Royal Rumble (1990)

Infobox Wrestling event
name=Royal Rumble (1990)


promotion=World Wrestling Federation
date=January 21 1990
venue=Orlando Arena
city=Orlando, Florida
attendance=16,000
lastevent=No Holds Barredcite web|url=http://www.pwwew.net/ppv/wwf/january/1990.htm|title=Royal Rumble 1990 results|publisher=pWwew - Everything Wrestling|accessdate=2008-07-19]
nextevent=WrestleMania VI
event=Royal Rumble
lastevent2=Royal Rumble (1989)
nextevent2=Royal Rumble (1991)

Royal Rumble (1990) was the third annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on January 21 1990 at the Orlando Arena in Orlando, Florida.

The main event was the 1990 Royal Rumble match won by WWF Champion Hulk Hogan. Hogan last eliminated Mr. Perfect to win the match.cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/19881151/mainevent/|title=Hulk Hogan (spot No. 25) wins the Royal Rumble Match|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-07-19] Featured matches on the undercard were Jim Duggan versus The Big Boss Man,cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/19881151/results/|title=Royal Rumble 1990 official results|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-07-19] Ronnie Garvin versus Greg Valentine in an "I Quit" matchcite web|date=2008-02-28|url=http://wcwrules4lyf.wordpress.com/2008/02/28/royal-rumble-1990/|title=Royal Rumble 1990|publisher=The Powerdriver Review|accessdate=2008-07-19] and The Bushwhackers (Butch and Luke) versus The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond).

Background

The Bushwhackers (Butch and Luke) made their WWF debut in Madison Square Garden on December 30 1988, defeating The Bolsheviks (Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov). [cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/b/bushwhackers.html|title=The Bushwhackers Profile|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|accessdate=2008-07-22] They got involved in a feud with Bolsheviks, which was to be settled at WrestleMania V. However, Bolsheviks missed the event, so they were replaced by The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond), whom Bushwhackers beat. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/history/wm5/results/|title=WrestleMania V official results|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-07-22] Bushwhackers and Rougeaus continued to feud with each other for the rest of the year, culminating in a tag team match at Royal Rumble 1990.

Greg Valentine and Ronnie Garvin had been feuding since a match on December 30 1988 in Madison Square Garden (MSG) which Valentine won by grabbing the tights for leverage.cite web|url=http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/88.htm|title=WWF Show Results 1988|publisher=The History of WWE|accessdate=2008-06-27] On April 22 1989 edition of "Superstars", Garvin defeated Valentine in a match.cite web|url=http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/superstars.htm|title=WWF Superstars (1986-97)|publisher=The History of WWE|accessdate=2008-06-27] On the following edition of "Superstars", they both faced each other in a retirement match where the loser could not wrestle anymore in WWF. Valentine won the match, sending Garvin into retirement. Garvin became a referee for WWF.cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/r/ronnie-garvin.html|title=Ronnie Garvin Profile|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|accessdate=2008-06-27] During this time, he disqualified his rival Valentine in a match against Jimmy Snuka and was suspended after the match.cite web|url=http://www.angelfire.com/wrestling/cawthon777/89.htm|title=WWF Show Results 1989|publisher=The History of WWE|accessdate=2008-07-22] Valentine was so irate that he demanded for Garvin to be re-instated as a professional wrestler and his request was accepted. At Survivor Series, they both battled in a match in opposing teams. [cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/survivorseries/history/1989/results/|title=Survivor Series 1989 official results|publisher=World Wrestling Entertainment|accessdate=2008-07-22]

All the other wrestlers in World Wrestling Federation were prepared to participate in the 1990 Royal Rumble match. Many tag team wrestlers, mid-card wrestlers and main event wrestlers chose their entry numbers to participate in this matchup. WWF Champion Hulk Hogan also signed to participate in the match as well as other champions also signed.

Event

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view (PPV), Paul Roma defeated The Brooklyn Brawler in a dark match.cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wwf/rumble.html#90|title=Royal Rumble 1990 results|publisher=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|accessdate=2008-07-30] The first match was a tag team match between The Bushwhackers (Butch and Luke) and The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond). Raymond applied a sleeper hold on Butch but Butch dropped him in the corner. Raymond tagged Jacques. Butch and Luke both clotheslined Raymond and went for a battering ram on Jacques but Jacques slipped out. Jacques and Luke trade punches with each other until Luke bit him. Jacques ducked a clothesline by Luke and Raymond was instead hit with the move. Jacques began posing until Butch attacked him from behind. Rougeaus did illegal double-teaming on Luke. Raymond tagged in and got a near-fall on Luke. Luke tried to get a tag but Raymond attacked Butch. Rougeaus double-teamed Luke again. Raymond Irish whipped Luke into a forearm smash by Jacques to get another near-fall. Jacques tagged in and hit a back elbow on Luke. He hit Luke with two Hotshots. Raymond applied a chinlock but Luke bit out. Jacques applied an abdominal stretch on Luke and grabbed the ropes for leverage. Raymond tagged in and applied a chinlock on Luke again. Jacques tagged in and went for a diving splash but Luke hit Jacques with his knees. Butch got tagged in. Rougeaus tried to hit Butch but he sidestepped and they got Irish whipped into each other. Bushwhackers went for a battering ram on Raymond but Rougeaus' manager Jimmy Hart grabbed Luke's foot. Luke pulled Hart into the ring, causing the distraction. Rougeaus took advantage and nailed Bushwhackers with double dropkicks. Jacques rolled up Butch for a near-fall. Raymond slapped the Boston crab on Butch for Jacques to hit a knee drop on Butch. Luke tripped Jacques. Raymond tried to help his brother but Bushwhackers hit Rougeaus with the Battering ram and Butch pinned Jacques to win the match.

The second match was between Brutus Beefcake and The Genius. Genius became serious as the bell rang and he hit Beefcake with an eye rake. Beefcake got up and hit Genius an inverted atomic drop. Genius went down to the floor to recover. As he got back into the ring, he pounded on Beefcake but missed a charge. Beefcake hit Genius an Irish whip. Genius went to the floor but came back into the ring with a dropkick for a near-fall. A crucifix pin on Beefcake got another near-fall for Genius. Beefcake nailed Genius back and applied a Barber's Chair but Genius elbowed out of it. Genius applied a headlock but Beefcake pushed him into the referee. Genius tried to hit an Irish whip on Beefcake but Beefcake reversed it into a Barber's Chair. Genius fell to the mat, but the referee was knocked out, so Beefcake could not be awarded with the win. He got his scissors and tried to cut Genius' hair with it, until Mr. Perfect came out and hit Beefcake with a Perfectplex. The referee got up and disqualified both Beefcake and Genius. Perfect brought a chair into the ring and nailed Beefcake in the ribs with it.

The third match was an "I Quit" match between Ronnie Garvin and Greg Valentine. Garvin began hitting Valentine with chops. Valentine hit a headbutt low blow on Garvin. They both exchanged blows with each other before Garvin went for a piledriver but Valentine backdropped out of it. Valentine used a Heart Breaker on Garvin and went for a figure four leglock but Garvin kicked out of it. Garvin did a roll-up but due to pinfalls were not counted in this match. Valentine hit an elbow drop on Garvin and applied the figure four leglock. Valentine hit a Canadian backbreaker rack but Garvin didn't submit. Valentine hit another elbow drop and went for the figure four leglock again but Garvin kicked out and chopped him in the corner. Garvin applied the Indian deathlock on Valentine but Valentine caught the ropes. They battled each other on the floor where Garvin went for a piledriver but Valentine backdropped out of it. In the ring, Garvin reversed an Irish whip but missed a charge. Valentine applied Garvin's submission maneuver, Hammer Jammer on Garvin. Valentine pounded in the corner. Garvin fell near Valentine's manager Jimmy Hart. Valentine applied the figure four leglock on Garvin. Garvin released the hold but Valentine went for another figure four leglock, but Garvin blocked it with an inside cradle. Garvin slammed Valentine down on the mat. He untied the Heart Breaker but Valentine pulled him outside the ring. Garvin tied Valentine in the ropes and Hart tried to untangle him but got pulled by Garvin. Garvin threatened Hart with the Heart Breaker but instead hit Valentine with it and applied the Hammer Jamer on Valentine, who submitted.

Results

Notes

*An episode of the Brother Love Show aired and featured "Sensational" Queen Sherri and Sapphire. The two got into a heated argument and brawl. Randy Savage and Dusty Rhodes then joined them. Rhodes and Sapphire cleaned out the ring including Brother Love.
*Ted DiBiase broke Curt Hennig's longevity record, lasting 44:47.

References

External links

* [http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/history/19881151/ Official 1990 Royal Rumble website]