10 Things You Learn From Watching 1990 On The WWE Network
8. Royal Rumble Submission Match Is Sorely Overlooked
Ask most wrestling fans to name a roster member from the WWF of 1990, and it's unlikely they'll utter either Greg 'The Hammer' Valentine or 'Rugged' Ronnie Garvin. Both were workhorses, stars but not quite on the bombastic level of a Hulk Hogan or Randy Savage. They were however capable of producing quality matches.
At the 1990 Royal Rumble, Garvin and Valentine would collide in a rare Submission Match. Going on second after The Bushwhackers had nonsensically blown the roof off the place and The Genius had flopped around for Brutus Beefcake, the pair constructed a forgotten classic that lasted over 15 minutes.
Submission Matches were not commonplace in the WWF at this time, making things even more unique. There's a lot of ground work here, but the fans lap it up. The WWF wasn't really associated with this style, you were more likely to see matches such as this in the NWA/WCW.
There's a huge number of people who won't have seen Garvin vs. Valentine, and that needs to be rectified. It deserves way more credit.