10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 1989 Facts
8. The Match Was Harley Race's Last With WWE
Race was already in his early forties when he climbed aboard the WWE bandwagon in 1986. Though still capable of performing admirably at his advancing age, especially in regards to vigorous and daring bumps in and out of the ring, Race began to battle serious health issues.
A hernia sustained by Race in a televised match with Hulk Hogan in March 1988 would necessitate abdominal surgery. Race had a long recovery time ahead, unparalleled toughness or not, and sat out most of the remainder of the year before resurfacing on a regular basis in November.
The Rumble match against Haku marked Harley's last in-ring performance for the company. The omission of the match from the VHS release could've just as easily been WWE saving tape space by cutting out a wrestler no longer canon for their ongoing product.