Royal Rumble 1992: 5 Reasons Why It’s The Greatest Royal Rumble Match Ever

2) It Wasn’t All About Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan moments after being eliminated by Sid Justice

Back in 1992, the then-World Wrestling Federation was still in the midst of Hulkamania. Wherever you turned, whatever big show, you would always find the red ‘n’ yellow visage of The Hulkster, brother.

In both the 1990 and 1991 Royal Rumbles, Hulk Hogan was the dominant force and the figure upon whom those over-the-top-rope bouts were based around. Hell, even the 1989 Royal Rumble was built around Hulk Hogan; despite John, Studd winning that Rumble, Hogan eliminated 10 competitors as his brewing rivalry with Randy Savage took centre-stage.

However, with 1992 we saw something different. Sure, Hulk Hogan in ’92 was still an all-powerful force who was the top guy in the company, but that Royal Rumble was all about Ric Flair. Instead, Hogan felt almost like an afterthought; entering at #26, eliminating only four people, and lasting just over 11 minutes in the match.

To give some perspective, eventual winner Flair entered at #3 and would last over an hour as he strutted his way to victory and the WWF Title.

For the first time in what felt like forever, a big show – be that a PPV or a TV event – didn’t feel as if it was all about Hulk Hogan. And for those of us who were already tired of Hogan’s eating vitamins, training hard, saying prayers shtick, the 1992 Royal Rumble was hugely refreshing – even if Ric Flair was a no-good, underhand bad guy who liked to rub it in everyone’s faces.