WWE ROYAL RUMBLE ANTHOLOGY, VOLUME 1 {1988-1992} (WWE)

INTRO:

In January 1988, on cable’s USA Network, the first Royal Rumble event was a gimmicky, over-the-top-rope 20-man battle royale devised by WWE executive Pat Patterson.  After experimenting at a few house shows, the WWE launched the Rumble as its third annual event following WrestleMania and Survivor Series.  SummerSlam soon joined this rotation in August 1988.    

Via a supposedly random draw, two men start the Rumble.  At two-minute intervals, a new participant enters until the last man in the ring finally wins.  Various managers accompany their charges to ringside in a display of extra star power.  As the event’s clichéd motto goes, “It’s every man for himself!” 

In 1989, the Rumble moved to Pay-Per-View (PPV) with a solidified 30-man format.  Impressively, this revised concept really clicks, as fans can witness main eventers and mid-carders who wouldn’t normally work together.  Case in point: with the WWE World Title up for grabs, the 1992 Rumble remains a blast as Ric Flair runs an exhausting gauntlet of the WWE’s biggest names.   

The event’s undercards tend to vary in quality, particularly when WrestleMania angles were clearly set up.  In reality, these first five Rumbles were company-wide talent shows, as lower-tier guys occasionally scored a welcome spotlight. 

Notes: This five-disc anthology set isn’t remastered and appears in standard-screen only.  Also, the “F” in the acronym “WWF” is omitted audibly on this set for legal purposes.          

SUMMARY (1988):                               RUNNING TIME: 144 Min.

On January 24^th in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, at the Copps Coliseum, this televised freebie was a deliberate counter-punch to the NWA/WCW’s same-day Bunkhouse Stampede PPV.  Conspicuously absent are: Randy “Macho Man” Savage & Miss Elizabeth; WWE Intercontinental Champion Honky Tonk Man; the British Bulldogs; Hercules; Bam Bam Bigelow; the Rougeau Brothers; Koko B. Ware; Greg Valentine; Ken Patera; WWE World Tag Team Champion Rick Martel of Strike Force; Bobby Heenan; WWE Women’s Champion Sherri Martel; and Demolition.  Presumably, they were working a house show elsewhere.

Co-hosted by Vince McMahon Jr. and Jesse “The Body” Ventura, the event line-up is as follows:

• “Ravishing” Rick Rude vs. Ricky “The Dragon Steamboat.

• Dino Bravo’s Weightlifting Challenge (with “Frenchy” Martin & Jesse “The Body” Ventura). 

• WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions The Glamour Girls (with Jimmy Hart) vs. The Jumping Bomb Angels in a best-of-three-falls title match.

• Andre the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan’s 1987 history rehash. 

• WWE Champion Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant (with Ted “Million Dollar Man” DiBiase & Virgil) “sign” the contract for their February 5^th Main Event prime-time rematch on NBC. 

• The 1988 Royal Rumble (20 Participants): Hart Foundation – Bret “Hitman” Hart; WWE Tag Team Champions Strike Force – Tito Santana; “The Natural” Butch Reed; Hart Foundation – Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart; Jake “The Snake” Roberts; “The King” Harley Race; Killer Bees – “Jumping” Jim Brunzell; Sam Houston; “Dangerous” Danny Davis; Bolsheviks – Boris Zhukov; “The Rock” Don Muraco; Bolsheviks – Nikolai Volkoff; “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan; “Outlaw” Ron Bass; Killer Bees – B. Brian Blair; Hillbilly Jim; Dino Bravo; Ultimate Warrior; One Man Gang; and The Junkyard Dog.    

• Craig DeGeorge interviews WWE World Champion Hulk Hogan. 

• Young Stallions (Jim Powers & Paul Roma) vs. Islanders (Tama & Haku) in a best-of-three-falls match.

• DeGeorge interviews a gloating Andre the Giant, “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase, & Virgil. 

McMahon and Ventura close out the program.     

REVIEW (1988):                                      RATING: 5 ½/10

In its TV debut, the Rumble itself oddly isn’t positioned as the finale.  Still, viewers get a solid effort from the WWE’s mid-card squad.  Santana and Duggan are terrific, but Bret Hart earns the match’s MVP.  Without the Rumble, the remaining matches are an average house show.

Of this undercard, neither the Bomb Angels vs. the Glamour Girls nor Rude vs. Steamboat are classics, but, at least, they are watchable.  Hampered by an injury angle, the disappointing Stallions vs. the Islanders is best forgotten. 

The ultra-tedious Bravo weightlifting angle sets up his “Canada’s Strongest Man” gimmick, as if that really did his career much good.  Instead, the brawny Bravo should have attacked a defenseless challenger (i.e. the newbie Ultimate Warrior) during the bench press. WrestleMania fireworks would have logically ignited.  Not surprisingly, the rival NWA-WCW soon set up the Road Warriors-Powers of Pain angle by having the Pains attack a defenseless Animal during what else … a bench press contest.   

The Hogan-Andre & DiBiase segments, of course, are a blatant plug for their ongoing feud.  Still, this set-up bears out the prime-time TV ratings record set by their fateful February 5^th showdown.  While the inaugural Rumble programmed an ordinary undercard and is the fourth-best on this set, it retains one significant asset.  Like the 1989 Rumble, at least the first event’s winner isn’t a foregone conclusion.

Note: Ratings-wise, this Rumble predictably flattened arch-rival Dusty Rhodes’ NWA-WCW Bunkhouse Stampede PPV(Dusty’s main event was a street fight-style battle royale … in a steel cage, no less).  The following year, the now-unopposed Rumble conveniently shifted to PPV.

SUMMARY (1989):                                  RUNNING TIME: 153 Min.

From The Houston Summit, in Texas, on January 15^th, Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse “The Body” Ventura co-host the event’s PPV debut.  The Rumble now features 30 participants, with an impressive array of main eventers and mid-carders.

• Dino Bravo & the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (Jacques & Raymond Rougeau) vs. the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart) & “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan in a best-of-three-falls match.  

• Rumble promos, threats, & predictions from the participants.

• “Ravishing” Rick Rude & Bobby Heenan challenge WWE Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior to a “super-pose down.”

• WWE Women’s Champion Rockin’ Robin vs. Judy Martin

• Sean Mooney interviews Slick & the Twin Towers (Akeem & the Big Boss Man). 

• “Mean” Gene Okerlund tries to interview Rick Rude & Bobby Heenan backstage. 

• More Rumble comments … from the managers.

• The 1989 Royal Rumble (30 Participants): WWE Tag Team Champions Demolition – Ax; WWE Tag Team Champions Demolition – Smash; André the Giant; “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig; “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin; Greg “The Hammer” Valentine; Jake “The Snake” Roberts; “Outlaw” Ron Bass; Rockers – Shawn Michaels; Bushwhackers – Butch; Honky Tonk Man; Tito Santana; Bad News Brown; Rockers – Marty Jannetty; WWE World Champion Randy “Macho Man” Savage; Brain Busters – Arn Anderson; Brain Busters – Tully Blanchard; Hulk Hogan; Bushwhackers – Luke; “Birdman” Koko B. Ware; Warlord; Big Boss Man; Akeem; Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake; “Red Rooster” Terry Taylor; Barbarian; “Big” John Studd; Hercules; Rick Martel; and “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase.

• King Haku (with Bobby Heenan) vs. Harley Race for the WWE title of “King.”    

• Okerlund interviews the fuming WWE World Champion Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. 

Monsoon & Ventura close out the show. 

REVIEW (1989):                                  RATING: 8/10

Adding ten main eventers to this Rumble makes it one of the most cohesive and best-ever produced by WWE.  Watching ex-baddie Studd come out of retirement is an unexpected pleasure.  For that matter, ultra-rare match-ups include Ax vs. Smash and Hogan & Savage’s Mega-Powers vs. savvy ex-WCW stars Anderson & Blanchard (in their sole Rumble appearance).  Further, an infuriated Savage’s post-match promo smartly hints at his WWE World Title showdown vs. the Hulkster at the upcoming WrestleMania V. 

“Hacksaw” Duggan & Bret Hart’s absence from the Rumble is missed, but they at least get a decent six-man tag match — it’s the equivalent of a TV main event.  Besides a dismal WWE Women’s title defense, Rude & Heenan are egged on vs. the Warrior during a mind-numbing pose-down.  Their waste of airtime is merely a commercial for WrestleMania V. 

In a rugged brawl, Haku & Harley Race merit the much-belated prize for the best undercard effort, considering their match had been omitted from the Coliseum Home Video VHS edition (presumably, due to time constraints).  Though the 1992 Rumble has more historic value, the 1989 Rumble is this set’s best in terms of sheer star power in their prime.  It also has the unpredictability of a surprise winner.  Haku & Race’s slugfest bolsters a lackluster undercard.     

SUMMARY (1990):                           RUNNING TIME: 162 Min.      

From Florida’s Orlando Arena, on January 21^st, long-time WCW announcer Tony Schiavone awkwardly teams with Jesse “The Body” Ventura as the co-hosts. 

• The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers (with Jimmy Hart) vs. the Bushwhackers. 

• “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & Virgil. 

• “The Genius” Lanny Poffo vs. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake. 

• Sean Mooney interviews the Heenan Family (Bobby Heenan, with Andre the Giant, Rick Rude, and Haku). 

• “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin vs. Greg “The Hammer” Valentine with Jimmy Hart (in a Submission Match). 

• Okerlund interviews a gloating “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig & “The Genius” Lanny Poffo. 

• Brother Love Interviews “Sensational Queen” Sherri & Sapphire. 

• Mooney interviews “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. 

• “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Big Boss Man, with Slick.

• Rumble promos, threats, & predictions from the participants.

• The 1990 Royal Rumble (30 Participants): “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase; Koko B. Ware; Rockers – Marty Jannetty; Jake “The Snake” Roberts; “Macho King” Randy Savage; “Rowdy” Roddy Piper; Powers of Pain – Warlord; Hart Foundation – Bret “Hitman” Hart; Bad News Brown; “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes; André the Giant; “Red Rooster” Terry Taylor; WWE Tag Team Champions Demolition – Ax; Haku; WWE Tag Team Champions Demolition – Smash; Twin Towers – Akeem; Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka; Dino Bravo; Earthquake; Hart Foundation – Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart; WWE Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior; Rick “The Model” Martel; Tito Santana; Honky Tonk Man; WWE World Champion Hulk Hogan; Rockers – Shawn Michaels; Powers of Pain – Barbarian; “Ravishing” Rick Rude; Hercules; and “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig.

REVIEW (1990):                                   RATING: 7½/10

Despite its clichéd finish, the 1990 Royal Rumble is fun to watch, including a brief Rude vs. Hennig squabble.  The Warrior vs. Hogan shoving-match, however, is a total yawn beyond tipping off the upcoming WrestleMania VI main event.  Still, in addition to Hennig and Rude, other wily veterans, such as DiBiase, André, Savage, Roberts, Piper, & Bret Hart, once more prove their reliability.  It’s a stark contrast to future WWE legend Shawn Michaels finding himself amusingly over and out in mere seconds. 

If anything, this event is a faint reminder that 1990 was a more innocent time in pro wrestling.  Beyond the nauseating Brother Love segment, the only other detriment is Ventura and Schiavone’s zero chemistry as co-commentators.  Their mic work together a few years later in WCW is noticeably better.      

Despite lacking any title matches, the undercard has its moments.  The Garvin-Valentine and Duggan-Boss Man brawls are startlingly brutal for this era’s kid-friendly WWE, although neither match resorts to spilling blood.  Still, it’s peculiar watching old pros Garvin and Valentine (each packing a phony shin guard) repeatedly attempt useless pins in a ‘submission’ match.  Similarly, Duggan vs. Boss Man’s rough-housing is a welcome flashback to their UWF rivalry of the mid-80’s. 

In predictable fashion, the Rougeaus vs. the Bushwhackers is an amusing skirmish.  The dubious Poffo-Beefcake showdown isn’t even half-bad, at least when compared to enduring the wretched Brother Love segment even once.  For this set, the 1990 Royal Rumble main event is second-best, in large part because it serves up enough entertainment to justify a formulaic winner.       

SUMMARY (1991):                              RUNNING TIME: 187 Min.

At South Florida’s Miami Arena, on January 19^th, the event is co-hosted by Gorilla Monsoon and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.  It’s also the first time that the WWE World Title is contested at the Rumble.  

• The Rockers vs. The Orient Express, with Mr. Fuji. 

• Sean Mooney Interviews “Macho King” Randy Savage & “Sensational Queen” Sherri. 

• Big Boss Man vs. Barbarian, with Bobby Heenan. 

• Mooney Interviews Sgt. Slaughter with General Adnan.

• “Mean” Gene Okerlund Interviews WWE World Champion The Ultimate Warrior (with an interruption by “Sensational Queen” Sherri).

• WWE World Champion The Ultimate Warrior vs. Sgt. Slaughter, with General Adnan. 

• Koko B. Ware vs. the Mountie (Jacques Rougeau), with Jimmy Hart. 

• Mooney Interviews “Macho King” Randy Savage & “Sensational Queen” Sherri … again. 

• Okerlund Interviews New WWE World Champion Sgt. Slaughter, with General Adnan.

• Fans send their regards to the U.S. Armed Forces.

• Promos, threats, & predictions from the Rumble’s participants.

• Mooney Interviews “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & Virgil.

• Dusty Rhodes & Dustin Rhodes vs. “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & Virgil. 

• Okerlund Interviews Hulk Hogan.

• The 1991 Royal Rumble (30 Participants): WWE World Tag Team Champions Hart Foundation – Bret “Hitman” Hart; Dino Bravo; Greg “The Hammer” Valentine; Power & Glory – Paul Roma; “Texas Tornado” Kerry Von Erich; Rick “The Model” Martel; Saba Simba (Tony Atlas); Bushwhackers – Butch; Jake “The Snake” Roberts; Power & Glory – Hercules; Tito Santana; Undertaker; Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka; “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith; Demolition – Smash; Legion of Doom – Hawk; Shane Douglas; “Macho King” Randy Savage (no-show); Legion of Doom – Animal; Demolition – Crush; “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan; Earthquake; WWE Intercontinental Champion “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig; Hulk Hogan; Haku; WWE World Tag Team Champions Hart Foundation – Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart; Bushwhackers – Luke; Nasty Boys – Brian Knobbs; Warlord; and Tugboat.     

Monsoon & Piper offer some closing remarks.

REVIEW (1991):                                                RATING: 6½/10

Instead of a mind-numbing Warrior-Hogan rematch for WrestleMania VII, pushing Hogan’s patriotic bandwagon vs. the diabolical Slaughter proves just as unimaginative.  Consider it the WWE’s version of main event recycling (i.e. keep in mind that both Hogan and Slaughter heroically thumped the Iron Sheik in similar fashion back in 1984). Still, Savage’s chaotic presence provides this Rumble a worthwhile legacy. 

Hampered by another predictable finish, the actual Rumble is enhanced by finally adding the Road Warriors (aka The Legion of Doom).  Better yet, a surprisingly good undercard (especially the Rockers vs. the Orient Express) delivers this set’s most balanced effort.  This Rumble is still only third-best, mostly because it’s so obviously the Hulk Hogan Show.  The event’s biggest negative, however, is the WWE’s gratuitous exploitation of the Persian Gulf conflict, which impacted its programming for months.             

SUMMARY (1992): RUNNING TIME: 160 Min.

On January 19^th, from Knickerbocker Arena, in Albany, New York, Gorilla Monsoon & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan co-host the event.  The main event’s winner will be crowned the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

• The New Foundation (Owen Hart & Jim Neidhart) vs. the Orient Express (“Sato” & Pat Tanaka), with Mr. Fuji. 

• Sean Mooney Interviews new WWE Intercontinental Champion The Mountie & Jimmy Hart.

• WWE Intercontinental Champion The Mountie (with Jimmy Hart) vs. “Rowdy Roddy Piper. 

• Alfred Hayes Interviews Hulk Hogan.

• The Beverly Brothers, with “The Genius” Lanny Poffo vs. the Bushwhackers, with Jamison (a geek). 

• WWE World Tag Team Champions The Legion of Doom/The Road Warriors [Hawk & Animal] vs. The Natural Disasters [Earthquake & Typhoon], with Jimmy Hart. 

• Mooney Interviews The Natural Disasters, with Jimmy Hart.

• “Mean” Gene Okerlund Interviews WWE Intercontinental Champion “Rowdy” Roddy Piper re: his rare opportunity to win both WWE singles titles in one night.

• Mooney Interviews “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels.

• Hayes Interviews “Nature Boy” Ric Flair & his ‘executive consultant,’ “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig.

• Promos, threats, and predictions from the Rumble’s participants. 

• The 1992 Royal Rumble (30 Participants) – for the vacant WWE World Championship: “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith; “Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase; “Nature Boy” Ric Flair; Nasty Boys – Jerry Sags; Haku; Shawn Michaels; Tito Santana; Barbarian; “Texas Tornado” Kerry Von Erich; Repo Man (ex-Smash of Demolition); Greg “The Hammer” Valentine; Nikolai Volkoff; Big Boss Man; Hercules; “Rowdy” Roddy Piper; Jake “The Snake” Roberts; “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan; IRS (Irwin R. Shyster); Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka; The Undertaker; Randy “Macho Man” Savage; Berzerker; Virgil; Col. Mustafa (the Iron Sheik); Rick “The Model” Martel; Skinner; Sgt. Slaughter; “Sycho” Sid Justice (aka Sid Vicious); and the Warlord.    

REVIEW (1992):                                           RATING: 5/10

For his mid-forties, Flair’s stamina is nothing short of phenomenal to observe.  Making this Rumble even more timeless is an ideal mix of aging WWE legends pitted against future main eventers like The Undertaker, Michaels, and Sycho Sid. 

Still, Bret Hart’s in-ring participation is missed (due to his phony flu storyline).  The same applies to Curt Hennig, who was recuperating from a real-life back injury.  Unquestionably, high-caliber veterans Savage, Von Erich, Roberts, Smith, Boss Man, and Piper all help compensate with reliable performances. The final four participants subsequently make perfect sense, as far as setting up the dual main event storylines for WrestleMania VIII.  Unfortunately, a surefire Rumble heel match-up the WWE fails to exploit is pitting DiBiase vs. Flair, which should have been, pardon the expression, priceless.  

Considering the other two WWE titles were also contested, the four-match undercard is still mostly dismal.  Of them, only Piper vs. Mountie delivers on its cartoony potential, as an absent Bret Hart presumably waits for a future showdown.  While the New Foundation builds a little momentum, Owen Hart & brother-in-law Jim Neidhart can’t recapture the ‘cool factor’ cohesion that Bret Hart imbued the original Hart Foundation with. 

The Legion of Doom’s inconclusive title defense disappoints, largely to set up a WrestleMania VIII rematch, of course.  In all fairness, Hawk & Animal’s rough-housing is hampered by a lack of chemistry with the sluggish Natural Disasters.  The WWE, in hindsight, would have been better off reuniting the Powers of Pain to face the Road Warriors for a potentially awesome street brawl.  Lastly, the awful Bushwhackers-Beverly Brothers match should have been a pre-show dark match where the audience could mercifully have donned blindfolds. 

The 1992 Rumble is as potent as the 1989 Rumble, but a weak undercard lands the 1992 event in last place for this set.

QUALITY CONTROL:

Impressively, there are only a few age blips re: picture quality.  One can either watch the entire event or choose individual segments.  More specific than what is seen on its packaging, the menu screen mostly spells out order of matches, special attractions, interviews, and even the announcers’ closing comments.  However, there aren’t any bonus features.     

PACKAGING:

Not only is the packaging well-manufactured, the discs are separately encased on hard plastic DVD pages to help prevent scratching.  Each event’s line-up is spelled out in order, including the Rumble’s participants, as they enter the ring.  On the inside back cover, some neat stats are provided for the 1988-92 era.  By the year, we are told which wrestler survived the longest in the Rumble and for how many minutes.  It’s indicative of the show’s growing appeal that Bret Hart’s impressive 26 minutes in 1988 gradually progresses to a full marathon hour for Flair in 1992.       

By the year, the name of whom had the most eliminations (no surprise, Hogan takes three of the five spots).  The final stat lists each year’s Rumble rookies.  When one recalls the WWE line-up from this era, virtually every star they had (minus “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff; Dynamite Kid; Bam Bam Bigelow; and Ken Patera) makes at least one appearance.  The right inside jacket quotes Flair’s reaction about how the 1992 event was the “greatest moment” in his life. 

Individual match lengths aren’t included, but the event running times are listed on the outside jacket.  Perhaps the packaging’s best element is the elegant navy blue and gold artwork.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       7 Stars

Note: In addition to subsequent installments of this anthology, there’s the True Story of The Royal Rumble (available as a three-disc DVD or 2-disc Blu-ray) with a documentary and a hodge-podge match selection.