10 Most Transformative WWE Events

Wrestling historians (which are a real thing, by the way) are largely in agreement that Stone Cold's run, beginning in 1998, was probably better than any of those before or (obviously) since.

That makes WWE's decision to turn the 'Texas Rattlesnake' heel (and worse still, align him with his arch-nemesis of the previous three years) at WrestleMania X-Seven even more perplexing.

The effect was that it basically seemed to turn a lot of fans away from the product (although that may have been a coincidence, since the wrestling industry shrank at least 50% in the same month), and, significantly, precipitated the end of the Attitude Era, the most successful in the company's history.

A different creative direction probably wouldn't have persuaded Austin - who was facing mounting injury problems - to delay his retirement, but the product's sharp tonal shift could perhaps have been avoided.