The Royal Rumble officially debuted January 24, 1988 on the USA Network, held at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario. It culminated with a 30-minute, 20-man free-for-all. By the time it was over, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan had earned the distinction of being the inaugural Royal Rumble winner after he bested The One Man Gang. After being upgraded to a pay-per-view event the following year, a new annual wrestling tradition was born; one that is still regarded as one of the biggest events of the year, with the 29th annual Royal Rumble set to hit on Sunday, January 24.
There are some, however, who claim the first official Royal Rumble wasn’t really the first one at all. Instead, two distinct matches are singled out, both of them considered by some to be the first actual Royal Rumble. With no known recordings and very little evidence otherwise, the accounts tend to vary a bit on what actually took place, and which one is considered to be the Royal Rumble’s true beginning.
The first and most common assertion is that the first Rumble was held on October 4, 1987 in St. Louis, Missouri as a house show — a kind of match that was put on as a major promotional event, but which was not televised. Given the radical new format that involved so many wrestlers in the ring at once, trying it out in a low-key setting would’ve helped work out any logistical issues before putting it on TV. The bill that night drew just under 2,000 fans.
Why was this seemingly historic event swept under the rug? First, according to reports, it doesn’t seem like the event was well planned out. The match itself left many of the fans confused as to what was happening in the ring, and more importantly, spoiled its own outcome. Leading up to this show, it was understood that the winner of the Rumble would earn a chance at the title against Hulk Hogan. Then, at some point, likely during the intermission, it was announced that the next event would include Hulk Hogan defending his championship against One Man Gang.
Once the wrestlers inside the ring started to thin out, and with One Man Gang still going strong, the crowd started to put two and two together, realizing who was set to win that night. They responded with loud, curse-filled boos. After only 12 minutes, One Man Gang and Junk Yard Dog eliminated one-another at almost the same moment, though it was decided that One Man Gang’s feet touched the ground last, and was declared the winner — to very little surprise.
Others, however, believe the first Royal Rumble was held months earlier in January of that year in Rio de Janeiro. Like the St. Louis bout that followed, the bill featured 20 wrestlers all vying against one another for the win. Also not considered an ‘official’ Royal Rumble, one account again lists One Man Gang as the winner, while another claims that Andre the Giant was the last man standing. It’s also alleged that after that match in Rio, when Andre the Giant was presented a trophy for his undefeated wresting record on Rowdy Roddy Piper’s mini-show Piper’s Pit, he wasn’t given a chance to discuss this match in Rio once the interview was hijacked by his then-ally Hulk Hogan.
Hogan hijacking that interview helped lead to Andre the Giant famously turning heel against him — which also happened during a Piper’s Pit segment — going on to ignite one of pro wrestling’s greatest rivalries.
It’s clear by the St. Louis event alone that the Royal Rumble wasn’t quite ready for prime time, barely lasting 12 minutes, and still managing to spoil the outcome. It was clear by January of 1988 they had the kinks worked out, however, and after an appropriately drawn-out 30-minute match, the Royal Rumble was ready to take its place among the most anticipated events of the year.
