Why Mike Tyson at WrestleMania 14 Made No Sense

Why Mike Tyson at WrestleMania 14 made no sense

“Iron” Mike Tyson was a global superstar. Known as “The Baddest Man on the Planet”, Tyson entered the world of professional wrestling in spring 1998. Brought in by Vince McMahon to boost Pay-Per-View buys for WrestleMania 14, Tyson was planted directly into the middle of an intense feud between aging star Shawn Michaels and rising heel “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Tyson was to assume the role of special guest enforcer, which in itself served questionable purpose. Although Tyson adamantly displayed he was on the side of fan-beloved faction D-Generation X in the weeks leading to “The Grandest Stage of Them All”, that all changed when he went against everything his short-lived character stood for.

As Jerry Lawler once said, “[Tyson’s] on the wrong planet now!”

Mike Tyson’s professional boxing career was on a bumpy roller coaster of ups and downs that couldn’t seem be controlled. After being convicted of rape charges and subsequently serving multiple years in a correctional facility earlier in the decade, Tyson was prepared to return his dominance to the sport of boxing in 1995. But yet again, after uncontrollable temperament issues that plagued his actions through both his earlier legal trials and his high-stakes boxing bouts with legends such as Evander Holyfield (leading to suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission), “Iron” Mike found himself on the outside looking in.

In early 1998 Tyson was on hiatus from boxing and Vince McMahon’s flagship show “Monday Night Raw” was making serious gains on competitor product “WCW Monday Nitro”. For nearly two full years Vince’s product was in the shadow of Ted Turner’s booming national wrestling programing; however by 1998 the tide was finally turning. For McMahon and the talent of the company, the upcoming WrestleMania “super card” would be a ripe opportunity to successfully leap WCW. In order to pull out all the stops for WrestleMania 14 taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, Vince would need to bring in big names to sell the PPV buys he desperately needed. In stepped Tyson…

On the night following the 1998 Royal Rumble PPV, Tyson’s highly anticipated WWF “Raw” debut was stopped in its tracks by Royal Rumble winner “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Turmoil between Austin and Tyson quickly led to a brawl, as Austin turbulently stated it was his ring that Tyson was stepping into. From here it was clear that HBK would have the advantage at WrestleMania for his long-awaited bout against Steve Austin, as in the weeks leading up to the big show Tyson exhibited his bias towards the witty cast of D-Generation X.

While Tyson’s true purpose was already in question, the largest holes in the plot show through following the conclusion of the main event in Boston on the night of March 29th, 1998. In a dramatic turn of events, Tyson watched on as Austin picked up the monumental victory that ultimately sent him on a path to stardom, and further knocked Shawn Michaels out cold; closing the book on Tyson’s run with DX.

While one can wonder why Tyson did turn on DX and HBK, his process of doing so can be further questioned. Not only did he take subtle digs at Austin during moments when action spilled outside of the ring, but Tyson also nearly cost Austin the match multiple times in the ring. Tyson didn’t hold back in interacting with Austin during the bout, and by almost causing Michaels to retain, his undercover plan nearly spoiled itself.

Neither WWF programming nor Tyson himself ever explained the motive behind “Iron” Mike’s change of heart during the main event of WrestleMania 14, and it may not have needed to be. Austin’s career took off following the win, Shawn Michaels retired for the first time after the bout, and DX went into a different direction under the full direction and control of Triple H. Hunter did mention the night after ‘Mania in an iconic promo that he often questioned Tyson’s trustability leading into the championship bout, but his doubts were ironically quelled by HBK. Still, nothing was clear about why “The Baddest Man on the Planet” showed up on WWF programming in the first place, but looking back if one thing is certain; it’s that Mike Tyson’s historic actions will remain in WWE history books forever.

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