10 Best Years In WWE History

1. 1997

Steve Austin Vince McMahon Raw 1997
WWE.com

1997 might not have seen the WWF overtake WCW in the ratings battle.

It did however see them lay down the foundations for their future success, while also carving out an interconnected set of rivalries which sated the short and long term desires of their audience.

This advanced method of storytelling and rounded-out character development was exemplified during the incendiary main event of In Your House: Canadian Stampede. Austin was due to face Owen Hart at SummerSlam, but he laid into Bret with equal conviction. He hadn't simply lost interest in or changed his feelings towards him because they'd already had their last singles match together. Nobody had yelled cut.

The offscreen drama was even more compelling. The lost smiles and screwjobs made 1997 arguably the most important year in the company's history.

The year was also home to what many consider, with some justification, to be the two best matches ever in the whole of wrestling. The inaugural Hell In A Cell match between Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker has never been bettered, despite its several iterations and standing as the greatest gimmick match in the company's history.

Even better was Bret Hart Vs. Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, the perfect storytelling in which has never been rivalled since.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!