5 most important Royal Rumble matches in history

#1: 1998

The WWF would stand tall once again with Austin leading the way.

The WWF was in a dark place in 1996 and 1997. For a while, it was doubtful if the company would survive. With the nWo and a heel Hulk Hogan leading the charge, WCW was at its peak in popularity. nWo shirts were a common sight during those years and Nitro was beating RAW week in and week out in the ratings. Things looked so bad that there was the talk of the WWF holding events solely in its northeastern homeland. Moreover, Vince McMahon couldn't afford to keep his top star, Bret Hart.

Backstage issues and dissension compounded the financial problems. Things looked grim indeed.

Vince McMahon didn't then have a star of the calibre of Hulk Hogan or Sting, who were heading into what was being billed as the "Match of the Century," but there was one bright spot. Since his "Austin 3:16" promo in June of 1996, Stone Cold Steve Austin was getting incredibly over. His widely-praised match with Bret Hart saw him turn babyface and plant the seeds for the megastar that he would become. Even in 1997, Stone Cold Steve Austin was the top merchandise seller in the entire industry.

In December of that year, WCW showed its vulnerability by botching the highly-anticipated Hogan/Sting match at Starrcade. Vince McMahon wasted no time in pouncing. The next month, he pulled the trigger on Stone Cold's mega push by anointing him as the Royal Rumble winner for the second year in a row, and this time, he'd be getting his title shot at WrestleMania.

In came Mike Tyson to get him that much more over. Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated Shawn Michaels for the WWF Championship and was cemented as the top star in the company. It was an unambiguous changing of the guard. The New Generation Era was out. The Attitude Era was in.

The ratings would soon turn in the WWF's favour and the balance of power would change drastically. By the end of 1998, the WWF had a decisive advantage in the Monday Night Wars, and to make matters better, its peak still hadn't come. WCW would go on to make tremendous mistakes the following year, while Stone Cold Steve Austin would only take the WWF higher.

The strategic situation had completely changed and the Royal Rumble match of 1998 was a vital ingredient to making it happen. It isn't a stretch to say that its outcome saved the company and began the end for WCW.