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1992 Royal Rumble (Albany, New York)
The fifth edition of the Royal Rumble had many elements that made this match so iconic, cementing its unique place in WWE history. For starters, it was one of only two times that the WWE Championship was awarded to the winner.
The title was vacant at the time of the match, due to the controversial finishes during the bouts between The Undertaker and Hulk Hogan at the Survivor Series and This Tuesday in Texas PLEs. This stipulation added elevated stakes to an already fierce competition.
The bout also featured one of the most star-studded rosters of talent of any Rumble, with legendary superstars such as Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and Shawn Michaels all being included in the contest. Almost every participant was a main-event talent, making the match feel like a battle of the titans with every new entrant.
By far the stand-out highlight of the bout is Ric Flair’s dominant performance, which made this match even greater. Flair entered the match as the third contestant and lasted for over 60 minutes, a record-setting accomplishment at the time. He faced each legendary participant head-on, using heel tactics to escape each encounter, perfectly displaying his endurance.
Flair’s “Iron Man” underdog performance, with him eliminating Sid to become the new WWE Champion. This Rumble was one for the record books and earned this bout its place in the top five best Rumbles.
