The 1989 Royal Rumble was the second installation of the now-popular WWE event. The very First Royal Rumble was held a year earlier and won by Hacksaw Jim Duggan. In 1989, this card took place live from Houston, Texas at the Summit. The main event was, of course, the 30 men over the top rope Royal Rumble but the pre-card also featured some intriguing matches.
Let’s take a deep dive into the 1989 Royal Rumble with the pre-matches and then the Rumble itself. We list every wrestler who entered along with their stats throughout the Royal Rumble.
Match #1
Jim Duggan and The Hart Foundation vs Dino Bravo and The Fabulous Rougeaus
Winners – Hart Foundation with Jim Duggan
The opening match was a 3-man tag team match with the winning team having to get two out of 3 pins. The Rougeau Brothers set up Bret Hart for a top rope splash which Jacques nailed, Raymond got the pin for the first fall. After the reset, Hacksaw eventually slams Raymond Rougeau and drops an elbow for the pin. The match was tied 1-1 and the next pin would win the match. While Bret Hart and Dino Bravo are battling Duggan grabs his 2×4 and from the apron nails Bravo in the back while the ref is distracted. Bret Hart gets the pin and his team wins the match.
Match #2
Rockin Robin vs Judy Martin for the Women’s Championship
Winner – Rockin Robin
The second match of the night was for the Women’s Championship belt. It featured current champion Judy Martin vs Rockin Robin. Rockin Robin hit a second rope front splash and pinned Judy Martin for the 3 count.
Match #3
Haku vs Harley Race for King of The Ring
Winner – Haku
The next match was for King of the Ring status and featured current King Haku vs Harley Race. Bobby Heenan was in the corner of Haku. After a contentious battle, Haku nailed Harley with a reverse high kick and secured the victory. Haku remained the King of the Ring.
Match #4
The 1989 Royal Rumble
The main event featured 30 of the WWE’s superstars including some legendary wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, and Jake Roberts. The 1989 Royal Rumble lasted for 1 hour and 4 minutes. Here is the exact order in which every wrestler entered the ring.
- 1. Ax
- 2. Smash
- 3. Andre The Giant
- 4. Mr. Perfect
- 5. Ronnie Gavin
- 6. Greg Valentine
- 7. Jake Roberts
- 8. Ron Bass
- 9. Shawn Michaels
- 10. Bushwhacker Butch
- 11. Honky Tonk Man
- 12. Tito Santana
- 13. Bad News Brown
- 14. Marty Jannetty
- 15. Randy Savage
- 16. Arn Anderson
- 17. Tully Blanchard
- 18. Hulk Hogan
- 19. Bushwhacker Luke
- 20. Koko B. Ware
- 21. The Warlord
- 22. Big Boss Man
- 23. Akeem
- 24. Brutus Beefcake
- 25. The Red Rooster
- 26. The Barbarian
- 27. Big John Stud
- 28. Hercules
- 29. Rick Martel
- 30. Ted Dibiase
1. Ax
- Time In Rumble – 14:37
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Mr. Perfect
2. Smash
- Time In Rumble – 4:54
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Andre The Giant
3. Andre The Giant
- Time In Rumble – 14:55
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 3
- Eliminated By – Himself (scared by Damien the snake)
4. Mr. Perfect
- Time In Rumble – 27:58
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
5. Ronnie Gavin
- Time In Rumble – 2:39
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Andre The Giant
Related Article – All Royal Rumble Winners In History
6. Greg Valentine
- Time In Rumble – 19:52
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Macho Man
7. Jake Roberts
- Time In Rumble – 2:08
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Andre The Giant
8. Ron Bass
- Time In Rumble – 12:36
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – The Rockers
9. Shawn Michaels
- Time In Rumble – 14:30
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Arn Anderson, Mach Man
10. Bushwhacker Butch
- Time In Rumble – 18:13
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan, Bad News Brown
11. Honky Tonk Man
- Time In Rumble – 4:12
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Bushwhacker Butch, Tito Santana
12. Tito Santana
- Time In Rumble – 12:47
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Arn Anderson, Randy Savage
13. Bad News Brown
- Time In Rumble – 16:24
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
14. Marty Jannetty
- Time In Rumble – 7:52
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Tully Blanchard
15. Randy Savage
- Time In Rumble – 12:26
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 3
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
16. Arn Anderson
- Time In Rumble – 10:00
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 2
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
17. Tully Blanchard
- Time In Rumble – 8:02
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
18. Hulk Hogan
- Time In Rumble – 11:31
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 10
- Eliminated By – Akeem, Big Boss Man
19. Bushwhacker Luke
- Time In Rumble – 3:08
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
20. Koko B. Ware
- Time In Rumble – 1:08
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
21. The Warlord
- Time In Rumble – 0:02
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
22. Big Boss Man
- Time In Rumble – 4:18
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Hulk Hogan
23. Akeem
- Time In Rumble – 18:36
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 2
- Eliminated By – Big John Stud
24. Brutus Beefcake
- Time In Rumble – 13:56
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Ted DiBiase, The Barbarian
25. The Red Rooster
- Time In Rumble – 11:17
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Ted DiBiase
26. The Barbarian
- Time In Rumble – 12:15
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 2
- Eliminated By – Rick Martel
27. Big John Stud
- Time In Rumble – 12:21
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 2
- Eliminated By – No one, Winner
28. Hercules
- Time In Rumble – 6:11
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 0
- Eliminated By – Ted DiBiase, The Barbarian
29. Rick Martel
- Time In Rumble – 5:29
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 1
- Eliminated By – Akeem
30. Ted Dibiase
- Time In Rumble – 6:27
- Wrestlers Eliminated – 3
- Eliminated By – Big John Stud