Battle royal (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling, a battle royal (sometimes battle royale; plural battles royal or battle royals [cite encyclopedia |year=1671 |title =battles royal |encyclopedia=Merriam-Webster |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/battles%20royal] ) 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.cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/specialtymatches/battleroyal |title=Battle Royal |accessdate=2008-04-16 |publisher=WWE |work=Specialty Matches ]

Variations

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. [cite web |url=http://www.411mania.com/wrestling/video_reviews/67710 |title=NWA Bunkhouse Stampede |accessdate=2008-04-16 |publisher=411mania |first=Arnold |last=Furious ]

Divas battle royal

A "Divas battle royal" has solely female wrestlers vying to be the last person standing. In contrast to traditional rules, however, participants can be eliminated not only by being thrown over, but through the ring ropes. [cite web |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/wweppv/tabootuesday05.html |title=Taboo Tuesday 2005 results |accessdate=2008-04-16 |publisher=Online World of Wrestling ]

Dragon Scramble

Popularized by Toryumon Japan, two wrestlers start the match, and 2 extra participants enter simultaneously from different corners of the ring at the 1-minute intervals. Along with over-the-top-rope eliminations, pinfalls and submissions also count in this variation.

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. [cite web |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/tna/020619a.html |title=June 19, 2002 |accessdate=2008-04-16 |publisher=Online World of Wrestling |work=NWA: Total Nonstop Action PPV results ]

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. [Foley, Mick. Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks (p.192-194)]

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 battle royal begins. [cite web |url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/results/tnaimpact/061026.html |title=October 26, 2006 |accessdate=2008-04-16 |publisher=Online World of Wrestling |work=TNA iMPACT! results ]

Royal Rumble

The World Wrestling Entertainment's Royal Rumble is a 30-person battle-royal with the wrestlers receiving staggered (generally 90 seconds) entrances rather than all beginning at the same time. [cite web |url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/specialtymatches/royalrumble |title=Royal Rumble |accessdate=2008-04-16 |publisher=WWE |work=Specialty matches ]

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. [cite web |url=http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/1998113p.htm |title=World War III results |accessdate=2008-04-16 |publisher=DDT Digest ]

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

References

*cite book | author = Mick Foley | title = Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks | publisher = HarperCollins | date = 2000 | pages = 511 | isbn = 0061031011