3. Ricky Steamboat vs. Rick Rude
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cb84d_wwf-royal-rumble-1988-ricky-steamboat-vs-rick-rude_sport This entry was a clear case of WCW and picking up the ball and capitalizing on a missed chance by the WWE to pull off one of the finest feuds in company history. Rick Rude and Ricky Steamboat met in a solid singles match in the inaugural 1988 Royal Rumble for WWE. This event was the very first Royal Rumble event and was actually shown live on network television. Steamboat won the match by DQ and both men would supplement this television appearance with a series of house show matches leading up to Wresltemania IV. Steamboat and Rudes WWE storyline would end there as Steamboat left the company post-Wrestlemania to spend more time with his wife and new baby while Rude would have several more successful years feuding with the top company babyfaces. When both men met up in WCW in 1991, things got turned up about ten notches. The two wrestlers would engage in series of matches over Rudes United States title that would be absolutely riveting and showcase not only great wrestling but superb drama as well (the culmination being their stone-cold classic Iron Man match that headlined Bash at the Beach 92).
Ultimately, Rude would never relinquish his United States title to the Dragon despite losing several of their matches where the title was not on the line. Steamboat would go on to win the title in subsequent storylines but Rude had essentially won the feud and moved on to other rivalries. Steamboats squeaky clean persona always worked so well with the egotistical heel and Rude had the added benefit of really being able to go in the ring as well. The WWE gave fans a small taste of what these two competitors could do with each other but WCW was expertly able to capitalize on the full potential of these superstars.