-Back after a couple of weeks of pre recorded shows. The craziness of life never stops though.
-I got a new laptop.
-Today we look at the Royal Rumble from 1991 from the WWF.
-Royal Rumble ’91 was broadcast on PPV on January 19, 1991 from the Miami Arena in Miami, Florida. There were 16,000 in attendance.
-We have our opening on a US flag as the National Anthem is played. They show shots of the crowd standing. The Gulf War had just started three days before this on my 13th birthday. I had a sleepover the night before, but no cable in my hometown so I couldn’t have gotten this on PPV even if I had wanted to.
-Classic Royal Rumble opening with Vince McMahon announcing the participants.
-Gorilla Monsoon and Roddy Piper welcome us and Roddy is pumped up and patriotic as he has his yellow ribbon around his arm.
-The Rockers Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty VS. The Orient Express Kato and Tanaka with Mr. Fuji: The Rockers get a huge reaction coming out. Orient Express attack early. Rockers attack with stereo topes to the Oriental Express on the outside. USA chant goes out. Jannetty with a side headlock on Kato. Nice series of moves to start and a nice, quick paced match. Rockers doing some quick tags. Tanaka hits a flying forearm on Michaels. Michaels does a long choreographed sequence with the Orient Express. Michaels gets a sleeper on Tanaka and Kato comes in and nails Michaels. Tanaka takes over. Michaels comes back and hits a moonsault on Kato. Rockers hit a double dropkick and then hit a double crossbody to the outside. Jannetty with a side headlock on Kato. Michaels tagged in and gets a two count. Kato hits an assisted stun gun on Michaels. Fuji hits Michaels with his cane. USA chant goes out again. Kato gets a two count. Tanaka with a nerve hold on Michaels. Orient Express in control and punishing Michaels, who is bumping all over for them. Michaels knocks down Tanaka, but the Orient Express get a sash to clothesline Michaels, who falls into it and the Orient Express hit each other’s heads. Jannetty tagged in and cleans house. He rolls out of a Kato backslide. Then Kato kicks out of a Jannetty backslide. Tanaka hits Michaels as he was trying for a rocket launcher. Oriental Express do a slingshot knife edge on Jannetty. Michaels stops a second one as Jannetty gets a sunset flip on Kato to win. The crowd loves it.
-Sean Mooney interviews Randy Savage. He says he’s the greatest champion ever and the #1 contender so he doesn’t care who wins. He has a commitment from Sargent Slaughter for a title shot and he says that Queen Sherri is going to get the same commitment from The Ultimate Warrior. They show Mean Gene Okerlund and Queen Sherri coming out to the platform. She challenges The Ultimate Warrior to come out and promise Randy Savage a title shot if he wins tonight. She says she doesn’t think he is honorable and baits him to come out. He finally does to a good pop. He is in full outfit and face paint with a leather USA jacket on. Queen Sherri comes on to him. It gets a little risqué for 1991 WWF. She gets down on her knees at one point and the guys around the podium in the crowd lose it. He spits on the ground and tells her no before beating his chest and leaving. Savage tears his locker room apart and races out, but Warrior is already gone.
The Barbarian with Bobby Heenan VS. The Big Boss Man: Boss Man rushes out to a big ovation and clears the ring. Barbarian and Heenan are hesitant to let Barbarian get in. Weasel chant goes out. Barbarian in control at first. Boss Man comes back with a back elbow that knocks Barbarian outside. Boss Man follows and runs Barbarian into the corner post. Barbarian comes back but gets caught coming off the top rope. Back and forth. Boss man gets his leg caught in the rope. Barbarian then slams Boss Man into the corner post. Heenan gets a shot in while Boss Man is down. Barbarian gets a bear hug on. Boss Man hits his shoulders to get out. Barbarian gets a two count, then goes back to the bear hug. Boss Man won’t give up. Boss Man bites him to get out. Barbarian grabs a leg, but Boss Man gets an enziguri to get out. Boss Man gets a two count. Barbarian then gets a two count. A stun gun like maneuver gets a two count for Boss Man. Barbarian hits a top rope clothesline, but Boss Man gets a foot on the ropes. Boss Man reverses an Irish whip into a Boss Man Slam but gets only a two count. Barbarian hits a piledriver. Then goes up for a high crossbody, but Boss Man rolls through to get the pin.
-Sean Mooney interviews Sgt. Slaughter and General Adnan. General Adnan speaks in Iraqi. Slaughter says he will be the new leader for kids after he beats The Ultimate Puke.
-Mean Gene interviews The Ultimate Warrior. He says his warriors would never follow Sgt. Slaughter and he will walk away the champion.
-Gorilla Monsoon says the views of Sgt. Slaughter don’t represent anyone but Sgt. Slaughter.
-WWF Heavyweight Championship Match: The Ultimate Warrior VS. Sgt. Slaughter with General Adnan: Warrior comes out a house of fire against Slaughter. Slaughter and Adnan try to clothesline Warrior with the Flag Pole, but he clotheslines both of them and breaks the pole. Adnan then leaves and Slaughter is being battered by the Warrior. Slaughter is really selling hard for the Warrior. It takes a couple of times, but Slaughter does his patented corner charge and bump. Queen Sherri comes to ringside. She grabs Warrior’s leg and he follows her back down the aisle and gets blindsided by Randy Savage. Warrior struggles to get back to the ring. Slaughter stops the count because he wants to win the title. Huge USA chant goes out. Slaughter attacks Warrior to a chorus of boos. Slaughter attacks and spits on Warrior after a back breaker. Double Clothesline. Slaughter back up first, but falls down again. Slaughter stalks Warrior as they get back up and puts a bear hug on Warrior. Warrior won’t give up. Warrior fights it. He breaks out. Slaughter back on the offensive with a backbreaker. Slaughter then gets the camel clutch on, but Warriors feet are already out of the ring under the ropes, so he has to break it. Warrior mounting a comeback. He hits the clothesline and the shoulder tackle. Queen Sherri comes down and the Warrior goes after her. He presses her and throws her on Randy Savage who has come down. Slaughter distracts the referee and Savage hits Warrior with the scepter. Slaughter gets the pin and the title. The crowd, Gorilla Monsoon, and Roddy Piper are stunned. A bullshit chant goes out. Warrior takes off looking for Savage. The crowd boos when Slaughter is announced as the new champion and Piper loses his mind. Piper and Slaughter are close friends in real life.
-Slaughter and Piper comedy show story.
-WrestleMania VII promo showing the LA Coliseum because the venue hasn’t changed yet.
-Koko B. Ware with Frankie VS. The Mountie with Jimmy Hart: The announcers can’t let go of the last match, but Piper gets censored as they cut the sound of him saying WWF as this was the weird time where they hadn’t made their deal with the World Wildlife Fund yet. Koko in control to begin. Hart distracts the referee so the Mountie can use the shock stick on Koko. Mountie in control. Back elbow by Mountie. Koko gets a sunset flip for a two count. Mountie then throws Koko out. Koko reverses a piledriver. Koko hits a reverse neckbreaker. He hits the top rope dropkick. He gets a two count, but Mountie hits a sidewalk slam to win.
-Sean Mooney interviews Randy Savage and Queen Sherri. Savage says no one says no to the Macho King and let the Warriors cry. He and Queen Sherri hear The Ultimate Warrior coming and they bail.
-Gorilla Monsoon and Roddy Piper talk about what happened in the title match.
-Mean Gene interviews Sgt. Slaughter and General Adnan. Slaughter says that he did what he said he was going to do. He says he has no boundaries and deserves respect.
-Roddy Piper says Slaughter can stick it in his ear. Hot Rod is fired up here.
-Fans send out messages to the soldiers serving overseas.
-They talk about Hulk Hogan going on a tour of US bases.
-Some of the participants in the Royal Rumble match speak out about competing in the Rumble.
-Gorilla and Roddy talk about the next match coming up and Hot Rod says that he and Virgil had lunch together and that they talked about values and folks, the foreshadowing is strong!
-Sean Mooney talks to Ted DiBiase and Virgil. DiBiase talks about money and how he has bought a bodyguard and a tag team partner all in one and that money can buy anything.
-Dusty and Dustin Rhodes VS. Ted DiBiase and Virgil: Dusty’s last hurrah in WWF before taking the booking job in WCW. No polka dots at all. This is going to be about the angle that will take place after the match and not the match itself. All four brawl to start. The Rhodes family clears the ring. DiBiase orders Virgil to take Dustin out. Dustin does a nice clothesline and dropkick on Virgil. DiBiase again orders him in. Dustin keeps showing Virgil up. DiBiase finally tags in. DiBiase working over Dustin and Dusty wants in so badly. Dustin strings some nice moves and DiBiase is selling for both of the Rhodes men as Dusty is finally tagged in. Rhodes gets the sleeper on, but Virgil breaks it up. Virgil and Dustin tagged in and Dustin blows his knee out when Virgil ducks a charge. Virgil gets him up but clotheslines him. They get him in the corner. DiBiase tags in and he and Virgil continue to punish the knee. Dustin ducks and Virgil hits DiBiase accidently. DiBiase slaps him and throws him out. Dusty in and he brutalizes DiBiase, but misses a charge in the corner and DiBiase pins him. So long Dusty and Dustin.
-The Rhodes Team quickly leave, selling Dustin’s injury. DiBiase gets on the mic and berates Dusty, Dustin, and Virgil. He orders Virgil to go get the Million Dollar Belt and strap it around his waist. Virgil stares at him, but goes for the belt. He comes in and looks at the belt and throws it down. DiBiase tells him to pick it up and berates him. Virgil bends down and nails DiBiase with the belt. The crowd and Roddy explode with excitement. Everyone loves this. They give Virgil a standing ovation.
-Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan. He says it’s time for everyone to unite. He dedicates his performance to those serving. As he says he’s going to win the Rumble, Mean Gene gets a report in his earpiece that says Sgt. Slaughter has defaced an American flag. That sets Hogan off so much that he flubs his lines.
-Howard Finkel announces The Royal Rumble: 1. Bret Hart 2. Dino Bravo. Hart goes right to Bravo. He almost gets Bravo out. It’s a slugfest as number 3 comes out. 3. Greg Valentine. Valentine goes after Bravo and they chop each other. Valentine then berates former manager Jimmy Hart and Bravo jumps him. Valentine then dumps Bravo. Bret Hart then goes after Valentine, trying to eliminate him. 4. Paul Roma and he jumps Bret Hart. Double team on Bret. Then Roma jumps Valentine. All three trade blows till Bret retreats to the background for a while. 5. Texas Tornado. He goes after Roma and Valentine. Bret Hart then squares off with Roma and Tornado with Valentine. 6. Rick Martel. Everyone is brawling and it is forearms galore. Martel avoids being eliminated. 7. Saba Simba. Martel again almost eliminated. He keeps holding on. 8. Bushwhacker Butch. Saba Simba grabs Martel and they both go over but Martel holds on and slides back in. 9. Jake Roberts. He goes right after Martel. Martel goes under the bottom rope and out to the floor and Roberts follows. The referees at ringside make them get back in. Martel goes to the outside ropes and Roberts attacks him trying to knock him off of the apron, but Martel gets back in. 10. Hercules. He and Roma go after Butch. Bret Hart and Rick Martel are teetering in the corner, but neither gets eliminated. Roberts tied up in the ropes. 11. Tito Santana. Roma tries a charge on Roberts, who ducks and Roma is eliminated. Santana goes after Martel of course in the continuation of their never ending feud. 12. The Undertaker. He eliminates Bret Hart. Tornado and Jake Roberts take shots at him. 13. Jimmy Snuka. Undertaker eliminates Butch. 14. The British Bulldog. All of the faces are taking shots at Rick Martel 15. Smash. He goes after The British Bulldog. Martel is on the apron after avoiding being eliminated and pulls the rope down and Jake Roberts is eliminated.
-16. Hawk. He hits everyone as he comes in and gets ganged up on. 17. Shane Douglas. Tornado and Jimmy Snuka get eliminated. 18. No one comes out. They wonder who it could have been. The announcers then say they will figure it out. 19. Animal. The LOD team up and eliminate The Undertaker and then Rick Martel and Hercules eliminate Hawk. Gorilla Monsoon then says his “It takes Greg Valentine 15 minutes to get warmed up” line IYDAH. 20. Crush. Everyone is now just beating on each other. 21. Jim Duggan, who comes out to a big ovation. People start to pair off. 22. Earthquake. Animal goes after him and gets eliminated. Martel again avoids elimination. 23. Mr. Perfect. Perfect eliminates Duggan. 24. Hulk Hogan. The crowd goes wild when Hogan comes out. He throws out Smash. He goes after Earthquake. Earthquake tries to eliminate Hogan. 25. Haku. Valentine is finally eliminated. 26. Jim Neidhart. Earthquake eliminates Tito Santana. 27. Bushwhacker Luke. Earthquake immediately eliminates him and he does his Bushwhacker walk back up the aisle. 28. Brian Knobbs. A group immediately attacks him. He eliminates Hercules. 29. The Warlord. He immediately goes after The British Bulldog because it’s 1991 WWF PPV. Hogan eliminates Crush. Hogan then eliminates The Warlord. 30. Tugboat. That means Randy Savage was #18. They say maybe The Ultimate Warrior ran him out of the building. Douglas gets eliminated. Hogan eliminates Tugboat. Mr. Perfect eliminated. Martel eliminates Neidhart. The British Bulldog eliminates Haku. He then eliminates Rick Martel to a big pop. The British Bulldog is then eliminated by Earthquake and Knobbs. A Hogan chant goes out. Earthquake hits a splash on Hogan. Hogan Hulks up and clotheslines them and a big boot eliminates Brian Knobbs. He knocks down Jimmy Hart from the apron. Earthquake falls on Hogan and then lands the elbow. He slams Hogan who then Hulks up again. Big Boot. He slams Earthquake and clotheslines him out to win. Hogan Must Pose! He holds up a peace in the Middle East and a Saddam and Slaughter will surrender poster.
-They sign off from Miami.