Wrestling...thats right, Wrestling!

[D]

Quite a few Royal Rumble debuts, with Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase, Kozlov and The Brian Kendrick (despite debuting six years ago).

The Royal Rumble 1999 event was actually my very first so this is sort of a 10 year anniversary for me. I have a birthday in June so it's pretty much been something I've followed exactly half my life. I only keep up on the big stuff now like Wrestlemania, and I haven't seen a full Raw since probably the 2008 draft, but I always make a point to catch the Royal Rumble match.

Damn u make me feel old. I remember watching the very first Royal Rumble on a VHS tape that my video store use to get a few months after the event.

RR was always my favorite PPV. Greatest Gimmick match ever.

[Gnrfan]

I can't be sure of the RR but the 1st PPV i watched was RR and it was the one with Ric Flair was in first and got battered but survived for ages. Some of his acting and falling got me interested.

[Evolution]

I can't be sure of the RR but the 1st PPV i watched was RR and it was the one with Ric Flair was in first and got battered but survived for ages. Some of his acting and falling got me interested.

That would be 1992 for the vacant WWF Title.

Oddly enough, the thing that kept me wanting to watch more was the "I Quit" Match and the aura of Mankind and the whole "I've never said I Quit before" thing. That and Mabel, who I reckoned just needed a shot at the Rock and he'd be WWF Champion. Weird what impressions different people have first time around. I'd have totally bought Viscera as a challenger.

[D]

The Mankind I Quit was class when they had the taped "I Quit" play over and Mick got screwed! haha!

[Evolution]

I always thought they could have had Mankind cut an intense promo somewhere along the way and used that instead of the shouting. It seemed to contrast with the fact he just got beaten senseless for five odd minutes. I suppose in kayfabe you could have explained it away as The Rock's ego demanding that they have Foley quit in such an over the top way.

[Hammy]

That and Mabel, who I reckoned just needed a shot at the Rock and he'd be WWF Champion. Weird what impressions different people have first time around. I'd have totally bought Viscera as a challenger.

Don't feel bad, I liked him then as well, and this was after having had to endure him as part of Men on a Mission and as King Mabel.  When your a kid though you mark for stuff like Men on a Mission, Mabel, Mo and their manager Oscar, good times!

This isn't just WWE Game bias, well maybe it is, but if they want to get Zeke over, Royal Rumble is always perfect for getting a big monster over, I remember in 1994, Diesel was merely Shawn Michaels "Bodyguard", but when he came down and totally dominated the match the fans went crazy, he was getting way over in one mere match, this match/gimmick is such a good tool, it's always good to just look back at classic Iron Man performances in the match, generally done by your cowardly heels who hold on at any cost...

[Evolution]

Hey, if anyone is up for a mini little top 5 Royal Rumble performances thing, send me lists and I'll make a little chart in the thread here.

[Hammy]

Hey, if anyone is up for a mini little top 5 Royal Rumble performances thing, send me lists and I'll make a little chart in the thread here.

Good idea, I think I did a post covering like my Top 20 moments last year or something...

[Evolution]

1. 1994 Rumble Match - My favourite Royal Rumble match.  Maybe it was because it was the first one I ever remember seeing, I don't think it was, I think it was the perfect layout that ticked all the boxes as a kid and still does as a smark.  You'll remember in my introductory paragraph I listed a near who's who of wrestlecrap, well they were all in the '93 event; there weren't too many credible potential winners involved.  1994 was different.  Before the event it was all Lex Express or Hitman Hart, kids were split (although later you'd notice they weren't quite as split as the company wanted).  Now with any Rumble match, for me it's about the layers to the match.  So many little feuds are told along the way and seeds are sown for future battles, with the right planning, at least 20 of the 30 guys can come out of the match with an angle/story/career boost.  Bam Bam Bigelow and Doink The Clown had been feuding, they had Bam Bam eliminate him to carry that on, and that?s one feud continued, same happened with Savage and Crush who also went at it backstage.  Also at this event, a star was born; Diesel for the first time ever had a chance to shine.  When he entered the match he went on the rampage eliminating everyone in the ring and subsequently being cheered like crazy by the fans despite being a heel, a star was born and the bigwigs in the 'F could see this guy was over and they could execute their long term plans to push him later in the year.  If people remember, he split from HBK in November, well it was in January of the year at this event when things first started going awry as HBK helped eliminate him.  10 smurfin' months of building up and hinting at a split before finally doing it, I'd like to see that now   Moving back to the match, you had some great little moments, Kwang spitting green mist into Rick Steiner's face to blind him for the duration of his time in the match (Tajiri eat your heart out), Shawn and Jannetty going toe-to-toe, having a big man like Diesel clean house (I always love the big man coming down and sending lil' jobbers flying').  What made this match extra special (Apart from my favourite wrestler Shawn a midcarder of the time coming 3rd...Yeah I marked for that) was the finish.  Bret and Luger both going over at the same time, nobody expected it because it had never been done before and everybody was confused by it.  WWE had done it though for a very good reason.  They weren't sure who was more over, so they used this as a test.  After the match you had the now over used scenario of two referees arguing over what happened.  First one told The Fink that Luger had won and he was announced as the winner and the fans cheered, then the other referee told him the opposite so Bret was then announced as the winner, the fans cheered....way louder.  As they continued to do this the fans cheered more for Bret and less for Luger, until eventually Jack Tunney (Legend!) had them announced as joint winners.  But everyone knows, going off the fan reaction, there was only one winner, and his name was Bret "The Hitman" Hart.
[/i]

Aye!

It'll work like this. Votes have until 11pm UK time on Monday night to come in, then I'll post the results at intervals after that. Vote for 5 performances and I'll give them points like 1st gets 5 etc.

[BlowUpYourVideo]

Is this performances in the Royal Rumble itself or just any moments from the PPV?

[Axl4Life]

I watched the 2000 Royal Rumble match yesterday and couldn't believe out of the 30 entrants which ones were even wrestling these days never mind still with the WWE. A large percent of them had died aswell including, Crash, Big Boss Man, British Bulldog etc, whilst all the rest had retired. The only ones that were in the Rumble match and still wrestling were Funaki, Edge, Big Show, Christian and Jericho I think. 

Edit: And yes Hammy, I left out Billy Gunn on purpose. 

On another note, anyone here seen "The Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke? Saw the movie last night. Pretty damn good.

[BlowUpYourVideo]

^Don't forget Bradhsaw and Kane!! I know it's easy to, but still....


Hopefully gonna see The Wrestler next week. Heard some good reviews.

[Hammy]

Edit: And yes Hammy, I left out Billy Gunn on purpose. 

Thanks to a wise man at wrestlecrap for this:



That is all.

 

[Evolution]

Is this performances in the Royal Rumble itself or just any moments from the PPV?

Performances in the match itself. You could always use moments during the match as criteria for voting them in.

e.g Snitsky for eliminating Paul London in 2005 in such a cool way.

[Izzy]

Is this performances in the Royal Rumble itself or just any moments from the PPV?

Performances in the match itself. You could always use moments during the match as criteria for voting them in.

e.g Snitsky for eliminating Paul London in 2005 in such a cool way.

I thought he'd been killed - I think the refs did too

Pretty scary for a few mins there

[Evolution]

On another note, anyone here seen "The Wrestler" with Mickey Rourke? Saw the movie last night. Pretty damn good.

Just back from seeing it. More thoughts later.

I've only received one Rumble performances list so far!

[Izzy]

''The Wrestler''

I'd say wait for DVD

Its fascinating as an insight into how match work, I think we tend to forget how both guys are working together the whole time on a choregraphed performance

Its fascinating as an oh so true account of what happens when WWE has decided your no longer what it wants

...but as a film, its by the numbers, cliche and worryinly short on.....wrestling

I'd be intrigued (and horrified) to see one of the hardcore matches in real life

[AxlsMainMan]

Vinnie Mac returns tonight, should add some "zest" to the show.

[BlowUpYourVideo]

I've only received one Rumble performances list so far!

Vote, fools!

[D]

was it Chris Benoit that won eliminating the Big Show? I liked that one.