Its really tough to find something that tops Flair winning the Rumble. (Actually, the top five could be shuffled around a bit and it would be hard to argue with almost any combination.) But when you talk about awesome Rumble moments, you have to put the Ultimate Collision at the top of the list. In 1990, Hulk Hogan was back on top of the wrestling world, having dispatched Randy Savage the previous year at WrestleMania V. But his standing as the top good guy in the WWF was being tested by the reigning Intercontinental Champion, the Ultimate Warrior. Warriors meteoric rise through the WWF made him a cant-miss main-eventer, the next big thing. So it was only natural that these two alpha dogs would eventually have to lock up. The moment came at the 1990 Royal Rumble, and it was done to perfection. Entering at number 25, Hogan joined a field of six other wrestlers, including Ultimate Warrior. The two mega-stars proceeded to empty the ring in short order. The moment Warrior tossed Rick Martel, the crowd stood in unison as it sunk in that these two were going to go at it. A few shoulder blocks and power shows left it a draw, but it was enough to whet fans appetites and prove to Vince McMahon that Warrior versus Hogan at WrestleMania VI was going to be a license to print money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSwf5guXOA4 As a postscript, Hogan would eliminate the Warrior and go on to win the Rumble, but Warrior would capture a bigger prize, defeating Hogan at Mania in epic fashion. But it all got rolling at the Royal Rumble when two of the biggest stars in the company who had traveled in separate circles collided for the first time.
Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fortunately became a fan in time for WrestleMania III and came back as a fan after a long high school hiatus before WM XIV. Monday nights in the Carlson household are reserved for viewing Raw -- for better or worse.
