Royal Rumble (1990)

Background

The Bushwhackers (Butch and Luke) made their WWF debut in Madison Square Garden on December 30, 1988, defeating The Bolsheviks (Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov). They got involved in a feud with The Bolsheviks, which was to be settled at WrestleMania V. Bolsheviks missed the event, however, so they were replaced by The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond), whom Bushwhackers beat. Bushwhackers and Rougeaus continued to feud with each other for the rest of the year, culminating in a tag team match at Royal Rumble 1990.

Greg Valentine and Ronnie Garvin had been feuding since a match on December 30, 1988 in Madison Square Garden (MSG) which Valentine won by grabbing the tights for leverage. On the April 22, 1989 episode of Superstars, Garvin defeated Valentine in a match. On the following edition of Superstars, they both faced each other in a retirement match where the loser could not wrestle anymore in WWF. Valentine won the match, sending Garvin into retirement. In retirement, Garvin took up other positions in the WWF; first he became a referee but he was suspended after disqualifying Valentine in a match against Jimmy Snuka, and later a ring announcer at SummerSlam 1989, a position he used to berate and belittle his erstwhile rival. Valentine was so irate that he demanded for Garvin to be re-instated as a professional wrestler and his request was accepted. At Survivor Series, they both battled in a match on opposing teams.

Other wrestlers in World Wrestling Federation – including WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and the other champions – were prepared to participate in the 1990 Royal Rumble match. Many tag team wrestlers, mid-card wrestlers and main event wrestlers were allotted their entry numbers to participate in this match.

Preliminary matches

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view (PPV), Paul Roma defeated The Brooklyn Brawler in a dark match. The first match was a tag team match between The Bushwhackers (Butch and Luke) and The Fabulous Rougeaus (Jacques and Raymond Rougeau). Raymond applied a sleeper hold on Butch but Butch dropped him in the corner. Raymond tagged Jacques. Butch and Luke both clotheslined Raymond and went for a battering ram on Jacques but Jacques slipped out. Jacques and Luke trade punches with each other until Luke bit him. Jacques ducked a clothesline by Luke and Raymond was instead hit with the move. Jacques began posing until Butch attacked him from behind. The Rougeaus did illegal double-teaming on Luke. Raymond tagged in and got a near-fall on Luke. Luke tried to get a tag but Raymond attacked Butch. The Rougeaus double-teamed Luke again. Raymond Irish whipped Luke into a forearm smash by Jacques to get another near-fall. Jacques tagged in and hit a back elbow on Luke. He hit Luke with two Hotshots. Raymond applied a chinlock but Luke bit out. Jacques applied an abdominal stretch on Luke and grabbed the ropes for leverage. Raymond tagged in and applied a chinlock on Luke again. Jacques tagged in and went for a diving splash but Luke hit Jacques with his knees. Butch got tagged in. Rougeaus tried to hit Butch but he sidestepped and they got Irish whipped into each other. Bushwhackers went for a battering ram on Raymond but Rougeaus' manager Jimmy Hart grabbed Luke's foot. Luke pulled Hart into the ring, causing the distraction. Rougeaus took advantage and nailed Bushwhackers with double dropkicks. Jacques rolled up Butch for a near-fall. Raymond slapped the Boston crab on Butch for Jacques to hit a knee drop on Butch. Luke tripped Jacques. Raymond tried to help his brother but Bushwhackers hit Rougeaus with the Battering ram and Butch pinned Jacques to win the match.

The second match was between Brutus Beefcake and The Genius. Genius became serious as the bell rang and he hit Beefcake with an eye rake. Beefcake got up and hit Genius an inverted atomic drop. Genius went down to the floor to recover. As he got back into the ring, he pounded on Beefcake but missed a charge. Beefcake hit Genius an Irish whip. Genius went to the floor but came back into the ring with a dropkick for a near-fall. A crucifix pin on Beefcake got another near-fall for Genius. Beefcake nailed Genius back and applied a Barber's Chair but Genius elbowed out of it. Genius applied a headlock but Beefcake pushed him into the referee. Genius tried to hit an Irish whip on Beefcake but Beefcake reversed it into a Barber's Chair. Genius fell to the mat, but the referee was knocked out, so Beefcake could not be awarded with the win. He got his scissors and tried to cut Genius' hair with it, until Mr. Perfect came out and hit Beefcake with a Perfectplex. The referee got up and disqualified both Beefcake and Genius. Perfect brought a chair into the ring and nailed Beefcake in the ribs with it.

The third match was a Submission match between Ronnie Garvin and Greg Valentine. Garvin began hitting Valentine with chops. Valentine hit a headbutt low blow on Garvin. They both exchanged blows with each other before Garvin went for a piledriver but Valentine backdropped out of it. Valentine used a Heart Breaker on Garvin and went for a figure four leglock but Garvin kicked out of it. Garvin did a roll-up but due to pinfalls were not counted in this match. Valentine hit an elbow drop on Garvin and applied the figure four leglock. Valentine hit a Canadian backbreaker rack but Garvin didn't submit. Valentine hit another elbow drop and went for the figure four leglock again but Garvin kicked out and chopped him in the corner. Garvin applied the Indian deathlock on Valentine but Valentine caught the ropes. They battled each other on the floor where Garvin went for a piledriver but Valentine backdropped out of it. In the ring, Garvin reversed an Irish whip but missed a charge. Valentine applied Garvin's submission maneuver, Hammer Jammer on Garvin. Valentine pounded in the corner. Garvin fell near Valentine's manager Jimmy Hart. Valentine applied the figure four leglock on Garvin. Garvin released the hold but Valentine went for another figure four leglock, but Garvin blocked it with an inside cradle. Garvin slammed Valentine down on the mat. He untied the Heart Breaker but Valentine pulled him outside the ring. Garvin tied Valentine in the ropes and Hart tried to untangle him but got pulled by Garvin. Garvin threatened Hart with the Heart Breaker but instead hit Valentine with it and applied the Hammer Jammer on Valentine, who submitted.

The fourth match was Jim Duggan vs. Big Boss Man. Boss Man heavily pounded on Duggan in the beginning but Duggan countered with a clothesline to the floor. Boss Man caught Duggan and brought him to the floor. Duggan punched back but was thrown into the ringpost. Boss Man eventually missed a charge and got crashed into the ringpost. Duggan pounded on his hurt shoulder. They both went to the ring where Boss Man reversed an Irish whip by Duggan. He splashed Duggan in the corner. Boss Man followed it up with an enzuigiri. He soon began hitting Duggan's head into the turnbuckle but Duggan Irish whipped Boss Man into the corner. Duggan began to take control of the match until Slick interfered in the match, which gave Boss Man a comeback in the match. Boss Man got a near-fall on Duggan after a knee drop. He locked in a bear hug. Duggan tried to escape by hitting headbutts but Boss Man fell on top of him near the ropes. Boss Man pounded on Duggan in the corner but Duggan clotheslined him. Duggan drove Boss Man into the corner for a ten-count punch but missed a charge in the corner and was clotheslined by Boss Man. Boss Man went for a big splash but Duggan moved out of the way. Slick grabbed Duggan up against the ropes as Boss Man charged Duggan but Duggan moved out of the way and Boss Man accidentally nailed Slick. However, Slick was able to give Boss Man a nightstick. Slick tried to distract the referee, but the referee saw Boss Man hitting Duggan with a nightstick. Referee disqualified Boss Man and Duggan was announced the winner.

Main event

The main event was the 30-man Royal Rumble match. Ted DiBiase entered at #1 and Koko B. Ware entered at #2. The two began beating each other until DiBiase got the best of Koko by backdropping him over the top rope, leading to Koko's elimination. Next was one half of The Rockers, Marty Jannetty but was immediately attacked by DiBiase. Jannetty hit with dropkicks but eventually ran into a boot to the head. DiBiase hit Jannetty with a clothesline. He then climbed the middle rope but was caught by Jannetty. Jannetty tried to roll-up DiBiase but DiBiase held on. Jannetty missed a crossbody on DiBiase, getting eliminated over the top rope. Jake Roberts entered at #4, leading to DiBiase and Roberts hurting each other, due to the hatred with one another. "Macho King" Randy Savage drew in #5 and attacked Roberts first. Savage and DiBiase double-teamed Roberts until #6 entrant Roddy Piper came out to help Roberts. Piper and Roberts both began attacking DiBiase and Savage and the two teams saved each other from getting eliminated until one half of The Powers of Pain, The Warlord entering at #7 attacked both Piper and Roberts. Warlord beat on Piper for a while until DiBiase and Savage tried to eliminate Roberts. Piper broke free of Warlord and saved Roberts from elimination.

One half of The Hart Foundation, Bret Hart entered at #8, attacking Warlord. Piper and Hart double clotheslined Warlord while DiBiase and Savage were still trying to eliminate Roberts. Hart began beating Savage and Warlord went to save Savage from Hart. Piper and Roberts double-teamed DiBiase. Warlord tried to eliminate Hart until #9 entrant Bad News Brown assaulted Hart. Roberts went for the DDT on DiBiase near the ropes until Savage clotheslined Roberts over the top rope, eliminating him. DiBiase went out for Piper, but Piper got the best of DiBiase, trying to eliminate him until Savage saved DiBiase again. Dusty Rhodes entered at #10 and hit Savage with bionic elbows. Savage tried to charge Rhodes over the top rope but Rhodes countered and eliminated Savage by throwing him over the top rope. A turning point occurred in the match as #11 entrant, one half of WWF Tag Team Champions The Colossal Connection, André the Giant joined the match. Warlord went after André and was immediately thrown over the top rope, getting eliminated.

Piper and Rhodes fought back on André, while Brown and DiBiase tried to eliminate Hart. Red Rooster entered at #12 and began fighting with Rhodes. Meanwhile, Brown tried to eliminate Piper but was thrown out. This made Brown angry. Although he was eliminated, he came back into the ring and dumped Piper over the top rope. Ax, one half of Demolition entered at #13 while André eliminated Rooster. Ax pounded on André while Hart and Rhodes double-teamed DiBiase. André was in trouble as he was tied in the ropes by Ax and Rhodes. André's tag team championship partner Haku entered in #14 and saved André from getting eliminated. Rhodes beat on Haku while entering at #15, Ax's Demolition partner, Smash came out to rescue him. This led to a Demolition and Colossal Connection battle. One half of the Twin Towers, Akeem entered at #16 while Rhodes eliminated Hart. Demolition nailed Haku with a double shoulder block and did the same to André, eliminating him from the match. They tried to eliminate Haku too, but André caught him on the floor and sent him back into the ring. DiBiase, who had been in the match since 20 minutes, was now going to get eliminated by Demolition but broke free until Jimmy Snuka entered at #17.

Snuka fought with Akeem and eliminated him. Dino Bravo entered at #18. Bravo and Haku attacked Snuka, but Snuka attacked both men in return. The Canadian Earthquake entered at #19, eliminating Rhodes and then Ax. The other half of Hart Foundation, Jim Neidhart entered at #20 and battled with Earthquake, trying to eliminate him. Haku and Smash joined Neidhart to eliminate but was still difficult to eliminate the 400-pounder. DiBiase and Snuka also came out to help. Finally, these five men eliminated Earthquake. WWF Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior entered at #21 and the powerhouse began dominating the match. Immediately after entering, Warrior eliminated Bravo and nailed everybody. Rick Martel entered at #22, showing his narcissistic attitude. Haku eliminated Smash from the match. Neidhart tried to eliminate Martel, but Martel slid into the ring from under the apron. Tito Santana entered at #23 and immediately nailed Martel. Santana tried to eliminate Martel but Martel raked Santana. Haku was hit with a clothesline by Warrior while DiBiase piledrivered Snuka. The Honky Tonk Man entered at #24. Martel eliminated Neidhart with some aid by Warrior and DiBiase as well. Warrior reversed an Irish whip by DiBiase and clotheslined him over the top rope. DiBiase broke Mr. Perfect's longevity record of staying in a Royal Rumble match with 44:47.

WWF Champion Hulk Hogan entered at #25. Immediately after entering, Hogan eliminated Snuka and then Haku. Santana tried to eliminate Martel but Warrior tripped Santana and eliminated him. Honky attacked Hogan but it was for no use as Hogan eliminated Honky. The other half of The Rockers, Shawn Michaels entered at #26. Michaels was immediately eliminated by Warrior, then Warrior threw Martel out. It was now WWF vs. IC Champion – Hogan vs. Warrior left in the ring. After looking at each other for a little bit, both powerhouses got in each other's faces, then each bounced off the rope and crashed into one another, but nobody moved, then after a criss-cross, Hogan missed a clothesline and they clotheslined each other. The Barbarian entered at #27 and leveled Hogan with a big boot. Rick Rude entered at #28 and went after Warrior. Barbarian and Rude tried to eliminate Hogan, but the Warrior saved Hogan from being eliminated. Then the Barbarian and Rude eliminated Warrior with a helpful clothesline from Hogan. Warrior then came back into the ring and attacked both Barbarian and Rude before going backstage. Hercules entered at #29 and teamed with Hogan to battle Barbarian and Rude. The last entrant, Mr. Perfect entered and began stomping Hogan.

This made Hogan, Rude, Barbarian, Hercules and Perfect, the final five men. Meanwhile, a miscommunication problem occurred between Barbarian and Rude. Hercules took advantage and eliminated Barbarian. This made it the final four – Hogan, Rude, Hercules and Perfect. Hercules was eliminated by Rude, leading to Hogan, Rude and Perfect as the final three. Rude and Perfect double-teamed Hogan. Perfect held Hogan for a Rude forearm but Hogan ducked and Perfect was sent out to the apron. While on the apron Hogan Irish whipped Rude and as Perfect was pulling himself back up he accidentally pulled the ropes down, letting Rude fly down to the floor. After a short argument between Rude and Perfect, Rude goes backstage. This led to the final two – Hogan and Perfect. Hogan grabbed Perfect back in the ring but received a clothesline by Perfect. Perfect hit Hogan with a Perfect-Plex but Hogan "hulked up" and threw Perfect into the ring post. Hogan connected with clotheslines and threw Perfect over the turnbuckle and across the ring post to the floor, to win the 1990 Royal Rumble match.

Aftermath

Several of the Royal Rumble events were used to build interest in WrestleMania VI, the WWF's next big supercard. Gaining the most interest was a confrontation between WWF Champion Hulk Hogan and WWF Intercontinental Champion the Ultimate Warrior; both men agreed each had something to prove following their encounter, and a match was signed for WrestleMania VI, to be held at the Toronto Skydome. Both wrestlers agreed to a title vs. title match, where one wrestler could walk out with both titles. Prior to then, Hogan focused on his feud with Mr. Perfect, while Ultimate Warrior defended his Intercontinental Championship primarily against Dino Bravo, with Hogan frequently appearing in the Ultimate Warrior-Bravo matches to nullify Earthquake's appearances in Bravo's corner.

WWF Tag Team Champions the Colossal Connection (André the Giant and Haku) continued to defend their titles, largely against Demolition (Ax and Smash), the team they won the belts from; the Hart Foundation and the Rockers were occasional opponents. During this time, Haku was doing most of the wrestling as André's health was declining and he only entered the ring usually only for the finish. A final rematch was scheduled for WrestleMania VI.

Following the confrontation between Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire, and Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri during "The Brother Love Show", an inter-gender match between the two was signed. Prior to that, Savage made one final bid for Hogan's WWF Championship, facing his sometimes friend and more frequent enemy on The Main Event, aired in February; with Buster Douglas as the referee, Hogan gained a pinfall victory in their last WWF match against each other, with Hogan gaining a further parting shot when Douglas slugged Savage following a post-match argument.

Roddy Piper and Bad News Brown's encounter in the Royal Rumble match led to a one-on-one match between the two at WrestleMania VI, which resulted in a double count-out. The Royal Rumble was the last pay-per-view event where the Big Bossman competed as a heel; shortly after the Royal Rumble, Bossman refused to assist Ted DiBiase in his feud with Jake Roberts, fired Slick as his manager and made former rival Hogan his closest ally.

This was the last pay-per-view event commentated by Tony Schiavone, as he left the WWF shortly after the event; he worked for World Championship Wrestling, which became WWF's chief rival during the 1990s, until its demise in 2001, and had a short-lived with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2003 before leaving the sport altogether. Gorilla Monsoon would resume the lead pay-per-view announcing duties with WrestleMania VI.

Dusty Rhodes and Dustin Runnels would leave the WWF soon after, Runnels would return later with his new Goldust gimmick.

Royal Rumble entrances and eliminations

A new entrant came out approximately every 2 minutes.