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Most Enjoyable Royal Rumble Hype Angles...


ShortOrderCook

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I loved the buildup to the 1999 Royal Rumble. McMahon and his stooges (in cowboy hats) going around Texas looking for Austin remains highly quoted by me and my mates. Vince flicking some bald bloke on the back of the head and saying "Hey Austin you chicken shit" before he turned around with a gun in his hand is a class line, as well as Patterson saying to the waitress (in a Texas twang) "Av taysted better dawg food than this", after he'd already stated his love for his grub, until his opinion completely changed when he realised Vince wasnt a fan.

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I can only imagine that they thought that was a sacrifice worth making to get Yokozuna over.

 

But that's the other thing that makes no sense about it because it didn't really. Okay it was meant to show his strength, launching him from the floor but because it looks so daft everyone just think Savage looks like a muppet. Would have been better keeping it simple and just have Yokozuna swat Savage aside to really put him over.

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Savage was the muppet back then through. He was about to become the cliche spouting and joke cracking colour commentator. Its one of the reasons he up sticks and left. WWF didnt want him to be a main event player anymore, so they probably thought it was worth seeing Savage look like a complete spanner. Becoming onscreen pals with Todd Pettingill made him look more of a plank than this.

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I can only imagine that they thought that was a sacrifice worth making to get Yokozuna over.

 

But that's the other thing that makes no sense about it because it didn't really. Okay it was meant to show his strength, launching him from the floor but because it looks so daft everyone just think Savage looks like a muppet. Would have been better keeping it simple and just have Yokozuna swat Savage aside to really put him over.

That big man kick-out spot has always been a big deal. Throwing someone from the floor over the top rope is really unique. it should have been a big spot. They should have had Savage mount him with punches or bend to attempt to pick him up or something though.

 

They should repeat the spot in this year's Rumble. Have Del Rio attempt to put on the arm breaker and Mark Henry launch him over the top.

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Yokozuna's elimination of Randy Savage in 1993 was just crazy, if this happened now the IRC would go nuts! LOL. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sq_GocsUZRE

Yeah, it was really silly and made him look like a complete idiot.

 

I don't know why on earth they were so desperate to fast-track Yokozuna's push when you still had plenty of decent main event options, most notably, a face v face Hitman / Savage feud for Wrestlemania to really establish and solidify the Hitmans position as Champion (and give us a classic main event). Yokozuna was pretty strong in the Rumble, it wasn't going to ruin him if he had a wild charge at the end and Savage ducked and pulled the ropes down. If he was going to be champion until WM X, WM9 was way too early to put the belt on him (i know from WM to KOTR he wasn't champ, but it still felt like it). They should only really have threw him into the main event picture between KOTR and Summerslam.

 

Back on topic, i quite liked The Dumpster v HHH for #1 in '96 :)

 

Something's just occurred to me, back in the late 80s/early 90s when they used to do the pre-show specials, i can't ever remember there being one for the Rumble. You has March to Wrestlemania, Summerslam Spectacular and Survivor Series Showdown, but was there ever a Royal Rumble show as i can't think of any at all?

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I liked the angle that Undertaker and Kane ran in the build-up to the 2001 Rumble, and the payoff to it in the match. For weeks Raw and Smackdown would end with a big pre-Rumble brawl resulting in loads of people being thrown from the ring, with Undertaker and Kane left standing the ring, eyeing eachother. 'Are the brothers of destruction going to team up in the Royal Rumble match?!' Came the cry from a hoarse Jim Ross.

 

Then, after Kane has alread been in the match for 15-20 minutes, getting half way to his record number of individual eliminations in the process, Undertaker comes down to the ring and the two of them empty the ring of every other competitor. The crowd pops big and Taker and Kane stare eachother down again. Are they in cahoots or not? At this point the glass smashes, and Austin storms out of the back trash talking, looking like a man possessed, in the match that he's supposed to win on his way back to the title after his neck injury.

 

Always loved that moment, really well-booked and dramatic.

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The only problem I ever had with the 2001 Rumble was then when the end came I couldn't help but feel hatred towards Austin and curse that Kane didnt go over. Business wise it wouldn't have been the smartest strategy but in terms of the story of the match it just seemed like Kane deserved it and Austin kind of scrwed him out of it. I know its every ma nfor himself and everything's legal but I still just couldn't get into the ending.

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The only problem I ever had with the 2001 Rumble was then when the end came I couldn't help but feel hatred towards Austin and curse that Kane didnt go over. Business wise it wouldn't have been the smartest strategy but in terms of the story of the match it just seemed like Kane deserved it and Austin kind of scrwed him out of it. I know its every ma nfor himself and everything's legal but I still just couldn't get into the ending.

Austin (who'd came back from a neck injury) got battered by Triple H on his way to the ring, and fought back to win the Rumble. Kane had the Undertaker helping him for a lot of it. Austin's story was better for me.

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I can only imagine that they thought that was a sacrifice worth making to get Yokozuna over.

 

But that's the other thing that makes no sense about it because it didn't really. Okay it was meant to show his strength, launching him from the floor but because it looks so daft everyone just think Savage looks like a muppet. Would have been better keeping it simple and just have Yokozuna swat Savage aside to really put him over.

That big man kick-out spot has always been a big deal. Throwing someone from the floor over the top rope is really unique. it should have been a big spot. They should have had Savage mount him with punches or bend to attempt to pick him up or something though.

 

Yeah that would have been a lot better, that and get Savage and Yoko to not make it look like Savage jumped of his own accord and we are onto a winner :laugh: but yeah it could have been an impressive spot

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I watched the 1993 Rumble last night.

I had actually forgot the ending of the match, re-watching it was awful. it have been better if, Savage had come into the Rumble at say number 13 etc, so that way they could blame the pin attempt on tiredness.

What else was Savage going to do with him? He was never going to pick him up and throw him over the ropes, was he? It was an odd finish though. It made Savage look like a pudding. I can only imagine that they thought that was a sacrifice worth making to get Yokozuna over.

 

 

No I agree that Savage was not going to eliminate him by throwing him over the top ropes.

One idea could have been Yoko in the Corner, Randy climbed to the top turnbuckle and started to give him the 10 punch routine. Yoko then lifts Randy from the turnbuckle and dumps him over the top rope and onto the ground.

Like others have already posted the ending just looked like Randy propelled himself out of the ring.

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No specific angle but the hype for the 1992 Rumble has never been bettered. The fact that the World Title was on the line, in an era where winning it meant something, put the match over the top for a start. Then the fact that there were so many guys who could've won it, Hogan, Sid, Flair, Piper, Savage and Undertaker. Then it had the feuds woven into the build up. Savage and Jake, Flair and Piper and Hogan and Undertaker. Plus the anticipation of Flair and hogan (and Sid and Hogan) clashing for the first time. Then some awesome mid-carder's, a freshly turned Shawn Michaels, the Bulldog, Boss Man, Dibiase, Tornado and a load of long standing WWF acts to round it out. Best hype ever. Best match ever. Best performance ever. Best promo ever.

 

"Best commentary" should also be in that. Nobody but Bobby could've sold it as well as he did, ranging from exasperation from Ric's low number, vain cries for him to take it easy and affirmations of Ric's courage to the sublime "YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!" at the end. Such joyfully partisan calling has barely been seen since, and Miz as champion - unfortunately - robs us of the chance of Cole trying the same. Then again, if we were to have that then Lawler or *brrrrr* Striker would have to do the PBP.

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They've ALWAYS done the 'pin counts don't matter' routine. Not just in the Royal Rumble, in Cage matches also, in Last Man Standing matches. Its played out as a mixture of instinct and fatigue, that the wrestler is so used to winning by pinfall that he's not thinking straight.

 

What makes it worse is Macho's clearly seen planting his foot. Not to mention Yoko hardly pushes him at all.

 

If they do a spot like that this year, it should go to The Big Show, not Mark Henry.

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Macho's never quite been sure of the rules in the Rumble though, he loved throwing himself over the top rope in it, 3 years on the trot he messed it up and one time forgot to even go to the ring. If he actually knew what was going on I reckon he'd have won it every time!

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