WWF Royal Rumble Results
January 24, 1993
Sacramento, California (ARCO Arena)
Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
We are broadcasting live from the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California.
Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan welcome us to the show. They go over what we will be seeing on tonight’s broadcast.
Tag Team Match
The Beverly Brothers (Beau and Blake Beverly) vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner)
Bill Alfonso is the referee for this match. The bell rings, and the two teams stare at each other. Scott will start against Beau and goes for a single-leg takedown, but Beau quickly grabs the ropes. Beau is telling the referee Scott pulled his tights. They circle the ring, and Scott wrenches the arm. Scott takes him down, but Beau quickly gets to the bottom rope to break the hold. Beau again complains to the referee. They lock up, and Scott backs him to the corner before hitting a running hip toss. Beau consults with his brother before kicking Scott and taking him down by the hair. Beau clubs Scott a few times before having a whip reversed. Scott connects with a tilt-a-whirl powerslam. Scott celebrates, and Beau rolls out of the ring to recover. Blake checks on his brother. Scott taunts Beau and tells him to get in the ring. Beau gets back in and retreats to his corner before tagging in Blake. Blake circles the ring and shoves Rick Steiner on the apron. Rick chases him away. Scott tags in his brother.
Rick hits the ring and runs around before knocking Beau off the apron. Rick gets him to the corner, but Blake kicks him back. Blake sends him into the ropes for a scoop powerslam. Blake clubs Rick and sends him into the ropes. Rick ducks a clothesline and counters a leapfrog with a powerslam. Rick goes to the ground and applies an armbar. Scott tags in and sends Blake into the ropes for an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Scott goes for a Tiger Driver on Blake, but Beau runs into the ring and clotheslines him down. Rick chases Beau away. Blake attacks Scott’s back and hits a backbreaker. Beau tags in and goes to the second rope. Beau connects with a double-ax handle to the ribs. Beau drops an elbow on the back and hits another backbreaker for a two-count. Beau holds Scott down and tags Blake in. Blake attacks Scott with a falling head-butt before clubbing him in the lower back. Beau tags in and continues to attack the back. Beau uppercuts him down to his knees and puts him in the corner. Beau distracts the referee, and Blake uses the tag rope to choke Scott for a few moments. Beau hits a double-arm suplex for a two-count. Beau drives Scott into Blake’s boot and tags him in. Blake hits a snapmare and applies a Boston Crab. Scott does some push-ups to try to power out, but Beau runs in and drops an elbow. Blake attempts a suplex, but Scott counters with a vertical suplex. Beau quickly tags in and attacks Scott. Beau sends him hard into the corner and kicks him. Beau comes off the ropes with a knee to the back. Beau sends Scott into the ropes, but Scott counters with a Tiger Driver.
Rick and Blake tag in. Rick punches Blake and hits a back body drop. Rick folds him up like an accordion with a German Suplex. Beau runs in, but Rick takes him down. Rick puts Blake on the top rope, but Beau cuts him off. The Beverly Brothers send Rick into the ropes for a double-team clothesline, but Rick ducks. Rick clotheslines them both and picks up a two-count. Scott runs in and punches away at Beau. Blake gets Scott in the electric chair position, but Scott counters into a victory roll to avoid Beau’s diving clothesline. Scott picks up a two-count. Blake has a whip reversed, and Scott spikes him on his head with a Frankensteiner for the win!
Winners by Pinfall: The Steiner Brothers
Mike’s Thoughts: A good opening tag team match for the Royal Rumble. I forgot how cheesy the Steiner’s theme sounded. It sounded like carnival music. The Beverly Brothers had a chance to redeem themselves after their disastrous showing against the Bushwhackers at last year’s Rumble, and to their credit, they delivered a much better performance here. The Steiners were such rough housers. There were some brutal slams and moves executed here. A fast-paced, hard-hitting match to kick off the show.
Video: Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty
Sensational Sherri, who was taken out of action after Marty Jannetty accidentally hit her in the head with Shawn Michaels’ mirror, heads to ringside. She stands in a neutral corner.
WWF Intercontinental Championship
Marty Jannetty vs. Shawn Michaels (c)
Michaels takes his time removing his ring gear. Joey Marella is the referee for the match. The bell rings, and the former tag partners approach each other in the center of the ring. Michaels talks a little trash and shoves Jannetty twice. Jannetty punches Michaels down. Michaels immediately gets out of the ring. Jannetty chases him back into the ring. Michaels puts the brakes on a whip and sends Jannetty into the ropes. Jannetty counters with a face-buster. Jannetty continues to punch away at Michaels before whipping him hard into the corner. Michaels rolls up the turnbuckle and is soon greeted with an inverted atomic drop. Michaels gets to his feet, and Jannetty sends him over the top rope with a knee lift to the face.
Michaels gets to his feet and goes to the apron. Jannetty brings him into the ring the hard way before hitting a clothesline over the top rope. Sensational Sherri looks on from the neutral corner. The commentators argue about whether she is supporting Michaels or Jannetty. Jannetty hits Michaels with a suicide dive. Jannetty goes to the apron and waits for Michaels to get up before diving off the apron with a punch to the jaw. Jannetty goes back to the top rope and dives to ringside, but Michaels punches him out of mid-air! Michaels gets into the ring to break the count. Michaels goes to ringside and lawn darts Jannetty shoulder-first into the ring post. Jannetty holds his shoulder in pain. Michaels grabs him by the injured arm and pulls it back into the ring post. Jannetty is in a lot of pain. Michaels stomps Jannetty on the back of the head and gets him in the ring. Michaels lifts Jannetty and hits a shoulder-breaker. Jannetty quickly gets to his feet, and his arm is looking limp. Michaels punches away at Jannetty. Jannetty gets out of the ring and goes up the aisleway to escape Michaels. Michaels clotheslines him on the aisleway and connects with a scoop slam on the floor. The referee is counting Jannetty out, but Jannetty gets back in the ring. Michaels wrenches the injured shoulder and takes him down to his knees. Sensational Sherri looks concerned. Michaels stomps the shoulder before applying a hammerlock and driving him into the corner. Michaels heads to the top rope and hits a diving ax handle to the shoulder. Jannetty winces in pain. Michaels takes him down and applies an armbar. Jannetty fights up and whips Michaels off, but Michaels counters with an arm-breaker for a near fall. Michaels wrenches the arm again, and Jannetty drops to his knees in pain. Michaels jumps onto the arm. Jannetty gets fired up and wildly swings, but Michaels easily ducks it. Michaels wrenches the arm, but Jannetty punches him in the face. Michaels tries again, but Jannetty punches him in the face. Michaels fights back and connects with a scoop slam. Michaels goes to the second rope and leaps, but Jannetty gets a boot up in his face.
Michaels slowly gets up and sends Jannetty to the corner. Michaels charges, but Jannetty elbows him in the face. Michaels charges, but he hits the ring post shoulder-first when Jannetty moves. Jannetty punches away at Michaels and hits the ropes for a clothesline. Jannetty is fired up. Michaels quickly pulls him out of the ring. Michaels reaches over the top rope and pulls him up to the apron. Jannetty blocks a suplex back into the ring and hits Michaels with a suplex out of the ring to the floor! Michaels lands on his tailbone!
Sensational Sherri goes over to Michaels to check on him before slapping him in the face! The crowd is thrilled. Jannetty brings Michaels back into the ring with a back suplex for a near fall. Jannetty sends Michaels hard to the corner, and he flies out of the ring. Jannetty slams his face off the ring steps and gets him back in the ring. Michaels tries to get away, but Jannetty grabs him. Jannetty sends him into the ropes and soon hits a scoop powerslam. Jannetty heads to the top rope and poses. Jannetty leaps, but he lands on his feet when Michaels moves. Jannetty drops Michaels with a DDT for a near fall. Jannetty whips him to the corner, but Michaels slingshots over him. Jannetty ducks Sweet Chin Music and hits Michaels with a superkick for a near fall. Jannetty sends him back to the ropes, but Michaels attempts a sunset flip. Jannetty rolls through and hits a slingshot that bounces Michaels’ face off the ring post. Jannetty rolls him up 1… 2…, and Michaels kicks out!
Michaels gets to his feet and winds up for a punch, but he accidentally hits the referee, knocking him out. Jannetty applies a full nelson and tells Sherri to get on the apron. Sherri goes to hit Michaels with her heel, but Michaels ducks, and Jannetty takes the shot! Michaels menacingly comes over to Sherri and points at her. Sherri is crying. Michaels pulls Jannetty up and turns him inside out with Sweet Chin Music for the win.
Winner by Pinfall and still WWF Intercontinental Champion: Shawn Michaels
Sensational Sherri runs away crying. Michaels celebrates in the ring.
Backstage Segment
“Mean” Gene Okerlund catches up with Sensational Sherri. An angry Michaels confronts her, but Jannetty jumps on his back. WWF officials pull them apart.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was a very good match between Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty. However, considering it came one year after the iconic Barber Shop turn (Michaels superkicking Jannetty in January 1992), I expected a bit more. The timing of this match, a full year after the breakup, highlights the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Jannetty during this period.
Days after the 1992 Royal Rumble, Jannetty was arrested for assaulting a police officer and placed on house arrest for six months. The WWF released him, but as soon as his house arrest ended, he was brought back. This led to the memorable segment where Sensational Sherri was accidentally hit with Michaels’ mirror in October 1992, setting the stage for this match.
The match itself felt like the start of something bigger – a proper feud payoff – yet Jannetty’s personal issues derailed it. He was fired the very next day after WWF officials suspected he was intoxicated during the match. It’s a heartbreaking story for a wrestler who had so much potential.
Jannetty would eventually get things back on track, returning to beat Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship in a great match on Monday Night Raw in May 1993. Still, it’s a shame these two never had a definitive, career-defining showdown on pay-per-view. After years of teaming and one of the great heel turn segments in wrestling, the lack of a proper conclusion to their story is a real missed opportunity.
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. The Big Boss Man
The bell rings, and Bigelow attacks Boss Man as he puts his nightstick down. Bigelow sends Boss Man to the opposite corner and crushes him with an avalanche. Bigelow punches Boss Man and whips him hard into the opposite corner. Bigelow clubs Boss Man down and stomps him. Bigelow whips him sternum-first into the corner and clubs him in the back to knock him out of the ring. Bigelow goes to ringside and bounces Boss Man’s face off the apron. Bigelow attacks Boss Man at ringside. Bigelow gets him in the ring, but Boss Man ducks a clothesline. Boss Man hits a clothesline, but Bigelow stays standing. Boss Man hits the ropes and takes Bigelow down with a second clothesline.
Boss Man mounts Bigelow and punches away at him. Boss Man gets him in the corner and hits the ten punches. The referee backs Boss Man up. Boss Man applies a side headlock and cinches it in, but Bigelow soon drops him with a back suplex. Bigelow goes for a falling head-butt, but Boss Man moves. Boss Man sends him to the corner and uppercuts him. Boss Man hits the ropes and hits a face-buster. Boss Man waits for him to get up and charges, but Bigelow hits a back body drop over the top rope! The referee is counting Boss Man out, but he slowly gets back in the ring. Bigelow stomps Boss Man until the referee backs him up. Bigelow strikes away at the lower back and applies a reverse bear hug. Boss Man is quickly up to his feet and powers out. Boss Man hits the ropes, but Bigelow hot shots him on the top rope! Bigelow covers for a two-count. Bigelow clubs away at Boss Man’s back and taunts the crowd. Bigelow applies another reverse bear hug and has Boss Man grounded. Bigelow holds it on for a bit before Boss Man fights up. Bigelow cuts him off and goes for a suplex, but Boss Man blocks it. Boss Man powers Bigelow up for a vertical suplex, but Bigelow is too heavy to go completely over. Bigelow gets up and head-butts the back. Bigelow shoulder tackles him. Bigelow hits the ropes and goes for a running cross-body block, but Boss Man ducks.
Boss Man punches Bigelow and hits a back body drop. Boss Man uppercuts him into the ropes and hits an avalanche. Boss Man then slides out of the ring and punches him in the jaw. Bigelow soon boots Boss Man in the face and hits a clothesline. Bigelow heads to the top rope and hits a diving head-butt for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Bam Bam Bigelow
Mike’s Thoughts: An extended enhancement match to put Bam Bam Bigelow over as a monster. The Big Boss Man’s stock had dropped by this point, which was a bummer because he was super over at one point. This wasn’t that great.
Replay: Two weeks ago on WWF Mania, Razor Ramon viciously attacked Owen Hart. We then see footage of Ramon at a basketball game last night. Ramon said after the Royal Rumble, he would have gold around his fingers, around his neck, and Bret Hart’s gold around his waist.
Razor Ramon makes his entrance.
Backstage Interview
“Mean” Gene Okerlund is backstage with WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart. Okerlund mentions this match has gotten personal. Hart says this is way more than a title match. Razor Ramon has crossed the line. Ramon is going to pay for everything. Hart will defend his family’s honor.
WWF Championship
Razor Ramon vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart (c)
Before the match begins, Bret Hart goes to ringside and gives his glasses to a young fan. Stu and Helen Hart are also at ringside. Ramon throws his toothpick at the kid.
The bell rings, and Hart punches away at Ramon. Ramon punches back and stuns Hart with a hard shot. Ramon knees Hart in the midsection a few times before punching him in the face. Ramon whips him to the opposite corner hard. Ramon pulls Hart to his feet and punches him before whipping him to the opposite corner. Hart avoids a running knee and attacks Ramon’s knee with a kick. Hart grabs the leg and puts it on the bottom rope before jumping onto it. Hart applies a Figure Four Leglock, but Ramon quickly reaches for the bottom rope to break the hold. Hart grabs the leg, kicks him down, and drops an elbow on the injured leg. Hart stretches out the leg and kicks it. Hart sweeps the feet and pulls Ramon over to the ring post. Hart slams the leg into the post as his parents watch on. Hart gets in the ring, and Ramon is limping around. Hart puts the leg around the middle rope and kicks away at it. Ramon reverses a whip and kicks him. Ramon then whips him down, and Hart slides ribs-first into the ring post!
Ramon kicks Hart and goes to ringside. Ramon pulls Hart down and hits two rib-breakers before driving him into the ring post. Ramon gets him in the ring and slowly gets in. Ramon signals that this match is easy. He’s not limping anymore, either. Ramon drops a pair of elbows and stomps the ribs. Ramon soon picks Hart up and hits a fallaway slam. Helen Hart covers her face to avoid seeing her son in pain. Ramon covers for a two-count. Ramon gets Hart to his feet and whips him sternum-first into the turnbuckles for a near fall. Ramon pulls Hart up and applies an abdominal stretch. Hart winces in pain. Hart manages to reverse it, but Ramon quickly counters with a hip toss. Ramon goes for an elbow drop, but Hart rolls out of the way. Ramon pops up and shoulder blocks him for a two-count. Ramon kicks away at Hart’s ribs and slams his face on the mat. The crowd boos the Bad Guy. Ramon whips Hart, but he misses a back elbow. Hart connects with a running cross-body block for a two-count. Hart attempts a sunset flip, but Ramon sits on the shoulders for a two-count. Hart pushes through and picks up a two-count. Ramon quickly stomps Hart and applies a rear chin lock while sitting on his back. Ramon sends him into the ropes and applies a bear hug. Referee Earl Hebner checks on Hart, but Hart stays in this. Hart bites the forehead to get out of the hold.
Ramon charges, but Hart gives him a back body drop over the top rope. Hart hits the ropes and connects with a suicide dive. Hart bounces Ramon’s face off the steps and gets him in the ring. Hart punches away at Ramon in the corner. Ramon stumbles to another corner, and Hart keeps punching him. Ramon is stumbling around the ring and drops down. Hart connects with a head-butt and some more punches. Hart hits an inverted atomic drop, followed by a clothesline for a two-count. Hart hits a backbreaker and heads to the second rope for a diving clothesline to pick up a near fall. Hart hooks the head and hits a bulldog for a two-count. Hart connects with a swinging neckbreaker, but he winces from the injured ribs. Hart slowly rolls over for a two-count. Hart grabs the legs, but Ramon immediately gets to the bottom rope. Hart pulls him away and sets him up for a Sharpshooter, but Ramon pulls the referee into Hart to stop the move. Ramon quickly kicks Hart and punches him in the ribs. Ramon puts him on the top rope, but Hart elbows him away. Hart flips over Ramon and connects with a back suplex. Hart heads to the middle rope and goes for a dive, but Ramon gets the boot up. Ramon signals for the end as the WWF Champion looks to be out. Ramon goes for a Razor’s Edge, but Hart slides out and hits a backslide pin for a near fall!
Ramon pops up and kicks away at Hart’s injured ribs. Ramon backs Hart to the corner and whips him hard to the opposite side. Hart drops to his knees in pain. Ramon applies a Greco Roman knuckle-lock and kicks away at him, but Hart counters into a roll-up for a two-count. Hart hooks the legs and gets up while applying a Sharpshooter! Ramon is trapped in the center of the ring and submits!
Winner by Submission and still WWF Champion: Bret “Hitman” Hart
Hart celebrates with the WWF Championship, and the crowd is elated. The winner of the Royal Rumble will battle Hart for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania IX. Bobby “The Brain” Heenan leaves the commentary table to unveil Narcissus.
Mike’s Thoughts: This was a very good match between Bret Hart and Razor Ramon, but I’ll admit I expected a little more. They told a solid story, with Ramon dominating much of the match before Hart found a way to squeak out the victory. It was technically sound and well-paced, but it didn’t quite reach the level of excitement I’d hoped for.
That said, Razor throwing his toothpick at the kid Bret gave his glasses to was absolutely hilarious… a perfect little heel moment that added some extra flavor to the match.
The unveiling of Narcissus
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan asks if the crowd is ready to see Narcissus. It’s an honor to introduce and unveil “Narcissus” Lex Luger. A curtain rises, and we see Lex Luger kneeling down in a robe. He is in front of a three-way mirror. Heenan tells Luger to show what the world is waiting to see. Luger opens his robe, and Heenan is super excited. Luger poses in the mirror as Heenan screams how good-looking Luger is and gifted.
Heenan says the world wants to hear Luger’s beautiful voice. Luger says he truly is incredible. This is history in the making. Luger says he will be the most dominant force that the WWF has ever seen. All other wrestlers will bow down on their knees before him because he is the most mesomorphically magnificent specimen beyond perfection. Speaking of perfection, he knows Heenan and the crowd are impressed with him. Mr. Perfect will find out how truly great “The Narcissist” Lex Luger is… IF Mr. Perfect has the guts to take the challenge.
Heenan says the crowd has been part of history. This is the highlight of his career. Heenan begs Luger to show more as the curtain comes down.
Mike’s Thoughts: Bad. No, like really bad. No, I mean it. This was horrible and straight-up creepy.
Howard Finkel introduces Caesar and Cleopatra. WrestleMania IX will occur at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. They get in the ring, and Caesar reads from a scroll. Caesar decrees that WrestleMania IX will take place at Caesar’s Palace (we already knew that). He does an advertisement for Caesar’s Palace before announcing that the winner of the Royal Rumble will face the WWF Champion at WrestleMania IX (we knew that already, too). Caesar proclaims, “Let the games begin.” You can hear the crowd booing despite their best efforts to drown it out.
Mike’s Thoughts: That was actually better than the unveiling of Narcissus.
30-Man Royal Rumble
No. 1: “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair
No. 2: Bob Backlund
The bell rings, and Backlund goes for a handshake. Slick Ric slicks back his hair and struts instead. They lock up, and Backlund hooks a side headlock. Flair whips him off, but Backlund shoulder blocks him down. Backlund dances around. They lock up again, but Backlund takes him down. Backlund trips him twice and dances some more. Flair gets up in the corner and isn’t happy. Flair goes for a test of strength before poking him in the eyes. Backlund doesn’t realize that was supposed to be an eye poke, so Flair does it a few more times. Yep. Flair backs him to the corner and chops the chest a few times. Backlund reverses a whip to the opposite corner and hits a back body drop. Backlund then lifts Flair up and holds him up for an atomic drop. Flair stands straight up before doing a Flair Flop. The clock begins to count down.
No. 3: Papa Shango
Papa Shango attacks Backlund and bounces him off the top turnbuckle. Shango punches away at Backlund and chokes him. Shango goes to eliminate Backlund, but Flair grabs Shango’s leg and throws him over.
Papa Shango has been eliminated.
Flair dumps Backlund over the top rope, but he holds on. Flair stomps away at Backlund. Backlund fights back until Flair begs him off. The clock begins to count down again. Backlund tries to eliminate Flair.
No. 4: “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase w/ “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart
DiBiase gets in the ring and punches Backlund before hitting a reverse elbow. DiBiase punches him against the ropes. Flair and DiBiase double-team Backlund against the ropes. They try to eliminate him, but Backlund holds the ropes. They send Backlund into the ropes for a double-team back elbow. They try throwing him over the top rope again, but Backlund stays there. The clock counts down.
No. 5: Brian Knobbs
Knobbs hits the ring and takes it to Flair and DiBiase with a double clothesline. Knobbs punches away at both men before doing a noggin’ knocker. Knobbs sends Flair over the top rope, but Flair hangs on! Knobbs takes DiBiase down and punches away at him. Backlund grabs Flair and bounces him off the top turnbuckle. Knobbs concentrates on DiBiase. Flair rakes the eyes and goes after Knobbs. Backlund goes back to Flair and starts the ten punches in the corner. Knobbs puts DiBiase in the corner and gives him a Pit Stop. That’s nasty.
No. 6: Virgil
DiBiase immediately attacks Virgil as he gets in the ring. DiBiase sends him into the ropes, but Virgil hits an inverted atomic drop. Virgil jabs away at DiBiase. Virgil and Knobbs send DiBiase into the ropes for a double-team back body drop. Knobbs puts DiBiase in the corner and charges, but DiBiase pulls the top rope down to get him out of the ring.
Brian Knobbs has been eliminated.
Backlund attacks Flair’s legs and goes to the second rope. Flair strikes away at Backlund. Virgil is taking it to DiBiase in the other corner.
No. 7: Jerry “The King” Lawler
Lawler punches away at Virgil before Flair pulls him away. Flair chops away at his old rival before Lawler fights back and punches him down. Flair exits the ring under the bottom rope, so he is not eliminated. Virgil attacks Lawler. Flair grabs Virgil and tries to eliminate him, but Lawler rips at Flair’s eyes. Lawler punches at Flair in the corner before Virgil grabs him. Lawler rakes Virgil’s eyes. Flair kicks away at Lawler.
No. 8: Max Moon
Moon punches away at Lawler and Flair. Moon sends Lawler into the ropes for a dropkick. Flair quickly pokes Moon in the eyes. Moon reverses a whip on Flair and gives him a back body drop. Flair begs Moon off before kicking him. Flair sends Moon over the top rope, but he skins the cat to stay in the ring. Flair kicks Moon in the midsection. Moon quickly grabs Lawler and bounces him off the top turnbuckle. Flair grabs Moon and holds him up before trying to eliminate him. Virgil puts Lawler on the top rope, but he holds on. Moon grabs Lawler and hits a running spin kick. Moon tries again, but Lawler dumps him over the top rope.
Max Moon has been eliminated.
No. 9: Genichiro Tenryu
Tenryu gets in the ring and chops away at Flair. Flair turns him around and chops the chest hard. They exchange chops before Flair does a Flair Flop. In the corner, Virgil is punching away at Lawler. DiBiase attacks Tenryu and bounces him off the top turnbuckle. Tenryu chops back at DiBiase. Flair has Virgil on the apron. Flair brings him back into the ring the hard way. Tenryu takes DiBiase down and drops an elbow. Lawler is trying to eliminate Backlund.
No. 10: Mr. Perfect
Perfect gets in the ring and points at Flair. Flair pokes him in the eyes and attacks, but Perfect quickly turns him around. Perfect chops away at him and knees him in the face. Perfect bounces him off the top turnbuckle, but Flair knocks him away. Flair heads to the top rope, but Perfect slams him off the top. Perfect connects with a rolling neck snapper. Flair quickly knees him in the midsection to keep him away. Flair puts Perfect in the corner and chops the chest a few times. Perfect turns him around and lays in some chops. Perfect starts up the ten punches and completes them. Perfect puts Flair on the top rope and tries to eliminate him. On the other side of the ring, Backlund tries to eliminate Tenryu.
No. 11: Skinner
Skinner attacks Perfect and holds him up for Flair to punch. Perfect quickly reverses a whip and clotheslines Flair over the top rope to eliminate him! Flair almost didn’t go over, but Perfect powered him out.
“The Nature Boy” Ric Flair has been eliminated.
Flair is irate at ringside. The referee holds him back from getting in the ring. Perfect waves goodbye and poses. Heenan shouts that isn’t fair to Flair. Lawler attacks Perfect and punches away at him. Virgil attacks Lawler from behind and holds him up, but Perfect doesn’t see. Perfect hooks Skinner with a side headlock, but Skinner fights out and punches him. Perfect grabs Lawler and chops him down.
No. 12: Koko B. Ware
Ware gets in the ring and punches away at Tenryu. Ware punches Skinner and then goes for Lawler. Ware does a whacky dance in a wild outfit and does the ten punches against Lawler. Backlund tries to eliminate Skinner, but Skinner gets away. Perfect grabs Skinner and sends him over the top rope, but Skinner skins the cat. Perfect waits for him to get in the ring and then dropkicks him over the top rope.
Skinner has been eliminated.
Virgil hits Backlund with a hip toss. Ware takes it to DiBiase and takes him down.
No. 13: Samu w/ Afa
Samu attacks Virgil and takes him down. Samu head-butts Backlund, Ware, and Perfect. Backlund grabs Lawler. Perfect chops Lawler so hard that he hits Backlund as well. Samu continues walking around the ring hitting his opponents with head-butts. Lawler drops Perfect with a DDT. Virgil goes after Lawler, but Lawler punches him away.
No. 14: The Berzerker
Berzerker starts throwing clubs at everyone. Lawler continues to take it to Perfect. Lawler has him against the ropes and charges, but Perfect hits him with a back body drop over the top rope to eliminate him. DiBiase immediately sends Perfect over the top rope, but Perfect lands on the apron. DiBiase and Ware try to push Perfect off. Lawler grabs Perfect from ringside and helps to pull him down to the floor to eliminate him.
Jerry “The King” Lawler has been eliminated.
Mr. Perfect has been eliminated.
Lawler and Perfect brawl at ringside. In the ring, Backlund attacks Berzerker from behind. Berzerker shakes it off and keeps striking anyone in his path.
No. 15: The Undertaker w/ Paul Bearer
Samu immediately attacks the Dead Man, but Undertaker shakes it off. Berzerker clubs Backlund out of the ring (through the middle rope) and goes through the ropes to attack him at ringside. Berzerker grabs a steel chair and hits Backlund in the ribs before smacking it off his back. In the ring, Undertaker eliminates Samu with a Chokeslam over the top rope! That was nasty.
Samu has been eliminated.
Tenryu goes after the Undertaker with chops to the chest. At ringside, Berzerker pulls back the protective mats and hits Backlund with a scoop slam on the concrete. Neither man has been eliminated. In the ring, Tenryu rocks Undertaker with a step-up enzuigiri. Tenryu hits the ropes, but Undertaker hits him with a back body drop over the top rope.
Genichiro Tenryu has been eliminated.
Undertaker uppercuts Ware and punches DiBiase to the corner. Undertaker chokes DiBiase in the corner. Berzerker sends Ware to the corner and goes for an avalanche, but Ware moves. Ware tries to eliminate Berzerker, but he’s unsuccessful.
No. 16: Terry Taylor
Taylor quickly goes after Ware with some punches. Ware fights back with some jabs and a head-butt. Ware tries to eliminate Taylor. DiBiase comes from behind and eliminates them both.
Terry Taylor has been eliminated.
Koko B. Ware has been eliminated.
Undertaker grabs DiBiase by the throat and hits a Chokeslam. DiBiase gets to his feet, and Undertaker clotheslines him over the top rope.
“The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase has been eliminated.
The Berzerker quickly attacks the Undertaker and clubs away at him. As he does, a humongous man is accompanied to the ring by Harvey Whippleman. The announcer don’t know who it is (it’s Giant Gonzalez). Berzerker hits the ropes, but Undertaker eliminates him with a back body drop.
The Berzerker has been eliminated.
The enormous man gets in the ring and raises his arms up. He looks to be about eight feet tall. Undertaker turns and sees the large man in a full body suit airbrushed with odd muscles and patches of hair. The man stomps toward Undertaker. Undertaker doesn’t move.
No. 17: Damien Demento
Demento doesn’t come to the ring yet. Undertaker steps up to the man, and the man dwarfs him. The man punches and chops Undertaker over the top rope, eliminating him. In previous years, you had to be eliminated by a legal competitor.
The Undertaker has been eliminated.
The man continues to attack Undertaker at ringside and whips him into the steel steps. Demento is at ringside and is standing by as this brawl happens. The man puts Undertaker in the ring and grabs him by the throat before hitting a Chokeslam.
No. 18: Irwin R. Schyster
The action in the Royal Rumble has come to a complete stop. The man pulls Undertaker to the ring post and smashes his leg off it a few times. WWF officials finally run down and get the large man to leave with Harvey Whippleman.
Demento and IRS are in the ring and begin to double-team Backlund with stomps. Demento then turns on IRS. The Undertaker is unconscious in the corner of the ring.
No. 19: Tatanka
Tatanka gets in the ring and attacks IRS. Paul Bearer comes to ringside and holds the urn next to the Undertaker. Undertaker starts to sit up, but he can’t get all the way up. Undertaker falls out of the ring and gets to his feet. Undertaker follows the urn and limps to the back.
In the ring, IRS takes Tatanka down before trying to eliminate him. Demento punches away at Backlund. Backlund turns him around and tries to eliminate him, but IRS pulls him back.
No. 20: Jerry Sags
Sags runs in the ring and attacks Demento. Sags then goes after IRS. Backlund tries to eliminate Demento, and Tatanka joins in. Backlund has been in the Royal Rumble for 36 minutes. Sags sends IRS into the ropes and clotheslines him down. There isn’t much action going on right now.
No. 21: Typhoon
Typhoon hits the ring and grabs Demento. Typhoon hits some shoulder thrusts on Demento to take him down before standing on the throat. Tatanka hits Sags with some Tomahawk Chops. Sags turns Tatanka and tries to eliminate him, but he can’t get him over. Typhoon throws Demento down. IRS rips at Typhoon’s eyes.
No. 22: Fatu w/ Afa
Afa slaps Fatu in the face a few times before getting him in the ring. Fatu hits Typhoon with a crescent kick. Fatu attacks everyone. Fatu bites Tatanka’s forehead. Sags grabs Fatu and head-butts him, but Fatu doesn’t feel it. IRS tries to eliminate Demento, but Demento stays in there. Fatu attacks Tatanka against the ropes and chokes him. Demento and IRS double-team Typhoon with strikes.
No. 23: Earthquake
Earthquake immediately attacks Typhoon, his partner. Typhoon reverses a whip and hits a clothesline, but Earthquake doesn’t go down. Typhoon hits another clothesline to no avail. Typhoon presses Earthquake into the corner a few times. Typhoon whips him to the opposite corner and avalanches him. Typhoon backs up and charges, but Earthquake drops him over the top rope.
Typhoon has been eliminated.
Sags attacks Earthquake from behind and hits some shoulder thrusts. Earthquake clubs Sags away and knees him in the midsection.
No. 24: Carlos Colón
Colón gets in the ring and attacks IRS. Tatanka nearly sends Demento over the top rope, but he stays in it. Tatanka tries to push him off, but Demento holds on. Gorilla Monsoon refers to Colón as a “young man.” Even in 1993, he wasn’t. Colón attacks Demento with some punches. Demento pokes Colón in the eyes and punches away at him. Colón then drops down and hits Demento with a back body drop over the top rope.
Damien Demento has been eliminated.
Colón immediately goes after Fatu. Earthquake nearly gets Backlund over the top rope, but he holds on. Backlund is at 46 minutes.
No. 25: Tito Santana
Santana attacks Backlund before going after Earthquake. Fatu charges Backlund, but Backlund sends him over the top rope.
Fatu has been eliminated.
Colón takes it to Santana in the corner. Colón then attacks Earthquake. Earthquake fights back and chokes Colón on the top rope. Santana tries to eliminate Backlund, but Backlund stays in. The crowd is starting to recognize Backlund’s longevity in this match. Earthquake nearly gets Colón over the top rope, but he slips between the middle and bottom ropes to stay in it.
No. 26: “The Model” Rick Martel
Martel immediately attacks Santana. Santana quickly turns the tables on Martel and bounces him off the top turnbuckle a few times. IRS punches Earthquake against the ropes and charges, but Earthquake drops down to get him out of the ring.
Irwin R. Schyster has been eliminated.
Seven men are still in the ring. Earthquake and Sags begin to argue. Santana gets Backlund over the top rope, but Backlund slips under the bottom rope to stay in the match. The crowd cheers Backlund. Backlund knocks Santana away. Earthquake lifts Colón but cannot eliminate him.
No. 27: Yokozuna w/ Mr. Fuji
Yokozuna gets in the ring and punches anything that moves. Yokozuna head-butts Tatanka and absorbs some offense from him. Yokozuna then grabs him and sends him over the top rope. Colón wants to try his luck, but Yokozuna easily drops him over the top rope and punches him to the floor.
Tatanka has been eliminated.
Carlos Colón has been eliminated.
Yokozuna squares off against Earthquake, who was a sumo wrestler in a past life. Yokozuna gets in the sumo position. Earthquake stomps around in the ring and poses. The crowd is excited about this match. Earthquake hits the ropes and tries for a shoulder tackle, but Yokozuna doesn’t budge. Earthquake tries again and gets Yokozuna to step back.
No. 28: Owen Hart
Earthquake soon rocks Yokozuna with some strikes, and the big man begins to stumble back near the ropes. Earthquake avalanches him in the corner. Yokozuna sidesteps a second avalanche and hits a belly-to-belly suplex over the top rope!
Earthquake has been eliminated.
Hart goes after Sags. Yokozuna grabs Sags by the throat until Santana breaks it up. Santana takes it to Yokozuna before being clotheslined down. Yokozuna sends him over the top rope, but Santana stays in.
No. 29: Repo Man
Repo Man goes after Yokozuna and immediately pays the price. Hart knocks Martel away and puts him on the top rope. Everyone in the ring begins to gang up on Yokozuna. The crowd senses that the end is near for Yokozuna. Yokozuna manages to power out and break up the pack.
No. 30: “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Savage gets in the ring and attacks Repo Man. Savage takes him down and punches away at him. Savage bounces Repo Man off the top turnbuckle and tries to eliminate him. Yokozuna grabs Santana and eliminates him. Owen Hart then dropkicks Sags over the top rope.
Tito Santana has been eliminated.
Jerry Sags has been eliminated.
Martel grabs Hart and sends him over the top rope, but Hart skins the cat to stay in. Yokozuna goes after Backlund in the corner. Hart runs over to break it up. Hart charges, but Yokozuna sends him over the top rope. Hart takes a back landing and immediately grabs his knee. Savage then sends the Repo Man over the top rope.
Owen Hart has been eliminated.
Repo Man has been eliminated.
The Final Four of the 1993 Royal Rumble are Yokozuna, Randy Savage, Bob Backlund, and Rick Martel. Martel grabs Backlund and tries to eliminate him, but Backlund stays in. Yokozuna beats Savage down on the opposite side of the ring. Martel gets Backlund on his shoulders, but Backlund hangs on to the top rope. Martel goes for a suplex, but Backlund puts him on the top rope. Backlund then eliminates Martel with a straight right hand.
“The Model” Rick Martel has been eliminated.
Backlund looks stunned, and the crowd gives him a nice hand. Backlund goes after Yokozuna. Backlund looks intimidated, but he throws a pair of dropkicks. Backlund charges, but Yokozuna sends him over the top rope. Backlund lasted 1:01:10, beating Ric Flair’s record by eight seconds.
Bob Backlund has been eliminated.
Mr. Fuji waves around the Japanese flag. Yokozuna punches away at Savage. Yokozuna shouts at the crowd and punches Savage down again. Yokozuna attacks and head-butts Savage before choking him in the corner. Savage fights back with kicks and punches. Yokozuna is rocked as Savage lays in some right hands. Savage knocks him against the ropes and clubs away at him. Savage heads to the top rope and hits a diving ax handle. Yokozuna is wobbling. Savage heads to the top rope and brings Yokozuna to a knee with a second diving ax handle. Savage hits the ropes, but Yokozuna wipes him out with a thrust kick. Yokozuna CRUSHES him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Yokozuna backs up and drops a leg. Yokozuna walks around the ring a bit before pulling Savage to his feet and punching him down. Yokozuna punches him into the corner. Yokozuna whips him to the opposite corner and charges for an avalanche. Yokozuna charges for a second avalanche, but Savage moves. Yokozuna stumbles before dropping to the mat. Savage hits his trademark Diving Elbow Drop and inexplicably goes for a cover. Yokozuna’s kick out sends Savage flying over the top rope. Wow.
Winner: Yokozuna
Roman gladiator music plays as Mr. Fuji enters the ring and celebrates with Yokozuna. Yokozuna is going to the main event of WrestleMania IX to battle Bret “Hitman” Hart for the WWF Championship. Caesar and Cleopatra head to ringside to behold this gladiator. Yokozuna walks by them and shouts into the camera.
Video: Highlights of the 1993 WWF Royal Rumble. Bret Hart would confront Yokozuna backstage.
Mike’s Thoughts: Well, that was a supremely weak Royal Rumble. From a star power perspective, it was pretty pathetic. Bob Backlund had a solid showing, and the crowd got into him toward the end, but let’s be real—a 43-year-old babyface Backlund, with all the charisma of a toilet seat, lasting as long as he did? Lame. When Jerry Sags lasts over 21 minutes, you know things are dire. And Damien Demento? He somehow lasted 12 minutes—12 minutes too long. Just awful.
Still, there were a few decent moments sprinkled in. The interactions between Ric Flair and Mr. Perfect were a highlight, setting up their great Loser Leaves WWF match on one of the early Monday Night Raw episodes. The Yokozuna vs. Earthquake showdown was also well done, giving the match a rare spark of excitement. Other than that? Honestly, not much stood out. The Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzalez setup could’ve been interesting, but it led to some of the worst big matches of Taker’s career—arguably worse than the Brothers of Destruction vs. DX. Maybe not as bad as their match against Kronik… maybe.
Yokozuna, at least, was booked well, dominating the field and looking like a total killer. I liked how he fought off waves of competitors to stay in the match. But the ending? Atrocious. They made Randy Savage look like the biggest dope of all time. First, he goes for a cover—dumb enough in a match with no pinfalls. Then Yokozuna kicks out, and the force of the kick out somehow sends Savage over the top rope to eliminate him. Just super dumb.
Despite its flaws, this was a career-making moment for Yokozuna, leading to a decent WrestleMania IX main event with Bret Hart… until, of course, Hulk Hogan had to get involved. Because, of course, he did.
Anyway, this Royal Rumble took place after it all came crashing down and started to hurt inside for the WWF with the steroid scandal. They wiped out a good portion of their roster and were left with guys like Max Moon and Damien Demento to fill spots. Times were tough, and the lack of depth was glaring. Maybe it’ll pick up in 1994 (spoiler: it doesn’t)?
Quick Match Results
— The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) def. The Beverly Brothers (Beau and Blake Beverly) in a Tag Team Match
— Shawn Michaels (c) def. Marty Jannetty to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship
— Bam Bam Bigelow def. The Big Boss Man
— Bret “Hitman” Hart (c) def. Razor Ramon via Submission to retain the WWF Championship
— Yokozuna won the 30-Man Royal Rumble
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
Thanks for reading!