WWE Classic of the Week: Remembering Royal Rumble 1996

Intrigue is not a word that has necessarily been associated with the Royal Rumble match throughout its long and illustrious history.

More times than not, the winner has been apparent days, weeks or even months ahead of time, meaning that there is very little mystery surrounding the outcome of the bout.

But that lack of intrigue is not always a bad thing. Some of the best Rumble matches in WWE history have been those where the winner was obvious ahead of time, but the Superstars and bookers still crafted a match that captured the fans' attention and used different spots to create drama.

While no one will ever confuse the 1996 Royal Rumble for being one of the better matches in event history, everyone involved did an admirable job of keeping fans invested despite everyone and their mothers knowing that Shawn Michaels would leave with a championship opportunity at the upcoming WrestleMania XII.

Background

In the fall of 1995, Shawn Michaels had surpassed friend and WWE champion Diesel as the most popular babyface in World Wrestling Entertainment.

Unfortunately, he mouthed off in a bar full of Marines and ended up getting assaulted in an incident in Syracuse. The number of said Marines who attacked Michaels varies depending on who is telling the story, but regardless, the injuries suffered in that beating prevented Michaels from competing for nearly two months.

Then, the night after returning at the Survivor Series, the Heartbreak Kid collapsed. He needed immediate medical attention and the remainder of 1995 was spent wondering whether Michaels would ever return to the ring.

With his goal of becoming WWE champion unrealized, he trained harder and better than he ever had before.

The Royal Rumble would be his first match back.

It would also be the first appearance of Vader, who was making his WWE debut after years of being one of the most feared behemoths in WCW.

Location

Selland Arena in Fresno, Calif.

Broadcast Team

Vince McMahon and Mr. Perfect

The Match

In the first great performance of his career, Triple H (then Hunter Hearst Helmsley) entered the match at No. 1 and lasted 48:01 before being eliminated by "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel.

Vader was absolutely dominant in his first appearance in World Wrestling Entertainment as he eliminated four Superstars and pounded several others. Unfortunately for "The Mastadon," he left himself open long enough for Shawn Michaels to dump him over the top rope and end his chances of challenging for the WWE title at WrestleMania.

Speaking of Michaels, he was a ball of energy throughout the match, determined to win for the second consecutive year and get another shot at achieving his goal of winning the WWE title.

He did just that, delivering Sweet Chin Music to Diesel for the win.

Analysis

Some Royal Rumbles overcome the fact that everyone knows who will win by meshing stories and angles to create an interesting match.

While the marathon run of Triple H, the dominance of Vader and the Shawn Michaels victory are all memorable parts of the match, the 1996 Rumble was largely a forgettable edition of the popular battle royal.

Historical Significance

The 1996 Royal Rumble catapulted Shawn Michaels into the WrestleMania XII main event, where he would clash with Bret Hart in an iconic Iron Man Match.

Michaels would win that match in overtime, defeating Hart one fall to none after more than an hour of action.

Vader would go on to become a really solid monster heel for WWE throughout 1996, always flirting with the main event picture but never truly achieving the success he was capable of thanks to backstage politicking.

He would challenge and lose to Michaels at the SummerSlam pay-per-view.

As for Triple H...well, he is doing just fine for himself.