10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 1996 Facts
Shawn Michaels keeps the boyhood dream alive en route to WrestleMania 12.
In recent years, a number of Royal Rumbles have spurred anger from many fans. The 2014 and 2015 events proved maddening for many, due to the fact that super-popular Daniel Bryan was passed over for a Rumble victory. In 2012, Sheamus' upset win drew the ire of those who felt Chris Jericho's enigmatic return should've left him as the last man standing.
For recent Rumbles, the choice of winner was where most criticism went. In the mid-nineties, the winners weren't the problem - the low quality of the shows was. With a depleted roster and the reliance on lesser-skilled performers, some Royal Rumbles were heatless slogs with only a handful of bonafide stars on hand. The 1996 Royal Rumble is one of those shows.
Clearly, everything was going to be coming up HBK, as a now-babyface Shawn Michaels continued his unstoppable run toward an assured World Championship reign. The '96 Rumble match was his for the taking, few doubted that. But if you want proof that even Michaels at his career peak couldn't carry some three-hour shows to watchability, give this show a look sometime. Other than Michaels' win, it may be the least interesting Rumble in the event's history.
Here are ten facts about the 1996 Royal Rumble you may not have known.
10. It Was The First PPV With A Free-For-All
In previous years, WWE pay-per-views would sometimes air live from the arena to give something of an energetic pre-game feel, as opposed to some in-the-can pre-tape. Occasionally, as was the case with the 1994 Rumble, you could see the pre-show match in the background as someone like Todd Pettengill or Vince McMahon addressed the camera with some sort of unrelated info or hype-job.
Beginning with the 1996 Royal Rumble, WWE instituted a "Free For All", a live pre-show that would feature one exclusive match. In the case of this event, it was Hunter Hearst Helmsley taking on Duke "The Dumpster" Droese, with the winner getting the 30th spot in the Rumble, and the loser having to enter first.
Although the Free For All name gradually died out, the concept lives on today with WWE's interminable Kickoff shows, complete with vapid talking heads, and exclusive matches.