The first Royal Rumble happened when I was still too young to watch, but ironically it happened in Hamilton Ontario, basically in my own backyard. No other Rumble has ever taken place so close to me, it would have been the only one I could have gone to see in person. Too bad it happened so long ago.
I really started watching wrestling during the days of Hulkamania and The Mega Powers (Hulk Hogan and The Macho Man Randy Savage). They faced each other in the main event of Wrestlemania 5. That was the first year that I can remember being a wrestling fan. Unfortunately, I can't really say I remember anything about the Royal Rumble that year. I just know what happened at Wrestlemania that year.
I can however remember the following year when WWF Champion Hulk Hogan found himself alone in the ring with non other than The Ultimate Warrior. This was one of the most historic moments in Rumble history I think. It was the first time I can think of that the unexpected really happened. The two most popular superstars in the WWF were suddenly forced to face off and the electricity was in the air. It was also the fist time I think a Royal Rumble moment lead to the main event of Wrestlemania, as those two faced off again Title for Title at Wrestlemania 6.
I can also remember how impressed I was Ric Flair arrived in the WWF and was after Hulk Hogan and his WWF Championship. Unfortunately, Hulk Hogan ran away from Flair's challenge like a coward and his WWF Championship was put on the line in the Royal Rumble for the first time in history. I assume Vince wanted Hogan to drop the title to Flair to set up a rematch for the title at Wrestlemania, but Hogan being Hogan he refused to do the deed and instead forfeited his title by putting it on the line in the Royal Rumble instead. In the end it came down to Hogan, Flair, and a newcomer known as Sid Justice (Sycho Sid Vicious). Basically an exhausted Flair coward in the corner while Sid took care of Hogan. Only in true Hogan backstabbing fashion, Hogan grabbed Sid's hand from outside the ring and pulled him out, leaving Flair alone in the ring as the new WWF Champion. Ironically, this meant that Hogan gave his WWF Championship to Flair, and instead of winning it back from him at Wrestlemania, Flair chose to drop the title to Macho Man Randy Savage instead.
Another great memory is when Lex Luger and Bret Hart were the final two wrestlers in the Rumble and they both went over the top rope together. It was declared that they both won the Rumble, and was the only time in history they ever had two Rumble winners. Personally, I like how they handled it years later when Cena and Batista did the same thing. Instead of having two winners, they put both superstars back in the ring and had a rematch for the one true winner. In that case Batista won and got to face Triple H in the main event of Wrestlemania. Cena still got to do the same as well, in the Smackdown main event against JBL. I thought the WWE made the right choice going with Batista as the new top guy. Clearly they were saying these were the next top guys in the company, and I think they should have stuck with Batista as #1. Instead they switched them around and sent Batista to Smackdown and Cena to Raw and as a result Batista quit the WWE because he was sick of playing second fiddle to a clown like Cena.
I remember being furious the year that Shawn Micheals was #1 and the British Bulldog was #2 and they both lasted the whole Rumble. It was so exciting when the Bulldog finally threw HBK over the top rope and went to celebrate. But apparently HBK's one foot touched the floor but the rules were changed to "both feet must touch the floor" and Shawn was allowed to reenter the match and sneak up on the Bulldog from behind and knock him off the turnbuckle and send him to the floor below. I thought HBK cheated and I always hated him and the Bulldog was always one of my favorites, so you can see why I was so outraged. I still haven't gotten over it haha.
I can remember everyone working together to try to eliminate Yokozuna. I really hated when he won. I don't think he should have won just like I don't think HBK should have won 2 years in a row or that Stone Cold Steve Austin should have won 3 times. I think others should have had a chance to win. I think the first year Stone Cold won we all know he cheated. He was eliminated, Bret Hart won, but then he jumped back in and the referee didn't notice. Still not over that one either haha. But so I don't sound biased, Bret should not have won the year Luger did. That was Luger's year, he should have won fair and square and went on to main event Wrestlemania 10 and win the WWF Championship, which he never got to do.
Everyone always talks about the Warlord's record for his 2 second elimination, and now everyone is talking about how Santino Marella broke that record with his 1.9 second elimination. Well I think its funnier that Jerry "The King" Lawler tried to break that record years earlier. Bret Hart was supposed to eliminate him, but he failed to get him over the top rope the first time, and by his second try the elimination was not fast enough to set the record. Personally, I think Bret did it on purpose since he hated Lawler, and I thought it was hilarious that Lawler was eliminated in about 4 seconds and it was all for nothing haha.
Still, my favourite Royal Rumble elimination was when one of the Bushwhackers came to the ring doing the famous Bushwhacker walk. He entered the ring, did the Bushwhacker walk across the ring, was flipped over the top rope by I believe Earthquake, landed on his feet, and just kept doing the Bushwhacker walk all the way to the back. I think that should have been the record so it would be remembered, but it took a few seconds and no one ever remembers it, but I do.
Over the years the concept that I have grown to enjoy the best is when old superstars return and make a shocking surprise appearance at the Rumble. That is what makes us sit on the edge of our seats as the clock does the 10 second countdown. You really have no idea who is going to walk through that curtain. Will it be Rob Van Dam making a return like he did a few years go? Will it be Booker T or Diesel like it was last year? Who will make a shocking return this year? Goldberg? Brock Lesner? Batista? Who knows.
Honourable mention to many of the other great performances. Rey Mysterio and Chris Benoit for winning the Rumble. When Brock Lesnar won. When Triple H came back from his leg injury and won the Rumble by eliminating Kurt Angle and went on to defeat Chris Jericho for the WWE and World Championships. I still think Chris Jericho needs to win the Rumble, and I really think/hope this year is his year!
But I have to give the award for the single greatest Rumble performance to John Morrison. One year he was just unstoppable. Every time they tried to eliminate him he found a new way to hang on. He hung from the ropes, he even hung form his feet. But the greatest Rumble moment ever was when he was launched off the ring apron and managed to grab onto the wall surrounding the ring area without touching the floor. He then proceeded to climb around the ringside on the wall until he was able to jump back across the floor area and land on the ring steps and walk back into the ring. I think Morrison should have won the Rumble that year. He gave the greatest Rumble performance and then went into the Elimination Chamber and climbed to the very top of the peak and fell down onto Sheamus to eliminate him. That should have been the final elimination of the match and Morrison should have won the Elimination Chamber right after he won the Royal Rumble and he should have main evented Wrestlemania that year! He earned it and he deserved it. But instead they wasted him away and eventually he left the company, go figure. 
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