10 Times Long-Term WWE Booking Paid Off
2. Austin's Mega-Push
A word of warning for any wrestler looking to fill the role of WWE's franchise player: even Stone Cold didn't become a star over night.
In fact, he was crowned King of the Ring - the beginning of Austin 3:16 - in June 1996, nearly two full years before he first got his hands on the WWF title with victory over Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XIV.
It was all booked at a pace that suited the contemporary wrestling landscape. Title changes were a rare occurrence, and where they did occur they were an earth-shattering event, usually reserved only for the traditional Big Four shows.
Austin got plenty of opportunities - even winning the Royal Rumble, fruitlessly, the year before his crowning moment - but he kept falling down at the last hurdle. When he finally got over the finishing line, it was a moment to savour.