10 shocking moments from WWF (WWE) 1998

#9 RAW beats Nitro in the ratings

The turning of the tide

The first few months of 1998 were undoubtedly very strong for Vince McMahon and the WWF. Fans had flocked in support of their new hero Stone Cold Steve Austin, and due to the Montreal Screwjob a few months previous, everyone was talking about the WWF once again.

But at the end of the day, all that would mean nothing if it did not translate into a ratings victory. For almost two years, WCW Nitro had beaten RAW on Monday nights. The sheer popularity of the NWO, along with guys like Flair and Sting was simply too much for fans to ignore. These were also not the days of the WWE Network or illegal streaming. If one show was receiving better viewing figures than the other, it meant that fans were just more interested in seeing it.

As the months went by, everyone involved with the WWF must have been left feeling frustrated. Austin was the number one contender and Mike Tyson had been brought in as a special guest referee for the upcoming Wrestlemania main event, yet the company could still not score a victory in terms of viewership.

Then, on the 13th of April 1998, after Stone Cold had defeated Michaels for the championship, WWF RAW finally defeated Nitro for the first time since June 1996. If younger fans don't quite understand how important the rivalry between Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin was, then this victory by RAW should go some way to explaining it. The main event of the show would see McMahon take on Austin after the two had come to blows over whether or not Stone Cold was a worthy enough champion in the boss's eyes.

The actual match never came to pass, as the main event ended up being interrupted by Dude Love, leading to a new feud for Austin over his Championship. But the announcement itself was enough to draw people over to the WWF product. After a few weeks of back and forth throughout the summer, the WWF would eventually wrestle back control permanently, leading to ultimate supremacy.