#royal rumble 1998

[the-fact-of-the-matter]

Triple H and Chyna attack Owen Hart during the 1998 Royal Rumble

(for @dontletme--cavein)

[wrestlingfaves]

Royal Rumble Marathon: 1998

The Rumble has entered 1998.

Warning, spoilers for past Rumbles.

We are now officially in the Attitude Era so expect shenanigans. I haven’t watched the Attitude Era in over a decade but I’m expecting to feel a lot of retrospective cringe.

The undercard:

We see a recap of the previous two months of Goldust’s activities. This is the era where Goldust dumped Marlena and is now accompanied by Luna Vachon. Dustin has ditched his traditional gold attire and now wears a variety of outfits. Tonight’s special is a lime green/purple-striped singlet tights, purple gloves, green and purple-striped face paint with blue hair.  Dustin is also wearing a leopard-print thong over his tights. Luna’s attire is a black/red bikini combo with a clear plastic skirt/tutu. She’s also wearing flesh-colored tights. Luna has half her face covered with the traditional Goldust colors. The other half of Luna’s face has her tattoos.

Goldust (with Luna) vs Vader. Match was fine. The ending comes when Vader (with Luna on his back) delivers a top-rope Vader bomb to Goldust. Dustin is always fun and Luna continues to be a badass. This era of Dustin was crazy but fun. You never knew what Goldust was going to wear.

Steve Austin arrives, threatens to whoop Michael Coles’ ass. The Godwinns are in search of Austin.

We have a six-man lucha libre match: Battalion, Tarantula, El Torito vs Max Mini, Mosaic, and Nova. Sunny is the special guest referee. Fun match.

Soon after this, Sunny’s life begins to spiral, leading to her dismissal from the WWF and a lifetime of self-destruction. It’s a shame as Sunny was a talented performer. Of course, the true tragedy is the man she killed due to her drunk driving.

The Nation of Domination is now in search of Steve Austin. Farooq tells Mark Henry that he has to “prove himself”.

Mike Tyson hangs out with Shane and Vince. I don’t care about Mike Tyson. I don’t care about boxing. Tyson’s rape conviction, and his abusive tendencies, do not make me excited to see him on my wrestling programs. Of course, sitting next to Vince makes Tyson look like an altar boy by comparison.

Recap of the Ken Shamrock-Nation of Domination feud. The Rock is still with the Nation at this point, Mark Henry has newly joined.

Rock promo where he advises Bill Clinton to “not lay down with dogs” (referencing Paula Jones, and yes, the Rock names her specifically) and to “cover his willy”. Remember those cringe moments I said we’d encounter in the Attitude Era. Calling the woman suing a man for sexual harassment, even a President, a “dog” is one.  

Ken Shamrock vs the Rock for the Intercontinental Championship.  The Rock wins via DQ. Shamrock attacks referee Mike Chioda in the aftermath. Fine match.

The Boricuas are now searching for Steve Austin but find the D.O.A. instead. This is the era of multiple factions – mostly centering on race – were running wild in the WWE. Los Boricuas, the Nation of Domination, The Truth Commission, and D.O.A. (Disciples of Apocalypse) were the main factions.

The New Age Outlaws vs the Legion of Doom for the Tag Team titles. The Legion wins via DQ. Back-to-back DQ victories is a questionable call on a pay per view.

The Rumble entrants, in order of appearance:

Cactus Jack

Chainsaw Charlie (Terry Funk)

Tom Brandi

The Rock

Mosh of the Headbangers

Phineas Godwinn

8-Ball (Don Harris)

Blackjack Bradshaw (JBL)

Owen Hart (Jeff Jarrett and Jim Cornette ambush Owen on his way to the ring)

Steve Blackman

D’Lo Brown

Kurrgan

Marc Mero (accompanied by Sable)

Ken Shamrock

Thrasher of the Headbangers

Mankind

Goldust (in silver singlet tights with red knee-high fishnets and a black bikini on the outside of the tights, Luna has also changed her outfit to a silver one)

Jeff Jarrett (accompanied by Jim Cornette)

Honky Tonk Man (Hunter and Chyna stroll out to ringside during his entrance and cause Owen to be eliminated)

Ahmed Johnson

Mark Henry

Skull

Kama Mustafa

Steve Austin

Henry Godwinn

Savio Vega (accompanied by the Boricuas)

Farooq

Dude Love

Chainz (Brian Lee)

Vader

Steve Austin wins again, making him the 3rd multiple time winner – Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels are the others.

Rumble Highlights: Cactus-Charlie brawl (minus the unprotected chairshots), Rock-Austin outside the ring brawl and in-ring finale

Rumble Feuds: Cactus vs Charlie, Rock vs Shamrock, Owen vs Jarrett, Owen vs Hunter

More cringe moments: the unprotected, non-gimmicked chairshots Funk and Cactus gave each other. Please, no! Did the Harris brothers have their Nazi tattoos yet? (I can’t see clearly but if so, that is worse than cringe).

First-time Rumblers:  Tom Brandi, Mosh, Steve Blackman, Kurrgan, Ken Shamrock, Thrasher, Mark Henry, Chainz

Surprise Entrants: Honky Tonk Man, 3 Faces of Foley

Quickest Elimination: Tom Brandi

Most Eliminations: Steve Austin

Unite to Eliminate the Big Man spot: Kurrgan

The final match of the ppv isn’t the Rumble (which I dislike). The final match is Shawn Michaels vs the Undertaker for the World championship in a casket match.

Shawn and Taker’s previous match was the first Hell In A Cell match. A casket match seems to be a step down in intensity.

Shawn is accompanied by Hunter and Chyna.  The New Age Outlaws and the Boricuas attack the Undertaker but are run off by Kane. Kane then attacks the Undertaker and throws him into the casket. Kane and Paul Bearer lock the casket and set it on fire.

Shawn wins but severely injures his back when he bumps on the casket during the match. This would lead to Shawn’s post-Wrestlemania match.

Rating: 6 out of 10. Solid undercard, fun Rumble, good main event

Wrestlers and others who have passed on: Howard Finkel, Vader, Luna Vachon, Tarantula (Espectrito II), Torito (Espectrito), the Legion of Doom, Terry Funk, Chyna, Paul Bearer

Total number of deceased individuals: 11 (down 3 from the previous Rumble)

[littletroubledgrrrl]

[machobusta]

The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels | Casket match for the WWF Championship

Royal Rumble January 18, 1998

[mydaddywiki]

Pat Patterson

Physique: Husky Build Height: 6'1" (1.85 m)

Pat Patterson (born Pierre Clermont; January 19, 1941 – December 2, 2020; aged 79) was a Canadian-American professional wrestler and producer, widely known for his long tenure in the professional wrestling promotion WWE, first as a wrestler, then as a creative consultant and producer ("booker"). He is recognized by the company as their first Intercontinental Champion and creator of the Royal Rumble match. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1996.

I first became aware of Patterson when he and Gerald Brisco became onscreen stooges of Vince McMahon in 97. He had peeked my interest a little, then after his match with the Mean Street Posse where he took off his sweat shirt and started parodying Hulk Hogan’s flexing routine. I started putting my dick in a sleeper hold to the thought of him. It wasn’t until a few years later that I found out he was gay.

A native of Quebec, Patterson came to the U.S. in 1962 to wrestle, though he didn’t speak any English. He wrestled for regional promotions before joining WWE in 1979 as a wrestler, referee, and commentator. After his wrestling career, he worked for WWE in many capacities, including as a referee and in promotions. He was described as McMahon's right-hand man and played a crucial role in the company's massive growth. Patterson was touted as the inaugural Intercontinental Champion, credited as the Royal Rumble creator, and often described as the first openly gay wrestler.

Patterson came out as gay in the 1970s and acknowledged it on a WWE reality show in 2014. Patterson's longtime partner was Louie Dondero. Patterson said on WWE Legends' House he and Dondero were together for 40 years. Dondero died of a heart attack on June 28, 1998, the same night as King of the Ring. Patterson died of liver failure caused by a blood clot at a Miami, Florida, hospital on December 2, 2020.

Damn… The stories about this guy from WWE Ringboy scandal of 1992 to accusations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault with employees. Now all that is wrong, but If I was offered the 'push' from Patterson, I'd be world known. Just saying.

[wrestlinghistorywithkay]

Their Ring , Their Rules: How The Kliq’s Influence Impacted Pro Wrestling

Professional Wrestlers are like fans in a few ways. They also have lifelong friendships with other wrestlers as well do with people from our childhood whether it be neighbors, teammates , classmates, or colleagues at work. These relationships can be either positive or negative. In the world of professional wrestling, a group of five wrestlers with different personalities came together to create one of the most influential groups. This group is known as The Kliq.

The Kliq was a group consisting of Kevin Nash ( Diesel ) , Razor Ramon ( Scott Hall ) , Shawn Michaels , Hunter Hearst Helmsley ( Paul ‘Triple H ’ Levesque), and X-PAC/Syxx/123 Kid ( Sean Waltman). The group was mainly known backstage and forming in the WWF in the 90s. The Kliq would hold a little power by helping each other advance their careers and use it to influence their rivals’ careers in a negative light. The group caused some controversy in May of 1996 after a match at a house show at Madison Square Garden. This would be known as the ‘ Curtain Call ’. They would break kayfabe by embracing after the match and embracing each other before Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would leave for WCW. They would also be known for starting the most popular factions in wrestling , D-Generation X (DX), and the New World Order ( nWo). Sean Waltman would be among member of both factions. The group was formed in 1994 by Michaels , Waltman, Nash, and Hall. Levesque would join in 1995 after leaving WCW for WWF. Shawn Michaels would state that the name for their group came from Lex Luger due to them always hanging out backstage. They all had individual success during their careers as well.

Scott Oliver Hall ( Razor Ramon ) was born on October 20,1958. He would become a four time WWF Intercontinental Champion, one time WCW World TV Champion, two time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, seven time WCW World Tag Team Champion ( 6 with Kevin Nash and 1 with Giant/Big Show/Paul Wight). Hall would also be the winner of the 1997 WCW World War 3 Battle Royal. Hall would also have a run in TNA and win the World Tag Team Championship with Eric Young and Kevin Nash. He would be a two time WWE Hall of Fame inductee in 2014 as a solo inductee and 2020 as a part of the nWo. Hall passed away at the age of 63 on March 22, 2022. His nickname was The Bad Guy.

Kevin Scott Nash ( Diesel ) was born on July 9,1959. He is a one time WWF World Heavyweight Champion, One time Intercontinental Champion, a two time WWF Tag Team Champion with Shawn Michaels ( Two Dudes with Attitudes), a five time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, World War 3 1998 Battle Royal Winner , Spring Break Cannonball Champion 1998, nine time WCW World Tag Team Champion (6 with Scott Hall , 2 with Diamond Dallas Page , and 1 with Sting). He would also have a run in TNA and become a two time TNA Legends Champion, 2009 Feast or Fired Winner ( Tag Team Championship opportunity) and a one time TNA World Tag Team Champion with Eric Young and Scott Hall. He has also appeared in a few movies such as ‘ Magic Mike ’ and ‘ Magic Mike : XXL ’. He would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as a solo inductee in 2015 and in 2020 as a member of the nWo. Nash is also the host of the podcast, ‘ Kliq This ’, which launched in 2022. He is known as Big Daddy Cool and Big Sexy. Nash also served in the US Army as a Specialist from 1981-1983.

Michael Shawn Hickenbottom ( Shawn Michaels) was born on July 22,1965. He is a three time WWF Champion, one time WWF European Champion, One time WWE Tag Team Champion ( with Triple H ) , the winner of the 1995 and 1996 Royal Rumbles , three time Intercontinental Champion, one time World Heavyweight Champion, five time World Tag Team Champion ( 1 with Triple H , 1 with Stone Cold Steve Austin , 1 with John Cena , and 2 with Diesel), fourth Triple Crown Champion and the first WWE Grand Slam Champion. He is a two time WWE Hall of Fame Inductee, the first one as a solo inductee in 2011 and in 2019 as a member of DX. Michaels is now the Senior Vice President of Talent Relations and head of Creative for WWE NXT. He is known as The Heartbreak Kid , Mr.Wrestlemania, The Showstopper, and Chef Michaels ( shout out to the IWC). He is signed to a WWE Legends Contract.

Sean Michael Waltman ( The Kid/123 Kid/Syxx/X-PAC) The was born on July 13,1972. He is a two time WWF European Champion, four time WWF Tag Team Champion ( 2 with Kane , 1 with Bob Holly/Hardcore Holly , and 1 with Marty Janetty ) , the winner of the 1995 WWF World Tag Team Championship Tournament ( with Bob Holly/Hardcore Holly as his partner), a one time WCW Cruiserweight Champion, a two time and final WWF Light Heavyweight Champion. Waltman would join Hall and Nash in TNA and become a one time X-Division Champion, the winner of the 2005 Chris Candido with Alex Shelley as his tag team partner. Waltman would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of DX and in 2020 as a member of the nWo. In 2016, he would start a podcast called ‘X-PAC 1,2,360’. He is also a martial artist and is currently signed to a WWE Legends contract.

Paul Michael Levesque ( Triple H ) was born July 27,1969. He is a nine time WWE Champion, a five time World Heavyweight Champion, two time WWF European Champion, one time WWE Tag Team Champion ( with Shawn Michaels) , five time Intercontinental Champion , 1997 King of The Ring , seventh Triple Crown Champion, winner of the 2002 and 2016 Royal Rumbles , winner of the 2006 Road To WrestleMania Tournament Winner , second Grand Slam Champion , two time WWF World Tag Team Champion ( 1 with Shawn Michaels and 1 with Stone Cold Steve Austin ) . Triple H would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of DX. He is now the head of Creative and Chief Content Officer of WWE.

My Final Thoughts:

The Kliq is the , if not , one of the most influential factions in pro wrestling history. They changed the game. All of these wrestlers are legends in their own way. I also adore their friendship as well. I’ll be meeting Kevin Nash at WRESTLECADE this year and I’m hoping to meet X-PAC there too!

Love You All,

- Kay

@rrigamortis @84reedsy @kliqrulez @outsiderswolfpac

[spacehippieface]

People are legitimately trying to say the monster royal rumble movie is bad just because it's not the same as the post-war survivor's guilt movie. Have these people even properly seen a Godzilla film before the 2014 or 1998 ones?

[dontletme--cavein]

Can someone please gif triple h beating the shit out of Owen hart at the 1998 royal rumble please he looked so pretty, gorgeous, and evil

[blowflyfag]

WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION MAGAZINE : FEBRUARY 1999

THE MINISTRY OF DARKNESS

What is the Undertaker’s demonic vision?

By Bill Banks

As the new millennium nears, some people are convinced that the “end” is imminent. The proof, according to them, is everywhere in today’s culture–the music, television and movies. Nostradamus (1503-66) prophesied that by the year 2000, the decay of humanity would lead to Hell on Earth and the ultimate Apocalypse. Many people today are convinced of what he portended. “Prepare,” they say, “for Judgement Day is upon us.”

One can only imagine what Nostradamus would have thought of the World Wrestling Federation and the Undertaker in particular. The Phenom’s threat that the “Ministry of Darkness” would blanket the Federation in destruction has sent chills through a number of wrestling insiders. Is this the Undertaker and Paul Bearer’s macabre way of welcoming the Apocalypse? If so, have we yet to see the true evil within the demonic superstar?

Since his dawn in the Federation, the Phenom has been a sort of antichrist. Like the music of bands such as Type O Negative and Danzig, he has claimed his inspiration from the Dark Side, but he’s only touched on what that world is actually about. While fans have cheered the Undertaker for much of his career, some have forgotten what he stands for–everything that is pure evil. 

In some instances, his powers were unexplainable. At the 1994 Royal Rumble, Yokozuna and a host of Federation Superstars locked him inside an air-tight coffin. As the seemingly lifeless tomb was hauled out of the arena, millions saw the Undertaker–or his spirit–levitate into the rafters. In October 1996, he was buried six feet under a makeshift grave site. To this day, no one can explain how lightning struck the tombstone inside the enclosed arena. And in one of the most horrific scenes in Federation history, Kane trapped the Phenom inside his casket at the 1998 Royal Rumble and charred it with a raging inferno. After extinguishing the flames, Federation officials opened the casket to find that the superstar had vanished.

Levitation, resurrection, surviving an inferno–each display of his unholy ability grows more hellish and unexplainable than the one before. What is feeding this core of evil inside him? Is it society’s deterioration or has the Undertaker finally succumbed to the ultimate evil–the Devil himself?

In demonology, the study of Satanism, experts believe that opening oneself to the Dark Side might invite possession by demons, known as incubi or succubi. It’s called demonic oppression or demonic invasion. According to occultists, evil spirits take over the body and mind and there is no guarantee of ever ridding them. Those who claim to have been possessed in this manner speak of “something inside them that takes over,” and often they believe they are Satan’s minions. Serial killers such as “Son of Sam” David Berkowitz and “The Night Stalker” Richard Ramirez claimed when they were apprehended to have been inspired by the devil. Seemingly harmless games and pranks involving chants and Ouija boards can even turn into something far more sinister. Other hardcore demonologists even believe that simply reading about the subject opens the door to the possibility of possession!

Perhaps the Undertaker has been living his lifestyle for so long that an unspoken evil is dwelling inside him. Demonologists also say that our state of mind–hatred in particular–can lead to possession. Who has been more embittered about being cheated out of the Federation Championship than the Phenom? Following years of festering ill will and unexplained occurrences might he have invited demonic incubi to grow inside of him? If so, are these forces about to manifest themselves in the Ministry of Darkness–led by a superstar who believes he’s a follower of the Devil himself? 

Another aspect of Satanism is its variety of followers. Witchcraft, superstition, magic, and occultism are all aspects of it. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of demonic religions are based on these branches, with some of their followers pledging allegiance to the Devil.  What if the Ministry of Darkness is the coming of the Undertaker’s apocalyptic religion? There are more dark forces in the World Wrestling Federation today then ever before. Would they open themselves up to possession by the Phenom? Or have they already? Is the Undertaker assembling an army to help carry out his apocalyptic desires?If he believes he is the ultimate demonic leader, would these superstars follow as his devoted parishioners?

Like Nostradamus, has the Undertaker seen the coming of the “end”? Is he involved in a dark and demonic world that we cannot even begin to comprehend? Although the prophet’s predictions are open to interpretation, the coming of the Ministry of Darkness is undeniable. With such power, perhaps the Man from the Dark Side is determined to make Nostradamus’ vision of Hell on Earth a hideous reality.

[karlamon]

Decided to give Topsters a try and listed my 25 favourite films, shows, games, and albums.

Starting off with Topsters list for my 25 favourite movies:

Airplane! (1980)

Apollo 13 (1995)

Balto (1995)

Bolt (2008)

Children of Men (2006)

Finding Nemo (2003)

Gravity (2013)

The Iron Giant (1999)

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

The Lion King (1994)

Migration (2023)

Nimona (2023)

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Ratatouille (2007)

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Sing 2 (2021)

Surf's Up (2007)

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

United 93 (2006)

The Wild Robot (2024)

You Were Never Really Here (2017)

Zootopia (2016)

Next is my Topsters list for my 25 favourite shows:

Aggretsuko (2018 - 2023)

The Angry Beavers (1997 - 2003)

The Angry Video Game Nerd (2004 - Present)

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005 - 2008)

Band of Brothers (2001)

Bluey (2018 - Present)

BNA (2020)

Chernobyl (2019)

Digimon: Digital Monsters [Adventure (1999), Adventure 02 (2000), Tamers (2001)]

Ed, Edd n Eddy (1999 - 2009)

Green Eggs and Ham (2019 - 2022)

Mayday [aka, Air Crash Investigation] (2003 - Present)

Mythbusters (2003 - 2016)

Primal (2019 - Present)

Regular Show (2010 - 2017)

Robot Chicken (2005 - Present)

Rocko's Modern Life (1993 - 1996)

Seconds from Disaster (2004 - 2018)

The Simpsons (1989 - Present)

South Park (1997 - Present)

SpongeBob SquarePants (1999 - Present)

Thomas & Friends (1984 - 2021)

Untalkative Bunny (2001 - 2003)

We Bare Bears (2015 - 2019)

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (2000 - 2004)

Then it's my Topsters list for my 25 favourite games:

Alan Wake (2010)

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

Civilzation VI (2016)

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (2017)

Croc: Legend of the Gobbos (1997)

Day of Defeat: Source (2005)

Destruction Derby Raw (2000)

Digimon: Rumble Arena (2001)

Dust: An Elysian Tail (2012)

Euro Truck Simulator 2 (2012)

Fallout 3 (2008)

Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)

Grand Theft Auto V (2013)

Half-Life 2 (2004)

LEGO Island (1997)

Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (2002)

Papers, Please (2013)

Portal (2007)

Ratchet & Clank (2002)

The Simpsons Game (2007)

Spyro Reignited Trilogy (2018)

Super Animal Royale (2018)

Team Fortress 2 (2007)

Tekken 3 (1997)

VRChat (2014)

And finally, here's my Topsters list for my 25 favourite albums:

Brian Eno - Ambient 1: Music for Airports (1978)

Poets of the Fall - Carnival of Rust (2006)

Have a Nice Life - Deathconsciousness (2008)

God Is an Astronaut - The End of the Beginning (2002)

Failure - Fantastic Planet (1996)

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile (1999)

Shihad - The General Electric (1999)

Björk - Homogenic (1997)

Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (2000)

Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

Sigur Rós - Kveikur (2013)

Talk Talk - Laughing Stock (1991)

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless (1991)

Swervedriver - Mezcal Head (1993)

Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)

Solar Fields - Movements (2009)

Mogwai - Mr. Beast (2006)

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children (1998)

David Gray - A New Day at Midnight (2002)

Jon Hopkins - Opalescent (2001)

Meniscus - Refractions (2016)

Jakob - Solace (2006)

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)

Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place (2003)

Deftones - White Pony (2000)

Feel free to create your own Topsters list here:

[nostalgiafan]

The 3 faces of Foley enter the 1998 Royal Rumble

[wrestlezaynia]

Nine people I'd like to get to know better.

I was tagged by @edgarallennope to answer a few questions. Thanks!

Last Song: I honestly can't recall, we were in the car with the Christmas station on to order a shake from Arby's just barely.

Favorite Color: Red.

Last Movie/TV Show: We were watching The Royal Rumble 1998.

Sweet/Spicy/Savory: Spicy! 🌶️

Relationship Status: In a relationship.

Last thing I Googled: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn forehead kiss. 🤭

Current Obsession: The same obsession I've had since 2017, Zowens.

Tag Nine People: @loki69zowens, @wrestlingdespairings, @reignsangel444, @solo-uno, @theemorose, @randyortonofficial, @colesterstrudel, @thewanderer-000 and @iguessilikewrestlingnow.

[idolswrestlingadventure]

Royal Rumble (1998)

Here we are, brand new year and what will become a recurring set of events to play through the year. Until we get the one per month era of modern times. More wrestling, in your face! But first, historical context, what happened in 1988? Personally, I was 4 years old, so not a lot for me to recall aside from trains and mushy food.

The 1988 Winter Olympics were held in Alberta, Canada.

The 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul, South Korea.

The Soviet Union begins to collapse with the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian movements.

First McDonalds opens up in Yugoslavia.

The space shuttle Discovery launches, the first after the challenger disaster.

Netherlands wins the Euro’s 88 hosted in Germany.

The first WORM virus is distributed by the internet.

George HW Bush is elected President of America.

Notable Births: Skrillex, Jessie J, Jesse Plemons, Haley Joel Osment, Vanessa Kirby, Lizzo, Ana de Armas, Adele, Awkwafina, Conor McGregor, Tyson Fury, Melissa Benoist, Alicia Vikander, ASAP Rocky, Emma Stone, Zoe Kravitz and current member of Damage Control, Dakota Kai

Notable Movies: Die Hard, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Coming To America, Rambo III, Rain Man, A Fish Called Wanda

Notable TV Shows Launched: Roseanne, Red Dwarf, The Wonder Years, Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Rab C. Nesbitt, Who’s Line Is It Anyway, Family Fued, Wheel Of Fortune, Stoppit and Tidyup, Home and Away

Well, we’ve got 5 PPVs for 1988 starting with this Royal Rumble, so let’s get going! 

This episode of Magnum P.I. is a bit different than usual...

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat V “Ravishing” Rick Rude - A comment given to me by a friend is that modern PPVs tend to be two contestants who swap between aggressor and victim every 5 minutes, and this match seemed to be some of this at the start. Ricky absolutely had the upper hand for the majority of the match and glad to see the tradition of cheating whilst the referee is knocked out never goes out of style. Good match, Ricky continuing to be one of my favourites from this era -Tier 3-

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...shut the fuck up

Now for some reason, we get a benchlift record attempt by Pino Bravo. Who, for some reason, and I can’t work out if this is a bit or not, constantly keeps shouting at the crowd to be quiet. His weirdly French manager also insists upon this, often going into fits of verbal dementia at what is happening whilst Jesse Ventura insists the record attempt is valid, almost too much. It’s weird how much screen time this is getting, but if it’s about macho steroid injected men doing manly things, then I suppose it fits the bill. Just very, very strange to watch.

Somewhere the creator of the Human Centipede is looking on...

The Jumping Bomb Angels V The Glamour Girls - Jimmy Hart is back, I kinda am tired of seeing him everywhere. His only gimmick is being incredibly annoying and giving the crowd something to cheer for when he’s knocked out. Luckily however this match is actually pretty good. The Bomb Angels showing some amazing agility and bringing a lot of energy that The Glamour Girls seem to miss. The Bomb Angels grab the win in a surprisingly good womens match for the era! -Tier 2-

The look the couple across the bar give you...

Side note: Jesse and Vince McMahon are being weird commentating on this match, they argue all the time and it doesn’t sound like a bit, either that or I’m getting worked somehow. Just sounds like Vince is being petty with Jesse’s usual bullshit. Bring back Gorilla Monsoon…

"One million dollars or I'll host Deal Or No Deal"

Storyline Update: The Million Dollar Man offers…a million dollars for Hogan’s belt. When Hogan refuses to surrender it, he decides to offer it to Andre The Giant to take the belt from Hogan. We don’t see the match on this occasion, but we do see the contract signing. Where a nervous Hogan gets a table thrown at him by a weirdly irate Andre. Seeing as Hogan stays the champion for a billion years, I don’t think anything gets resolved here.

Turns out squeezing the turnbuckle meant something else here...

The Royal Rumble 1988 - So at first I thought, hey Royal Rumble sounds fun. No holds barred ensemble of the greatest wrestlers in WWF at the time, all in the ring with fun knockouts. But sadly it’s just a cluster-fuck of men pretending to struggle with a set of ropes. A few fun moments and appearances from notable faces, but overall a middling event with “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan taking the win -Tier 7-

Another side note: Jesse Ventura still being the strangest commentators ever, talking about how Vince is a pussy and would rather be reading Poetry and drinking Wine than watching wrestling…

Putting their heads together literally...

The Islanders V The Young Stallions - Never mind the Stallions, check out the Islanders! There’s some WWF history right there. Father of Tonga Loa and Tama Tonga, Sam Fatu being Rikishi’s brother and Jacob Fatu’s father. The Samoan heritage runs strong in wrestling! The Stallions showing their supreme art of steroid use and I’m pretty sure neither of them can lower their arms to their sides. This was a pretty standard match, nothing exciting sadly, even the crowd seemed somewhat checked out. -Tier 6-

Notable Dialogue:

Vince: "Did you his [a samoan] toes, looks like he could hang upside down on the ropes" 

Jesse: "That's a bit racist Vince"

Verdict: 5 Samoan Forefathers Out Of 10

[solarsonicsoda]

The Road to... Wrestlemania XL

Part 1: Roman Reigns & The Rock vs. Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins, Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre, and Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes

On 30th August 2020, nearly over 3 and a half years ago, Roman Reigns won the WWE Universal Championship in his return match. On 7th April 2024, he will enter the main event of Wrestlemania XL Sunday still champion, as well as the WWE Champion. This is the Tribal Chief.

Roman Reigns "The Tribal Chief", leader of The Bloodline, and member of the legendary Anoa'i family. Standing at 6'3'', weighing 265lbs, from Pensacola, Florida, USA, he is the reigning Universal Champion for 1300+ consecutive days, and reigning WWE Champion for 720+ days. Finishers: Spear, Guillotine Hold

Reigns has been the top of the WWE ever since. This brutal bad guy has used his power and familial ties to reign supreme across the whole roster. He's defeated pretty much every major name in the company, he's turned even on his close family in Jey Uso, done it multiple times too, and he's only taken one pinfall loss in this whole reign. There is no stopping Roman Reigns.

Cody Rhodes hopes that isn't true though.

Cody Rhodes "The American Nightmare", son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, seeking to finally claim the WWE Title for his family since returning to the company. Standing at 6'2'', weighing 220lbs, from Marietta, Georgia, USA, he is the winner of the Royal Rumble 2024, the first man to win consecutive Rumble matches since 1998. Finisher: Cross Rhodes

Cody Rhodes made his WWE debut in 2007, aged just 22. He was with the company for 9 years, and while he achieved success, this waned and he grew frustrated. He left, and over the next 6 years he would play a part in changing the wrestling industry. He would take the independent scene by storm, be a major player in other companies like New Japan Pro Wrestling and Impact Wrestling, and he would even form WWE's current biggest rival company, All Elite Wrestling.

He was a key part of AEW's early success, and many there cite him as a big help to them in the company. He was an Executive Vice President and one of the biggest stars they had, but in 2022, Rhodes decided he had unfinished business in the WWE. He would leave AEW at the expiry of his contract, and at Wrestlemania 38 in Arlington, Texas, USA, he would return to the WWE. His opponent that night? Seth "Freakin'" Rollins

Seth Rollins "The Visionary", former indie standout who's now one of the major stars on the WWE roster Standing at 6'1'', weighing 225lbs, from Davenport, Iowa, USA, he is a multi-time world champion and as of now, World Heavyweight Champion for 300+ days Finisher: Blackout Stomp

These two men would feud for the early months of Rhodes' WWE return, with the American Nightmare coming out on top in every match, but Rhodes made it clear what his goal was. He aimed to "finish the story" and become WWE Champion, the title his legendary late father was never able to achieve in his career. Fast-forward to the Royal Rumble 2023. After missing much of 2022 with a torn pectoral, an injury he would wrestle through in a Hell in a Cell match, Rhodes had returned. Now, out of thirty men, he was the only one not to be thrown over the top rope with both feet hitting the floor. Cody Rhodes had won the 2023 Royal Rumble. With this victory, he'd challenge Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania 39. The Tribal Chief had by this point become both WWE and Universal Champion, which are the two top titles for men's wrestlers in the WWE. Having seemingly achieved all there was to achieve, many thought this would be the night Reigns finally loses these belts... But this isn't what happened.

Like so many others, even with all his momentum, Rhodes was undone by The Bloodline. This faction built around Reigns consisted then of his "wise man" Paul Heyman and three cousins of Reigns': Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, & Solo Sikoa. It was the youngest of these three brothers, Solo, who would use his Samoan Spike finisher to tee Rhodes up for Reigns and his Spear. Roman Reigns had defeated Cody Rhodes.

This was a pretty big shock for fans, but as they hoped, Rhodes didn't let this keep him down. He would feud with high-ranking wrestler Brock Lesnar, winning that feud, as well as briefly holding the Tag Team Championships alongside Jey Uso, who had recently defected from The Bloodline. This year, he would again win the Royal Rumble, giving him a choice: face Reigns again for his Undisputed Title, or instead challenge old foe Rollins for his World Heavyweight Championship.

Reigns seemed to be Rhodes' choice before a man who likely needs no introduction reared his bald head.

The Rock Dwayne Johnson, Rocky Maivia, "The People's Champ", "The Great One", "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment", and another member of the Anoa'i family. Standing at 6'5'', weighing 260lbs, from Miami, Florida, USA, he is one of the most decorated world champions in WWE history as well as, y'know, The Rock Finishers: Rock Bottom, People's Elbow

The Rock returned to the WWE, having just become a major shareholder in parent company TKO, and he had his sights set on his cousin, Roman Reigns. Cody seemed to let Rock step up to the plate to take on Reigns, perhaps indicating he would take on World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. However, it was at the Wrestlemania XL Kickoff Event, as the two possible tribal chiefs stood face-to-face, that Cody stood back up and declared he wanted to face Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania XL.

Unfortunately, as he condemned the frequently absent and dishonourable champion, Rhodes drew the ire of The Rock when he suggested Reigns brought shame on the family. Unwittingly, Cody Rhodes had created a dangerous alliance as Reigns and Rock joined forces against the "Grandson of a Plumber". However, a surprising ally revealed himself in the form of Seth Rollins. He and Reigns were once close friends, reigning as Tag Team Champions as part of the impactful Shield team. Rollins is also the only title challenger of Reigns' he never truly defeated, losing by disqualification.

Over the coming weeks, many of Rock's grandiose stylings returned as this super Bloodline team were out for Rhodes & Rollins. The newest iteration of The Rock was here: The Final Boss. Rhodes would challenge Rock for a match on Night One, but The Bloodline would propose a counter offer: Wrestlemania XL, Night One. Rhodes & Rollins vs. Reigns & Rock. If Rhodes' team wins, then The Bloodline are barred from ringside on Night Two. If The Bloodline win, then it's Bloodline Rules, meaning anything goes. Rhodes & Rollins would accept. The stage was set... but there's another story that we haven't mentioned.

Drew McIntyre "The Scottish Warrior", a top level wrestler who's justifiably frustrated with everyone around him, and a contender for Hater of the Year. Standing at 6'5'', weighing 275 lbs, from Ayr, Ayrshire, Scotland, he's a multi-time WWE Champion but never got to hold the title with fans in attendance due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Finisher: Claymore Kick

At Elimination Chamber 2024, McIntyre would outlast five other men to earn the number one contendership for the World Heavyweight Championship held by Seth Rollins. He has had issues with much of the roster for sometime, all stemming from... The Bloodline. At Clash at the Castle 2022, McIntyre, a hometown-ish hero, would fail to defeat Roman Reigns due to Bloodline interference. For this, he would never forgive any of these men. This included later defectees, Sami Zayn and Jey Uso. He would take umbrage with both men and with the likes of Rhodes & Rollins for forgiving them. McIntyre would also become a dedicated hater of the returning CM Punk, but the story of "DM Hunk" is one for another day.

Adding one more reasonable gripe to the salty Scotsman's list of complaints, Rollins seems to have largely overlooked his challenger for Night Two of Wrestlemania XL. With a man so angry on his tail, should Rollins really be tussling with The Bloodline?

Tensions have been escalating week-by-week, with The Bloodline looking to get one over on their fan-favourite foes every week. The Rock even unleashed a brutal attack on Cody Rhodes just two weeks out from the show, leaving him in a heap. With the star-studded tag team main event of Night One leading into two major championship matches on Night Two, Wrestlemania XL's biggest matches are set with a lot of moving parts between the three of them. What's gonna happen? There's only one way to find out...

For those of you interested in seeing this story unfold in preperation for the Showcase of the Immortals, WWE have put out a video including much of this build, as well as posting many of the segments in full on their YouTube. Find the compilation video here for the Bloodline story, and here for Drew vs. Seth.

[machobusta]

After causing his brother to lose his WWF Championship casket match, Kane attempts to get revenge for his childhood by setting The Undertaker on fire. Royal Rumble January 18, 1998

[olympian-s]

i. THE GROUP ..

THUNDERBOLT is an 11 member boy group under big sky entertainment. the group consists of gyuhyeok, jiseok, hyunwoo, klaus, wooseok, seoho, pk, seungwoo, kyungmin, jihoon, and preston.

thunderbolt originally debuted as a 9-member group with the song centuries. they didn't get much attention at the beginning, but their first comeback was an overnight hit. they rocketed up from nugu status with their title track eat your young.

in 2017, big sky entertainment made the decision to add two new members to the group. this is when jihoon and preston joined. the thinking behind this was a significant drop in the ratings, and the need for drastic measures.

ii. THE FILE ..

☡. group name | thunderbolt (벼락) ☡. label | big sky entertainment ☡. debut | 150414 , titan ( centuries ) ☡. fandom name | lightning (번개) ☡. greeting | " king of gods! hello, we are thunderbolt! "

iii. THE MEMBERS

☡. park gyuhyeok ( leader, main rapper. 1994) ☡. choi " jiseok " joonseok (main rapper, dancer. 1995) ☡. jo hyunwoo (main vocalist. 1995) ☡. tuskin " klaus " kawrungruang (main dancer, vocalist. 1996) ☡. kim wooseok (main dancer, vocalist. 1996) ☡. lee " seoho " seohyeok (lead vocalist, dancer. 1996) ☡. park " pk " kooyeon (lead rapper, vocalist. 1997) ☡. choi seungwoo (main dancer, vocalist. 1998) ☡. jeon kyungmin (lead rapper. 1999) ☡. han jihoon (lead vocalist, dancer. 2000) ☡. preston shim (lead vocalist, maknae. 2001)

iv. THE DISCOGRAPHY

titan ☡. centuries ( 041514 ) kronos & rheia ☡. eat your young ( 100314 ) crown ☡. royals ( 052015 ) snow caps ☡. winter falls ( 121915 ) escape of time ☡. run boy run ( 030916 ) heracles ☡. hard carry ( 062616 ) throne ☡. sit down! ( 110116 ) ii ☡. achilles come down ( 021417 ) colosseum ☡. pompeii ( 072217 ) mountain top ☡. mount everest ( 051318 ) cyclops ☡. things we lost in the fire ( 042519 ) whatever it takes ☡. whatever it takes ( 112519 ) strike ☡. given-taken ( 080620 ) sundial ☡. 24h ( 042921 ) rumble night ☡. thunderous ( 110921 ) historian ☡. deja vu ( 031722 ) venemous ☡. venom [eminem] ( 090522 ) reborn ☡. the phoenix ( 010123 ) asguard ☡. hall of fame ( 120223 )