WWE Hall of Famer Hacksaw Jim Duggan had scripted history back in the day by becoming the first person to win the high-stakes Royal Rumble match in 1988 during the namesake inaugural event. He had entered at #13 and outlasted 19 other stars, including Bret Hart and The Ultimate Warrior to win the bout. There is certainly a difference in the approach of the stars from the past to present and Hacksaw Jim Duggan spoke in detail about it.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan hails wrestlers in his time as ‘more creative’
Royal Rumble still remains to one of the exciting match types in pro-wrestling industry. The winner gets to headline WWE’s flagship pay-per-view. It was back in 1988 when the concept of Royal Rumble came into existence. It was a unique concept materialized by the former WWE wrestler, producer and consultant Pat Patterson. Duggan will always be remembered as the inaugural winner of the Royal Rumble match.
Pro-wrestlers often decide their approach in their matches. Some are heavyweights who depends on their power, some are high-flyers who are agile and athletic.
While someone like Jim Duggan was a straight out brawler. He recently spoke about his trademark 2×4 wooden plank, catchphrase, and the wrestling style. He didn’t perform many athletic or big moves and was a brawler who used a clothesline as his finishing manoeuvre. Jim went on to give credit to pro-wrestlers of the present for their athleticism, but he mentioned in an interview with Betway Online Casino that wrestlers in his day were more creative.
“You had a unique group of guys back then,” says Duggan. “I think overall the talent nowadays is much better in terms of athletic ability, but my generation of guys were much more creative. We didn’t have a board of guys coming up with our character – I own Hacksaw Jim Duggan and trademarked it long before I went to WWE – so we were much more willing to try something new.”
“I wasn’t a wrestler… I’m a brawler. I would work with [Ric] Flair sometimes, get beat 1-2-3 in the middle, grab a 2×4, hit Flair, hit the referee, hit the timekeeper. HOOOO! I didn’t win the match, but I’d win the fight. I was a tough guy,” said Duggan.
Of course the time has changed and pro-wrestling has evolved over the years. The pro-wrestling companies have taken different approaches in choosing their talents. While, some companies prefer talents who are tall and heavyweights, while some prefer the shorter stars who showcase their high-flying abilities inside the squared circle. Some ideally prefer a mix both categories.
It was back in 2012 when he returned to WWE. He went on to compete in the Royal Rumble for the last time and entered the match as the #19 entrant. However, he did not win the contest and was eliminated by the former WWE Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes.
