WWE Royal Rumble 2015: 10 Most Memorable Moments in Event's History

The WWE Royal Rumble's legacy is one chock-full of memorable moments. Featuring every major star to ever set foot inside a Vince McMahon-owned ring, the event has been home to some of the most important and noteworthy moments on the road to WrestleMania.

Whether it was the contract signing between Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant for the epic rematch to their WrestleMania III classic or Vince McMahon somehow winning the 1999 edition of the Rumble match, fans often leave the annual January extravaganza buzzing about something that occurred on the three-hour broadcast.

On January 25, 2015, WWE will present the latest edition of the show. With the event taking place in the hardcore wrestling town of Philadelphia, the show is guaranteed to create new memories for today's generation of fans to remember for years to come.

In celebration of the event's considerable legacy, and in preparation for this year's spectacle, here now is a look back on the 10 most memorable moments in event history, ranked according to both lasting effect and overall importance.

10. A PHENOMenal Win (2007)

Prior to the 2007 Royal Rumble, no Superstar had ever won from the No. 30 spot, somewhat of a surprise when taking into account that it was repeatedly hyped as the position with the greatest advantage of them all.

The Undertaker entered that year's Rumble match in the highly coveted spot, eventually joining fellow legendary star Shawn Michaels as the final two competitors in the bout. With a shot at either the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania on the line, the stakes could not be higher.

For minutes, the iconic opponents wowed the San Antonio fans with dramatic near-eliminations before Undertaker finally dispatched of his greatest rival.

Despite competing in Vince McMahon's company for 17 years, it was the first time the Deadman had ever won the Rumble, and the occasion was marked with an outstanding pyro display.

The Phenom would go on to defeat Batista at WrestleMania, capturing the heavyweight title for the first time in five years. 

9. Kane Dominates! (2001)

There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Steve Austin was going to win the 2001 Royal Rumble match. He had returned from injury just months earlier and was on a collision course with The Rock for what would go on to become one of the greatest main events in WrestleMania history.

What no one could have foreseen was Kane's dominant performance that evening.

Entering the match at No. 6, he had his now-infamous interaction with comedic actor Drew Carey, bashed Honky Tonk Man over the head with his own guitar, eliminated seven Superstars in a row and, by night's end, held the record for most eliminations in match history with 11.

What was even more impressive was the fact that someone with his size was able to hang for 53-plus minutes with some of the most talented stars to ever grace a WWE ring. 

The Big Red Machine may not have won the Rumble, but he won something far more valuable than a guaranteed title opportunity: the respect of fans and his peers.

Kane's record stood for 13 years.

In 2014, Roman Reigns eclipsed it, tossing 12 Superstars over the ropes to set the new standard.

8. Unleashing the Animal (2005)

The year 2005 was a transitional one for WWE.

After years of the same faces dominating the top of the card, the company turned its focus on the future, and two young stars in particular.

John Cena had risen to prominence on SmackDown, riding the success of a white rapper gimmick on his way to becoming the most popular star on the blue brand's roster.

Batista, on the other hand, stepped from the shadows and became more over than anyone ever imagined. Randy Orton was supposed to be the top babyface on Raw, but it was the quiet charisma of The Animal that captivated audiences and led to his rapid ascent.

The two were favorites to win the Rumble match, and, for a brief moment, a botch made it appear as though WWE Creative had opted to go the 1994 route, with co-winners leading to two huge WrestleMania main events.

Thankfully, that was not the case. Batista dumped Cena after a brief restart to the bout and cashed his ticket for what would ultimately be a match against former mentor Triple H at the Showcase of the Immortals.

7. The Biggest Little Man in WWE History (2006)

There is much that has been said about the death of Eddie Guerrero and its exploitation at the hands of WWE. Part of that exploitation came in the form of a rapid push up the ranks for Rey Mysterio, who became a main event attraction on SmackDown after years of being one of the brand's most popular midcard acts.

At the 2006 Royal Rumble, he entered the match at No. 2 and lasted all the way to the final three. From there, he eliminated both Triple H and Randy Orton to complete the most improbable victory in the history of the 30-man contest.

It was easy to argue that Mysterio's win was yet another case of WWE cashing in on the unfortunate and untimely demise of Guerrero, by using his passing as plot device, but there were few stars more over and universally beloved than Mysterio.

Rewarding years of hard work and popularity with a huge win and a spot in the WrestleMania main event was the right thing to do at that point in time, especially taking into account the fact that Batista had been injured, leaving SmackDown with an opening at the top of the card, and an overworked and worn-down Kurt Angle left him unable to carry the load.

6. Signing on the Dotted Line (1988)

Credit: WWE.com

One of the biggest selling points of the original Royal Rumble, a special event aired exclusively on the USA Network, was the contract signing between WWE champion Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant for a rematch of their WrestleMania III epic.

While the night's main event would feature 20 of the most recognizable stars in Vince McMahon's company battling it out to make history as the first winner of the Royal Rumble match, it was the showdown between two of the industry's greatest icons that piqued the interest of the audience.

"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase promised Andre that delivering him the WWE Championship at The Main Event, home of the huge return bout, would result in a financial windfall for the Eighth Wonder of the World.

If the threat of Andre attempting to secure a large some of money from the dastardly newcomer was not enough to frighten the millions of Hulkamaniacs across the globe, the images of Hogan being laid out by the heels should have been.

The contract signing was must-see television, as fans waited impatiently to see what the next chapter of the Hogan-Andre saga would be. The introduction of DiBiase provided not only an injection of freshness to the feud but also set up a scenario in which Hogan would recruit "Macho Man" Randy Savage to help him thwart the so-called Mega Bucks later in the year.

5. The Boss. The Chairman. The Winner? (1999)

The rivalry between Vince McMahon and Steve Austin had reached a fever pitch by January 1999, and for the first time ever, fans would get the opportunity to see the two mix it up on pay-per-view, courtesy of a ruling by WWE commissioner Shawn Michaels.

Austin was unjustly and underhandedly given the first spot in the Rumble match. Meanwhile, Michaels ruled that, as a performer with a competitor's contract, McMahon fell under his jurisdiction. Michaels entered McMahon at No. 2, guaranteeing that fans would see Austin get his hands on his boss for at least two minutes.

The Texas Rattlesnake beat and battered his opponent throughout the early portion of the match before falling victim to a beatdown, courtesy of the Corporation.

Austin drove an ambulance back into the arena later in the bout and proceeded to beat the unholy hell out of McMahon.

An appearance by The Rock led to Austin being distracted, allowing McMahon the chance to toss Austin over and win the match.

The Chairman of the Board celebrated the win, drinking beer and sweating profusely, even though he had barely competed in the bout.

Ultimately, Austin would get a measure of revenge at St. Valentine's Day Massacre, defeating McMahon in a Steel Cage match and earning a shot at Rock's WWE title in the first of their epic WrestleMania encounters.

4. "I Will Never Rest...in...Peace!" (1994)

The 1994 Royal Rumble saw Yokozuna defend the WWE Championship against The Undertaker in a Casket match. In the weeks prior to the bout, the super heavyweight competitor had shown hints of a tremendous fear of caskets.

Undertaker, as he has done regularly throughout his career, played mind games with Yokozuna that cultivated that fear.

Not willing to leave a win up to his own abilities, the champion conspired with manager Mr. Fuji to bring together some of the most hated villains in WWE to help him not only defeat Undertaker but, hopefully, rid him from the company for good.

They locked the Deadman in a double-deep, double-wide coffin. They assaulted manager Paul Bearer. They even knocked over the mythical urn, causing it to emit a plume of green smoke.

A triumphant Yokozuna stood tall as his allies wheeled the casket up the aisle.

Then, the bell tolled, and the celebration came to a standstill.

Undertaker appeared on the video screen, cut a poetic promo, then levitated out of the screen and into the air.

It was very much one of the most surreal and ludicrous moments in the history of WWE but also one of the Royal Rumble moments that is remembered vividly by those who witnessed it.

3. Going the Distance (1995)

Prior to 1995, the idea of a WWE Superstar going the distance, entering the Royal Rumble at No. 1 and winning the match, was absurd. No one had done it to that point. Not Hulk Hogan, not Randy Savage, not Ric Flair or even Bret Hart.

Considering the underwhelming field of Superstars making up the '95 bout, it was ridiculous to even suggest that the feat would be accomplished that year.

Then Shawn Michaels stepped through the curtain first, outlasted every single Superstar who entered after him and staved off a late elimination attempt by "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith to win the match.

Of course, he won the second-shortest Royal Rumble ever to that point (38:41, according to ProWrestlingHistory.com) against the likes of The Bushwhackers and Well Dunn, but he won nonetheless and went on to challenge real-life friend Diesel for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XI.

Only Chris Benoit would replicate the feat, doing so in 2004 against some of the top names of that era. 

2. Co-Winners? (1994)

Bret Hart and Lex Luger were the top babyfaces in WWE by the time Royal Rumble rolled around in January 1994, but few could ever have imagined that an indecisive Vince McMahon would resort to booking both as co-winners of the annual Rumble match.

But that is exactly what happened, creating one of the most controversial and memorable moments in the history of the show.

The final two competitors in the bout, Hart and Luger squared off as the fans rose to their feet in anticipation of the monumental showdown.

Hart was clearly the favorite, his more organic connection with the fans trumping Luger's marketing machine-assisted push. That the Hitman had built tremendous sympathy throughout the night, courtesy of a hot angle in which brother Owen turned on him and attacked his already-injured knee, only helped his cause.

Both men grabbed hold of each other and tumbled over the top rope and to the arena floor, their feet hitting the ground at the same time.

Confusion reigned supreme before it was announced that, for the first time ever, the Royal Rumble had produced co-winners.

Both Luger and Hart would go on to challenge Yokozuna in separate title matches at WrestleMania X, with the latter unseating the massive champion and celebrating to end the show.

1. "With a Tear in My Eye..." (1992)

"With a tear in my eyes, this is the greatest night of my life." -Ric Flair

The 1992 Royal Rumble match featured no less than 13 Hall of Famers and several other big names, including The Undertaker, Sid Justice and Randy Savage, all of whom will one day take their places among sports-entertainment's most elite.

One of the men already enshrined, the only man with two HOF rings, shined brighter than any of his peers on that night.

"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair became the talk of the wrestling world when he jumped shipped from Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling, amid business differences with new boss Jim Herd, to Vince McMahon's then-World Wrestling Federation.

Almost immediately, he was presented as a very real threat to Hulk Hogan and the heavyweight title. Flair even interjected himself in two championship matches between the Hulkster and The Undertaker. The second one of those bouts led authority figure Jack Tunney to vacate the title and announce that the winner of the Royal Rumble would be the new champion.

After entering the bout third and outlasting 29 of the top stars to ever lace up a pair of boots, Flair dumped a distracted Sid over the top rope for the win and the gold.

As great a moment as Flair's first WWE title victory was, it was his post-match promo that still ranks as one of the finest in the long and illustrious history of the popular event.