2013 Royal Rumble. It just happened so whatever you thought about it a year ago you probably think of it now.
And I can't find a good copy because WWE is running through the interwebs with more recklessness than a Bobby Lashley push. So if you guys find one I will run it tomorrow, if you don't, I'm going to close it out with the 1992 Royal Rumble.
THE 1992 Royal Rumble.
I started this thing with my favorite Rumble, the 1990 edition. Nothing against this Rumble or 2010 or 2001 or the others I really liked, but 1990 was always my favorite because of some of the amazing interactions early in the match and the fact that the match never lost heat. And Andre gave his last great effort. The only thing, in my opinion, the 1992 match is missing is Andre.
1992 Royal Rumble was about the performance. Putting the greatest performance of his era in one of the most unique matches and watching him work. It was a beautiful performance as Ric Flair did everything he said he would do. For those of us who had never seen someone work a 60-minute match before, he made it feel like 10 minutes and he worked it with 28 other guys (DiBiase got eliminated before he entered).
Scott gave this five stars, most people with any sense gave it five stars. Enjoy.
And I can't find a good copy because WWE is running through the interwebs with more recklessness than a Bobby Lashley push. So if you guys find one I will run it tomorrow, if you don't, I'm going to close it out with the 1992 Royal Rumble.
THE 1992 Royal Rumble.
I started this thing with my favorite Rumble, the 1990 edition. Nothing against this Rumble or 2010 or 2001 or the others I really liked, but 1990 was always my favorite because of some of the amazing interactions early in the match and the fact that the match never lost heat. And Andre gave his last great effort. The only thing, in my opinion, the 1992 match is missing is Andre.
1992 Royal Rumble was about the performance. Putting the greatest performance of his era in one of the most unique matches and watching him work. It was a beautiful performance as Ric Flair did everything he said he would do. For those of us who had never seen someone work a 60-minute match before, he made it feel like 10 minutes and he worked it with 28 other guys (DiBiase got eliminated before he entered).
Scott gave this five stars, most people with any sense gave it five stars. Enjoy.
Bobby's commentary is what really makes this thing special... I swear he sold every near elimination of Flair like he was going to have a stroke... this should be what they make aspiring commentators (if there is such a thing) study for homework.
ReplyDeleteI really miss Vince doing the ppv intro voiceover
ReplyDeleteI have NO IDEA why they didn't run this gimmick back for this year's Rumble to crown an undisputed champion. The last part of 1991 was almost the exact same way 2013 ended, except in 1991 it lead to this Rumble...2013 led to nothing.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's why I love this Rumble so much. There was so much on the line & so many possible winners. Flair, Sid, Hogan and Undertaker were all legit possibilities. They played up Piper winning both titles so much, that was legit. And Savage/Jake were both so over, it would not have been absurd if they had won. That's 7 guys!!
Not surprisingly, that's also why the 2010 Rumble was so good - 4-5 legit possible winners.
This year? Not so much.
Also, here's the 2013 show in HD: http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x2sc1h_worldwrestlingency_royal-rumble-full-show-hdtv-2013-wwe-ppvs/1#video=x12z21s
ReplyDeleteAm I the only one thrown by the entrance music?
ReplyDeleteI updated the video since the WWE removed it from their own channel.
ReplyDeleteHad they decided to solve a screw-job finish with a Rumble to crown a new champion... That would have been awesome. They probably didn't because they wouldn't want to hold both titles in abeyance after doing that for two ppvs on the fall.
ReplyDeleteThis is the best Rumble. The Rumbles from the last few years feel kind of the same to me. The early ones had distinct feels and energy.... They really need to bring Pat Patterson out of retirement to book tem and make them more interesting.
ReplyDeleteWell yeah I had to change the video. Someone trying to be hero added entrance music to this, which is fine, but cut off Flair's go-home promo, which is unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteI was the same way...stupid as Hell for adding the intro music...really lame...at least use his awesome 1991/1992 WWF music...
ReplyDeleteThis wasn't the WWE/F doing it, it was some random YouTuber. The WWE removed the match from their own YouTube channel. Didn't want to sue themselves I guess.
ReplyDeleteBest Rumble match ever, best commentary for a PPV ever...just five stars all around. Perfect.
ReplyDeleteOh I know WWE is that stupid to add music...just alter it...
ReplyDeletePatterson has been a part of the Royal Rumble planning again for a few years now...
ReplyDeleteTHAT'S NOT FAIR TO FLAIR!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget one of my all-time favorite Mean Gene lines...
ReplyDelete"...PUT THAT CIGARETTE OUT!"
Best star power in a Rumble, ever.
ReplyDeleteYeah, especially during Hogan's entrance. It just keeps going even though he's been in the ring for at least a minute.
ReplyDelete2008: Four possible winners (Triple H, Batista, Michaels, Taker), then Cena returns, so sort of five
ReplyDelete2007: Two possible winners (Michaels and Taker), who ended up being the final two. Maybe you could stretch to four if you want to include Rated RKO, but I never bought them as having a shot.
Then there's a slew of others that only had one to two possible winners.
So yeah, 1992 having SEVEN is really awesome.
This show has my favourite ever Bobby Heenan quotes.
ReplyDelete(Roddy Piper saves Flair from a Jake Roberts DDT)
Bobby: I never thought I'd say this, but thank you, Roddy. It's a kilt. It's not a skirt, it's a kilt.
(Not long after, Piper attacks Flair)
Bobby: You no-good creep! You skirt-wearing freak! It's not a kilt, it's a skirt!
I dont know what it is but there is something that gets me every time I see Ric coming through the curtains at that show and passing Dibiase on the way to the ring. I think it might be because they begin so many Flair videos with it in slow motion but it is a little moment I always think of. And his closing interview to this show is money. Leave the Memories Alone indeed.
ReplyDeleteThe Rrrrrrrrrrrooooyyyyyyyyaaaallllll Rrrrrrruuuuummmmble!!!
ReplyDeleteBobby Heenan is everything good about professional wrestling. The amount of money he helped draw in the 80's is comparable to pretty much anyone in the company at the time not named Hulk or Randy.
ReplyDeleteAs for this Rumble, what more needs to be said? It's the greatest of all-time and the starpower especially near the end is astounding!
NEITHER WAS DOWNVOTING THIS!
ReplyDeletePlus a lot of the music mutes out the awesome commentary which is another thing against it.
ReplyDelete"...with a tear in my eye, this is the greatest night of my life!" For some reason it always kills me to hear Flair, a father of 2 or 3 kids, spouting this line multiple times. I know it's pro wrestling and he's giving a promo, but with Flair you know that's really how he feels.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest commentary job in wrestling history:
ReplyDelete"NO! Dammit, we've been jobbed, Monsoon!"
"Barbarian doesn't like Flair!"
"When I managed him, he barely liked me!"
After a Flair low blow: "I'd do that to my grandmother if I had to!"
"I need water, you, stupid, get me some water!"
Piper attacks Roberts: "Thank you, Roddy, thank you, it's a kilt, not a skirt!'
Piper attacks Flair: "Why you no-good creep! You skirt-wearing freak!"
Undertaker attacking Flair: "That's it, it's all down the toilet!"
Monsoon; "Why don't you show some mercy, go down there and throw the towel in!"
"I never thought I'd say this but weasel your way out if you have to!"
"They're gonna have to kill him to get him out the ring!"
Plus, his screams of "what is WRONG with you?!" when Flair attacks guys and his joy when he wins, just glorious and makes this whole match.
"Why do you think they call him the Barbarian?! He's not a hairdresser on his day off!"
ReplyDeleteAnd that's not even mentioning the rest of the PPV. Heenan and Monsoon were stellar during the match itself, but stuff like Bobby trying to bribe Gorilla with various concession stand food during the Piper/Mountie match so he could sneak off and find out Flair's number was also hilarious. You could listen to the entire PPV's audio as an mp3 and still be completely entertained.
ReplyDeleteBest Rumble Ever!
ReplyDeleteYou realize you left out Virgil?
ReplyDeleteI go back and forth between this and 04 as my favorite rumbles. This has more star power buy I like the overall booking for 04 better. The thing that really makes this hard to beat is the Brain. It's almost perfect commentary.
ReplyDelete04 just a smidge behind, but you're right, it's so close. I'm an easy mark for "it's not how big you are, it's how skilled/smart you are" stuff with the smaller guys, and the ending how Benoit eliminated Big Show hit all the right notes.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kzlzyXwL8U
ReplyDeleteTo this day I will never understand why they eliminated Dibiase in under 2 minutes. Why not make him last 1 extra minute, so Flair can legit say that he went through 29 wrestlers?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I made a mention of that last week. Most people would start with "Other than my kids being born", but... Not the Nature Boy!
ReplyDeleteA local pub had a beer night where they played the entire PPV a few months ago. It was unfortunately an embarrassingly low turnout, but... WHO CARES! AWESOME SHOW START TO FINISH! !!
ReplyDeleteA great moment was when Flair elminated the Bossman, then was alone in the ring and did the Flair Flop... And then it dawns on you... He's been in the battle of his life... AND HE'S NOT EVEN HALFWAY DONE, with all the top stars still coming up. I get sucked into it every single time.
ReplyDeleteI also love how even Gorilla had to give him praise several times during the late parts of the match.
I doubt he adds much to the current product.
ReplyDeleteThe Bushwhackers - Destruction Crew match was just glorious, with Gorilla stoking Heenan's paranoia and Heenan ripping Jamison mercilessly.
ReplyDelete'Why doesn't he have a good job? He could have gotten an education and done something with his life'
'I don't know...'
'No, he wants to LEECH off the government and my good tax money! I paid almost $200 last year in-'
'WILL YOU STOP?!!!!'
I was a solid WWF kid who never knew Flair before he came in as the Real World's Champion, and this match made me a fan for life. I love how even though he's a heel, and yeah he uses dirty tactics, he takes the fight to guys the entire match. I feel like this was the first Rumble where they really threw out the face/heel distinction. Guys like Barbarian and Haku taking on Flair and Shawn Michaels was something you just didn't see usually.
ReplyDeleteI was in the exact same boat! I didn't understand the deal about Flair, and had only heard of him... But after that match, I legit thought he had a chance to beat Hogan by outlasting him in a 30-40 minute match. But sadly, it didn't happen at WM 8...
ReplyDeleteFlair was such an underrated guy when it comes to comedy. He knew when to mix it into otherwise serious affairs, and never was he better at it than in this Rumble. The Flops, the attempted cheating, the begging off ... all perfectly timed.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, this is probably my favorite individual performance from Ric.
Sadly, that's a great point.
ReplyDeleteI've never really been a Flair fan (in fact I kinda hate him), but even I have to concede that this Rumble is the tits.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, did anyone see this live? My area was still 4 years away from PPV access, so I just heard the results the following week and watch it on tape 2 months later. I can't imagine seeing it live, having no idea what was gonna happen...
ReplyDeleteI wish there were live streaming podcasts by people who're good enough at PBP/color commentary that you could listen to it without seeing the action. It'd be like listening to a baseball game on the radio - I used to do something like that when I'd listen to the PPVs on good ol' Scramblevision (this was before King became completely worthless, of corpse).
ReplyDeleteThere were very few things Announcer Vince was good at, & this was definitely one of 'em. My favorite pre-show promo snippet was always a Survivor Series (can't remember which one) where we got this gem from Dusty:
ReplyDelete"What am I thankful for? MY POLKA DOTS!"
Just out of curiosity, is there a tangible reason why you've never liked flair?
ReplyDeleteI did the same thing with DA MUTHASHIP on Saturday nights, as TBS was Scramble Vision for several years at my place. For years, I thought the "built prototype wrestler" was Sting.
ReplyDeleteI'll give him this, announcer Vince always made things feel "big" and important.
ReplyDeleteThere are definitely aspiring commentators out there. My friend who's training to be a wrestler keeps telling me he thinks I'd be able to make a go of it (at 5'9''/160 lbs.), but I always tell him I'd much rather be Bobby Heenan - announcer, manager, takes maybe one bump a year - but the fans REALLY want to see you take that one bump...
ReplyDeleteMy only other wrestling goal is to be Charles Robinson. Have one match in your lifetime against someone else nobody thinks will be able to pull it off, and pull it off.
He was injured
ReplyDeletebut he took a pretty solid bump on his elimination. He wasn't able to hold on to the ropes 1 extra minute, and then take the exact same bump?
ReplyDeleteI think this was one of the first PPVs I saw live. I was about 8 at the time.
ReplyDeleteI saw it live on ppv as a 14-year-old mark and it was FUCKING FANTASTIC.
ReplyDeletei still get chills watching Flair's post-match promo, or Flair's reaction when he's all by himself and PIPER comes out (the pop was amazing, can you imagine if they had added the wrinkle of playing each wrestler's entrance music on the way out what that pop would have been like)!
This was probably the defining moment of my fandom.
That is insane. Flair is the best ever.
ReplyDeleteIt's been years since I've seen it, but that whole ending was probably the best ending Rumble sequence ever. It was basically Big Show vs. five or six guys, and he took all of their individual best shots AND them working together, eliminated four of them, then finally got outsmarted by Benoit, the guy who was NEVER going to get to main event WrestleMania.
ReplyDeletePeople are all, "They should really let a mid-carder win the Rumble once in a while" but did anyone really believe mid-carder for life CHRIS BENOIT was going to go coast-to-coast and win the Rumble? I mean, if you weren't a super-smark like me (I remember hearing -- but not believing -- he would be the one).
A friend and I tried to make a podcast where you would listen to us overtop of a match (kind of like a Directors Cut for a DVD) but it didn't work. Oddly, we used this Rumble as our experiment show.
ReplyDeleteWhile the Rumble match is an amazing ***** affair, the rest of the PPV is hardly good, with a bunch of crappy tag matches and a great mark-out moment for Piper (but not a good match).
ReplyDeleteThat whole Benoit run was just insane. They payed off everything perfectly when nobody expected it. Seriously, going the distance in the rumble and making hhh tap at MSG at WM XX. Insane
ReplyDeleteHe was taking his shots at WCW and Jim Herd, especially when he said the WWF Title was the only belt the wrestling world that mattered.
ReplyDeleteDamn... How did you react when Flair came out #3? After all the hype that Heenan gave him the previous month?
ReplyDeleteAny guy can knock up some broad, but only one guy has gone 60 minutes in a Rumble to win the World title, and that man was RIC FLAIR.
ReplyDeleteWhy Flair didn't just come out #1, I don't get. That would have been awesome.
ReplyDelete(Posted this in another thread too since the newest one seemed dead)
ReplyDeleteFor those interested in more Daniel Bryan news and information, here's an new 18min radio station interview with him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5YIcMXFTs8
His turn on the Wyatts is mentioned so it's fairly new, and the upload I thought there was some interesting stuff in there about his approach to his career and how he's navigating the wacky world of WWE backstage politics.
I'm not seeing it. Like I said, I feel like the last few have all been the same.
ReplyDeleteBuy the network. (is what they are saying when they remove the video).
ReplyDeleteI was fine with #3. It would have felt a bit TOO convenient if he came out #1 or #2 I think. He didn't have the WORST luck, but still very rotten luck. But the very first buzzer... And Heenan melts down.
ReplyDeleteI flipped out! I still knew he was winning because the mark mags (PWI, The Wrestler, etc) had taught me no one WWF had Flair's stamina, so he was gonna win no matter what. And I was into the match the whole fucking time. THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME.
ReplyDeleteOne minute per second of his WM 28 match!
ReplyDeleteIn fairness, the "Ric Flair character" was only concerned about making money, winning titles and being a bigshot. It wouldn't have made sense for his character to have given any sense of being a family man.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I think the WWF in general stayed away from any sense of their wrestlers being married (except for Randy/Elizabeth, Jake/Cheryl Roberts and I think the Steamboats were mentioned on WWF programming) or having kids, perhaps to not make them seem 'old' to the younger audience.
Unfortunately, the 92 Rumble will always have the edge over the 04 Rumble since you can think back to Flair's win without a bad taste in your mouth.
ReplyDeleteWatching this Rumble makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteYeah,I think I have the same feeling,that was the golden age.
ReplyDeletePlus, by 2004, the Longevity thing had already been done at least twice, so it wasn't as big of a deal. But since this was only the 5th ever Rumble, it was incredible. It was the O.G. of great Rumbles.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but the mark mags could have run a story about how Vince was trying to screw Flair by loading the draws or something. Maybe not Vince, but Jack Tunney or something. 14 year old jvc113 would have totally bought into that.
ReplyDeleteWatching this commentary from Gorilla makes me think how the fuck Meltzer always gave to him Worst announcer prize.
ReplyDeleteSmart fans were pretty stupid back in the day.
ReplyDeleteIf you didn't know how to call every hold by it's Japanese name, you weren't good at your job.
Of course, it did drive me nuts when Gorilla would call a Russian Leg Sweep and "neckbreaker." And during this match, he did call Ric Flair "Rick Martel" acouple of times.
And the award was voted on, although to be fair all the subscribers were drinking Metlzer's kool-aid.
Screw Meltzer,he didn't gave 5 stars to UT/Michaels,and overrated tons of japanese matches.
ReplyDeleteI don't like Flair as a human being and he could be repetitive, but he was always right on time and could command a crowd. We've all got our biases, though; I may be one of 7 Ole Anderson fans.
ReplyDeleteNone of the UT/Micahels matches were *****.
ReplyDeleteYes they were.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised Lance Russell never won it, considering what he did was the opposite of what the old smart fan crowd liked. I'm happy he never won it as I'd be in jail for burning down Meltzer's office.
ReplyDeleteUm, no they weren't.
ReplyDeleteHell in the Cell ended with a screw job. ****3/4
WrestleMania XXV had an insanely blown spot where Undertaker almost breaks his neck and they're laying around for like five minutes. In addition to all the other laying around they do in the name of "selling." ****1/2
WrestleMania XXVI wasn't as good as 25. ****1/4.
I love how you are apparently the official authority on this, and you can judge a match precisely by the quarter star, and it should be taken as fact.
ReplyDeleteYes he did
ReplyDeletethe intros to WrestleMania VI and VIII are so awesome as well.
ReplyDeleteFlair coming out at 3 is so much better,
ReplyDeleteWatched it live as a 7-year-old Hulkamaniac who was seriously disappointed in Hogan for pulling out Sid from the floor. Had to finally rationalize it as "he lost his cool for a second and he'll be sorry for it later," lol.
ReplyDeleteOn the mic? Love him. The old crockett promos are national treasures.
ReplyDeleteIn ring? Meh. I enjoyed this rumble, the Funk, "I quit", mostly for Terry, and his match with HHH on RAW. I totally get his appeal, but never did it for me.
Well, there's at least eight of us.
ReplyDeleteFlair low-blows Undertaker.
ReplyDelete"Uh oh! He... he just tried to lift the Undertaker!"
"He did NOT."
I love this match so much.
Yeah, this is the "so he really IS good" moment for me as a 7-year-old northeast wrestling fan who had only heard of Flair through the mark mags and thought of WCW as the bush leagues.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a lot better without the music. it's not the "instant pop" but more like "I can wait who is coming to the ri..... HOLY SHIT!"
ReplyDeleteThe Flair-Steamboat 1989 trilogy of NWA title matches? The 45-minute draw that made Sting in 1988? The 60-minute draw with Barry Windham? No love?
ReplyDeleteI've watched them all once, and have no interest in watching them again. Just not my bag, though again, I do see
ReplyDeleteI was there live. I went with "smart" fans who brought a Flair sign that's pretty visible. Unfortunately, I didn't get to sit with them and their sweet floor seats. Hogan was booed loudly.
ReplyDeleteI watched it on ScrambleVision, though it really looked more like this for me here than the typical 'scrambled' signal:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loDIbTVunUo
Good enough 'for free'!
I despise 1998-onwards Flair, and think he's overrated *overall*, but you can't touch his work in the late 80s. Back when his offense consisted of more than chops, punches, and a nut-shot...he didn't do the Flair Flop 50 times a match...and he could do the turnbuckle flip properly. His selling was top-notch, and had impeccable timing. He made every match look like this was the time he was going to get what was coming to him by whomever the opposing face was.
ReplyDeleteA lot of it depended on when you became a fan, and what time period you enjoy the most. For those who became fans during the Attitude era and later, you might not appreciate the more psychology-based slower pace.
Glad to know I'm not the only one who likes to forget Enos & Bloom's WWF names ;)
ReplyDeleteCompare to the 2006 Rumble where Hero Mysterio takes a nap in the corner.
ReplyDeleteHeads up for anyone who wants to watch a better quality version, WWE.com has the full match up.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wwe.com/videos/1992-royal-rumble-match-full-length-match-25058732
Do they have it on their YouTube channel too? WWE.com's video player always wreaks havoc on my laptop.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't look like it. WWE's video always sucks for me too, but so far this match is playing well.
ReplyDeleteA small detail I noticed watching just now. Shawn Michaels throws the two worst Superkicks of his career, within a minute of each other.
ReplyDeleteI love old school stuff. Hell, i've been super hooked on World of Sport since Austin always brags it up. and again, I %100 understand why people worship NWA Champ Flair, but i'd rather watch something else. I became a fan around 90-91, so i'll agree me not discovering Flair until I was older probably affected my view ofhim a bit.
ReplyDeleteJust watched that. Actually Ric Flair's fault on both of them.
ReplyDeleteWhere do I say I am "the offical authority on this?" I merely give my star ratings, which by nature are objective. I'll happily rewatch or here any arguments explaining why these matches are in fact are PERFECT five star classics.
ReplyDeleteBut I mean, insult the man, not the argument, that's how you win.
Another small detail: When Jake gets in and sits in the corner, like "go for it, I'll hang out here."
ReplyDeleteIt's true. People call the HHH/Taker WM 28 match a "classic", and I wonder what match they watched. That being said, a
ReplyDeleteWhich Raven would go on to borrow/steal later on in WCW.
ReplyDeleteThe best part is still Heenan assuming that this counts as a win and demanding they give him the Title right there, even though the match was halfway done.
ReplyDelete"What number did Virgil get, anyways?"
ReplyDelete"A late one, why?"
"Just think: How many bags has he gone through in the back?"
"WILL YOU STOP!!"
I think that with many of the early ones.
ReplyDeletePut that cigarette out!
ReplyDeleteIt still makes me mad that they redid the commentary and adjusted the crowd noise on the whole Hulk/Sid thing weeks later on SNME. It was awesome how the crowd popped when Sid dumped Hogan.
ReplyDeleteWe went from Bobby Heenan and at least 10 gems during this match to the horrible JBL/Cole/Lawyer combo. Can someone tell JBL to stop it with the Uso chants? Please be a heel and stay a heel.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great red herring too with Brock, unless that was the original plan and then Brock spazzed. His whole angle revolved around Heyman and Brock, and then they do the Triple H curveball followed by the HBK "making his own title shot" curveball. Really well done long storyline.
ReplyDeleteIf Vince really wanted to be cheeky, he would've had Flair come in at #4. That way, Flair could've always referenced his Royal Rumble draw by holding up four fingers in the WWF.
ReplyDeleteThey did and I originally used that video but they took it done maybe ten minutes after I posted. They were on to us.
ReplyDelete