5 former WWE superstars from the first Royal Rumble - Where are they now?
The Royal Rumble match has seen more than its share of incredible records, surprises and moments that still stand out. It hasn’t mattered what the circumstance is or who is in the ring, the Royal Rumble is often a highlight reel of competitors that are there to make a statement. In 1988 in Hamilton, Ontario, the first ever WWE Royal Rumble was held during an event that featured a number of matches, but one match is considered the highlight of the event to this day.
The over the top rope to the floor elimination style matchup was one that may have evolved since its inception, but stars of today have to give thanks for the trail blazed by the participants in that first Rumble thirty years ago. What has happened to these men in the thirty years after the initial Rumble match up? What are their lives like today, and what are they doing?
Here are five former WWE stars from the first ever Royal Rumble match, and where they are today.
#5 Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Duggan can still be seen today in various wrestling conventions and connecting with fans both young and old.
Duggan’s time in WWE has been well chronicled. He spent six years in WWE, competing with the promotion from 1987 until 1993. He would often refer to his competition as ‘tough guys,’ insinuating they weren’t as tough as he was in the ring. Duggan had feuds with several notable characters in WWE such as the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, along with Andre the Giant.
Hacksaw wasn’t simply a participant in the first ever Royal Rumble match, he had the distinction of winning the first ever match up. He outlasted nineteen other men in order to capture the win, eliminating the One-Man Gang at the end, after having entered the matchup as the thirteenth competitor. Duggan spent several years with WCW as well. Today, the 64-year-old Duggan, who was inducted as part of WWE’s 2011 Hall of Fame class, continues to make appearances at wrestling conventions and seminars to this day. He was a beloved character that embraced his character regardless of the circumstance.