A Hidden Gem In WWE's Rumble History
James Rogers 
Highlights
- The opening tag match between The Bushwhackers and The Rougeau Brothers was a fun contest that kept fans entertained.
- The match between Brutus Beefcake and The Genius set up a future showdown between Mr. Perfect and Brutus Beefcake for WrestleMania 6.
- The Royal Rumble match featured an epic confrontation between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, setting up their match at WrestleMania 6.
The 1990 WWE Royal Rumble goes down as an event that many fans may overlook and feel that it was overshadowed by the amazing 1992 Royal Rumble event, for justifiable reasons. However, the 1990 edition of the Royal Rumble event was special in ways that many wrestling fans may not have realized at the time or simply took for granted. This event set the stage for what we would see heading into WrestleMania 6 months later, and further built on the epic main event that would feature the "Ultimate Showdown" between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior. Let's break down this event and see why it will go down as one of WWE's hidden gems.
Match Results | Match Time |
|---|---|
The Bushwhackers defeated The Rougeau Brothers | 13:35 |
Brutus Beefcake and The Genius ended in a double DQ | 11:07 |
Ronnie Garvin defeated Greg Valentine | 16:55 |
Jim Duggan defeated Big Bossman | 6:13 |
Hulk Hogan wins the Royal Rumble match | 58:46 |
The 10 Longest Lasting Superstars In A Royal Rumble Match During The 1990s
The Royal Rumble is often known for the iron men who last long almost as much as the winner. The '90s saw some interesting stars last the longest.The Bushwhackers Vs. The Rogeau Brothers Opened The 1990 Royal Rumble
The Tag Team Match Kept WWE Fans Invested
The opening tag match between the Bushwhackers and the Rogeau Brothers was not a scientific wrestling clinic, but served as a fun opening contest. Butch bit the referee on the keister, as The Bushwhackers controlled the offense in the early going while having fun hyping up the crowd. The Rougeaus took advantage in the second half and slowed down the pace of the contest as the fans got behind The Bushwhackers. Eventually, The Bushwhackers would rally back, as they connected with the Battering Ram on Jacques Rougeau to pick up the pinfall victory. A fun contest to keep the fans happy heading into the second match of the night.
The Genius Battled Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
Setup A WrestleMania 6 Match For Mr. Perfect
Both Lanny Poffo (The Genius) and Brutus Beefcake put on a good, solid match. This entertaining contest concluded with The Barber putting The Genius to sleep with his trademark Sleeper Hold. Beefcake grabbed a pair of scissors and was going to cut The Genius' hair, but Mr. Perfect ran down to stop Beefcake. The referee declared this match a double disqualification. Mr. Perfect drove the steel chair into the ribs of Beefcake. The events of this match would set up a future showdown between Mr. Perfect and Brutus Beefcake for WrestleMania 6.
Royal Rumble 1990 Had A Submission Match
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine Vs. "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin
Greg Valentine vs. Ronnie Garvin started off a little on the boring side, with the fans being quiet despite the efforts of both men. Both wrestlers exchanged hard chops and punches. Valentine controlled the match by continuing to focus on the leg ofGarvin and locked on the "Hammer Jammer" at one point, but to no avail, as Garvin refused to submit. Garvin knocked Valentine out with his shin guard, then applied his version of The Sharpshooter to force Valentine to submit. Overall, despite the slow start, this was a great match with a fantastic ending.
Every 30th Entrant In The 1990s Royal Rumbles, Ranked Worst To Best
30th entrants in the Royal Rumble should be good bets to win the Rumble match. Here is every single one from the 1990s ranked worst to best.Sapphire Slapped Sensational Sherri
Brother Love Segment Featuring Sensational "Queen" Sherri And Sapphire
Brother Love and Sherri proceeded to put down Sapphire and call her disgusting, ugly, and everything else you could imagine. Brother Love and Sherri continued to trash talk both Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire, calling them "peasants". After hearing all she could take, Sapphire slapped Sherri across the face. "Macho King" Randy Savage ran down to jump Sapphire, but Dusty Rhodes made the save. WWE officials separated the two couples. Dusty Rhodes entered the ring and slammed Brother Love, as Sapphire slapped him. Rhodes tossed Brother Love out of the ring as Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire celebrated with the crowd. This segment opened the door for the Mixed-Tag match we would see at WrestleMania 6 featuring Dusty Rhodes, Sapphire, Randy Savage and Queen Sherri.
An Anti-Climatic Ending For A Big Name Royal Rumble Match
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan vs. Big Bossman Was A Letdown
This was a smash mouth, hard-hitting contest as Big Bossman took control over most of the contest and talked trash to Duggan. The match was a bit on the slow side, concluding with Boss Man striking Duggan with the nightstick, resulting in a disqualification victory for Duggan. Duggan answered back by striking Bossman and his manager, Slick, with the 2x4 as he celebrated with the crowd.
9 Wrestlers We Can’t Believe Scored Eliminations In 1990s Royal Rumbles
Royal Rumbles in the 1990s featured much more unknown wrestlers than modern ones, so it's shocking some of these forgotten names had eliminations.The Royal Rumble Was About Hulk Hogan And The Ultimate Warrior
The Royal Rumble Match Was One Of The Best Ever
This was a star-studded Royal Rumble match featuring Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Ted Dibiase, Jake Roberts, "Macho King" Randy Savage, Dusty Rhodes, and the list goes on. Ted Dibiase entered the match at #1 and remained in the match for approximately 44 minutes. Roddy Piper and Bad News Brown brawled following their elimination. Dusty Rhodes and Randy Savage continued their rivalry.
The biggest story from this match was the epic staredown and confrontation between Hulk Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior, two of the biggest megastars in WWE at the time. This led to their match at WrestleMania 6 months later. The ending of the Royal Rumble match saw Mr. Perfect (who entered at #30) eliminated by Hulk Hogan. This would be Hogan's first Royal Rumble victory, as he would go on to win the Royal Rumble match the following year.
Overall, this was a fantastic gem of a Royal Rumble event that easily can be placed in anyone's top 5 in terms of the greatest Royal Rumble events in history.
