[1995-01-22-WWF-Royal Rumble] Royal Rumble

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[FLIK]

One of my least favorite Rumbles ever. Dunno if i'd go worst but it's at the bottom of the pile, 1 minute entries just kills it.

[El-P]

Not really memorable, but at least it wasn't boring since it was so quick. Also you had shitload of stupid mid-90's characters like Duke Droese and Mantaur (I think), so it has a place in my heart. Nice Michaels vs Bulldog interaction, at that time I was a big fan of those two so I enjoyed that quite a bit. It's also infamous for the Bushwhackers walks in/walks out elimination I believe. Wasn't Dick Murdoch involved in this ?

Also remember Pamela Anderson looking like she couldn't care less.

[Ricky Jackson]

I know I hated this Rumble at the time, with the rushed entries and forgettable characters, and it especially felt poor following a run of 4 or 5 good to great Rumble's in a row. I haven't seen it since 95 and really have no desire to ever see it again.

 

It's also infamous for the Bushwhackers walks in/walks out elimination I believe. Wasn't Dick Murdoch involved in this ?

The really quick Bushwacker elimination (Luke, 4 seconds) happened at the 91 Rumble, although both Luke and Butch were eliminated from the 95 Rumble quickly (12 and 19 seconds respectively). Honestly, until I checked wikipedia to refresh my memory, I was unaware the Bushwackers were even still around in early 95. And yes, Murdoch was in this Rumble (lasted 5:08).

[FLIK]

I was unaware the Bushwackers were even still around in early 95

Think this was their last year.

I remember it because of the feud with Well Dunn that led to the awesome Harvey Whipleman vs Howard Finkle Tuxedo match on RAW this year.

[Tim Evans]

They were around well into 96 and feuded with the Bodydonnas. They had that huge ass Kangaroo as a mascot.

[flyonthewall2983]

The last thing I remember them doing was some angle with Pillman when he first arrived.

[Ricky Jackson]

The last thing I remember them doing was some angle with Pillman when he first arrived.

Really? Talk about a clash of styles/philosophies/era's. Sort of like when Austin and Doink crossed paths at that Slammy Awards show.

[flyonthewall2983]

It wasn't really an angle, just a kind of a run-in thing if I remember correctly.

[Ricky Jackson]

It's funny how some of these threads go off on strange tangents that have nothing to do with the original topic. Anyway, for the sake of accuracy, Cawthon has September 15, 1996 as the Bushwhackers last date for WWF, in Nashville vs. the obscure team of Freddie Joe Floyd & Uncle Zebakiah (Dutch Mantel?). I couldn't find anything from 96 or 97 regarding them and Pillman interacting.

 

Even though I hated them during the 90s, I have to tip my hat to the Bushwhackers for surviving long after most of the 80s cartoons were long gone.

[FLIK]

Weird, never knew Dutch actually had any matches in the WWF during that run or that Smothers was ever heel thear.

 

Even though I hated them during the 90s, I have to tip my hat to the Bushwhackers for surviving long after most of the 80s cartoons were long gone

If i'm remembering right wasn't it 97 that they then poped up in ECW for a short time, hanging out with the Dudleys.

[Ricky Jackson]

If i'm remembering right wasn't it 97 that they then poped up in ECW for a short time, hanging out with the Dudleys.

The only thing I could find was this result:

 

Terry Funk's Wrestlefest - Amarillo, TX - Tri-State Fairgrounds Coliseum - September 11, 1997 (announced at 4,000)

Featured an opening announcement regarding the passing of Chris Von Erich, followed by a 10-bell salute in tribute

Wing Kanemura pinned Roadkill at 6:01 with a bodyslam and senton off the top

ECW TV Champion Taz defeated Chris Candido via submission with the Tazmission at 7:22 following a reversal; prior to the bout, the ring announcer noted Candido would be managed by Sunny but she did not appear

Shark Tsichiya pinned Lady Cooga at 6:55 following a clothesline

Mark & Chris Youngblood (w/ Ricky Romero) defeated the Bushwhackers at 10:20 when Mark pinned Luke after Chris dropkicked his partner onto Luke behind the referee's back

The Sandman fought Balls Mahoney to a no contest when ECW Tag Team Champion Buh Buh Ray Dudley attacked the Sandman before Mahoney's entrance and bloodied him until Balls made the save; moments later, Balls grabbed the mic and challenged Buh Buh to a No DQ match; when Buh Buh said no, Balls threatened to hit the referee over the head with a steel chair if he didn't make the match happen; Buh Buh then went to leave until the referee began to count him out

Balls Mahoney (w/ the Sandman) pinned ECW Tag Team Champion Buh Buh Ray Dudley at 6:00 after avoiding a chair shot and hitting Buh Buh three times in the head with the Sandman's cane; after the bout, the Sandman knocked Buh Buh to the floor

ECW - 10/17/97: ECW World Champion Shane Douglas (w/ Francine) pinned Tommy Dreamer (w/ Beaulah McGillicuty) with the belly to belly suplex at 10:09 after sending Dreamer into the corner; late in the bout, Douglas hit the belly to belly on Beulah while Dreamer hit a piledriver on Francine

Dory Funk Jr. pinned Rob Van Dam (w/ Bill Alfonoso) at 11:32

Mankind defeated Sabu (w/ Bill Alfonso) via disqualification at 8:30 after Alfonso interfered

Hayabusa, Masato Tanaka, & Jensei Shinzaki defeated Jake Roberts & the Headhunters (w/ Victor Quinones) at 11:12 when Hayabusa pinned Headhunter A

WWF World Champion Bret Hart pinned Terry Funk in a non-title match at 25:07 by lifting his shoulder out of a back suplex into a bridge; this was deemed Funk's retirement match in Amarillo and he was awarded a ECW Lifetime World Championship belt by the ECW contingent before the bout

A few things:

• The ten bell salute was obviously for Fritz Von Erich, not Chris
• Dory Funk Jr vs RVD is kinda random
• Dennis Stamp was booked and was involved (sorry, couldn't resist)

Edit: Found these results:

ECW @ Ft. Lauderdale, FL - War Memorial Auditorium - April 9, 1998 (1,974)

Tommy Dreamer & the Sandman fought the Bushwhackers to a no contest

ECW @ Kissimmee, FL - Agriculural Center - April 11, 1998 (1,142)

Chris Chetti & Jerry Lynn fought the Bushwhackers to a no contest

I wonder if there was a plan to bring them in as the bloodthirsty Sheepherders at some point. That would have been pretty cool actually.

[Tim Evans]

Weird, never knew Dutch actually had any matches in the WWF during that run or that Smothers was ever heel thear.

 

Even though I hated them during the 90s, I have to tip my hat to the Bushwhackers for surviving long after most of the 80s cartoons were long gone

If i'm remembering right wasn't it 97 that they then poped up in ECW for a short time, hanging out with the Dudleys.

 

Dutch feuded with Smothers and lost a couple times to him on Superstars.

 

Weren't the Buschwackers officially inducted as Dudleys? That was the match the Dudleys broke Beulah's neck right?

[Marty]

Maybe it's just because of the short times, but it's amusing to me how this Rumble's 5th, 6th, and 7th longest entrants were Aldo Montoya, Eli Blu and Mantaur. The match is a Shawn and Bulldog show, with a little Luger in there too, and that's about it.

[El-P]

It's stricking to see how much Luger had fallen at this point. The previous year he was the favourite to win the Rumble, did co-won it and went to WrestleMania to face Yoko. One year later, after a long boring feud against the Million Dollar Corporation, one could think he would be launched back in the mix on top. Not quite.

[Loss]

Last few minutes. I actually like this better than many Rumbles because there's not as much downtime. But considering Shawn was booked to go the distance, this wasn't the year to do it. I love that Shawn keeps wanting to work spots with Dick Murdoch. I also really like the Shawn/Davey Boy interactions, even though I thought the finish was pretty bad. Why would Davey turn his back?

[Tim Evans]

I had no idea Crush was around into 95? Also this match makes me want to see a HBK/Murdoch match cause I know both would bump big for each other.

[El-P]

I had no idea Crush was around into 95?

He really wasn't. Crush wasn't much there after the tag match with Yoko against the Head Shrinkers. I think he left of was fired that summer. They just brought him back to fill a spot during the Rumble, which seemed like the theme of the year (both Bushwhackers in the Rumble in 95 ? Really ?). He didn't show up again before the jailbird comeback in late 96.

[flyonthewall2983]

A few other guys seemed to have just done this match as a cameo, something they still do now. I never liked this Rumble, way too short. Shawn could have done a full-length Rumble in his sleep back then.

[PeteF3]

Some okay action once we've gotten past the rapidfire entries and gotten over what an unbelievably weak roster this was (7 tag teams in a 30-man Rumble, including the Bushwhackers and Well Dunn, and the Blu Brothers who were mysteries and probably confounded people who were wondering why the same nobody got to come in twice.) Murdoch is tons of fun, throwing a dropkick and working cool shit with Shawn, Fatu, and Henry Godwinn. Shawn's near-elimination is pretty rewind-and-watch-again worthy...I dunno, I thought the finish was pretty clever, even if THREE fakeout Dusty finishes on one show is a little...well, Dusty-like.

[Yo-Yo's Roomie]

God, this is rotten to the core. What a shallow roster they had at this point, and yet they still run an angle where one of their best wrestlers (Owen) gets attacked on his way to the ring and lasts mere seconds in the match. So many tag teams in this one- The Gunns, The Headshrinkers, The Heavenly Bodies, Men on a Mission, Well Dunn, the fucking Blu Brothers, the motherfucking Bushwhackers in 1995. Then just a conveyor belt of jobbers (Mantaur! Aldo Montoya!). Luger probably should have won this and turned heel to face Diesel, as Shawn just didn’t feel like a main event-level star at this point (though he was clearly on the cusp of a breakthrough). Cool seeing Dick Murdoch at least.

[Calvin]

I used to love these as a kid, but now they make for decent background matches. Dick Murdoch appearance was a sole bright spot in a match that had next to none.

**