# Royal Rumble (2010)
**Royal Rumble (2010)** was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), held on January 31, 2010 at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the 23rd annual [Royal Rumble](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-rumble) event and the first WWE pay-per-view of 2010. Its headline result saw Edge, returning after a seven-month absence caused by injury, win the 30-man Royal Rumble Match and earn a world championship match at [WrestleMania XXVI](https://www.edgepedia.org/wrestlemania-xxvi).[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date and venue | Sunday, January 31, 2010, Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia; broadcast at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010) |
| Attendance | 16,697, an advance sellout[2](https://wrestlefile.com/events/royal-rumble-2010/) • [3](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2010/02/recent-wwe-tna-ratings-attendance-figures-525419/) |
| Royal Rumble Match winner | Edge, entering 29th of 30, after seven months out with injury; winning time 49:24[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010) • [4](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/all-time-royal-rumble-match) • [5](https://wrestletalk.com/results/wwe/wwe-royal-rumble-10/) |
| Prize | A world championship match of the winner's choosing at WrestleMania XXVI; Edge chose Chris Jericho, his former tag team partner[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010) |
| Championship changes | One: Mickie James defeated Michelle McCool to win the Women's Championship for the fifth time[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010) |
| Highest-rated match (Meltzer) | Royal Rumble Match, 3.5 stars on Dave Meltzer's 5-star scale[6](https://www.iwnerd.com/dave-meltzer-star-ratings-wwe-royal-rumble-2010/) |
| Notable entrant | Beth Phoenix, entrant No. 6, the only woman in the match, who eliminated The Great Khali[7](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010/exclusives/bethrumbler) |
## The Royal Rumble Match
The main event followed the standard Royal Rumble format: 30 competitors entered at timed intervals, and a wrestler was eliminated by being thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor. The winner received the opportunity to challenge for a world title at WrestleMania XXVI, WWE's flagship event that year.[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
Edge's entry was the event's surprise. He had been out of action for much of 2009 after an [Achilles tendon](https://www.edgepedia.org/achilles-tendon) injury, and returned as the 29th entrant to a sold-out Atlanta crowd.[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010) • [4](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/all-time-royal-rumble-match) • [8](https://as.com/us/us/2019/01/27/masdeporte/1548619133_466064.html) He outlasted and eliminated [Chris Jericho](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-jericho) and [John Cena](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-cena), while Batista eliminated Shawn Michaels and John Cena eliminated Batista, to win.[4](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/all-time-royal-rumble-match) • [9](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010/matches/9887158) It was the sixth Royal Rumble Match of Edge's career; in the 2005 and 2007 editions he had lasted more than 40 minutes and eliminated five Superstars in each.[4](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/all-time-royal-rumble-match) • [10](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/01-31-2021/mens-royal-rumble-match-results)
**Beth Phoenix's entry** was the match's other historic element. The Glamazon entered at [No. 6](https://www.edgepedia.org/no-6) as the only woman in the field, the second woman to compete in the men's Royal Rumble Match after [Chyna](https://www.edgepedia.org/chyna), who had entered in 1999 and 2000. Phoenix eliminated the 7-foot-3, 420-pound [The Great Khali](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-great-khali) before being eliminated herself.[7](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010/exclusives/bethrumbler)
WWE described the 2010 field as among the most star-studded in the match's history, featuring numerous former world champions as well as the reigning Intercontinental, United States, and Unified Tag Team Champions.[7](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010/exclusives/bethrumbler)
## Undercard results
Five championship matches filled the rest of the card, producing one title change:[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
- **WWE Championship**: Sheamus defeated [Randy Orton](https://www.edgepedia.org/randy-orton) by disqualification to retain.[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
- **World Heavyweight Championship**: [The Undertaker](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-undertaker) defeated [Rey Mysterio](https://www.edgepedia.org/rey-mysterio) to retain.[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
- **ECW Championship**: Christian defeated Ezekiel Jackson to retain, ending a challenge built on weeks of beatings by Jackson and his associate William Regal.[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
- **Women's Championship**: Mickie James defeated Michelle McCool to win the title for the fifth time, overcoming a prolonged taunting campaign by McCool and Layla.[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
- **United States Championship**: The Miz defeated MVP in an impromptu match arranged moments beforehand by SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long, who also required The Miz to compete in the Rumble that night.[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
## Aftermath
As Rumble winner, Edge earned a world championship match of his choosing at WrestleMania XXVI and selected Chris Jericho, his former tag team partner, as his opponent.[1](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
## Critical reception
[Dave Meltzer](https://www.edgepedia.org/dave-meltzer), editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, rated the matches on his 5-star scale as follows: Royal Rumble Match 3.5 stars; The Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio 3.25; Christian vs. [Ezekiel Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/ezekiel-jackson) 3; [The Miz](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-miz) vs. MVP 2.25; Sheamus vs. Randy Orton 2; and Mickie James vs. Michelle McCool a DUD (no stars).[6](https://www.iwnerd.com/dave-meltzer-star-ratings-wwe-royal-rumble-2010/) Retrospective reviews have been positive but top-heavy: WrestleFile graded the event 8.4/10, crediting the Rumble's storytelling, CM Punk's opening run, and Edge's return, while noting that the undercard matches received too little time and that the Sheamus-Orton disqualification finish left the card without a strong championship ending.[2](https://wrestlefile.com/events/royal-rumble-2010/) A 411Mania review scored the complete show 6.5.[2](https://wrestlefile.com/events/royal-rumble-2010/)
## References
1. [Royal Rumble 2010, WWE.com](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010)
2. [Royal Rumble 2010 Review & Final Grade, WrestleFile](https://wrestlefile.com/events/royal-rumble-2010/)
3. [Recent WWE & TNA Ratings & Attendance Figures, Wrestling Inc (Feb 4, 2010)](https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2010/02/recent-wwe-tna-ratings-attendance-figures-525419/)
4. [WWE.com's All-Time Royal Rumble Match: Edge](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/all-time-royal-rumble-match)
5. [WWE Royal Rumble '10 Results, WrestleTalk](https://wrestletalk.com/results/wwe/wwe-royal-rumble-10/)
6. [Dave Meltzer Star Ratings – WWE Royal Rumble 2010, IWNerd](https://www.iwnerd.com/dave-meltzer-star-ratings-wwe-royal-rumble-2010/)
7. [Glamazon makes Rumble 'her'-story, WWE.com (Feb 1, 2010)](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010/exclusives/bethrumbler)
8. [Las apariciones más inesperadas en el Royal Rumble, AS](https://as.com/us/us/2019/01/27/masdeporte/1548619133_466064.html)
9. [Edge wins 30-Man Royal Rumble Match](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/2010/matches/9887158)
10. [Edge returns to the mountaintop in the 2021 Royal Rumble Match](https://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/01-31-2021/mens-royal-rumble-match-results)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Combat sports and professional wrestling › Professional wrestling promotions and championships › Royal Rumble*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license