The year 1997 was not too kind on Vince McMahon and his company. Aside from getting swept in the ratings war against WCW and suffering financial difficulties due to declining viewership, the Survivor Series of the same year was very much a catastrophe in more ways than one.
The Montreal Screwjob led to the departure of Bret Hart, easily the biggest star that had leave after the WCW raid on their roster. Moreover, the faith of the roster in upper management was shaken up, and many performers were hesitant to work for a company that did not value its employees. McMahon had backstabbed and disgraced his biggest star, and that meant nobody was safe.
Many onlookers, fans, and people in the organization thought WWE was done for. After all, WCW had acquired a huge star in Bret Hart, and the NWO angle was a massive success for the company. However, the following year was a breakthrough in many ways and somehow, WWE got on the right track despite the horrendous night in Montreal.
The established veterans such as Hogan and Savage had left McMahon, but the next generation capitalized on the absence and a new era was ushered in. The man at the forefront was Stone Cold Steve Austin, and 1998 was one hell of a year for the Texas Rattlesnake.
In a span of a couple of months, Austin brawled with Mike Tyson — the baddest man on the planet at the time — won the championship off Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania, and finally, he stunned the boss, Vince McMahon and kicked off the greatest rivalry of the most beloved era in WWE. McMahon was not too pleased about his champion being a foul-mouthed, rebellious anarchist who did not tow the company line.
"Deadly Game" Featured Tons Of Future Hall Of Famers
Austin continually crossed the boss and that was unacceptable. McMahon was determined to get the title off him and long story short, after enlisting the help of Kane and Undertaker and a few months of dastardly shenanigans later, the title was vacated and up for grabs in a tournament at Survivor Series 1998, dubbed "Deadly Game"
Meanwhile, The Rock was another star on the rise. After his failed stint as a generic babyface, Rock returned with a different persona, a trash-talking and quick-witted athlete with a flair for the dramatics. Rock was no less a rebel than Austin, and since McMahon had a problem with insubordinates, he naturally took issue with The People’s Champion.
The other notable contenders were Mankind, who was handpicked by McMahon to be champion, Undertaker, and the henchman of the chairman, Big Boss Man. Another interesting point in the ongoing storyline was the case of Shane McMahon. Shane had defied his father by reinstating Austin, and he was demoted to the lowly job of a referee as punishment. In hindsight, this is one of the most star-stubbed tournaments in the history of the company, with almost half a dozen Hall of Famers battling it out for the vacated title.
Mankind was handed an easy route by beating an enhancement talent, while Rock and Austin were forced into grueling matches, as Big Boss Man did his fair share of damage to both popular babyfaces. The semi-finals were set, with Rock facing off against Undertaker, and Mankind against McMahon’s most hated nemesis, Steve Austin.
The Rock prevailed against Undertaker after interference and advanced to the finals. On the other hand, Austin brawled with Mankind, putting on one hell of a show to set the bar for the final match later on. Towards the end, the referee was knocked out and Austin finally caught Mankind with a stunner.
Shane then ran down as the second referee to count the pin, but before he could strike the mat for the third time, Shane flipped Austin, revealing that he had been in cahoots with Vince McMahon all along. A chair shot from Gerald Brisco gave Mankind the win. Austin was out of the tournament, much to the displeasure of the fans watching. But while Austin was gone, The Rock was ready and waiting in the finals of the tournament.
The Rock And Mankind's Double Turn Worked Wonders
Rock vs. Mankind was more boisterous and chaotic than the latter’s match with Austin, and for over 15 minutes, the two fought at a breakneck pace in the main event of Survivor Series. The fans were firmly behind the Rock and cheered his every move, hoping that the People’s Champion would foil the plans of McMahon who was ringside. However, the end played out very differently from what everyone was expecting.
The Rock applied the Sharpshooter and the moment he did, McMahon called for the bell, recreating the scene from the previous year, and just as he had screwed Bret Hart out of the title, McMahon did the very same to Mankind who never tapped out and was cheated out of the match. The fans were stunned as Rock celebrated with Vince and Shane, becoming the Corporate Champion.
Survivor Series 1998 was a big turning point for WWE. Over the next few months, Rock and Mankind feuded over the championship, and Austin found his way back into the main event of WrestleMania 15, where he faced off against the Rock. The star-power in the tournament was insane, but the overarching storyline worked brilliantly. After so many twists and turns, fans found a villain to hate in the Rock, who was eventually dethroned by the babyface, Austin, on the grandest stage of them all.