The Top 20 Matches of The Rock (Results)

The main event was the Royal Rumble match. During the match, non-participants Kaientai (Funaki and TAKA Michinoku repeatedly and randomly entered the ring, and attacked the participants. They were thrown out soon after each time. Rikishi, the fifth entrant, dominated upon entering, and eliminated all except Grand Master Sexay. Scotty 2 Hotty entered next, and the three Too Cool members danced in the ring until Rikishi eliminated the other two, and continued to dance. Rikishi eliminated the first to eighth entrant. The Big Boss Man, the ninth entrant, refused to enter the ring until Test, the following entrant, threw him in. During Kaientai's second interference, TAKA was injured when he was thrown out of the ring, and sent to the hospital. Funaki continued to interfere by himself. It took six men to eliminate Rikishi. After Faarooq, the eighteenth entrant, entered, non-participants Mean Street Posse came out, and attacked Faarooq, helping The Big Boss Man eliminate him. Bradshaw, entering twenty-seventh, was attacked by the Mean Street Posse, and eliminated soon after. Faarooq came out and, with Bradshaw, fought with the Mean Street Posse backstage.

The final four participants in the Royal Rumble match were The Rock, The Big Show, Kane, and X-Pac. The New Age Outlaws pulled Kane out of the ring, and attacked him. The Rock eliminated X-Pac, but the referees were preoccupied with Kane and did not see this. X-Pac re-entered the match. Kane hit an enzuigiri, and a scoop slam on The Big Show, but X-Pac then eliminated Kane with a spinning heel kick. X-Pac hit The Big Show with a Bronco buster, but The Big Show eliminated him with a gorilla press drop, leaving The Rock and The Big Show. The Rock performed a spinebuster and a People's Elbow, but The Big show came back with a chokeslam. The Big Show had The Rock on his shoulder, and attempted to throw him over the top rope, but The Rock hung onto the rope, and pulled The Big Show over. The Rock won the match.

The sixth match was a Triple Threat match in a steel cage between Ken Shamrock, Mankind and The Rock. The match went back and forth between all three, and each was double-teamed. As Mankind and Shamrock double-teamed The Rock, The Rock fought back with a DDT to Mankind and a float-over DDT to Shamrock. The Rock then performed a scoop slam and a People's Elbow to both before climbing the cage. Mankind and Shamrock stopped, and attacked The Rock. The Rock then performed a low blow to Shamrock, and a Rock Bottom to Mankind. Shamrock fought back with a belly to belly suplex, and applied the ankle lock. Mankind stopped Shamrock and climbed to the top of the cage. The Rock followed but Mankind threw him off. Mankind then performed a diving elbow drop from the top of the cage, but The Rock avoided it. Shamrock then attempted to climb out the door, but Mankind held onto his leg. Shamrock brought a chair into the ring, and attempted to hit Mankind. Mankind avoided it, performed a double-arm DDT on Shamrock, and hit him with the chair. As Mankind climbed the cage, The Rock pinned Shamrock to win the match, and become the number-one contender to the WWF Championship.

The fifth match was between Chris Jericho and The Rock for the Undisputed WWF Championship. Jericho took control early in the match, and removed the padding off one of the turnbuckles. Jericho attempted the Walls of Jericho, but The Rock escaped. Jericho continued his control until The Rock delivered a superplex, and a snap overhead belly to belly suplex. Jericho came back with two Lionsaults. The Rock then countered a missile dropkick, and applied the Sharpshooter. Lance Storm and Christian came out, and distracted the referee as Jericho tapped out. This allowed Jericho to hit a Rock Bottom. He then attempted a People's Elbow, but The Rock avoided it, and threw Jericho out of the ring. The Rock sent Jericho into the ringsteps, and hit a Rock Bottom through the announce table. Back in the ring, Jericho countered a Rock Bottom and applied the Walls of Jericho, but The Rock reached the ropes. The Rock accidentally hit the referee, and Jericho took advantage by attacking The Rock with the title belt. Jericho signaled Nick Patrick (a heel referee) to come out, and referee. The Rock hit a DDT, but Patrick refused to count the pinfall. The Rock attacked Patrick, and hit a Rock Bottom, and a People's Elbow on Jericho. As The Rock tried to revive the original referee, Jericho hit a low blow, sending The Rock into the exposed turnbuckle. Jericho used a roll-up with both feet on the ropes to win, and retain the title.

Stone Cold had beaten The Rock for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania. Rock was granted his rematch one month later at Backlash. This resembled the Wrestlemania Championship match with the brawling outside the ring, including both men crashing through the entryway set. Shane McMahon was the guest referee, obsessed with screwing Austin out of the title. This match is best known for not only Vince McMahon striking his son and presenting Austin with his Championship Belt after the match, but with Shane accidentally costing Rock the belt it spearheaded the Rock face turn the next night on Raw.

# WWF Champion Mankind fought The Rock to a no-contest in a Last Man Standing match (21:54)

* The match was declared a draw after both men simultaneously hit each other with steel chairs and couldn't get up before the 10 count.