1998 was the year wrestling changed forever. In 1997 the WWF came as close as it ever would to going under - they famously had to let Bret Hart go to WCW because they couldn’t afford to pay him - but in 1998 they made all that money back and then some.

The onscreen product was so vastly different and the changes started with Vince McMahon going from the mild mannered commentator to the real-life owner and evil billionaire. The Rock progressed so naturally from charismatic heel to beloved babyface. Mick Foley’s transformation did something no one else in wrestling did - he got the fans' love through subtle and human emotion and connection rather than because he swore. The Undertaker went from the stalwart he’d played for the last 8 years to a nuanced real person with goals and ambitions beyond a vague threat to bury people. These all indicate the real shift that happened - no one was a character anymore, they were real people with the volume turned up (a term that the WWF itself used ad-nauseam for years afterwards).

Of course the real reason for the success of the company was down to one man - Stone Cold Steve Austin. His popularity exploded and smarter men and women than I have tried to explain why. The WWF was a one man show all through 1998 with every single PPV (apart from maybe Summerslam which was more about The Undertaker) being built on the singular premise - Austin trying to become, or trying to remain the WWF Champion, usually against Vince McMahon’s will. They peppered in stunts and vehicular mayhem on TV to make Raw is War truly “can’t miss” TV and certainly at the time it felt like every man, woman and child in the Western World was more invested in Austin’s title chase than their own families.

There were negatives to this year in wrestling and I’d be remiss if i didn’t at least acknowledge them - the treatment of women was deeply problematic and with no strong voices with a platform challenging the company on it, that continued for years to come. The treatment of head trauma - with concussions talked about like a head cold - and the casual way that brutal shots to the head were talked about and used would cause long term health issues for everyone involved (I can’t get on the WWF’s case too much for that, the NFL was and is much worse). Finally, a lot of the “edgy” content was aimed at vilifying minorities and marginalised groups (the shows often have casual racism, homophobia and transphobia which are hard to ignore when looking back.) These are all problems of the late 90s in general more than the WWF specifically which doesn’t make them ok, but it makes them everyone’s problem and not just Vince McMahon’s.

But let's end on the positives - what were the best matches of 1998 (in my opinion)? 

The Undertaker vs. Kane at Wrestlemania 14

The Undertaker vs. Kane in an Inferno match at Unforgiven 1998

Mick Foley vs. Terry Funk in a Falls Count Anywhere match on Raw is War (May 4th, 1998)

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Dude Love at Over the Edge 1998

The Undertaker vs. Mankind in a Hell in a Cell match at King of the Ring

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kane on Raw is War (June 29th, 1998)

Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker vs. Kane and Mankind vs. The Rock and D’Lo Brown vs. The New Age Outlaws on Raw is War (August 10th, 1998)

Triple H vs. The Rock in a Ladder match at Summerslam 1998

The Rock vs. Mankind vs. Ken Shamrock in a Steel Cage match at Breakdown

The Rock vs. Mankind at Survivor Series 1998