RWT: WWF Royal Rumble 1997


Random Wrestling Thoughts

It was a time of transition for the WWF but they turned out some decent moments in those lean years. This rumble and the 94 rumble are my favorite because Bret Hart is involved in the endings. This Rumble has some lows and highs but a fun re-watch over all. Not going to lie I watched only parts of some of the matches besides the championship match and the Rumble. I just don't have 3 hours to watch and break down Ahmed Johnson and Faarooq is a potato throwing match.

-Hunter starting to come into his own here. At this point you didn't know who was going to get that push. Him or Goldust. Both good workers but Goldust to me was just to odd to push to any main event status. His best was work and feud was with Brian Pillmen and everything is sorta "meh". Hunter was the better of the two at this point.

-Vader and Undertaker have a slow lumbering match. I've never made it any secret that I don't enjoy watching Taker matches. He's always bored me. Nothing different here. I was bored. I do think Vader never got credit for being a talented big guy. I mean the man missed a moon salt off the top rope in every match he was in. He had the skill just not much appeal. Vader got a nice push at this point and got the win after Bearer did his thing with the ref not looking.

-Michaels and Sid put on a decent match. Shawn does a good job putting on a show for the home crowd. Sid was a great nut ball at this point that he was a liked heel. He never seemed to get booed ever. Shawn breaks the 4th wall by hitting Sid with the camera which leads to sweet chin music. Shawn has a awkward moment where he hugs Vince and shakes his ass in his face as he celebrate. Too bad he loses his smile a few months later.
-Stone cold goes the distance in this thing and is the only reason from it getting boring with such a thin roster at the time

-So many masked wrestlers that never saw WWF tv again. Again, the roster was just gutted at this time.

-Owen Hart and Bulldog have a funny moment when Owen knocks out bulldog.

-Jerry the King Lawyer with a very funny moment while announcing his song plays and he states he's in the rumble only to be thrown out in a few seconds and then sits back down and starts announcing again. Great comedy.
-Flash Funk takes a hell of a bump when he thrown over the ropes by Vader. Looked painful.

-Fake Diesel/Dr.Issac/Kane makes an appearance. Looks to be in great shape. Glad Kane made him, he's a great big man worker.

-Hahaha the Sultan...

-The moment when Stone Cold clears the ring and than Bret comes out is a awesome moment with the look on Stone Colds face.
-Rock is still Rocky here and the first person he attacks once in the ring is Stone Cold. Some foreshadowing here.

-Good to see Terry Funk. He's so old he botches a pile driver and can't get Bret up.. They just fall over.
-Vader gives some stiff punches that no one seems to enjoy.

-Mankind and Funk do some good stuff.
-Great ending with Stone Cold being tossed by Bret Hart. The refs don't see it since they are getting Funk and Mankind split up. Stone Cold jumps back in and throws out a tangled Taker and Vader and then tosses Bret who just tossed fake Diesel. Bret of course goes crazy and shakes Vince at the booth. This is the start of the Heel Hart coming out. The full turn takes place at WM 13 in maybe the best match of all time imo.
Credit to Cult of Whatever
Like I said this Rumble has some lows and highs and some pretty big time moments in some of these wrestlers history. I give it 6 Sultans out of 10.

wwf,wwe,bret hart, tv, ppv

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