1998-99 WWE MVP

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

So here we are at what is considered the beginning of the Attitude Era from the night after Mania XIV through Mania XV. This is one of those years where there is really no doubt as to who the MVP is as without a doubt it would be Stone Cold Steve Austin. Along with the early Hogan years, and Shawn in 96, this is another example of the product revolving around the top guy. Everything was about Stone Cold. The year began with his first title reign, bump in the road and he losses the title for a day before starting his 2nd reign the next night. As this is going on efforts to screw him grow and finally work. Then, its all about the chase. From the end of September till Mania XV it was all about Austin getting his title back much like what Bryan went through last year. Taker, Kane and Mankind were great, DX and The Nation gave us a entertaining summer and the Rock broke through in the tail end of the year, but not many guys had a year like Austin did in this year.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

It's not the obvious... Austin had reached his peak in the ring by Mania 14... he was the star but it was what was going on below him that was making WWE actually turn the corner.

Here are the contenders:-

Triple H - With Shawn out of the picture, what Hunter did next was as important as what Austin did for the product in general. DX needed to remain over, vital and controversial. Starting the night after, Triple H rose to the occasion, look back to that first promo where be brought X-Pac back, where he openly criticised Shawn and took ownership. That Triple H is the one that rose up the card to win his first World title just over a year later. DX with him as the leader were staples of the card for that year, while he himself was not "main event" yet, his matches were underpinning the cards.

The Rock - I can remember WM14 being the first time he used the "Smell what the Rock is cooking" line and like Austin 3:16 it lit a touchpaper. In that year he went from beating Ken Shamrock for the IC to facing Austin for the World title. Austin had buzz, but Rock had "cool", he was someone who Austin fans could like but those not fans of "Stone Cold" could get behind instead. Unlike today where it is all about Cena, WWE was positively encouraging fandom of both Rock and Austin at that time, they knew where they wanted it to go and that he managed it makes him a strong condender.


BUT

The winner - hands down...

Mick Foley - This was the year that Mick Foley was chokeslammed not only into the main event picture but also became the cornerstone of WWE's revival. Rock and Austin were being talked about but Foley was making people turn the channel and talk in revered tones... it started with the insane Dumpster spot at 14 as Cactus, then facing Austin as Dude Love... then the Hell in A Cell as Mankind... By January it was the "Butts in Seats" moment and the most brutal WWF title match in history with the Rock at the Rumble. Those chairshots will stay with many who saw them forever. It set things up for the prior year, where the Rock & Sock became THE double act and led to the most highly viewed segment in WWE history... but Foley also allowed Vince/Austin to percolate and Rock to become that main eventer... his work to put Rock over for that first title was crucial to Rock's success, beating not only the underdog, but the toughest guy he'd ever face... it let Vince win the Rumble to help the Austin feud... as Vince even said in "Beyond The Mat" when talking about it... "when people get what happened to that character..." and he was right... Sadly Foley had taken too many bumps and he only had 1 year proper left after this one... and he was the last guy Vince ever wanted or thought would basically save his company along with Austin... but he was.


Austin was the merch seller, Rock the "next guy" and Trips the controversial one... but Foley was the literal and spiritual bedrock of WWF in that year... without his exploits and physical and mental destruction night after night... they don't win the war...

 

[Stingersplash89]

Austin with Rock being a far farrrr distant 2nd. This was his absolute peak.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

It has to be Stone Cold Steve Austin.

We're not talking about most up and coming star like The Rock, Triple H or Mick Foley. We're talking about the MVP. The guy who carried the show and the entire company. The guy who brought the company from near bankruptcy to heights it hadn't seen since the late 80's.

At the beginning of the year, the only big time main eventers in the WWF outside of Austin were Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. Mick Foley and Kane were coming along. They could step in and be a respectable headliner for a B PPV. But the next closest guy to Austin during this period was 'Taker and he was a DISTANT second. Mankind really came along from King of the Ring to Survivor Series, and after that towards the end of the year, both The Rock and Mick Foley had legitimized themselves as top guys in the business. But still distant, DISTANT second to Austin. Honourable mention could go to Mr. McMahon. Since it was really him who headlined The Royal Rumble and St. Valentine's Day Massacre with Austin on the road to WrestleMania XV. But really there was no one in the entire industry (not Sting, not Hogan, not Goldberg) who could even come close to touching Austin in late 1998 / early 1999.

 

[crazy_lou]

It has to be Austin. He took the torch from HBK at mania 14, and had a great run as champion vs a stable of guys around McMahon, and then a nice program with Taker. SCSA even put over Kane as a main evener, if only for a night.This whole year was Austin at his peak, the crowd was over for him, and then he dropped down in the card to let Rock and Mick get over. If the MVP for this period was anyone else, it could only be Mick, if only for his versatility alone.

I have to say, I think that the Rock/Foley program from the end of 98 through Wrestlemania was better than anything Austin did with another wrestler. All of Austins best moments were always with Vince. Anyway, after seeing Russo's post about how the main event was meant to be Austin-Rock-Foley three way makes so much more sense thinking back on the build. When Mick got shoehorned into the ME at wrestle mania 2000 the next year, it felt forced and overdone. Remember he was gonna come back and wrestle one last match, then retire on raw and vacate the title the next night, linda mcmahon tryna sell that crap get out of my face. Anyway, they should have had the three way at XV15 (Rock Austin Foley), and Hunter V Rock at 2000. But as always, I'm sure politics got in the way. Same thing happened at wrestle mania 29, go back and look at their booking of Punk, he should have been in a three way with Rock Cena Austin instead of Rock Cena 2 which nobody cared about. People would have watched Rock wrestle the mop as Hunter would say, he's just that money (see; Raw, Rusev which is otherwise campy garbage). Rock could have MADE Punk. Not like he's over not, but MADE to look legit on the same level with THE ROCK, WWF legend and the highest paid action star in Hollywood? Well, I guess a man can dream.

Not sure why everyone gets on triple threat matches, they can make everybody look strong, protect the stars by lowering the work rate, and are faster paced main events for the fans. See the ME's of 24, 25 and 30 as good examples of that.

TL,DR: Stone Colds the Mvp, and thats the bottom line- with Mick a relative second bang bang

 

[Goldie]

Steve Austin, 1998-99 is one of the more obvious years to pick.

Foley & Rock may have been working their way up the card in 1998, and headliners by the end of that year and into 1999.... but the Austin mass-merchandise bandwagon was in full flow and at its peak.

Austin could have been likely selling more merchandise than Foley & Rock combined (and I know that's saying something as both were huge stars in their own right).

Rocks commercial peak (in wrestling not movies) would come in 2000, he was the top guy when Austin was out for a year, this 1998-99 period covers his breakthrough and rise to the top.... but more when he was top 2/3 guy in the company, not #1.

Foley was a favourite amongst the die-hard wrestling fans... though Austin and Rock, brought in the casual fans. The die hard wrestling fans tend to stick with the product throughout.... the extra million RAW viewers that come and go, watch when a character like Austin/Rock makes wrestling cool again.

Austins crowd pops were unrivalled by anyone at this point... remember the story in Micks autobiography, where he angrily decided to retire Cactus Jack, when the crowd popped more for the mere mention of Austins name? than they did during his brutal, physical match?
As well liked as Foley was.... Austin was still the main draw and most over guy in the WWE

 

[Irishock]

what Hunter did next was as important as what Austin did for the product in general.

Good lord this cannot be a real opinion. Let's just act like Austin vs McMahon was just as big of a draw as DX in the midcard Not sure where you got the idea that Austin wasn't doing much after 98.

 

[SCrooked1]

Clearly Austin, although by Fall 1999 things began changing even before he needed neck surgery.

 

[Mac]

It's a no brainer, Stone Cold Steve Austin is the mvp and it's not close at all. Just like with '96 anybody saying otherwise is just being contrarian. He became the biggest star in wrestling since Hogan. He brought mainstream relevance to American wrestling. Yes there was DX, and the Rock. But Austin was literally putting asses in seats. With Bret and Shawn gone the WWF was Austin's kingdome. He was apart of one of the biggest rivalries ever with Mr Mcmahon culminating at the February IYH PPV. This was the time period that Austin gained his icon status and truly took wrestling to a new era.