12 Worst WWE Pay-Per-Views Without A World Title Match
2. Royal Rumble 1989
The first Royal Rumble on pay-per-view after the roaring success of the 1988 televised special included the final cracks between Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan ahead of their dramatic split just weeks later, but very little else of note.
Utilisting an additional ten superstars for the battle royal allowed for the match to foster several big angles as the company marched forward to WrestleMania 5, but a turgid end sequence leading up to Big John Studd's anticlimactic victory hasn't withstood the test of time in comparison to early Rumble highlights.
The show overall is hampered by a rotten undercard that saw ageing babyface Harley Race work against the grain in a dreadful match with Haku to determine who was the real 'King' of the company and a useless Woman's title match between champion Rockin' Robin and challenger Judy Martin that's only saved by Sensational Sherri tearing strips off both competitors on commentary.
Unlike other pay-per-view from the era, the Royal Rumble usually has the ability to circumvent the ravages of time with an entertaining snapshot of the roster of the time and enough quickfire activity to keep the viewer engaged. 1989's edition is a monotonous exception.