6 times Steve Austin entered the Royal Rumble (and how he performed)

Steve Austin has won the Royal Rumble match thrice, more than anyone else in WWE history. It is doubtful that anyone would even equal the Texas Rattlesnake, let alone break the record.

Interestingly, Austin has participated in only six Rumbles in his entire career. This means he has won one out of every two Royal Rumbles he entered.

As the 2022 event gets closer, let's look at the six times Steve Austin entered the Battle Royale (and how he performed).

#6. The Ringmaster Austin first entered in 1996

The first time Austin entered the event, it was not as Stone Cold. Instead, he was The Ringmaster from the heel stable of Ted Dibiase, his manager at the time.

He entered the event at number 24 and eliminated Bob Holly as his only elimination. According to Austin, he was meant to be among the final four competitors. However, in an attempt to eliminate Fatu, he slipped over the rope and got eliminated.

Nonetheless, this Rumble was the first and the last in his Ringmaster moniker.

Final Ranking - #8

#5. Stone Cold won the Royal Rumble in 1997

Austin was the fifth entrant in the 1997 edition of the premium live event. He spent 45 minutes and 7 seconds inside the ring, tossing ten superstars over the top rope and equalling Hogan's record for most eliminations in a single match.

Though he won the match, his win was controversial, to say the least. Bret Hart eliminated Austin, but ring officials didn't notice as they were busy settling a dispute on the other side of the ring.

Austin grabbed the opportunity and went back inside the ring. He ultimately eliminated Bret Hart to win the match. The two superstars then squared off at WrestleMania 1997, which is often heralded as the onset of the Attitude Era.

Final Ranking - #1

#4. Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble in 1998

Steve Austin entered the Royal Rumble, 1998, at number 24, and ended The Rock's attempt to win the match. The latter had survived for 51 minutes 32 seconds.

Austin became the third Superstar after Hogan and Michaels to win the match back-to-back twice. Surprisingly, no one has since then won two consecutive editions of the Battle Royale.

Austin eliminated seven Superstars to win the Battle Royale. He then faced Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania and defeated him to become the WWE (then WWF) Champion.

Final Ranking - #1

#3. Steve Austin was the runner-up in 1999

The Last Rumble of the Millennium saw Austin entering in the first position. He began the match against Vince McMahon. If The Rattlesnake's 50 percent winning rate is incredible, then behold Mr. McMahon's astonishing success rate.

The WWE Boss has entered 30-man matches only once and won. Although Austin eliminated eight superstars in the event, McMahon was still in the match. Austin went after The Rock when the latter interfered in the match. Mr. McMahon used this distraction to eliminate Austin from behind.

Final Ranking - #2

#2. Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble for the third time in 2001

Steve Austin entered the 2001 Royal Rumble at #27. This spot has been famous for producing the most winners. Hence, his chances were higher than ever.

The Texas Rattlesnake proved he is the biggest star in the company by bagging his third Rumble victory. The event featured Kane throwing 11 Superstars over the top rope. Everyone imagined him to win.

However, Austin managed to toss the Big Red Machine and win the match. He challenged The Rock at WrestleMania and won.

Final Rankings - #1

#1. Steve Austin reached the final four in his last Rumble

The last time Austin entered the 30-man-match was in 2002. Entering at number 19, he managed to eliminate seven superstars.

In the six appearances he made in the event, Austin completed 36 eliminations, a record at the time. Though he didn't win this match, he still made it to the final four. An alliance of Kurt Angle and Mr. Perfect eliminated Austin for the last time from the Royal Rumble.

Final Ranking - #4

Do you think Steve Austin is one of the best Superstars to ever compete in WWE? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.