Royal Rumble (1997)

Royal Rumble (1997) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event made by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE). It took place on January 19, 1997, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It was the tenth Royal Rumble event held by the WWF. 

 Background 
As is the case every year since the event's beginning, the event featured the 30-man over-the-top-rope battle royal, also known as the Royal Rumble match. The match started with two wrestlers and a new one was added every 90 seconds. To eliminate an opposing wrestler he must be thrown over the top rope and have both his two feet hit the floor, this continued until there was only one man left, who was named the winner. The winner received a match for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 13. The match was won by Stone Cold Steve Austin. The main event saw Shawn Michaels defeat Sycho Sid to win his second WWF Championship.

The event also featured wrestlers from the WWF's partner promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, which would later be purchased by WWE in 2025.

Results
No.ResultsStipulationsTimes1Perro Aguayo Jr. and Venum defeated Maniaco and Mosco de la MercedTag team match10:002Blue Demon Jr., Octagón and Tinieblas Jr. defeated Abismo Negro, Heavy Metal and HisteriaSix-man tag team match14:003Mascarita Sagrada Jr. and La Parkita defeated Mini Mankind and Mini VaderTag team match4:294Hunter Hearst Helmsley (c) (with Mr. Hughes  defeated Goldust (with Marlena)Singles match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship16:505Ahmed Johnson defeated Faarooq (with The Nation of Domination) by disqualificationSingles match8:486Vader (with Paul Bearer) defeated The UndertakerSingles match13:197Canek, Héctor Garza and Perro Aguayo defeated Heavy Metal, Fuerza Guerrera, and Jerry EstradaSix-man tag team match10:568Stone Cold Steve Austin won by last eliminating Bret Hart30-man Royal Rumble match for a WWF Championship match at WrestleMania 1350:309Shawn Michaels (with José Lothario defeated Sycho Sid (c)Singles match for the WWF Championship13:49(c) – is the champion(s) going into the matchD – This match was a dark matchF – This match aired before the pay-per-view on :en:WWE Free for All

Royal Rumble entrances and eliminations
 – Represented Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) 

 – Winner

DrawEntrantOrderEliminated byTimeEliminationsCrushPhineas Godwinn06:170Ahmed JohnsonHimself03:022"Razor Ramon"Ahmed Johnson00:170Phineas I. GodwinnSteve Austin02:521Stone Cold Steve AustinWinner45:0710Bart GunnSteve Austin00:260Jake Roberts01:100The British BulldogOwen Hart08:041Pierroth10Mil Máscaras10:32110The SultanThe British Bulldog03:23011Mil Máscaras11Himself07:28212Hunter Hearst Helmsley12Goldust06:42013Owen Hart17Steve Austin08:29214Goldust13Owen Hart05:33115CyberneticoMil Máscaras and Pierroth01:25016Marc Mero16Steve Austin03:53017Latin Lover14Faarooq01:47018Faarooq15Ahmed Johnson00:41119Savio Vega18Steve Austin00:46020Jesse James1900:29021Bret Hart2921:12222Jerry Lawler20Bret Hart00:04023"Diesel"2817:49024Terry Funk24Mankind15:18025Rocky Maivia2313:00026Mankind25The Undertaker12:20227Flash Funk21Vader06:12028Vader26Steve Austin10:06129Henry O. Godwinn22The Undertaker06:11030The Undertaker27Steve Austin06:462

References

Category:Royal Rumble
Category:1997 in professional wrestling
Category:1990s in San Antonio, Texas
Category:1997 in the United States