Stars of the Nineties

Steve Austin
Steve Williams moved into the AWA a few years ago sporting waist-length blond hair, mustache and beard as Stunning Steve Austin. It had been a long uphill climb for the former loading-dock worker, one anecdote citing lean days during which he once lived on raw potatoes for three days. His modest success next brought him to WCW, where his ascent to stardom was abruptly derailed by a severe neck injury resulting in his dismissal from the company.
Refusing to quit, his rehabilitation made it possible for him to sign with the WWF, where he and starmaker Vince Mc Mahon hit lightning in a bottle. Desperately needing a replacement for bickering Bret Hart and injury-prone Shawn Michaels, the new image of skinheaded, beer-drinking, Mickey Knox look-alike "Stone Cold" Steve Austin was just what the WWF needed to keep its edge over the rapidly-gaining competition at WCW.
Michaels, in his swan song before premature retirement due to recurring back problems, passed the torch to Austin in an anti-climactic match at Wrestlemania XIV. Michaels got far too much heat in, Austin too little; Mike Tyson as guest referee was just some more needless posturing by WWF management. Austin has come into his own since, and seems relaxed and confident in his new role. His "Stunner" remains his signature move, the name a holdover from the early days. Despite fierce competition from the Undertaker, Kane, Mankind, Peter Maivia and, most recently, Paul Wight, Austin's phenomenal fan following makes him the best bet for WWF standard bearer going into its 21st century campaign.

Bam Bam Bigelow

Bill Goldberg

Scott Hall

Mankind

Kevin Nash

Scott Steiner

Peter Maivia

Paul Wight

The Undertaker
Formerly an NWA prelim grappler known as Mean Mark Callous, Percy Pringle (Paul Bearer) came up from San Antonio to lead him to the heights of glory in the WWF. As Cain the Undertaker, he inherited Jimmy Snuka's monicker "The Phenom" by putting Superfly away in a ridiculously-short tank job at Wrestlemania. He was seen as Hogan's biggest threat until Hollywood beckoned, leaving the Ultimate Warrior as the target of the Undertaker's wrath. Upon Hogan's return, he was defeated by the Undertaker in what began the ultimate plummet of the stock of the WWF title. Though the title switched hands more often than a counterfeit $100 bill in years to come, the Undertaker was considered by many the uncrowned champ. The arrival of his "brother", Kane, began a long rivalry against the only two athletes in the WWF big enough to compete with each other.
He reminds many of the Spoiler for his agility despite his great size, along with the top-rope walk that the Spoiler was noted for. He will probably remain the WWF 'spoiler' for years to come, a franchise player in the Corporation.