The 1990 Royal Rumble was the second annual

Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

pay-per-view (PPV)

event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of e ...

produced by the

World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...

(WWF, now WWE). It took place on January 21, 1990, at the

Orlando Arena Amway Arena (originally known as Orlando Arena and later TD Waterhouse Centre) was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena was ...

in Orlando, Florida. It centered on the

Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...

, a modified

battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...

in which participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time. Six matches were contested at the event, including one

dark match Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of jargon throughout its existence. Much of it stems from the industry's origins in the days of carnivals and circuses. In the past, professional wrestlers used such terms in the presence o ...

. The

main event In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...

was the 1990 Royal Rumble match, which was won by WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan, who last eliminated Mr. Perfect. The

undercard In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...

matches saw

Jim Duggan James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known character is that of an American patriot, which ...

defeat Big Boss Man by disqualification,

Ronnie Garvin Roger Barnes (born March 30, 1945) is a Canadian former professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin. He is best known for his appearances with Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federati ...

defeat

Greg "The Hammer" Valentine Jonathan Anthony Wisniski (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine. Over five decades, Valentine held more than 40 championships ...

in a

Submission match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

, and

The Bushwhackers The Bushwhackers are a professional wrestling tag team who competed first as the New Zealand Kiwis and then as The Sheepherders during their 36-year career as a tag team. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation, Jim Crockett Promotions, ...

(

Bushwhacker Butch Robert Miller (born 21 October 1944) is a New Zealand retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Bushwhacker Butch, where he teamed with Bushwhacker Luke as The Bushw ...

and

Bushwhacker Luke Brian Wickens (born 8 January 1947) is a New Zealand professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation under the ring name Bushwhacker Luke, where he teamed with Bushwhacker Butch as The Bushwhackers. ...

) defeat

The Fabulous Rougeaus The Fabulous Rougeaus (also known as the Fabulous Rougeau Brothers) was the professional wrestling tag team of real-life brothers Jacques and Raymond Rougeau, best known from their time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), from 1986 to 1990. ...

(

Jacques Rougeau Jacques Rougeau Jr. (born June 13, 1960) is a Canadian former professional wrestler best known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s with the World Wrestling Federation. He began his career under his real name as half of the tag team The F ...

and

Raymond Rougeau Raymond Rougeau (born February 18, 1955) is a Canadian politician, former professional wrestler and French language commentator. He most notably worked for the World Wrestling Federation between 1986 and 2002, firstly as one of The Fabulous Rou ...

Production

Background

The

is an annual gimmick pay-per-view (PPV), produced every January by the

(WWF, now WWE) since 1988. It is one of the promotion's original four pay-per-views, along with

WrestleMania WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...

SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...

, and

Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...

, which were dubbed the "Big Four". It is named after the

, a modified

in which the participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time. The previous year's event established the tradition of the match generally featuring 30 wrestlers. The 1990 event was the third event in the Royal Rumble chronology and was scheduled to be held on January 21, 1990, at the

in Orlando, Florida.

Storylines

The card consisted of five matches. The matches resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed

heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

villains A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

, or less distinguishable characters to build tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWF's writers, with storylines produced on their weekly television shows, '' Superstars'', ''

Wrestling Challenge ''WWF Wrestling Challenge'' is a professional wrestling television show that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE). It was syndicated weekly and aired from 1986 to 1995. The show became simply known as ''WWF Cha ...

'', and ''

Prime Time Wrestling ''WWF Prime Time Wrestling'' is a professional wrestling television program that was produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It aired on the USA Network from January 1, 1985, to January 4, 1993. A precursor to ''Monday Night Raw'', ''Pr ...

''.

(

and

) made their WWF debut in Madison Square Garden on December 30, 1988, defeating

The Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks were a professional wrestling tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from late 1987 until the spring of 1990. The team was composed of Nikolai Volkoff and Boris Zhukov portraying a pair of Soviet Communist bad guys. Volk ...

(

Nikolai Volkoff Josip Hrvoje Peruzović (October 14, 1947 – July 29, 2018), better known by his ring name Nikolai Volkoff, was a Yugoslav-American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Although Volkoff often p ...

and

Boris Zhukov James Kirk Harrell (born December 13, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association (AWA) and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Boris Zhukov ...

). They got involved in a feud with The Bolsheviks, which was to be settled at

WrestleMania V WrestleMania V was the fifth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 2, 1989, at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.The ven ...

. Bolsheviks missed the event, however, so they were replaced by

(

and

), whom Bushwhackers beat. Bushwhackers and Rougeaus continued to feud with each other for the rest of the year, culminating in a

tag team Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...

match at Royal Rumble 1990.

Greg Valentine Jonathan Anthony Wisniski (born September 20, 1951) is a retired American professional wrestler, better known as Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. He is the son of wrestler Johnny Valentine. Over five decades, Valentine held more than 40 championship ...

and

had been feuding since a match on December 30, 1988, in Madison Square Garden (MSG) which Valentine won by grabbing the tights for leverage. On the April 22, 1989 episode of '' Superstars'', Garvin defeated Valentine in a match. On the following edition of ''Superstars'', they both faced each other in a

retirement match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

where the loser could not wrestle anymore in WWF. Valentine won the match, sending Garvin into retirement. In retirement, Garvin took up other positions in the WWF; first he became a referee but he was suspended after disqualifying Valentine in a match against

Jimmy Snuka James Reiher Snuka (born James Wiley Smith; May 18, 1943 – January 15, 2017) was a Fijian American professional wrestler. He is better known by the ring name Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Snuka wrestled for several promotions from the 1970s to 2010 ...

, and later a ring announcer at SummerSlam 1989, a position he used to berate and belittle his erstwhile rival. Valentine was so irate that he demanded for Garvin to be re-instated as a professional wrestler and his request was accepted. At

, they both battled in a match on opposing teams. Other wrestlers in World Wrestling Federation – including WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan and the other champions – were prepared to participate in the 1990 Royal Rumble match. Many

wrestlers, mid-card wrestlers and

wrestlers were allotted their entry numbers to participate in this match. Prior to the match, it was mentioned that WWF President

Jack Tunney John "Jack" Tunney Jr. (January 21, 1935 – January 24, 2004) was a Canadian professional wrestling promoter. He was known worldwide for his appearances on World Wrestling Federation television as the promotion's figurehead president. Tunney's ...

had allotted "extra security" to the drawing process.

Ted Dibiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...

, who had cheated to obtain a late number in the previous year's event, eventually revealed to

Gene Okerlund Eugene Arthur Okerlund (December 19, 1942 – January 2, 2019), better known by his ring name "Mean Gene" Okerlund, was an American professional wrestling interviewer, announcer and television host. He was best known for his work in the World Wre ...

that he had drawn #1. By contrast, Mr. Perfect revealed that he had obtained the "perfect draw" - #30.

Event

Preliminary matches

Before the event aired live on pay-per-view (PPV),

Paul Roma Paul Centopani (born April 29, 1959) is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Paul Roma. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling between 1984 an ...

defeated

The Brooklyn Brawler Steven Kenneth Lombardi (born April 18, 1961) is an American professional wrestler and road agent, better known by his ring name, The Brooklyn Brawler. He worked for the professional wrestling promotion, WWE, as well as several independent promot ...

in a

. The first match was a

match between

(

and

) and

(

and

). Raymond applied a sleeper hold on Butch but Butch dropped him in the corner. Raymond tagged Jacques. Butch and Luke both clotheslined Raymond and went for a

battering ram A battering ram is a siege engine that originated in ancient times and was designed to break open the masonry walls of fortifications or splinter their wooden gates. In its simplest form, a battering ram is just a large, heavy log carried b ...

on Jacques but Jacques slipped out. Jacques and Luke trade

punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

es with each other until Luke bit him. Jacques ducked a clothesline by Luke and Raymond was instead hit with the move. Jacques began posing until Butch attacked him from behind. The Rougeaus did illegal double-teaming on Luke. Raymond tagged in and got a near-fall on Luke. Luke tried to get a tag but Raymond attacked Butch. The Rougeaus double-teamed Luke again. Raymond Irish whipped Luke into a forearm smash by Jacques to get another near-fall. Jacques tagged in and hit a back elbow on Luke. He hit Luke with two Hotshots. Raymond applied a

chinlock Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...

but Luke bit out. Jacques applied an abdominal stretch on Luke and grabbed the ropes for leverage. Raymond tagged in and applied a chinlock on Luke again. Jacques tagged in and went for a diving splash but Luke hit Jacques with his knees. Butch got tagged in. Rougeaus tried to hit Butch but he sidestepped and they got Irish whipped into each other. Bushwhackers went for a battering ram on Raymond but Rougeaus'

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

Jimmy Hart grabbed Luke's foot. Luke pulled Hart into the ring, causing the distraction. Rougeaus took advantage and nailed Bushwhackers with double dropkicks. Jacques rolled up Butch for a near-fall. Raymond slapped the

Boston crab The Boston crab is a professional wrestling hold that typically starts with one wrestler lying in a supine position on the mat, with the other wrestler standing and facing them. It is a type of spinal lock where the wrestler hooks each of the ...

on Butch for Jacques to hit a knee drop on Butch. Luke tripped Jacques. Raymond tried to help his brother but Bushwhackers hit Rougeaus with the Battering ram and Butch pinned Jacques to win the match. The second match was between

Brutus Beefcake Edward Harrison Leslie (born April 21, 1957) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) under the ring name Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake. He later worked for World Championship ...

and The Genius. Genius became serious as the bell rang and he hit Beefcake with an eye rake. Beefcake got up and hit Genius an inverted atomic drop. Genius went down to the floor to recover. As he got back into the ring, he pounded on Beefcake but missed a charge. Beefcake hit Genius an Irish whip. Genius went to the floor but came back into the ring with a

dropkick A dropkick is an attacking maneuver in professional wrestling. It is defined as an attack where the wrestler jumps up and kicks the opponent with the soles of both feet; this sees the wrestler twist as they jump so that when the feet connec ...

for a near-fall. A crucifix pin on Beefcake got another near-fall for Genius. Beefcake nailed Genius back and applied a

Barber's Chair A barber chair is a chair for customers of a barber. Structure The chairs usually have adjustable height (with a foot-operated jack or a hand-operated lever on the side). It can also rotate, or lean backwards (for hairwashing and shaving). In so ...

but Genius elbowed out of it. Genius applied a headlock but Beefcake pushed him into the referee. Genius tried to hit an Irish whip on Beefcake but Beefcake reversed it into a Barber's Chair. Genius fell to the mat, but the referee was knocked out, so Beefcake could not be awarded with the win. He got his scissors and tried to cut Genius' hair with it, until Mr. Perfect came out and hit Beefcake with a Perfectplex. The referee got up and disqualified both Beefcake and Genius. Perfect brought a chair into the ring and nailed Beefcake in the ribs with it. The third match was a

between

and

. Garvin began hitting Valentine with chops. Valentine hit a

headbutt A headbutt is a targeted strike with the head, typically (when intentional) involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of an opponent, such as ...

low blow on Garvin. They both exchanged blows with each other before Garvin went for a piledriver but Valentine backdropped out of it. Valentine used a Heart Breaker on Garvin and went for a

figure four leglock Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...

but Garvin kicked out of it. Garvin did a roll-up but due to

pin A pin is a device used for fastening objects or material together. Pin or PIN may also refer to: Computers and technology * Personal identification number (PIN), to access a secured system ** PIN pad, a PIN entry device * PIN, a former Dutch ...

falls were not counted in this match. Valentine hit an

elbow drop Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...

on Garvin and applied the figure four leglock. Valentine hit a

Canadian backbreaker rack Backbreaker refers to a kind of professional wrestling move which sees a wrestler dropping an opponent so that the opponent's back impacts or is bent backwards against a part of the wrestler's body, usually the knee. The standard version of the ...

but Garvin didn't submit. Valentine hit another elbow drop and went for the figure four leglock again but Garvin kicked out and chopped him in the corner. Garvin applied the Indian deathlock on Valentine but Valentine caught the ropes. They battled each other on the floor where Garvin went for a piledriver but Valentine backdropped out of it. In the ring, Garvin reversed an Irish whip but missed a charge. Valentine applied Garvin's submission maneuver, Hammer Jammer on Garvin. Valentine pounded in the corner. Garvin fell near Valentine's manager Jimmy Hart. Valentine applied the figure four leglock on Garvin. Garvin released the hold but Valentine went for another figure four leglock, but Garvin blocked it with an inside cradle. Garvin slammed Valentine down on the mat. He untied the Heart Breaker but Valentine pulled him outside the ring. Garvin tied Valentine in the ropes and Hart tried to untangle him but got pulled by Garvin. Garvin threatened Hart with the Heart Breaker but instead hit Valentine with it and applied the Hammer Jammer on Valentine, who submitted. The fourth match was

vs. Big Boss Man. Boss Man heavily pounded on Duggan in the beginning but Duggan countered with a

clothesline A clothes line or washing line is any type of rope, cord, or twine that has been stretched between two points (e.g. two sticks), outside or indoors, above the level of the ground. Clothing that has recently been washed is hung along the line t ...

to the floor. Boss Man caught Duggan and brought him to the floor. Duggan punched back but was thrown into the ringpost. Boss Man eventually missed a charge and got crashed into the ringpost. Duggan pounded on his hurt shoulder. They both went to the ring where Boss Man reversed an Irish whip by Duggan. He

splash Splash or Splash! or The Splash may refer to: Common meanings * Splash (fluid mechanics), sudden disturbances on the surface of water Entertainment * ''Splash'' (film), a 1984 fantasy film starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah ** ''Splash, Too'' ...

ed Duggan in the corner. Boss Man followed it up with an enzuigiri. He soon began hitting Duggan's head into the turnbuckle but Duggan Irish whipped Boss Man into the corner. Duggan began to take control of the match until Slick interfered in the match, which gave Boss Man a comeback in the match. Boss Man got a near-fall on Duggan after a knee drop. He locked in a

bear hug In wrestling, a bear hug, also known as a bodylock, is a grappling clinch hold and stand-up grappling position where the arms are wrapped around the opponent, either around the opponent's chest, midsection, or thighs, sometimes with one or bot ...

. Duggan tried to escape by hitting

s but Boss Man fell on top of him near the ropes. Boss Man pounded on Duggan in the corner but Duggan clotheslined him. Duggan drove Boss Man into the corner for a ten-count punch but missed a charge in the corner and was clotheslined by Boss Man. Boss Man went for a big splash but Duggan moved out of the way. Slick grabbed Duggan up against the ropes as Boss Man charged Duggan but Duggan moved out of the way and Boss Man accidentally nailed Slick. However, Slick was able to give Boss Man a nightstick. Slick tried to distract the referee, but the referee saw Boss Man hitting Duggan with a nightstick. Referee disqualified Boss Man and Duggan was announced the winner.

Main event

The

was the 30-man

Ted DiBiase Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...

entered at #1 and

Koko B. Ware James W. Ware, Jr. (born June 20, 1958), better known by his ring name Koko B. Ware is an American retired professional wrestler. He debuted in 1978 and became widely popular in 1986. He later went on to the World Wrestling Federation, where he ...

entered at #2. The two began beating each other until DiBiase got the best of Koko by backdropping him over the top rope, leading to Koko's elimination. Next was one half of

The Rockers The Rockers were an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty who teamed from 1985 to 1992. The team worked for NWA Central States Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, Continental Wrestli ...

Marty Jannetty Fredrick Martin Jannetty (born February 3, 1960) is an American professional wrestler who has worked for promotions including the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E), the American Wrestling Association (AWA), World Championship Wres ...

but was immediately attacked by DiBiase. Jannetty hit with

s but eventually ran into a boot to the head. DiBiase hit Jannetty with a clothesline. He then climbed the middle rope but was caught by Jannetty. Jannetty tried to roll-up DiBiase but DiBiase held on. Jannetty missed a crossbody on DiBiase, getting eliminated over the top rope.

Jake Roberts Aurelian Smith Jr. (born May 30, 1955), better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is an American professional wrestler and actor currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer. He is be ...

entered at #4, leading to DiBiase and Roberts hurting each other, due to the hatred with one another. "Macho King" Randy Savage drew in #5 and attacked Roberts first. Savage and DiBiase double-teamed Roberts until #6 entrant Roddy Piper came out to help Roberts. Piper and Roberts both began attacking DiBiase and Savage and the two teams saved each other from getting eliminated until one half of

The Powers of Pain The Powers of Pain are a professional wrestling tag team. History Paul Jones had previously managed The Barbarian (Sione Vailahi) in National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) territories during 1985–1987, while The Warlord (Terry Szopinski) and jo ...

, The Warlord entering at #7 attacked both Piper and Roberts. Warlord beat on Piper for a while until DiBiase and Savage tried to eliminate Roberts. Piper broke free of Warlord and saved Roberts from elimination. One half of

The Hart Foundation The Hart Foundation is the name of several derivative tag teams and stables composed primarily of members and close friends of the Hart wrestling family. The name originated in the World Wrestling Federation in 1985 with the original Hart Foundat ...

Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...

entered at #8, attacking Warlord. Piper and Hart double clotheslined Warlord while DiBiase and Savage were still trying to eliminate Roberts. Hart began beating Savage and Warlord went to save Savage from Hart. Piper and Roberts double-teamed DiBiase. Warlord tried to eliminate Hart until #9 entrant Bad News Brown assaulted Hart. Roberts went for the

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

on DiBiase near the ropes until Savage clotheslined Roberts over the top rope, eliminating him. DiBiase went out for Piper, but Piper got the best of DiBiase, trying to eliminate him until Savage saved DiBiase again.

Dusty Rhodes Virgil Riley Runnels Jr. (October 11, 1945 – June 11, 2015), better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, Jim Crocket ...

entered at #10 and hit Savage with bionic elbows. Savage tried to charge Rhodes over the top rope but Rhodes countered and eliminated Savage by throwing him over the top rope. A turning point occurred in the match as #11 entrant, one half of

WWF Tag Team Champions The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...

The Colossal Connection,

André the Giant André René Roussimoff (; 19 May 1946 – 28 January 1993), better known by his ring name André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. Roussimoff was known for his great size, which was a result of gigantism caused by excess ...

joined the match. Warlord went after André and was immediately thrown over the top rope, getting eliminated. Piper and Rhodes fought back on André, while Brown and DiBiase tried to eliminate Hart.

Red Rooster Red Rooster is an Australian fast food restaurant chain founded in 1972 that specialises in roast chicken, chicken burgers and fried chicken. Their product range includes whole roasts, half roasts, wraps, burgers, salads, beverages and desserts ...

entered at #12 and began fighting with Rhodes. Meanwhile, Brown tried to eliminate Piper but was thrown out. This made Brown angry. Although he was eliminated, he came back into the ring and dumped Piper over the top rope. They continued fighting backstage. Dusty Phodes tried to elimiante Ted DiBiase, but

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...

, Ted DiBiase's manager, pushed him back into the ring. Ax, one half of Demolition entered at #13 while André eliminated Rooster. Ax pounded on André while Hart and Rhodes double-teamed DiBiase. André was in trouble as he was tied in the ropes by Ax and Rhodes. André's tag team championship partner Haku entered in #14 and saved André from getting eliminated. Rhodes beat on Haku while entering at #15, Ax's Demolition partner, Smash came out to rescue him. This led to a Demolition and Colossal Connection battle. One half of the Twin Towers, Akeem entered at #16 while Rhodes eliminated Hart. Demolition nailed Haku with a double shoulder block and did the same to André, eliminating him from the match. They tried to eliminate Haku too, but André punched Ax in the face to stop the elimination and allow Haku to get back into the ring. DiBiase, who had been in the match for 20 minutes, was now going to get eliminated by Demolition but broke free until

entered at #17. Snuka fought with Akeem and eliminated him.

Dino Bravo Adolfo Bresciano (; August 6, 1948 – March 10, 1993) was an Italian-Canadian professional wrestler and promoter, better known by the ring name Dino Bravo (). After training under Gino Brito, he started his career in Montreal in the 1970s, w ...

entered at #18. Bravo and Haku attacked Snuka, but Snuka attacked both men in return. The Canadian Earthquake entered at #19, eliminating Rhodes and then Ax. The other half of Hart Foundation,

Jim Neidhart James Henry Neidhart (February 8, 1955 – August 13, 2018) was an American professional wrestler known for his appearances in the 1980s and 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation as Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, where he was a two-time WWF Tag T ...

entered at #20 and battled with Earthquake, trying to eliminate him. Haku and Smash joined Neidhart to eliminate but was still difficult to eliminate the 400-pounder. DiBiase and Snuka also came out to help. Bravo also joined them. Finally, these six men eliminated Earthquake. Earthquake had a short argument with his tag-team partner Bravo, who was very happy after eliminating him. WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion

The Ultimate Warrior Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 – April 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. Best known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from ...

entered at #21 and the powerhouse began dominating the match. Immediately after entering, Warrior eliminated Bravo and nailed everybody.

Rick Martel Richard Vigneault (born March 18, 1956) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, trainer, and television presenter, better known by his ring name, Rick Martel. He is best known for his appearances with the American Wrestling Association, the ...

entered at #22, showing his

narcissistic Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive interest in one's physical appearance or image and an excessive preoccupation with one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism exists on a co ...

attitude. Haku eliminated Smash. Neidhart tried to eliminate Martel, but Martel slid into the ring from under the apron.

Tito Santana Merced Solis (born May 10, 1953), better known by the ring name Tito Santana, is a retired American professional wrestler and middle school teacher. Santana has stayed a babyface his entire career and he is best known for his appearances with ...

entered at #23 and immediately nailed Martel. Santana tried to eliminate Martel but Martel raked Santana. Haku was hit with a clothesline by Warrior while DiBiase piledrivered Snuka.

The Honky Tonk Man Roy Wayne Farris (born January 25, 1953), better known by the ring name The Honky Tonk Man, is an American retired professional wrestler. He previously wrestled for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE ...

entered at #24. Martel eliminated Neidhart with some aid by Warrior and DiBiase as well. Warrior reversed an Irish whip by DiBiase and clotheslined him over the top rope. DiBiase broke Mr. Perfect's longevity record of staying in a Royal Rumble match with 44:47. WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan entered at #25. Immediately after entering, Hogan eliminated Snuka and then Haku. Santana tried to eliminate Martel but Warrior tripped Santana and eliminated him. Honky attacked Hogan but it was for no use as Hogan eliminated Honky. The other half of The Rockers, Shawn Michaels entered at #26. Michaels was immediately eliminated by Warrior, then Warrior threw Martel out. It was now WWF World Heavyweight vs. IC Heavyweight Champion – Hogan vs. Warrior left in the ring. After looking at each other for a little bit, both powerhouses got in each other's faces, then each bounced off the rope and crashed into one another, but nobody moved, then after a criss-cross, Hogan missed a clothesline and they clotheslined each other. The Barbarian entered at #27 and leveled Hogan with a big boot. "Ravishing" Rick Rude entered at #28 before the clock went off and went after Warrior. Barbarian and Rude tried to eliminate Hogan, but the Warrior saved Hogan from being eliminated. Then a Hogan clothesline eliminated the Warrior with help from Barbarian and Rude. Warrior then came back into the ring and attacked both Barbarian and Rude before going backstage.

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

entered at #29 and teamed with Hogan to battle Barbarian and Rude. The last entrant, Mr. Perfect entered and began stomping Hogan. This made Hogan, Rude, Barbarian, Hercules and Perfect, the final five men. Meanwhile, a miscommunication problem occurred between Barbarian and Rude. Hercules took advantage and eliminated Barbarian. This made it the final four – Hogan, Rude, Hercules and Perfect. Hercules was eliminated by Rude, leading to Hogan, Rude and Perfect as the final three. Rude and Perfect double-teamed Hogan. Perfect held Hogan for a Rude forearm but Hogan ducked and Perfect was sent out to the apron. While on the apron Hogan Irish whipped Rude and as Perfect was pulling himself back up he accidentally pulled the ropes down, letting Rude fly down to the floor. After a short argument between Rude and Perfect, Rude goes backstage. This led to the final two – Hogan and Perfect. Hogan grabbed Perfect back in the ring but received a clothesline by Perfect. Perfect hit Hogan with a Perfect-Plex but Hogan "hulked up" and threw Perfect into the ring post. Hogan connected with clotheslines and threw Perfect over the turnbuckle and across the ring post to the floor, to win the 1990 Royal Rumble match.

Aftermath

Several of the Royal Rumble events were used to build interest in

WrestleMania VI WrestleMania VI was the sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 1, 1990, at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, marking the f ...

, the WWF's next big supercard. Gaining the most interest was a confrontation between WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan and WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion the Ultimate Warrior; both men agreed each had something to prove following their encounter, and a match was signed for WrestleMania VI, to be held at the Toronto Skydome. Both wrestlers agreed to a title vs. title match, where one wrestler could walk out with both titles. Prior to then, Hogan focused on his feud with Mr. Perfect, while Ultimate Warrior defended his Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship primarily against Dino Bravo, with Hogan frequently appearing in the Ultimate Warrior-Bravo matches to nullify Earthquake's appearances in Bravo's corner. WWF Tag Team Champions the Colossal Connection (

and Haku) continued to defend their titles, largely against Demolition ( Ax and Smash), the team they won the belts from; the Hart Foundation and the Rockers were occasional opponents. During this time, Haku was doing most of the wrestling as André's health was declining and he only entered the ring usually only for the finish. A final rematch was scheduled for WrestleMania VI. Following the confrontation between Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire, and "Macho King" Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri during "

The Brother Love Show Bruce Prichard (born March 7, 1963) is an American professional wrestling executive, booker, and producer and a former manager, commentator, and occasional professional wrestler. In addition to his corporate roles with WWE, Prichard has also ...

", an inter-gender match between the two was signed. Prior to that, Savage made one final bid for Hogan's WWF World Heavyweight Championship, facing his sometimes friend and more frequent enemy on ''The Main Event'', aired in February; with Buster Douglas as the referee, Hogan gained a pinfall victory in their last WWF match against each other, with Hogan gaining a further parting shot when Douglas slugged Savage following a post-match argument.

"Rowdy" Roddy Piper Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his ...

and Bad News Brown's encounter in the Royal Rumble match led to a one-on-one match between the two at

, which resulted in a double count-out. The Royal Rumble was the last pay-per-view event where The Big Boss Man competed as a heel; shortly after the Royal Rumble, Bossman refused to assist "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase in his feud with

Jake "The Snake" Roberts Aurelian Smith Jr. (born May 30, 1955), better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is an American professional wrestler and actor currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer. He is be ...

, fired Slick as his manager and made former rival Hogan his closest ally. This was the last WWF pay-per-view event commentated by

Tony Schiavone Noah Anthony Schiavone (, ; born November 7, 1957) is an American sports announcer, professional wrestling commentator and podcaster currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a play-by-play commentator and senior producer. He has pr ...

, as he left the company shortly afterwards. He went on to work for

World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling, Inc. (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of Nati ...

, which became WWF's chief rival during the 1990s, until its demise in 2001, and had a short-lived stint with

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promo ...

in 2003 before leaving the sport until 2019, when he became an announcer for

All Elite Wrestling All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. It is considered the second largest wrestling promotion in the United States behind WWE. AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and his son Tony, ...

Gorilla Monsoon Robert James Marella (June 4, 1937 – October 6, 1999), better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play commentator, and booker. Monsoon is famous for his run as a villainous super-heavyw ...

would resume the lead announcing duties at the WWF's following pay-per-view, WrestleMania VI.

Results

Royal Rumble entrances and eliminations

A new entrant came out approximately every 2 minutes. *Ted DiBiase set a new longevity record by lasting 44:47 *Bad News Brown was already eliminated when he eliminated Roddy Piper

References

External links

WWF Royal Rumble 1990 review at Cewsh ReviewsOfficial website
{{WWEPPV, Royal Rumble Royal Rumble, 1990 1990 in Florida Events in Orlando, Florida Professional wrestling in Orlando, Florida 1990 WWF pay-per-view events January 1990 events in the United States