1. Steve Austin Defeats Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania 14
The match that launched Stone Cold Steve Austin to become the top grossing WWE Superstar in its history, and arguably the biggest star of all time. WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross proclaimed at the end of the match that the "Austin Era has begun!" Austin's reign as the top guy in the WWE, saw its greatest business period ever. Pay-per-view buy rates and television ratings were at an all time high, and his merchandise sales broke all the records. The match saw an injured Shawn Michaels gut it out, in what was thought to have been his last match, as he was set to undergo career ending back surgery. The other major factor was the special guest enforcer, Iron Mike Tyson. WWE brought Tyson in because Vince McMahon knew the amount of media attention he would garner. Leading up to the match, mainstream media outlets like ESPN were showing highlights of Monday Night RAW because of Tyson's appearances. That match had more mainstream people watching world wide than any other. Mike Tyson did end up playing a role in the match, as he made the 3-count, when the WWE official was knocked out of the match. Tyson double crossed Degeneration X, and aligned himself with Austin, and held his hand up in victory. "The Texas Rattle Snake" and "The Baddest Man On The Planet" stood in the ring together triumphantly as WrestleMania 14 ended. The way the crowd connected with Austin, and the way the wrestling business boomed as he was the WWE Champion, has to make this WrestleMania WWE Championship change, the biggest of all time.
