As the WWF continued to expand their offerings of content, they introduced the concept of the Royal Rumble in 1988. It was aired live as a three-hour special on the USA Network from Copps Coliseum in Ontario, Canada, less than two weeks before the highly anticipated Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant rematch and a couple months before WrestleMania IV.
Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura do commentary, Vince replacing the originally scheduled Gorilla Monsoon when Gorilla had a heart attack. Vince is uncharacteristically off mark for the intro, sounding haphazard and describing the Rumble as 20 guys in the ring at same time before he trails off.
1. Ricky Steamboat vs. Rick Rude
Rick Rude’s music is BLARING as the show begins, adding to the chaos of Vince’s intro. The match is classic wrestling, Rude and Steamboat working the crowd into a frenzy with Rude’s armbar selling, Steamboat’s rope-running, and Rude’s introduction to the WWF as the guy who cuts off babyfaces and flexes. Steamboat brings the usual great sell job before Rude pulls the referee in front of a crossbody and applies a Canadian backbreaker. The referee rings the bell and Rude’s music hits, but before he gets to the back Steamboat is announced as the winner by DQ. ***1/2
Dino Bravo World Bench Press Record
An early sign that Vince McMahon was maybe a little too into bodybuilding, as a generally neat idea of Dino Bravo breaking the world bench press record of 715 pounds becomes a TV segment that goes way too long. WAY too long. Jesse Ventura is perfectly obnoxious as Dino’s spotter and I’m glad Dino was finding a role but this goes on forever and nobody cares. He starts at 400-something and the increments as they build to the record are frustratingly small, the crowd going more and more mild as they try to fill time with Frenchy Martin speaking French to Gene Okerlund. An adorably boring segment.
2. 2/3 Falls – WWF Women’s Tag Team Title: The Glamour Girls [c] w/ Jimmy Hart vs. The Jumping Bomb Angels
The Jumping Bomb Angels pop Copps Coliseum and The Glamour Girls are there for everything, but if you want a better version of this match I recommend the one at MSG in November. Despite going longer this feels like the cliff notes, with generally good action and a massive pop for the finish. Might want to mute the commentary though, McMahon and Ventura are pieces of trash. ***
Hulk Hogan/Andre the Giant WWF Title Contract Signing
Andre put Hogan down on Saturday Night’s Main Event a few weeks ago, and now their WrestleMania III rematch has been signed for The Main Event in a couple weeks on February 5th. This is a great angle, with everybody’s performances on point: Hulk Hogan is trepidatious, Andre is leaning against the ropes refusing to look at him, and Mean Gene is a professional just trying to get things on track. Ted DiBiase and Virgil accompany Andre and DiBiase is great, having already established his plan to buy the WWF Title. His rant on Hogan comes off like he’s been an established WWF character for years when it’s just been a few months. Andre eventually slams Hogan’s face on the table and throws it on top of him, setting a template for years and years and years.
3. Royal Rumble (Featuring: Bret Hart, Tito Santana, Butch Reed, Jim Neidhart, Jake Roberts, Danny Davis, Harley Race, Outlaw Ron Bass, Sam Houston, Jumpin’ Jim Brunzell, Boris Zhukov, Magnificent Muraco, Nikolai Volkoff, B. Brian Blair, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, One Man Gang, Ultimate Warrior, Hillbilly Jim, Dino Bravo and Junkyard Dog)
The first Royal Rumble is very much a work in progress, with a goal not to maximize the moments but just establish the crazy nature of this new gimmick. It lacks the star power later ones would have, but nearly everybody on the roster was over anyways. It also lacks the numbers – 20 vs. 30 – but the lack of star power makes that kind of moot and it probably would’ve dragged with more. The ring is usually filled up, the eliminations only picking up towards the end.
A very wet and bloated Bret Hart begins the match with Tito Santana, the two most natural guys to start in the WWF beyond maybe Steamboat – two distance runners. Hart lasts pretty deep until he is unceremoniously tossed by Muraco, and that’s kind of the story of the match – there’s fun moments here and there but its’ a lot of aimless brawling and no moment really taken advantage of. Sam Houston hops up on Ron Bass’ shoulders to pop the crowd, and they try to get over the CRAZINESS~! of the Rumble when Nikolai Volkoff follows Muraco out, apparently getting his number wrong. Warrior gets a big pop but lasts maybe two minutes before he’s tossed.
Junkyard Dog and Ron Bass are eliminated, leaving Hacksaw, Muraco, Bravo and One Man Gang. It’s a weird cast but everybody besides Muraco makes sense in January 1988. They tease One Man Gang running into Bravo and knocking him out, then do it. Duggan then pulls the ropes down and One Man Gang falls to the floor, giving Duggan the win. Crowd likes it and it’s a great way of establishing Duggan, but this is the most low key Rumble there is. ***1/4
4. 2/3 Falls: The Young Stallions vs. The Islanders
This is just here to fill time, and by fill time I mean go nearly 15 minutes. The action is solid but completely uninteresting, everybody playing a role but kind of sleepwalking through it. The Islanders take two falls straight. **1/4
Happy Thoughts: WWF had to be happy with the show’s performance and the first Royal Rumble is certainly historical, but kind of a skip. Infamous angles, pretty good but not great wrestling. 5/10
