The Forgotten First Royal Rumble

The Royal Rumble has become one of WWE’s most iconic and anticipated annual events, kicking off the Road to WrestleMania each January. However, many fans may not realize that the very first Royal Rumble match actually took place months before the televised 1988 event that launched the pay-per-view tradition. This forgotten inaugural Rumble provides a fascinating look at the origins of what would become a cornerstone of WWE programming.

The Birth of an Idea

The concept of the Royal Rumble match was created by WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson in 1987. A trusted member of WWE’s creative team, Patterson was always brainstorming new ideas for matches. He drew inspiration from battle royal matches but wanted to add a unique twist.

Patterson explained his thought process: “I started thinking about the Battle Royal. Having looked at the Battle Royal, I believed I could adapt the match and have it so wrestlers would enter every two minutes until 20 wrestlers had been and gone and left one man standing.” 

When Patterson pitched the idea to WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, the initial reaction was skeptical. Patterson recalled, “I sat down with Vince, and I gave him the concept. He goes, ‘Pat, that is stupid. It’s not going to work!’ I said, ‘Vince, it’s going to work!'”

Despite his doubts, McMahon trusted Patterson’s instincts enough to give the concept a trial run. They decided to test out this experimental match format at a non-televised live event before potentially bringing it to TV.

It was the first-ever Royal Rumble.

On October 4, 1987, WWE held the very first Royal Rumble match at a house show at the Kiel Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri. This inaugural Rumble featured just 12 participants, as opposed to the 20-man and later 30-man fields that would become standard.

The match was promoted locally in St. Louis, with a newspaper ad describing the unique rules: “Battle Royal, 18 wrestlers, 2 at a time until we have a winner.” 7 While not explicitly called a “Royal Rumble” yet, this was clearly the prototype for what would become the signature match.

One Man Gang emerged victorious in this first experimental Rumble, last eliminating Junkyard Dog. However, the event was far from an instant success. It drew a meager crowd of only 1,976 fans and was considered a financial failure.

Several factors contributed to the lackluster debut. Patterson, the mastermind behind the concept, was not present at the show to oversee the match’s execution. He later said the producers and wrestlers had “gotten the match concept mixed up” in his absence.

Additionally, a major miscommunication spoiled the finish for fans in attendance. The original stipulation was that the winner would receive a WWF World Heavyweight Championship match against Hulk Hogan at the next St. Louis event on November 17. However, the ring announcer prematurely revealed during intermission that One Man Gang would be Hogan’s challenger at that show, essentially giving away the Rumble’s outcome before it even started.

When One Man Gang ultimately won as expected, the small crowd was decidedly unimpressed. This inauspicious start left McMahon ready to scrap the entire Royal Rumble concept.

A Second Chance

Despite the initial failure, Patterson remained convinced of the Royal Rumble’s potential. He persuaded McMahon to give the match one more opportunity, this time as a televised special event.

On January 24, 1988, WWE presented what is widely considered the first official Royal Rumble, airing as a TV special on the USA Network. This expanded version featured 20 participants and was held at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, in front of 18,000 fans.

The 1988 Royal Rumble broadcast was strategically scheduled opposite Jim Crockett Promotions’ Bunkhouse Stampede pay-per-view, as the rivalry between WWE and NWA/WCW was heating up. This time, the Rumble match delivered on its promise of excitement and unpredictability.

“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan emerged as the winner of this first televised Rumble, last eliminating One Man Gang. While there was no championship opportunity at stake yet, Duggan’s victory established him as a top star and fan favorite.

Some important statistics from the 1988 Royal Rumble:

Bret “Hitman” Hart and Tito Santana were the first two entrants.

Jake “The Snake” Roberts scored the first-ever elimination, tossing out Butch Reed.

One Man Gang recorded the most eliminations by recording 422.

Bret Hart had the longest time in the match at 25:42.

The match succeeded in showcasing a variety of WWE talent and creating memorable moments. Notably, tensions rose between Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage when Hogan eliminated his fellow Mega Powers teammate.

A New Tradition is Born

The 1988 TV special proved to be a massive hit, drawing an 8.2 rating—the highest viewed wrestling program on cable at the time. This success convinced WWE to make the Royal Rumble an annual January event.

Starting in 1989, the Royal Rumble became a pay-per-view spectacle. The field expanded to 30 participants that year, won by Big John Studd. By 1993, winning the Rumble earned a guaranteed WWF Championship match at WrestleMania, cementing its importance on the road to WWE’s biggest show of the year.

The Royal Rumble quickly became one of WWE’s “Big Four” annual pay-per-views, alongside WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series. Its popularity has endured for over three decades, with the 2025 edition set to take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Legacy and Impact

While the October 1987 house show Rumble is largely forgotten, it played a crucial role in the evolution of one of wrestling’s most beloved match types. Without that initial trial run, WWE may never have given the concept a televised showcase.

The Royal Rumble’s journey from failed experiment to cornerstone event demonstrates the value of persistence and refinement in developing new ideas. Pat Patterson’s willingness to tweak the format and give it another shot despite early setbacks ultimately changed the landscape of professional wrestling.

Today, the annual men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches are among the most anticipated bouts of the year for WWE fans. The element of surprise created by the timed entries and the high stakes of a WrestleMania title shot makes for compelling drama.

Stars like “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, John Cena, and Becky Lynch have used Royal Rumble victories as springboards to cement their legacies. Moments like Ric Flair going coast-to-coast in 1992, Rey Mysterio’s underdog triumph in 2006, and Edge’s shocking return in 2020 are etched in wrestling history.

It’s amazing to think that this treasured institution began with a sparsely attended house show in St. Louis. The forgotten first Rumble reminds us that even the greatest traditions often begin with humble origins.

Evolution of the Royal Rumble

The WWE has been refining and expanding the concept of the Royal Rumble over the years:

The 1994 event saw the only co-winners, when Bret Hart and Lex Luger eliminated each other simultaneously.

The 2011 Rumble featured a 40-man field, the largest until the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018.

2018 marked the first-ever women’s Royal Rumble match, won by Asuka.

Recent years have witnessed increased application of surprise entrants and returning legends to pop the crowd.

The central attraction of the match remains the same as it was in Patterson’s original vision: the drama of new entrants, the struggle for survival, and the glory of being the last person standing.

Conclusion

While WWE history basically ignores that very first experimental Rumble in October 1987, its significance should not be ignored. That was the match that lit a spark to start one of the most enduring creations in wrestling today.

From a failed house show attraction to a must-see television event, such a journey best frames the innovative spirit that has driven WWE’s success down the years: Pat Patterson, whose persistence against initial skepticism eventually produced that iconic match type that has been thrilling fans through generations.

As the Royal Rumble continues to evolve and create new stars, it’s worth remembering its humble origins in a half-empty arena in St. Louis. The forgotten first Rumble reminds us that sometimes the path to greatness isn’t always smooth, but the willingness to learn from failure can lead to extraordinary results.

The next time you watch superstars battle to earn a WrestleMania championship opportunity, take a moment to appreciate the long road that led to this annual tradition. From One Man Gang’s anticlimactic victory to the spectacle of today, the Royal Rumble’s unlikely path to success is a testament to the enduring power of a great idea.