So the 1989 Royal Rumble was pretty great until Hulk Hogan cast his shadow on it and it just wasn't the same after his cry baby fit after being eliminated totally fair and square. I am aware Hogan is back in this one so I'm really hoping Hogan doesn't spoil anything about this.
The commentators are again a different line up it's Tony Schiavone (who would be gone by the April and return to WCW) and Jesse Ventura.
Number 1 is TED DIBIASE who of course drew 30 the year before while number 2 is KOKO B. WARE, this is the first time neither men are a tag-team but they both did go on to be. Koko is unloading on the Million Dollar Man (Jesse's words) before DiBiase eliminates Koko from a pretty great height in a cool elimination, 3 is MARTY JANNETTY, still a Rocker, and the crowd are firmly behind him, there is a couple of moments where they sell each others moves nicely, and Jannetty makes the mistake to try and do a run at DiBiase at the ropes and he moves but he eliminates himself. I should point out wrestlers are having music, I thought this didn't happen until the mid-90s at least, number 4 is JAKE ROBERTS who DiBiase leaves the ring under the rope so he can attack him, Roberts as been in all the Rumble's so far and he's had a clear feud in each one. Back in the ring Roberts goes for his DDT but DiBiase counters, I hope there really isn't a snake in the bag as they are fighting close to it, number 5 is the MACHO KING RANDY SAVAGE to no music, the ever beautiful Sensational Sherri is with him, and Savage and DiBiase as the heels double team Roberts. Number 6 is RODDY PIPER with no music, guess they have decided to drop that, the ring as 4 big stars now. So I'm fear this Rumble is going to be like last year and peak now. Roberts and Piper are fighting the heels and almost hit each other but before decide against it.
Managers have been allowed to stay at ringside this year I guess. Piper almost eliminates Savage as Number 7 is THE WARLORD with Mr. Fuji who by sheer virtue of making it in the ring for more than 2 seconds does better than last year, as Fuji buggered off because I can see Sherri and Virgil still ringside, but then I speak too soon because I do see him now, number 8 is BRET THE HITMAN HART, so impressive in the first Rumble, he was still in the Hart Foundation but singles stardom was looming, Piper and Hart double clothesline the Warlord and are happy with each other. No disrespect to Warlord but he's the odd man out when you talk about careers. Number 9 is BAD NEWS BROWN, no friends and still grumpy looking, who goes after Hitman first, they both came from Stampede wrestling too. Roberts tries to go for a DDT on DiBiase But Macho clotheslines Roberts out in a cool spot. Unlike last year faces and heels seem to sticking to their alignments more. Number 10 is DUSTY RHODES with Sapphire polka dots and all and goes straight for Savage who he was feuding with and Dusty has eliminated Savage! That's like 3 wrestlers eliminated by running at the rope, hopefully other wrestlers will learn from this mistake.
Number 11 is ANDRE THE GIANT with Bobby Heenan, even compared to the 89 Rumble he is clearly in his worse shape, Warlord goes for Giant but Andre tosses him with ease, then Heenan and Fuji get into a little bit even with Fuji threatening Heenan with a cane in a funny bit. Fuji is still at ringside even though none of his guys are in there. 11 is RED ROOSTER for a gimmick so infamous this is his second rumble, Piper eliminates Bad News Brown, and a pissed off Brown comes back and pulls out Piper, this would lead to their match at Wrestlemania 6 where for some reason Piper would paint himself half black (it was never explained), Number 12 is AX of Demolition, who of course started the previous Rumble, Rooster is gone in the middle of all this (I missed who got rid of him) and Ax goes straight for Andre. The fans are chanting Weasel at Heenan at ringside while Dusty does his boogie while hitting Andre, who does his famous tie up in the ropes, Number 13 is Andre's then tag-team partner HAKU (who is tougher than Chuck Norris), who formed the Colossal Connection, which I believe was to hide Andre's falling body as much as they could.
Haku and Andre are teaming up on Ax as number 14 makes his way and it's SMASH, it's two feuding tag-teams now in there together and he teams up with Ax to attack Andre, before they double team on Haku, number 15 is AKEEM with Slick, I don't think Akeem was around much longer after that years Wrestlemania, Demolition impressively double clothesline Andre out of the Rumble. Number 16 is Superfly Jimmy Snuka, who was one time a big name for the company but by this point he wasn't used that way (there was also that thing with his girlfriend, which I won't talk about), and he eliminates Akeem in an easy looking away. DiBiase is impressively still in there as number 17 with DINO BRAVO who is out with Jimmy Hart, the alignments are starting to be a bit more blurred though Demolition are still working together. Number 18 is THE CANADIAN EARTHQUAKE (what he was called at the time), another Jimmy Hart guy and he eliminates Dusty Rhodes impressively, he then eliminates Ax, before he goes for Haku. Something tells me when Hogan arrives in this ring Quake is getting fed to him. Earthquake was still pretty fresh in the company at this point only making his debut the previous November. Number 20 is JIM NEIDHART who goes straight for Quake
Everybody teams up to eliminate both faces and heels to take out Earthquake and he's gone, okay I was wrong on that front. Neidhart and Smash decide to a double atomic drop rather than throw DiBiase over the top rope.
21 is THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR who is full of energy and eliminates Dino Bravo quickly, Warrior is happily fighting anyone as 22 makes his way to the ring and it's THE MODEL RICK MARTEL. There hasn't been music since the first few entrants I should point out still, wonder why the first few did and then it stopped. Haku eliminates Smash with a neat kick on the apron while Neidhart almost eliminates Martel but holds on impressively. Number 23 is TITO SANTANA who goes straight for his former tag partner Martel, see continuity in wrestling is cool. Warrior for a guy who can't wrestle hits a nice clothesline on Haku. Number 24 makes his out and it's THE HONKY TONK MAN, who comes out with Jimmy Hart, Fuji as stayed there for ages while Hart as come back out, loads like they was going out in a tussle but only Neidhart falls out, then Warrior eliminates DiBiase nicely, great performance by DiBiase, 25 is next and oh shit it's HULK HOGAN, Snuka a face attacks him first, and Hogan as eliminated him, Hogan then eliminates Haku with the big boot, Warrior tries to eliminate Martel and Santana together but only Santana ends up going.
It's Martel, Warrior, Honky and Hogan at the moment, and it's 26 now and it's SHAWN MICHAELS, as Hogan eliminates Honky Ton Man and then Rick Martel is gone and like that Shawn Michaels is gone and the crowd explode because we only have Hogan and The Warrior in the ring, they are both pacing the ring as the crowd explode and now they are trying to knock each other down but nobody is moving and then a random criss cross before they end clotheslining each other, Barbarian gets to be 27 and luckily for him both men are down already so he fights both, RICK RUDE comes in at 28 but I didn't hear the buzzer or see a countdown, and the commentators point it out so I know it just wasn't me, Warrior and Rude had a cool feud previously. Rude and Barbarian double team Hogan in an attempt to get him out but Warrior rescues him. Hogan is hulking up as he runs to the ropes as Barbarian and Rude are attempting to eliminate Warrior and only ends up actually eliminating Warrior, then rather funny he gets back in the ring and attacks Rude before running down the aisle all Warrior style. 29 is HERCULES who I was never really a fan of. it's 3 heels to 1 face but none of them are ganging up on Hogan, serves them all right when none of them win. Number 30 is MR. PERFECT to no surprise as he revealed it earlier in the night, Hercules eliminates The Barbarian which surprises me that of all wrestlers he has given that honour and Hercules is gone, leaving Rude and Perfect doing a 2 on 1 on Hogan. Hogan throws Rude at the rope and Perfect trying to get in pulls the rope down and Rude goes over in a neat spot. So it's Hogan and Perfect left in the ring. Perfect hits a nice Perfect Plex but Hulk typically hulks up and Perfect is selling like a trooper for Hogan before Hogan throws him over the top rope.
And here is your winner HULK HOGAN... and so, I'll be honest the Hogan antics of last year where much less intrusive, the moment he has with with Warrior his cool, and obviously in a perfect world I'd have picked a much more perfect winner but this Rumble didn't get stopped in it's tracks at any point, so because of the sum of all it's parts it's the best Rumble so far.
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