Post by Woo on Jan 21, 2009 15:27:30 GMT -1
I tried making this 50 moments but there was too many....I tried 60 but once again I went over the limit. 64 is a nice number though.
64- “Tomko give me a beat.” “No.”- 2005
Hilarious! The battle rap with Cena was great and helped make the CLB a huge star (to the fans…) Had it not been for Tomko’s great TNA run this would be the only thing he’d be remembered for.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb-fmcZLIP8
63- Cena and Batista both go over the ropes and Vince blows his quads- 2005
This was amazing. Not only did Cena and Batista both go over the ropes and hit the floor at the same time, but it wasn’t even planned! Vince then comes to the ring to sort out the situation and injures his leg resulting in him sitting in the ring not being able to stand-up looking pissed off. You really can’t write this stuff!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h9vzKJge4YA
62- Piper and Snuka continue their 20 year feud!- 2008
This was just funny. Seeing these two legends fight once more was a real mark out moment, even Punk and Morrison were marking out. Snuka’s face when Piper entered was priceless.
61- Chyna becomes first woman in the rumble- 1999
She even gets to eliminate Mark Henry too, but the reason why this was a great moment was due to Austin giving her a hard clotheslines to eliminate her. “Stone Cold doesn’t care if you’re a man or a woman!” Austin=Badass!
60- “WHO IS HE! WHO IS THAT MONSTER!”- 1993
So the rumble has been fun and Taker looks dominant when one of the tallest, and worst, wrestlers makes his debut and destroys him. Yes Giant Gonzalez! He was meant to be scary but due to his attire, with fake muscles and hair, he was a joke.
59- HBK/HHH Last Man Standing- 2004
This was a good match and would have been even better if it had an actual winner rather than a lame draw ending.
58- Damien the snake eliminates Andre The Giant- 1989
Andre looked unstoppable in this match, eliminating several people including Jake the Snake, but later on Roberts returned and threw Damien in the ring causing the big man to eliminate himself. Great booking.
57- Virgil turns face on the Million Dollar Man- 1991
For years Ted Dibisase had treated his bodyguard Virgin like crap, but tonight Virgil finally stood up for himself. Ted berated him in the ring and was giving him abuse, so much so that one fan threw their drink at Debiase. But rather than tie the belt round his waist Virgil nailed him with it! Yay!
56- Kane THROWS out the Big Show!- 2002
Kane and Show have a good brawl but then Kane scoops him up and dumps him over the ropes! Holy crap! The crowd go ape shit but Angle ruins the whole thing by dumping Kane out a second later.
55- Undertake dies- 1994
Taker/Yoko was a pretty good casket match actually, but the end angle is the most famous. Taker eventually loses thanks to every midcard heel on the roster and put into the casket, killing him… but wait! Taker appears on the tron to tell everybody that he will not rest in peace! Green smoke bellows out of the casket and Marty Jannetty (dressed as Taker) is pulled to the ceiling to represent Taker going to heaven. Pure wrestlecrap fun!
54- Sabu gets owned by the table- 2007
Until the 2007 rumble got to the final 4, and then the incredible final 2 (more on that later), it was very dull. This was the best part of it. Sabu sets up the table before he enters the ring and for the net 5 minutes the tease eliminations through the table until Kane choke slams Sabu right through it!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RuJqAhrRx38
53- HBK comes back from his concussion injury- 1996
In a match in later 95 Owen Hart kicked HBK in the head with an énziguri. HBK stayed down on the mat concussed. It was a worked injury but a really good and believable one. Shawn then said he was going to return in the 1996 Royal Rumble. He did so, but then in that match Owen kicked him in the head again and Shawn fell down once more….however this time he got up an sent the King of Harts over the ropes! He went on to win too! A great bit of storytelling….it was ruined tough by the camera cutting away and not showing Owen’s exit. Idiots!
52- The Mega Powers nearly explode!- 1989
Hogan cheats in every rumble. In this moment he didn’t cheat, but he eliminated his tag partner Savage which pissed off the WWF Champ and the Macho Macho Man went back into the ring to argue with the Hulkster. Savage and Hogan had a big argument while Elizabeth tried to separate them. They patched things up but the seeds were set for Mania V…
51- Nunzio hides on the outside of the ring- 2004
Haha this was great! Nunzio was scared to enter the ring so he just hides outside and goes unnoticed for about ten minutes until Cena “sees him”. The highlight of Nunzio’s WWE run.
50- Demolition explode!- 1989
Ax drew number 1, Smash drew number 2. This was the first PPV Rumble and they proved that it’s everyman for themselves right from the offset. They tried to work together to get rid of Number 3. Sucks for them it was Andre the Giant.
49- The Rockers vs. The Orient Express- 1991
An awesome tag match. That simple.
48- HBK vs. Undertaker casket match- 1998
Great match. It was when HBK picked up an injury that we thought had ended his career. Shawn wins thanks to Kane who then sets the casket on fire!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DNnZPLv8Mt4
47- Goldust, The Godfather, Val Venis and Mr. Perfect return- 2002
It would have been better had they not announced that these guys would be here and just had it as huge surprises, but it was still fun. Goldust came back (and would go on to be fucking hilarious throughout 2002) first and was drawn No.2 and had a great entrance that popped the crowd. The Godfather, who hadn’t been seen since the RTC days then got a MASSIVE ovation and came to the ring with 12 ho’s! Val was next and looked in great shape, but it was Mr. Perfect who was the star of the 4. We knew he was coming back but nobody thought he’d come third! It was great to get one more classic Henning moment before he sadly died later that year.
46- Sgt Slaughter becomes WWF Champion- 1991
This was when the Sarge was an Iraqi sympathiser during the Gulf war and hated America. He beat Ultimate Warrior thanks to Savage to win his first title and the crowd almost rioted! Piper on commentary was irate while the fans chanted “Bullshit!” This was lead to a great Warrior/Savage match at Mania.
45- Hardyz/Dudleyz Table Match- 2000
The rumble’s best tag match was this one. They had a great brawl which ended with Jeff’s Swanton bomb from the crowd.
44- Taker’s Gong scares Kane- 2004
This was when Kane lost his mask and was booked as an unbeatable psycho who helped Vince bury Undertaker alive at Survivor Series. During the rumble Kane looked good until the next entrant was about to come in. The lights went off and we heard the famous GONG. This gong meant that not only was Taker returning, he was coming back as the Phenom! It turned out Spike Dudley was next, but Kane had let his guard down and was eliminated.
43- Ted Debiase draws No.1- 1990
In 1989 The Million Dollar man bought No.30 so this year when he drew No.1 it was great, he got what he deserved. However he was awesome! Eliminating the early competition and lasting 45 minutes setting the then record. The crowd were begging for his elimination all night and when it finally came the pop was deafening.
42- Chris Jericho vs. The Rock- 2002
This was a great match. Y2J’s Undisputed Title Run wasn’t much cop and need interference from Storm, Christian, a low blow, an unprotected turnbuckle shot AND to use the ropes to win. It was still great however.
41- “Can you imagine if Drew Carey won this and on to Wrestlemania?”- 2001
Some people hated this, not me. It was hilarious when he got in the ring with the Hardy Boyz and they both eliminated each other leaving him alone in the ring. I was begging for Kane to enter next and got my wish!
40- Lesnar screws Goldberg- 2004
Okay their Mania match was terrible, but it was built very well. They had been hinting at it for a while, but this is when things picked up a gear. Goldberg was great in the ring, dominating the ring and giving a SICK spear to Nunzio. He was about to try and Jackhammer the Big Show (which would have been terrific) but Lesnar ran into the ring from nowhere and F5’d him. Goldberg was then thrown out by Angle but not before hissing “You’re next!” to Brock.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CJviqMk5U4w
39- “If Shawn Michaels is No.1 then I, Chris Jericho, will be No.2!”- 2003
Brock won the 2003 rumble but it was all about Y2J. HBK was in first and waited for Chris to enter but when Y2J turned around during his entrance it was Christian who was there. Shawn was confused but then Y2J attacked him with a low blow and chair shot and then Michaels was the first person eliminated in the match. The ring began to fill up a bit until Chris eliminated his tag partner Christian and his brother Edge at the same time to have the ring to himself….but not for long as his old rival RVD then entered! It was a great performance by Y2J full of great near-falls and it lasted 40 odd minutes before HBK returned to attack Chris who was then dumped out by…..Test!?! Really- Test?! Okay…
38- Mr. McMahon wins the Royal Rumble- 1999
It wasn’t a great Rumble match but the shock ending was good. It’s the last time a heel won the match….until this year perhaps?
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pIN-xaKlWLI
37- Kaientai invade the Royal Rumble- 2000
This was another shockingly bad Rumble, but Funaki and TAKA tried their best to make it enjoyable by running into the ring time and time again despite not being in it. Poor TAKA got thrown other the ropes and landing face first in a pool of blood on the floor which knocked him out I think….Lawler found it funny and kept asking for it to be shown time and time again during the match, well it was boring.
36- Raw & Smackdown unite against Mohammed Hassan- 2005
This was when the Rumble was themed on West Side Story. During the match Raw and SD GM’s Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long came down to the ring and before long we had 4 guys from either brand facing each other in a great brawl. Then Hassan came out and they all teamed up to get rid of him. USA! USA!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YOuEVtJ2ZJY
35- Rick Martel- 1991
1991’s Rumble match was very poor, but there were some great performances in it. Valentine went over 40 minutes in the match but Martel went over 50 and beat DeBiase’s record. Like Ted and Jericho’s 90/03 rumble matches the crowd were dying to see Martel go all match which always makes for a great atmosphere during a Rumble. He ended up coming 5th which pisses me off. Why the hell did a Nasty Boy come third? Martel should have.
34- 2 Cool Dance in the Rumble- 2000
I mentioned Taka’s brutal bump in this match earlier, this was the other only good thing in the match. It was dumb, stupid, but very funny! There’s been a lot of dancing related stuff in Rumble’s (Ernest the Cat Miller!) but this was the best. I love Too Cool.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mGzGKF1khm4
33- Tazz makes his debut- 2000
Tazz’s WWE run as a wrestler wasn’t fantastic, but it got off to a good start with his debut match against Angle when he turned up as a “mystery opponent”.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdx7g88Bm3g
32- Jerry Lawler hides under the ring- 1996
The records show that Lawler was in the ring for something like 40 minutes, but what they don’t say is that he was under the ring for over 25 of them. It was funny and just the kind of thing you’d expect Lawler to do.
31- Dwayne Johnson rocks the Rumble- 1998
The Rock was the runner up to Stone Cold in 1998 after lasting over 50 minutes and this was after a ten minute match against Ken Shamrock. MVP of the night easily!
30- It’s time to play the game!- 2002
HHH returned just before the Rumble, which was dumb, but this was his real comeback. Austin was in the ring alone, checking his imaginary wristwatch when HHH’s music started. A fantastic moment, shame HHH was awful since returning from his injury. There was a funny moment when Austin and HHH began to fight and then Hurricane was the next in and he tried a double chokleslam lol. Moron. Also HHH’s entrance lasted over 2 minutes….odd.
29- Rock and Austin stare down- 2001
Austin, The Rock and Kane are the final 3 in the match and Ken has been knocked down to the mat. Then these two stare off and the crowd goes mental. Austin had been busted open here by HHH and looks truly demonic. It was just a fantastic moment, two of the best ever staring down one another. Thankfully we would get a terrific match between these two at Mania XVII two months later.
28- Kurt Angle snaps- 2005
Kurt was in the title match earlier in the night and lost. He was angry. There was one spot left in the Rumble and everybody was asking who it could be….turns out it was Nunzio…but then Angle steals his number! He enters the match and is looking awesome until HBK Sweet Chins Music’s him over the ropes! He lasted less than a minute! It was hilarious, but he had the last laugh when he came back to attack HBK.
27- Diesel vs. Bret Hart- 1995
A fantastic title match despite so much interference.
26- “It takes a king…………to know a king.”- 1997
Lawler again! Jerry was doing commentating here until his arch rival Bret Hart entered to attack Austin. Then the countdown started once more and Lawler’s music played he took off his headset with the parting words “It takes a king.” One punch from Bret later and he flew over the ropes before sitting down at the commentating table again with the line “….to know a king.” What made it even funnier was that Lawler pretending he was knocked out and couldn’t remember he was in the match. “If I was in there Bret Hart would be gone!” “Errr King….you were in there…” “What?”
25- HBK and Bulldog go coast to coast- 1995
The were the first two in and the final two left at the end. Bulldog thought he won but ONLY ONE of Shawn Michael’s feet hit the floor! It these guys weren’t in here the whole time this Rumble would have been much worse. As it stands it’s STILL the worst Rumble ever.
24- Bret Hart AND Lex Luger win!- 1994
In 1994 for the first, and hopefully last, time there were joint winners! Some liked the ending, others didn’t, but it sure was memorable.
23- The Three Faces of Foley- 1998
Foley was No.1 in the Rumble with Cactus Jack and we then got an awesome hardcore mini match with him and funk. Foley was then eliminated but came back as Mankind and when he was gone he returned once more as Dude Love! Awesome! But what would have happened if Cactus was still there when Mankind’s number came up?…
22- The Warlord’s two seconds of awesomeness- 1989
He steps through the ropes and then gets clotheslined over the top. His two seconds is still the shortest time ever in the match and the highlight of his career imo.
21- HHH & Rey coast to coast- 2006
HHH was number one, Rey was number two. It came down to them two and Orton (No.30). HHH was eliminated after being in their close to an hour and Rey ending up winning and setting the longest time in the match ever. The Guerrero stuff was in bad taste though.
20- Cena vs. Umaga Last Man Standing- 2007
Wow what a match this was! It was MOTY for me, incredible!
19- Diesel gets the ‘Diesel push’- 1994
Every January when people talk about who will win the Rumble they also ask “who will get the Diesel push this year?” That’s because in 1994 Kevin Nash was THE man. He eliminated 7 men in a row and because he was so dominant, this was the first time someone had done this, the fans turned him face on this night. A great performance from Kevin here. He got a “Diesel” chant after he was eliminated.
18- Foley vs. Rock. I Quit Match- 1999
The chair shots are horrible, but it was a terrific match.
17- Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit Ladder Match- 2001
This is my favourite ladder match ever. It also features a horrible chairshot on Benoit that is hard to watch. The Walls of Jericho on top of the ladder was a great spot!
16- Rowdy Roddy Piper wins the IC title- 1992
After years of being in the WWF Piper won his first (and until a few years ago- only) title at last! A real feel-good moment that would lead to the excellent Piper vs. Hart at Wrestlemania. After this match he would then take part in the Rumble and last half an hour too!
15- Paul London nearly kills himself- 2005
This was an INCREDIBLE elimination! London was on the apron and runs towards Snitsky who smacks him with a huge clothesline that flips Paul round in a shooting-star-ish splat on the floor. It wasn’t Snitsky’s fault.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=j3QSgbGQUaA
14- Foley returns to get Orton- 2004
For months Orton had been knocking Foley, calling him a coward and daring Mick to show up at the Rumble. Orton got number 2 in the Rumble and was doing very well and it seemed like Foley would no-show. Then Test didn’t come out to the ring and we saw a backstage shot of him laying on the ground. Sheriff Stone Cold asked his attacker what he did and demanded that he now go to the ring. It was Foley! Mick eliminated Orton and they had a fantastic brawl! This was one of the best feuds in recent memory.
13- The Big Show Returns!- 2001
I was watching this rumble live and I was taping it. I was about to go to sleep when Big Show’s music started sending the crowd into a frenzy as the commentators asked “What? WHAT? OH MY GOD THE BIG SHOW IS BAAAAAACK!” He comes in the ring and eliminates Test and K-Kwick. Then he choke slams Albert, Bradshaw, Holly, Venis and then Kane! Rock was next, but the Great One low blows him and sends the giant over the ropes. Show gets revenge by pulling The Rock out the ring and chokeslamming him through a table! Now that’s how you make a return!
12- Warrior/Hogan staredown- 1990
This was a huge moment! Warrior and Hogan clear the ring and stare at each other. This is what the crowd’s been waiting for Hogan and Warrior one on one and they would get their wish at Mania VI.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=05F_TN6jG1Y
11- Owen kicks Bret’s leg out from under his leg and turns heel- 1994
One of the best heel turns ever. The Harts lose a tag team title match and then afterwards Owen attacks Bret’s injured leg. The Hitman is put on a stretcher and taken out the ring while Owen insults him on the titantron with the famous “That’s why I kicked his leg out from under his leg” botched line. Owen was in the Rumble after this and the heat he got was unreal. The feud between the brothers would dominate 1994.
10- Bob Buckland returns to the WWF and lasts over an hour!- 1993
After drawing No.2 in the match Buckland made it to the final 4. He somehow managed to eliminate Martel to make it to the last 3 and the crowd were now totally on his side. He then charged into Yokozuna and it was all over. One of the best performances in a Rumble though.
9- Chris Benoit wins the Rumble- 2004
Benoit drew No.1 and made it to the final 6 which also featured Angle, Jericho, Van Dam, Cena and Big Show. Show was on fire hire eliminating everybody in the ring until it came down to him vs. Benoit. But it was Chris who got the better of him and won the match sending everybody home happy. Shame it’s forever tainted now.
8- Austin cheats to win- 1997
Austin was a heel here still, but slowly getting a cult following. He had an early number but managed to throw out everybody in the ring. Jake Roberts came in next, who had a big feud with Austin going back to the King of the Ring final, but Austin bested him. Then another one of Austin’s rivals from the year before Savio Vega entered but he then too was thrown out and once more Austin found himself alone in the ring, checking his imaginary watch and doing push-ups in the ring. The next guy in though was his BIG rival Bret Hart. They both stayed there to the end when Bret eliminated Austin, however the referees were too busy trying to separate Foley and Funk who were brawling on the outside. Austin sneaked back in, threw out Vader, Taker and finally Bret Hart to win! Half the fans cheered it, half booed it, but it was a great end to the match! He was in the ring for a very long time and threw out 10 people!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=q8i0uxgLwNs&feature=related
7. HBK and Undertake are the final two- 2007
The rumble wasn’t that good but these two gave us by the hottest end a Rumble. They fought alone for 10 minutes and teased several eliminations for Undertaker was declared the victor. The spot where they were both laying on the mat and Taker sits up, followed by Shawn nipping up was fantastic. Taker winning from No.30 was historic too!
6. Cena shocks the world and wins the rumble- 2008
It looked certain that HHH would be winning but there was still one spot left in the match and it was a mystery person. NOBODY thought it would be Cena! Even those that hate the guy marked out for what has to be one of the most shocking moments ever! The WWE swerved us all and for the second year running No.30 won!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg8vVO2Zj2s
5. “What? WHAT? Let me say it again- WHAT? Maven from Tough Enough just eliminated the Undertaker! My god I don’t believe it!- 2002
Powerslam magazine readers voted Undertake ‘Most abysmal wrestler of the year’ in 2001 and he deserved it. His refusal to put anybody in the Alliance over, or even let them look good was one of the reasons why the InVasion angle wasn’t as good as it could have been. But here he gives a massive rub to green as heel rookie Maven. What an incredible moment this was! Next year Maven tried to eliminate Taker once more but that time Taker got him!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6oLeu851ybA
4- HHH vs. Cactus Jack Street Fight- 2000
One of the best matches I have ever seen. Fantastic wrestling and perfect storytelling. The Pedigree on the thumbtacks is one of the craziest spots ever too.
3- Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit- 2003
HHH/Foley is one of the best matches I’ve ever seen but this is the best. It’s perfect. Fuck you Benoit for ruining this match.
2- Kane- 2001
This was Kane’s Rumble. The Rock and Austin were great in it, Big Show had a great return and Drew Carey was funny, but Kane has for my money single best performance in any rumble. Everybody talks about his record 11 eliminations, but forget that he was also in there for over 50 minutes. Nobody has ever dominated a Royal Rumble the way Kane did in 2001 and it’s not only the best match of his career but one of the very best Rumble moments ever.
1- “It’s not fair to Flair! It’s not fair to Flair!”- 1992
Did you expect anything else to be No.1? The 1992 Rumble was perfect it‘s the only Rumble where the winner would become champion and is still the best, though 2001‘s and 2004’s came close. Some of the biggest names in wrestling history were in it- Hogan, Savage, Piper, Snuka, Roberts, Undertaker, Bulldog, Debiase, Slaughter, Michaels, Santana, Iron Sheik and many many more including Metal’s favourites Sid and Warlord but this was Flair’s night. He got number 3, lasted an hour and won the title. It was made even more memorable by Bobby Henan’s exasperated biased pro-Flair commentary. Pure perfection.
64- “Tomko give me a beat.” “No.”- 2005
Hilarious! The battle rap with Cena was great and helped make the CLB a huge star (to the fans…) Had it not been for Tomko’s great TNA run this would be the only thing he’d be remembered for.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb-fmcZLIP8
63- Cena and Batista both go over the ropes and Vince blows his quads- 2005
This was amazing. Not only did Cena and Batista both go over the ropes and hit the floor at the same time, but it wasn’t even planned! Vince then comes to the ring to sort out the situation and injures his leg resulting in him sitting in the ring not being able to stand-up looking pissed off. You really can’t write this stuff!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=h9vzKJge4YA
62- Piper and Snuka continue their 20 year feud!- 2008
This was just funny. Seeing these two legends fight once more was a real mark out moment, even Punk and Morrison were marking out. Snuka’s face when Piper entered was priceless.
61- Chyna becomes first woman in the rumble- 1999
She even gets to eliminate Mark Henry too, but the reason why this was a great moment was due to Austin giving her a hard clotheslines to eliminate her. “Stone Cold doesn’t care if you’re a man or a woman!” Austin=Badass!
60- “WHO IS HE! WHO IS THAT MONSTER!”- 1993
So the rumble has been fun and Taker looks dominant when one of the tallest, and worst, wrestlers makes his debut and destroys him. Yes Giant Gonzalez! He was meant to be scary but due to his attire, with fake muscles and hair, he was a joke.
59- HBK/HHH Last Man Standing- 2004
This was a good match and would have been even better if it had an actual winner rather than a lame draw ending.
58- Damien the snake eliminates Andre The Giant- 1989
Andre looked unstoppable in this match, eliminating several people including Jake the Snake, but later on Roberts returned and threw Damien in the ring causing the big man to eliminate himself. Great booking.
57- Virgil turns face on the Million Dollar Man- 1991
For years Ted Dibisase had treated his bodyguard Virgin like crap, but tonight Virgil finally stood up for himself. Ted berated him in the ring and was giving him abuse, so much so that one fan threw their drink at Debiase. But rather than tie the belt round his waist Virgil nailed him with it! Yay!
56- Kane THROWS out the Big Show!- 2002
Kane and Show have a good brawl but then Kane scoops him up and dumps him over the ropes! Holy crap! The crowd go ape shit but Angle ruins the whole thing by dumping Kane out a second later.
55- Undertake dies- 1994
Taker/Yoko was a pretty good casket match actually, but the end angle is the most famous. Taker eventually loses thanks to every midcard heel on the roster and put into the casket, killing him… but wait! Taker appears on the tron to tell everybody that he will not rest in peace! Green smoke bellows out of the casket and Marty Jannetty (dressed as Taker) is pulled to the ceiling to represent Taker going to heaven. Pure wrestlecrap fun!
54- Sabu gets owned by the table- 2007
Until the 2007 rumble got to the final 4, and then the incredible final 2 (more on that later), it was very dull. This was the best part of it. Sabu sets up the table before he enters the ring and for the net 5 minutes the tease eliminations through the table until Kane choke slams Sabu right through it!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RuJqAhrRx38
53- HBK comes back from his concussion injury- 1996
In a match in later 95 Owen Hart kicked HBK in the head with an énziguri. HBK stayed down on the mat concussed. It was a worked injury but a really good and believable one. Shawn then said he was going to return in the 1996 Royal Rumble. He did so, but then in that match Owen kicked him in the head again and Shawn fell down once more….however this time he got up an sent the King of Harts over the ropes! He went on to win too! A great bit of storytelling….it was ruined tough by the camera cutting away and not showing Owen’s exit. Idiots!
52- The Mega Powers nearly explode!- 1989
Hogan cheats in every rumble. In this moment he didn’t cheat, but he eliminated his tag partner Savage which pissed off the WWF Champ and the Macho Macho Man went back into the ring to argue with the Hulkster. Savage and Hogan had a big argument while Elizabeth tried to separate them. They patched things up but the seeds were set for Mania V…
51- Nunzio hides on the outside of the ring- 2004
Haha this was great! Nunzio was scared to enter the ring so he just hides outside and goes unnoticed for about ten minutes until Cena “sees him”. The highlight of Nunzio’s WWE run.
50- Demolition explode!- 1989
Ax drew number 1, Smash drew number 2. This was the first PPV Rumble and they proved that it’s everyman for themselves right from the offset. They tried to work together to get rid of Number 3. Sucks for them it was Andre the Giant.
49- The Rockers vs. The Orient Express- 1991
An awesome tag match. That simple.
48- HBK vs. Undertaker casket match- 1998
Great match. It was when HBK picked up an injury that we thought had ended his career. Shawn wins thanks to Kane who then sets the casket on fire!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DNnZPLv8Mt4
47- Goldust, The Godfather, Val Venis and Mr. Perfect return- 2002
It would have been better had they not announced that these guys would be here and just had it as huge surprises, but it was still fun. Goldust came back (and would go on to be fucking hilarious throughout 2002) first and was drawn No.2 and had a great entrance that popped the crowd. The Godfather, who hadn’t been seen since the RTC days then got a MASSIVE ovation and came to the ring with 12 ho’s! Val was next and looked in great shape, but it was Mr. Perfect who was the star of the 4. We knew he was coming back but nobody thought he’d come third! It was great to get one more classic Henning moment before he sadly died later that year.
46- Sgt Slaughter becomes WWF Champion- 1991
This was when the Sarge was an Iraqi sympathiser during the Gulf war and hated America. He beat Ultimate Warrior thanks to Savage to win his first title and the crowd almost rioted! Piper on commentary was irate while the fans chanted “Bullshit!” This was lead to a great Warrior/Savage match at Mania.
45- Hardyz/Dudleyz Table Match- 2000
The rumble’s best tag match was this one. They had a great brawl which ended with Jeff’s Swanton bomb from the crowd.
44- Taker’s Gong scares Kane- 2004
This was when Kane lost his mask and was booked as an unbeatable psycho who helped Vince bury Undertaker alive at Survivor Series. During the rumble Kane looked good until the next entrant was about to come in. The lights went off and we heard the famous GONG. This gong meant that not only was Taker returning, he was coming back as the Phenom! It turned out Spike Dudley was next, but Kane had let his guard down and was eliminated.
43- Ted Debiase draws No.1- 1990
In 1989 The Million Dollar man bought No.30 so this year when he drew No.1 it was great, he got what he deserved. However he was awesome! Eliminating the early competition and lasting 45 minutes setting the then record. The crowd were begging for his elimination all night and when it finally came the pop was deafening.
42- Chris Jericho vs. The Rock- 2002
This was a great match. Y2J’s Undisputed Title Run wasn’t much cop and need interference from Storm, Christian, a low blow, an unprotected turnbuckle shot AND to use the ropes to win. It was still great however.
41- “Can you imagine if Drew Carey won this and on to Wrestlemania?”- 2001
Some people hated this, not me. It was hilarious when he got in the ring with the Hardy Boyz and they both eliminated each other leaving him alone in the ring. I was begging for Kane to enter next and got my wish!
40- Lesnar screws Goldberg- 2004
Okay their Mania match was terrible, but it was built very well. They had been hinting at it for a while, but this is when things picked up a gear. Goldberg was great in the ring, dominating the ring and giving a SICK spear to Nunzio. He was about to try and Jackhammer the Big Show (which would have been terrific) but Lesnar ran into the ring from nowhere and F5’d him. Goldberg was then thrown out by Angle but not before hissing “You’re next!” to Brock.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CJviqMk5U4w
39- “If Shawn Michaels is No.1 then I, Chris Jericho, will be No.2!”- 2003
Brock won the 2003 rumble but it was all about Y2J. HBK was in first and waited for Chris to enter but when Y2J turned around during his entrance it was Christian who was there. Shawn was confused but then Y2J attacked him with a low blow and chair shot and then Michaels was the first person eliminated in the match. The ring began to fill up a bit until Chris eliminated his tag partner Christian and his brother Edge at the same time to have the ring to himself….but not for long as his old rival RVD then entered! It was a great performance by Y2J full of great near-falls and it lasted 40 odd minutes before HBK returned to attack Chris who was then dumped out by…..Test!?! Really- Test?! Okay…
38- Mr. McMahon wins the Royal Rumble- 1999
It wasn’t a great Rumble match but the shock ending was good. It’s the last time a heel won the match….until this year perhaps?
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=pIN-xaKlWLI
37- Kaientai invade the Royal Rumble- 2000
This was another shockingly bad Rumble, but Funaki and TAKA tried their best to make it enjoyable by running into the ring time and time again despite not being in it. Poor TAKA got thrown other the ropes and landing face first in a pool of blood on the floor which knocked him out I think….Lawler found it funny and kept asking for it to be shown time and time again during the match, well it was boring.
36- Raw & Smackdown unite against Mohammed Hassan- 2005
This was when the Rumble was themed on West Side Story. During the match Raw and SD GM’s Eric Bischoff and Teddy Long came down to the ring and before long we had 4 guys from either brand facing each other in a great brawl. Then Hassan came out and they all teamed up to get rid of him. USA! USA!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YOuEVtJ2ZJY
35- Rick Martel- 1991
1991’s Rumble match was very poor, but there were some great performances in it. Valentine went over 40 minutes in the match but Martel went over 50 and beat DeBiase’s record. Like Ted and Jericho’s 90/03 rumble matches the crowd were dying to see Martel go all match which always makes for a great atmosphere during a Rumble. He ended up coming 5th which pisses me off. Why the hell did a Nasty Boy come third? Martel should have.
34- 2 Cool Dance in the Rumble- 2000
I mentioned Taka’s brutal bump in this match earlier, this was the other only good thing in the match. It was dumb, stupid, but very funny! There’s been a lot of dancing related stuff in Rumble’s (Ernest the Cat Miller!) but this was the best. I love Too Cool.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mGzGKF1khm4
33- Tazz makes his debut- 2000
Tazz’s WWE run as a wrestler wasn’t fantastic, but it got off to a good start with his debut match against Angle when he turned up as a “mystery opponent”.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdx7g88Bm3g
32- Jerry Lawler hides under the ring- 1996
The records show that Lawler was in the ring for something like 40 minutes, but what they don’t say is that he was under the ring for over 25 of them. It was funny and just the kind of thing you’d expect Lawler to do.
31- Dwayne Johnson rocks the Rumble- 1998
The Rock was the runner up to Stone Cold in 1998 after lasting over 50 minutes and this was after a ten minute match against Ken Shamrock. MVP of the night easily!
30- It’s time to play the game!- 2002
HHH returned just before the Rumble, which was dumb, but this was his real comeback. Austin was in the ring alone, checking his imaginary wristwatch when HHH’s music started. A fantastic moment, shame HHH was awful since returning from his injury. There was a funny moment when Austin and HHH began to fight and then Hurricane was the next in and he tried a double chokleslam lol. Moron. Also HHH’s entrance lasted over 2 minutes….odd.
29- Rock and Austin stare down- 2001
Austin, The Rock and Kane are the final 3 in the match and Ken has been knocked down to the mat. Then these two stare off and the crowd goes mental. Austin had been busted open here by HHH and looks truly demonic. It was just a fantastic moment, two of the best ever staring down one another. Thankfully we would get a terrific match between these two at Mania XVII two months later.
28- Kurt Angle snaps- 2005
Kurt was in the title match earlier in the night and lost. He was angry. There was one spot left in the Rumble and everybody was asking who it could be….turns out it was Nunzio…but then Angle steals his number! He enters the match and is looking awesome until HBK Sweet Chins Music’s him over the ropes! He lasted less than a minute! It was hilarious, but he had the last laugh when he came back to attack HBK.
27- Diesel vs. Bret Hart- 1995
A fantastic title match despite so much interference.
26- “It takes a king…………to know a king.”- 1997
Lawler again! Jerry was doing commentating here until his arch rival Bret Hart entered to attack Austin. Then the countdown started once more and Lawler’s music played he took off his headset with the parting words “It takes a king.” One punch from Bret later and he flew over the ropes before sitting down at the commentating table again with the line “….to know a king.” What made it even funnier was that Lawler pretending he was knocked out and couldn’t remember he was in the match. “If I was in there Bret Hart would be gone!” “Errr King….you were in there…” “What?”
25- HBK and Bulldog go coast to coast- 1995
The were the first two in and the final two left at the end. Bulldog thought he won but ONLY ONE of Shawn Michael’s feet hit the floor! It these guys weren’t in here the whole time this Rumble would have been much worse. As it stands it’s STILL the worst Rumble ever.
24- Bret Hart AND Lex Luger win!- 1994
In 1994 for the first, and hopefully last, time there were joint winners! Some liked the ending, others didn’t, but it sure was memorable.
23- The Three Faces of Foley- 1998
Foley was No.1 in the Rumble with Cactus Jack and we then got an awesome hardcore mini match with him and funk. Foley was then eliminated but came back as Mankind and when he was gone he returned once more as Dude Love! Awesome! But what would have happened if Cactus was still there when Mankind’s number came up?…
22- The Warlord’s two seconds of awesomeness- 1989
He steps through the ropes and then gets clotheslined over the top. His two seconds is still the shortest time ever in the match and the highlight of his career imo.
21- HHH & Rey coast to coast- 2006
HHH was number one, Rey was number two. It came down to them two and Orton (No.30). HHH was eliminated after being in their close to an hour and Rey ending up winning and setting the longest time in the match ever. The Guerrero stuff was in bad taste though.
20- Cena vs. Umaga Last Man Standing- 2007
Wow what a match this was! It was MOTY for me, incredible!
19- Diesel gets the ‘Diesel push’- 1994
Every January when people talk about who will win the Rumble they also ask “who will get the Diesel push this year?” That’s because in 1994 Kevin Nash was THE man. He eliminated 7 men in a row and because he was so dominant, this was the first time someone had done this, the fans turned him face on this night. A great performance from Kevin here. He got a “Diesel” chant after he was eliminated.
18- Foley vs. Rock. I Quit Match- 1999
The chair shots are horrible, but it was a terrific match.
17- Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit Ladder Match- 2001
This is my favourite ladder match ever. It also features a horrible chairshot on Benoit that is hard to watch. The Walls of Jericho on top of the ladder was a great spot!
16- Rowdy Roddy Piper wins the IC title- 1992
After years of being in the WWF Piper won his first (and until a few years ago- only) title at last! A real feel-good moment that would lead to the excellent Piper vs. Hart at Wrestlemania. After this match he would then take part in the Rumble and last half an hour too!
15- Paul London nearly kills himself- 2005
This was an INCREDIBLE elimination! London was on the apron and runs towards Snitsky who smacks him with a huge clothesline that flips Paul round in a shooting-star-ish splat on the floor. It wasn’t Snitsky’s fault.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=j3QSgbGQUaA
14- Foley returns to get Orton- 2004
For months Orton had been knocking Foley, calling him a coward and daring Mick to show up at the Rumble. Orton got number 2 in the Rumble and was doing very well and it seemed like Foley would no-show. Then Test didn’t come out to the ring and we saw a backstage shot of him laying on the ground. Sheriff Stone Cold asked his attacker what he did and demanded that he now go to the ring. It was Foley! Mick eliminated Orton and they had a fantastic brawl! This was one of the best feuds in recent memory.
13- The Big Show Returns!- 2001
I was watching this rumble live and I was taping it. I was about to go to sleep when Big Show’s music started sending the crowd into a frenzy as the commentators asked “What? WHAT? OH MY GOD THE BIG SHOW IS BAAAAAACK!” He comes in the ring and eliminates Test and K-Kwick. Then he choke slams Albert, Bradshaw, Holly, Venis and then Kane! Rock was next, but the Great One low blows him and sends the giant over the ropes. Show gets revenge by pulling The Rock out the ring and chokeslamming him through a table! Now that’s how you make a return!
12- Warrior/Hogan staredown- 1990
This was a huge moment! Warrior and Hogan clear the ring and stare at each other. This is what the crowd’s been waiting for Hogan and Warrior one on one and they would get their wish at Mania VI.
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=05F_TN6jG1Y
11- Owen kicks Bret’s leg out from under his leg and turns heel- 1994
One of the best heel turns ever. The Harts lose a tag team title match and then afterwards Owen attacks Bret’s injured leg. The Hitman is put on a stretcher and taken out the ring while Owen insults him on the titantron with the famous “That’s why I kicked his leg out from under his leg” botched line. Owen was in the Rumble after this and the heat he got was unreal. The feud between the brothers would dominate 1994.
10- Bob Buckland returns to the WWF and lasts over an hour!- 1993
After drawing No.2 in the match Buckland made it to the final 4. He somehow managed to eliminate Martel to make it to the last 3 and the crowd were now totally on his side. He then charged into Yokozuna and it was all over. One of the best performances in a Rumble though.
9- Chris Benoit wins the Rumble- 2004
Benoit drew No.1 and made it to the final 6 which also featured Angle, Jericho, Van Dam, Cena and Big Show. Show was on fire hire eliminating everybody in the ring until it came down to him vs. Benoit. But it was Chris who got the better of him and won the match sending everybody home happy. Shame it’s forever tainted now.
8- Austin cheats to win- 1997
Austin was a heel here still, but slowly getting a cult following. He had an early number but managed to throw out everybody in the ring. Jake Roberts came in next, who had a big feud with Austin going back to the King of the Ring final, but Austin bested him. Then another one of Austin’s rivals from the year before Savio Vega entered but he then too was thrown out and once more Austin found himself alone in the ring, checking his imaginary watch and doing push-ups in the ring. The next guy in though was his BIG rival Bret Hart. They both stayed there to the end when Bret eliminated Austin, however the referees were too busy trying to separate Foley and Funk who were brawling on the outside. Austin sneaked back in, threw out Vader, Taker and finally Bret Hart to win! Half the fans cheered it, half booed it, but it was a great end to the match! He was in the ring for a very long time and threw out 10 people!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=q8i0uxgLwNs&feature=related
7. HBK and Undertake are the final two- 2007
The rumble wasn’t that good but these two gave us by the hottest end a Rumble. They fought alone for 10 minutes and teased several eliminations for Undertaker was declared the victor. The spot where they were both laying on the mat and Taker sits up, followed by Shawn nipping up was fantastic. Taker winning from No.30 was historic too!
6. Cena shocks the world and wins the rumble- 2008
It looked certain that HHH would be winning but there was still one spot left in the match and it was a mystery person. NOBODY thought it would be Cena! Even those that hate the guy marked out for what has to be one of the most shocking moments ever! The WWE swerved us all and for the second year running No.30 won!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg8vVO2Zj2s
5. “What? WHAT? Let me say it again- WHAT? Maven from Tough Enough just eliminated the Undertaker! My god I don’t believe it!- 2002
Powerslam magazine readers voted Undertake ‘Most abysmal wrestler of the year’ in 2001 and he deserved it. His refusal to put anybody in the Alliance over, or even let them look good was one of the reasons why the InVasion angle wasn’t as good as it could have been. But here he gives a massive rub to green as heel rookie Maven. What an incredible moment this was! Next year Maven tried to eliminate Taker once more but that time Taker got him!
uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6oLeu851ybA
4- HHH vs. Cactus Jack Street Fight- 2000
One of the best matches I have ever seen. Fantastic wrestling and perfect storytelling. The Pedigree on the thumbtacks is one of the craziest spots ever too.
3- Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit- 2003
HHH/Foley is one of the best matches I’ve ever seen but this is the best. It’s perfect. Fuck you Benoit for ruining this match.
2- Kane- 2001
This was Kane’s Rumble. The Rock and Austin were great in it, Big Show had a great return and Drew Carey was funny, but Kane has for my money single best performance in any rumble. Everybody talks about his record 11 eliminations, but forget that he was also in there for over 50 minutes. Nobody has ever dominated a Royal Rumble the way Kane did in 2001 and it’s not only the best match of his career but one of the very best Rumble moments ever.
1- “It’s not fair to Flair! It’s not fair to Flair!”- 1992
Did you expect anything else to be No.1? The 1992 Rumble was perfect it‘s the only Rumble where the winner would become champion and is still the best, though 2001‘s and 2004’s came close. Some of the biggest names in wrestling history were in it- Hogan, Savage, Piper, Snuka, Roberts, Undertaker, Bulldog, Debiase, Slaughter, Michaels, Santana, Iron Sheik and many many more including Metal’s favourites Sid and Warlord but this was Flair’s night. He got number 3, lasted an hour and won the title. It was made even more memorable by Bobby Henan’s exasperated biased pro-Flair commentary. Pure perfection.
