Kane was an elite performer, one of the handful of Superstars Vince McMahon regularly promoted to main events and trusted to help carry his brand. With that said, no one could have expected the quality performance turned in by the Big Red Machine in the 2001 Royal Rumble match. Kane entered at No. 6 and immediately targeted comedian Drew Carey. From there, he pummeled the entire hardcore division, eliminating the likes of Raven and Steve Blackman before busting a guitar over the head of the legendary Honky Tonk Man and sending him crashing to the arena floor. From there, he partnered with brother The Undertaker to pummel poor Scotty Too Hotty and mixed it up with icons of the Attitude Era in "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock. In the process, Kane set a new record for eliminations in a single Rumble match with 11. Unfortunately, no matter how dominant the Superstar was, he could not overcome the raw passion of Steve Austin, who blasted him with a chair shot and clotheslined him over the top and to the arena floor after nearly an hour of action. Kane's historic record for eliminations stood for 13 years before Roman Reigns surpassed it by one in 2014.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.