The Complete History of the WWE Championship - Part 8

Mankind (August 22, 1999 - August 23, 1999)

Mankind wins his third and final WWE Championship at SummerSlam 1999

SummerSlam 1999 was supposed to be Triple H's big moment. However politics delayed his coronation by 24 hours. Ironic that the man who would become a master politician at preserving his spot at the expense of others in WWE, would first have to contend with the machinations of Stone Cold Steve Austin.

In 1999, Austin was a paranoid presence backstage. A combination of mounting injuries to his knees as well as his neck and spinal cord, which had been on borrowed time ever since the Owen Driver incident at SummerSlam 1997, had led the champion to veto feuds with Dr Death Steve Williams and Jeff Jarrett who he both felt were beneath him.

Later in the year, he felt threatened by Triple H, a performer who could out wrestle him and match him on the microphone. Although "The Game" was yet to catch fire as a headliner, Stone Cold viewed him as a threat to his position.

At Fully Loaded 1999, Triple H defeated The Rock to become number one contender to the WWE Championship at SummerSlam.

The original plan was that he would defeat Austin one on one to win his first WWE Championship. However, Austin point blank refused to lose to Triple H.

In a fix, WWE were forced to rush back Mankind back from injury and a visibly in pain Mick Foley had to defeat Stone Cold instead, in a triple threat bout which included Triple H.

Post-match "The Game" was permitted to assault Stone Cold with a steel chair which was the story line excuse to write Austin out of in-ring duty for two months as he attempted to convalesce his nagging injuries.

Mankind's reign was nothing more than a single day transition as Foley was more than happy to look at the lights for Triple H.