There have been some amazing Royal Rumble pay-per-views (PPVs) over the years, however, there's one event that stands amongst all others - the WWE's 2001 Royal Rumble PPV.
2001 was a great year for professional wrestling, as the Monday Night Wars were just wrapping up; stars such as The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Edge, Kane, and so many more reigned supreme, and WWE was never hotter.
From top to bottom the 2001 Royal Rumble card was stacked, featuring tremendous matches filled with star-power and a main event that kept WWE fans on the edge of their seats the entire time.
With that being said, here are the four reasons we think the 2001 Royal Rumble was the best in WWE history:
4. Tag Team greatness
In the opening match of the night, two of the greatest tag teams in the history of professional wrestling battled it out for the WWE Tag Team Championships. Defending champions Edge and Christian met The Dudley Boyz to cap off a great rivalry with a title bout.
Little did these four men know that years from now they'd be recognized as some of the best tag teams in the history of the industry, but on this night it was The Dudley Boyz who successfully defeated the team of Awesomeness to capture the Tag Team titles.
3. Technical wrestling at its finest
Two of the greatest technical wrestlers in the history of the industry met for one of the most coveted prizes in wrestling, and to make things even more exciting, it all took place in a ladder match.
Despite the darkness surrounding his death, Chris Benoit is still recognized as one of the greatest technical wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling. One man who is held in just as much high regard for their in-ring work is former WWE Champion Chris Jericho.
On this night in 2001 two of the very best in the business laid it all out in one of the greatest matches in Royal Rumble history, and Jericho was able to climb the ladder to retrieve the title and become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion.
2. Classic rivalry
During the Attitude Era Kurt Angle and Triple H put on one of the best rivalries of all time. The pair's feud extended over a period of several months in which they battled it out, not only for the affections of Stephanie McMahon, but for the WWE Championship.
At this point in time Angle reigned as the WWE Champion and would defend his title against Triple H. Angle had Trish Stratus in his corner while "The Game's" wife, Stephanie, was in his.
After an excellent 25 minutes of back-and-forth action for the WWE's ultimate prize, Angle was able to successfully defend his title.
1. A Stone Cold finish
As always, the main event of any Royal Rumble pay-per-view (PPV) is the traditional Royal Rumble match to determine who the No. 1-contender for the WWE World Title will be, as they will main event WrestleMania.
In a talent-stacked Rumble during the Attitude Era, WWE Hall Of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin was able to win his third-ever Royal Rumble match by last eliminating Kane.
He would go on to win the WWE Championship from The Rock at WrestleMania 17 in Houston, Texas, where he turned heel by aligning himself with Vince McMahon.
What are your thoughts on our four reasons why the 2001 Royal Rumble is the greatest in WWE history? Do you agree that it's the best Rumble in the history of the company? If not then which Royal Rumble do you think is the best of all-time? Have YOUR say in the comments section below, and the fourth episode of GiveMeSport’s WWE podcast is here!
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