If I called 1994 a New Generation Rumble, the 1995 one is Ultra-New Generation. The first Rumble where a lot of the names including Hogan and Savage where in WCW now. Nitro would kick off later the same year and go head to head with Raw (not forgetting the NWO in 1996 which leads them kicking the WWF's arse for the longest time).
The 1995 Rumble is underway with Vinnie Mac and Jerry Lawler on commentary, as Fink introduces Pamela Anderson as the special guest hostess as Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco walk her to the ring. While King is clearly been perverted towards Anderson, it's clear we are not in the Attitude era as she as not referred to her puppies. Was this always her music because it's a bit softcore porn (not that I would know).
Disappointingly this Rumble's entrants are only 1 minute apart as #1 SHAWN MICHAELS make his way to the ring, and #2 is DAVEY BOY SMITH, who I better not bad mouth or his son Harry Smith will throw hot coffee in my face, as the two quickly fight each other, #3 is one of the BLU BROTHERS - Eli they think. I should point out I hate, hate the Harris Brothers who portrayed them, I hope he is out quick, ##4 and it feels too soon is DUKE THE DUMPSTER DROESE, who had to work as a trashman since the payoffs where poor, #5 is JIMMY DEL RAY, man when he is your 3rd favourite in there it says a lot, as #6 coming in fast and furious BARBARIAN, i can't spell is name he is now who replaced Samu in the Shrinkers as Afa and Lou Albano accompany him as Del Ray is gone, #7 DR. TOM PRICHARD, the other Heavenly Body with Del Ray, always had a soft spot for Prichard. #8 is DOINK THE CLOWN, never fun for me as a babyface, but yeah this Rumble is certainly something, quite merciful the time between entrants is this short. #9 is KWANG, I talked about him last year and really didn't think the character was around that long, #10 and we are a third of the way and it's RICK MARTEL... wait he's still about, not that I'm complaining he's one of the better competitors in there.
I feel like it's hard to write much because it's not exciting, #11 is OWEN HART, to huge boos and Bret comes behind him and attacks him as we are concentrating on him beating him down in the aisle, as #12 will make his way out and it's TIMOTHY WELL to a great response, no it's not, Owen has just been eliminated off camera, get that they are doing a story but it's a shame they used little of him here. and Duke is gone knocking out a ref, followed by Timothy Well then Model, #13 is the BUSHWHACKER LUKE as everybody sans Smith and Michaels are eliminated, I can't remember who eliminated who, #14 is the other BLU, JACOB BLU, who have I said I hate, hate, hate regardless of gimmick and thankfully he's out quick and we are down to the two who started. In any other Rumble this would have been impressive they had been in this long but have both been in under 15 minutes. #11 is KING KONG BUNDY to boos, I believe this could have been is only Rumble appearance, #16 and we are already half way and it's MO, who goes for Bundy and last seconds in an entertaining elimination, Lawler thinks he broke Luke's record, which was never a record to begin with, #16 is MABEL who win the King Of The Ring later in the year, and that wouldn't go down so well, and Mabel as Bundy over the top rope as #18 is BUTCH, as Bundy is out to Mabel, as Shawn eliminates Butch who at least lasts longer than Mabel. Mabel and Bulldog team up to try and get Shawn out, as we are getting #19 and it's last years (co) winner LEX LUGER who goes for Mabel and gets him out on his own. Luger's stock had fallen considerably by this point (and would even leave later in the year memorably appearing on the first WCW Nitro) #20 is MANTAUR sans the memorable mask/ #21 is ALDO MONTOYA with a jockstrap on his head, means we've mostly had wrestlecrap here haven't we (the guy who played Montoya, who was later Justin Credible, I thought was a talented guy though)
#22 HENRY O. GODWINN (HOG get it?), Vince loved his hillbillies... #23 is BILLY GUNN who looks like he'll do better than last year, #24 is BART GUNN, none of this feels like it means anything at the moment, only Shawn, Bulldog and Luger in here feel like they have any chance of winning, #25 is BOB BACKLUND to a chorus of boos, hard to believe he won albeit for a short time period the WWF Title between last years Rumble and this, and Bret attacks before he could get in the ring, What you doing Bret? #26 Steven Dunn, the other half of Well Dunn with Timothy Well, and Luger as eliminated Backlund, as he and Bret continue to fight in the aisle, #27 is DICK MURDOCH... wait? what? Not somebody you have expect to see, might be an example of how depleted the roster was at the time as this is a one off, #28 Is ADAM BOMB as Mantaur is sent out, #29 is FATU, followed by #30, CRUSH, as the Smoking Gunns both go out. Vince doubts that Jerry Lawler has a date with Pamela Anderson, and the statement stands, only real winners looks like Smith, Luger or Michaels. Murdoch almost eliminates Michaels but Luger saves him. Crush eliminates his future tag-team partner Adam Bomb as Crush thinks he's eliminated Fatu, and Shawn sends out Aldo as Dick nearly gets him out again. Luger is doing some terrible kicks to Dick as Fatu is gone, we are down to the Luger, Michaels, Smith, Murdoch, Crush and Hog And Murdoch is gone as I type that. HOG does the old favourite of running at Luger at the ropes and he ducks. Random trivia 3 of them were in WCW and 3 of them where in the NWO, but it isn't the same three. Crush sends out Luger and the crowd aren't massively upset. So it's Crush, Luger and Michaels...
Crush and Michaels decide to team up on Smith, at least it seems like Crush was intending to throw Michaels from over his head to the top rope, but he ends up eliminated himself and we are down to the final two and it's the first two who started it. Smith is getting st he better of Michaels as he clothesline him over the top rope and his music starts... but Shawn comes from behind and eliminates him... it turns out both feet must touch the ground at the same time.
It's still impressive how he managed to stay in, a bit unfair to Smith though with them playing his music and that, could have done a restart... but hey Shawn Michaels is your winner.
Overall, a memorable ending but the Rumble was filled with a lot of garbage characters (including a literal garbage man gimmick), I think it was short as it was for that reason, it also seemed disappointing that some of your better stars like Owen did nothing. But yeah a bad Rumble that would have been much worse if it was longer.
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