variation on a battle royal, the wrestlers would start in one ring and would try to throw wrestlers into the second ring, after which they could be eliminated by being thrown out of that ring. The last remaining wrestler in the first ring could rest until only one wrestler was left in the second ring, after which they'd fight in both rings until one was eliminated and a winner was declared, in similar fashion to a double elimination tournament. This was held by World Championship Wrestling at the 1991 Starrcade event, but future Battlebowl matches were contested under normal battle royal rules.

Championship Scramble

This is a format where the championship can change hands multiple times within a time limit in a (often) falls-count-anywhere match. The final person to pin or submit the title holder previous in the time limit will be the eventual champion.

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.
• A team is eliminated when all wrestlers for that team is eliminated, as mentioned above.
• The final two wrestlers in a standard battle royal are named the winners, and are named the promotion's next tag team championship contenders, regardless of their existing affiliations

References

• Mick Foley (2000). Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06-103101-1.