1. Kane – 2001
Unquestionably, Kane is one of the greatest wrestlers never to win the Royal Rumble match. The former WWE and World Heavyweight Champion put everyone on notice in the 2001 Royal Rumble match. Arguably, the 2001 Royal Rumble match is the greatest in WWE history. The drama was palpable, but Kane became even more dangerous when he sided with his brother, The Undertaker.
No man spent longer than Kane in the 2001 Royal Rumble match, with The Big Red Machine dominant throughout. He lasted 53 minutes and 46 seconds. Kane’s performance was brilliant to witness. The likes of the then-longest reigning Intercontinental Champion in history, The Honky Tonk Man, were one of Kane’s victims. Fans took note of Kane’s performance, and he eliminated the previous year’s winner, The Rock, from the Rumble.
The final two participants were Kane and Steve Austin. The pair had history over the WWE Championship in 1998, and both were looking to headline WrestleMania.
Austin knew that eliminating Kane was going to be a tall order. However, weapons were used throughout the 2001 Royal Rumble match, and Austin struck Kane with a steel chair. Nevertheless, Kane’s dominance was halted by Austin. Still, his performance cannot be overlooked as one of the greatest performances by a runner-up in the history of the Royal Rumble.
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