Royal Rumble 1993: The Rule That Saved the Match Outlived the Match Itself

The Steiner Brothers make their WWF pay-per-view debut by treating the Beverly Brothers as objects whose structural integrity needs testing. Rick and Scott are still rough around the edges in the way early Steiners often were: breathtaking power, sudden acceleration and the occasional suplex that makes the observer wonder whether a neck was included in the production budget.

The Beverlys control enough of the middle to give the match shape, Scott absorbs the heat, and Rick's hot tag brings the crowd back. The finish is exactly what the debut needs, with Scott hitting the Frankensteiner and leaving no doubt which brother team WWF intends to matter.

Cagematch currently rates the match 6.08, while the Wrestling Observer gave it 3 stars. Retrospective opinion ranges from disappointment with the sloppiness to appreciation for the athletic spectacle. C-plus / 6.9 splits the difference: a useful, energetic debut whose highlights are better than its connective tissue.

The Rockers breakup deserved fury. Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty instead give it a wrestling match first and a grudge match second, which is both the strength and limitation of the result. Jannetty's early offense has urgency, Michaels bumps extravagantly, and Sensational Sherri standing in a neutral corner gives every exchange a second question hanging over it.

The shoulder work slows the middle, but the closing stretch finally feels like two men with history. Sherri slaps Michaels, the referee goes down, the shoe meant for Shawn catches Marty, and Michaels uses the superkick to retain. It is messy because the relationship is messy, even if the interference prevents the match from reaching the cleaner emotional payoff the feud seemed built for.

Cagematch currently sits at 6.88. The Observer gave it 4 stars, TJR went 3.75 and Leighty 3.25. B-plus / 8.0 reflects a very good match whose reputation benefits from the feud's mythology more than the actual bout fully earns.

Bam Bam Bigelow and Big Boss Man are two large wrestlers who could move. This match spends ten minutes hiding that useful information. Bigelow works the back, Boss Man throws punches, the pace settles into a bearhug and the crowd gradually decides it has other obligations.

There are flashes of what the match could have been, particularly when Boss Man throws himself around and Bigelow changes direction with the ease of somebody much smaller. They never connect those flashes into momentum. Bigelow wins with the diving headbutt, a meaningful victory for his push and a merciful conclusion for everyone else.

Cagematch currently rates it 4.23. The Observer gave it 1 star, TJR 1.25 and Leighty 1. D- / 4.2 is not punitive; it is almost exactly the consensus translated into a WrestleFile grade.

Bret Hart's first Royal Rumble as WWF Champion is the match that most clearly understands what the company is trying to become. Razor Ramon attacks the ribs and back, Bret sells the damage without turning helpless, and the match builds around whether the champion can create the Sharpshooter against a larger challenger who keeps interrupting the setup.

Ramon never feels like the likely winner, but he does feel like a credible problem. His offense is deliberate without becoming inert, and Bret's comeback is based on accumulation rather than superhero recovery. The finish is especially good: Bret converts a defensive exchange into a sudden Sharpshooter, a reminder that his championship identity is supposed to be problem-solving rather than overpowering people.

Cagematch currently rates the match 7.23 and the Observer gave it 3.25 stars. Leighty landed at 3 stars, while most modern reviews place it among the night's clear positives. A-minus / 8.5 rewards a strong championship defense that does more for Hart's reign than it does for highlight reels.

The first Royal Rumble with a guaranteed WrestleMania title shot should feel like the match discovering its final form. Instead, it feels like WWF has discovered the prize before assembling a roster capable of making the chase compelling.

The first third has life. Ric Flair starts at No. 1, Mr. Perfect arrives at No. 10, and their feud gives the ring an actual story. Ted DiBiase helps keep the traffic organized. Undertaker enters at No. 15 and immediately looks like one of the few people who could plausibly remove Yokozuna later. Then Giant Gonzalez walks down, attacks Undertaker, eliminates him despite not being in the match and spends an extended stretch making the Royal Rumble secondary to an angle for WrestleMania IX.

The middle is the problem. There are too many entrants with no believable route to victory and too few relationships that matter. Bob Backlund lasts 61:10, an impressive record on paper, but endurance replaces incident rather than producing it. Yokozuna's arrival finally gives the match a direction. The roster cannot move him, he eliminates seven men, and Randy Savage provides a credible final obstacle.

Then Savage hits the flying elbow and tries to pin him. In a Royal Rumble. Yokozuna powers out so violently that Savage flies over the top rope, which gives WWF the visual it wanted at the cost of making Savage forget the rules. Cagematch currently rates the match 4.55. Leighty went 2.5 stars, TJR 2.25, and multiple retrospectives rank it among the weaker Rumbles. D / 4.8 gives credit for the correct winner, Flair-Perfect, Backlund's record and a decent final stretch. An hour-long main event needs more than four good bullet points.