Hacksaw won the first-ever Royal Rumble fight in 1988; he knows what he is speaking about. He made his entry in the ring at the 13th number out of 20 that year, and the following year the number of participants extended to 30. Also, he battled his way towards the final two, where he saw the 6ft 9in and 450lb One Man Gang table via a gap in the subsequent ropes where he had opened and also left the last man standing.
As per him, it’s better to enter the ring later because you are fresher than the people who are present there for a longer time. “You can be kicking butt, and then someone hits you from behind, and that’s it.”
Hacksaw Jim Duggan tries to stay away from other people because, as per him, the less time we spend in contact with other people, the longer we will be able to stay in the ring. The Hall of Famer is speaking about how anyone can win the Royal Rumble.
He further states about Royal Rumble or Battle Royale that you cannot control the pace in fighting compared to other games where you can control the pace. It’s just like the Wild West that nothing is controlling. According to him, when it comes to the single pay-per-view events, nothing can trump the Rumble for utter chaos, drama, and unpredictability.
In short, it can be said that wrestling is an annual event and a must-watch. In 1988, Royal Rumble was unique and the brainchild of WWE wrestler, consultant, and producer Pat Patterson. Duggan states how he found the modern generation to have a better athletic ability, but the older one was much more creative.
He was never a world champion, Intercontinental champion and feels lucky for winning the match as per the character. He was never a wrestler, and people usually ask about his favorite movie. He kicks, punches, and is a brawler. Although he didn’t win the match, he won the fight and was believed to be a tough guy.
Duggan’s voice excitement was palpable as he started shouting his trademark catchphrase. His passion inspired him to return to WWE in 2009 and 2012; he was pitted against many familiar faces.
In WWF, he wrestled against Dusty, Orton, and DiBiase, and in WWE, he was seen wrestling against Dusty’s kid, Oron’s kid, and DiBiase’s kid. He has known these kids since their childhood. Firstly Hacksaw beat their father and then their kids.
In 2012, at 58 years of age, Duggan entered the Royal Rumble game again and came at 19th number before he was eliminated by Dusty’s son, Cody Rhodes.
As per him, the Royal Rumble was harder in 2012. And he was not in my prime fitness and was worried about looking physically fit. He used to wear boots and trunks, and with time my trunks started getting bigger and bigger.
The show is broadcast and seen by millions of people, which is why he was anxious. It can be multiplied by 10 when they tend to throw you into the pay-per-view game and the rest five when everyone knows that you are Hacksaw and was a winner once.
At 68, he is still recovering from cancer and had his last surgery in October; Hacksaw has finally closed the last door of returning. Because of his health issues, he has lost the hope of returning to the ring. But, as per him, everybody has a chance at playing Royal Rumble, and anyone can win it, and on winning, your career changes in seconds.
