For the 2005 event, the winner received their choice to challenge for either Raw's World Heavyweight Championship or SmackDown!

No tag team match was featured on the card, which made this the first PPV since The Wrestling Classic in 1985 to not include one.

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

The 2005 event was the 18th Royal Rumble and was scheduled to be held on January 30, 2005, at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.

[8][9] The main feud heading into the Royal Rumble on the Raw brand was between Triple H and Randy Orton over the World Heavyweight Championship.

[13] On the January 10 episode of Raw, Orton defeated Batista to become the number one contender for the title at the Royal Rumble.

[14] On the January 17 episode of Raw, after a verbal confrontation between the two in the arena, Triple H ambushed Orton backstage.

[15] On the January 24 episode of Raw, Orton defeated Flair, despite interference from Triple H.[16] The main feud on the SmackDown!

brand was between John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL), The Big Show, and Kurt Angle, with the three feuding over the WWE Championship.

The Cabinet (Orlando Jordan, Doug, and Danny Basham) interfered and attacked Angle, causing the match to end via disqualification.

They continued to attack Angle after the match until Big Show came out, beat down everyone, and signaled to JBL that he wanted the title.

[17] On the December 30 episode of SmackDown!, a triple threat match for the title between the three was booked for the Royal Rumble.

General Manager Theodore Long booked a Last Man Standing match between JBL and Angle for later that night.

General Manager Theodore Long let The Undertaker name the stipulation for his match against Heidenreich at the Royal Rumble.

Their feud started at Taboo Tuesday when Michaels was voted over Edge and Chris Benoit to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship while Edge and Benoit were put into a World Tag Team Championship match against La Résistance.

[25] At New Year's Revolution, Edge competed in an Elimination Chamber match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship with Michaels as the special guest referee.

[26] On the January 10 episode of Raw, a confrontation between Edge and Michaels ended in the two men brawling around the arena.

[27] Before the event went live on pay-per-view, Maven defeated Rhyno in a match taped for Sunday Night Heat.

Angle hit Big Show with a television monitor, causing him to fall through a broadcast announce table.

Luther Reigns, Mark Jindrak and Doug and Danny Basham attacked Big Show as Orlando Jordan helped JBL back into the ring.

Before the match, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff banned Evolution (Batista and Ric Flair) from ringside.

The participants divided into their brands and fought against each other, working together to eliminate Muhammad Hassan, the thirteen entrant (who had garnered heat at the time).

[32] Batista became aware of the scheme and chose to face Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, thus leaving the Evolution stable in the process.

[39] Following the Royal Rumble, Randy Orton and Kurt Angle began feuding with The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, respectively.

[47] ^ Scotty was attacked by Hassan before he made it to the ring, and therefore was unable to compete and never officially entered the match.