10 Things You Learn From Watching 1996 On WWE Network

9. The Royal Rumble Roster Was Still Seriously Lacking

Stone Cold Steve Austin
WWE.com

The previous year, such names as Kwang, Timothy Well, and even Dick Murdoch had been entrants in the 1995 Royal Rumble. For 1996, things were ever-so-slightly improved, although it's fair to say that the complete lineup wasn't bursting at the seams with realistic winners.

Then-AJPW star Takao Omori joined the likes of Doug Gilbert, The Samoan Squat Team, Aldo Montoya, and Barry Horowitz in making up the numbers. It's hard now for WWE to present a Rumble jam-packed full of top talent fans desperately want to see, so imagine how difficult that was in 1996 when the roster was still thin on the ground.

Following on from Murdoch's appearance in 1995, Dory Funk Jr. was the ageing legend who entered the fray in '96. Thankfully, stars such as Shawn Michaels, Diesel, Vader, and The British Bulldog were also involved in the match to help up the ante a tad.

Overall, the Rumble didn't prove to be as rapid as the 1995 version. That said, it's still crazy to think that a mid-card performer like Bob Holly lasted close to 40 minutes.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.