Royal Rumble 1989

[Kahran Ramsus]

A lot of these to go through and with Christmas and NFL Playoffs, I better get started early.

I've seen the actual Rumbles fairly recently, but I almost never see the full cards. I probably haven't seen this one in about 20 years. This is, of course, the first Rumble on PPV.

Opening match is Dino Bravo & The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers vs. 'Last Year's Rumble Winner' Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the Hart Foundation under 'Intercontinental Rules' (aka Best 2 out of 3 Falls).

Hacksaw should be friendlier with fellow American Patriots, Jacques & Raymond. Bret gets tripled team and loses to La Bombe de Rougeau fairly quickly. The Houston crowd starts chanting USA for Bret Hart. Ah Texas... Jesse calls them on it. Bret finally makes the hot tag and the faces triple team Raymond to even things up. Things break down, Duggan whacks Bravo with the 2x4, and Bret gets the win for the faces. Nothing much to say about this. About what you would expect from a 6 Man Opening Match. Decent, nothing special. I prefer the straight Rougeau/Hart tag matches from this same period.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Time for the superstars to draw their numbers. Virgil draws Dibiase's number, and he isn't happy. He makes a deal with Slick. Honky is pissed off. The Bushwhackers swap their numbers. Bad News likes his number. Roberts only cares about Andre. The Rockers just wish each other good luck. Love these types of segments.

Women's Championship is next. Rockin' Robin defending against Judy Martin. Robin comes out to brother Sam Houston's music. Sherri is here to challenge the winner of this match. I don't recall if that match ever happened. Robin was a flop as champ and basically killed the division for 6 years. Sherri joins us on commentary afterwards. Crowd is just dead. Match isn't horrible, but nobody cares. Robin wins with a reverse crossbody off the second rope.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

The bench press segment at '88 catches a lot of flak but the posedown segment at this show is just as boring and long. At least, this segment led to some decent matches.

I think the '89 Rumble is underrated. It won't make my Top 5 favorites list (and maybe not even Top 10) but it set the template for what a Rumble should be. It's a rare Rumble though where the second half is markedly weaker than the first. A lot of people complain about Studd winning and I get the knock against the decision in the long term but at the time, it seemed like a pretty decent idea so I don't think it's quite that horrible.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Interview with Slick and the Twin Towers. Sean Mooney accuses Slick of making a deal with Dibiase. Slick's response 'Who?' Mooney replays the footage from earlier and Slick claims he misunderstood what Mooney was asking. But he absolutely did not make a deal regarding their numbers.

Mean Gene introduces the Super Posedown. This is the payoff to the Jesse Ventura Award angle from the Slammys over a year earlier as Rude and Warrior are fighting over the best body in the WWF. I'm just glad we don't have Vince on commentary for this one. They pose a few times. Crowd picks Warrior. Rude attacks from behind. Blah, blah, blah... And thus begins a year and a half long feud. This was better suited to Superstars, but at least it is better than the weight-lifting segment from last year. It had a purpose and Rude is infinitely more entertaining than Bravo. Still way too long.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Now we move to interviewing the managers. Mr. Fuji says he'll win. Elizabeth dodges Gene's questions about what would happen if it came down to Hogan and Savage. Jimmy Hart hypes his two guys in the Rumble, Valentine and Honky.

Jesse Ventura sits on the throne prior to the Battle of the Crown Match. Haku vs. Harley Race. I have never actually seen this match since it was cut out of the Coliseum Video version. Haku is carried down to the ring by jobbers as usual, but Race runs down and dumps him. Heenan spends the match cheering for whoever happens to be on offense. Nice spot where they try headbutting each other and neither guy sells it. Race tries to piledrive Haku on the floor, but it gets countered. Second try and Harley hits it. Haku misses a Superfly Splash, and then Race follows by missing the Diving Headbutt. Reverse Thrust Kick wins it for Haku. Nice, stiff match. I liked that one. And that's basically it for one of wrestling's greatest legends.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Interviews with some more of the participants. I was quite happy when they brought these back this past year.

Mean Gene interviews Ted Dibiase who seems much happier for some reason.

Sean Mooney interviews the Heenan Family. Andre threatens the Busters, while Arn conspires with Tully behind Heenan's back.

Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan who has words for the Twin Towers and Andre the Giant and predicts victory. Hulk also says he's the real champ and will have no problem beating Randy Savage. No wonder Savage turned on this asshole.

The first real classic Rumble Moment occurs at the beginning as Ax draws #1 and Smash draws #2.

The 1988 Rumble mostly stuck to faces fighting heels, but this one mixes things up and really does make it every man for himself. It is a definite improvement. Since Ax and Smash never formally broke up, this is the only time they have faced off that I'm aware of.

#3 is Andre the Giant. Demolition immediately stop fighting each other and go after Andre. Andre's one of the few guys who could realistically last two minutes against the Demos, so good booking.

#4 is Mr. Perfect. Perfect goes after Andre, and gets nowhere. Andre manages to eliminate Smash in the meantime. Perfect and Ax double-team Andre. Perfect is a great opponent for Andre as he goes absolutely flying after every shot.

#5 is Rugged Ronnie Garvin. He too goes after Andre. Perfect's been putting on quite the show thus far.

#6 is Greg Valentine and he goes after Andre too, but the four of them still can't get him out. Andre eliminates Garvin. Andre chokes out the Hammer.

#7 is Jake Roberts and Andre catches him coming in and destroys him. Valentine unsuccessfully tries to come to the Snake's aid.

#8 is Outlaw Ron Bass complete with shaved head. Andre eliminates Roberts after Roberts did absolutely nothing in the match. Andre turns his attention to Perfect and Valentine again.

#9 is Shawn Michaels. Perfect eliminates Ax. Perfect and Shawn go at it in a nice sequence. Perfect barely hangs on after a Michaels dropkick.

#10 is Butch. Jake Roberts runs out with Damian too and Andre eliminates himself.

 

[KingPK]

I will not stand for this besmirching of the Super Posedown.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

#11 is The Honky Tonk Man. Perfect jumps Honky and nearly eliminates him.

#12 is Chico Santana and he goes after Perfect.

#13 is Bad News Brown at the peak of his WWF career. Honky is eliminated by Chico and Butch. Honky sure plummeted down the card in a hurry after losing the belt.

#14 is Marty Jannetty. The Rockers work over the Outlaw and double dropkick him out. Santana hits Valentine with the Flying Forearm.

#15 is Randy Savage who immediately goes after Bad News since they were feuding at the time.

#16 is Arn Anderson as Savage eliminates Valentine. Savage and Anderson doubleteam Shawn Michaels and eliminate him. Jannetty tries and fails to get revenge against Arn. There has been a lot of good talent in this match thus far.

#17 is Tully Blanchard. Arn delivers the Spinebuster to Jannetty. Blanchard eliminates Jannetty.

#18 is Hulk Hogan. Hogan tosses Perfect. Maybe he'll do better against Hulk next year. Santana got eliminated when I wasn't looking. I've said this before, but it is too bad we never got a Megapowers/Brainbusters match as I think it could have been really good.

#19 is Luke and Butch gets eliminated by Bad News. Everyone gangs up on the Megapowers but Hogan stops selling soon after.

#20 is Koko B Ware. Arn goes up and gets caught by Hulk. Hogan eliminates Koko and Butch. We are left with the Megapowers, Brainbusters, and Bad News.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

#21 is The Warlord. Hogan eliminates the Brainbusters by himself. Warlord steps in and gets eliminated by Hogan 2 seconds later setting the shortest time record that would last for 20 years. Hogan then dumps Bad News and Savage. Savage is furious, as we get the first major dissension in the Megapowers. Elizabeth runs out and tries to calm things down. I hope Hogan remembers this when he gets eliminated from behind in the future. Savage and Hogan make up and shake hands for now.

#22 is The Big Bossman as we get our on-on-one confrontation. Bossman beats him down. Gorilla: "The Hulkster's been out there for a half hour." Venture: "Oh he got out there like five minutes ago."

#23 is Akeem. This is the third team in the match to get back-to-back numbers, although this one was bought. The Towers eliminate Hogan clean as a sheet. Hogan has a hissy fit and attacks Bossman anyways. Great show of sportsmanship from the big hero.

#24 is Brutus Beefcake. The Towers work him over, but Hogan pulls down the ropes to eliminate Bossman. Just shaking my head.

#25 is the Red Rooster fresh off his face turn. He doesn't even have the rooster's comb yet.

#26 is The Barbarian. He does a lot better than his partner, but he was always a much better wrestler anyways. Akeem hits Air Africa on the Rooster.

#27 is Big John Studd. He goes after Akeem. This match has slowed down a lot since Hogan left.

#28 is Hercules. The commentators start talking about Dibiase's number.

#29 is Rick Martel, who was missing from last year for some reason (despite Vince saying he was in the match early on). Ventura says Dibiase was upset with #30 because he wanted #1 so he could prove something.

#30 is Ted Dibiase. I should mention how I loved this angle and how it pays off the next year with karma coming back to haunt Dibiase. Virgil stays at ringside despite managers being banned. Dibiase eliminates the Rooster. Dibiase goes after his former slave Herc, and it backfires. Beefcake gets the Sleeper on Hercules, and Dibiase and Barbarian dump them both. Martel eliminates Barbarian. Martel slugs away on Dibiase and goes after Akeem. Akeem catches Martel on a flying crossbody and tosses him. Akeem goes for the Avalanche on Studd but Dibiase gets too close and Studd pulls him in and he gets hit instead. Studd eliminates Akeem. Dibiase tries to bribe Studd, but he won't go for it. Studd wins it by tossing Dibiase. Virgil attacks from behind and gets beat up too. This should have led to a feud with Andre, but Studd's health wasn't up to it (and Andre's wasn't much better) rendering this win somewhat pointless

One of the better Rumbles, especially up until Hogan's elimination. Not Top 5, but probably Top 10. And the show itself was pretty good too.

Best Match: The Rumble
Worst Match: Women's Title

 

[snuffbox]

Did you notice Bret Hart getting concussed in the opening 6-man?

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Did you notice Bret Hart getting concussed in the opening 6-man?

No. What spot was it?

 

[snuffbox]

Neidhart catapults him from the apron onto one of the Rougeaus (I think) but Bret overshoots and lands head first. He can be seen struggling after the pin a few times.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Neidhart catapults him from the apron onto one of the Rougeaus (I think) but Bret overshoots and lands head first. He can be seen struggling after the pin a few times.

Thanks. I didn't notice that.

 

[Skywarp!]

#23 is Akeem. This is the third team in the match to get back-to-back numbers, although this one was bought.

This is one of my Rumble pet peeves that the WWE does over and over again: The statistical unlikelihood (in kayfabe) that so many tag teams in the Rumble's history would enter back-to-back or be separated by one or a couple numbers. The Demo's moment was iconic moment and the Towers' was the result of an illegal collusion storyline, so those are fine with me. But I'd like more attention to detail from the bookers on realism in the entrance drawing. It's part of the reason why '90 is one of my favorite Rumbles in a vacuum: Teams like the Rockers and the Powers of Pain were on opposite ends of the Rumble, while the Demos and the Colossal Connection were allowed to unite and fight each other. The spacing of their entrances was a little contrived but the showdown was worth it. Allies like Bravo and Earthquake may have been a bit too close together but, on the other hand, the Hart Foundation was unable to meet up in a shorter span. They kind of did it right.

#30 is Ted Dibiase. I should mention how I loved this angle and how it pays off the next year with karma coming back to haunt Dibiase.

That was a great move but, as above with the year-over-year entrance booking, they gave him something like one of the first 3 numbers for every Rumble he participated in after that. The probability of that bothered me. Not sure why statistical probability bugs me in a scripted sport, but it does when considering the Rumble's luck of the draw for some reason. I know they slid him down the card by that point, but mix it up! Give him 16 or 22 or 11 or something.

 

[Damaramu]

So why did Big John Studd win?

 

[Skywarp!]

Maybe the same reason that Iron Sheik won the WM X-7 Gimmick Battle Royale, i.e., he couldn't take a bump? I don't think Studd left his feet at all during the match, and it looked like he could barely walk. Even Andre looked more spry.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

So why did Big John Studd win?

The idea was to give him a big victory to build him up for a feud with Andre the Giant.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

That was a great move but, as above with the year-over-year entrance booking, they gave him something like one of the first 3 numbers for every Rumble he participated in after that. The probability of that bothered me. Not sure why statistical probability bugs me in a scripted sport, but it does when considering the Rumble's luck of the draw for some reason. I know they slid him down the card by that point, but mix it up! Give him 16 or 22 or 11 or something.

I know it wasn't exactly realistic, but I liked the idea that the wrestling gods were against Dibiase for trying to cheat the system.

 

[Skywarp!]

That was a great move but, as above with the year-over-year entrance booking, they gave him something like one of the first 3 numbers for every Rumble he participated in after that. The probability of that bothered me. Not sure why statistical probability bugs me in a scripted sport, but it does when considering the Rumble's luck of the draw for some reason. I know they slid him down the card by that point, but mix it up! Give him 16 or 22 or 11 or something.

I know it wasn't exactly realistic, but I liked the idea that the wrestling gods were against Dibiase for trying to cheat the system.

Oh, I'm right with you for 1990. Perfect comedic turn of events. I just didn't like that it happened for every Rumble he participated in thereafter.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Hey hey! C'mon now! DiBiase was #4 in '93!

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Hey hey! C'mon now! DiBiase was #4 in '93!

I always think he was #3 because I forget about Papa Shango.

 

[MillenniumMan831]

Monsoon and Ventura's banter being complimented by Okerlund and Heenan's interaction made the Super Posedown well worth watching.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Monsoon and Ventura's banter being complimented by Okerlund and Heenan's interaction made the Super Posedown well worth watching.

I did like Rude's antics, especially with him constantly working out with the bar in the corner.

 

[MillenniumMan831]

Okerlund sold those divothead comments like a pro.

 

[snuffbox]

I still dont have much problem with the posedown, Bravo's weightlifting, etc at the Rumbles. Because I know there's a match that lasts an hour coming up.

 

[snuffbox]

Neidhart catapults him from the apron onto one of the Rougeaus (I think) but Bret overshoots and lands head first. He can be seen struggling after the pin a few times.

Thanks. I didn't notice that.

I apologize, it was Duggan who did the catapulting. Neidart went over first and landed fine, then Hart's turn and he landed right on his head. Earlier in the match he was supposed to duck a Dino Bravo clothesline and instead took a forearm/elbow right to the head.

 

[909]

http://culturecrossfire.com/wrestling/through-the-years-wwf-royal-rumble-1989/#.VK2eiSvF-So

Just watched this one. Really annoying that Big John Studd got pushed to the victory. The crowd's reaction to the undercard was interesting, they didn't care about anything other than the opener.

 

[Skywarp!]

I thought it was weird how long guys like the Red Rooster, Butch, Ron Bass, and Ax lasted in this Rumble while guys like Hogan, Roberts, Savage and Boss Man made somewhat brief appearances.

At least there was continuity with Roberts being very bad at battle royales.

I agree with the write up that it was also odd how DiBiase was upset at drawing #23. A more interesting take would have been if he had a real shit number, like #3, and was able to do a series of trade ups (involving money, of course), that resulted in buying #30 off Akeem.

For example, sniffing around the locker room, he finds out who has #30 and that Boss Man has #22. Akeem isn't trading #30 for #3, so Ted finds someone arrogant about their chances, like Andre, and offers him money to take #3 in exchange for #14 or something, and the promise of a 99.50% chance that if he lasts long enough, Roberts would still be there. Then getting, say, Anderson or Blanchard to trade that teens number for #23 plus cash to be closer to his partner. Then, finally, offering #23 and cash to Akeem, with the promise that Andre has #3, so the two of them will be the biggest guys left...and they're teammates! That's a no-brainer to Slick and Akeem--they made money, a large number of the field should be cleared, and they're clearly not afraid of DiBiase at #30. So they take the bait.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Have this on in the background and just noticed Nick Bockwinkel is one of the road agents that tries to calm down Warrior after he got attacked during the posedown.

Now I kind of wish we got grumpy fiftysomething Nick Bockwinkel actually wrestling in '80s WWF.

*dodges projectile thrown by Brody*

 

[Brocklock]

I thought Bock did a good job at Slamboree 1993, but I imagine in late 80's/early 90's WWF he'd have to be part time. He probably couldn't take that insane house show schedule in his 50's.