The Royal Rumble officially begins "The Road to WrestleMania." One of the most iconic pay-per-view events in the WWE, the Royal Rumble pits 30 participants against one another to determine who will be the last one standing in the ring. In 2025, Cody Rhodes will look to match "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's record of three Royal Rumble wins.

The Royal Rumble, a key WWE event since 1988, has produced notable winners like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels, while some wins, like Vince McMahon's, are considered forgotten. The event guarantees WrestleMania title matches and has evolved to include women's matches,

There's no avoiding it, though, the pair's meeting at the 1996 Royal Rumble was just such a disappointment, with the contest going way, way longer than it needed to. The Hitman had long proved he could work magic in lengthy contests, and 'Taker would later likewise deliver some fantastic longer of his own, but here it just didn't work.