10 Greatest Performances In WWE Royal Rumble History

7. Kane (2001)

triple h rey mysterio royal rumble 2006
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As far as monstrous Royal Rumble performances go, it’s tough to top Kane’s in 2001. This was one of the Big Red Machine’s finest hours in WWE, and while it’s hard to think of him as an all-conquering behemoth in 2017, that’s exactly what he was 16 years ago. The night ultimately belonged to Stone Cold Steve Austin, who won the match, but nobody looked better than Kane in the 2001 Royal Rumble.

Entering at number six, Kane left the competition for dead. He started by prompting a terrified Drew Carey to eliminate himself from the match just by standing beside him, before a host of midcarders ran to the slaughter. The Honky Tonk Man had his guitar smashed over his head, Grand Master Sexay and Steve Blackman were thrown out effortlessly, and Kane was on fire.

Kane finished second overall, and was eventually eliminated by Austin. Regardless, he’d thrown a record 11 wrestlers out during his 53 minutes in the ring, and had all but secured his place in Rumble folklore. The next few years weren’t particularly kind for Kane, who saw his aura gradually eroded by the Katie Vick angle, his shambolic unmasking, and more but with a record 44 total eliminations to his name, Kane remains one of the best Royal Rumble performers of all-time.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.