This week in WWE history: Major Royal Rumble controversy, former champion makes massive debut (January 22-January 28)
WWE had a very newsworthy week. The Rock joined the TKO Group Holdings Board of Directors and Monday Night RAW will be heading to Netflix once the deal with the USA Network expires.
That wasn't the end of the news, though. More information was released regarding allegations against Vince McMahon, along with the revelation of a new lawsuit. He has since left the company. From there, the promotion attempted to focus on a massive Royal Rumble event.
Needless to say, there's a lot of good and bad in the wrestling world today. Some fans may prefer to look back at the past, however, instead of following the business and product of today. Those fans are in luck.
Sportskeeda offers a weekly article that looks back at some of the most important and memorable moments in the company's long history. This week's edition will remember a controversial Royal Rumble moment, a surprise debut, and beyond. What happened this week in the promotion's past?
Below are five key events that took place this week in WWE history:
#5. Bret Hart and Lex Luger both won the Royal Rumble Match on January 22, 1994
WWE held a massive Premium Live Event on January 22, 1994. The seventh annual Royal Rumble was held on that date in front of over 14,000 fans. The show took place at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.
This show featured five main card bouts, but the most interesting was the Royal Rumble Match. This was before female competitors had their version of the traditional match, so only one took place. Despite that, the one Royal Rumble Match ended in serious controversy.
Lex Luger and Bret Hart were the final two men in the match. They eventually both went up and over the top rope with their feet hitting the floor at the same time. The referees and company officials were confused, as were the talent, but the controversial finish ultimately led to the two being declared co-winners. They both went on to WrestleMania.
#4. Tazz made his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble on January 23, 2000
Six years later, WWE held the 2000 Royal Rumble on January 23. The show took place in the world's most famous arena Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Over 19,000 fans were reportedly in attendance.
This show featured six main card matches, including the Royal Rumble Match and a very physical and violent Street Fight. Perhaps the most memorable match of the WWE show, however, was a bout between the undefeated Kurt Angle and a debuting superstar.
The Olympic Gold Medalist had no idea who his opponent would be and it ended up being Tazz. The former ECW Champion showed up and delivered several huge suplexes and locked in a submission hold that caused Angle to pass out in just over 3 minutes. The debut was epic, even if the follow-through didn't quite live up to Tazz's initial buzz.
#3. Triple H won the Royal Rumble on January 24, 2016
The 2016 Royal Rumble event was staged by WWE on January 24. The show was held at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Over 15,000 fans were in attendance for a memorable night.
The 2016 WWE Royal Rumble had five main roster matches, all of which featured championship belts being defended. This includes the World Title, which was defended in the 30-man Royal Rumble Match.
The match featured tons of stars from the era including AJ Styles, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho, Ryback, Kane, and Rusev. In the end, Triple H won the Royal Rumble Match for the second time in his career by eliminating Dean Ambrose. He went on to defend the title against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania.
#2. Roman Reigns stood tall at the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2015
Another controversial Royal Rumble took place on January 25, 2015. The show was held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in front of over 17,000 fans.
The controversy behind this match includes The Authority's Big Show and Kane. They were eliminated but still ran back to the ring in an attempt to help Rusev defeat Roman Reigns. In an unexpected moment, The Rock appeared and helped his cousin fight the cheaters off.
Roman Reigns ultimately won, much to the displeasure of the crowd who had turned on The Big Dog by this point. When The Rock raised Roman's hand in celebration, the WWE Universe even booed The People's Champion, which he was notably perplexed by.
#1. Top stables clashed at Worlds Collide on January 25, 2020
A unique WWE Premium Live Event aired on January 15, 2020. The NXT and NXT UK brands came together for Worlds Collide. The concept was simple, as it was an NXT version of Bragging Rights, a main roster premium live event from the past.
While the TakeOver-style show featured five matches, all eyes were on the eight-man main event. NXT's Undisputed Era battled NXT UK's Imperium. After nearly 30 minutes, Imperium stood tall in the end. This was mostly thanks to the near-unbeatable Walter.
Imperium was represented by Walter, Alexander Wolfe, Fabian Aichner, and Marcel Barthel. Meanwhile, Undisputed Era was represented by WWE NXT's Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Bobby Fish. The bout proved to be a memorable one.
Did we miss out on any historic moments? Tell us in the comment section below.