Royal Rumble (1988)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Royal Rumble (1988)
Details
Promotion World Wrestling Federation
Date January 24, 1988
Venue Copps Coliseum
City Hamilton, Ontario
Attendance 18,000
Royal Rumble chronology
First Royal Rumble (1988) Royal Rumble (1989)

Royal Rumble (1988) was the first annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It took place on January 24, 1988 at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.[1] Unlike the subsequent Royal Rumble events, this event was not shown on pay-per-view and was instead a television special shown on the USA Network.[1]

The main event was a two out of three falls match where The Islanders (Haku and Tama) defeated The Young Stallions (Paul Roma and Jim Powers).[2] The undercard featured were the first-ever Royal Rumble match won by Jim Duggan,[3] Jumping Bomb Angels (Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki) defeating The Glamour Girls (Judy Martin and Leilani Kai) in a two out of three falls match for the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship[4] and Ricky Steamboat defeating Rick Rude by disqualification.[1]

Contents

[edit] Development

Pat Patterson was the one who invented the idea of the Royal Rumble match.[5] The rules of this match were that each superstar had to choose a number between 1 to 30. The #1 and #2 entrants would start the match while other would join the match after two minutes.[6] Participants had to eliminate other opponents, and the winner of the event would be the last wrestler remaining after all others would been eliminated.[6] It was similar to battle royal. Eliminations had to be done over the top rope and to get eliminated, both feet needed to touch the floor.[6] It was originally a television special shown on USA Network.[1]

[edit] Report

[edit] Background

Jumping Bomb Angels (Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki) feuded with The Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai and Judy Martin) over the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship. Kai and Martin were awarded the titles in August 1985 in Egypt.[7] On television, it was mentioned that they had defeated Velvet McIntyre and Desiree Peterson to win the titles,[7] but it was a fictitious match as the match never occurred.[8] They feuded with many female tag teams and held the titles for over two and a half years. In November 1987, they began calling themselves "Glamour Girls".[9] At Survivor Series 1987, Glamour Girls were part of WWF Women's Champion Sensational Sherri's team in a Survivor Series match against Fabulous Moolah's team. Jumping Bomb Angels, part of Moolah's team pinned the tag champions in the end to become the survivors for the match.[10] After pinning the women's tag champions, Jumping Bomb Angels signed to a title shot against Glamour Girls at Royal Rumble.[11]

Beyond this feud, the other feud was between many of major WWF superstars over the Royal Rumble match scheduled to take place at the first-ever Royal Rumble event. The idea of this match was invented by former WWF Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson.[5] Many of the top superstars of World Wrestling Federation drew their numbers between 1 and 20 and prepared themselves to compete in what is the most unique match in WWE history today.

[edit] Event

The first match of the first-ever Royal Rumble event was between Ricky Steamboat and Rick Rude. Steamboat started the match with using his popular chops. He hit a back body drop on Rude sending him outside to the floor. The duo began a test of strength. Steamboat applied an armbar. Rude punched out of the hold but Steamboat hit him a chop and slapped on the armbar again. Rude punched Steamboat again and tried to whip him in the corner but Steamboat hit an arm drag on Rude before locking in the armbar again. His arm began hurting. Steamboat came off the ropes but after Rude hit him a knee lift, Steamboat fell on the floor. Rude suplexed Steamboat and went for a near-fall. He applied a chinlock on Steamboat but Steamboat picked him up and gave him an electric chair drop. He went to the top rope and landed on Rude for a top-rope splash but Rude hit his knees and hit an atomic drop. He again applied the chinlock on Steamboat but Steamboat pushed him into the corner. He hit a chop in Rude's forehead and went for a near-fall. He got many nearfalls before Rude clotheslined him. Rude went for a suplex but Steamboat hit a suplex of his own. He went to the top rope and landed for a diving crossbody on the mat where Rude pulled the referee. Rude caught Steamboat in a Canadian backbreaker rack and the referee ended the match. Many thought that Rude won by submission but it was announced that Steamboat won the match by disqualification.[1][2][4]

Dino Bravo made a world record attempt to bench press 715 pounds. He was successful, but with help from spotter Jesse "The Body" Ventura. The second match was a womens tag team two out of three falls match for the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship, as the champions The Glamour Girls (Judy Martin and Leilani Kai) defended the titles against Jumping Bomb Angels (Noriyo Tateno and Itsuki Yamazaki). The challengers hit the champions with a double dropkick. Kai hit Yamazaki from corner to corner before tagging with Martin. Yamazaki kicked out in a great way out of a pinfall attempt and then rolled-up Martin for a near-fall. She tagged in with Tateno. She hit a bridging German suplex on Martin for a near-fall. Martin caught Yamazaki in a running crossbody and threw her to the mat. She missed an elbow drop on Yamazaki and tagged in with Kai. Yamazaki hit Kai with a high knee and tagged in with Tateno. Kai was destroyed by Jumping Bomb Angels who tried to pin her but she kicked out at 2. Tateno applied an octopus hold on Kai. Martin came to break it up and accidentally kicked Kai instead of Tateno. Tateno applied an Indian deathlock on Kai and reversed it into a bow and arrow. Yamazaki tagged in and Martin tagged in. Martin hit an Alley Oop on Yamazaki and pinned her for the first fall. Martin worked on Tateno in the second fall but after she missed a big splash, Yamazaki tagged in. She hit a series of clotheslines on Martin. Martin went for an Alley Oop again but Yamazaki pinned her with a sunset flip to get the second fall. After each team had scored one fall, now a final fall had to be scored. Jumping Bomb Angels double-teamed Kai before Martin tagged in and received an enzuigiri. Yamazaki tried to hit a fisherman suplex on Martin but she kneed out of it. Kai tagged in and went on to hit Yamazaki with a snapmare and a Northern Lights suplex. Martin tagged in and kicked Yamazaki in her own corner, allowing her to tag with Tateno. Martin slingshotted Tateno into her corner, allowing Kai to choke Tateno. Tateno hit a series of atomic drops. Yamazaki tagged in and hit a knee drop on Kai for a nearfall. Martin tagged in and received a butterfly suplex. Tateno tagged in but missed a senton bomb. Martin took advantage and pinned her for a near-fall. Yamazaki tagged in and clotheslined Martin from the middle rope for a near-fall. Kai tried to interfere while the referee Joey Marella tried to get her to the outside. Jumping Bomb Angels took advantage and hit Martin with a double missile dropkick and pinned her to win the match and the WWF Women's Tag Team Championship.[1][2][4][7]

Bret Hart, the #1 entrant of the Royal Rumble match and the first wrestler ever to enter a Royal Rumble match
Bret Hart, the #1 entrant of the Royal Rumble match and the first wrestler ever to enter a Royal Rumble match

Hulk Hogan and André the Giant had a contract signing for a WrestleMania III rematch, scheduled to take place on February 5 edition of The Main Event. Ted DiBiase bought André's contract from Bobby Heenan and told André that if he beat Hogan for the WWF Championship and gave DiBiase the belt, DiBiase would give him money. Next was the match, the event was based on - the Royal Rumble match. Pat Patterson had invented this idea just a weeks before. The first two wrestlers ever to enter a Royal Rumble match were Bret Hart of The Hart Foundation and one half of WWF Tag Team Champions Strike Force, Tito Santana. Hart hit Santana in the corner. Santana fired back but Hart hit him an inverted atomic drop, followed by a middle rope axe handle elbow drop. Butch Reed entered at #3 while Santana hit a flying forearm smash on Hart. Reed began nailing Santana until Santana dropkicked both Hart and Reed. However, the two men got the better of Santana. Reed tried to hit Santana who sidestepped, and Hart was accidentally nailed until Hart's tag team partner Jim Neidhart entered at #4. He helped Reed and his tag team partner Hart in eliminating Santana. Santana held on to ropes until Jake Roberts entered at #5, making the save for Santana. He tossed Reed out of the ring and eliminated him which would be the first elimination of first-ever Royal Rumble match and the first elimination in history of Royal Rumble ever. He began pounding on Hart Foundation. Santana and Roberts tried to hit a Double DDT on Hart, but Neidhart attacked both men, saving his partner. Hart hit a jumping piledriver on Santana while Harley Race entered at #6. Neidhart and Race tried to eliminate Roberts while Santana nearly tossed Hart. Jim Brunzell entered at #7 and almost eliminated Hart before Neidhart attacked Brunzell, saving Hart again. Sam Houston entered at #8 and went after Hart Foundation. They tossed Santana out of the ring to even the score 3-3.

Jim Duggan, who won the Royal Rumble match
Jim Duggan, who won the Royal Rumble match

Danny Davis entered at #9 and began attacking Houston. Race attacked Roberts through the ropes. Roberts tried to hit a DDT on Davis but Davis blocked it. Boris Zhukov entered at #10, but was beaten though. Zhukov's The Bolsheviks tag team partner Nikolai Volkoff and Don Muraco were quarrelling that who was #11. The referees informed them that Muraco was #11 and Volkoff was #12. Zhukov was eliminated by Roberts and Brunzell. Brunzell dropkicked Hart but it had no great effect on Hart. Volkoff entered at #12 as Muraco clotheslined Race. Jim Duggan entered at #13 and received a nice reaction by the Canadian fans. All the wrestlers continued to beat each other until Ron Bass entered at #14. Volkoff prevented from Brunzell eliminating Davis. Brunzell pounded on Volkoff but was thrown out by Volkoff. B. Brian Blair entered at #15 and Hillbilly Jim entered at #16. He eliminated Neidhart and Reed. Dino Bravo entered at #17. Bass had Houston on his shoulders and he threw Houston over the top rope, thus eliminating Houston in the process. The Ultimate Warrior entered at #18 as Duggan eliminated Bret Hart. Though, Hart did not win the match, he set the first Royal Rumble longevity record for being eliminated at 25:42. One Man Gang entered at #19 and he eliminated Blair and then Roberts. The final participant entering at #20 was Junkyard Dog. Duggan tossed Volkoff out of the ring while on the other side of the ring, OMG eliminated Hillbilly Jim and later Ultimate Warrior. Bass surprisingly attacked JYD and eliminated him from behind while Muraco surprisingly clotheslined Bass over the top rope as the final four left - Muraco, Duggan, Bravo and OMG. OMG nailed Duggan with a big splash in the corner and then OMG and Bravo began double-teaming on Muraco. Muraco managed to control both men until Frenchy Martin came out and distracted Muraco. Bravo and OMG were able to eliminate him. They went to do the same on Duggan. OMG attacked him but Duggan ducked and OMG accidentally eliminated Bravo. After a brawl with Duggan, he was eliminated by Duggan as Duggan won the first-ever Royal Rumble.[1][3][2][4]

The main event was a two out of three falls match between The Islanders (Haku and Tama) and The Young Stallions (Paul Roma and Jim Powers). As the match started, Roma hit a diving crossbody and got a near-fall on Haku before tagging with Powers. Roma and Powers hit double back elbows on Haku. Powers applied an armbar on Haku, who broke lose and tagged in with Tama. Tama missed an elbow drop and tagged out with Haku. Haku and Tama double-teamed Powers resulting in a double knockout for Haku and Powers. Roma tagged in and dropkicked Tama but Tama tossed Roma out and over the top rope and to the floor. Roma's knee was injured and he got counted-out, giving the first fall to Islanders. He entered into the ring and Tama worked on Roma's leg before he slipped and tagged Powers. Haku tagged in but Powers hit him a series of clotheslines, dropkicks, vertical suplexes and back elbows for a series of nearfalls. Haku punched out and took control of Powers. However, Powers pinned Haku with an inside cradle but Haku kicked out at 2. Haku hit a backbreaker on Powers for a near-fall. Tama tagged in and hit a jumping back elbow on Powers. Haku tagged in and hit a standing dropkick and a gutwrench suplex on Powers to get another near-fall. He then applied an abdominal stretch on Powers but Powers hip tossed Haku. Haku tried to hit a big splash but missed it as Powers tagged Roma. Roma punched away before Haku kicked in Roma's knee. Tama splashed on Roma's knee and Haku forced Roma to submit with a half crab and won the match.[1][2][4]

[edit] Aftermath

Hulk Hogan and André the Giant battled in their WrestleMania III rematch for the WWF Championship on February 5, 1988 edition of The Main Event, where André controversially defeated Hogan for the WWF title.[12][13] André sold the title to Ted DiBiase and DiBiase gave him a large sum of money. However, WWF President Jack Tunney vacated the title, making André the shortest reigning WWF Champion with a reign of 47 seconds.[14] The title was determined in a 14-man tournament at WrestleMania IV, where Randy Savage defeated DiBiase in the finals of the tournament to become champion.[15][16][17]

[edit] Results

Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match.

[edit] Royal Rumble entrances and eliminations

A new entrant came out approximately every 2 minutes.

Draw Entrant Order Eliminated by Time
1 Bret Hart 8 Muraco 25:42
2 Tito Santana 2 Hart and Neidhart 10:41
3 Butch Reed 1 Roberts 3:18
4 Jim Neidhart 6 Hillbilly Jim 19:06
5 Jake Roberts 10 One Man Gang 21:52
6 Harley Race 4 Muraco 10:03
7 Jim Brunzell 5 Volkoff 12:06
8 Sam Houston 7 Bass 14:39
9 Danny Davis 13 Duggan 17:51
10 Boris Zhukov 3 Roberts and Brunzell 2:33
11 Don Muraco 17 Bravo and One Man Gang 16:16
12 Nikolai Volkoff 11 Duggan 11:40
13 Jim Duggan - WINNER 14:43
14 Ron Bass 14 Muraco 10:14
15 B. Brian Blair 9 One Man Gang 5:50
16 Hillbilly Jim 12 One Man Gang 5:55
17 Dino Bravo 18 One Man Gang 8:12
18 The Ultimate Warrior 16 Bravo and One Man Gang 3:51
19 One Man Gang 19 Duggan 6:50
20 Junkyard Dog 15 Bass 2:08

[edit] Other on-screen talent

Commentators
Referees
Interviewers
Other

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Royal Rumble 1988 review. Complete WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Royal Rumble 1988 official results. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  3. ^ a b c "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (spot No. 13) wins the 20-Man Royal Rumble Match. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Royal Rumble 1988. The Powerdriver Review (2008-02-12). Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  5. ^ a b Pat Patterson's Bio. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  6. ^ a b c Royal Rumble Match. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  7. ^ a b c WWF Women's Tag Team Title History. Solie's Title Histories. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  8. ^ WWF Show Results 1985. Angelfire. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  9. ^ Glamour Girls Profile. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  10. ^ Survivor Series 1987 official results. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  11. ^ WWF Show Results 1988. Angelfire. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
  12. ^ André the Giant's first WWE Championship reign. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  13. ^ The Main Event results - February 5, 1988. Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  14. ^ WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Complete WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  15. ^ Randy Savage's first WWE Championship reign. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  16. ^ WrestleMania IV official results. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
  17. ^ Randy "Macho Man" Savage vs. "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase WWE Championship Tournament Finals. WWE. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.

[edit] External links

Professional wrestling
Portal
World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view events
Royal Rumble • No Way Out • WrestleMania • Backlash • Judgment Day • One Night Stand • Night of Champions
The Great American Bash • SummerSlam • Unforgiven • No Mercy • Cyber Sunday • Survivor Series • Armageddon
Royal Rumble
1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997
1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007
2008
Former pay-per-view events
The Wrestling Classic (1985) • This Tuesday in Texas (1991) • King of the Ring (1993-2002)
In Your House (1995-1999) • Bad Blood (1997, 2003-2004) • Fully Loaded (1998-2000) • Over The Edge (1998-1999)
InVasion (2001) • December to Dismember (2006) • New Year's Revolution (2005-2007)
Former International pay-per-view events
One Night Only (1997) • Mayhem in Manchester (1998) • Capital Carnage (1998)
No Mercy (UK) (1999) • Rebellion (1999-2002) • Insurrextion (2000-2003)