Ahead of the 2009 showpiece on Sunday, skysports.com casts its eye over Rumble winners from 1988-2000.
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Ahead of the 2009 showpiece on Sunday night,
Skysports.com casts its eye over a thrilling 20 years of Royal Rumble action.
From controversy to calamity, the Rumble has had it all over the years and with the chance to headline the World Championship main event at Wrestlemania XXV at stake it is sure to be another spectacular at the Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan.
So take a trip back down memory lane as
skysports.com pays homage to perhaps the most illustrious of WWE events.
1988 - 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan
Bret Hart and Tito Santana made history by becoming the first men to enter the inaugural Royal Rumble event, but after 25 minutes fighting off his foes the 'Hitman' was eventually eliminated by Duggan.
Entering the 20-man event at 13, the big-hearted American patriot came through a field that featured the Ultimate Warrior and Jake 'The Snake' Roberts to claim victory.
One Man Gang was Duggan's final victim and, despite the humble beginnings of the event, history has shown it was a truly momentous occasion for the federation.
1989 - 'Big' John Studd
Hulk Hogan might not have won the showpiece in 1989, but he did make one hell of an impact by eliminating nine men single-handedly, including the two-second elimination of powerhouse The Warlord and his tag team partner 'Macho Man' Randy Savage.
A combination of Akeem and Big Boss Man eventually got rid of the Hulkster, while Roberts had earlier made use of his snake to scare the ring's biggest ever competitor - Andre the Giant - into eliminating himself.
All that resulted in 'Million Dollar Man' Ted DiBiase - who had bought the final entry spot - taking on Studd at the end and the latter became the first man ever to win the tournament with its new 30-man format.
1990 - Hulk Hogan
DiBiase entered the ring at number one and managed to break the standing longevity record by lasting nearly 45 minutes.
But WWE champion Hogan entered at 25 and found himself in a final four with Hercules, 'Ravishing' Rick Rude and lastly Mr Perfect.
'The real American' went on to hulk up in trademark fashion to withstand a perfectplex before Mr Perfect was sent flying into a ring post and a succession of clotheslines allowed Hogan to claim the victory.
1991 - Hulk Hogan
Hulkamania ran wild once again as Hogan maintained his domination of the event with a second successive Royal Rumble triumph - this time in Miami, Florida.
Greg Valentine, Crush, Tugboat, Brian Knobbs and The Warlord all fell to the Hulkster in an event, which also saw the Undertaker make his debut before Legion of Doom teamed up to end his reign of tyranny.
Earthquake was the last man standing between Hogan and victory and Hulk went on to settle an old score by eventually prevailing.
1992 - Ric Flair
Flair rewrote the record books by claiming the WWE championship in Albany, New York, despite being the third man into the rumble.
It took all the wily one's guile and strength to avoid elimination and come out on top after nearly an hour in the ring.
Incredibly 'The Nature Boy' outlasted the likes of Shawn Michaels, 'Taker, Hogan and finally Sid Justice to take the acclaim and the gold in one of the biggest upsets ever witnessed in the squared circle.
1993 - Yokozuna
Former WWE champion Bob Backlund made an astonishing comeback to the ring, entering first alongside 1992 winner Flair.
But 500lb-plus Yokozuna had a distinct advantage coming in at 27 and he rounded off the match emphatically by throwing 'Macho Man' over the top rope when kicking out of an attempted pin.
Victory also secured the Royal Rumble winner a shot at the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania - a precedent that stands to this day.
1994 - Lex Luger/Bret Hart (co-winners)
Diesel made an immediate impact at the Providence Civic Centre, Rhode Island, by posting a record seven consecutive eliminations, and it took five superstars to finally get him out of there.
While rivalries between former Rockers tag team partners Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, Crush and Savage and Bam Bam Bigelow and Doink all got settled, one still remained at the end.
That was between the 'Hitman' and Luger, who eliminated each other simultaneously, leading to the tournament's only ever co-winners being declared.
1995 - Shawn Michaels
With the likes of the Bushwackers, King Kong Bundy, Martel, Luger, Mabel and Crush all sent flying over the top rope, it was left to the opening pair of the British Bulldog and the 'Heartbreak Kid' to battle it out at the end.
Davey Boy Smith celebrated victory, but alas 'HBK' held on to the ropes and only touched down with one foot on the outside, before dragging himself back into the ring and the match.
Michaels promptly proved why he is known as 'The Showstopper' with victory from the number one spot and he went on to celebrate the conquest with glamour model Pamela Anderson.
1996 - Shawn Michaels
Triple H, Hardcore Holly and Vader all made their Royal Rumble debuts at the Selland Arena, in Fresno, California.
'The Game' offered a glmpse of what was to come by lasting nearly 50 minutes of the match leading from the front before Diesel eventually got the better of him.
But it was 'HBK' who again came through a final four featuring the British Bulldog to become the first back-to-back Rumble winner since Hogan.
1997 - Steve Austin
Stone Cold actually has Mankind and Terry Funk to thank for his maiden Rumble win because it was their brawl that distracted the referees from seeing him eliminated by the 'Hitman' late in the piece.
Undeterred, 'The Texas Rattlesnake' sneaked back into the ring and after eliminating Vader and Undertaker he went on to ease 'The Excellence of Execution' over the top rope for the win.
Austin's 10 eliminations broke the record for a single match set by Hogan at The Summit, in Houston, Texas, in 1989.
1998 - Steve Austin
Mick Foley became the first man to enter the Rumble three times in this one, under his different guises - Cactus Jack at number one, Mankind at 16 and Dude Love at 28.
Despite the distinct advantage, the hardcore hero only managed to make it into the final four - leaving two of the business's greatest superstars to battle it out for the win.
The Rock survived one near elimination only to find himself stunned and tossed out again as Austin claimed the right to challenge for the WWE title at Wrestlemania.
1999 - Mr McMahon
The ongoing feud between head of the WWE Vince McMahon and Stone Cold came to a head at Arrowhead Pond, in Anaheim, California.
Entering the ring at numbers one and two the arch-rivals survived for nearly an hour, as the D-Generation X stars and the likes of Edge, Kane and Mark Henry all came and went.
In the end, it was the appearance of The Rock on the apron that proved the vital distraction for McMahon to go on and eliminate 'The Rattlesnake' in what was one of the greatest shocks in the history of the federation.
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