There are those who feel that this match is slightly overrated, due to Perfect barely able to walk through it on account of serious back injuries. Curt Hennig had sat home most of the summer of 1991, staring possible retirement in the face. There was still a championship to drop, and Perfect would do the honors of losing the Intercontinental title to babyface doppelganger Hart. All things considered, Perfect masked the pain well, gutting out an incredible performance in this raucous justification of Hart's first concrete singles push. When Hart counters a Perfect legdrop into the Sharpshooter, New York City explodes in hysteria, probably not aware that it's the final Mr. Perfect match for the next fifteen months.
31. The Rockers Vs. The Orient Express (Royal Rumble 1991)
Vastly underrated gem that kicked off what was a mostly-lacking Royal Rumble card. About the closest thing WWF had to a cruiserweight division in 1991, or even an X-Division, was on full display as Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty reunited with former their AWA rivals (then known as Badd Company, with Kato unmasked as Paul Diamond) to steal the show right from the onset. There are sequences of picturesque aerial maneuvers, flawlessly executed to the standard of The Rockers at their tag team peak. It all comes down to a brilliantly-executed final sequence in which precise timing was everything. With as many blown moves as you see in modern spotfests, it's refreshing to actually see something complex done perfectly.
Justin has been a wrestling fan since 1989, and has been writing about it since 2009. Since 2014, Justin has been a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine. Justin also writes for History of Wrestling, and is a contributing author to James Dixon's Titan series.
