>>12520809Looking back, it's actually amazing how many things "went wrong" with original plans leading to Austin climbing the card. He wasn't going to win King of the Ring 1996, which meant no Austin 3:16. He wasn't going to win the 97 Rumble, Bret was until Russo went on Live Wire and actually spoiled it. Bret/Austin was the plan for the In Your House in February 97 but because Shawn "lost his smile" and vacated the title which was turned into Final-Four, Austin's first PPV main-event in WWE. Sid/Austin was at one point the plan for WM13.
Bret vs. Shawn was meant for King of the Ring 97, but Bret pulled out making it Austin/Michaels. Even getting fucked up in his match with Owen at SummerSlam, it forced WWE to be creative with how to keep him on TV, which lead to the first stunner on Vince in September of 97.
