Early 1997 Was The Most Chaotic Time For The WWE Championship
By the metrics of longevity, legitimately worldwide exposure, and the star power associated with it, the WWE Championship is the most prestigious title in wrestling. Fans don't agree with every booking choice around the title. Nonetheless, some of its defining characteristics have overwhelmingly been careful planning and a combination of putting top talents with the title and protecting the title by avoiding too many shenanigans. However, in 1997, as WWE transitioned to the Attitude Era, the company found itself in an unusual, unpredictable, and ultimately chaotic time for the championship.
Shawn Michaels Lost His Smile
Shawn Michaels won the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 12, defeating Bret Hart. Though he briefly dropped the title to Sycho Sid, it felt less like a changing of the guard than a carefully plotted angle, set up for HBK to regain the title in front of his hometown crowd at the Royal Rumble PPV before WrestleMania season. As Bret Hart discussed in his sit down shoot interview with Shawn Michaels, the plan was for Hart to get his win back over The Showstopper at WrestleMania 13.
The next thing fans knew, WWE's plans changed. Michaels cut a promo on Raw about how he had lost his smile. He indicated in his book that he was actually suffering from knee issues, but the ambiguous nature of the promo and lack of a clear explanation behind the scenes set up suspicions he simply didn’t want to put over Hart. Regardless of the legitimate reasons, the result was the same. On the February 13, 1997 episode of Raw, four weeks after the Royal Rumble and three days before In Your House: Final Four (the last PPV before WrestleMania), HBK vacated the WWE Championship and sent the title picture into disarray.
Stone Cold Steve Austin Enters The Title Picture
On paper, and particularly in hindsight, one of the clearest options for the WWE Championship would have been to place it on arguably the biggest name in WWE history, Stone Cold Steve Austin. Not only was there his huge star power to look back on, but he was also fresh off of winning his first Royal Rumble.
Related: First 10 Royal Rumble Winners, Ranked From Worst To Best
The tricky thing about the early 1997 version of Austin, though, was that despite having talent and momentum, he wasn’t yet a proven main event act. He’d peaked as an upper mid-carder in WCW and had only been in WWE for a year at that point. In that year, he'd only just overcome the lackluster Ringmaster gimmick he debuted under. On top of all of that, his Royal Rumble win had been the most controversial one to date, as he had, in actuality, gone over the top rope and to the floor, but when the referees were distracted. From there, Austin snuck back into the ring and stole the win. In the end, Austin had to be considered a candidate for the title, but WWE probably made the right call in holding off. Whereas there was a risk of rushing things and getting backlash from fans in early 1997, but early 1998 Stone Cold felt all but inevitable as the new face of WWE.
WWE Turns To Reliable Champions Bret Hart And The Undertaker
Ultimately, WWE opted not to do anything too impulsive or revolutionary with the WWE Championship during early 1997’s spell of turmoil. They turned back to steady hands. Bret Hart was a three-time WWE Champion at that point, with each previous reign clocking in for respectable half-year-ish runs. Combined with the rumors that he was intended to get the title back at WrestleMania anyway, it was completely sensible for him to win the vacant world title at Final Four.
WWE through a curveball, however, when Sycho Sid took the title off Hart the following night in one of the most historic title changes to ever happen on Raw. It’s unclear whether WWE changed its mind or decided to lean into a chaotic situation with some more title turmoil. Regardless, Hart would resume his feud with Steve Austin away from the title, including their classic match at WrestleMania 13, whereas Sid would lose the title to The Undertaker in the main event. The Dead Man stabilized the title, holding it until SummerSlam when it went back to Hart, who’d lose it back to Shawn Michaels at Survivor Series via the Montreal Screwjob. Despite the drama and controversy of that night, the title itself had reached calmer waters after an off-the-wall first three months of 1997, returning to a series of established main eventers en route to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s coronation in 1998.
There have been reports in recent years about WWE changing booking plans on the fly, and the Money in the Bank briefcase in particular has introduced an element of scripted volatility for every world title for the last seventeen years. However, the WWE Championship has never undergone a more chaotic period than early 1997, including four title changes in under three months, starting at the Royal Rumble, ending at WrestleMania. It all started when Shawn Michaels unexpectedly relinquished the belt, included a one-day reign for Bret Hart, and closed with The Undertaker doing what he did best—offering a steady, credible presence toward the top of the card, and not least of all at ‘Mania.
