In professional wrestling, a battle royal is a match where 15-20 wrestlers simultaneously enter a ring and eliminate other competitors to be the last one standing.
Elimination occurs only when a wrestler is thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the arena floor. If someone is thrown through the lower ropes, or if only one foot hits the floor, he/she is not eliminated, and can re-enter the contest.
Some variations include WCW's World War 3 battle royal, where three side-by-side rings were used and 60 competitors fought. The remaining 30 consolidated in the middle ring, eliminating each other via over-the-top-rope, as well as pinfall or submission.
Perhaps the most popular variation of the battle royal is the WWE's Royal Rumble match, where wrestlers do not enter simultaneously, but instead draw numbers before the bout, entering according to their number at varied intervals (usually 90 seconds to 2 minutes). This way, the luck of the draw plays a factor into the match, and the crowd's attention is constantly glued to it in anticipation of their favorite wrestlers' entrances.
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Typically consists of 15, 20 or more wrestlers.
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Elimination
over the top rope, both feet hitting the floor
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Fact:
Rules vary from promotion to promotion
