If Royal Rumble matches were defined only by the majority of their overall story and not the totality, then Rumble '89 might well have been considered amongst the very best. The first three-quarters of the match were excellent, with standout performances from Mr. Perfect, Andre the Giant, Ax, and Hulk Hogan. Perfect, in particular, was the star of the first half of the match, bumping all over the place and creating drama during the dozen times he was nearly eliminated. He was the man responsible for teaching the fans the fullest extent of what a Rumble match could be. The 1988 version was the dry-run; 1989 was when the match started to become what we know it to be today - the match that made possible all of the superlatives used in the introduction. Perfect's '89 outing was one of the greatest in Rumble lore. You can trace the lineage of Ziggler in 2013, Mysterio in 2009, Benoit in 2004, Jericho in 2003, HBK in 1995, and Flair in 1992 back to Curt Hennig's "perfect" performance in 1989. After Hogan was ousted, the match slowed down considerably. In the end, Big John Studd got the win in the midst of a failed babyface push. Also of note was that it took the crowd a few entrants to start the countdown chant leading to the next wrestler. A crowd hasnt failed to do it since.
"The Doc" Chad Matthews has written wrestling columns for over a decade. A physician by trade, Matthews began writing about wrestling as a hobby, but it became a passion. After 30 years as a wrestling fan, "The Doc" gives an unmatched analytical perspective on pro wrestling in the modern era. He is a long-time columnist for Lordsofpain.net and hosts a weekly podcast on the LOP Radio Network called "The Doc Says." His first book - The WrestleMania Era: The Book of Sports Entertainment - ranks the Top 90 wrestlers from 1983 to present day, was originally published in December 2013, and is now in its third edition.
Matthews lives in North Carolina with his wife, two kids, and two dogs.
