2020/03/29

Classic Wrestling Review: 1994-01-22 Royal Rumble

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening....whenever it is you have found this entry.  Today, 2020-02-08, we are going back to 1994-01-22 and the Royal Rumble.  Maybe my favourite pay per view each year.  The Harts are in tag action, we get a casket match and of course, the Rumble itself so let us get to the ring!

  • Unfortunately, the copy I have is the edited version after WWF changed names and lost to the panda.  I wish it was the original PPV version
  • DiBiase was not the best announcer but what a great voice and of course the laugh
  • Bam Bam filling in for Borga tonight
  • I remember watching this PPV live actually, one of my favorite moments in wrestling.  I will bring it up when it happens
  • What was that move that Bam Bam just did?
  • An impressive powerslam by Ta-ta-ta-Tanka as Heenan would call him
  • When did Tatanka stop putting the red in his hair, I just noticed it is not there
  • Bret screwed Owen....just like he always did!
  • Bret was always afraid of Owen, I knew it back then and I know it now!
  • Damn I miss Owen
  • They are not the mounties!
  • I love The Quebecers music.  One of my favourites
  • It is weird to think that Pierre is having a better year now then he did back in 1994
  • That hiptoss right into a pinfall was awesome by Owen, obviously the best Hart!
  • The ref is my favourite ref of all time Timmy White!
  • Demolition's finisher!  I think my favourite finisher
  • Listen to the crowd! 
  • I am sitting here humming the Quebecers theme song damn it
  • Bret took a great buckle shot
  • Did Vince get a bonus every time he said Tremdous manoeuvre?
  • This is a great match!
  • That double hotshot/stun gun looked brutal on Owen!
  • The Finisher on the Knee?  Thank goodness Bret Moved!
  • Wait...is Bret going for the Sharpshooter?  JUST TAKE YOU SELFISH MORON!!
  • I loved Raven as Johnny Polo, he was so great and annoying in that character
  • It was that moment!  When Owen kicked Brets leg.  I literally jumped to my feet in my friends living room watching it live.  I have never been a bigger fan then that moment!
  • Kicked your leg out of your leg, oh Owen
  • Why JR?  Why should Owen be ashamed?  Because he finally gave his brother what he deserved?
  • Stolen?  They were taken because Razor is a tax cheat JR!
  • These two had great chemistry 
  • IRS might be the only person in the world who sweats more than I do!
  • IRS accidentally got tied up in the ropes Gorilla, of course he has an innocent look on his face!
  • Montana will handle the Bills I am sure
  • RAZOR CHEATED!  HE CHEATED!
  • It is the real IC Champ Shawn Michaels!
  • IRS does not know what happened because Razor hit him with an illegal foreign object!
  • What is Earl doing in the ring?
  • What a sore loser Ramon is
  • What?  THERE WAS NO BELL!  IRS WAS ROBBED!
  • Has there ever been a better ring announcer than Howard Finkel?
  • Yoko had great facial expressions
  • Is Yoko the best big man in history?  He is right there for sure!
  • You have Jim Cornette on your show and you do not have him do a promo that is just wrong
  • You do not see shots like that with a chair anymore!
  • I miss chair shots like these
  • Yoko did not get up for the chokeslam
  • Taker rolling Yoko looks like me rolling out bed...and that is not a good thing!
  • At this point, I remember realizing they were going to screw Taker
  • It is also amazing they had Taker fight off a dozen men
  • Did Taker just headbutt Bam Bam....he is undead!
  • This is where Pro Wrestling meets entertainment, I do not hate or love it when done right/hokey.  But done wrong and it is just horrible
  • I actually thought this was the end of the Undertaker back in the day
  • Not early today Howard, we watched it on Mania
  • I do not think drawing number one is what made Scotty upset
  • 90 seconds this year at the Royal Rumble due to "time constraints"
  • Why would they fight Ted?  They would just wait for the next man and beat them up
  • Kwang pulling a Great Muta, brilliant
  • Listen to the boos for Owen!
  • This is before Bob went nuts, which is my favourite Backlund character
  • Billy is a big man, I think people forget that.  But up next to Diesel he is not overshadowed
  • Virgil is the man to eliminate Diesel obviously!
  • Strangely enough, Virgil is my Grandpa's favourite wrestler!  Him and Hulk Hogan
  • Listen to the fans!  Macho was always over
  • I always like Jeff Jarrett.  I cannot say why but always has been one of the guys I enjoyed watching
  • Brian Adams was and is underrated.  Too bad he passed young
  • I loved that gut-wrench Tilt-A-Whirl backbreaker
  • The fans are cheering everyone even Doink!
  • I really liked the Matt Bourne Doink, this guy not so much
  • Crush, Bigelow and Diesel, a lot of beef in that ring!
  • And now Mabel comes in!  DEAR LORD!
  • It is weird to think Nash is the only guy in the ring right now still with us
  • Hardcore Holly is out and another of those guys I liked to watch because he never had a bad match
  • Aside from the eye Shawn has not aged much has he
  • The fans giving Big Daddy Cool a great ovation
  • Does anyone really remember Mo?  They do Mabel/Viscera but Mo?  I think not
  • The Hammer is a guy how never had a bad match either.  And has never aged and always looked the same
  • Not everyone Vince, Mo is down and out
  • Luger in the ring after the beating he took, he is an all American!  USA USA USA!
  • I feel like Tenryu was usually a babyface
  • Martel was an iron man at one point and another guy we do not hear about much anymore
  • Here comes the selfish Hitman
  • Does not care about his family or his brother.  Should have given Owen his spot
  • Fatu was always a respected guy you could tell.  Always put into great positions 
  • The Rockers explode once more!!!
  • I remember being disappointed with the Rockers break up in 1992 even as a casual unsmart fan
  • Did Vince really think Adam Bomb was going to win the Rumble?
  • I am surprised Bomb/Clark did not have a better career.  Do you think it was his accent?
  • Listen to the fans pop for Lex's music!  They are pissed that they stopped his music
  • Okay that is a real pop for Bret's music
  • Bret and Lex did such a great job of making sure you could not tell who won 
This show holds a special place in my heart for the Owen Hart moment.  I am no exaggerating how excited I was when Owen kicked Bret.  There are not a lot of moments that I remember in my wrestling fandom.  When Hogan said he was returning from Earthquake crushing him, being caught up in a Hogan vs. Flair house show match and cheering for Hogan, cheering for Jim Duggan at a World War 3, having Triple H giving the 1-2-3 Kid 3 Pedigree by chanting one more time and this moment.  I will most likely never forget jumping to my feet so excited for Owen.  If you take that away from this rumble the big thing coming out of this is that it is obvious they are going to put the rocket on Diesel, and the Undertaker is gone....or is he?

RESULTS
  • Tatanka def. Bam Bam Bigelow
  • History:  Bret Hart & Owen Hart
  • Interview:  Bret Hart & Owen Hart
  • Jacques/Pierre (WWF Tag Team Champions) def. Bret Hart/Owen Hart via Stoppage for the Titles
  • Interview:  Owen Hart
  • Segment:  IRS
  • Razor Ramon (Intercontinental Champion) def. IRS for the Title
  • History:  Undertaker & Yokozuna (WWF Champion)
  • Yokozuna (WWF Champion) def. Undertaker in a Casket Match for the Title
  • Lex Luger & Bret Hart defeated Scott Steiner, Samu, Rick Steiner, Kwang, Owen Hart, Bart Gunn, Diesel, Bob Backlund, Billy Gunn, Virgil, Randy Savage, Jeff Jarrett, Crush, Doink, Bam Bam Bigelow, Mabel, Sparky Plugg, Shawn Michaels, Mo, Greg Valentine, Tatanka, Great Kabuki, Lex Luger, Tenryu, Rick Martel, Fatu, Marty Jannetty, Adam Bomb

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