10 Fascinating WWE Royal Rumble 2001 Facts
1. Austin Became The First, And So Far Only, Three Time Winner
Austin's blood-soaked feel good moment came after he beat Kane into oblivion with a steel chair, before depositing him over the ropes with a running clothesline. The New Orleans Arena exploded into cheers, as "Stone Cold" was on his way to yet another WrestleMania title match.
With the win, Austin broke a tie with Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels, becoming the only three-time winner of the event. Since then, four other men have won two Rumble matches (John Cena, Batista, Triple H, and Randy Orton), but none have joined him with a third.
Austin also set another interesting mark, becoming the first person to win a Rumble match with less than 10 minutes of time in the match. Austin posted a paltry time of 9:38, beating the 12:21 mark of Big John Studd in 1989. This, of course, doesn't count Vince McMahon's dubious 56 minutes in the 1999 Rumble, after sitting out most of it.