The tagline and subtitle of the event was taken from a promise by WWF Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mr. McMahon that the first entrant in the Royal Rumble, Stone Cold Steve Austin, had "no chance in hell" of winning the match.

The event centered on the continuing heated rivalry between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon, with those men entering the Royal Rumble match at #1 and #2, respectively.

The Royal Rumble is an annual gimmick pay-per-view (PPV) produced every January by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) since 1988.

[7][8] The overriding theme of the pay-per-view was centered on The Corporation and Mr. McMahon's attempts to enforce his notions of how a company should be run on the promotion.

Since its inception the night after Survivor Series, the group had mainly come to blows with D-Generation X, the Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness and McMahon's nemesis Stone Cold Steve Austin.

Filled with his typical rage Shamrock put his Intercontinental Championship on the line for a chance to honor his notions of sibling protection.

After a minor absence, Women's Champion Sable returned to Raw with an open invitation on December 28, but before the match a fan came into the ring, later identified as Tori to give her a rose.

A masked wrestler identified as "Spider Lady" came to the ring for the match (a nod to The Fabulous Moolah's screwjob over Wendi Richter in the mid '80s) but it ended in a no-contest when she started whipping Sable with her belt.

The Rock and Mankind had been feuding ever since Survivor Series in November 1998, when the two met in the finals of the "Deadly Game" tournament for the vacant WWF Championship.

On the first Raw is War of 1999, January 4, after interference from The Corporation, D-Generation X and Steve Austin, Mankind won his first WWF Championship.

Road Dogg found some short success when Boss Man tried to run and jump onto him, but was left with his crotch caught on the ropes.

Boss Man tried to reply with his night stick but referee Mike Chioda stopped him and while he was being reprimanded, Road Dogg dragged him to his feet and pulled him into the ring post, legs open.

Gunn fought back but accidentally clotheslined referee Tim White and while he was down, Val Venis ran in and delivered a DDT on Shamrock.

Some controversy arose when referee Teddy Long seemed to make the three count as Gangrel rolled the diving X-Pac into a roll-up pin, the champion kicking out too late.

Fearing a turn in the match, Shane McMahon jumped on the apron to distract the referee, but as Vachon went to tap the fourth turnbuckle, Tori attacked her and ran back into the crowd, letting Sable freely tap the fourth turnbuckle in sight of the referee to retain the Women's Championship.

Rock low blowed him though, and then climbed over the barrier up the stairs to make a running punch which launched Mankind onto the electrical hub of the arena, causing them to spark and the lights to go out briefly.

Shane McMahon came to stop the match but Rock demanded his opponent quit, though he would not ask him the question as he kicked a crawling Mankind back towards the ring.

The Rock managed to stand up and clotheslined Mankind to the mat, putting a chair on his face and performing the Corporate Elbow.

Shortly after entering the match, Mabel took out Blackman, Severn, Singh, Meanie and Droz, and started a clash with Road Dogg, who was just fresh and took Edge out, having the upper hand.

But after having some dominance, the lights went out, and when they came back up, under a blue hue, The Acolytes and Mideon had eliminated Mabel and took him to meet The Undertaker who put him in a (kayfabe) trance.

The ring gradually began to fill up again with Goldust and Godfather until Kane entered, instantly putting all four wrestlers over the top rope and then eliminating himself when some asylum workers came to try and commit him.

As Test entered the ring, the Ministry were shown in the parking lot putting Mabel into a hearse and then an ambulance pulled up with Steve Austin driving.

Again the ring began to fill up, with two members of DX in Triple H and X-Pac, Test and Boss Man representing The Corporation along with other singles wrestlers in Val Venis, Mark Henry, Jeff Jarrett, D'Lo Brown and Owen Hart.

Austin took a break from being in the ring to go to the commentary team to throw a jug of water in McMahon's face before returning to the fight.

To ensure that there would be no corporate interference, the match would take place inside a steel cage at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House.

Having been screwed again, Mankind hijacked the $100,000 bounty money The Rock earned for helping eliminate Austin, and began to throw it in the crowd, holding it ransom for a rematch.

It ended in a draw when both men were counted out,[17] meaning they had to settle it again the next night on Raw is War in a ladder match which Rock won with help from Paul Wight.

[20] Mabel, meanwhile, was renamed Viscera and became the newest member of the Ministry of Darkness as it assembled its war against The Corporation and Mr. McMahon, making The Brood part of the stable too on February 1.

One day after her historic appearance in the Royal Rumble Match, Chyna turned heel by betraying Triple H and becoming the newest member of The Corporation.

At St. Valentine's Day Massacre, the evil Chyna teamed with fellow Corporation member Kane in defeating Triple H and X-Pac.