Which wrestler won the first Royal Rumble match, held by WWF in 1988?

Jim Duggan won the first Royal Rumble match, held by WWF in 1988.

The inaugural match took place on January 24, 1988, at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It featured 20 wrestlers, fewer than the 30-person field that later became standard. Duggan eliminated One Man Gang last to win.

The Royal Rumble match uses timed entries, with wrestlers eliminated when they go over the top rope and both feet touch the floor. The format became one of wrestling’s most recognizable annual traditions and eventually developed into a major route toward WrestleMania title matches.

Duggan’s victory is sometimes overshadowed by the event’s other major match: Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant wrestled for the WWF Championship. Unlike later Royal Rumble winners, Duggan did not receive a WrestleMania championship-match prize because that stipulation was introduced years afterward.