1. Mr. McMahon Is Born At The 1997 Survivor Series
Up until the 1997 Survivor Series, it was only rarely acknowledged on WWF television that Vince McMahon owned the company behind the scenes. It had been mentioned, of course, but it wasn't really a part of any major storylines. That all changed following the infamous events of the 'Montreal Screwjob', an event that changed the course of the ratings war between the WWF and WCW. Hart was headed to WCW, but Vince's decision to call for the bell and effectively screw him out of the WWF Heavyweight Title was monumental. In the aftermath, McMahon morphed into the villainous and tyrannical Mr. McMahon character, asserting that he was proud of what he had done. After years of simply being a neutral announcer, Vince was now the WWF's mega heel. In 1998, he entered into a feud against Steve Austin. The rivalry pulled monster business for the WWF, who finally managed to claw back on par with - and finally surpass - WCW's Monday Nitro each week. The company earned a whole load of money from presenting McMahon as Austin's major antagonist, and the character is still one Vince uses to this day.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
