<
>

Key stats to know ahead of Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman vs. Kane

Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman and Kane will battle for the Universal Championship at the 2018 Royal Rumble. Courtesy WWE

At the 31st annual Royal Rumble on Sunday, Universal Champion Brock Lesnar will defend his title against Braun Strowman and Kane in a triple-threat match. Here are the 10 stats you need to know heading into Sunday's colossal title bout.

1. This will be the fourth triple-threat world title match in Royal Rumble history.

While WWE commentators have reminded us ad nauseam that Lesnar does not have the "champion's advantage" in this scenario, the champion has actually retained in the three previous such matches at this event. Most recently in 2015, Brock Lesnar defeated John Cena and Seth Rollins to retain his WWE Championship.

2. On Sunday, Lesnar will have been Universal Champion for 301 days, the longest reign in the short history of the title and the longest world-title reign of Lesnar's career.

It's just the fourth world-title reign of more than 300 days in the past 25 years, and the longest since CM Punk's 434-day WWE Championship reign. Coincidentally, it was at the Royal Rumble in 2013 when CM Punk lost his title to The Rock.

3. Excluding his three appearances in the 30-man Royal Rumble Match (1-2), Lesnar is 4-0 at this event, the best such record in Royal Rumble history.

4. Lesnar has won each of his past five pay-per-view matches, one shy of the longest winning streak of his career (won six straight in 2003).

His last pay-per-view loss was actually in last year's 30-Man Royal Rumble Match when he was eliminated by Goldberg.

5. Despite Kane debuting in WWE in 1997 and Brock Lesnar arriving in 2002, Sunday will surprisingly be the first-ever match between these two superstars.

The only times they previously shared the ring together were the 2003 and 2016 30-man Royal Rumble matches.

6. Kane looks to become the first superstar in WWE history to win the WWE Championship, World Heavyweight Championship and Universal Championship in his WWE career.

Kane's last world title reign came in 2010 after he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Rey Mysterio to become World Heavyweight Champion.

7. This will be Kane's 22nd career match at a Royal Rumble event, four more than any other superstar.

That will also be the second-most matches at a single pay-per-view event by any superstar in WWE history.

8. However, Kane is just 1-19-1 at this event, including an 0-19 record in the 30-man Royal Rumble Match.

His lone win at the Royal Rumble came in 2013 when Team Hell No (Kane and Daniel Bryan) successfully defended the Tag Team Championship against Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow).

9. Sunday will be Braun Strowman's fifth career world-title match.

Strowman failed to win the gold in any of his four previous opportunities.

10. Strowman has not lost a singles match since he was pinned by Lesnar at No Mercy last September in their Universal Championship bout.

Lesnar is one of just two superstars who has ever pinned Strowman (Roman Reigns is the other).