WWE WrestleMania 33: 25 Greatest Moments in WrestleMania History

7. Austin’s First Title Victory (WrestleMania XIV)

Steve Austin was the face of WWE during the Attitude Era. For the better part of the late nineties, Stone Cold was white hot in terms of popularity. Once he officially turned face, he was on the fast track to superstardom.

Meanwhile, Shawn Michaels was WWE Champion. He and Triple H, along with Chyna, had recently united to form D-Generation X, and the union proved beneficial for both. With Bret Hart, Austin’s old nemesis, leaving WWE in no small part because of Michaels, it seemed that HBK and the Texas Rattlesnake would cross paths sooner rather than later.

At the 1998 Royal Rumble, the seeds were planted. Austin won his second consecutive Rumble match, guaranteeing him a WWE Championship match at WrestleMania XIV. In addition, Michaels defeated the Undertaker in a casket match to retain the world title.

To up the ante, Mike Tyson was named the guest referee (and later ringside enforcer) for the match. Austin famously attacked Tyson at the episode of Raw when the deal was announced. Tyson would later join DX, making the WrestleMania match stacked against Stone Cold.

But once WrestleMania XIV rolled around, Austin proved he was up to the challenge. The two superstars fought across the arena, utilizing the environment to inflict more damage. Triple H and Chyna were ejected from ringside, making it a fair fight — except for Tyson. Referee Mike Chioda was knocked unconscious during the match, at which point a reversal sequence saw Austin hit HBK with a Stone Cold Stunner. Tyson entered the ring to count the pinfall, and Austin was world champ for the first time.

As WWE Champion, this propelled Austin into his most high-profile feud — against Mr. McMahon himself. Eventually, that rivalry would help WWE turn the tide in the ratings battle with WCW, and it all started with this great WrestleMania moment.