WWE Vintage Collection Report: 18th January 2009
By Shaun Best-Rajah.com Reporter
Hosted by: Mean Gene Okerlund
Welcome aboard. Today’s edition showcases the 1992 Royal Rumble, arguably the most star-studded Royal Rumble match in history. Held on January 19th at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York, the vacant WWF title was the prize for the winner. The title was held up following controversy in a match between Undertaker and Hulk Hogan at the Tuesday Night in Texas show, held in late 1991. To appease the two, both were given late draws (between numbers 20-30) in the Rumble. The commentary team are Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan. Let’s go.
The bell goes with the first two men (British Bulldog and Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase) going at it. DiBiase dominates with a clothesline, and three suplexes. Monsoon references Rick Martel’s current record at 53mins 14 seconds and notes Bushwhacker Luke’s short 4.8 second appearance, both from last year. DiBiase thinks he’s thrown Bulldog out, as he turns to gloat. However, Bulldog hangs on, steps back in and clotheslines DiBiase out. #3 is Ric Flair accompanied by Mr Perfect. Managers aren’t allowed at ringside here. Monsoon tells Heenan to kiss his protégé goodbye. Bulldog displays his power with a shove, press slam and clothesline. Flair begs off as #4 Nasty Boy Saggs enters with Jimmy Hart. Bulldog gets double-teamed as Heenan urges Flair to let Saggs do all the work. Bulldog flattens both with a double clothesline, before tossing Saggs onto the apron. Saggs yells at the crowd that he’s ‘Nasty,’ so Bulldog dropkicks him to the floor. Bye Saggs.
Fresh off a commercial, both Shawn Michaels (fresh off throwing Marty Jannetty through the Barber Shop window) and El Matador have joined the fray at #6 & 7. Entrant #5 Haku has already been eliminated by the Bulldog. Matador hits Flair with his flying forearm. #8 is the Barbarian, prompting Heenan to complain that the guys are getting bigger. Heenan reveals Barbarian didn’t like him when he was his manager. #9 is the Texas Tornado to a big pop. Tornado dishes out his spinning tornado punch to both Flair and Michaels (the two sell the move beautifully). Bulldog slingshots Michaels into the corner while Flair cuts Tornado off with an inverted atomic drop.
After another break, #10Repo Man and #11Greg “The Hammer” Valentine have joined Flair, Bulldog, Tornado, Matador, Barbarian and Michaels in the ring. Not shown is #12 Nikolai Volkoff being quickly disposed of by Repo Man. #13 is Big Boss Man. To Heenan’s relief he doesn’t have his nightstick or handcuffs. Boss Man punches anything in sight as Repo Man throws Valentine out. Boss Man nearly gets Michaels out. As Repo sneaks around the ring, Boss Man tosses him out from behind. At the 26 minute mark, Flair ducks a Bulldog punch and eliminates him. Flair then repeats the move to oust the Tornado. Boss Man splashes Barbarian in the corner, as Michaels and Matador both eliminate each other. #14 is Hercules. Flair and Barbarian high five, before Flair turns on him with chops. Flair regrets his actions and gets press slammed. Barbarian nearly has Flair out, until Hercules comes from behind to dump out Barbarian. Boss Man clotheslines Hercules out, and the momentum almost carries Boss Man over too. Boss Man owns Flair until Flair dodges a dive and Boss Man catches the top rope before going out. An exhausted Flair collapses as the clock counts down. Flair’s face turns to anguish as #15 Rowdy Roddy Piper (fresh from his Intercontinental Title win over the Mountie earlier in the night) runs in. Piper hits punches, an Irish whip, backbodydrop and kneelift. After briefly spilling outside (under the ropes) Piper goes back to attacking Flair, catching him in an airplane spin and sleeper. Heenan is hysterical and concerned for Flair, with Monsoon goading him by saying Flair’s history.
After another break, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, IRS and Superfly Jimmy Snuka have joined Piper and Flair in the ring, at #16-19. Piper delivers slaps to Flair then twists at his nose. #20 is the Undertaker with Paul Bearer. Undertaker immediately sends Snuka packing with one shot. Undertaker then throttles Flair after Flair gets too close. #21 is Macho Man Randy Savage who runs down like a madman. Jake slithers out of the ring to hide. Savage gets blindsided by the Undertaker, as he looks for Jake. Jake gets back in, Savage ducks a short-arm clothesline and pounds away. After a top rope double axehandle, Savage eliminates Jake with a high knee. Savage leaps over the top rope to get him some more of Jake. He must have forgotten the rules as that’s an elimination. Heenan covers by saying you have to be thrown out to be eliminated, which is a lie, as future Rumbles haven’t covered that ruling. Undertaker comes out to throw Savage back in.
Back from a break and #22 the Berzerker has now joined us. Flair has been in for 45 minutes. Heenan wants Flair to weasel his way out for a while but he’s taking all sorts of punishment from everyone. Savage suplexes Flair back in from the apron. Undertaker is choking anyone he can get his hands on. Berzerker gives Savage a tree slam. #23 is Virgil, who Heenan alludes to as a bag thief, after saying he stole the Million Dollar Belt months ago. Flair nearly pulls Undertaker’s eyes out to stop him choking Virgil. Unfortunately for Flair, it’s earned him another long throttling from the Deadman. #24 is Colonel (don’t call me Iron Sheik) Mustafa with General Adnan. Heenan gets in a Saddam Hussein reference.
Following our penultimate break, Mustafa has gone courtesy of Savage and #25 the Model Rick Martel is in the ring. Nine people are currently in the ring: Martel, Flair, Duggan, Savage, Virgil, IRS, Berzerker, Piper and Undertaker. #26 is Hulk Hogan. Hogan bangs heads together, survives an IRS, Berzerker and Undertaker triple team and in quick order eliminates Undertaker (clothesline) and Berzerker (backbodydrop). Heenan prays for a Flair win and promises never to be bad again. Hogan rips his shirt off and uses it as a weapon as the crowd come alive. Hacksaw catches Virgil’s cross body attempt, but both men eliminate each other. Skinner is #27. IRS saves Flair from being eliminated by Hogan. Hogan tosses IRS about by his tie. Hogan rebounds off an Irish whip to clothesline a whooing Flair and Skinner too for good measure. #28 is Sgt Slaughter. Martel forms an alliance with Skinner to try and eliminate Piper, but Martel double-crosses then eliminates Skinner. Hogan and Piper briefly go at it, exchanging rakes to the face. Monsoon congratulates Flair for passing Martel’s record at 55 minutes. Savage chokes IRS with Hogan’s top as we cut away for our final commercial break.
#29 Sid Justice is already in the ring, as the last man, #30 the Warlord makes his way to the ring, with Harvey Wippleman. Just nine men remain: Warlord, Hogan, Flair, Savage, Piper, Justice, Martel, IRS and Slaughter. One of these men will be champion. Hogan catches Flair on the top rope and throws him to the mat. Flair goes outside for a breather, before pulling Hogan out by the leg. Hogan reverses a suplex on the outside. Back inside, Sid Irish whips Slaughter so hard that his head smacks the ringpost en route to elimination. Hogan puts Flair back in for a big boot. Flair has been in over an hour. IRS gets Piper onto the apron and under the bottom rope, but Piper yanks IRS by the tie to eliminate him. Hogan and Justice combine to eliminate the Warlord. As Piper and Martel try to eliminate one another, Justice comes from behind to dump them both. We’re down to the final four (Hogan, Flair, Justice and Savage). As Justice hoists Savage up, Flair knees Justice in the back, causing him to drop Savage out. Hogan whips Flair upside down into the corner. As Hogan manhandles Flair, a torn Justice gives in to temptation and eliminates Hogan. Hogan acts all shocked and plays the friends card. Heenan reminds us there are no friends. As Hogan goes to pull Justice out by gripping his arm, Flair tips Justice out to win the match and the title. An ecstatic Heenan continuously yells ‘Yes’ in delight. Hogan steals some of Flair’s thunder by stepping in to clear the ring. Flair heads to the back as Mr Perfect comes back out to raise Flair’s arm in victory. Here is Your Winner & Undisputed WWF Champion: RIC FLAIR.
Backstage, before a post match interview/press conference with Mean Gene, WWF President Jack Tunney congratulates Flair and passes him the title. Flair says with a tear in his eye, this is the greatest moment in his life. The only way to stay number one is be number one. Flair says this (the WWF title) is the only title in the wrestling world that makes you number one. When you are the king of the WWF, you rule the world. After Flair, Heenan and Perfect give off a collective Whoooo, Heenan puts Flair over for never taking a backstep. Perfect confidently smirks saying we told you so. Okerlund orders someone out of view to put their cigarette out, before Flair repeats it’s the greatest moment in his life. Now all the Hulk Hogans, Macho Mans, Pipers and Sids all pay homeage to the man. Whooooo! Following his bad blood with WCW and the NWA at the time, this was a good heartfelt promo from Flair.
Before Okerlund signs off, he repeats the no smoking joke to someone in the studio.
Okerlund puts over Flair, then signs off, promising next week, the conclusion to our look back at the Royal Rumble. End of show.
A really enjoyable show this week. Thumbs up. This was probably Flair’s greatest showing in the WWE for me. He sold for everyone to make them look good, while getting himself over by taking all the punishment and showing great tenacity to win. When I watched this in 1992 he was the perfect guy that I loved to hate. Bobby Heenan was a hoot on commentary and his back-and-forth banter with Gorilla Monsoon added more drama to the match.
The Vintage Collection Awards results will be posted tomorrow. As next Sunday is my birthday, I’ll post next week’s Vintage report the following day. Until next week, have a good one. Shaun.
Comments/praise/feedback/criticism/discussion points please direct to shaunmb1@hotmail.com.
