Why didn't stone cold steve austin win the wwf title in 1997?

Question

HE was way way over in 1997 and really deserved the belt instead of the undertaker and bret and shawn in my opinion..

my question is why did stone cold not hold the wwf title in 1997? and do u think it was a stupid move by vince to wait for wrestlemania 14 to come then put the belt on him>

Answer 1

Because they need to build up the attitude they were looking for. So that is why HBK was so hyped up at the point. He was attacking everything insight because he was the big man in the company. And the WWF need a huge heel. And at that point who could put on a better match and put over another wrestler better than HBK. And wrestlemania was the perfect place for that. The only problem was that they didn't know HBK was going to hurt his back the way he did.

Answer 2

1997

Austin also had a brief tag team runs with both Shawn Michaels and Mick Foley where he had his first taste at WWF gold when he won the WWF Tag Team Championship.[5] Then Austin challenged Bret Hart's younger brother, Owen Hart.[5] The sight of a handcuffed Austin being led out of the arena by "policemen" while giving the finger - the "Stone Cold Salute" - to the fans is one of the resounding images of his career. After Owen pinned Austin in a 10-man tag match at In Your House: Canadian Stampede,[42] Austin wanted to gain revenge on Owen and challenged him for his Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 1997.[5]

In that match, Austin suffered a near-career ending neck injury as a result of a botched piledriver by Owen Hart.[5][43] Austin's head was seen to be six to eight inches lower than the safe level for a piledriver, and as a result, Austin was actually driven into the ground head first, taking the full force of his body weight into his neck. After being briefly paralyzed, Austin recovered and was able to win the match and the Intercontinental Title as planned, but the incident forced him to take time off for surgery in 1997. During that match, after realizing that Austin was hurt, Owen bought some time for Austin, prancing around the ring claiming Austin was going to "kiss his ***." This injury was played up on WWF TV afterwards, to explain why Austin did not wrestle for several months forcing him to forfeit the Intercontinental Championship. During this time, though, Austin was kept on television by way of vignettes and being an anti-authority nuisance to WWF officials during in-ring interviews, with all segments ending with the offending party receiving a Stunner. It was during this time that Austin had forfeited the Intercontinental Title, which was then won in a tournament by Owen Hart. Hart became champion thanks to interference from Austin, who whacked Faarooq, the other finalist, with the belt. For the month that followed, Austin began interfering in Hart's title matches, usually Stunning Hart's opponents, all in a crusade to ensure that Hart would not lose the Intercontinental Championship before Austin could take it from him.

At Survivor Series 1997, Austin got his shot. Owen Hart walked into Montreal's Molson Centre wearing a T-Shirt mocking Austin's "3:16" moniker: "Owen 9:11" and the back said "I Just Broke Your Neck." Owen lost the WWF Intercontinental Championship that night again to Stone Cold.[43] Austin never harbored a grudge against Hart for injuring him.[citation needed] After winning the Intercontinental Title back from Owen, Austin briefly feuded with The Rock over the belt. This was the first time the two men would cross paths in the WWF and marked the beginning of their bitter feud. This portion of their feud ended with The Rock winning the Intercontinental Title in December 1997 due to the fact that Austin forfeited the title while immediately declaring his intent to go after the WWF Title. He stunned The Rock and McMahon before taking the Intercontinental belt back before it could be presented to The Rock and proceeded to throw the belt off a bridge in Dover,NH during a live RAW telecast.

Answer 3

It is because WWE is concentrated to the HBK-Bret Hart rivalry and Stone Cold is unexperienced in the WWF.

Answer 4

Because Vince didn't let him to do so.

Answer 5

He was too drunk to show up  

Answer 6

excually is a good thing...wwe that time want to make him a very important guy that year in 97..i mean he is indeed too over, that year 1997 he was build to be facing all the important guys in that business, from owen,straight to hbk and taker, bret..wwe did'nt have such a attraction like austin did have with the fans...austin did have his titleshot onces agians the taker at (1997 april addition of IYH:COLD+DAYin h**l) but he lose because of outside interferreance by the Hart Foundation..wwe knew that the fans wants him as champion, but wwe wants it more..but letting him lose,..as they feel that his win at WM will have make more of a impact if he won it in that PPV, just like HBK..that's why wwe let him involve in IC/Tag team title...he indeed was a sucessful champion...when the time is ripe..wwe have high expectation for the rattlesnake and let him win his first major title at Mania, nothing is more bigger than a WM main event first title win...