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WWE continues to be in the news for both reasons good and bad. The ongoing lawsuit against Vince McMahon has captured the attention of many. There is also the "Woah Movement," a reaction to The Rock seemingly stealing Cody Rhodes' spot at WrestleMania.
On the other end of the spectrum, World Wrestling Entertainment signed a historic deal with Netflix and hosted two major Premium Live Events. Both The 2024 Royal Rumble and NXT Vengeance Day delivered in their own respective ways.
Throughout the mixed bag of events, there's a lot for fans to check out and discover from the company's rich history, as the promotion has existed in some form for around 70 years. There have been numerous matches and moments that will go down in history forever.
This article will take a look back at some of these key events, matches, and moments that helped shape the sports entertainment juggernaut into what fans know it to be today. This includes big Royal Rumble wins, a surprise return, and a classic match.
Here are five key events that took place this week in WWE history:
#5. The Undertaker returned to WWE television on January 29th, 2006
WWE held The Royal Rumble on January 29th, 2006. This was the 19th annual edition of the pay-per-view event aired live from the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. Around 16,000 fans were in attendance.
This was a rare case of WWE booking the Royal Rumble Match in the middle of the show as opposed to being the showpiece match reserved for the end. While Rey Mysterio won the legendary match, the main event of the evening was a bout between Mark Henry and Kurt Angle.
After Angle won, The Undertaker made a shocking return. The ring collapsed with Angle present and The Deadman made his intentions clear. The two went on to have a classic match at No Way Out.
#4. Sheamus won the Royal Rumble on January 29th, 2012
WWE held the 25th annual Royal Rumble event on January 29th, 2012. The show was held at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Over 18,000 fans were in attendance at arguably the second-biggest show of the year.
The main event of the 2012 WWE Royal Rumble saw 30 competitors clash in an attempt to headline WrestleMania. Some of the top performers in the world were involved in the Royal Rumble Match, including Chris Jericho, Sheamus, The Miz, Booker T, Randy Orton, and Michael Cole.
The final two men in the 30-man match were Chris Jericho and Sheamus. After around 54 minutes, the bout concluded when The Celtic Warrior eliminated Y2J. Sheamus went on to challenge for a world title at WrestleMania.
#3. John Cena and AJ Styles clashed at the Royal Rumble on January 29th, 2017
The Royal Rumble 2017 was held on January 29th. This event took place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Over 52,000 fans were said to be in attendance at the 30th annual Royal Rumble show.
This show featured the standard Royal Rumble Match, which was won by Randy Orton. While the bout was fun, it wasn't particularly memorable. Instead, the most fondly remembered match of the night saw John Cena clash with AJ Styles.
The two talented performers fought for around 24 minutes. The conclusion of their rivalry saw John Cena ultimately defeat The Phenomenal One, winning the WWE Championship in the process. The bout was notable for the two men not going to the floor at all.
#2. There was a controversial ending to the 2005 Royal Rumble on January 30th
WWE held one of the smallest Royal Rumble events in history on January 30th, 2005. This was the 18th annual Royal Rumble and took place in front of just 12,000 fans. The show was held at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.
The show featured two of the biggest stars of all time. John Cena and Batista were the final two, and both men ended up winning world titles at WrestleMania. Unfortunately, there was controversy along the way.
Both men went up and over the top rope. Their feet hit at the same time, and fans were bewildered, unsure of who had prevailed. The referees and staff were equally confused. Vince McMahon ultimately came out and demanded the match be restarted. From there, Batista won.
#1. The first-ever 40-Man Royal Rumble Match took place on January 30th, 2011
The final entry this week will look back at one more Royal Rumble event. This time around, the show was held on January 30th, 2011, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, in front of around 15,000 excited fans.
This version of the Royal Rumble Match was quite different from the norm. Instead of being a standard 30-man affair, this WWE gimmick match was the first 40-man Royal Rumble Match.
The bout lasted for an hour and nine minutes. The final two competitors were Alberto Del Rio and Santino Marella. The master of The Cobra nearly won, but in the end, Del Rio tossed out the Italian star and went on to compete at WrestleMania.
Teddy Long snaps when Swerve Strickland's race is brought up HERE
