Number 5: WrestleMania XIV: Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels
At a time where professional wrestling was infiltrating itself into the world of entertainment, Vince McMahon called upon Mike Tyson. The Baddest Man on the Planet would be the special enforcer between Stone Cold Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. Two men with two completely different career paths would face off in Boston in 1998 with the WWE Championship in the balance. Power and brutality described Austin, while athletic and intelligent would describe the champion. Austin, never a world champion, would have to get past his personal beef with Tyson and beat Michaels. Michaels, although hurt, put on quite a show. His cocky, arrogant, and degenerative state would counter the bad ass mentality of Austin. At the end of the night, JR says it right, “The Austin Era has begun.” It was an era we could never forget. Great physical match, even better story heading into X-Rated WrestleMania.
