10 Wrestling Career Turning Points That Took Place ON AIR

7. Stone Cold Steve Austin

Scarlett NXT
WWE.com

One of the most replayed scenes in WWE history for good reason, the King Of The Ring 1996 coronation promo was for Stone Cold Steve Austin and the company what Hulk Hogan's late-1983 return was for Vince McMahon himself.

In the months, years and decades removed from the moment, WWE spun the yarn that the phenomenon was overnight and subsequently capitalised on, because telling the truth would highlight just how hard it is to get over in the company. Austin 3:16 signs did pop up, but the t-shirt certainly didn't.

Steve Austin needed the return of Bret Hart to truly elevate him from the most exciting midcarder of a generation to an inevitable main event concern, but the fact he wouldn't have even won the King Of The Ring tournament nor had the opportunity to cut the promo had Triple H not lost the spot speaks volumes about 'The Rattlesnake's firepower on the night.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 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 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, 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