Customer Reviews

WWE Royal Rumble: The Complete Anthology - Volume Two

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1993 - It was at this Rumble where the stipulation of "winner gets the title shot at WrestleMania" was put into play that is still continued to this day. This was one of the weaker Rumbles in companies history as Yokozuna won with the stupid ending of Randy Savage pinning him (in a battle royal?) but Yoko kicked out so strongly that Savage went over the top. The undercard here completely outclassed the Rumble match as WWF Champion Bret Hart fought Razor Ramon in a good match, the long awaited Shawn Michaels vs. Marty Jannetty match delivered with a suprize coming from Sensational Sherri, Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Big Boss Man, Steiner Brothers vs. Beverly Brothers, and the debut of "The Narcississt" Lex Luger.

1994 - This Rumble made history as both Bret Hart & Lex Luger became co-winners of the Rumble and judging by the crowds reaction, you could see who the fans wanted to win. Speaking of Bret Hart, he wrestled in a tag team title match earlier teaming with Owen Hart against Qubeckers...which led to the heel turn of Owen Hart. This was also the Rumble where Yokozuna fought Undertaker in a casket match that featured a gang of wrestlers coming out to aid Yokozuna in victory. Other highlights include Razor Ramon having a good match against I.R.S. that featured an appearence from Shawn Michaels and Tatanka going one on one against Bam Bam Bigelow.

1995 - Shawn Michaels made history here & became the first person to enter #1 & win the Rumble with the infamous "only one foot hit the floor" moment. WWF Champion Diesel vs. Bret Hart saw Bret use a more aggressive style that anyone has seen from him leading to a great match that gets overshadowed by their Survivor Series match later in the year. Other matches include Jeff Jarrett winning the Intercontinental title against Razor Ramon, Bam Bam Bigelow teaming with Tatanka in the Tag Team Title tournament finals against 1-2-3 Kid & Bob Holly along with the confrontation with Lawerence Taylor afterwards, and Undertaker vs. I.R.S. This was the best PPV of 1995.

1996 - Shawn Michaels won the Rumble for a second time which featured Vader's debuted & dominating the match before his confrontation with Yokozuna, Jake "The Snake" Lawler returning, and Jerry Lawler hiding under the ring for most of the Rumble. WWF Champion Bret Hart having a near classic match with Undertaker that saw an appearence from Diesel. Goldust winning the Intercontinental Title from Razor Ramon with help from 1-2-3 Kid, Smokin' Gunn vs. Body Donnas, and Ahmed Johnson vs. Jeff Jarrett.

1997 - Shawn Michaels came home to Texas & won back the WWF Title from Sid. Austin would win the Rumble in a classic heel way putting over his character and also putting over Bret's current "you screwed me" character which other highlights such as Terry Funk's appearence, Stone Cold's dominace, and Jerry Lawler setting a Rumble record. Other things to look out for on the undercard are the Goldust/HHH match, Undertaker/Vader where Vader revealed a new manager, .Ahmed Johnson vs. Faarooq which would set off a string of events thoughout the Rumble match later that night.

This volume of the Royal Rumble is probably the weakest of the four volumes but it has its moments and significant bouts. Let's get to it:

The Royal Rumble 1993

This Rumble was the first to introduce the winner getting a title shot at WrestleMania and its been that way ever since.

The Steiner Bros. Vs. The Beverly Bros. - This was the then-WWF debut of Rick and Scott Steiner, fresh from their run in NWA/WCW. This was a good bout against The Beverly "Brothers" (who weren't really brothers/just close friends, similiar to the Edge/Christian thing).

The bout featured one of the nastiest Frankensteiners I've ever seen from Scott as he practically piledrove the man's head into the mat! Ouch! Its amazing he walked away from it. Good opener.

Marty Janetty Vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE I-C title Match) - This was almost a year after the Rockers' break up and Shawn was beginning to find himself as a singles wrestler. Add in the betrayal of the late Sherri Martel and you could've had a classic but it just didn't quite hit the mark. The two would later have a much better match that summer on RAW where Janetty actually beat Michaels for the I-C title.

This one was just good. It wasn't that great.

Bam Bam Bigelow Vs. The Big Bossman - This one just sucked! These two had better matches than this one. I don't mean to talk ill of the dead but this one stunk! The best part of the match was when it was over. Just watch once and skip.

Bret Hart Vs. Razor Ramon (WWF World Title Match) - While more known for his tag team with Kevin Nash and his WrestleMania X ladder match with Shawn Michaels, this bout with Bret hart is often a forgotten match as it was very good and showed that Razor could've been a main eventer if not for his personal issues.

As for Hart, what needs to be said, he was one of those guys that could make a broom look good in the ring and he certainly did that with Razor. Good match to watch.

The Rumble itself that year wasn't that good but it didn't stink. The highlights was then 43 year old Bob Backlund lasting an hour before being eliminated by the late Yokozuna. It also had appearances from guys that have been lost to time like Max Moon (Paul Diamond), Dameon Demento and Giant Gonzales. The final guy I named was put into a forgettable feud with The Undertaker! Quite frankly, Gonzales makes today's Great Khali look like Ric Flair! He stunk that bad!

In the end, Yokozuna won and won his title shot against then-champion Bret Hart at WrestleMania and we know how that ended and it wasn't to the liking of either Hart nor Yoko!

THE ROYAL RUMBLE 1994

Tatanka Vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - Great opener. These two got busy on each other in this one! Tatanka wins after an impressive and hard flying bodypress on Bigelow for the win.

Bret & Owen Hart Vs. The Quebecers (WWF World Tag Team Title Match) - This bout was very good and it showed the team work of both sides. Still, it was just a set up for Bret Vs. Owen as Bret cost his team the match by going for the Sharpshooter with a bad leg instead of tagging out to his brother Owen! When he failed, the referee stopped the match which enraged Owen, starting the feud that would have several good to classic matches during 1994.

Razor Ramon Vs. I.R.S. (WWF I-C Title Match) - A pretty decent bout that saw a mix of brawling and wrestling between the two with a little Shawn Michaels thrown in to further the storyline between Razor and Shawn for WrestleMania later that year. Razor wins with his "Razor's Edge" powerbomb after I.R.S. thought he had won the belt.

The Undertaker Vs. Yokozuna (WWF World Title Match/Casket Rules) - Not the greatest bout but it showed the fighting spirit of UT as Yoko set a trap for him as several heels at the time came out to gang up on him and (in the end) put him in the coffin to help Yoko retain his title.

The Rumble match that year started out slow but picked up once Diesel (Kevin Nash) showed up and pretty much stayed no lower than medium speed from then on out. Ends when Lex Luger and Bret Hart both were eliminated at the same time. Leading to the controversial decision by the late Jack Tunney to declare both Hart and Luger winners of the Rumble. Not a bad Rumble card.

THE ROYAL RUMBLE 1995

Razor Ramon Vs. Jeff Jarrett (WWF I-C Title Match) - The future founder of TNA wrestling was making his own name at this point, going for the I-C title held by Razor Ramon (who was into his second reign as champion at this point). Jeff neutralized The Razor's Edge by working on Ramon's leg for most of the match. Ends when Jeff catches him in a small package for the win and Jeff's first I-C title.

The Undertaker Vs. I.R.S. - Slow bout. Not that memorable but it does set up UT's WrestleMania confrontation with King Kong Bundy at WrestleMania 11.

Bret Hart Vs. Diesel (Kevin Nash) (WWF World Title Match) - While many remember their King Of The Ring 1994 bout or their classic Survivor Series '95 bout, this bout is often forgotten when discussing bouts between these two as it was very good as well! Features run-ins from both Shawn Michaels and Owen Hart which caused the match to stop twice but it continued. Finally, when Michaels and Hart showed up with Jeff Jarrett, Bob Backlund and The Roadie ("Road Dog" Jesse James from DX), the ref put a stop to the match for good. Good bout up until the big run-in though.

1-2-3 Kid (X-Pac) & "Sparkplug" Bob Holly Vs. Tatanka & Bam Bam Bigelow (WWF World Tag Team Title Match) - The former enemies from last years' R.R. were now part of The Million Dollar Corporation led by Ted Dibiase against this then-rookie team of The Kid and Holly. This wasn't a bad match and it ends like a lot of X-Pac matches back then. He gets in a lot of moves but basically he and his partner get the crap beat out of them but then their opponent makes a mistake and BOOM! The Kid and Holly win the WWF tag team titles. This also sets up the angle with Bam Bam and Lawrence Taylor in one of the worst celeb/wrestler matches ever at WM!

This one Rumble bout is remembered really for one thing....Shawn Michaels going in first and winning it! What's often not discussed is that Shawn only went 30 minutes or so to win s people came in every 60 seconds. Several other winners like Ric Flair, Rey Mysterio and Chris Benoit started at around the same position and wrestled far longer to win! Plus, this Rumble wasn't exactly star studded. You could even argue it had one of the worst lineups ever! I will say it gave us a thrilling ending with Michaels and the late Davey Boy Smith though.

Overall a good Rumble card.

THE ROYAL RUMBLE 1996

This one was basically geared around Shawn Michaels but it wasn't a bad card overall.

Jeff Jarrett Vs. Ahmed Johnson - This was more of a display for Ahmed who was a newcomer at the time and it was his first PPV one on one matchup. Too bad he was too injury prone and hurt a lot of guys he worked with because he really had potential. The ending was a sign of things to come in later years as Jarrett came off the top rope with a guitar shot, calling for an immediate DQ!

The Bodydonnas Vs. The Smokin' Guns (WWF World Tag Team Championship Match) - This showed Sunny in her heyday as well as Skip (the late Chris Candido) and Zip (Dr. Tom Prichard) against Bart Gunn and Billy Gunn (the latter who would go on to greater fame with DX). Not a bad bout but it was more about showing the lengths that Sunny would go to get the win for her team. It didn't happen on this occassion as her interference backfired, allowing The Gunns to retain their titles.

Goldust Vs. Razor Ramon (WWE I-C Title Match) - In his fourth and final reign as I-C champ, Razor defended the title against Dustin Rhodes' new character which clearly pushed a homophobic button to the hilt! While its funny now, the Goldust character caused a lot of outrage from wrestling fans back then.

As for the match itself, it was actually a good contest. Ends when The 1-2-3 Kid (X-Pac) comes in and knocks out Razor with a spinning kick from the top rope, allowing Goldust to get the pinfall and his first I-C title.

The Rumble match itself saw Shawn Michaels take the win to become the first two time winner of the Rumble since Hulk Hogan did it in 1990 and 1991. This also saw other strong performances from a younger HHH, the late Owen Hart, Steve Austin (who was not yet "Stone Cold"), Diesel, Vader and the late Yokozuna.

Bret Hart Vs. The Undertaker (WWF World Title Match) - I can't recall a bad match between these two! While their two one on one matches the following year were better than this one, this isn't a bad encounter. Ends when UT actually has Bret beat but Diesel (who had a confrontation with The Dead Man prior to the match) gets Bret DQ'ed! He even flips UT the bird!

While still in "The New Generation" era, we see foreshadowing signs of the more aggressive Attitude era in this PPV.

THE ROYAL RUMBLE 1997

This one isn't that great as a card. To be honest, its remembered for two things: Steve Austin winning The Rumble in a controversial fashion and Shawn Michaels regaining the WWF World Title. I personally will also remember it for being one of the starting points of the vaunted and still celebrated WWF Attitude era.

Goldust Vs. HHH (WWF I-C Title Match) - This one was a brawling type bout which saw Goldust break from his suggestively gay character and act more like his old Dustin Rhodes character in WCW. Not a great technical match but rather a wild brawling one to the point where even the viewer is saying "why isn't the ref DQ'ing anyone?" This might as well have been a hardcore match!

Anyway, ends when Hunter gets his now vaunted Pedigree on Goldy for the win and retains his I-C belt.

Farooq Vs. Ahmed Johnson - This match wasn't even a classic power man match as their styles were just too similiar. Rather, it was used to further the Ahmed Vs. Nation Of Domination storyline which would carry throughout much of the year (that's another whole review).

Nothing special here but there is a very ECW'esqe moment after the bout where Ahmed used his "Pearl River Plunge" (Tiger Bomb) on a NOD member through a table off of some ringside steps!

Vader Vs. The Undertaker - In the first ever meeting of (arguably) two of the best big men ever in the game, UT and Vader traded the advantage several times until Paul Bearer interfered on Vader's behalf. This allowed Vader to get the pinfall over UT. This also saw UT do something uncharacteristic of him at that point as he attacked the referee after the match!

Fuerza Guerrera, Heavy Metal & Jerry Estrada Vs. Perro Aguayo, El Canek & Hector Garza - I don't remember much about this match other than it wasn't every eventful. I don't even remember who won! Best to look at this once and then skip.

The Rumble match saw the continuation of the Ahmed Vs. Nation feud, the Vader Vs. Undertaker feud, HHH Vs. Goldust and Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin! The ending was one of the most controversial ever as Hart actually eliminated Austin near the end of the match but the referees didn't see it! Seeing this, Austin snuck back in and eliminated the remaining wrestlers including Bret Hart! This continued Austin's momentum while continuing Bret's "crybaby" rants which would eventually make him a heel while turning Austin into a face.

Sycho Sid Vs. Shawn Michaels (WWF World Title Match) - To be honest, their Survivor Series 1996 match (where Sid won the title) was better than this but this one wasn't that bad. It was mainly carried by the fact that this event was in Shawn's hometown of San Antonio, TX and the majority of the crowd was for Shawn. Ends when Michaels hits his SCM on Sid after hitting him with a video camera.

Overall, this volume of the Royal Rumble has its historic moments but this one is the weakest of the volumes. Still, I would recommend it for its history value.

After re-watching these 5 Rumbles ('93-97) in this collection, I feel this Volume is a step down from the previous Volume One of the Royal Rumble Anthology. But I still think this set of Royal Rumbles is definitely worth having and much better than some the latter Royal Rumbles of this series. This collection shows the new era of wrestling in the WWF at the time, with new talent like Razor Ramon, Diesel, Jeff Jarrett, Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, Goldust, and Stone Cold Steve Austin arriving on the scene.
The 1993 Rumble has some decent matches, with the biggest highlight being the excellent Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon WWF Championship match. Though the stupidest thing was the "unveiling of the Lex Luger" by Bobby Heenan, which is a bit disturbing when you think about some of the stuff Bobby is saying! The Rumble itself is real good as well, especially with great performances by Ric Flair and surprisingly, Bob Backlund! There's also an appearance by Giant Gonzalez that would be the lead up to the match between him and the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 9. The ending of the Rumble is kinda stupid with Randy Savage trying to pin Yokozuna instead of trying to throw him over..wtf?!
I'm gonna be honest, there were few high spots in the 1994 Royal Rumble. The match between Hart Brothers and the Quebecers wasn't that great, but do you get to see Owen Hart betray his brother Bret, and "injure" his leg so badly that its put into doubt whether Bret Hart would be able to be in the Rumble later on that evening. The Intercontinental Match between IRS and Razor Ramon was so-so, but the worst match was undoubtably the casket match between The Undertaker and Yokozuna. First off, you get to see the worst looking chock slam I've probably ever seen done by the Undertaker, but really, what kind you expect. Yokozuna, because of his size, made it hard to do many wrestling maneuvers on him that looked effective. Plus, it didn't help that Yokozuna pretty much sucked as a wrestler anyway, and why in the name of God he was around for as long as he was, is a mystery to me. And the ending of this match is just stupid, in fact, the match is over before it really gets started. Also, this Rumble is horribly lacking star power, I understand this was somewhat of a transitional period for the WWF at the time, but man, this one hurts! This one is full of no names or lesser known stars. Really, the only big stars here are Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart (of course he's in it, he's not gonna let that leg injury stop him! lol), Lex Luger (who the WWF were trying desperately to push over), Macho Man, and maybe Diesel, if you wanna include him. With the lack of star power here, its pretty easy to see that the list of potential winners is rather small. And speaking of winners, this would mark the one and only time that there were 2 winners of the Royal Rumble. The actual ending of the match was alright, but the long period of time that the refs took trying to decide who won, was kinda lame.
The 1995 Royal Rumble might have been slightly worse than 1994, but not by much. The opening match between Razor Ramon and Jeff Jarrett for the IC belt was pretty good, and the WWF Championship Match between Bret Hart and Diesel was good. Isn't it funny how all the good matches seem to involve Bret Hart? That's simply because he was one heck of a wrestler, and his matches were always entertaining to watch, at least that's my opinion! This also has a World Tag Team match, which involved 2 teams I could really care less about, and a so-so match between IRS and the Undertaker. Much like the previous year, this Rumble is also low on star power, in fact its probably worse! Again, you only had 3 true superstars in this one: Michaels, British Bulldog, and Luger. And I don't know about you guys, but I could see the ending of the Rumble coming a mile away, even if I hadn't already known who ultimately won!
The '96 Rumble, though I may be wrong about this, marks the first time that the Rumble itself wasn't the main event. And though, its listed on the case, the opening match (which I believe was shown free, and not part of the pay-per-view) between Triple H and Duke "The Dumpster" Droz is not on the disc. No clue why they would list it on here and not include it, but I don't think I'm missing much anyway! Most of the other matches aren't that great either, except for the IC match between Razor Ramon and Goldust, which I didn't think was that great of an actual wrestling match, but it was funny and entertaining. Of course, the Championship match between Bret Hart and The Undertaker is pretty good as well. As for the Rumble itself, its a step up from the previous two Rumbles, with a bit better list of participants..Triple H, Yokozuna, Vader, Shawn Michaels, Diesel, The Ringmaster (later he would become Stone Cold), British Bulldog, and heck, even an appearance by Jake the Snake Roberts! Again, the ending of the Rumble isn't that hard to see coming, but still, its pretty entertaining.
The final Rumble in the set is about the same as the most of the Rumbles in this volume, its nothing amazing, but still pretty good. The opening match between Triple H and Golddust for the IC belt was decent, and well as the Undertaker vs Vader match. There is however, a stupid 6 man Tag Team Match involving a bunch of unknown Mexican wrestlers which you will undoubtly have to fast forward through! Again, there's a WWF Championship match after the Rumble, between Sycho Sid and Shawn Michaels which is pretty good, but nothing amazing. The Rumble itself, again, isn't the best ever, and it does have some pretty crappy participants, including fake Diesel and Razor. For some reason, fake Razor gets the crap booed out of him by the audience, yet the crowd is more kind to fake Diesel for some reason. Anyway, some of the big names in this one are, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Jake the Snake Roberts, Triple H, The Rock, Mankind, Bret Hart, Vader, and the Undertaker. There's also a bit of a controversial ending to this rumble as well which I liked.
All in all, this set is definitely worth re-living and watching again, not to mention owning. You get to see greats like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and The Undertaker in their prime. However, this one just doesn't match up to Volume One. There aren't as many classic matches and classic Superstars during this era of the WWF. But nonetheless, this is still a decent period in the history of the WWF, and still way above what it is now! This is highly recommended for any wrestling fan, especially one who appreciates the older stuff!

I'm glad they finally desided to release the four volumes, instead of having to buy the entire box set. vol. 2 is a must own if your a fan of the pre-Attitude Era.

I enjoyed ROYAL RUMBLE ANTHOLOGY: VOLUME 2 for the most part. There were some good matches, and it was a wonderful rush of nostalgia for a longtime fan like me. Here are my quick thoughts on each ROYAL RUMBLE PPV:

1993
---Easily my least favorite ROYAL RUMBLE on this volume. I give credit to the WWF Title Match (Hitman/Razor), as the two guys complemented each other very well. But the rest of the card was tough to sit through. I didn't even care for the Michaels/Jannetty grudge match. It wasn't because they weren't trying; the two guys just didn't entertain me on this particular night. The 30-Man Royal Rumble is one of the worst ever, but it's not awful. Yes, Yokozuna winning via pinfall kickout is incredibly stupid. But considering the WWF didn't have Hogan to work with, I think they did the best they could. And I admit I liked the Giant Gonzalez concept, when I was a kid. There's also an overly-long debut of "The Narcissist" Lex Luger, a dull opener, and a dreadful Bossman/Bigelow contest.

1994
---Consistently solid from start to finish. The opener between Tatanka and Bam Bam Bigelow is a real crowd-energizer. The Tag Titles Match kicks off the classic feud between Bret and Owen Hart. To this day, the contest is very good, and the feud remains a masterpiece. Razor Ramon's IC Title defense against IRS is surprisingly crisp. Lots of counters, fast-paced action, and a very good finish. Everyone knows about the Yokozuna/Taker Casket Match. I admit it's not a great "match", but I really got into the storyline where Fuji and Cornette paid off a dozen guys to help Yokozuna win. The cheesy supernatural aftermath still works for me. Last but not least, the 30-Man Royal Rumble is a good one. I love the "two-winner" finish, but also love how Diesel (a heel) won the crowd over by dominating for lengthy period of time. Big props to the Providence for showing respect for good in-ring work, regardless of character. 1994 was a good year for the WWF, and it all started here.

1995
---A mostly solid card, and easily 1995's best PPV. Boy, 1995 was a crappy year for the WWF! We all know that HBK entered #1, and won the Rumble. I like it, you've probably read it, and it's a pleasant 45 minutes to this day. Other than the boring Taker/IRS match, the rest of ROYAL RUMBLE 1995 is pretty good. Jeff Jarrett and Razor Ramon delivered an exceptional technical opener for the IC Title, complete with a "double-ending" like Ramon's 1994 IC Title Match. The vacant Tag Team Titles are up for grabs between the teams of Tatanka & Bam Bam Bigelow, and Bob Holly & 1-2-3 Kid. Four different styles make for one of the best Tag Team Matches in ROYAL RUMBLE history. Forget that post-match scuffle which birthed the worst WRESTLEMANIA main event ever; but don't forget to watch 15 minutes of excellent competition. As for the WWF Title Match Hitman/Diesel), I'm kinda stuck. It's a slower-paced technical match, complete with several run-ins, and several finishes. But somehow, I didn't love the 40 minutes as much as I wanted to. It's not bad, but not great (in my opinion). Regardless, the 1995 RUMBLE is a good one.

1996
---To me, this is much like 1995's ROYAL RUMBLE. Excellent IC Title Match, Shawn Michaels overcoming the odds in the 30-Man Rumble, and a WWF Title Match (Taker/Hitman) that doesn't quite get my attention despite all of what's going on in it. There's a lot happening in the 1996 PPV. Ahmed Johnson wiping the floor with Jeff Jarrett, only to have a guitar bashed over his head. The Rumble Match gets completely out of control, when the debuting Vader just snaps after being eliminated. Another note on the Rumble is that we finally get entrance music for the participants, and we finally see finishers during the unique Battle Royal. My favorite aspect of the PPV, though, is Razor/Goldust. This is a psychological piece of work that would make Jake Roberts proud. Seriously, Ramon and Goldust played the crowd perfectly with the bizarre "Gold One" persona. As the for the main event, I have watched Bret Hart and The Undertaker compete in multiple matches, and just can't get into them. I might be biased, but this 1996 main event wasn't a highlight to me. However, Diesel's role in the WWF Title Match was most interesting. In the end, I think the 1996 ROYAL RUMBLE PPV is worth watching.

1997
---The PPV is mostly forgettable, but the 30-Man Royal Rumble is one of the most famous. But first, I'll address the card. For all of the long-term rivalries involved, these PPV showdowns are surprisingly underwhelming. Triple H and Goldust just go on and on and on and on, with all sorts of cheating involved. The commentators can't even understand why the referee is letting the two superstars continue. It's a most bizarre opener. Ahmed Johnson's war against The Nation of Domination finally culminated in a match against leader Faarooq. Too bad the two guys just don't mix well. There's a neat aftermath where Johnson snaps on the NOD, but overall it's a waste. The Taker/Vader grudge match is not too shabby; it probably made both guys look better in the end, even though I don't think the contest is much to brag about. And how did a 6-Man luchador Tag Match fail to excite a 'San Antonio, Texas' crowd?! Sorry if that's a stereotype, but I assumed Texans had an appreciation for Mexican lucha libre. Guess they were too antsy to see HBK win the WWF Title back from Sycho Sid. Speaking of those two guys, I'm sorry to say that their main event is nothing compared to their Madison Square Garden predecessor. It's way too one-sided for too much time. In fact, Michaels pulls off a surprise win similar to John Cena or Hulk Hogan; it's quite ridiculous. As for the 30-Man Royal Rumble, it's quite good. Several feuds come into play, it's nicely-paced, and the Rumble is filled with many WWF legends early in their career. I don't think the 1997 ROYAL RUMBLE is a must-see, but I admit it's probably one the 90s more famous ones.

OVERALL
---Should you see WWE ROYAL RUMBLE ANTHOLOGY: VOLUME 2? Sure, give it a peek. Should you spend the 35-dollar asking price? Not so fast, people. As much as I like most of this set, this isn't 15 hours of wrestling I'd revisit again. PPV compilations like these tend to blend together, and not feel different from each other. It's nice a trip down memory lane, but not worth the money. Try to rent if possible; buy only if you're a hardcore WWE fan.

1993

-The Steiner Brothers vs. The Beverly Brothers: Good opening tag match here as the Steiner's showed their obvious strength edge while the Beverly's executed some good moves of their own and they cut off the ring and work over Scott Steiner's ribs. After a tag to Rick and more action, Scott hits the Frankensteiner and makes the cover to win. 7/10.

-We see a recap of the history between Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty, which was a great way to build up this match.

-Intercontinental Championship Match, Shawn Michaels (Champion) vs. Marty Jannetty: This was a good match as both men knew each other well from having tagged for years. Shawn worked on Marty's shoulder while Jannetty was obviously out for revenge, he did hit a nice suplex on Shawn sending him over the top rope to the floor. Shortly after Sherri went to hit Shawn with her boot but hit Jannetty and Shawn hit Sweet Chin Music and made the cover to retain his title. 8/10. Nice post match stuff where Shawn and Sherri were yelling at each other in the back and Jannetty jumped Shawn.

-Bam Bam Bigelow vs. The Big Bossman: An average big man vs. big man match here as both are very agile even for their size. Bam Bam worked on Bossman's back and Bossman does his usual antics and uses his own size to counter Bigelow, but Bam Bam ends up hitting a diving headbutt on Bossman and makes the cover to win the match. 5/10.

-WWE Championship Match, Bret Hart (Champion) vs. Razor Ramon: Despite having only been in the company for about eight months Razor found himself challenging the Hitman for the WWE title. There was also an underlying story of whether Bret's numerous title defenses in such a short time would wear him down too much for this contest. This was a good match here as Bret was always able to elevate anyone he was in the ring with and Razor was no exception. Ramon worked on Bret's ribs and just beat him down, while Bret worked on Razor's leg with a figure four leg lock and other moves. Bret ends up getting the Sharpshooter on Razor and he taps out so Bret retains. 8/10.

-Next Bobby Heenan unveils the newest wrestler in the WWE, "The Narcissist" Lex Luger, which was a gimmick that fit Luger perfectly, a man in love with himself and only himself. We also get a promo from Lex who as always sounds very dumb when he talks. This was a pretty goofy segment though Heenan's comments make this worth watching.

-We get an announcement from "Caesar" about the Royal Rumble, this was to begin the hype for Wrestlemania IX and its Roman inspired theme.

-The Royal Rumble Match: Ric Flair is #1 and Bob Backlund is #2 and we are underway. Backlund made his return here and ended up lasting 60 minutes in a great, great showing. We also get the buildup to a couple of Wrestlemania IX matches including The Giant Gonzales appearing and knocking out the Undertaker, which led to a shall we say subpar match later. Yokozuna has a good showing here too as he tosses out a few men including Randy Savage at the end to win the Rumble and go on to Wrestlemania to face Bret Hart. A good rumble here.

1994

-Tatanka vs. Bam Bam Bigelow: This was a good opener here, both had styles that mixed very well. Bam Bam used his size to wearn down his opponent while Tatanka hit some impressive moves including a flying bodypress for the cover and the win. 6/10.

-WWE Tag Team Championship Match, The Quebecers (Champions) vs. Bret & Owent Hart: A good tag team match that saw Bret's leg being targeted and how he wouldn't tag his brother which kept making him angrier. Bret tried for the Sharpshooter but the referee determined Bret couldn't continue and called for the bell and the Quebecers retain the titles. 7/10. The aftermath where Owen takes out his brother was the spark that set off probably the greatest feud of 1994.

-Intercontinental Championship Match, Razor Ramon (Champion) vs. Irwin R. Schyster: These are two guys that worked together a lot better than I thought they would. They brawled plenty and even Shawn Michaels appeared which would lead to their classic ladder match at Wrestlemania X. I.R.S. thought he had won, but he then fell victim to the Razor Edge as Ramon retained his title. 8/10.

-Casket Match for the WWE Championship, Yokozuna (Champion) vs. The Undertaker: It wasn't too bad of a match, Yoko had a bunch of guys from the back come help him destroy the Undertaker, who just wouldn't stay down and kept fighting back but he finally fell victim to the beating and was thrown into the casket and Yoko retained the title. 6/10. After the match there was some weird thing with Taker saying he will not rest in peace, which would lead to the Undertaker vs. Undertaker match at Summerslam.

-The Royal Rumble Match: Scott Steiner is #1 and Samu is #2, but the match really picked up when Diesel entered at #7 and he took it to everyone who was in his path for a few minutes. Its not a bad Rumble though its more memorable for the finish as both Bret Hart and Lex Luger are the final two men and they go over the top rope and hit the floor at the same time. Which would lead to them both challenging for the championship at Wrestlemania X. Its a good rumble but not the best ever.

1995

-We get an opening segment with Pamela Anderson arriving at the arena as she will accompany the winner of the Rumble when they go to Wrestlemania XI.

-Intercontinental Championship Match, Razor Ramon (Champion) vs. Jeff Jarrett: A good opening match that has the crowd cheering loudly for Razor who faces a good challenge from Jarrett who works on Ramon's leg setting him up for the figure four leg lock and also takes away the Razor's Edge. Ramon has a good showing as he always did when he had his head on straight. There's a countout where Razor could've walked away with the title but he came back, went for the Edge his leg went out and Jarrett rolled him up to win the title. 8/10.

-I.R.S. vs. The Undertaker: Now this was a bit of a suprise as both these men's styles mixed well and I.R.S. was able to counter some of Taker's offense who was still able to look like the dominate monster he is. Taker ends up hitting a big chokeslam and covers I.R.S. to win. 6/10. The aftermath is decent as Ted DiBiase's druids attack Taker then King Kong Bundy comes down and splashes the deadman in the middle of the ring.

-WWE Title Match: Diesel (Champion) vs. Bret Hart: This was easily one of the best matches of the 90's and is a great, great title match. This was a great david vs. goliath match, Diesel kept hitting power moves and using his size to his advantage, while Bret kept trying to chop down the big man. This was a 30 minute classic where constant interference by Shawn Michaels, Jeff Jarrett, Bob Backlund and Owen Hart forced the referree to throw the match out and DQ both men. That doesn't take away from this match though, 9/10.

-WWE Tag Team Championship Match, Tatanka & Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Bob "Sparkplug" Holly & The 1,2,3 Kid: The finals of the WWE Tag Team tournament they had going on at this time. Well this is a welcome change, a good tag match where Bigelow and Tatanka do take it to the smaller guys, but seem to take them for granted and that comes back to bite them as the Kid makes the cover on Bam Bam to win the titles. 6/10. After the match Bam Bam confronts former NFL player Lawrence Taylor which starts up the angle for their match at Wrestlemania XI.

-The Royal Rumble Match: Shawn Michaels is #1, The British Bulldog is #2 and unlike other Rumbles this one has a man coming in every 60 seconds not every 90 seconds or 2 minutes. Its not really the best rumble match as the quick running time makes it seem less special and there aren't really any standout performances besides Michaels and Bulldog who end up being the last two men in the ring. The finish is great as Bulldog believes he's won, but Michaels comes back and sends him over the top rope to the floor. So Shawn goes wire to wire to win the rumble. Its an average rumble match.

1996

-Jeff Jarrett vs. Ahmed Johnson: After Jeff had blind sided and beaten up Ahmed the month prior we have this match, which wasn't too bad as Johnson was out for revenge and he used his power to throw around the smaller Jarrett. Jeff did use some dirty tactics to gain the advantage but he couldn't keep Ahmed down and had to resort to hitting a guitar shot off the top rope, knocking Ahmed out and the ref calls for the DQ. 5/10.

-WWE Tag Team Championship Match, The Smoking Gunns (Champions) vs. The Body Donnas w/Sunny: This isn't a bad tag match as you get the usual moves and antics from these two teams that you expected and they did work well together. As the Donnas go for a double suplex, Billy Gunn hits a tackle and Bart Gunn rolls up Skip (the late, great Chris Canidido) for the win to retain the tag titles. 6/10.

-WWE Intercontinental Championship Match, Razor Ramon (Champion) vs. Goldust: These two had a good rivalry leading up as the action got so intense that on a recent episode of Raw the action spilled into the wintery cold night outside the arena. As for this match, its a lot like Goldust's matches from his early days in his WWE career, very good with a lot of antics used to pysch out his opponent. Razor did try his best and almost had the match won when the 1,2,3 Kid interfered hitting a spin kick from the top rope to Razor's head then Goldust made the cover to win the title. 8/10.

-The Royal Rumble Match: Hunter Hearst Helmsley is #1 and Henry Godwinn is #2, this is certainly a step above the previous years rumble and a couple of good moments are Jerry Lawler lasting 30+ minutes but spending most of the time underneath the ring before being found thanks to Shawn Michaels. Also great is the face/off between Vader and Yokozuna, Michaels eliminating both Vader & Yoko, getting revenge on Owen Hart for putting him out of action and even super kicking his good friend Diesel out of the ring and Shawn is a 2-time Rumble winner. I personally enjoyed this Rumble, very entertaining.

-WWE Championship Match, Bret Hart (Champion) vs. The Undertaker: Well over a year before their more famous match at Summerslam '97 they faced off in a very good contest here. Bret tries cutting down the big man and Taker hit his usual moves and almost had the title won before Diesel makes an appearance that costs Undertaker the match as Bret was be able to retain his title. 8/10. The Diesel/Undertaker confrontation set up their Wrestlemania XII match quite well in my opinion.

1997

-WWE Intercontinental Title Match, HHH (Champion) vs. Goldust: A rivalry that got brewing just before this PPV and they went all out brawling in and out of the ring and it got kinda crazy to the point where the announcers wondered why the referee didn't call for a DQ. HHH ends up taking this one after hitting the pedigree to retain his title. 8/10.

-Ahmed Johnson vs. Faarooq: Two very like styles, very alike builds and an very average match, which simply tried to put over the Nation/Ahmed feud and this match wasn't anything special. It ends in a DQ when the Nation interferes. 4/10. At least the aftermath of Ahmed going nuts and hitting the Pearl River Plunge on a Nation member through the annouce table was decent.

-Vader vs. The Undertaker: A stunningly average match given how both these big men were in more prime shape at this time in their careers. They did have some good back and forth offense but the interference by Paul Bearer allowed Vader to hit the Vader Bomb and pick up the win. 6/10. The aftermath was a bit shocking as the Deadman attacked the referee.

-6-Man Tag Team Match, Fuerza Guerrera, Heavy Metal & Jerry Estrada vs. Perro Aguayo, El Canek & Hector Garza: The attendance for this Rumble was well over 50,000 people but you would've never known from how silent they were during this match. Not that the six men didn't try to put on a good match, but it just wasn't happening as no one in the crowd cared. Perro botched a footstomp from the top rope then hit an elbow and covered Heavy Metal for the win. 3/10.

-The Royal Rumble Match: Crush is #1, Ahmed Johnson is #2, so now we continue the action from the earlier Ahmed/Faarooq match, it doesn't last long though. The rest of the match is well done, from Terry Funk appearing, to Vader/Taker and HHH/Goldust facing off again during this match. The best part was Steve Austin dominating until Bret Hart came out which got a great reaction from Austin and the fans. Austin was tossed out of the ring by Bret but the referees were busy so they didn't see it and Austin came back in and eliminated everyone in the ring including Bret to win the Rumble. Great rumble match here. Side note: I do like how the ending set up one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches ever, Bret vs. Austin.

-WWE Championship Match, Sycho Sid (Champion) vs. Shawn Michaels: The match these two had at Survivor Series a couple months back was better than this. Shawn could always bring more out of Sid than anyone could and this was no exception. Given how this event was in Shawn's hometown of San Antonio, Texas, everything was aligned in Michael's favor to win the title back and he didn't fail as he hit Sid with a video camera and then Sweet Chin Music and makes the cover to become a 2-time champion. 6/10.

This was a good set to me, the '95 Rumble wasn't the best but the rest of them were good to great. Some of the undercard matches are well worth watching as well. Its worth buying for the right price.

The Royal Rumble 1993

The Steiner Bros. Vs. The Beverly Bros. - Good opener where a younger Scott Steiner hit one of the sickest Frankensteiners I've ever seen..

Marty Janetty Vs. Shawn Michaels (WWE I-C title Match) - A GREAT match. The real story was Marty getting his revenge on Shawn for throwing him through the glass on The Barbershop (a very memorable moment in history) & which side Sherri chooses to be in.

Bam Bam Bigelow Vs. The Big Bossman

Bret Hart Vs. Razor Ramon (WWF World Title Match) - This is forgotten. But it's very good. Bret had the ability that Taker & Sting (and others) have & that's the ability to make anyone look good. Considering how good & strong he looked here, I believe Razor would've been a more suitable opponent for Taker at WM9. Yep. He looked that good here. At least I thought so.

The Rumble match wasn't really all that good. But it wasn't bad. Watch for Jerry Lawler's reaction as well as listening to Monnson & Heenan's commentary for when Taker walks through the curtain. Taker dominated till his WM9 opponent showed up. This one is special because it started the tradition that continues to this day where the winner would receive a Title shot at WM. The finish, which I found quite funny and still do, wasn't the best Rumble match finishes.

THE ROYAL RUMBLE 1994

Tatanka Vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - Great opener. Loved this match.

Bret & Owen Hart Vs. The Quebecers (WWF World Tag Team Title Match) - A VERY GOOD tag team match. Never been a fan of The Quebecers. But against Bret & Owen, they looked solid. The question was, are Bret & Owen really together as they think & as they have us believing? Looked that way. I thought they'd win. But even Bret's effort (despite a badly damaged leg) could not help them win. And after the match, as Todd (however you spell his last name) said it best during the SSlam 94 build-up package, "And then the kick heard round the world."

Owen's post-match comments was really done well.

Razor Ramon Vs. I.R.S. (WWF I-C Title Match) - Decent I.C. Title bout I suppose. But I couldn't get into IRS as a singles guy. To me, he was better with Dibiase. Only matches I liked IRS in singles bouts were against Bret, 1-2-3 Kid, and Taker because of IRS's opponents in those matches.

The Undertaker Vs. Yokozuna (WWF World Title Match/Casket Rules) - Taker was pretty dominant here. I cna't help how much it took just to keep him down. The aftermatch was a very memorable moment as Taker spoke while inside the casket & then "ascended to Heaven"

Diesel owned this Rumble match till he was eliminated. By he really had a good showing before being taken out (with help from HBK!!) Other highlights were Randy Savage (for me), Luger (because of the backstage attack) & Bret (because of his leg). Ironically, the last 2 men were Bret & Luger and this is where the infamous double elimination angle took place that set up a mini tournament of sorts for WM10 for the WWF Title. This angle was redone in the 2005 Royal Rumble. But unlike there, there was no sudden death restart here. I loved how everytime they showed a replay, they made it seem like that was the replay that would determine who won since none of them did lol! And that done on purpose. My only complaints: the pre-match comments weren't included & the original WM theme was replaced by stupid generic music.

THE ROYAL RUMBLE 1995

Razor Ramon Vs. Jeff Jarrett (WWF I-C Title Match) - The Bad Guy vs the soon to be founder of his own wrestling promotion, but here he was known as something much different. Good match.

The Undertaker Vs. I.R.S. - Not a memorable match & a rather short one. Wasn't bad though.

Bret Hart Vs. Diesel (Kevin Nash) (WWF World Title Match) - Loved this. These 2 had a great series of matches. If a Kevin Nash dvd is ever released, his series with Bret (KOTR 94, Royal Rumble 95, SSeries 95, Steel Cage from IYH: Rage In The Cage where Taker dragged Diesel under the ring, must be on it). A wonderfully done Title match that is forgotten compared to their SSeries match later in the year.

1-2-3 Kid (X-Pac) & "Sparkplug" Bob Holly Vs. Tatanka & Bam Bam Bigelow (WWF World Tag Team Title Match) - Ironically, the 2 men who opened up the previous year's Rumble event as opponents were a tag team here. I actually like this. I always got into The Kid. He was the young Rey Mysterio (before his knee required more than one surgery) of the 90s in the WWF.

Shawn Michaels OWNED & shined at this year's Rumble. He went the distance. The first man to enter at #1 and win!

THE ROYAL RUMBLE 1996

Jeff Jarrett Vs. Ahmed Johnson - Ahmed was displayed well here as a powerhouse. IMO, that's all that this was remembered for.

The Bodydonnas Vs. The Smokin' Guns (WWF World Tag Team Championship Match) - I liked this bout a lot.

Goldust Vs. Razor Ramon (WWE I-C Title Match) - The 1995 Goldust was great. But in 1996, he was just that much better. The Bad Guy vs The Bizarre One. This was a great match. The Golden One wins with an assist from a newly turned heel 1-2-3 Kid.

This event had the pre-match comments. HBK was set to make his return at this event. I think Owen injured him at the December IYH so he took off to I think sell the injury but don;t think he was legit injured by Owen. Vader also debuted in the WWF here. In the end, two friends were the final 2. With Sweet Chin Music, HBK eliminated Diesel to once again win the Rumble. Another memorable moment was when Jake entered. He cleared the ring by letting out his snake when ended up on Lawler. As Vince put it, Jake made quite the impression.

Bret Hart Vs. The Undertaker (WWF World Title Match) - These two always meshed well together. Many like their 1997 encounters better. Me? I think all were masterpieces. But like SSlam 97, had it not been for interference, Taker would win. Diesel cost Taker to set up their WM12 match. Also, the Royal Rumble plus is shown. Here, Taker angrily told Monsson that it'd be a cold day in Hell before Diesel ever becomes the Champion. In response, the interim President, none other than Gorilla Monsoon made Bret Hart vs Diesel in a Steel Cage. But not even the Cage could keep Taker away.

THE ROYAL RUMBLE 1997

Goldust Vs. HHH (WWF I-C Title Match) - I liked this match. But I don't know which match I like better, this or their WM13 match.

Farooq Vs. Ahmed Johnson

Vader Vs. The Undertaker - Good match till Paul Bearer interfered. Loved Taker's look & memorable not to mention quite long entrance. After the match, which Taker lost cause of Paul, I saw a side of Taker that I never saw but wish I did in 92 (read that Royal Rumble review to know why). He yelled at Vince & on the ramp, spoke into the camera.

The Rumble continued of the feuds of Ahmed Vs. Nation, Taker vs Vader, HHH Vs. Goldust and Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin! You have to see the look on Austin's face when Bret's music hit! Another memorable & funny moment was when King's music hit & he was talking with a ll confidence that he's win, but as soon as he came in, he was gone lol. This was controversial because Bret eliminated Austin. Even a blind person could see that. But the refs were busy (this is what made me think that there should be 4 refs, 1 in each corner) so Austin seized the opportunity and re-entered. He eliminated Taker & Vader at the same time. And in the end, he eliminated Bret, who tried to plead his case to Vince.

Also, throughout the DVD, you'll see the pre-match comments. IMO, Austin's was the best.

Sycho Sid Vs. Shawn Michaels (WWF World Title Match) - I loved Sid's promos (more of Psycho Sid's than Sid Justice) but as an in ring worker, he wasn't that great. Couldn't even get into their SSeries 96 match either. Both put me to sleep as a matter of fact & I feel sleepy just writing about it lol. Glad Shawn won. Wish it was Taker vs Shawn at WM13.

Out of the 4 volumes, this was the least favorite. But it did have it's moments & matches that stand out.

If you like Royal Rumbles or the New Generation Era I recommend this collection to the fullest.

There are really two ways to judge the success/failure of this DVD collection:

1. Nostalgia. If you are looking to recapture the innocence of your youth, when the big muscled-up stars of the WWF captured your imagination, than this set might just do it for you, as it presents five Royal Rumble events in there entirety. Every little interview and out-of-the-way moment not seen in "highlight montages" is presented as it was at the time of the original airing.

2. Quality of the material. In this criterion, the second RR anthology falls quite flat. The entire WWF business starts going downhill in 1992 (the first year of this set) and doesn't really show signs of serious recovery until '97 (the final disc), making this likely the worst addition to the anthology. Besides a few memorable moments, this entire set is filled with jobbers, fat guys, and characters who just plain aren't as "cheerable" as the guys from the late 1980s.

Thus, I would only recommend this collection to those fans looking to revel in nostalgia for awhile...as that is all it will provide you. In fact, you will more than likely end up laughing at the shallow characters you once found to be so enthralling. All in all, this is a severe down-shift in quality from the first anthology and was really a chore to get through at times.

1993: This one is a very good Rumble from start to finish. The opening match was a really good tag bout between the Steiners and the Beverly Brothers. What I liked about this match was all the fast tags and the really good back and forth action. The next match was also good and it was between former partners as Shawn Michaels defended his IC title against Marty Jannetty. I didn't think this match was going to be good but it was a very good match and was one of the best matches he had in 1993. The next match was the worst on the card and was between Bam Bam Bieglow and Big Bossman. Just a slow paced match, nothing much else. I really like the world title match between Bret Hart and Razor Ramone. This was a back and forth match and was a gem on this PPV program. Kudos to Bret for being able to carry Razor and make him look like a bonefide contender for the world title. The final match was the Rumble match with the winner receiving a shot at the world title at Wrestlemania 9. Yokozuna would be the eventual winner but Bob Backlund really stole this Rumble to me as he competed for over 61 minutes at over 40 years of age. Great performance from Bob. The only thing that boggled my mind was the ending when Macho Man did his elbowdrop off the top rope and then went for a pinfall! He went for a pin! Then Yoko kicked out with such intensity that he threw Macho over the top rope eliminating him and winning the Rumble. All in all this was a great Rumble that I would give four stars to!

1994: This was an ok Rumble that featured something that no other Rumble in history has had. The opener was a boring match with Tatanka and Bam Bam Bieglow. Not a whole lot to say here except boring. The next bout was a contest for the tag titles between the Quebecers against Bret and Owen Hart. I really had to take Owen's side at the end of the match when Bret, even though he was badly hurt, would not tag out to Owen and tried to win the match on his own. The result was the match being stopped and Owen viciously attacking Bret and leading to one hell of a feud in 1994. The next match was a ok IC title match between Razor Ramone and IRS. This match was just ok but a good performance by Ramone. Up next was the coffin match for the world title between Undertaker and Yokozuna. The match itself goes for about 14:00, however, Yoko really only gets to wrestle for about 7:00 due to the fact that about 12 guys come out to attack the Undertaker and eventually put him in the coffin for Yoko to win the bout. This match was ok but the aftermath of the match with all the special effects that they did with Undertaker was worth watching the match for. The final match was the Rumble and featured not one but two winners as both Bret Hart and Lex Luger eliminated each other at the same time and would both go to Wrestlemania 10 to face Yokozuna. I thought this was a very innovative thing to do and made an interesting topic of discussion as everyone had an opinion as to who they thought really won this thing. All in all this was an ok Rumble and I would give this one three stars!

1995: This Rumble was another really good Rumble. This one began with a great IC title match between Razor Ramone and Jeff Jarrett. It went for over 20:00 and was just a fun match to watch. The next contest was between IRS and Undertaker. This one was just average as was the whole feud the Taker had to indure in 1995 with Ted DiBiase's Million Dollar Corporation. I really like the world title match between fan favorites Diesel and Bret Hart. One of the best things about this match is the heel like turn of both men at various times in the match. The only thing I didn't like was the double DQ ending but still a fun match to watch. The next match which was between 123 Kid and Bob Holly against Bam Bam Bieglow and Tatanka I thought was going to suck. Boy was I wrong! This is probably the best match on the card. This is high flying and high impact wrestling at its very best. Great match and great altercation at the end between Bam Bam and football great Lawrence Taylor. The last match was the Rumble match and featured a new rule for the match: Now entrants would appear every 1 minute instead of every 2 minutes. Shawn Michaels and Davy Boy Smith both started this match and both went the distance surviving until the final 2. Finally, when it was over Shawn went coast to coast and won the Rumble by drawing number 1. All in all great Rumble that I would have to give four stars!

1996: This Rumble was pretty good. It had a few bumps in the road. The opening match was to determine who would enter the Rumble with the coveted number 30 and who would enter at number 1. The contest was between a young Triple H and Duke the Dumpster Drose. The match was pretty good and saw Duke win and get the number 30. The next match was a boring encounter between Ahmed Johnson and Jeff Jarrett. Nothing more to say except boring. The next match was another boring match between the Bodydonnas and the Smokin Guns for the tag titles. I just never liked either of these 2 teams and this match proves why. The IC title match with Goldust and Razor Ramone was a very entertaining match. At this time it was always hard to wrestle Goldust because you never knew what you were going to get and after watching this you can see why. The Rumble match was next and went back to the old rule of entrances. One of the underdogs was Shawn Michaels due to his concussion that he suffered after being beat up outside a night club but he kept on keeping on and eventually won his second Rumble. At this time he became only the second man to do so, the other was Hogan. The main event was a hell of a match between Bret Hart and Undertaker for the world title. These two always had great matches and this was one of the best going almost a half hour before seeing interference from Diesel and costing Bret Hart the match by DQ. I liked this match better than any of the other ones on the card. All in all this is a good Rumble and I would have to give this one three stars!

1997: This Rumble on paper looked great but in reality wasn't up to par. The opener was a hard hitting match for the IC title between Triple H and Goldust. I liked this encounter because of the hard hitting moves and the back and forth action. The next match with Faarooq and Ahmed Johnson was just boring and nothing really important came from this match. The Vader/Undertaker match I thought was going to be really good but just fell flat. It was a slow, plodding match. The next match was a 6 man tag featuring Fuerza Guerrera, Heavy Metal and Jerry Estrada against Perro Aguayo, El Canak and Hector Garza. This match was so awful that if you listen carefully the 50,000 fans that attended this event went silent. You could really almost hear a pin drop during this match, it sucks that bad. The Rumble match was great with a great performance by Steve Austin. Austin drew number 5 and lasted for over 45 minutes, eliminating 10 men. If you put that into perspective, that's like him eliminating 1/3 of the competition. Great performance by Steve on the start to one of the greatest careers in the WWE. The final match was between Shawn Michaels and Sid for the world title. This was a good match (no one can have a good Sid match) but I think it fell short due to the performance by Sid, who is slow and gives everything in the match away with his talking and his stupid reactions to moves. Still Shawn was able to down Sid in his hometown of San Antonio and win his second WWE title. ALl in all this Rumble fell flat to me and I would have to give it two stars!