10 shocking moments from WWF (WWE) 1999
If 1997 was about changing direction and starting the fight back against WCW, 1998 and 1999 were mainly about WWF supplanting their rivals at the top of the wrestling mountain and making sure they stayed there.
After receiving confirmation from the fans that controversy and car-crash television were the way to go, Vince McMahon decided to step up his game and began introducing highly questionable, yet highly entertaining storylines for fans to feast on.
Also Read: 10 shocking moments from WWF (WWE) 1998
Long gone were the days of white meat babyfaces telling children to say their prayers; 1999 was about being as anti-authoritarian as possible and raking in the viewership. The year would also be the year of heartbreak and tragedy for the wrestling business as one of the industry's most beloved characters lost his life during a WWF PPV.
In what would prove to be an emotionally exhausting yet overall successful year for the company, here are 10 shocking moments from WWF 1999:
#1 Vince McMahon wins the Royal Rumble
Over the previous few years, the Royal Rumble match had been used to essentially signal who the main start of that year was going to be. In 95 and 96, Shawn Michaels utilised his Rumble victories to headline the company and win the WWF Championship.
In 97 and 98 it would be Stone Cold picking up back-to-back victories and going on to wrestle the torch away from Shawn and lead WWF back to the top of the wrestling business.
Things were a little less predictable in 1999 when the owner of the company Vince McMahon ended up being the one to defeat the 29 other superstars. This was a continuation of the near year-long feud between Austin and McMahon with the owner trying every trick in the book to keep the belt away from The Rattlesnake.
In December 1998, Stone Cold earned the right to enter the 1999 Royal Rumble by defeating The Undertaker in a Buried Alive match. After overcoming this mountain of a task, Austin then had to contend with McMahon's Corporation and the fact that $100,000 dollars were available to anybody who could eliminate him from the match.
In the end, it was a distraction from The Rock which allowed Vince to lift Austin over the top rope and become the 1999 Royal Rumble winner. It was indeed shocking to see the owner of the company achieve such a victory, but Vince had essentially become an in-ring character himself by this time.
Still, it sent WWF fans into a frenzy and everyone was felt asking what was going to happen as a result.