Royal Rumble (1988)Television special chronologyWWE in Canada chronologyThe 1988 Royal Rumble was a professional wrestlingtelevision special produced by the American promotion World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It was the inaugural Royal Rumble and took place on January 24, 1988, at the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The event aired live on the USA Network on the same night as Jim Crockett Promotions's Bunkhouse Stampedepay-per-view (PPV) event.
Professional wrestling match typesMany types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "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 storyline. Throughout professional wrestling's decades-long history, some gimmick matches have spawned many variations of the core concept.
Royal RumbleRoyal Rumble is a professional wrestling event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after, and centered on, the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle royal in which the participants enter at timed intervals instead of all beginning in the ring at the same time.
WWE United States ChampionshipThe WWE United States Championship is a men's professional wrestlingchampionship promoted by the AmericanpromotionWWE, defended on the SmackDownbrand division. It is one of two secondary male championships for WWE's main roster, along with the WWE Intercontinental Championship on Raw. The current champion is Trick Williams, who is in his second reign. He won the title by defeating Baron Corbin at Sunday Night's Main Event on September 6, 2026.
WCW World Television ChampionshipThe WCW World Television Championship was a professional wrestlingtelevision championship owned by the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling (WCW) promotion. The title was introduced on February 27, 1974 in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling/Jim Crockett Promotions, a territory of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Jim Crockett Promotions was purchased by Turner Broadcasting System in 1988, and subsequently renamed WCW.
World Championship WrestlingWorld Championship Wrestling (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 National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) territoryJim Crockett Promotions (JCP) (which had aired its programming on TBS).IWA World Heavyweight Championship (IWA Japan)The IWA World Heavyweight Championship (Japanese: IWA世界ヘビー級王座, Hepburn: IWA Sekai Hebī-kyū Ōza) was a title used on the Japaneseindependent circuit. The title was the world heavyweight championship of the International Wrestling Association of Japan (IWA Japan).
WWE Hall of FameProfessional wrestling hall of fame and television seriesThe WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously inducted with a video package as the sole inductee that year.
WWEWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is an American professional wrestlingpromotion. It is the largest and most valuable wrestling promotion in the world and has expanded beyond professional wrestling into film, football, and other business ventures, including the licensing of its intellectual property to other companies to produce video games and action figures. WWE is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority-owned subsidiary of The WME Group.
Professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling, often referred to as pro wrestling, or simply, wrestling, is a form of athletic theater centered around mock combat, with the premise that its performers are competitive wrestlers. The legitimate sport of wrestling has never been popular enough in the United States to sustain a professional scene because the action is considered too slow-paced.UWF Tag Team ChampionshipIn professional wrestling, the UWF Tag Team Championship was a tag team championship contested in the Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF) and its predecessor, Mid-South Wrestling. The title was established in 1979 as the Mid-South Tag Team Championship, renamed the UWF Tag Team Championship in 1986, and abandoned the following year when the UWF was acquired by Jim Crockett Promotions.
Ring nameA ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxe whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting the wrong image. Since the advent of the Internet, it has been relatively easy to discover a fighter's real name.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.