The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz - Tag Team Tables match - Royal Rumble (2000)
From my favorite Royal Rumble comes the double tables match between the red-hot team of The Hardy Boyz and Big Daddy Dudley's baby boys, The Dudley Boyz. These two teams along with Edge and Christian were redefining the tag division like no one else during this time and the desire to put each others' bodies on the line seemed to be the theme that went along with every match. This match was also an early precursor to the teams unforgettable TLC series as all three types of hardware was used during this non stop car crash.
I would also like to point out that the Swanton Bomb spot Jeff Hardy performs at the end of the match was later used again in another tag team tables match that was this time a six-man elimination with Jeff Hardy on the same team as Bubba Ray. The match also happened to take place at Madison Square Garden just as this match did three years prior.
Happy Royal Rumble weekend! All match of the days this weekend will be Royal Rumble PPV matches!
Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show - Royal Rumble (2003)
Recently, WWE has gone back in time to relive all sorts of things from its past. From Randy Orton attacking John Cena's Dad like in 2007, to Batista being back, to just having The New Age Outlaws around to talk about 1998 and that better era; everywhere you look, there is things that have seeming already happened - like, for instance, this match. Did I mention Batista's back? Oh right, I did.
Yep, "The Beast Incarnate" Brock Lesnar and the "World's Largest Athlete yadda yadda" Big Show are at it again just like here in 2003 when the two took on each other for a spot in the Royal Rumble match later that night. For what it's worth there is one small difference to the match we'll see on Sunday, and that's that Paul Heyman was in Big Show's corner. Will this benefit Brock Lesnar now that he's got Paul by his side once again? Will Big Show punk out the beast because he's bigger? Tune in to the Royal Rumble this Sunday on PPV (and the internet) to find out.
In honor of Royal Rumble weekend, the next couple of days will be Royal Rumble related:
Ricky Steamboat vs Rick Rude - WWF Royal Rumble (1988)
Part 1
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and "Ravishing" Rick Rude and their epic battle here has the distinctive honor of being the first match at the first Royal Rumble in 1988.
And by epic battle, I mean long of course...
Part 2
This match is probably remembered most as that match where Ricky Steamboat forgets to keep his arm up after the two previous arm drops to check if he had passed out from Rude's Camel Clutch-type submission hold or not. Some say it was the ref, Dave Hebner's fault for this seemingly botched count as well, but as it is clear that Steamboat was not unconscious and quickly raises his arm on the fourth try it sure looks as if Steamboat may have just forgotten which arm drop he was on.
Part 3
The match ends with Rick Rude shoving Dave Hebner in the way causing Hebner to receive Steamboat's flying crossbody which led to Rude's disqualification.
Directly after this match was the Dino Bravo segment where he "breaks" a world record by bench pressing 715 pounds thanks to Jesse Ventura. Yes, Jesse "The Body" Ventura.
The new Age Outlaws (c) vs. The Acolytes - WWF Royal Rumble (2000)
Speaking of tag teams in 2000, here's two of the all time greatest tag teams, The New Age Outlaws and The Acolytes (soon to be starting their own protection agency as APA). With Road Dogg and Badd Ass Billy Gunn and their charismatic attitudes and The Acolytes with their brute strength, these two teams didn't need tables, ladders, and chairs to prove they were great. Dogg and Gunn did need the help of their friend X-Pac to win this match however.
This match is mostly memorable for the fact that Bradshaw, a competitor who didn't know his own strength, supposedly knocked out The Road Dogg not once but twice during this match. The New Age Outlaws would still retain the titles after the ref bump and interference by Pac, but just to watch Bradshaw and Faarooq manhandle James and Gunn like they were The Roadie and Rockabilly again, man, really made The Acolytes look tough.
Maybe I'm just bias because this was about the time I really started to get into the WWF but RR 2000 has to one of the most memorable Royal Rumbles in the history of Royal Rumbles. And that's tough for even me to say because I've seen every Royal Rumble until RR 2009.
This Royal Rumble as featured the debut of Tazz in WWF, The spot hungry Hardy Boyz taking on the wood hungry Dudley Boyz in the first-ever tag team tables match, the swimsuit contest where Mae Young flashes her "puppies", the forgettable Chris Jericho vs. Chyna feud moment when Hardcore Holly was also involved, The unforgettable return of Cactus Jack 2000 vs. Triple H in the street fight where Hunter gets a piece of plywood stuck in his leg, and the Royal Rumble match that The Rock wins and Taka Michinoku takes a hilariously painful looking bump.
