It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.
View MoreThere is just so much movie here. For some it may be too much. But in the same secretly sarcastic way most telemarketers say the phrase, the title of this one is particularly apt.
View MoreThe story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
View MoreBlistering performances.
Usually, when reviewing old WWF wrestling events, one of my main complaints is that (at times) the technical wrestling is quite shoddy and the Royal Rumble platform is only used as a vehicle towards Wrestlemania. In the case of the '95 RR, however, that was not the case. The story lines were interesting, and the wrestling was decent, but still the company at that time lacked one key ingredient...a stable of stars to keep the card interesting from beginning to end.On this card, the Hart-Diesel confrontation is very exciting, The Undertaker (against I.R.S.) gives another nice performance, and the Rumble event itself may be one of the best ever just based on the last few minutes alone! Sadly, that's all the show has to offer. Besides Hart, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, and Razor Ramon (who in this tape is paired with the dreadful Jeff Jarrett), there is no one else to offer any excitement to the rest of the broadcast...just a bunch of fat guys and jobbers. While watching, I found myself thinking back to the RR's of the late 1980s and early 1990s, when it seemed like every single match brought the fans to their feat multiple times. Boy, how the mighty had fallen by '95, considering how the entrance of "Adam Bomb" (a very forgettable character) got the biggest charge out of the crowd all night. It was almost as if the fans were desperate to cheer for something, not being thrilled by the action put before them.One positive, though, is the commentary of Vince McMahon. Say what you want about his personal life and how he runs his company (and I would be the first to give him the "Stone Cold Salute"), but he sure is more exciting than having to sit through Bobby "The Brain" Heenan for three hours. Announcers are such a big part of professional wrestling (as they really help to inflame passions among viewers) that this is one of the few steps up from previous years.Overall, I would recommend heavy utilization of the "Fast Forward" button on your remote while watching this one. Watch Hart, 'Taker, and the end of the Rumble...everything else is pure dreck.
View More1st Match: Jeff Jarrett vs Razor Ramone, WWF Intercontinental Championship. A pretty good match to start with. The match originally ends in a countout, but Jarrett has the match continue. Didn't know wrestlers were allowed to do that, but whatever. The final ending is pretty weak, and I still can't stomach Jarrett winning very well, but the match is entertaining. Rating: 3.5/5 2nd Match: Undertaker vs IRS. Undertaker wins, nothing really special. Apparently this is the last PPV appearance of IRS, which is fine with me because his gimmick got old real fast. But I guess the match was good at setting up Taker and Bundy's match at Wrestlemania XI. Rating: 3/5 3rd Match: Diesel vs Bret Hart, WWF Championship. The best match of the night, and much better title match than the one at Survivor Series the previous year. Then again, almost any other match would be better than that one. The match is pretty overbooked, but it still has some great moments. If there wasn't so much interference, and the match didn't end in a draw as a result, this could've been a serious Match of the Year contender. Rating: 4.5/5 4th Match: Bob Holly & 1-2-3 Kid vs Tatanka & Bam Bam Bigelow, WWF Tag Team Championships. There are some great moments in this, some great spots and the good guys winning is always nice. The match I guess serves more as setting up the Bigelow/Lawrence Taylor match for Wrestlemania. Rating: 4/5 5th Match: Royal Rumble match. Time for the highlights! Shawn Michaels wins despite entering at Number 1, becoming only one of two men to do that, the other being Chris Benoit. There are a lot of jobbers/nobodies in this match. The only big names you have are Michaels, Davey Boy, Luger, and Owen, the rest are either tag team wrestlers, or people that couldn't win this match in a million years. That being said, Backlund and Owen getting eliminated almost immediately is nice, and Michaels hanging on for dear life at the end is a pretty famous scene. It's a better Rumble match compared to last years, but it needed bigger names like Bret, Taker, or Razor Ramone to make it have some suspense. Rating: 3.5/5 Final Rating: 7 out of 10. A much better start to the year than last time. Hopefully, the rest of WWF's shows are better as well.
View MoreThis was a major event for the WWF, with the setup for Wrestlemania. First of all the appearance by Pamela Anderson was great and definitely was attractive. The Razor Ramon and Jeff Jarrett match was great right up until the end and a great way to start the show. The Undertaker Vs. IRS match was not quite as good as the other matches, but still entertaining. Bret Hart and Diesel worked their butts off for the crowd, and would have been better if there wasn't all of the interferences. The Tag Team Match had a surprising outcome, and set up the big Bam Bam Bigelow/Lawrence Taylor match. But the Royal Rumble match itself was what stole the show. Shawn Michaels and The British Bulldog were the first two in and the last two in the Rumble, with Shawn being the only man to come in at the number one spot and win. Great show 5 out of 5 all the way!!!
View MoreIn a lot of ways, the Royal Rumble match is all about luck. As good as you are, drawing an early number can always come back to haunt you. Entering the match early on ensures you at least half an hour to an hour of work before you even have a chance to capture the Rumble title. So entering the Rumble match at No. 1 is a recipe for disaster, right? Not if your name is Shawn Michaels. The Heartbreak Kid entered the Rumble match at No. 1, with the British Bulldog following at No. 2. After all 30 men had entered, there were just two superstars remaining -- HBK and the Bulldog! Bulldog then tossed Shawn over the top, and went to go celebrate his win. But the crafty Shawn held onto the rope, pulled himself back into the ring, and knocked the unknowing Bulldog out to become the first man ever to win the Rumble match after entering at No. 1! Also at the 1995 Royal Rumble, the 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly won the finals of a tournament, defeating Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka to win the vacant Tag Team Championship. After the bout, football great Lawrence Taylor -- who was a guest of WWE Champion Diesel at the Rumble event -- poked some fun at Bigelow, who then shoved L.T. to the ground! This confrontation would ultimately lead to a one-on-one match between Taylor and Bigelow at WrestleMania XI!Jeff Jarrett pinned Razor Ramon for the Intercontinental Championship Undertaker defeated Irwin R. Schyster via pinfall WWE Champion Diesel and Bret Hart wrestled to a draw 1-2-3 Kid and Bob Holly defeated Bam Bam Bigelow and Tatanka in a tournament final for the vacant Tag Team Championship Shawn Michaels won the Royal RumbleOverall Mark: B+
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