WWE’s Greatest Tournament Came 20 Years Ago

“The Austin Era has begun!”

At WrestleMania 14, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin won the WWF Championship from Shawn Michaels. Meanwhile, evil owner Vince McMahon was looking for his “corporate champion” and when Austin denied all advances, McMahon began to stack the deck against the Texas Rattlesnake. Two failed attempts with Mick Foley as Dude Love at Unforgiven and Over the Edge led to McMahon making a first blood match between Austin and Kane at King of the Ring. (Keep in mind that Kane wears a full body suit and a rubber mask.) The Big Red Machine was so confident in victory that the stipulation was if he lost, he would set himself on fire in the middle of the ring. After a very questionable chair shot from The Undertaker, Kane won the WWF Title, but his reign would only last 24 hours. Austin would goad Kane into defending the championship the following night on RAW, which would begin Austin’s second reign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXXL3vVokx4

McMahon, being so consumed with getting the title off Austin, booked him into a match with The Undertaker at SummerSlam, in which Stone Cold emerged on top once again. Finally, backed into a corner, the chairman sanctioned a triple threat at the September Breakdown pay-per-view with both Undertaker and Kane. However, Undertaker and Kane couldn’t pin each other to win, forcing them to work together to dethrone Austin. After a double chokeslam, Kane and Undertaker would simultaneously pin the champion. No official ruling was made that evening, but the show went off the air with McMahon holding the championship taunting a defeated rattlesnake. Vince was set to name a new champion the very next night on RAW, but Austin would crash the ceremony by driving a Zamboni into the arena and attacking McMahon. Vince would later rule that Undertaker and Kane would battle one on one at the October Judgment Day event.

Rubbing salt in the wound, McMahon named Austin the special guest referee. Of course, Austin would claim that the only hand that he would raise at the end of the night would be his own. McMahon responded by threatening “if you do not name a new champion…I guarantee you, Austin, I will fire your ass.” The World’s Toughest SOB never backed down from a promise, and proceeded to lay out both Undertaker and Kane with a steel chair after a couple stunners. McMahon lived up to his guarantee and fired Austin as the show went off the air.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jErmry9Q0NQ

Austin would still appear the next night on RAW in hunting gear carrying a crossbow. He took Vince hostage and paraded him around the arena, threatening to take him out. Then he dumped him into the ring, putting a gun to his head and asking the crowd “if you want to see Vince’s eyes pop out of his head, give me a HELL YEAH!” He would put an envelope in Vince’s jacket pocket and told him that if he survived, he needed to read the letter enclosed. Austin would pull the trigger of the gun on the side of Vince’s head only for a stick to pop out with a flag attached that read “BANG 3:16.” As Austin helped Vince to his feet, he announced “I believe we have a new shirt for sale soon that’ll read ‘McMahon 3:16 says I just pissed my pants’” and Vince was soaked on one leg, having relived himself in terror.

It was revealed that the envelope given to Vince was Austin’s new five-year contract. The contract was signed by the name “McMahon,” but like the purchase of WCW, the contract read “Shane McMahon.” Shane exercised his percentage of ownership to resign Austin and contractually guarantee him a championship rematch once a new champion would be crowned by way of a 14-man tournament at Survivor Series. McMahon, in response, would demote Shane to status of referee and ring crew member. Vince would put Austin in the tournament on the condition that he would have to face his head of security in the first round, Big Bossman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIvRi4LfS-w

The Austin rivalry wasn’t the only issue that McMahon was dealing with at this time. There was another second-year blue-chipper “electrifying” the audience every week.

During Breakdown in September, The Rock defeated Ken Shamrock and Mankind in a steel cage triple threat to become the number-one contender for the WWF Championship. However The Rock had yet to receive his title shot by November, subsequently declaring himself “The People’s Champion,” which drew the ire of McMahon. “Since I have a problem with the people, I have a problem with ‘The People’s Champion’”. Vince would make Rock jump through multiple hurdles just to even make it into the “Deadly Games Tournament” at Survivor Series 1998.

The stage was now set where Vince would look to screw Rock and Austin while seemingly handing the championship to kiss ass Mankind, finally having his “Corporate Champion.”

The show would begin with McMahon announcing the surprise first-round opponent for Mankind: Duane Gill, who most fans remember as “Gillberg.” Of course, Mankind made quick work of the jobber. Meanwhile, Austin advanced via disqualification, but afterward Bossman beat Austin up with his signature nightstick in order to inflict extra damage. However, McMahon didn’t anticipate that Steven Regal and X-Pac would go to a double count-out, allowing Austin to automatically get a bye into the semi-finals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epmrLvNH3Xc

Vince, irate as possible, would turn his attention to The Rock who was set to face off with Triple H in the first round. However, The Game would not be able to wrestle due to a legitimate knee injury. McMahon promised to name a suitable replacement and Big Bossman would enter, only to be quickly rolled up by Rock within 4 seconds.

The second round began with the Judgment Day rematch of Undertaker and Kane. Both were granted first-round byes into the quarter-finals, much like Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant in the WrestleMania 4 championship tournament. Undertaker would screw Kane with the help of his manager Paul Bearer. This will be important to remember later on in the evening.

The Rock would step into the ring with a man he was very familiar with throughout all of 1998, Ken Shamrock. Just when it seemed like the match was in the bag for The Rock, Big Bossman would enter and throw his nightstick in the direction of Shamrock. The Rock would intercept and knock out “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” going onto the semi-finals to face The Undertaker. Meanwhile to end the second round, Mankind would defeat Al Snow and move on to face Austin in the third round.

When Austin had the match won, McMahon pulled the referee out of the ring and punched him. Shane McMahon ran into the ring to count 1…2… before stopping half way through the 3-count, flipping Austin off. Shane would distract Austin enough for Mankind to take him out and get the 3-count.

McMahon got what he wanted – Austin was eliminated. Vince and Shane would be shown running into the parking garage and jumping into a limousine to leave the arena. Austin would hijack a car and give chase to the McMahons. In the second semi-final match, The Rock would defeat The Undertaker via disqualification after Kane ran into the ring, stared off with his brother Undertaker and then gave Rock a chokeslam. Kane gained his revenge from earlier in the evening by intentionally eliminating Undertaker and Rock went onto the finals against Mankind.

The McMahons returned, tricking the audience and Austin, who was off into the night looking for them on the highway. As Rock and Mankind did battle, both Vince and Shane stood ringside to make sure that their chosen “corporate champion” would win. As The Rock locked Mankind in the sharpshooter, we had a repeat of the year before with the Montreal Screwjob as Vince ordered the bell to be rang. The Rock was declared WWF Champion and the swerve of the century comes to light as the McMahon family reveals that The Rock was the “Corporate Champion” they always wanted.

“What the hell, they were in on it all along, all three of them, they screwed us all,” yelled Jim Ross.

“The people screwed the people…each and every one of you is just as pathetic and gullible as Mankind,” Vince said.

“I’m not really sure what the hell is exactly going on here,” asked Mankind.

Vince would reply with “get this…” and then The Rock would blast Mankind with the title before finishing him off with a Rock Bottom. Austin would return, stare down Rock from the entry way and sprint to the ring to a showdown with Rock. Survivor Series goes off the air with Austin giving the NEW “Corporate Champion,” and Mankind, too, a stunner.

It remains the most entertaining tournament in WWE history.

Writer’s Note: Please let know what you think with any and all feedback. Follow me on Twitter @Nwagner2sweet and follow The Wrestling Estate @TheWrestlingEst for more of the best wrestling content on the planet presented by an amazing writing staff. See everyone in December for Starrcade 98, the night Goldberg’s streak ended and for a little extra special I’m working on. Happy Holidays!