Wrestling Observer print edition special offer: WWE Royal Rumble
If you’re a collector of print editions of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter and are interested in obtaining print copies of our coverage of the first 15 years, Grant Zwarych is offering a sale right now. (Note that for online subscribers, you have already have access to many of these in our digital archives, links below.)
The Rumbles covered start at 1988 and run through 2002. Here’s what is in these issues in additon to Rumble coverage:
1988: Feb. 1 (10) Complete coverage of the promotion’s 1/24 head to head events; Nassau Coliseum’s Bunkhouse Stampede finals vs. Hamilton’s Royal Rumble, Mike George wins WWA World title tournament in Kansas City; Fujinami & Kengo Kimura win IWGP belts from Fujiwara & Yamazaki
1989: Jan. 23 (8): WWF Royal Rumble 1/15 card coverage, AWA & Jarrett Promotions split, Bam Bam Bigelow history in NWA, Chris Benoit wins Commonwealth mid-heavyweight belt from Davey Boy Smith
1990: Feb. 1 (8) Titan signs Mike Tyson as special ref for Hogan vs Savage, Royal Rumble 1/21 card coverage, AJPW & NJPW going to work together for 1st time in more than a decade, Akira Maeda does job for Nobuhiko Takada 1/16 in Tokyo, NWA booking committee trimmed down
1991: Jan. 28 (10) WWF Royal Rumble 1/19 card coverage-Sgt Slaughter wins WWF title, Observer Research Reveals Vince’s Baldness Fetish, At what point does bad taste cross the line, Transcript of column sent to The National re the war angle, Vader wins IWGP title from Fujinami 1/17, Diamond Dallas Page debuts in WCW
1992: Jan 27 (10): WWF Royal Rumble 1/19 card coverage- Flair wins WWF title, More Wrestling Observer award winners, Strange story, Bret Hart loses IC title to The Mountie who loses to Roddy Piper, WCW debuts Jesse Ventura at the Clash
1993: Feb 1 (10): Royal Rumble 1/24 card coverage, Flair still not signed by WCW, Jim Cornette to return to TBS, Kerry Von Erich apprehended on drug charge
1994: Jan 31 (10) Dusty Rhodes resigns as WCW booker, Royal Rumble 1/24 card coverage, Arn Anderson files suit against Sid Vicious over England stabbing incident, UWA & EMLL wrestling union break up
1995: Jan 30 (12) Royal Rumble 1/22 card coverage Jeff Jarrett wins IC title from Razor Ramon, 123 Kid & Bob Holly win tag belts over Bam Bam Bigelow & Tatanka, Angle to bring Ric Flair back to be at the 1/25 Clash, Woody Strode passes away, Ray Stevens hospitalized
1996: Jan 29 (12) The Monday night war-how it’s changed wrestling, Royal Rumble 1/21 card coverage-Goldust wins IC title from Razor Ramon, Clash of Champions XXXII 1/23 card coverage, Buddy Fuller passes away-quick career recap, Extreme Fighting was subject on Phil Donahue show
1997: Jan 27 (12) More UFC problems-this time New York, Royal Rumble 1/19 card coverage- Shawn Michaels wins WWF title, WCW sets company record 1/20 in Chicago, Mitsuhara Misawa wins triple crown from Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue win double belts from Williams & Johnny Ace, Clash of Champions XXXIV 1/21 card coverage
1998: Jan 26 (16) Will Tyson vs Austin be the most publicized match ever?, Bobo Brazil passes away, Royal Rumble 1/18 card coverage, Champions roll call for 1997 along with top drawing cards, A lot of craziness in Portland revolving around Matt Borne, Mark Kerr legal situation up in the air, The Quebecers debut in WWF
1999: Feb 1 (18) WCW vs WWF business trends over the years, Royal Rumble 1/24 card coverage- Rock regains WWF title vs Mankind, Kawada suffers broken wrist in triple crown win over Misawa, UFO 12/30 card coverage, Some controversy in refereeing of Bas Rutten vs Tsuyoshi Kohsaka match
2000: Jan 31 (18) WCW gives releases to Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko, Saturn, Douglas & Konan, Royal Rumble 1/23 card coverage-Jericho wins IC title, Al Costello passes away-career retrospect, Bobby Duncum Jr & Raul Reyes pass away, WWF pulls developmental territory deal in Memphis from Randy Hales, Rings 12/22 card coverage, Multifacetico killed by gang in Mexico City
2001: Jan 29 (12) Royal Rumble 1/21 card coverage-Jericho wins IC belt from Benoit, Kenta Kobashi blows out knee, Saturday Night magazine has lengthy story on the Hart family problems Scott Steiner arrested, Much talk on potential shut down and relaunch of WCW under WWF banner, Main event draws
2002: Jan 28 (12) NJPW in chaos-Muto, Ishizawa & Kojima give notice, Imminent arrival of Hall & Nash teased on Raw, Royal Rumble 1/20 card coverage-William Regal wins IC title from Edge, Tradition of Memphis wrestling on WMC-TV returns, Jim Ross press conference
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