-Finishing up for the year at work, rain, and A Christmas Story.
-Today we look at the 1993 Royal Rumble from the WWF.
-Royal Rumble 93 was shown on PPV on January 24, 1993 from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. There were 16,000 in attendance.
-Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan's last PPV together.
-Doink defeated Jim Powers in a dark match.
-Gorilla Monsoon welcomes us to the Rumble. He and Bobby Heenan run down some of the matches we are going to see. This is another show I got from my uncle that I watched multiple times.
-The Steiner Brothers Rick and Scott vs. The Beverly Brothers Beau and Blake: Steiner Brother PPV debut in the WWF. Scott and Beau start. Scott with a single leg. Beau gets to the ropes. Scott with a wrist lock. Beau gets back to the ropes. Scott with a hip lock out of the corner. Beau says Scott pulled his tights. Beau slams Scott down by the hair. Back and forth. Scott with a modified tilt a whirl slam. Beverly Brothers go outside to regroup. Blake tagged in. Rick also tagged in. Blake with the early advantage. Blake tries to leapfrog Rick, but gets caught and power slammed. Rick with an arm bar. Scott tagged in and hits a belly to belly suplex. Beau comes in with a clothesline to Scott. Beau tagged in and attacks Scott. Monsoon says he didn't see it but they did tag. Blake attacking Scott in the corner while the referee is distracted. Beverly Brothers double teaming Scott. Blake tagged in and gets a Boston crab on Scott. Now all four men in the ring. Scott suplexes Blake. Beau tagged in and cuts Scott off from making the tag. He punishes Scott. Scott comes back with a modified power bomb. Blake and Rick tagged in. Rick with several suplexes. He clotheslines both Beverly Brothers. Scott tagged back in. Beverly Brothers go for a version of the Doomsday Device, but Scott rolls Blake up for a two count. Scott hits the Frankensteiner to get the pin on Blake.
-Flashback to what led up to the IC title match.
-WWF Intercontinental Championship Match. Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty: Sensational Sherri is at ringside and they speculate which corner she will be in. Michaels invites Sherri into the ring, but she won't get in. The bell rings and Michaels pushes Jannetty. Jannetty punches Michaels, who then bails to the outside and Jannetty follows and chases Michaels back in the ring. Back and forth. Jannetty with a series of moves and Michaels has his bumping shoes on. A knee lift sends Michaels to the outside. Michaels gets in only to get clotheslined back out. Jannetty goes out and punches Michales to the ground. Jannetty goes up top for a fist drop, but gets caught. Michaels runs Jannetty shoulder first into the corner post. He then does it again. Michaels throws Jannetty in and does a shoulder breaker on Jannetty. Jannetty goes outside and Michaels follows him and clotheslines him down. Jannetty gets back in the ring and Michaels gets an arm bar on. Jannetty tries to come back, but Michaels hits an arm bar DDT to get Jannetty back down. He gets a two count. Back and forth. Michaels goes to the second rope for a fist drop, but Jannetty gets his foot up. Jannetty moves out of the way of a Michaels charge and Michaels gets his shoulder rammed into the post. Back and forth. Jannetty with some shots and Michaels pulls Jannetty and throws him out. Michaels tries to suplex Jannetty in from the apron, but Jannetty reverses it and suplexes Michaels from the apron to the floor. Sherri comes over to Michaels and slaps him. The crowd pops. Jannetty gets a two count after a suplex and Michaels bouncing all over the ring. Jannetty with an Irish whip and a power slam. He then goes up top and comes off, but Michaels moves and Jannetty lands on his feet and hits a DDT on Michaels and covers for a two count. Jannetty ducks a super kick attempt and gets one of his own for another two count. They exchange two counts and Jannetty catapults Michaels into the corner and Michaels hits his head on the ring post. Jannetty gets another two count. Michaels goes to throw a right hand and as he comes back, referee Joey Marella gets taken out. Jannetty gets Michaels in a full nelson and Sherri comes in and goes to hit Michaels with her shoe, but Michaels ducks and Jannetty gets hit instead. Michaels goes after Sherri. Sherri begging off. Michaels hits a super kick to Jannetty to get the pin.
-Mean Gene Okerlund tries to interview Sherri and it is shown on the video wall. Michaels sees it and takes off towards the back. Michaels gets in Sherri's face and Jannetty attacks Michaels. Officials come in to break them up.
-Bam Bam Bigelow vs. The Big Boss Man: Boss Man gets a good ovation when he comes out. Bigelow attacks Boss Man as soon as the bell rings. He hits a big corner splash. Another corner whip. A corner whip and Boss Man knocked to the outside. Bigelow runs Boss Man into the apron. Back in, Boss Man with some clotheslines to knock Bigelow down. Boss Man then with some punches to Bigelow. He follows it up with corner mounted punches. Boss Man with a side headlock. Back and forth. Bigelow throws Boss Man to the outside. Boss Man has hurt his back on the apron when he spilled out. Bigelow attacking Boss Man as he gets back in the ring. Bigelow with a waist lock. Boss Man comes back, but gets guillotined on the top rope. He gets a two count. Bigelow working on the back. Bigelow goes back to the waist lock. Boss Man coming back and gets a modified suplex on Bigelow. He doesn't get it all the way though. Bigelow with a headbutt. He misses a crossbody when Boss Man moves. Boss Man with an Irish whip and a backdrop. Leapfrog body guillotine. He hits Bigelow with a right hand. Bigelow with a clothesline and the flying headbutt to get the pin.
-Flashback to Razor Ramon attacking Owen Hart on WWF Mania. Ray Rougeau then interviewed Razor Ramon the previous night at the Sacramento Kings game and he says he's going to have gold around his waist after the match.
-WWF Championship Match. Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon: Mean Gene interviews Bret Hart. Hart says this now goes beyond personal. Hart shown at the Gorilla position waiting to go out. You see Jack Lanza and JJ Dillon. Hart gets a huge ovation when he comes out. Hart does his glasses presentation. Ramon throws his toothpick at the recipient of the sunglasses. Hart attacks Ramon as a result. Stu and Helen Hart at ringside. Back and forth. Ramon with a series of shots and a corner whip to Hart. He does another corner whip, but misses the charge when Hart moves. Hart attacking the left knee. Hart puts the figure four on. Ramon gets to the ropes. Hart breaks the hold, but goes back to working on the leg. He slams it into a corner post. Ramon comes back and runs Hart into the post. He starts stomping on Hart. He drops an elbow on Hart. He then starts stomping on Hart and runs him into a turnbuckle. Ramon with a fall away slam for a two count. Hart ran sternum first into the turnbuckle for another two count. Ramon with an abdominal stretch. Ramon takes his other arm and pounds on Hart. Hart reverses the hold. They go back and forth. Ramon with punishment to Hart. Hart comes back with a crossbody. They trade two counts from sunset flips. Ramon with a modified camel clutch. He follows it up with an Irish whip and a bear hug. Hart bites Ramon to get out of the move. He then backdrops Ramon out of the ring. Hart throws Ramon back in the ring. He hits Ramon with a series of rights. Hart goes for the 5 moves of doom. He gets a two count after each move. He hits a bulldog for a two count. Hart goes for the Sharpshooter, but Ramon gets to the ropes before Hart can get the move on. Hart drags Ramon back into the center of the ring and goes for the sharpshooter again, but they trip the referee as Hart was trying to turn Ramon over. Ramon gets out and goes after the ribs of Hart. He puts Hart on the top turnbuckle, but Hart rolls off behind Ramon and hits him with a belly to back suplex. Hart with an elbow drop from the second turnbuckle, but Ramon gets his boot up. Ramon signals for the Razor's Edge. He goes for it, but Hart reverses it into a backslide for a two count. Ramon comes back with a corner whip. Ramon slapping Hart around. Hart gets a bow and arrow for a two count. He turns it into the Sharpshooter and Ramon gives up.
-Bobby Heenan unveils The Narcissist Lex Luger. Bobby kept saying Narcissus. It was so confusing at the time. Luger does the unveiling with the mirrors while Bobby fawns all over him. Luger is then interviewed by Heenan. He said he will be the most dominant force in the WWF. He puts down Mr. Perfect and does the usual Lex Luger mannerisms during his interview, so TASIYDAH.
-They have Caesar and Cleopatra actors come out to do the proclamation that WrestleMania IX will be at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
-Howard Finkel introduces the Royal Rumble: 1. Ric Flair. 2. Bob Backlund. Backlund wants to shake hands, but Flair disses him. Backlund takes Flair down. Back and forth. Backlund attacking Flair in the corner. Backlund with a backdrop and an atomic drop. 3. Papa Shango. He attacks Backlund. Flair comes from behind and eliminates Shango. Flair then goes back to attacking Backlund. Backlund with a corner whip. 4. Ted DiBiase. DiBiase with an Irish whip and a back elbow to Backlund. He and Flair double team Backlund. Double back elbow to Backlund. 5. Brian Knobbs. Flair and DiBiase go after Knobbs, but he cleans house on them. Flair almost eliminated. They start to pair off. Knobbs runs DiBiase into a turnbuckle. Backlund with corner mounted punches to Flair. 6. Virgil. He goes after DiBiase. All the faces go after DiBiase and Flair. DiBiase drops down and Knobbs eliminated. 7. Jerry Lawler. He goes after Flair. Flair bails briefly. People are starting to pair off again. 8. Max Moon. He hits Lawler with a dropkick. Flair tries to eliminate Moon, but he holds on. Lawler eliminates Moon. 9. Genichiro Tenyru. He goes after Flair and they chop each other. They go back to pairing off. 10. Mr. Perfect. Heenan loses it on commentary. Flair immediately goes after Perfect when he gets in. Perfect knocks Flair down. Flair with a shot and goes up top, but gets caught and slammed off. They go back and forth. Flair chops Perfect in the corner and Perfect goes for corner mounted punches. 11. Skinner. He had just pooped in Jerry Lawler's crown in the back. It's a long story. Skinner and Flair team up on Perfect. Perfect fights them off and then eliminates Flair. Flair goes crazy and screams at Perfect. The wrestlers pair off again after the crowd dies down. 12. Koko B. Ware. He starts hitting anyone. Perfect eliminates Skinner. 13. Samu. Forearms are flying. Lawler with a DDT to Perfect. 14. Berzerker. Perfect eliminates Lawler. Lawler grabs Perfect and DiBiase and Ware all eliminate Perfect. Virgil eliminated. 15. The Undertaker. He gets a massive ovation when he comes out. Backlund gets thrown through the ropes and Berzerker comes out and grabs a chair and attacks Backlund with it. Undertaker eliminates Samu. He then eliminates Tenyru. 16. Terry Taylor. DiBiase eliminates Taylor and Ware. Undertaker chokeslams and eliminates DiBiase. Berzerker attacks Undertaker. Harvey Wippleman comes down with the as yet unnamed Giant Gonzalez. Gonzalez gets in the ring as Undertaker eliminates Berzerker. 17. Damien Demento. Undertaker steps up to Gonzales. Gonzalez attacks and eliminates Undertaker. He keeps up the attack on Undertaker. He brings Undertaker back in the ring and chokeslams him. 18. IRS. Officials trying to get Gonzalez away from the ring. Gonzalez has been slamming Undertaker's leg against the ring post. Gonzalez finally leaves. Undertaker trying to sit up as Demento and IRS attack Backlund in the ring. 19. Tatanka. People start to pair off. Paul Bearer comes out with the urn. Undertaker struggles to get up and limps towards the back. 20. Jerry Sags. Forearms flying. 21. Typhoon. Backlund is trying to get rid of IRS. Sags trying to dump Tatanka. Several team up to try to get rid of Typhoon. 22. Fatu. He goes after everyone. Everyone hitting each other. 23. Earthquake. He goes after his partner and they mix it up. Typhoon rushes Earthquake, who ducks down and Typhoon is eliminated. 24. Carlos Colon. Gorilla calls him a youngster. Demento is close to being eliminated. He hangs on. Colon does eliminate Demento. 25. Tito Santana. Fatu eliminated. Santana trying to eliminate Backlund. 26. Rick Martel. He goes after Santana in their never ending feud. IRS eliminated by Earthquake. 27. Yokozuna. He eliminates Tatanka and Colon. Earthquake steps up to challenge Yokozuna. The crowd is behind Earthquake. They try to move each other. 28. Owen Hart. Yokozuna belly to belly suplexes Earthquake out. People pairing off again. 29. Repo Man. Everyone gangs up to try an eliminate Yokozuna. 30. Randy Savage. The crowd goes crazy when Savage comes out. He goes after Repo Man. Santana eliminated by Earthquake. Sags eliminated by Hart. Hart eliminated by Yokozuna. Repo Man eliminated. Martel eliminated by Backlund. Backlund goes after Yokozuna. Yokozuna eliminates Backlund. It's down to Yokozuna and Savage. Fuji down and waving the Japanese flag. Savage attacking Yokozuna. Yokozuna choking Savage up against the ropes. Back and forth. A double ax handle by Savage to Yoko. Another one brings Yoko to one knee. Yokozuna kicks Savage down with a thrust kick and a belly to belly suplex. Yokozuna with a leg drop. Savage struggling to get back to his feet. Yokozuna with a corner splash. Savage moves on the second attempt. Savage gets Yoko down and hits the flying elbow, but then goes to cover Yokozuna, which is not how any of this works. Yokozuna throws Savage out by kicking out. That's power. Yokozuna wins the Royal Rumble. Caesar and Cleopatra come out. They show highlights as they sign off from Sacramento.
-Final Thoughts: This was a solid show that sets up WrestleMania IX.