Since 1988 wrestlers of all backgrounds, shapes, sizes, and abilities have reached into a tumbler and selected a number.
A single number that could define not only their year but their entire careers.
Starting in 1993, the winner of the Royal Rumble received the grandest of prizes:
A World Championship match at Wrestlemania.
Suddenly friendships went by the wayside, tag teams began imploding, shocking returns took place as the lure of immortality is often too great to resist.
Tonight, 30 more men have entered into the 30 Man free for all, many having already declared their victory a foregone conclusion.
Who will ultimately be standing at the end? Let's break this down..
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For the first time in quite some time, the Royal Rumble closely resembles the Land of The Giants that dominated the landscape of the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1980s'
Some serious mass will be hitting the ring and one has to hope the squared circle is reinforced as never before.
The biggest shadow cast in inarguably courtesy of The Undertaker.
For the first time since 2008 (where he drew #1) The Dead Man has entered himself into a Rumble and he hasn't come back for anything other than victory.
Interrupting a job evaluation of Raw GM Mick Foley, Undertaker warned the 29 other wrestlers that holes had been dug already and they were all going to their final resting place.
That declaration instantly puts him at odds with several other intimidating forces that will be joining him in the fray.
Bill Goldberg embarked on the most shocking and unlikely comeback back at Survivor Series.
His quick dismantling of Brock Lesnar set shockwaves through the entire wrestling scene.
Originally intending to shut Lesnar down, the flame of competition was reignited and the following night Goldberg decided he had another title run left in him. Thus he was the first entry into the Rumble.
Not too long after, Lesnar's advocate Paul Heyman formally entered his Beast into the Rumble. He would be out to victimize everyone he comes into contact with, especially one Bill Goldberg.
It was an electric feeling when the three icons shared the shame ring for the first time ever.
Imaginations ran wild as to what will happen should the moment repeat itself at the Alamo Dome. Just who would win out in a colossal struggle?
If Braun Strowman has anything to say about it, all three would become his latest conquests in a long line of bodies left broken and battered.
Since being drafted away from the control of Bray Wyatt, Strowman has been an unstoppable monster.
Not only undefeated but aside from a duel spear from Goldberg and Roman Reigns, nobody has been able to pierce the armor of the big man.
His repeated assaults on Roman Reigns is a definite sign he is ready to incorporate championship gold into his daily life. A man that size can not be denied, can he?
Enter The Big Show.
While he has largely been away from the squared circle (his only match since the Draft being against Seth Rollins), The World's Largest Athlete hasn't been completely dormant.
Arguably in the best shape of his career, he has returned to remind everyone that at one point he was THE most powerful big man in all of wrestling.
His first immediate target turned out to be Strowman. The two shared an intense staredown and although Braun opted not to engage in a fight, that will not be the case in the Rumble.
All those men would be intimidating to a great majority. If the buzzer goes off and any of them, if not all, are already present, few would be in a hurry to get into the ring.
Baron Corbin is in the minority who isn't the least bit impressed by the size and accolades of any of them.
On the Smackdown Live side of the fence, The Lone Wolf has been busy introducing several superstars to their End of Days.
A proven winner of battle royals (His debut saw him claim The Andre Memorial Battle Royal trophy at Wrestlemania), Corbin has zero doubt he can outmuscle and outlast anyone regardless of their pedigree.
Should he wind up looking in the eyes of an Undertaker or Lesnar, it will be fascinating to see who blinks first and winds up sent to the arena floor.
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All the above have brute force on their side to clear the ring whenever they feel like doing so.
However in the psychological warfare department, the most dangerous entity is The Wyatt Family.
Bray Wyatt has seen his fare share of ups and downs in the nearly four years he has sought to spread the word of Sister Abigail.
But one thing he has never lost is the ability to bring together lost souls and leave a trail of carnage in their wake.
On his own "The Eater of Worlds" has defeated the likes of Daniel Bryan, Ryback, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, and many others. His unconventional style has left many puzzled and eventually left for the buzzards.
Add in a cohesive Family and it is him who could be the biggest threat to watch out for.
Therein lies the question? Just how unified will The Wyatts be?
Recent tension between Randy Orton and Luke Harper resulted in Wyatt ordering them to do battle on the January24 Smackdown Live. He wanted them to get all angst out of their systems in order to unite at the Alamo Dome.
Orton picked up the victory but the most shocking moment came when Bray delivered a Sister Abigail to his most loyal, trusted disciple.
Was it tough love or was Harper's time in the Family ended then and there?
That key question may be answered at the Rumble.
The other question is even if Harper and Orton arrive united at last, do they merely wish to help their patriarch win the match?
Orton hasn't tasted singles gold in three years while Harper is a former Intercontinental Champion fully capable of carving out his own path of mayhem. Do they stay loyal to Bray or does the Family fully implode?
If it's the former, the other participants may want to RUN.
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The rest of the announced loaded field are not athletes to take unlikely or discount as potential winners in the least.
Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose and The Miz may be currently embroiled in a personal battle for pride and gold but their World Title aspirations have never fully gone away.
Ambrose enjoyed an 84 day reign as WWE Champion in 2016 while Miz experienced a career rebirth while simultaneously raising the stock of the IC Title The Lunatic Fringe currently holds.
If either is able to keep their focus on winning the Rumble if/when they come into contact, it is very possible one of them punches their ticket to Orlando.
Chris Jericho may spend part of the night hanging from a Shark Cage when best friend Kevin Owens defends the Universal Championship but the current United States Champion will no doubt aim to end the night giving the WWE Universe the Rumble of Jericho.
With a scarf and a list, Y2J has experience perhaps the best period of his stories career. He is one of the few with extensive Rumble experience and nearly won it in 2012 where he was the runner-up to Sheamus. If he can survive the trauma of being a sexy pinata, he just might secure the one accomplishment left for him in WWE.
The New Day and Sheamus & Cesaro have primarily been focused on the tag team ranks but as previously noted unity and friendship don't tend to survive a Royal Rumble. The competitive nature of all five competitors could lead to the very meltdowns the match has been known to create.
Dolph Ziggler recently returned to his evil roots and won't be looking to just show off. He will be out to run through the other 29 participants and restore himself to the glory he experienced as a former World Champion in 2013.
Sami Zayn makes his second Royal Rumble appearance. Last year his obsession with Kevin Owens cost him but with KO out of the field, the Underground Underdog can fully focus on the task at hand.
He was nearly left out of the match by Stephanie McMahon which should only further fuel his desire to headline the Showcase of The Immortals.
Newcomers Big Cass and Mojo Rawley may not make the list of those most likely to win but both will be looking to leave a lasting impact.
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With eight positions yet to be filled, the WWE Universe is abuzz with the endless possibilities of who may walk through that curtain.
Newly added Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, NXT's Samoa Joe, Tye Dillinger, Shinsuke Nakamura, former Universal Champion Finn Balor are just some of the many names thrown out as potentially showing up.
The unknown factor of who will arrive and what number they have made be the key to victory for the mystery participant.
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My Projection:
I see Chris Jericho winning in the end. Drink it in MAAAAAN!
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