10 Reasons Why 1997 Was WWE's Most Important Year Ever

5. Vince McMahon Went From Announcer To Evil Owner

It's safe to say that 1997 was arguably the most stressful year of Vince McMahon's professional life. It was also the year where the Mr. McMahon character was born. Remember, McMahon was only an announcer on screen in WWE through the 1980s and he was still calling matches in 1997. The announce team usually consisted of McMahon with Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler at his side. He was always the owner of the company and he still is the WWE Chairman, but 1997 is the year where it was publicly acknowledged. They actually started mentioning it early in 1997 when Bret Hart was going from likable babyface to bitter heel. He was blaming Vince for all of the bad things that were happening to him Later in the year, after Steve Austin suffered a severe neck injury at SummerSlam 1997, McMahon was in the ring with him telling him he had to be careful. It was McMahon speaking as the owner of the company that was worried about a talent. When Austin dropped him with a Stunner for the first time in MSG it was a historical moment. If Austin would do that to his boss, nobody was safe. That's why WWE became must see TV. Then there was Montreal. McMahon became one of the most hated people in the business and his infamous "Bret Screwed Bret" speech was played over and over for years to come. Huge heat. He was smart enough to embrace it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leG3Aq4orCo Earlier this year, Vince McMahon was added to the billionaire list by Forbes magazine. If he looks back at where he was 17 years ago with his company fighting to stay alive and a future very much in doubt, he likely has a lot less stress these days compared to what it was like for him in 1997. That's not to say his life is stress free now. It's just that everything he had to deal with in 1997 likely tested his perseverance more than any year in his life.