Royal Rumble 1992: 5 Reasons Why It’s The Greatest Royal Rumble Match Ever

4) The Roberts/Savage Rivalry

Randy Savage and Jake Roberts brawl at ringside during the '92 Rumble

By the time January 1992 rolled around, Jake “The Snake” Roberts and “Macho Man” Randy Savage were embroiled in one of the most passionate and intense rivalries that the decade would see.

You see, Savage had actually retired from in-ring competition after losing to Ultimate Warrior at 1991’s WrestleMania VII. From there, despite having already been married in real-life, Macho and Miss Elizabeth’s on-screen characters would get married at SummerSlam ’91. All was going to plan in the Gene Okerlund-dubbed Match Made in Heaven… until that no-good Jake Roberts turned up at the wedding reception with The Undertaker.

It was the Deadman who actually attacked Savage, but it was Roberts who made things personal as he scared Elizabeth with a sinister, hissing snake disguised as a faux wedding present. And from there, Macho Man became laser-focussed on getting his hands on Jake Roberts.

The next few months saw Roberts brutally assault Savage, slap Elizabeth, and even let his cobra sink its fangs into Macho’s arm. Eventually, Savage would convince President Jack Tunney to reinstate him in time for December’s This Tuesday in Texas show.

By the time of the Rumble, this rivalry was white-hot. Even more-so, Bobby Heenan and Gorilla Monsoon did all that they could to put over this feud during the Rumble match; Roberts the first to enter the Rumble, constantly, cautiously watching out for Savage to make his grand entrance. But upon Savage’s entrance, there was no pomp and circumstance; just frenzied energy and aggression as the two rivals eventually locked horns once more.