But perhaps the most infamous boxing crossover came 13 years later at WrestleMania XIV, when none other than Mike Tyson was invited to act as the Special Outside Enforcer for the WWE Championship match between Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin. At the time, Tyson was unable to box due to his license being rescinded by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. But boxing, of course, is not wrestling. Vince McMahon wisely saw this as an opportunity to exploit Tysons pay-per-view appeal and offer him a role at WrestleMania. In the build up to the show, Tyson had aligned himself with D-Generation X and engaged in a memorable brawl with Austin himself. Come the Showcase of the Immortals itself though, Tyson made further headlines by turning on DX, counting Austins pinfall victory and then laying out Michaels for good measure. It was non-stop action and great entertainment, but most importantly it thrust the WWE to new levels of mainstream popularity during a pivotal era for the company.
