On the WWF side of things, their golden goose was unquestionably 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin. His ascent began in earnest at the 1996 King of the Ring, where his infamous "Austin 3:16" promo instantly made him the hottest commodity on the roster. His subsequent face turn (at the end of a fantastic WrestleMania match with Bret Hart) transformed him into a hero for the WWF's predominantly young, male demographic - an everyman champion for the masses. Austin was brash, blue-collar, and eager to kick his boss' as - and fortunately he had the most detestable boss in the business. Vince's 'Mr. McMahon' persona was spawned in the aftermath of the Montreal Screwjob, and quickly became just as crucial a component of the WWF's resurgence as Austin himself. Their overarching feud spoke perfectly to the audience, making Austin the biggest industry name since Hulk Hogan. Without Stone Cold's rise, it's difficult to see the WWF preventing WCW from running away with the Monday Night Wars. It's also difficult to imagine the Attitude Era existing, let alone propelling wrestling firmly back into the mainstream.
