Royal Rumble Match

[Loss]

30-Man Royal Rumble - Royal Rumble 1995

 

This is actually one of the better-worked Rumbles, and one of the most exciting from start to finish. Many voiced displeasure with the company for shortening the intervals from two minutes to one minute, but in this case, it greatly benefitted the action. The only downside to it was that Shawn and Davey Boy both had the stamina to go another 20-25 minutes if they had to do so, and Shawn's victory would have been more impressive had he toughed it out that long. That is, in essence, the story of the match -- Shawn Michaels v Davey Boy Smith. This was really Davey's first chance to shine after returning to the company and he didn't disappoint. Eliminations between the two were teased well, and Shawn hangs on like a cockroach from beginning to end.

 

If anything, the match showed just little was going on in the company at the time, as outside of the various feuds Bret Hart and the Clique had ongoing, nothing is really explored. The Rumble is always an interesting match because it's a bite-sized overview of the entire company and it acts as a foreshadowing of sorts to Wrestlemania. Sadly, Owen Hart and Bob Backlund were ambushed outside by Bret, depriving the match of at least one more good, long-term worker, and sadly, the finish was needlessly overbooked. All said, the body of the match conveyed the story quite well, even if everyone besides Michaels and Smith act as not much more than window dressing.

 

***3/4

[Strummer]

I wouldn't necessarily say the ending was overbooked, it was just non-sensical. Shawn was a heel and that was a spot (ala Rick Steamboat) designed to get a face reaction. It also made Davey Boy, a face, look like a complete moron for celebrating too early (something a heel would normally do) It didn't make sense given the heel/face roles in the match.

[Al]

I wouldn't  necessarily say the ending was overbooked, it was just non-sensical.  Shawn was a heel and that was a spot (ala Rick Steamboat) designed to get a face reaction.  It also made Davey Boy, a face, look like a complete moron for celebrating too early (something a heel would normally do)  It didn't make sense given the heel/face roles in the match.

Agreed, but at the same time, they needed to build Michaels up in some manner so he would make a halfway credible challenger to Kevin Nash.

[Guest Bruiser Chong]

I've always looked at this one with biased eyes. This was the first Rumble I remember not liking, even though in retrospect, '91 and '93 were both plodding and without direction. To me, the match just displayed what a depleted, weak roster the company was working with at the time. If there was ever a need for a 30-minute Rumble, this was it.

 

There were some years where you had maybe 10 guys who you'd figure could win the match. This one had maybe three or four. Even then, the Bulldog didn't seemed poised for a run at the WWF title and Lex Luger was nearly a year removed from even getting a whiff of the championship. So really, it seemed like Shawn was the hands-down favorite to win the match.

 

The match itself is a bit of a blur to me. It was a lethargic way to cap off an overbooked show and for me, the lack of star power left me soured on the match. But then again, I hated almost everything the company did that year.