100 Greatest WWE Royal Rumble Moments Ever

81. Jim Duggan Wins The First Rumble (1988)

WWE Royal Rumble 2020 Edge
WWE.com

Some older fans will see this as a little low, especially given what the Rumble would go on to mean. However, there just isn't a lot of conversation about Jim Duggan winning the first ever televised Royal Rumble in 1988. It was a 20-man match (the standard 30-man format came in the next year), and is roundly considered an odd starting point for such a tentpole event.

It meant the world to Hacksaw regardless.

He turfed One Man Gang out of the ring to celebrate. Fans going wild for Jim didn't even care that there wasn't anything tangible at the end of it; the WWF didn't offer a WrestleMania title shot for the winner until 1993, and the WWF Title wasn't on the line like it would be in 1992. So, Duggan moved on to his next battle quickly.

He's only remembered as a Rumble winner because it was the first event. A fair few folks out there probs skip over 1988 when doing annual Rumble rewatches, which is unfortunate but understandable. The match type didn't have that special feel it would mere years later.

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