This week in WWE history: Shocking name announced for the Hall of Fame, major names win the Royal Rumble (January 13-January 19)

WWE continues to be on fire. Seemingly every edition of RAW and SmackDown features anywhere between 10,000 and 14,000 fans in attendance from week to week. Additionally, big Premium Live Events do major numbers, and other shows are selling out or doing great business, too.

The next few weeks will be quite busy for the sports entertainment juggernaut. In addition to the standard staple of weekly shows, Saturday Night's Main Event will air in less than a week, and the 2025 Royal Rumble will take place the following weekend.

While there is plenty of modern content for fans to look forward to, there is also a wealth of past programming for viewers to check out or learn about. For those fans in particular, Sportskeeda offers a weekly look back at moments and events that helped make the company what it is today.

This week's journey back in time will feature three Royal Rumble events between 1992 and 2003. Additionally, it will look at a Hall of Fame announcement that rocked the pro wrestling world. What went down this week in the company's past?

Below are major matches, moments, and events from this week in WWE history.

#4. The Ultimate Warrior was announced as a Hall of Fame inductee on January 13, 2014

One of the biggest moments in WWE for the year 2014 took place on January 13. It was on this date that World Wrestling Entertainment announced that the legendary Ultimate Warrior would be the headline act in the 2014 Hall of Fame.

At one point in time, The Ultimate Warrior was one of the biggest stars in WWE. His popularity even rivaled that of Hulk Hogan and Macho Man Randy Savage. Several major disputes led to his exit from the company on two separate occasions, however, with the last having been in 1996.

Almost two decades later, he was announced for the Hall of Fame. Warrior was inducted on Saturday, April 5, 2014, by Linda McMahon. In tragic news, however, he passed away just days later. Still, he was able to get his spot in the prestigious Hall of Fame before his sudden passing, which serves as a silver lining to the tragedy.

#3. Stone Cold Steve Austin won the 1998 Royal Rumble on January 18, 1998

The second entry on this list and the first actual show is the 1998 Royal Rumble. The big WWE event was held on January 18, and it aired live on pay-per-view from the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California. Over 18,000 fans were in attendance.

In a surprising move, the Royal Rumble Match wasn't actually the final bout on the card, but it was still epic. The legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin entered at number 24 and proceeded to outlast every remaining star to win the 55-minute bout. In his 16 minutes or so involved, Austin had seven eliminations.

This actually marks the second time Austin had won the Royal Rumble Match, as The Texas Rattlesnake was successful the previous year, too. That was a more controversial win, however, as he was a heel at the time. By 1998, he was an incredibly popular babyface.

#2. Ric Flair became WWE Champion at the Royal Rumble on January 19, 1992

Arguably the greatest Royal Rumble Match took place on January 19, 1992. WWE held the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on that date in front of around 17,000 fans at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York.

The added hook with this Royal Rumble Match is that it wasn't just for bragging rights or a future title opportunity. The vacant WWE Championship was on the line for the first time ever in this match type.

Ric Flair entered the match at number three and managed to survive an entire hour. In an incredible performance, The Nature Boy last eliminated Sid Justice, albeit thanks to Hulk Hogan, to win the bout and the coveted world title.

#1. Brock Lesnar won the Royal Rumble Match on January 19, 2003

The final entry on this list is the 2003 WWE Royal Rumble. This time, the show took place at the Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts, with 15,000 fans in the audience for a night all about Brock Lesnar.

The Beast opened the show in a singles match. He took on The Big Show, another former WWE Champion, with the stipulation being that the winner earned entry into the main event Royal Rumble Match. Lesnar defeated the giant in about six minutes.

Lesnar then returned at number 29 in the Royal Rumble Match. Brock Lesnar quickly got four eliminations, including The Undertaker, and ultimately won the bout. He went on to dethrone Kurt Angle at WrestleMania, but that is an entry for another time.