9. Stone Cold Shocks The World And Ends The Attitude Era
Wrestlemania 17 in 2001 would become known as one of the greatest Mania cards in history, with Undertaker and Triple H having a main event style match before the main event itself, an astonishing high-risk TLC match between Edge, Christian, the Dudley Boyz and the Hardy Boyz, a convincing and dramatic Street Fight between Vince and Shane McMahon and the actual main event, Stone Cold Steven Austin versus The Rock in a No Disqualification match for the WWF Championship. The match was half an hour of mayhem, running outside the ring and into the crowd. Both men swapped finishing moves, and each kicked out. Blood was drawn on both sides, and the side story of Vince McMahons continued interference against The Rock continued throughout, McMahon having added the no DQ stipulation shortly before the bell. When Stone Cold delivered the Stunner to The Great One only to watch The Rock kick out yet again, the thousands in attendance (and the millions watching at home) saw the unthinkable occur McMahon entered the ring with a chair and handed it to Austin, who proceeded to pummel The Rock sixteen times with it, taking the pin and taking the title, turning heel and joining the hated Mr. McMahon in the process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ-WydBv65U Given that the story of the hatred between the two had defined the Attitude Era, and that the heel Austin became a whiny complainer, a coward who took the easy way out, pundits have rightfully signaled this swerve turn as the end of the Attitude Era in WWF.
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