I'm sure there might be some questions as to why I skipped this event on my first time trek through reviewing WWE pay-per-views in the 90's, and the answer is actually quite simple. I was eager to just push past everything in my path to the Attitude and Ruthless Aggression Era, a timeframe I was more familiar with and more interested in reviewing. As a result, I dictated to myself that I would only review two shows per year prior to 1998, and after covering SummerSlam '92 early last year, there was one spot left. I had been burned with some dull Royal Rumble shows in the first iterations of the event, so I chose WrestleMania 8 instead. In retrospect, I wish I had been patient enough to just review everything in chronological order, just like I had initially planned, or at least had given up that silly "two show" rule, which I ended up breaking later on anyway. This is definitely an event worth reviewing, especially as I've never seen it before. This is the legendary 1992 Royal Rumble, with a historic main event centered around the crowning of a new WWF Champion.
- Royal Rumble 1992 comes to you from the Knickerbocker Arena (now Times Union Center) in Albany, New York. As with many other venues in the Northeast, the long-held home territory of the WWE, this has seen a few landmark moments in company history, including the first Money in the Bank cash-in at New Year's Revolution 2006, and the Raw in 1999 where Steve Austin drove a beer truck to the ring to douse the Corporation. More history will certainly be created on this night.
- Our opening contest is the first and only pay-per-view match for the New Foundation (Jim Neidhart and Owen Hart) as they defeat the Orient Express (Pat Tanaka and Kato, who replaces Akio Sato). While Neidhart teaming with a different Hart brother feels very odd, and Owen and Jim simply can't replicate the original Hart Foundation magic, I actually thought these two had styles that meshed better than Jim and Bret. Owen is a step behind his brother when it comes to delivering offense, but Owen is still a very competent technician. Where Owen really shines is with his athleticism, as he is silky smooth in the air, delivering one of the best suicide dives I've ever seen late in this match. The impact Owen gets on that move is truly impressive. Neidhart compliments Owen perfectly, with his brand of intensity and power put over extremely well by Tanaka and Kato, who just get steamrolled every time "The Anvil" is tagged in. This match could've easily reached classic level if the heels had anything more than kicks and rest holds to offer when they're in control, but it was still a great way to get this show going. Jim and Owen get the win with the Rocket Launcher, one of my favorite tag finishers and a perfect fit for these two. I can't believe this team wasn't given more to work with.
- Speaking of the Harts, Bret is no longer the Intercontinental Champion, dropping the gold on a house show to The Mountie. That may sound like a totally bone-headed decision, but Bret was protected in defeat, with the story being that he wrestled against doctor's orders, with a fever of 104 degrees. Mountie is just the jackal that took advantage of the weakened champion, and quickly transitions the belt over to Roddy Piper in a quick defeat in the second match on this card. Piper is at the top of his game in the ring right now, bringing the same kind of fire he had at the Survivor Series to give Mountie a well-received beating. Mountie does mount a brief comeback, but gets laid to rest with Roddy's sleeper hold, before Piper gives the now former champion a taste of his own medicine by shocking Mountie with the cattle prod. Nothing special as a match, but this was a nifty piece of booking to set up the clash between Piper and Hart at 'Mania, while giving Mountie some legitimacy and also finally giving Roddy his first piece of gold, which the crowd just loved.
- For some reason, the Beverly Brothers and the Bushwhackers have been given 15 minutes to wrestle on this show, in what I'm guessing was Vince McMahon attempting some sort of satanic ritual. The match is awful, but you didn't need me to tell you that. At least the crowd got some enjoyment out of Butch and Luke's shenanigans, as well as their manager Jamison getting some licks in on The Genius afterward, but this is one of the biggest wastes of time I've seen on a pay-per-view in a while.
- Big boys collide in a battle for the tag titles up next, as the Legion of Doom defend against the Natural Disasters. It's exactly what you'd expect out of a match involving these two teams; Hawk and Animal get some pops for their feats of strength, everyone slowly clubbers each other, and nobody does the job. Instead, the champions get counted out after a brawl on the outside, and despite that seemingly setting up a rematch, both teams just move on to other things.
- Main event time, as 30 men enter the fifth annual Royal Rumble, with the grandest prize in all the WWF on the line. How much you enjoy this match depends completely on whether you can get invested in the journey of Ric Flair, as he puts in one of the best Rumble performances in history, surviving over an hour. Helping to get this narrative over is Bobby Heenan on commentary, who I think actually overshadowed Flair here, despite Heenan supposedly being a secondary character. Bobby totally commits to supporting Flair, and makes it seem like his entire life depends on Ric walking out the champion. All night, Heenan has told us how nervous he is, how essentially Flair winning is, and Heenan's complete engagement in this match really helps the viewer come with him. I will say, for as engrossing as the overall story of Flair's triumph was, the actual match was a little lacking, especially compared to the more outwardly exciting modern Rumbles, with their unexpected returns and innovative spots. The action was never anything approaching bad, and British Bulldog's early domination plus the continuation of the feud between Randy Savage and Jake Roberts were highlights, but a huge chunk of the middle of the match was a bit of a chore to sit through, which is a common complaint I would have for most Rumbles. Once you get into the final 10 minutes or so, the drama starts to amp up, and that's when this match makes that step from good to great. Sid Justice goes on a run, Hulk Hogan eliminates Undertaker, and Flair manages to pick the bones, as after Sid tosses out Hogan, Hulk gets his revenge by holding on to Sid's arm, allowing Flair to make the final elimination. Just like at This Tuesday in Texas, I'm so confused as to how Hogan remains a face here, as Sid took him out fair and square, only for Hulk to cheat and help the most hated man in the company become champion. Besides the weird finish, this was one of the best Rumble matches I've seen, stacked with starpower (I haven't even mentioned newly-heel Shawn Michaels in this review, a fun addition to the first 15 minutes of the match), and with a well-executed story of Flair's endurance and triumph, communicated brilliantly by the greatest color commentator this industry has ever seen.
8/10
It's not entirely accurate to call this a "one-match show", as the opening tag match was excellent, and Roddy finally winning gold were also highlights. The main event did lag at points but still reached a satisfying conclusion, and Flair's famous "Tear in My Eye" promo after the win is also worth watching as an extra piece of the experience. This is essential viewing for all wrestling fans, though you might want to find something else to occupy yourself with during the half hour after Piper's win.
Next time on Henry's Pay-Per-View Reviews: Survivor Series 1992, where Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels square off for the very first time. See you soon.
- Henry
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