Shining a Spotlight 2.02.12: Meaning of Rumbles

An interesting Rumble. Nice to see Punk and Bryan retain, we’ll see if they last until Mania. For the Rumble itself, I enjoyed stuff like the Santino/Foley bit and Ricardo entering to Del Rio’s music and a beat-up car was brilliant. Kofi’s handstand on the outside was one of the single most awesome spots I’ve ever seen in a Rumble and I guess Orton’s injury must still be nagging him as he was supposed to have won in his hometown but didn’t. Nice to see Kharma back although the bit with the announcers entering was a bit much. However, the ending with Sheamus and Jericho was one of the best “final two” segments any Rumble has seen. Overall, an okay Rumble, wouldn’t put it among the best despite some folks’ ratings.

With this being the 25th Rumble, there have been a lot of retrospectives and such. It brings up how the match has gone from just a competitive thing to a truly important part of WWE and a key part of every fan’s watching experience. We love to remember the highs like the marathon runs of Flair, Benoit, Mysterio and others. The big surprises like Cena’s return in 2008 and such. But not all Rumbles are considered equal by any means. In some cases, the win ends up not being that big a deal for either the worker or the company. So, I thought I’d take a look at the most and least meaningful Rumbles in terms of the winner and WWF/E on a whole for how it affected the company through the year.

Most Meaningful

1988 Winner: Hacksaw Jim Dugan: You have to put the first one on the list of course. The irony has always been delicious that the Rumble came into being to strike back at an NWA card that ended up being a total disaster on its own. While the Bunkhouse Stampede turned out a money-loser, Vince scored with a two-hour USA event that culminated in a match that instantly caught attention. Dugan was a surprising choice for the first-ever winner and while it was good to have a tough guy win, it didn’t do too much for him in the long run in WWF. So meaningful for its conception if not much else.

1990 Winner: Hulk Hogan: The second PPV Rumble showed them still working out kinks with an okay lower card but the Rumble itself was notable. Ted DiBiase became the first “Iron Man,” drawing #1 and lasting forty-five minutes and Earthquake was a good monster in the match. Of course, the key reason it’s remembered is the first one-on-one meeting between Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, a face-off that had the entire crowd hyped to the extreme. Hogan ended up winning, not that he needed it, already being WWF champion but still made the crowd happy and helped sell the Rumble as a major event while the Warrior encounter set up one of the biggest Mania main events ever.

1992 Winner: Ric Flair: This is where the Rumble really became important. Putting the vacant WWF title on the line for the winner seemed an odd move but they made it work. That was thanks to Flair putting on one of his best performances ever, drawing #3 and lasting the entire hour, fighting off everyone present to win it all. It was also one of the best booked Rumbles, great in how it sold Flair’s struggle and packed with talent, letting you enjoy his victory and really make the Rumble something truly special for a star.

1993 Winner: Yokozuna: This was the first Rumble where it was set up that the winner would face the champion at Wrestlemania, thus giving it a new level of importance. It was actually an average Rumble, Bob Backlund setting a new longevity record while knocked unconscious outside and Giant Gonzales making his debut to eliminate the Undertaker. The winner was Yokozuna who kicked out of a Randy Savage elbow that sent Savage flying over the top rope. It made sense to finally have a guy of huge size win the Rumble and the fact Yoko would go on to dominate as WWF champ for most of the year showed that the Mania main event stip was something important and made the Rumble stand out more.

1994 Winners: Lex Luger and Bret Hart: In many ways, it was a muddled Rumble with 90-second intervals and a couple of no-shows. However, it would major implications, not the least of which was Diesel tossing out seven guys in a row, the fans cheering him on and thus this is the night that made Kevin Nash a star. The ending was important as Luger and Bret went out together to test the fan reaction to who they’d want to see at Mania. It was clear Bret had a bit of an edge in the cheers, setting up the complicated Mania where Bret and Owen opened with their classic match and ending with Bret winning the title. So while not the best Rumble, it definitely had effects for WWF in 1994 that make it stand out.

1997 Winner: Steve Austin: Notable for being the first time since the rule was set up that the winner of the Rumble didn’t face the champ at Mania. However, that’s what makes it stand out. This was the Rumble where Steve Austin really caught fire in WWF, tossing out guys left and right so he was alone in the ring for several parts, just waiting for the next guy so he could toss him out. He had a great showdown with Bret before getting tossed out behind the refs’ backs, coming back in to eliminate Bret and be declared the winner. This would set up the circumstances with Bret getting a one-day title reign before Austin cost him the belt the next night and Bret becoming whiny about it. Thus, thanks to this, we got the classic Bret-Austin Mania match that forever altered the course of WWF, making the Rumble a major step toward the Attitude era.

1998 Winner: Steve Austin: This, of course, was the true kick-off to the Austin era. It was a packed Rumble roster, lots of guys going at it with various feuds, showing how the mid-card was rising at this time. The big moment was Austin’s music kicking in, everyone preparing to face him only for Austin to run from behind to attack. His victory solidified his path to the title at Mania and how the fans were behind him completely, creating the most successful era wrestling would ever know.

2001 Winner: Steve Austin: This is notable as the last Rumble of the Attitude era, that incredibly hot time in WWF that led wrestling to new heights. With both WCW and ECW about to go under, this takes on new dimensions with a good fight, highlighted by Kane setting the record for most eliminations in a single Rumble. The action was good with nice booking, Drew Carrey getting laughs with his brief turn and some wild fights. Austin’s win would set up his rematch with Rock at Mania and the heel turn that would change everything for the company and make this one to remember.

2004 Winner: Chris Benoit: Memorable today for the wrong reasons. At the time, it was a sign of faith for WWE to give a guy long considered a technical master but not the real main-event type, his shot at glory. Having Benoit draw #1 and run the whole match was a testament to his skills and nice bits like Kane eliminated after hearing the Undertaker’s bell ring and other nice battles. Benoit eliminating the Big Show to win it all was a great moment to set up his fantastic Mania main event with HHH and HBK. Of course, today, it takes on a different meaning, memorable for the high point of a man headed toward one of the most tragic endings imaginable.

2005 Winner: Batista: The Rumble was well booked, the idea of the RAW and SmackDown rosters fighting each other leading to funny bits like when Muhammad Hassan entered and both sides stopped fighting each other to gang up on him. The Angle/HBK encounter would set up their fantastic Mania match and it was a nice touch having Flair come out last. The ending was memorable as Batista was meant to eliminate Cena but both guys went over at once, forcing Vince McMahon to come to the ring, blowing out both quads getting in, yet still ordering it continued. That would set up both guys to win titles at Mania, thus this Rumble was the true beginning of a new era in WWE and should be remembered for more than the botched ending.

2006 Winner Rey Mysterio: A lot of people grouse about WWE exploiting the memory of Eddie Guerrero and in hindsight, they have a point. But at the time, emotions still raw over the loss of such a beloved figure, the fans needed a pick-me-up like this. Once again, we had a guy going back-to-back to win the match and Rey’s size gave it a new dimension. The pop from the crowd when he got Orton out was huge and really came off heartfelt to see this little guy, a veteran of the game, win a big one. The road to Mania would be a bit convoluted but Rey would get the title and pay off a great win here.

2007 Winner: Undertaker: The Rumble itself was pretty much okay but what makes it stand out is the Taker’s victory. After 20 years, it was about damn time someone came in at #30 and won it all. It made sense for Undertaker, after all his years of loyal service to Vince and his entrance was good as the Great Khali had looked unstoppable tossing out guys but Taker dumped him. The final showdown with HBK was good too, both giving and taking with possible eliminations before Taker finally got Shawn out to win. A good reward for Taker to get a Rumble win and set up the big battle with Batista at Mania.

2008 Winner John Cena: This Rumble is always remembered for Cena’s shocking return, months earlier than he was expected after going out with an injury in 2007. It was a huge moment for the fans, the pop huge before they started thinking “oh, wait, booing Cena’s the cool thing to do.” But it was a huge impact for WWE, meant that expectations for Mania were going to be different and also began the tradition of a surprise entrant that’s continued today, making expectations for the Rumble even bigger.

2010 Winner: Edge: A fun Rumble with bits like Punk cutting a promo in the middle of his run, Beth Phoenix eliminating the Great Khali with a kiss and HBK trying to win so he could face Taker at Mania again. Once more, we got a surprise return as Edge came back to a huge pop and won it all. It was great for the time but given how Edge would be forced to retire a year later, it takes on more meaning to know one of the biggest stars of his era was able to get a Rumble win to add to his already great legacy.

Least Meaningful

1989 Winner: John Studd: This should have been meaningful as the first PPV Rumble and spots like Ax and Smash drawing the first two numbers and fighting it out for a bit. There was also the showdown between Hogan and Savage to set up the Megapowers breakup and Ted DiBiase bribing his way to #30. But it doesn’t resonate as well today, especially the choice of Big John Studd as the winner. It made sense a bit to have a big guy win it but Studd was hardly major star power and the Rumble win didn’t lead to much for him in WWF either. So notable for being the PPV pioneer but hardly a major event.

1991 Winner: Hulk Hogan: The undercard was actually a bigger deal with Slaughter beating Warrior for the title and Virgil finally turning on DiBiase. The Rumble had moments like Martel setting the new longevity record but for the most part, it was just an okay affair. Hogan’s win was hardly needed, given how monster over the man was and was just to make folks happy in the Gulf War times. Good for a Rumble but not really important down the line.

1995 Winner: Shawn Michaels: This should have been meaningful for the first time a guy drew #1 and won it all. However, that was ruined by the decision to have only one-minute intervals so the whole thing lasted just over half an hour. The star power wasn’t good either, a lot of low-tier guys and one-shot appearances clogging things up. The finish was good with Michaels hanging by one foot to win but coming up short at Mania took some of the wind out of the sails and gave us a really disappointing entry.

1996 Winner: Shawn Michaels: Michaels was already set up to face Bret at Mania so the Rumble was merely a formality. That had some good stuff like Jake Roberts returning with a giant python to clear the ring and HBK eliminating Yoko and Vader together but pretty much everyone already knew what the result was. It was Mania everyone was looking forward to so this Rumble didn’t connect as well as it could have.

1999 Winner: Vince McMahon: The height of Vince Russo’s mentality as Austin was #1, McMahon #2 and after an attack, Austin spent the majority of the match injured with Vince on commentary. We had bright spots like Kane in his first powerful Rumble appearance and Austin tossing out a bunch of guys upon his return but in the end, Vince ended up winning thanks to the Rock, a major “screw you” to the fans in attendance. Worse was the next night, when Vince gave up his title shot and according to “the rulebook,” that meant Austin got it, making the entire Rumble a waste of time. A shame to see such a key match fall prey to the Russo mentality.

2000 Winner: The Rock: Again, the Rumble was mostly the afterthought after the epic HHH/Cactus Jack match, despite the big star power of the time. There were good fights and it was important for the Rock to get a Rumble win to his legacy. However, it didn’t mean too much in the long run as it would be a four-way battle for the belt at Mania with Rock failing to get the title. A rare misfire in an otherwise terrific year for the company.

2002 Winner: HHH: Coming off the fumbled Invasion, the Rumble was built around HHH’s grand return and most already knew he was going to win. They did tease it with him and Austin and funny bits like the Hurricane trying to choke them both, the two exchanging “can you believe this guy” looks before tossing him out. It was also good having Mr. Perfect making his brief return and Maven’s greatest moment eliminating the Undertaker. But most knew HHH was going to be getting the win en route to Mania so his dumping of Angle to win it all got a pop but given how rough his reign in 2002 would be, not as stunning an achievement.

2003 Winner: Brock Lesnar: Another Rumble where everyone knew the winner going in as Lesnar and Angle had been feuding for the WWE title and a Mania match made sense. The Rumble itself didn’t have too many memorable moments and clear guys were just killing time until Brock came in, which he did late at #29. That meant he didn’t have as much impact as he could have, although some good stuff like clotheslining out both Haas and Benjamin and brawling everyone else. However, it didn’t sell him well that he needed Batista’s distraction to eliminate the Undertaker to win it all. With Angle needing time off anyway due to neck problems, Brock winning the title at Mania was also no surprise so once more, the Rumble was robbed of real weight as most went in knowing the result.

2009 Winner: Randy Orton: It was a smart move to have Orton draw a low number like 8 to sell his eventual victory. And we had fun stuff like Santino setting the record for shortest time while Kane took on another monster run. However, once more, it was a Rumble where most already figured the winner out as Orton was being primed for another main event run. The fact he came up short at Mania despite stips in his favor like HHH losing the belt on a DQ robbed his Rumble win of a lot of meaning, making this another forgettable affair.

2011 Winner: Alberto Del Rio: This had a lot going on with 40 guys, Nexus and the Corre fighting it out, the returns of Booker T and Diesel and Hornswoggle on a surprising run. I’ll give WWE credit for trying someone new with Del Rio winning it and even teasing an ending with Santino. However, Del Rio wasn’t exactly catching fire with people so his victory didn’t really give him a serious push. His failure to win the belt at Mania also made it less meaningful, a shame after WWE gave a chance to new guy rather than some old favorite.

Time will tell how 2012 falls into this list but it still shows that the Rumble is a key part of the WWE calendar and why, year after year, poor or not, we tune in to see whose number may be coming up for glory.