This Day In History: 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan Wins The First Royal Rumble (Video)

By Chris Featherstone

The Royal Rumble tradition made its debut on January 24, 1988. For many years, wrestling territories have headlined shows with battle royal matches. However, the WWE decided to take this concept to the next level, making it a pay-per-view and having much greater stakes than the battle royal matches of the past.

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Interestingly, the first Royal Rumble was not shown on pay-per-view. Rather, it was shown as a special on the USA Network, ending with these results:

* Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat def. "Ravishing" Rick Rude (DQ)

* WWE Women's Tag Team Championship: The Jumping Bomb Angels def. The Glamour Girls

* The Islanders def. The Young Stallions (2/3 Falls)

* Dino Bravo successfully bench presses 715 pounds

* Hulk Hogan and Andre The Giant contract signing

* "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan wins The Royal Rumble. You can view the Royal Rumble match below:

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