The Eyes of the Dragon #2: The History of the Royal Rumble
By Saven Upon having numerous discussions about previous and the upcoming Royal Rumble match within the past couple of weeks, I thought I’d shed some light on the event’s history with the readers this week. Listed are the complete cards and results for every Royal Rumble to take place. Enjoy and be educated.
1988
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat defeated "Ravishing" Rick Rude via DQ
Dino Bravo sets new unofficial world bench press record at 715 pounds
The Jumping Bomb Angels def. The Glamour Girls (new Women’s Tag Team Champions; 2-out-of-3 falls)
Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant contract signing
The Islanders def. The Young Stallions (best 2-out-of-3 falls)
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan last eliminates One Man Gang to win the Royal Rumble Match (20-man version)
1989
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan & The Hart Foundation def. Dino Bravo & The Rougeau Bros. (best 2-out-of-3 falls)
Women's Champion Rockin' Robin def. Judy Martin
Haku def. Harley Race
Big John Studd last eliminates "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase to win the Royal Rumble Match
1990
The Bushwhackers def. the Rougeau Brothers
Lanny Poffo vs. Brutus Beefcake (no-contest)
Ronnie Garvin def. Greg Valentine (Submission Match)
Jim Duggan def. Big Boss Man via DQ
Hulk Hogan last eliminates Mr. Perfect to win the Royal Rumble Match
1991
The Rockers def. the Orient Express
Big Boss Man def. The Barbarian
The Mountie def. Koko B. Ware
"Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase & Virgil def. Dusty & Dustin Rhodes
Sgt. Slaughter def. Ultimate Warrior (new WWE Champion)
Hulk Hogan last eliminates Earthquake to win the Royal Rumble
1992
The New Foundation def. The Orient Express
Roddy Piper def. The Mountie (new Intercontinetal Champion)
The Beverly Brothers def. the Bushwhackers
The Natural Disasters def. World Tag Team Champions Legion of Doom via count-out
Ric Flair last eliminates Sid Justice to win the Royal Rumble Match and become WWE Champion
1993
The Steiner Brothers def. the Beverly Brothers
Intercontinental Champion Shawn Michaels def. Marty Jannetty
Bam Bam Bigelow def. Big Boss man
WWE Champion Bret "Hit Man" Hart def. Razor Ramon
Yokozuna last eliminates Randy Savage to win the Royal Rumble Match
1994
Tatanka def. Bam Bam Bigelow
World Tag Team Champions The Quebecers def. Bret & Owen Hart (ref stopped match)
Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon def. Irwin R. Schyster
WWE Champion Yokozuna def. Undertaker (Casket Match)
Bret Hart and Lex Luger declared co-winners of the Royal Rumble when they were simultaneously eliminated
1995
Jeff Jarrett def. Razor Ramon (New
Intercontinental Champion)
Undertaker def. Irwin R. Schyster
WWE Champion Diesel vs. Bret Hart (draw)
Bob Holly & 1-2-3 Kid def. Tatanka and Bam Bam Bigelow (new World Tag Team Champions)
Shawn Michaels last eliminates Davey Boy Smith to win the Royal Rumble Match
1996
Duke "The Dumpster" Droese def. Triple H (reversed decision)
Ahmed Johnson def. Jeff Jarrett via DQ
World Tag Team Champions the Smokin’ Gunns def. the Bodydonnas
Goldust def. Razor Ramon (new Intercontinental Champion)
Undertaker def. WWE Champion Bret Hart via DQ
Shawn Michaels last eliminates Diesel to win the Royal Rumble Match
1997
Intercontinental Champion Triple H def. Goldust
Ahmed Johnson def. Faarooq via DQ
Vader def. Undertaker
Perro Aguayo & El Canek & Hector Garza def. Fuerza Guerrera & Heavy Metal & Jerry Estrada
Shawn Michaels def. Sid (new WWE Champion)
Stone Cold Steve Austin last eliminates Bret Hart to win the Royal Rumble Match
1998
Vader def. Goldust
Max Mini, Mosaic & Nova def. El Torito, Tarantula & Battalion
Intercontinental Champion The Rock def. Ken
Shamrock via DQ
Legion of Doom def. New Age Outlaws via DQ
WWE Champion Shawn Michaels def. Undertaker (Casket Match)
Stone Cold last eliminates The Rock to win the Royal Rumble Match
1999
Big Boss Man def. Road Dogg
Intercontinental Champion Ken Shamrock def. Billy Gunn
European Champion X-Pac def. Gangrel
Women’s Champion Sable def. Luna Vachon (Strap Match)
The Rock def. Mankind (“I Quit” Match; new WWE Champion)
Mr. McMahon last eliminates Steve Austin to win the Royal Rumble Match
2000
Tazz def. Kurt Angle
Hardy Boyz def. The Dudleys (Tables Match)
Mae Young wins the Miss Royal Rumble 2000 Competition
Co-Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho def.
Co-Intercontinental Champion Chyna and Hardcore
Holly to become the Undisputed Intercontinental Champion
World Tag Team Champions New Age Outlaws def. the Acolytes
WWE Champion Triple H def. Cactus Jack (Street Fight Match)
The Rock last eliminates Big Show to win the Royal Rumble Match
2001
The Dudleys def. Edge & Christian (new World Tag Team Champions)
Chris Jericho beat Chris Benoit (Ladder Match; new Intercontinental Champion)
Women's Champion Ivory def. Chyna
WWE Champion Kurt Angle def. Triple H
Stone Cold last eliminates Kane to win the Royal Rumble Match
2002
World Tag Team Champions Spike Dudley & Tazz def. The Dudleys
William Regal def. Edge (new Intercontinental Champion)
Women's Champion Trish Stratus def. Jazz
Ric Flair def. Mr. McMahon (Street Fight)
Undisputed World Champion Chris Jericho def. The Rock
Triple H last eliminates Kurt Angle to win the Royal Rumble
2003
Brock Lesnar def. Big Show (Royal Rumble Match qualifier)
The Dudleys def. William Regal & Lance Storm (new World Tag Team Champions)
Torrie Wilson def. Dawn Marie
Scott Steiner def. World Heavyweight Champion Triple H via DQ
WWE Champion Kurt Angle def. Chris Benoit
Brock Lesnar last eliminates Undertaker to win the Royal Rumble Match
2004
World Tag Team Champions Ric Flair & Batista def. the Dudleys
Cruiserweight champion Rey Mysterio def. Jamie Noble
Eddie Guerrero def. Chavo Guerrero
WWE Champion Brock Lesnar def. Hardcore Holly
World Heavyweight Champion Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels (double count-out)
Chris Benoit last eliminates Big Show to win the Royal Rumble Match
2005
Edge def. Shawn Michaels
Undertaker def. Heidenreich (Casket Match)
WWE Champion JBL def. Big Show and Kurt Angle
World Heavyweight Champion Triple H def. Randy Orton
Batista last eliminates John Cena to win the Royal Rumble Match
2006
Gregory Helms def. Kid Kash, Funaki, Jamie Knoble, Nunzio, and Paul London in a 6-Way Cruiserweight
Match (new Cruiserweight Champion)
Mickie James def. Ashley Massaro (w/ Trish Stratus as Special Guest Referee)
The Boogeyman def. John “Bradshaw” Layfield
Rey Mysterio last eliminates Randy Orton to win the Royal Rumble Match
John Cena def. Edge (new WWE Champion)
World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle def. Mark Henry
2007
The Hardys def. MNM
ECW World Champion Bobby Lashley def. Test (via Countout)
World Heavyweight Champion Batista def. Mr. Kennedy
WWE Champion John Cena def. Umaga (Last Man Standing Match)
The Undertaker last eliminates Shawn Michaels to win the Royal Rumble Match
Interesting ‘Rumble’ Facts:
-Stone Cold Steve Austin has won three Royal Rumbles (1997, 1998, 2001). No Superstar has won more.
-Rey Mysterio has the longest recorded time in the Royal Rumble with 1:02:12 in 2006. The next longest-lasting entrants are Chris Benoit (1:01:30 in 2004) and Bob Backlund (1:01:10 in 1993).
-In 2001, Stone Cold Steve Austin became the Royal Rumble winner to spend the shortest amount of time in the match at nine minutes. In 2005, Batista came in at a close second at roughly 10 minutes.
-The Superstar with the shortest time in the Rumble Match is The Warlord with two seconds in 1989. In 1995, the next shortest times belonged to Mo and Owen Hart who each lasted three seconds.
-Stone Cold won the 2001 Royal Rumble and won the WWE Championship at WrestleMania X-7. Since then, every Rumble winner has won a World Championship at that year’s WrestleMania.
-The Royal Rumble entry number with the most wins is No. 27. Big John Studd (1989), Yokozuna (1993), Bret Hart (1994) and Stone Cold (2001) all entered with this very lucky number.
-“Stone Cold” Steve Austin holds the record for most eliminations overall, having tossed 36 Superstars over the top rope.
-Kane eliminated 11 men in the 2001 Royal Rumble: Grand Master Sexay, Steve Blackman, Al Snow, Raven, Saturn, Honky Tonk Man, Tazz, Crash Holly, Albert, Scotty 2 Hotty and The Rock.
-Three Superstars have won back-to-back Rumbles: Hulk Hogan (1990 & 1991), Shawn Michaels (1995 & 1996) and Stone Cold (1997 & 1998).
-The 2002 Royal Rumble was the longest ever. It lasted 1 hour, 9 minutes, 23 seconds.
-The 1988 Royal Rumble was the shortest ever. It lasted 33 minutes. The match had only 20 Superstars, as opposed to the usual 30.
-The shortest Royal Rumble Match with 30 entrants took place in 1995. With participants entering in 60-second intervals, this match lasted a little more than 38 minutes.
-In 1999, Chyna became the only woman in history to be an entrant in the Royal Rumble Match.
-Rey Mysterio is the shortest Superstar to ever win the Royal Rumble. He is also the only masked wrestler to ever win this match.
-The Big Red Monster Kane has the most consecutive appearances in the Rumble with nine between 1999 and 2007.
-There have been nine instances where Superstars eliminated themselves from Rumble competition. This includes Andre the Giant (1989), Drew Carey (2001), Kane (1999), Mick Foley (2004) and Farooq (1997).
-The Royal Rumble match is usually situated at the top of the card. This, however, is not always the case, as the 2006 event had the match in the middle of the pay-per-view.
-The first Rumble match featured only twenty men, and it was called the Rumble Royale. It lasted approximately thirty-three minutes of the two-hour broadcast.
-The idea behind the Royal Rumble match is credited to Pat Patterson.
Hope this information was useful to you guys and provided some insight as to why the Royal Rumble is one of the most anticipated and exciting events in sports entertainment. I will personally be in attendance at a sold out Madison Square Garden and look forward to bringing all of you detailed live notes from the show.
And that was a look through the Eyes of the Dragon.
Until next time.
All questions, comments, suggestions—feedback of all sort—is welcomed. E-mail me at TheDragonSleeper@yahoo.com.
*All official results provided by WWE.com.