10 Times WWE Repeated History

8. His Name Is Earl

Becky Lynch Asuka
WWE

An oddity from the era, WWE somehow found their way into booking near-identical finishes to Backlash main events in 1999 and 2000. Both, unsurprisingly by the time, were devoured whole by Attitude Era audiences in total adoration of an organisation that could do no wrong.

For '99's headliner, the company ran back an exhilirating WrestleMania main event between Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, but with more bells, whistles and bullsh*t. Shane McMahon had taken over The Corporation from his distracted Dad, babyfacing Vince in the process. Playing corrupt referee, he repeatedly tried to rob 'The Rattlesnake' before the Father atoned for the sins of the son by punching him in the face and handing over control to Earl Hebner.

One year on and both of them were back being b*stards, this time to The Rock in his own battle for the belt against Triple H. This time it was Linda who was bringing Hebner in, after a returning Steve Austin had wiped out every breathing heel with a steel chair.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett