Favorite Rumble Matches

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The 1992 Rumble is not only my favourite Rumble ever, it's probably my favourite match ever. The reasons would provide a much longer answer than seems appropriate here, so instead, if you haven't already, go read my review in the excellent Royal Rumble Reviews thread, where we go into some detail into what we think of all of them.

 

My favourite non-Rumble match from any Royal Rumble ever is definitely Kurt Angle VS Chris Benoit and is the only other realistic (Western) contender for favourite match ever and for years it was my favourite, but over the last six months has been deposed by the aforementioned Rumble '92. With the passing of years I look at matches featuring my favourites with increasingly objective eyes and as much as I love the wrestling storytelling bell-to-bell between the champion, Angle, and my favourite wrestler at the time, Benoit, it doesn't quite have the depth of storytelling that the '92 Rumble does as an overall package with setup, storylines crossing over, amazing commentary from the Brain and consequential aftermath. Having said that, it's still my favourite one-on-one match in WWE history for the psychological brilliance. They managed to convince a smark like me that knew it was just a time-killing defence for Angle on the way to wrestling Lesnar at 'Mania, that when Benoit caught Kurt in the final Crossface, that he was about to win the belt. Logic went out the window, my guy was about to do it! Then he didn't, and I was crushed. Fantastic work from both men.

 

My favourite card for any Rumble is easily 1991, and it's probably my favourite show ever.

 

Everything is just fun. The tag match is great, Bossman/Barbar is great. The WWF title match is fairly dramatic and Savage's workrate for his run in is through the roof, and the Rhodes/Rhodes v DiBiase/Virgil match features one of the most stirring face turns I can remember. The Royal Rumble itself is chock full of favourites of the era, and the right man won. The show is just brilliant for every reason I might want to watch wrestling. Good matches, "fun factor," some feelgood babyface moments.... why, Sherri hitting on Warrior even gives me the mild horn.

 

EDIT - 1993 is boring as sin apart from when Perfect is in, and the Gonzalez incident. Having watched it at the time, I considered Backlund's long tenure a fairly cynical way of trying to make someone rubbish look less rubbish, and was bored to death by him getting beaten up by Damien Demento and the Berzerker. The finish also made Macho Man, one of my favourites ever, look a complete fucking moron.