Austin made it three Rumble victories in 2001 and still holds the record for most Royal Rumble wins. While The Rock could also have realistically won the match, Steve Austin was definitely the bookies' favourite. Stone Cold had returned to the WWF a few months prior after being out for almost a year following major neck surgery. Austin returned with a vengeance and cut through the likes of Rikishi, Triple H and Kurt Angle upon his return. He was booked strong just like in the past but that's not the main reason his Rumble win was so predictable. The thing that gave it away was the fact that WrestleMania X7 was to be held at the Reliant Astrodome in Houston, Texas. Having the Texan main event the super-show was the logical thing to do. WWE did make fans second guess the outcome after Kane eliminated (a then record) eleven people and Rock survived until the final three. But Austin outlasted everyone, to the surprise of just about nobody.
