What's happening at the Royal Rumble

The countdown is over, and the Royal Rumble is finally here. WWE.com is on the scene everywhere in the vicinity of the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, observing the madness just hours before the Superstars of Raw and SmackDown and ECW Extremists rock the world live on pay-per-view. 

9:15 p.m.

Raw Superstar and proud father Charlie Haas introduced the WWE locker room to his month-old baby daughter Kayla Jacquelyn Haas. Alongside his wife Jackie Gayda, Haas gave baby Kayla her first taste of sports-entertainment.

8:32 p.m.

Rock Band Saliva came back to the locker room area to hang out with some of the Superstars. The band has a long relationship with WWE and provided the music for many of WWE's shows and Superstars over the years. Their new single "Ladies and Gentlemen" is the theme song for WrestleMania 23 and was written specifically with wrestling in mind.

"Ladies and Gentlemen is the perfect song for WrestleMania," said lead singer Josey Scott. "It's dynamic. It's got a lot of booms in it."

Scott's wife and baby were with him as well. It was baby Justice's first WWE show.

7:10 pm
Just outside the Diva locker room, Women's Champion Mickie James and ECW's Rebecca are sharing stories of their experiences on WWE.com's Diva photo shoot at San Antonio's River Walk. Friendly smiles turned to napalm as Kristal inserted herself into the conversation, claiming that she took the hottest photos of the weekend. Clutching her championship gold, Mickie fired back at the SmackDown Diva, leading Kristal to volley a mean glare in Mickie's direction before cattily strolling out of sight.

6:35 p.m.
WWE live event technicians prepared for one of the key elements to the 30-man Royal Rumble Match: the timer. WWE.com witnessed a test countdown of 90 seconds on the clock as well as the all-important "buzzer." In hours, this sound will be accompanied by one of 30 combatants charging to the ring to join the fray in the AT&T Center

5:17 p.m.
A loud rumbling ripped through the arena frightening many. Undertaker had just received a custom-built motorcycle made by West Coast Choppers and designed by Jesse James himself. The bike, which features airbrushed skulls and ghouls, was three years in the making and one of the largest bikes the famous company has made. The others were for Shaq and former ECW Champion Big Show.

4:52 p.m.
Hometown hero Shawn Michaels spent time today hanging out with some of his biggest fans: his family. HBK's wife and children were enjoying the afternoon in the arena with him just hours before the AT&T Center will be flooded with screaming Royal Rumble fans. Michaels was seen holding his daughter while she bounced on the ring ropes before his pint-sized son rushed from the corner.

3:37 p.m.

With their skin painted in the lime and black hues of D-Generation X, two of an expected 8,000-plus WWE fans showed up at the WrestleMania Axxess Tour to show their true colors. Chris Herrere and Julian Zepeda were shirtless and painted down their torsos in support of San Antonio's own, Shawn Michaels.

"I'm here for Shawn Michaels, San Antonio…I'm here for Texas!" exclaimed Zepeda.

His cohort was Superstar-struck by the visiting Superstars just hours before the Rumble.

"This is awesome," said Herre. "At the Axxess Tour, you get to meet the Superstars. You get their autographs. It shows that they care about the fans!"

3:00 p.m.

Filling the parking lot just feet from the entrance to the arena, Rumble-crazed WWE fans engulfed the center stage at the WrestleMania Axxess Tour live outside the AT&T Center. The tour continues today at the setting of this evening's Royal Rumble, and fanatical Texans packed in for the event that will keep bumping until show time. Carlito, the Highlanders and Matt Striker stood beside tour guide Hillbilly Jim for interaction with some of the greatest fans in the world.

2:28 p.m.

Mere moments before WWE and ECW Superstars stepped up to the tumbler to draw their Royal Rumble entry numbers, WWE.com got exclusive access to the fate-wielding bin. Containing slips of paper marked from one to 30, the tumbler is heavily guarded within a separate room in a far-off corner of the arena. No Superstar is allowed within a five-foot vicinity of its door.

12:43 p.m. 
During their stay in the Lone Star State, WWE.com reporters enjoyed a taste of San Antonio, Texas just outside the AT&T Center. Starting with a "kolache" -- an oversized pig-in-a-blanket infused with jalapenos and melted, cheesy fluid -- reporters washed down the tang of the pork indulgence with Lone Star beer, a local brew.