The Rock Vs. Steve Austin | Wrestling Timelines

January 21, 2001 - Royal Rumble

Kane The Rock Steve Austin
WWE

Austin wins one of the better Royal Rumble matches ever held.

The booking is so exceptional on the night that you wouldn’t know the boom is nearing its end. In a masterstroke, Kane - on his best ever night professionally - sets the record for most eliminations with 11. There is no direct reference to the 1997 Rumble match, but the contrast is staggering. The interaction between Kane, Austin and Rock is brilliant. Kane throws Rock out as Austin narrowly evades the same fate in a suspenseful sequence by the ropes.

Kane’s monster run idea is rewarded with a monster of a performance. When this version of the character is in such deadly form, there is no shame whatsoever when Rock is eliminated by him. Everybody is asking the same question. Who is the man, really?

Austin, or Rock?

Since neither man eliminates the other, the WWF, deftly, leaves it unanswered for another day.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!