Throwback to when WWE’s Vince McMahon tore BOTH his quads after ‘Thanos power walk’ during botched 2005 Royal Rumble clash between John Cena and Batista

The Royal Rumble has remained one of WWE’s most highly anticipated matches for over 30 years following it’s 1988 inception.

Vince McMahon is renowned for planning every inch of his PPV events but the nature of the over-the-top rope extravaganza leaves room for chaos.

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WWE’s executive chairman has finally ceded creative control for the Rumble to son-in-law Triple H for the 36th annual event this weekend.

And Hunter will be praying his first in time won’t descend into as much drama as the 2005 edition that left McMahon tearing BOTH his quads.

Batista and John Cena were both dominating WWE’s main event scene on RAW and SmackDown respectively at that time.

The 2005 Rumble came down to a straight shootout between the two stars with Batista planned to win and set up a WrestleMania date with Triple H.

Yet the finish went horribly wrong when Cena countered a Batista Bomb with a headscissors takedown and both men went tumbling over the top rope and hit the floor at the exact same time.

Unlike the pre-booked 1994 Royal Rumble that saw Lex Luger and Bret Hart co-winners, the 2005 double elimination wasn’t meant to happen.

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Former WWE producer Bruce Prichard revealed backstage producers initially watched replays hoping Batista could still be deemed the winner.

He told Wrestling Inc: “The initial reaction was, ‘F**k!’ The second reaction was, ‘Let’s take a look at it and see if, hopefully, Cena hit first.’

“We looked at it and every angle, there was no angle that you can even argue that Cena hit first.”

In the ring, WWE referees attempted to improvise the ending by having RAW officials declare Batista the winner and SmackDown ref’s hold up Cena’s hand as the victor.

But fans were clearly not buying it and backstage then-WWE chairman McMahon knew he had to personally intervene.

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The 77-year-old later told the WWE Network: “I was a little volatile – I jumped out of my chair and threw my headset down and stormed out of there.”

11-time champion Edge had just been eliminated before Batista and Cena’s botch and watched as McMahon came racing down to the ring.

He told Inside The Ropes: “I’m still walking to the back, and I just see that pompadour come power walking.

“Vince has a power-walk anyway but this thing was a next-level power walk. This was like a Thanos power walk — like eating worlds and I just went, ‘Oh no. Oh good Lord’.”

McMahon dove into the ring but caught himself on the apron and somehow managed to tear BOTH his quadricep muscles in his legs.

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In his own words, the American was in ‘excruciating pain’ and was unable to stand as he sat on the canvas and began barking orders.

JBL told the WWE Network: “It was quite an amazing feat but I think it upset Vince. Not because he got hurt but because people might think he’s mortal!”

As per McMahon’s orders, the match was restarted with Batista promptly eliminating Cena correctly this time to be declared the winner.

The Animal went on defeat Triple H at WrestleMania 21 but it was his journey in getting there that has gone down in WWE folklore.

Batista said: “Most people in their lives don’t get to experience moments like that, you know, that are just so crazy but work out to be so good and so magical…even though your boss ends up with two torn quads!”