10 Best Early Year WWE Feuds

7. Steve Austin Vs. Shawn Michaels With Mike Tyson (1998)

It's hard to properly state how important Mike Tyson was when WWE brought him into the mix in early 1998. The company was hurting financially to the point that there were serious concerns about their future, but thanks to the rise of Austin as the top face they were on the right track again. When they brought Tyson in, it was a time when his star power was enormous because he was suspended by the sport of boxing for biting Evander's Holyfield. The wrestling business was full of guys playing the role of a crazy heel, but Tyson was as legit crazy as any athlete there's ever been. It was a brilliant move for WWE to have Austin get right in his face on Raw following the Royal Rumble. It looked as though Tyson was there to respect Austin, but Austin was jealous that WWE was promoting Tyson so much so he shoved him and they had an epic shoving match that really amounted to nothing except a whole lot of anticipation. They followed that up with Tyson teasing like he was joining Michaels in Degeneration X. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5abDK1j5IE At WrestleMania 14, Tyson served as the special enforcer outside the ring while Austin battled Michaels for the WWE Title. With the referee bumped, Tyson went into the ring to count the deciding fall to show that he really wasn't committed to DX. Post match, Michaels got in Tyson's face and Tyson knocked him out with a punch as the Austin Era officially began. Those three months to start 1998 were huge for WWE. Fans started to watch WWE more because they just didn't know what might happen with Austin or Tyson. That momentum really helped them surge ahead of WCW and win the Monday Night War for good.