10 Best Years In WWE History

7. 1992

Steve Austin Vince McMahon Raw 1997
WWE.com

WWE themselves probably don't consider 1992 among the best in their history.

The company was besieged by scandal. Director of Wrestling Operations Terry Garvin was accused by ring boy Tom Cole of sexual abuse and harrassment. Cole also accused Ring Announcer Mel Phillips of inappropriately touching his feet in a series of events which revealed the darkness lurking within the corridors of Titan Towers.

The steroid furore - which saw Federation’s doctor, George Zahorian, arrested in July 1991- was even more damaging. It led to McMahon being hauled before the federal government.

The Ultimate Warrior had shrunk to such a shocking extent that many were convinced the character wasn't portrayed by Jim Hellwig upon its return at WrestleMania VIII. Warrior's inhuman aura was as tarnished as the WWF's public image, which took a reputational and commerical hammering from which it would take years to recover.

In the ring, however, the mighty WWF recovered from the regrettable Gulf War-inspired series between Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter in 1991 to produce several incredible matches, two of which are talked about as amongst the company's best to this day.

The "fair to Flair" Royal Rumble remains its best iteration over twenty years later, and the Intercontinental title match between the British Bulldog and Bret Hart was a rare emotion-infused story, second only to CM Punk Vs. John Cena at Money In The Bank 2011 in the heat department.

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!