10 Biggest Turning Points For WWE In 1997
4. Vince Holds A Meeting With The Talent The Day After Brian Pillman Died
EFFECT: Vince admits it's time to change the tone of the show
Raw is War had gradually been veering toward darker shifts throughout 1997, but under the cloud of Pillman's untimely demise, McMahon felt the need to verbalise his agenda. That night, he would be interviewing Pillman's widow Melanie, barely twenty-four hours after she learned the horrific news. It was controversial, and Vince knew it.
That's why he chose that point to tell his roster where he intended to go with his product.
Mick Foley has said that meeting had a profound impact on the company, as it was that point that realistic characters began to head to the forefront of WWE, and the final elements of their one-note past were finally getting phased out.