Though the match hadn't delivered on even measured expectations after their superlative scuffles in 1996 (and superb pay-per-view outing in 1997), Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin's main event was exactly that - a headliner for the ages that established its winner as the standout star to make good on the company's scintillating promise shared over the prior year.
It was over a year before Vince McMahon left WCW in his rear view mirror, but just weeks before he overturned Monday Nitro's stranglehold on the television ratings. Eric Bischoff himself later noted how envious he was of Mike Tyson's red-hot involvement, with obvious this contemporary spin on WWE's 1980s obsession with celebrity again reaping rewards for McMahon as he finally reframed his organisation after years of commercial malaise.
Like Austin's own hardened "eight-year journey" to the top of the industry, this was no quick fix turnaround for The Chairman. He'd had his fair share of luck, but an awful lot of hard work and self-belief had gone in to the as-yet unfinished product. As with Hogan in the past, and John Cena in the years that followed. the gaffer was again styling his newest hero in the vision of how he saw himself.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 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. 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
