10 shocking moments from WWF (WWE) 1998

#8 Stone Cold wins the WWF Championship

The Austin era begins

The WWF/E has often been accused of not following through with stories even if they are receiving white-hot heat. Vince has been known to cancel plans for fear of his product being too predictable. If wrestling is all about getting the right reaction, then by Vince's logic the audience shouldn't be able to predict what is going to happen beforehand.

Every now and then, however, there are certain moments that we can all see coming a mile away, but simply need to be allowed to happen regardless. One such moment is the conclusion of Wrestlemania 14 and the main event between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels.

As alluded to at the outset of this piece, the WWF was in many ways built around HBK between the years of 95-97. He was the man who never jumped ship and offered Vince some much-needed loyalty and stability when he needed it most. It was fitting, then, that as a new era was brought in, it would be Shawn Michaels who would help deliver it into existence.

After winning the 1998 Royal Rumble, Stone Cold sought about going after Michaels and DX, promising to take the belt away from him. Mike Tyson was even brought in to make this occasion feel even more special, and in kayfabe terms at least, Tyson initially sided with HBK. Like any great wrestling story, the babyface Austin went into the match with multiple obstacles to overcome. Shawn was being backed up by the rest of DX as well as the 'Baddest Man on the Planet' himself.

Going back and watching this match all these years later, it's hard to refer to it as a technical masterpiece. Shawn was not allowed to show off the full capacity of his arsenal due to back problems that were actually exacerbated during the match itself. Stone Cold was also not too far removed from the neck injury he suffered to Owen Hart the year previous. But when all said and done, this match did not need to be a '5-star classic'. This was all about ushering in the new era of WWF with Stone Cold at the helm.

After a double cross from Tyson and a pinfall victory for Austin out went the 'new generation' era of WWF that brought with it so many problems and such failure, and in came the beginnings of a much brighter future. The WWF was still waiting for the tide to turn in terms of the ratings, but the final scene of Mania 14 with Austin's hand being raised by Tyson must have filled Bishoff and Turner with dread.