The WWE Hall of Famer discusses how to win the Royal Rumble, which is one of the year’s four most popular pay-per-view events.
“The whole thing is about longevity,” explains the retired wrestler, speaking to Will Crook.
“That’s why when you watch the Royal Rumble, everyone goes straight to the corners. That’s a safe place.”
Hacksaw understands what he’s talking about, having won the first Royal Rumble in 1988.
He was number 13 out of 20 competitors that year, and the Royal Rumble was expanded to 30 competitors the following year.
He fought his way to the last two, where he saw the 450lb, 6ft 9in One Man Gang crash through the gap Duggan had caused in the ropes, leaving him as the last man remaining.
“You want to be aggressive, you want to be strong, you want to be quick, and luck of the draw has a lot to do with it as well,” he says.
It’s always preferable to arrive later. You’re younger than the people who’ve been around for a while. That’s a lengthy time in the ring for the first five guys.
“You can be kicking butt and then somebody comes up behind you and that’s it.”
It’s not the same as a singles match. I appreciated being able to regulate the speed in a fight, but forget about that in a battle royale or a Royal Rumble.
“Nobody’s controlling nothing, it’s like the Wild West out there.”
Nothing beats the Rumble for drama, unpredictability, and complete anarchy when it comes to single pay-per-view events.
In a nutshell, it’s the biggest wrestling event of the year, and it’s a must-see.
Yet, in 1988, it was a new concept created by Pat Patterson, a former WWE wrestler, producer, and adviser.
“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.”
And it was Duggan’s willingness to be open-minded that led to what was unquestionably a career-defining chance.
“In my portfolio of wrestling achievements, that’s the biggest one,” he says.
“Nobody was more surprised in that whole building than me after I won the thing.
I occasionally go through the list of guys who went out in order, going down and down until I reach the winner: Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
“I was never world champion, I was never tag team champion, I was never intercontinental champion, I was lucky to win a match but that was my character.”
Duggan made up for what he lacked in the glamorous side of the business with guts and tenacity, which came in handy when it came to events like the Royal Rumble.
“I wasn’t a wrestler,” he says. “People ask, ‘Hacksaw, what was your favorite move?’ I kick and punch, 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.”
As he shouts his characteristic catchphrase, Duggan’s delight is evident.
It was because of this level of commitment that he returned to the WWE in 2009 and again in 2012, where he faced some familiar foes.
“First, in the WWF, I wrestled Dusty [Rhodes], [Ted] DiBiase and [Bob] Orton, and then in the WWE, I wrestled Dusty’s kid, DiBiase’s kid and Orton’s kid,” says Duggan.
“I knew them when they would come to the earlier shows and sit on my lap.
“First I beat up the old man, then I beat up the kid!”
Duggan was re-entered into the Royal Rumble in 2012, at the age of 58, and placed 19th before being eliminated by Cody Rhodes, the son of legendary wrestler and longtime foe Dusty Rhodes.
“Everything about the Royal Rumble in 2012 was harder,” he says.
“I knew it would be a challenge because all the kids were 15 or 20 years younger than me.
“I wasn’t in my prime anymore and I was worried about how I looked physically. I wore trunks and boots and as I got older, my trunks just kept getting bigger and bigger.
“It’s a show that millions of people are going to watch, so you have all that anxiety. Multiply that by 10 when they throw you into a pay-per-view and add another five when people know you’re Hacksaw and you won the first one.”
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