This day in Pro Wrestling history: December 16th
December 16th would see WWE usher in the Attitude Era 19 years ago, in what would turn out to be a watershed moment in pro wrestling history. WWE would lay the foundation of their direction for the next half decade, and eliminate their main competitor, WCW while doing so.
Also on this day, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Edge would make bold statements a decade apart. Read on to see what happened on this day in pro wrestling history.
#1 Stone Cold tosses the IC title into the New Hampshire River: 16th December 1997
The same day as Vince made the ‘Attitude era’ announcement, Stone Cold Steve Austin underlined his credentials as the biggest star of the new era by engaging in yet another act of defiance.
Austin had beaten The Rock for the Intercontinental title, but McMahon ordered Austin to defend his title against The People’s Champion on Raw, as he had used his pickup truck during their previous match. Austin declined to take part in the match and agreed to forfeit the title to The Rock instead.
However, the Rock would not get his hands on the title, as Austin would show up on the titantron and throw the IC title into the New Hampshire river.