Best: Shawn Michaels vs Steve Austin (WWE Championship Match; WrestleMania 14)
The Attitude Era started with a bang when WWE produced one of the best main events, not just of an era, but of WrestleMania in general. It has been well documented that Michaels was dealing with back issues in the lead-up to this match, but you couldn’t tell from how he handled himself in the ring.
This was a wonderfully executed match with Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. The crowd was in the palm of their hands, and it was a great example of how Attitude Era booking can be successful.
Naturally, this match is on this list for its result in addition to its wrestling. This was the turning point of WWE’s success. The Austin and Attitude Era began on this night as Stone Cold reached the top of the mount. WWE pulled ahead of the competition and never turned back.
Worst: Steve Austin vs Kane (First Blood Match for the WWE Championship; King of the Ring 1998)
The Attitude Era was full of matches where the bookers threw everything at a wall and saw what stuck. Sometimes it worked, other times it blew up in WWE’s face. This main event was one of the times when things blew up.
Steve Austin taking on Kane was a match with a no-win scenario. Austin had just begun a reign with the WWE Championship and was more popular than ever. Kane was still taken seriously as a monster and couldn’t afford to lose. It made no sense to have them do battle for the WWE Championship, where neither man could afford to lose. WWE’s workaround was a cheap way to end the match and the PLE. They booked themselves into a corner, and no one was happy with the result.
