10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 1992 Facts
"With a tear....in my eye! This is the greatest...moment...in my life."
It's the Hulk/Andre of Royal Rumble matches: for sheer history and prestige, you'll find nothing greater than the 1992 Rumble match. Ric Flair, in a bid to prove his self-proclaimed status as "the real World's champion", has to survive one hour of physical hell in order to back up his boasts. Flair's masterful performance between the ropes was matched by the commentary of Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who lives and dies on every moment that his business partner staves off elimination. Flair and Heenan's mutual performances rank as arguably the most memorable sixty minutes of work in wrestling history.
A quarter century later, this particular Rumble match stands out with the most legendary matches in WWE history, moreso than any other Rumble. The impressive roster, the tight booking, and anticipated confrontations made it truly special. Even those who didn't care for Flair were glued to the action, wanting to see if "The Nature Boy" could go where no man had gone before.
The 1992 Royal Rumble is often regarded as a one-match show, but that's a bit inaccurate. The opening tag team match with the New Foundation and Orient Express is great stuff, and Roddy Piper's IC title win over The Mountie was loads of fun. Add those to a five-star main event, and what you have is perhaps the greatest Rumble event of all time.
Here are ten facts about the 1992 Royal Rumble you may not have known.
10. Bret Hart Was Reportedly Negotiating With WCW Around The Time
A scheduled IC title match for the Rumble pitting Bret Hart against The Mountie would not come to pass. Two nights before the show, Hart dropped the belt to Mountie at a house show in Springfield, MA. The cover story was that Hart was working with a 104 degree fever, and valiantly defended his gold, to no avail.
Around that time, Hart (according to The Wrestling Observer) believed his WWE deal was up, and was talking a guaranteed contract with WCW. The plan (at least from the WCW side) was to have Hart debut on Clash of the Champions two nights after the Rumble, possibly with the IC belt (as retaliation for Ric Flair bringing the Big Gold Belt onto WWE programming).
Hart's contract, however, had rolled over and he was unable to give notice. For what it's worth, Hart's autobiography confirms the Observer's notes about the plan to lose the belt to Mountie, only for him to regain it from Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 8, but makes no mention of agreeing to a WCW deal at that point in time.