WWE: The Gorilla Position ~ Vol. II

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EZ3

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"So if you wake up one day, and you're lying in a hospital bed, and you're all beat up and you're wondering to yourself what in the hell happened, then there is just one answer for you: Evolution has just passed you by."
Triple H (Monday Night Raw, 2003)

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A few years ago I once had a very successful project called ‘the Gorilla Position’ based in the period of 2006. It had several shows and what I believe to be the best pay-per-view I’ve ever written in the 2006 Royal Rumble. Unfortunately, the closure of the hosting site for that project meant it was lost to time forever as I didn’t keep backups of my work at the time. A stupid decision looking back on it but I would write on the same Word Doc and just delete the completed show when I was finished once it was posted online.

I’ve tried to crack the creative writing egg a few times thereafter but something has always come up. When I started my last thread a year ago here I did not know I would be changing jobs - for the better - fairly soon thereafter and ended up devoting a lot of time to that adjustment. A year later and free-time has presented itself and I’ve been wanting to do something creative again. Ironically I was reading ‘Be the Booker’ last week when I couldn’t get to sleep and I have it listed in a bookmark still. A few days later, I saw that it’s been revived via the backlog being represented across another platform - smart. So, naturally, you give that a read and I’m thinking that maybe this might be fun to give another go.

My goal is just to do some casual creative writing probably on the weekend. I’m planning on doing “road to pay-per-view” style recaps to begin with as I’ve always felt that the main setback for these things is people not being able to get through the “world building” phase and dealing with the existing limitations set by the stories at the beginning of the thread. This way I will both 1) be able to do some creative writing without the fear of it becoming some sort of monster effort and 2) I’ll be able to progress through to a period where my decisions and efforts have taken fruit. I would assume this is likely the case for about 4-5 months in story time.

I’ve written the first monthly recap already just to show that I still enjoyed it. It was very fun and ended up being more detailed than I had expected - as is always the case. I’m hoping for a “road to pay-per-view” recap to be done every 3 or so weeks. Pay-per-views will be in some form of standard recap form as well. I had toyed with the idea of doing the Big Four in full but we’ll see how we go. For sure, Mania 19 will be recapped rather than an attempt at a full breakdown as there are still base stories from the fed that carry over to that event.

The period we’re playing with is January 19, 2003. The night of the Royal Rumble and the event has just finished. The results are the same (except one) and some of the finishes are different with some story details added in. So, it’s worth reading the Rumble recap I post as there are nuggets of value within it. Title history page (format straight from Wolf Beast) and a standard roster page coming immediately as well.

As for the name of the thread, it’s a throwback to the lost treasure. I also believe it’s one of the coolest names for a project ever. This I guess would be a prequel to the lost tales of the original. This is volume II.
 

EZ3

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RR23.jpg

Royal Rumble #16 - January 19, 2003
Fleet Center in Boston, Massachusetts

Pre-Show – Singles Contest
Spike Dudley bts. Steven Richards (with Victoria) via pinfall at 03:36

Match One - Winner Enters The Rumble

Brock Lesnar bts. Big Show (with Paul Heyman) via pinfall at 06:28
The opening contest of the live broadcast saw Lesnar get the better of his long-time rival and put an end to their current feud. Heyman looked on at ringside in horror as his newest client could not keep the ‘Next Big Thing’ down for a count of three. Lesnar would power out of multiple chokeslams and show impressive strength when he lifted Big Show off the group and connected with the F5. That would be the end of the match and the feud as Lesnar qualified for the Royal Rumble later in the evening and ensured that Heyman’s client would be watching from the sidelines. Post-match, Lesnar would get his hands on Heyman - finally - and connect with the F5 to his former advocate. Heyman was then taken out by a medical team, placing him in a neckbrace and placing him on a stretcher - as Heyman was unable to walk on his own accord.

Match Two - World Tag Team Championships

The Dudley Boyz bts. The Un-Americans © via pinfall at 07:22
A rough and tough tag team match with the Dudley Boyz brawling all over the ring with the two foreigners. Regal took the lead as usual for the champions and used every trick in the book to gain an advantage. Multiple times throughout the contest the champions bent the rules behind the back of the official much to the dismay of the live audience. The tactics would result in the champions being in control for most of the contest but a miscommunication with brass knuckles resulted in Bubba Ray Dudley gaining possession of them. Bubba would crack Storm in the head, a punch that went unseen by the official as Regal screamed that his prized possession had been stolen. It was academic at that point as the Dudley Boyz nailed a 3D and scored the win along with the titles.

Match Three - Step Mother vs. Step Daughter

Torrie Wilson bts. Dawn Marie-Wilson via pinfall at 03:35
Following the tragic passing of Al Wilson, his next of kin would clash in a deeply person contest. There was no technical wrestling in this quick three-minute sprint to the finish. The girls would slap, kick and scratch their way around the ring as you would come to expect. Dawn Marie-Wilson would slap Torrie at the beginning of the match; yelling at her that this was no way for a daughter to treat her grief-stricken mother! In the end, Torrie would see off her stepmother and score a pinfall victory.

Match Four - World Heavyweight Championship

Triple H (Ric Flair) bts. Scott Steiner via pinfall at 17:03
An absolutely awful contest as both men had absolutely zero chemistry in their first-ever clash on pay-per-view. Triple H would spend the opening few minutes of the match playing coy and refusing to engage. The crowd would finally get some action when Steiner, frustrated by the tactics turned his back for a split second, and the World Champ rushed him from behind. Flair thought it was brilliant - everyone else hated it. The finish of the contest would be very chaotic - Steiner looked like he was closing in on the title when suddenly Randy Orton (from Smackdown) ran down to the ring. He darted around the ring and ripped the World Title out of the hands of the timekeeper. Orton jumped onto the ring apron and threw the title into the ring, much to the confusion of everyone. The referee got rid of the title - and during this distraction, we would see Batista storm the ring, after jumping the barricade, and smash a steel chair into the skull of Steiner. The Game would crawl across and place his arm across the body of Steiner as the referee counted 3. Once the match was over, Triple H would leave ringside alongside Flair, Orton, and Batista - seemingly forming a new unit.

Match Five - WWE Championship
Kurt Angle bts. Chris Benoit via submission at 19:57

The ultimate clash for the pure wrestling fan as Angle and Benoit put on a clinic inside the squared circle. At the beginning of the contest, Team Angle would be thrown out before the bell even sounded much to the outrage of Kurt Angle. He would plead with the official but this opened the door for Benoit to kick into gear and begin the contest with a trio of German Suplexes. Back and forth these two men would go - trading wrestling moves and near falls through the nearly 20 minute epic. Ultimately, Kurt Angle would retain the gold when he locked in his famous Ankle Lock and was able to grapevine the leg of Benoit. This will be Benoit's sole appearance in the project and he will be written off television because of the Ankle Lock - never to be seen again.

Match Six - Royal Rumble
Brock Lesnar bts. 29 other competitors to earn a title shot at WrestleMania 19 at 53:47

This would go exactly as you would remember it all those years ago. Lesnar would enter the match at number 28 and clean house. It would come down to Lesnar, Batista, Kane and The Undertaker. The only difference from the real event was that Kane and Batista go out at the same time and we get a sort of mini-match with Lesnar and The Undertaker. The two Smackdown superstars would slug it out in the middle of the ring, both men coming in late, and showing that they still have a lot of passion behind their rivalry. The night would end when Lesnar slipped off the shoulder of The Undertaker, escaping the Tombstone, and quickly ran the ropes to come firing back with a lariat to send ‘Taker over the top rope and to the floor. Lesnar would win the 2003 Royal Rumble and guarantee himself the main event slot at WrestleMania 19.
 
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Well, this is just fascinating. I'm locked in
 
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EZ3

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~WWE Rosters~
*Accurate as of January 19, 2003


rawlogo.png


~Monday Night Raw~

~Hall of Champions~

World Heavyweight Champion:
Triple H
World Tag Team Champions: The Dudley Boyz
WWE Women’s Champion: Victoria

~The Roster~

Batista
Booker T
Bradshaw - Injured
Bubba Ray Dudley
Chief Morley
Chris Jericho
Chris Kanyon
Christian
Christopher Nowinski
D'Lo Brown
D-Von Dudley
Goldust
Jamal
Jeff Hardy
Justin Credible
Kane
Kevin Nash - Injured
Lance Storm
Mark Jindrak
Maven
Randy Orton - Injured
Raven
Ric Flair
Rico
Rob Van Dam
Rosey
Scott Steiner
Sean O'Haire
Shawn Michaels
Spike Dudley
Steven Richards
Stone Cold Steve Austin - Inactive
Test
The Hurricane
Tommy Dreamer
Triple H
William Regal

~Women’s Division~

Ivory
Jacqueline
Jazz
Lita - Injured
Molly Holly
Stacy Keibler
Terri Runnels
Trish Stratus
Victoria

~Tag Teams and Stables~

The Dudley Boyz:
Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley
3 Minute Warning: Jamal & Rosey
The Un-Americans: Lance Storm & William Regal
Chris Jericho & Christian
Booker T & Goldust
Kane & Rob Van Dam

~On-screen Personnel~

General Manager:
Eric Bischoff
Play-by-play Announcer: Jim Ross
Colour Commentator: Jerry Lawler
Ring Announcer: Lillian Garcia
Backstage Interviewers: Jonathan Coachman, Kevin Kelly


***

smacklogo.png


~Friday Night Smackdown~

~Hall of Champions~

WWE Champion:
Kurt Angle
WWE Tag Team Champions: Los Guerreros
WWE Cruiserweight Champion: Billy Kidman

~The Roster~

A-Train
Big Show
Bill DeMott
Billy Gunn
Billy Kidman
Brock Lesnar
B²B²
Charlie Haas
Chavo Guerrero
Chuck Palumbo
Crash
Eddie Guerrero
Edge
Funaki
Hardcore Holly
Hulk Hogan
Jamie Noble
John Cena
Johnny Stamboli
Kurt Angle
Mark Henry - Injured
Matt Hardy Version 1.0
Nunzio
Rey Mysterio
Rikishi
Ron Simmons
Scotty 2 Hotty
Shannon Moore
Shelton Benjamin
Spanky
Tajiri
The Rock - Inactive
The Undertaker

~Women’s Division~

Dawn Marie-Wilson
Nidia
Torrie Wilson

~Tag Teams and Stables~

Big Show & A-Train
Mattitude Followers: Matt Hardy V1 & Shannon Moore
Team Angle: Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas

~On-screen Personnel~

General Manager:
Stephanie McMahon
Play-by-play Announcer: Michael Cole
Colour Commentator: Tazz
Ring Announcer: Tony Chimel
Backstage Interviewer: Josh Mathews, Kevin Kelly

~Pay-Per-View and Special Show Archive~

No Way Out - February 23, 2003 - Bell Centre; Montreal, Quebec, Canada
WrestleMania 19 - March 30, 2003 - Safeco Field; Seattle, Washington
Backlash - April 27, 2003 - Worcester Centrum; Worcester, Massachusetts
Judgment Day - May 18, 2003 - Charlotte Coliseum; Charlotte, North Carolina
King of the Ring - June 7, 2003 - Newcastle Arena; Newcastle, England
Bad Blood - June 29, 2003 - Compaq Center; Houston, Texas

Vengeance - July 27, 2003 - Pepsi Center; Denver, Colorado
SummerSlam - August 24, 2003 - America West Arena; Phoenix, Arizona
 
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EZ3

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Title Histories as of January 19, 2003;

World Heavyweight Championship:
(2) Triple H (December 15th 2002 - Present)
defeated Shawn Michaels in a 3 Stages of Hell Match (Armageddon, Sunrise)


World Tag Team Championships:
(7) The Dudley Boyz (January 19th, 2003 - Present)
defeated The Un-Americans in a Tag Team Match (Royal Rumble, Boston)



WWE Women’s Championship:
(1) Victoria (November 17th, 2002 - Present)
defeated Trish Stratus in a Hardcore Match (Survivor Series, New York)


WWE Championship:
(3) Kurt Angle (December 15th 2002 - Present)
defeated Big Show in a Singles Match (Armageddon, Sunrise)



WWE Tag Team Championships:
(1) Los Guerreros (November 17th, 2002 - Present)
defeated Edge & Rey Mysterio and Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match (Survivor Series, New York)


WWE Cruiserweight Championship:
(7) Billy Kidman (November 17th, 2002 - Present)
defeated Jamie Noble in a Singles Match (Survivor Series, New York)



Authors Note: The roster page is now up and you can take a look at the people who will be involved at the beginning of the project. I've actually had a look at the year IRL and there's not really a lot of talent that I think are worth adding to the starting collection.

I've put the title history as its own post so that it can be easier for editing purposes down the road and I can add spoiler tags to it once the titles begin to shift around without having to add a bunch of clutter to the main roster page. Credit Wolfy for the formatting as it's pulled right from his thread from years ago. Next post will be the recap of the events between the Royal Rumble and No Way Out - that recap is finished as I mentioned. I'll post that this weekend and hope that will allow me to finish off the recap of the PPV itself. So, look out for the first story building stuff this weekend!
 
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EZ3

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THE ROAD TO NO WAY OUT
January 19 - February 23, 2003
Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

The Next Big Decision - Brock Lesnar Declares His Intentions [FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN]
It was the most anticipated time of year as the entire professional wrestling industry began to piece together what would take place on the grandest stage of them all. Hot off the heels of his first Royal Rumble appearance and subsequent first-ever Rumble victory, Brock Lesnar would waste no time making his announcement official. Lesnar made an appearance on Smackdown and signed a contract with Stephanie McMahon to guarantee his place on Smackdown moving forward along with his place in the main event of WrestleMania where we would be competing for the WWE Championship. During the time between the Royal Rumble and No Way Out, we would not have any appearance of Paul Heyman as he was still selling the impact of the F5 he took at the pay-per-view.

An Olympic Edge [FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN]
The decision by Lesnar would lead into the WWE Championship situation. With a clear challenger for WrestleMania 19, Stephanie McMahon took it upon herself to quickly book one last challenge for the reigning WWE Champion, Kurt Angle, at the final pay-per-view before Mania. With his neck still worse for wear after the Rumble, Angle was granted leave for 2 weeks and did not appear on Smackdown at all. In his place, Team Angle would compete in tag matches against Lesnar and various partners, and continue to jump the number one contender when they got the chance. When Angle returned to Smackdown after 3 weeks - just 2 weeks before No Way Out - he watched at ringside as Edge won a fatal four-way involving The Undertaker, A-Train, and Hulk Hogan to earn a shot at the gold. Across the next two weeks, Angle would back out of two matches (one being a six-man tag match between Team Angle against Edge, Lesnar and Mysterio, and the other being a singles match against The Undertaker).

During the contract signing on the final edition of Smackdown before No Wat Out, Kurt Angle would tell Edge that he simply didn’t belong on this level. Edge may have gotten the best of him last year but when the lights were on bright this was different. Angle was the best wrestler in the entire world and Edge was just a guy who had a bunch of potential. In the main events of pay-per-views, according to Angle at least, potential means absolutely nothing. You either succeed or you fail - and at No Way Out, Angle promised to prove that Edge wasn’t ready for this spot. In response, Edge said everyone knows that Angle is hurt. The fans, the guys in the back, and even Angle himself. It was the biggest open secret in wrestling - the clock is ticking on Angle’s neck and perhaps on Sunday, it would be the time when his body finally broke down. The show would come to an end with Edge looking confident whilst Angle looked nervous, clutching his title to his chest.

A final aspect of this WWE Championship contest would be that Stephanie McMahon saw fit to assign a Special Enforcer for the title match at No Way Out. Her decision was the result of seeing Team Angle as a potential issue and wanting to make sure there wasn’t any nonsense during what was being billed as the last WWE Title Match before WrestleMania 19. While the referee in the ring would be a standard WWE official, on the outside of the squared circle, Brock Lesnar would oversee the contest just in case anyone had thoughts about getting involved. This would secure a fair contest and result in no interference come the match.


Evolution Will Pass You By [MONDAY NIGHT RAW]
Over on Monday Night Raw, Triple H had escaped with the World Title by the skin of his teeth at the Royal Rumble. The Game had a lot to say the next night on Raw, a speech that would create waves throughout the entire business as he formed a new power group to craft the future of the industry while also protecting his World Championship. The members of the group were the men who assisted him 24 hours earlier in screwing Scott Steiner out of the big gold belt. Triple H would introduce the fans once again to the newly recruited Randy Orton and Batista, along with confirming his alliance with ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. Triple H said that the future of the business was in the ring and that he saw something special in both Batista and Orton. He had offered to mentor both of them along with Flair by his side, and in turn, they would make sure that the World Title stayed where it belonged - around the waist of Triple H. The new group was to be called Evolution - a nod to the fact that the group has 3 generations of the business (the past: Flair, the present: Triple H, and the future: Orton and Batista).

The celebrations would be cut short however as later that night Scott Steiner invaded the private locker room where Evolution had set up a luxury set of food, drinks and women. Steiner would convince nearly all the women to leave with him which infuriated Flair and sent the ‘Nature Boy’ scrambling to Bischoff to demand a match with Big Poppa Pump later that same night. In the main event, Steiner would force Flair to tap out to the Steiner Recliner whilst the ring was surrounded by all the foxy ladies who had been in Evolution’s locker room earlier in the night. Following the humiliation, Flair demanded that Evolution send a message to Steiner once and for all. Triple H was hesitant to do it at first but Flair convinced him that only Triple H could do it. He was the greatest champion alive today, the present of this business, and by beating Steiner again, it would show Batista and Orton that they had made the right decision in forming Evolution.

Steiner would continue to be a thorn in the side of Evolution each week leading up to No Way Out. He would beat Orton and then the following week he defeated Batista. While Steiner racked up wins, Evolution would get the last laugh by overpowering Big Poppa Pump, drawing blood on Raw and laying him out with a belt shot to the skull. The Game announced that he would grant Steiner another shot at the gold but was clear that this would be his only shot so long as Triple H held the title thereafter. He would embarrass Steiner and show that nobody from WCW was going to take the gold from him. This was the big league and Steiner was a second-rate champion from a dead company. Flair would seemingly overstep slightly when he spoke with Bischoff and got the match made into a Steel Cage match - something he proudly announced in a back-and-forth promo with Steiner, and was chewed out backstage by Triple H afterwards for doing it.


Icon vs. Icon Part Deux [FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN]
There is an argument that the biggest match at No Way Out was not either of the World Title matches but instead the rematch from WrestleMania 18 nearly 12 months earlier. Hulk Hogan had returned full-time to Smackdown, much to the dismay of Mr. McMahon who said that nobody wanted the Hulkster in the WWE anymore. He told Hogan that it was 2003 and not 1984, the time for Hogan had passed and McMahon did not need his services anymore. He threatened to fire Hogan that night on Smackdown but Hogan revealed he had an ironclad clause in his contract which meant if he was fired he would be owed double the total cost of his contract. A figure that made McMahon nearly throw up before resorting to his angry face and shouting down Hogan that he was going to regret ever coming back to the WWE.

McMahon would increase his presence on Smackdown and begin to bicker with his daughter Stephanie, who tried to run Smackdown her way without the input of her father. Hogan would overcome McMahon’s first attempt at trouble when he beat Big Show to earn a place in the fatal four way number one contender’s match. When that match occurred, Mr. McMahon took great joy in Hogan coming up short. The build for No Way Out would begin when Hogan and McMahon stood in the ring once again. McMahon told Hogan that he had found someone who hated Hogan as much as he did. The titantron would flash and upon the big screen appeared The Rock! Rock, who had not been seen since SummerSlam 2002, said that he was busy on a movie set but when he heard that his close personal friend, Mr. McMahon, needed help he just had to answer the call.

The Rock said that he would be returning to the WWE to settle several scores with people who had wronged him. First, the fans. The fans who betrayed him twice in 2002 when they sided with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania and then at SummerSlam when they sided with Brock Lesnar. The Rock had never forgotten that and he vowed to never - ever - allow himself to be used by them again. The Rock told the millions (and millions) to kiss his ass and that the People’s Champion had officially moved on. He was McMahon’s Champion, he was the Hollywood Champion, and now that he was coming back he was focused on Hogan. Hogan was the start, he started the downfall all the way back at WrestleMania 18. The Rock was returning and he was going to get payback for what Hogan did and he was going to get his win back.

Over the next 2 weeks, The Rock would appear on the titantron - advising that he was refusing to appear live until No Way Out where he would beat Hogan. He said that his return would take place in the same place the fans first turned on him - Canada. Hogan meanwhile said he wished he could just talk to The Rock face to face as he believed that Mr. McMahon had poisoned him and that he wasn’t thinking clearly. Hogan said the fans never turned on The Rock, it was The Rock who left the fans! The Rock disputed this and said that he had given everything to the WWE and the fans, and the only loyal person was the Chairman.


Homecoming Queen [MONDAY NIGHT RAW]
A longstanding issue on Raw would continue to play out when Victoria set an open challenge to any woman on the roster for a title shot. The former champion quickly answered the call, Trish Stratus who said that she would love a chance to regain the title she lost back in November. To the surprise of many, Victoria suddenly changed her mind and said that she had a sore ankle and wasn’t able to defend the title that evening but she would speak with Eric Bischoff about getting Trish a replacement opponent. Later that night, Ivory would be the replacement opponent and Stratus was able to get the victory. Following the match, Trish grabbed the mic and demanded that Victoria give her a title match next week.

The following week, Trish had a meeting with Eric Bischoff and the two agreed that Victoria would defend the belt against Stratus later that night. The match ended in a DQ when Steven Richards broke up a pinfall after Trish nailed the Chick Kick. Jim Ross was outraged on commentary and said that he was certain that the title was going to change hands that night if not for the involvement of Richards. This would only further spur Stratus’ desire for the gold and she continued to call Victoria out for a rematch. The champion would refute this request until she came up with an idea! If Trish could beat Steven Richards in a match, Victoria would then accept the request and face Trish at No Way Out.

With no other way to chase the gold, Trish accepted! She faced Richards on Raw and was able to get the victory over the male superstar after an assist from APA member - Bradshaw (returning from injury). Trish had made a payment earlier in the day and Bradshaw took up the chance for an easy payday. A huge lariat to Richards while the referee was distracted by Ron Simmons (popping in from Smackdown), saw Trish take the victory and book her title shot. Bischoff, in a sense of fairness, made the match at No Way Out have the stipulation that everyone was barred from ringside.


The Most Unlikely Pair [MONDAY NIGHT RAW]
A big talking point coming out of the Royal Rumble was how the match itself started. Shawn Michaels had drawn number #1 and would have to go the distance once again if he wanted to earn a title shot against Triple H. As a result of this, Chris Jericho (who had earned the ability to pick his number) entered the match at #2 intending to eliminate his former idol. Christian dressed up as Jericho to distract Michaels, allowing Jericho to sneak in behind and assault Michaels without warning. This allowed Jericho to eliminate Michaels fairly easily after he left HBK covered in blood. Jericho would gloat about this for the entire time he was in the match but it came back to bite him when Michaels returned to eliminate Jericho (doing so illegally).

The fallout of this saw Jericho demand that Eric Bischoff fire Shawn Michaels for costing him his chance to main event WrestleMania in back-to-back years. This was refused, and instead, Jericho said that he wanted a chance to get further revenge on HBK. Bischoff offered Jericho a one-on-one match at No Way Out but Jericho declined, saying that Michaels didn’t deserve to share the ring with him one on one. However, Jericho did want to meet Michaels in the ring - he would only agree to do so in a tag team match with his partner Christian. Bischoff liked the idea and booked it - Chris Jericho/Christian vs. Shawn Michaels and a partner of his choosing. The excitement as to who could be HBK’s partner was strong from the start. Michaels said that he knew Jericho was a coward but the tag match would at least let Michaels get his hands on Chris without fear of being fired or suspended.

For two weeks, Jericho and Christian bullied members of the Raw roster who they thought might align with Michaels. They beat up numerous stars and cut interviews saying that anyone who assisted HBK would make an enemy out of them. On an episode of The Highlight Reel, Jericho invited Shawn Michaels (who did show up) and he was interrogated about whether he had found a partner. Michaels played coy for the segment but as Jericho began to scream and shout like a moron, Michaels revealed he did have a partner. An unexpected partner - someone who hasn’t been around in a long time! Someone who knows Jericho very well! Jericho would shake his head, claiming there was no way it could be who he was thinking of. With a smile on his face, Michaels asked the crowd to (and I quote); “If you’re ready to see Jericho and Christian get their butts kicked at No Way Out - give me a hell yeah!”

Immediately, Bischoff wanted to know if it were true or if Michaels was just pretending. Michaels promised that it was 100% true, Steve Austin was coming back and he was going to team with Shawn Michaels at No Way Out. After walking out of the company in the middle of last year, Stone Cold’s return to competition was on the horizon. Austin did not make any appearances on Raw leading up to the event but it was heavily promoted for the pay-per-view. Buy the pay-per-view and you see the returns of both Austin and Rock. Michaels was able to get a victory over Christian on Raw as well leading up to the event.


United States Title & Intercontinental Title Returns [MONDAY NIGHT RAW & FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN]
One of the biggest changes from the post-Rumble period was the reintroduction of the mid-card titles for both Raw and Smackdown. Bischoff and Stephanie released a joint statement that both shows would see the return of the Intercontinental Championship and the establishment of the WWE United States Championship (with both titles retaining the title lineage of the previous holders). While Raw would not decide their Intercontinental Champion until after No Way Out - Smackdown held a tournament between 8 superstars to decide who would be crowned as the inaugural WWE United States Champion. More information on the Intercontinental Championship will be provided in the next breakdown between No Way Out and WrestleMania 19.

For now, the focus was on the United States Title. Smackdown’s tournament took place over 3 weeks with the final set for the pay-per-view. Involved in the tournament were the following men; Rey Mysterio vs. Big Show // Hardcore Holly vs. John Cena // Rikishi vs. Matt Hardy v1 // Tajiri vs. A-Train for round 1. The next round was as follows; Rey Mysterio vs. John Cena // Rikishi vs. A-Train. Ultimately the final would come down to Rey Mysterio and A-Train. Both men have come away with two victories in the lead-up to the final at No Way Out. After qualifying for the tournament final, A-Train cut a promo on Mysterio where he said that he was going to break the luchador in half and rip that stupid mask right off his head.


Four-Way Dance For The Gold [MONDAY NIGHT RAW]
For the seventh time, the Dudley Boyz won tag team gold in the WWE when they defeated the Un-Americans at the Royal Rumble. They would retain the gold in an immediate rematch the following night, scoring a victory with the 3D in the middle of the ring. The Dudley Boyz would draw the ire of Chief Morley as they refused to play by his rules with how they were supposed to dress and act now that they were champions of Raw. Bubba Ray and D-Von said that they had done things their way for the entirety of their career and it had worked for them thus far, so Morley could kick rocks. This pissed off the Chief of Staff and he forced the Dudley Boyz to defend their titles for 3 straight weeks - the champions retaining each time but looking exhausted as the weeks went on.

3-Minute Warning was the team most desired by Morley to gain the titles but they were unable to do so. They wrestled to a draw as both teams fought on the outside and failed to make the count of 10. Jamal and Rosey then put the Dudley Boyz through the announce table and were given promo time backstage later on with Morley. Together, the three of them agreed that the Dudley Boyz were ripe for the picking and at No Way Out the champions would fall!

Morley booked a 4 team title match for the pay-per-view with the sole goal of seeing the Dudley Boyz lose the gold. He had his handpicked team of 3-Minute Warning along with the previous champions the Un-Americans and the always-tough team of Kane & Rob Van Dam. It was clear that the heels would be focused on destroying the Dudley Boyz when the time came but Kane and RVD promised Bubba and D-Von that they would take no part in any of that. They wanted to win the gold but they were going to win it the right way. No matter the makeup of the match, it was clear that the Dudley Boyz were in major trouble at No Way Out. The odds are stacked against them as they try to make it to WrestleMania as the champions once again.


Reclaiming His Yard [FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN]
After taking time off at the end of 2002, The Undertaker returned at the Royal Rumble in the number #30 spot. He came up just short of winning and gaining a title shot at WrestleMania 19. When The Undertaker returned to Smackdown he made quick work in trying to get the spot as the challenger for the WWE Title at No Way Out but was unable to do so. Without a clear path to the title, The Undertaker would seek the advice of Stephanie McMahon as to what he needed to do to get his name back in the fold for the title. McMahon would say that he has been out for a long time and that he’s at the back of the line like everyone else who leaves. It’s a fresh start which is both good and bad but she believed that ‘Taker would be back at the top sooner rather than later.

Somehow this “crisis” was picked up by Matt Hardy who found The Undertaker backstage one week on Smackdown. He had a handful of CD’s - motivational talks he had done and tried to explain what Mattitude was to Big Evil. The Undertaker wasn’t interested and walked off, leaving Matt embarrassed in front of his sole pupil Shannon Moore. The following week, Matt tried again but this time had a bunch of self-made DVD’s as he thought ‘Taker might be a visual learner. Once again, much to the dismay of Moore, Matt Hardy was rebuked by The Undertaker. That was the breaking point and Hardy snapped - attacking ‘Taker during his entrance for a match that same evening.

Hardy did a promo the next week saying that The Undertaker had lost his mojo and all Matt was trying to do was help. Yet he was disrespected - Mattitude was disrespected. He would not stand for this and so he was going to teach ‘Taker a lesson. Mattitude had saved millions of lives (not proven) and The Undertaker was too stupid to understand the program's power. In the remaining time before the pay-per-view, The Undertaker would chase Hardy around the arena for Smackdown. He never got him but Shannon Moore would be driven through the announce table with a Last Ride, and planted with a Tombstone inside the ring in consecutive weeks.


***

nWoPoster.png


WWE No Way Out - February 23, 2003
Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

!! THE BIGGEST REMATCH OF ALL TIME !!
The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan

WWE Championship Match:

WWE Champion, Kurt Angle defends against Edge
*Special enforcer; 2003 Royal Winner, Brock Lesnar will be at ringside*

World Heavyweight Championship Match:

*Steel Cage Match*
World Champion, Triple H defends against Scott Steiner

!! RETURN OF STONE COLD !!
Tag Team Match:
Chris Jericho & Christian vs. Shawn Michaels & Stone Cold Steve Austin

WWE Women's Championship Match:
Victoria vs. Trish Stratus

*Everyone is barred from ringside*

US Title Tournament Final:
Rey Mysterio vs. A-Train

World Tag Team Championship Match | Four-Way Sudden Death:
Dudley Boyz vs. The Un-Americans vs. Kane & RVD vs. 3-Minute Warning

Singles Match:
The Undertaker vs. Matt Hardy v1
(with Shannon Moore)


Other Notes:
  • Nunzio recruits Johnny Stamboli and Chuck Palumbo to form the Full-Blooded Italians on Smackdown. A heel faction that like the APA is willing to do “hits” for hire and is mainly used by the bad guys. Nunzio assumes the role of mob boss and sets his sights on becoming the Cruiserweight Champion.
  • Los Guerreros (Eddie and Chavo Guerrero) are full-fledged faces moving forward but still, lie, cheat, and steal.
  • Evolution is officially formed the night after the Royal Rumble.
  • Bradshaw moves to Smackdown following the segment with Trish Stratus where she pays for assistance from the APA. Bradshaw and Ron Simmons reunite as the APA and are faces moving forward. They have a segment on Smackdown where they are found backstage with the door and a poker table alongside Stephanie McMahon who signs them to the brand.
  • Dawn Marie-Wilson begins to be seen backstage with John Cena; often found talking together in the background of shots. Commentary hints that Marie-Wilson may have already moved on from their late husband's death. She denies this to Torrie, and they continue to feud.
  • The Insurrextion pay-per-view is officially changed to King of the Ring and will air from the Newcastle Arena in Newcastle, England.
  • For the Intercontinental Championship, Kane is automatically announced as one of the men who will compete for the title in a Ladder Match on Raw sometime after No Way Out. Bischoff stated that since he was the last man to hold the title before it was absorbed in the unification match, Kane would get that spot.
  • Vignettes begin to air hyping the return of Mark Henry to Smackdown.

Author's note: That's the first recap done for the thread. An update on the show itself, I've got 3 matches left to put together so it'll be done by next weekend; I'll post it around the same time as I've done this one. I've tried to hit the main story beats without bloating the recap here and then I've got the 'quick notes' section just to add anything worth mentioning that isn't covered in the meat of the recap. If anyone wants to leave predictions, feel free as well.
 
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I remember really enjoying the 2006 version of The Gorilla Position. It seems like already 2003 will be throughly enjoyed. A lot of stuff worth note between the Rumble then the road to No Way Out. I am really digging some of the changes you have going on with a different way to bring back Stone Cold, putting Edge into the championship picture, and bringing some stipulations into the mix add to these stories. Excited to see what comes from this and welcome to the forum, EZ3. Figure some predictions here.


!! THE BIGGEST REMATCH OF ALL TIME !!
The Rock
vs. Hulk Hogan

WWE Championship Match:
WWE Champion, Kurt Angle
defends against Edge

World Heavyweight Championship Match:

*Steel Cage Match*

World Champion, Triple H defends against Scott Steiner

!! RETURN OF STONE COLD !!
Tag Team Match:

Chris Jericho & Christian vs. Shawn Michaels & Stone Cold Steve Austin

WWE Women's Championship Match:
Victoria
vs. Trish Stratus

US Title Tournament Final:
Rey Mysterio
vs. A-Train

World Tag Team Championship Match | Four-Way Sudden Death:

Dudley Boyz vs. The Un-Americans vs. Kane & RVD vs. 3-Minute Warning

Singles Match:
The Undertaker
vs. Matt Hardy v1 (with Shannon Moore)
 
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Been a … long time … since dishing out feedback of any kind, but felt compelled here to tie in with dropping predictions. Was really impressed with the tweaks to the original card without ripping up existing angles or making hard pivots from what was already going on.

!! THE BIGGEST REMATCH OF ALL TIME !!
The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan
If anything is to echo what happened in real life, this match could be the one. Would appear there’s some kind of McMahon/Hogan program brewing – could even lead to Rock & Vince vs. Hogan & Austin at Mania, perhaps? Screwy finish in Montreal, The Rock wins.


WWE Championship Match:
WWE Champion, Kurt Angle defends against Edge
*Special enforcer; 2003 Royal Winner, Brock Lesnar will be at ringside*
With the comments in the build up about Angles neck being on borrowed time, and having the knowledge that this is when Edge goes off for a year, I’ll say Angle flips the pre-match comments on their head and takes Edge out of commission, breaking his neck to retain the title. Lesnar as ‘Enforcer’ is a nice touch to keep him ticking over as he waits for the winner. Having written out Benoit though, maybe you’ll elect to keep Edge healthy for the additional star power you’ll need on Smackdown.



World Heavyweight Championship Match:
*Steel Cage Match*
World Champion, Triple H defends against Scott Steiner
As mentioned earlier, I like the tweaks to some of the existing programs – this is no exception. The added stipulation of the steel cage should mask the horrible chemistry these two have, and despite the cage being in play, Evolution probably still assist Triple H in retaining the title. Curious in the write up that Flair has make a few flubs already in the short period Evolution have been together; talking Triple H into the match in the first place, then volunteering him into a cage match.


!! RETURN OF STONE COLD !!
Tag Team Match:
Chris Jericho & Christian vs. Shawn Michaels & Stone Cold Steve Austin
Love how you’ve parleyed the HBK/Y2J program into the return of Austin, but it worked tremendously in my opinion. Could envisage it being more of a 2 on 1 match with Austin late due to some scheming from the heels before making a grand return as it’s hard to see him standing on the ring apron for long waiting for a tag when the fans would be desperate to see him after 9 months away. Michaels and Austin win, of course.


WWE Women's Championship Match:
Victoria vs. Trish Stratus
*Everyone is barred from ringside*
Everyone barred from ringside suggests SOMEONE will not heed the warning – maybe Jazz returning? Victoria retains through hook or crook, stretching this out to WrestleMania.



US Title Tournament Final:
Rey Mysterio vs. A-Train
Think for the first champion, you want someone popular – that would be Rey Mysterio. He can always drop it at a later date to A-Train. Just can't picture A-Train as the FIRST (WWE) United States Champion.


World Tag Team Championship Match | Four-Way Sudden Death:
Dudley Boyz vs. The Un-Americans vs. Kane & RVD vs. 3-Minute Warning
Dudley Boyz retain to further infuriate Morley.


Singles Match:
The Undertaker vs. Matt Hardy v1 (with Shannon Moore)
This seemed a lot of fun – would’ve loved to follow this week to week, but still a good read in recap form. Bit puzzled that Taker hasn’t been out for revenge on Big Show at all when they’re both on Smackdown. Something happens here anyway to set up Takers direction for WrestleMania – maybe even a humiliating loss to Hardy via someone interfering.
 
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Pre-show Heat; John Cena defeats Hardcore Holly @ 05:54
***


...

WWE No Way Out
February 23, 2003 | Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

***

Open; black and white clips of Stone Cold Steve Austin backstage wrapping his wrists before a match, and putting on his famous vest as he prepares for a fight. A faint drum beat plays.



Steve Austin: They said I took my ball and went home ...

The clips continue with Austin backstage but he's still able to hear the roar of the crowd and the chants of ‘AUSTIN’ echoing throughout the building.

Steve Austin:
now it’s time to find out…


The roar of the crowd grows louder - “AUSTIN! AUSTIN! AUSTIN!”

A close-up shot of Austin with his head down. Water drips from the top of his head, he’s dressed to compete, standing just outside the curtain.


“AUSTIN! AUSTIN! AUSTIN! AUSTIN!


Steve Austin: If they’ll say it to my face!

GLASS SHATTERS!!!


Clip of Stone Cold Steve Austin marching down the ramp at WrestleMania 17 in front of his Texas faithful.

A quick collection of greatest hits; Austin flips off Mike Tyson, Austin stuns McMahon, Austin returns at Backlash 2000, Austin saves the WWE during the Invasion.

Jim Ross:
Stone Cold’s the most dangerous man on the planet when he’s motivated, King! I can’t wait for Sunday - I can’t wait for No Way Out! He’s back, the Rattlesnake is back in the W-W-E!

Austin stands alone in the ring as the camera pans out, revealing that the ring apron has tonight’s event logo.

Cut to black.


“HOW CAN YOU SEE INTO MY EYES”

World Champion Triple H and Scott Steiner face off on Raw; it does not get physical.

Triple H:
You’re nothing but a second-rate chump from a dead promotion, and I’ll be the one to end this whole charade.

Collection of clips of Evolution attacking Scott Steiner and using the numbers advantage.


Scott Steiner: You call me second rate but I only need 3 seconds to take everything you’ve worked for and I ain’t ever been HANDED my World Championships.

“LIKE OPEN DOORS”

Triple H: You think I’m afraid of being locked in a cage with you? I’ve wrestled ‘em all - even better - I've beaten the best in the business inside cages.

Scott Steiner: When that door shuts - it’s just you and I, Hunter! Nobody to save your ass from the beating I’m gonna give you!

“LEADING YOU DOWN INTO MY CORE”

Triple H tries to blast Steiner with the title but he ducks and nails a belly to belly suplex. Steiner then applies the Recliner and has ‘The Game’ tapping on whilst looking down at the World Title.

Jim Ross:
It’s the cage match the world is waiting for - Triple H vs. Scott Steiner! No interference, no Evolution - it’s one on one - winner take all.

Jerry Lawler: How’s ‘The Game’ going to survive being locked in a cage with that… FREAK!

“WHERE I’VE BECOME SO NUMB”



Clips of Kurt Angle and Edge; both men fixated on the WWE Championship.

Kurt Angle:
I simply don’t know if he’s ready for this level yet.

Edge: People have doubted me my whole life - this is what I’ve dreamed of and now, in my home country - I FULFILL MY DESTINY AND BECOME WWE CHAMPION!



Clips of Kurt Angle and Edge battling throughout the years; then it highlights Angle’s rise to being a World Champion.

WITHOUT A SOUL (SOUL)

Edge:
This is my moment and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make it to the next level.

“MY SPIRIT’S SLEEPING SOMEWHERE COLD”

Kurt Angle:
You’re entering the ring with the very best in the business - I'm a freaking Gold Medalist and the WWE Champion. 12 months ago you took my hair but I bet you’d give yours up to have what I’ve got now.

"UNTIL YOU FIND IT THERE AND LEAD IT BACK HOME"

Angle and Edge slug it out in the middle of the ring and have to be pulled apart by security. Angle shouts that Edge is never going to be WWE Champion so long as he’s around.

“WAKE ME UP INSIDE”

A spear from Edge connects to both members of Team Angle - he points at Angle and signals he wants the gold.

“(I CAN’T WAKE UP) WAKE ME UP INSIDE”

Angle and Edge have a staredown - cut to black.

“(SAVE ME) CALL MY NAME AND SAVE ME FROM THE DARK”

A helicopter shot of the city of Montreal. We follow the traffic throughout the city to the outside of the Bell Center. During the shot we see a limo moving towards the building.

“(WAKE ME UP) BID MY BLOOD RUN”

A black limousine pulls up outside of the Bell Center; the door opens and a black boot steps out onto the ground. Cut to black.

“(I CAN’T WAKE UP) BEFORE I COME UNDONE”

The sound of lightning can be heard as we snap back into frame; The Rock outside of the Bell Center next to his limo.

“(SAVE ME) SAVE ME FROM THE NOTHING I’VE BECOME”

Slowly, The Rock turns to face the camera - sunglasses on even though it’s dark outside. He pulls them off, smirks a little, and then raises his eyebrow as he whispers…


“FINALLY”

AND NOW, WWE PROUDLY PRESENTS - A RAW AND SMACKDOWN CO-PRODUCTION - WWE NO WAY OUT!!!!


nwoposter-png.88225


PYRO

Michael Cole opens the show and welcomes the audience watching at home to the final pitstop on the Road to WrestleMania 19. He hypes that this is it - tonight’s matches are so important because they set the stage for the grandest stage of them all. He then introduces Tazz as his broadcast partner for the Smackdown matches this evening, and then throws to Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler who will call the Raw bouts.


**DERAILER**


With an air of confidence that earns from a wave of boos from the live crowd, the intimidating A-Train marches onto the stage and goes straight for the ring. He has dominated the tournament according to Tazz on commentary, and Cole puts over how A-Train has stepped out of the shadow of his tag partner, Big Show in recent weeks by reaching the final. As A-Train enters the ring, they discuss how the odds are heavily in his favour tonight being the much larger and stronger man.

**619**


It’s the exact opposite reaction for the other half of this tournament final; Rey Mysterio springboards onto the stage to a big pop from the crowd. His connection with the children of the audience is clear as day based on the shots of the crowd, kids going crazy, all of them wanting to reach out and high-five the luchador. Mysterio takes a moment to pause as he reaches the bottom of the ramp, looking at the monstrous man that awaits him tonight - Tazz questions if Rey is doubting himself but Cole argues that Mysterio is assessing the situation and figuring out how he’s going to overcome the odds.

United States Championship Tournament Final:
Rey Mysterio vs. A-Train


It was the culmination of a three-week, eight-man tournament with some of the best Friday Night Smackdown had available. As you would expect, A-Train tried to focus on using his strength advantage and Mysterio was keen on keeping away and using his speed to gain an advantage. The first exchange saw Mysterio dodge, duck and weave all around the ring while A-Train tried to rope him in for a power move. Every time they got close, Rey would find a way to escape, and just get out of harm's way. This worked… until it didn’t. Once A-Train caught him, he would toss Rey around the ring and work over the luchador with as much vile and venom as he could muster. The contest would last for just over 10 minutes, A-Train being in control for much of it but Mysterio did have sections where he was able to outsmart the bigger man or gain an advantage because A-Train got cocky after a big move.

The finish of the contest occurs with A-Train in control as he has for a good portion of the contest. His size and strength were seemingly too much for the luchador this evening. On commentary, Tazz goes on about how it was a great effort by Rey but sometimes the sheer size advantage is just too much for even Rey to overcome. A-Train picked Mysterio up dragged his near-lifeless body over to the turnbuckle and stacked him up against the corner of the ring. With an uncomfortable hush over the arena, A-Train stepped back and slapped Mysterio across the face, a loud crack echoing loudly across the building. He hurried back to the opposite side of the ring, A-Train fired up and charged forward toward his target… but Mysterio dove out of the way!

There was still life in this little man, he fired back with punches to the head of the much larger man, and slowly but surely he began to look rocked! The crowd’s belief grew with each punch, Rey hammered away and then began to strike with kicks! A-Train couldn’t believe that Mysterio hadn’t just surrendered, he was done! Out of nowhere, A-Train grabbed Mysterio by the throat and went for the A-Train Bomb - but Mysterio kicked free. He rushed forward and executed a headscissors which sent A-Train into the ring ropes. The crowd followed every second of this as Rey hit the ropes… SIX ONE NINE!! A-Train stumbled halfway across the ring, and Mysterio slung himself from the ring apron toward his opponent - WEST COAST POP! Down goes the big man and Mysterio hooked the leg… 1… 2… 3!


Winner: And NEW WWE United States Champion - Rey Mysterio @ 10:24

An unbelievable sight tonight - Rey Mysterio has done it! He overcame seven other men in a stacked eight-man tournament with the very best on Friday Night Smackdown. He went through Big Show in the first round, then he beat John Cena in the semi-final and now he adds A-Train to his accomplishment. He did it the hard way, Rey Mysterio went through the toughest men on Smackdown and he never took a shortcut. Commentary cannot put this over any harder than they are; Cole calling this one of the greatest wins he has ever seen.

The newly crowned champion is handed the title by the referee. Mysterio falls to his knees, looking at the gold, and he is swarmed by a round of applause and cheers from the crowd watching on in the Bell Center. Meanwhile, A-Train rolls out of the ring, heading straight through the crowd, smacking hands away from him and shouting at people to back off. He’s furious, knowing that he has fumbled an opportunity where he was the favourite. A crowning moment for Rey Mysterio - his first piece of gold in the WWE and the first United States Champion ever under the WWE moniker.
***


A video package aired which was an advertisement for the next pay-per-view; WrestleMania 19. It highlighted some of the previous events and had famous clips such as; Hogan vs. Andre, Bret vs. Shawn, The Undertaker vs. Sid, Austin vs. Rock, and many more. It hyped the show as being the biggest WrestleMania of all time and that it would feature the very best that the WWE had to offer in 2003. The final superstar shown in the package was the 2003 Royal Rumble winner - Brock Lesnar. The man who will main event the show - something he is guaranteed to do against the WWE Champion; no matter who holds the title. It then ended with a countdown and let us know that WrestleMania - the grandest stage of them all - was in...

35 DAYS!

Wrestlemania_XIX.png

WrestleMania 19 | March 30, 2003 | Safeco Field; Seattle, Washington
ONLY ON PAY-PER-VIEW

***


Back into the arena…

**WE’RE COMING DOWN**


Fireworks pop off to announce the arrival of the champions, who have decided to enter first tonight. Bubba Ray and D-Von Dudley, the seven-time World Tag Team Champions in WWE, made their way out to a rockstar reception. Heavy crowd favourites, the champs got the crowd fired up, waved the titles around and entered the ring. Ross puts over the champs, pointing out the issues with Chief Morley and how they have been put through the wringer since winning the gold last month.

**3 MINUTES**

The personal hitman of the Raw General Manager, Jamal and Rosey - collectively known as 3 Minute Warning entered the Bell Center to a smattering of boos. They mean mugged the crowd on their way to the ring, both men hyping the other up that they would win the titles tonight. Due to their connection with Bischoff, Morley has preferred the 3 Minute Warning for champions as he attempted to have the gold taken from the Dudley Boyz. King justified the favouritism shown by the Chief of Staff, saying that he has a job to do and that’s to make life easy for his own - Eric Bischoff.

**WE SALUTE**

The former champs came out next - brandishing the flags of Canada and the United Kingdom for Lance Storm and William Regal. When waving the flags around the crowd would rush boos (with a slight smattering of cheers for Storm), Storm and Regal not caring at all as they proudly represented their country. Ross and Lawler discuss that this may just be the best pure wrestling team in the match and if it were a one-on-one rematch, they might be the favourites. They pondered how the multi-team format tonight would impact traditional technicians such as Regal and Storm.

**ONE OF A KIND**

With one team remaining and unlike the rest of the field - these men would come out by themselves and then link up. First out was Mr. Monday Night, Rob Van Dam, who looked ready to compete and add yet another title to his already impressive collection. Ross put over Van Dam as one of the brightest young stars on the Raw roster and someone that he expects big things from in 2003. Lawler said that RVD had all the tools to break through onto that next level but he didn’t have the drive to do so. RVD waited halfway down the ramp for his partner, nodding his head as the crowd chanted his name.

**SLOW CHEMICAL**


The final entrant in this contest, Kane - the largest man of the field and the most unpredictable. The Big Red Machine marched out from the back as fire erupted on the stage, his mask on full display as he met up with his tag partner. They exchanged a nod and then ran towards the ring, they slid underneath the bottom rope and the heels scattered. The only team with the guts to stick around were the champions and they faced off with Kane and RVD. Kane looked down upon them, raised his arms in the air, and brought them down - setting off the pyro in the corners!

World Tag Team Championship Match | Four-Way Sudden Death:
Dudley Boyz vs. The Un-Americans vs. Kane & RVD vs. 3-Minute Warning

With eight competitors in this contest, it would always end up finishing in chaos. The rules of the match were simple; one fall to a finish and only two men were permitted in the ring at one time. You could tag anyone on the ring apron; no matter if they were your actual partner but the goal was to always keep your team as legal so that you had the chance to score the victory. The champions started the contest as was their right as the title holders, and that left the rest of the field to argue over who should be the other half of the starting equation. The inability of the rest of the field to agree on who should start would lead to Chief Morley coming down to the ring and announcing that 3-Minute Warning would be the other starting team - and to ensure that this match was officiated “correctly” he would be staying at ringside for the duration of the contest.

The match went about thirteen and a half minutes with all teams getting their chance to shine. A fairly even contest showcasing the stacked tag division on Monday Night Raw. On commentary. Ross and Lawler pointed out that there were several teams not represented here tonight including the likes of Booker T and Goldust - praising how strong tag team wrestling was on Mondays. The story of the match saw Morley get involved whenever the Dudley Boyz had the advantage, yelling at the referee to make sure he was calling things correctly and to slow down his count when either of the champions made a cover. The presence of Morley began to draw the ire of the Dudley Boyz, distracting them at times and causing them to either lose their advantage in the ring or be forced out of the action via blind tags.

The ending of the match was pure chaos, Kane was the legal man with Lance Storm. He was in control and looking to put an end to the contest - gaining the titles in the process. After hitting a chokeslam, Kane would be jumped by 3-Minute Warning who stormed the ring to break up any pinfall attempt. They would unload an assault on the ‘Big Red Machine’ until Van Dam rushed into the ring, fighting back and sending them to the outside. RVD would then leap over the top rope taking them out! Kane began to get to his feet; meanwhile, Storm had crawled to the corner and tagged in William Regal. The Un-Americans looked set to win back their belts as Regal lined up the running knee - but Kane blocked it, and stumbled back into the ropes… where Bubba Ray made a blind tag.

Kane grabbed Regal by the throat but Bubba Ray rushed behind him and broke the contact - BUBBA BOMB! Kane fell to the outside, leaving Bubba and Regal as the legal men. The Dudley Boyz would swarm the Englishman… DUDLEY DEATH DROP! It was over, the referee counted 1… 2… MORLEY SUDDENLY RIPPED THE OFFICIAL FROM THE RING! The outrage from the crowd was loud, and the Chief of Staff shook his head and he punched the referee. Bubba couldn’t believe it, he looked on in rage at Morley - he had cost them the win. From behind, Lance Storm hit a superkick to D-Von and sent him spilling to the outside. Bubba turned around and nailed Storm with a right hand… but Regal had pulled the brass knuckles from his trunks and he cracked Bubba in the temple! Regal got his arm over Bubba, and Morley slid into the ring for the extremely (almost comical) fast 1… 2… 3!


Winner: And NEW World Tag Team Champions - The Un-Americans @ 13:22

The fans are a mix of shock and outrage - the titles have been stolen right out from under the Dudley Boyz and there’s nothing anyone can do because of that damn Chief Morley! Morley does the smartest thing he has done all night - he hightails it out of the arena, running through the crowd, the camera catching a shot of his face and we see that huge smirk across it. That dastardly Morley is proud of his actions - he has screwed the Dudley Boyz and got the titles back on a team that he deems acceptable representatives for Monday Night Raw.

Inside the ring, D-Von tries to figure out what just happened - watching replays on the tron while Bubba Ray tries to shake off the impact of the brass knuckles. The newly crowned champions, Regal and Storm snatch the belts from the timekeeper and head immediately up the ramp. They shake hands and look pleased, Regal shrugging in response to the outcry from D-Von Dudley.


***

Backstage, Kevin Kelly catches up with Trish Stratus who is stretching in preparation for her title shot later in the evening - the challenger dressed in red and white, the colours of her home country with a maple leaf on the back of his pants. Kelly wants a comment about how Trish is feeling tonight - being that this is her home country and she has such a big opportunity in front of her.

Stratus nods in agreement, saying that she understands how big a chance this is for her - it’s a chance to win the title in front of her family, many of who are in the front row reveals Trish. In response, Kevin Kelly reminds Trish that it was only 12 months ago that she had the same opportunity at WrestleMania 18… and she was unable to get the win that night. Trish talks about having thought about that night for almost a year - tonight she rids herself of those demons. She vows to win the title for her family, every fan in the arena, and all her fans around the globe.


***

We cut to an “earlier in the day” split screenshot of Triple H - flanked by Evolution - arriving at the arena, the World Title proudly on display. On the other side of the screen, Scott Steiner arrives alone, ready to enter the cage against the World Champion later tonight. Ross and Lawler hype up the contest, both men discussing the horrors of the cage match and how it can change a man.

***

Back to the arena…

**LIVE FOR THE MOMENT**

Oozing arrogance that nobody in this world or any other can understand, Matt Hardy strolled out onto the stage with his MF’er (Shannon Moore) right by his side. Hardy is carrying on flexing to the crowd, telling them that he’s going to bury the ‘Dead Man’ tonight and that he’s about to be famous. Moore plays the role of ‘Yes Man’ and claps, cheers, and hypes Matt up for this match all the way down to the ring. Cole and Tazz can’t believe what they are seeing, Tazz asks if Matt has lost the plot. Once in the ring, Hardy continues to argue with the crowd; and Moore can be seen running around mocking members of the front row who dare to boo.

**YOU’RE GONNA PAY**


Riding out on a custom motorcycle, The Undertaker appeared at the side of the entrance ramp and drove his bike down to the ring - circling the squared circle whilst glaring up at Matt Hardy. As ‘Taker circled the ring, Shannon Moore had to dive out of the way, ending up in the lap of a group of fans when ‘Taker drove on by. Cole puts over the legendary career of The Undertaker - noting that this man has done it all and his return last month can only mean trouble for every other superstar on the roster who tries to start trouble with ‘Big Evil.’

Singles Match:
The Undertaker vs. Matt Hardy v1 (with Shannon Moore)


Total squash match for the first singles match on pay-per-view since his return for The Undertaker. The entire purpose of the contest is not to put on a wrestling clinic but rather for ‘Big Evil’ to go through the motions and get his feet back under him in the ring. It’s a quick five-minute crash course with Hardy getting maybe 3-4 moves on The Undertaker before he gets dropped or swatted away with ease. The confidence of Hardy quickly disappeared the minute he charged ‘Taker to start, and was smashed in the face with a big boot. The crowd - all of them supporting ‘Taker, ate the squash match up, cheering like mad. The Undertaker would hit all his classic moves including; old school, a chokeslam, a last ride, snake eyes, and a big boot, and finished on a Tombstone Piledriver to the limp body of Matt Hardy.

At one point, Shannon Moore would jump onto the apron and try to distract The Undertaker. For his troubles, Moore would be yanked into the ring, pulled over the top rope, and landed on his back. The Undertaker grabbed Moore by his long blonde hair and tossed him into the corner… unloading with the fastest punches in the business - Cole calling ‘Taker the best pure striker in the game today. Moore collapsed forward into the chest of The Undertaker… who laughed and then threw Moore to the outside of the ring with no remorse. The finish, as stated earlier, came when The Undertaker decided the crowd was ready to go home. He had laid out Matt Hardy on the deck, picked him up, and nailed the Tombstone. The Undertake then stood up, placing a single boot on the chest of Hardy and the referee made the count - 1… 2.. 3!


Winner: The Undertaker @ 04:12

If there was any doubt that The Undertaker was back as a full force in the WWE - and Smackdown specifically, then those doubters have been silenced tonight. Cole claims that he has never seen The Undertaker in better shape and now that he has this win under his belt, who knows what’s next for the man who has been at the top of the company for well over a decade. The Undertaker exits the ring, nodding in appreciation to the fans at ringside who give him a few cheers and shouts, and heads up the ramp - job done. The camera then cuts back to the ring, Matt Hardy has not moved… still flat on his back out cold from the punishment his big mouth earned him tonight. His MF’er has now climbed into the ring, observing the wreckage of his mentor and friend, clutching at his soreness for sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. A lesson well earned for Matt Hardy… and hopefully one that he takes note of moving forward.

***

**VIDEO PACKAGE**

~ ROYAL RUMBLE FLASHBACK ~
2003

BROCK LESNAR ENTERS THE ROYAL RUMBLE LAST MONTH AT NUMBER #28 AND THROWS OUT MULTIPLE MEN TO CLAIM HIS VICTORY - EARNING A WWE CHAMPIONSHIP OPPORTUNITY IN THE MAIN EVENT OF WRESTLEMANIA 19.


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***

Following the video package, a highlight of the Rumble match last month, we are shown Brock Lesnar's locker room! The man who will act as the Special Enforcer on the outside of the ring for the WWE Championship match between Kurt Angle and Edge later this evening. Cole takes a moment to talk about how important a role Lesnar will play tonight as he can prevent any interference from the likes of Team Angle - making sure that we have a definitive winner.

In contrast, Tazz questions what if Lesnar decides to get involved since he has to face the winner of the match at WrestleMania 19. What if Lesnar thinks he can’t beat one of them so he decides to assist in deciding tonight’s winner? Will Lesnar play a factor tonight… only time will tell.


***

And now, over to the team from Monday Night for our next title match…

**TIME TO ROCK & ROLL**

One of the biggest pops of the night thus far; Trish Stratus gets a hero's welcome in her home country as she fights to become a World Champion once again. Proudly displaying the colours of her country, Stratus played to the crowd, slapping hands and giving hugs to the children on her way to the ring. She stops at ringside and walks over to a group of people - her family that she mentioned earlier, and hugs them. The demons of WrestleMania 18 still ring in the back of her head commented Jerry Lawler, repeating that he knows how hard it is to perform when your family is watching in the front row.

After finishing up with her family, Trish climbed into the ring and fired up the crowd even further. She had them eating out of the palm of her hand. This was her moment - a moment 12 months in the making, the return of the hero and Trish knew it. She took her spot in the corner, ready for a fight and ready to claim the title that she lost in November back at Survivor Series to the woman she faces tonight.

**ALL THE THINGS SHE SAID**

Heat! The boos from the live crowd are loud for the entrance of the WWE Women’s Champion - who is not flanked by Steven Richards this evening, having been barred from ringside due to his previous inclusions in title matches. Victoria must go it alone but the champ isn’t bothered; she walks down to the ring with a snarl on her face, never taking his eyes off Trish. Once in the ring, Victoria walks right up to Trish and raises the title above her head, screaming in the face of the challenger - “I’M THE CHAMP! I BEAT YOU ONCE - I’LL DO IT AGAIN!” Ross comments on the unstable nature of Victoria and wonders how that’ll go down in such a hostile environment as she faces tonight.


WWE Women's Championship:
Victoria vs. Trish Stratus
*Everyone barred from ringside*


The minute the bell rings, Victoria and Trish charge into the middle of the ring and begin to throw absolute bombs at each other. Commentary can’t believe what they are seeing; these two women are fighting, unlike anything the division has seen since… well, they fought at Survivor Series 2002. Victoria would be on the back foot in the opening exchange, Trish fighting a hard forearm and sent Victoria into the ropes; on the rebound, Victoria countered and knocked Trish to the ring mat. They would continue the fast-paced action throughout the entire contest - with the match only having just over 5 minutes of in-ring time assigned to it this evening. However, in those five minutes, the two women packed everything they could into it for the live crowd.

The crowd was hot from the get-go, obviously supporting Trish and being fired up for the chance to see a Canadian win the title tonight. After a hard-fought… while no doubt shorter than they would’ve liked match… the ladies moved to the finish of the contest. Victoria would counter a super plex, herself being the one sitting on the turnbuckle and she shoved Trish off to the floor. A big dive from the top rope and a clothesline connected. Victoria called for the end - grabbing Trish by the hair; big boot to the stomach and slung her over her back - WIDOW’S PEAK! No, Trish unhooks her arms and turns it into a pinning combination… 1… 2… KICK OUT! That was so close, that the crowd bought it as the finish.

They both scrambled to their feet, Victoria turning and swinging wildly… Trish ducked and fired back with a Chick Kick! The champion went down to one knee - Trish looked to the crowd for support… earning a roar from the crowd… and she grabbed Victoria by the head. This was her chance - for the first time since November - Stratus rushed to the ropes, jumped up - STRATUSFACTION! She nailed it! She nailed it! Trish turned Victoria over, the crowd on their feet as the zebra slid into position and counted it out. 1.. 2.. 3!


Winner: And NEW WWE Women’s Champion - Trish Stratus @ 05:27

The demons were exercised - Trish Stratus has become the WWE Women’s Champion for the fourth time in her career! She overcame the women who beat her for the belt at Survivor Series - and she did it in her home country of Canada. Ross notes that after the heartbreak of losing at WrestleMania 18 with her family in the front row, tonight Trish Stratus can celebrate all night long and she can do so as the new WWE Women’s Champion! What a moment!

Pyro goes off around the arena, replays are shown on the titantron of the finish, and the electric three count to seal the deal. Trish is handed her title and is almost crying in the ring, overcome with emotion as her fellow Canadians are on their feet cheering the success of one of their own. Exiting the ring, Trish heads straight for her family and embraces them in a big hug; tears running down her face as she shows the camera her newly won title belt. She has held it 4 times now but this is the one that means the most. She beat the woman who took the title from her, in her home country, with her family watching in the front row - and she did it to avenge a failure from WrestleMania 18. You simply could not write a better ending than that, folks!


***

In the backstage area, Josh Mathews is standing by with one-half of the main event this evening - Hulk Hogan. The crowd pops for the appearance of the Hulkster, who jumps right into his classic mannerisms. Hogan is asked how he thinks The Rock is going to go after coming back after such a long layoff and going straight into a major match like the one tonight. In response, Hogan discusses that he has gone months - even years between bouts and the best in the business have that gene in them - something that can’t be taught where you can just do it. Does The Rock have it in him? We’ll have to wait and see, according to Hogan.

Interrupting the interview, Christian and Chris Jericho from Raw enter from the left. They tell Josh Mathews to scram - Christian threatening to punch him and laughing hysterically as the interviewer cowers in fear, rushing away from the bullies. The Canadians mock Hogan and highlight that he is so loved in Canada. They say it’s not a surprise since Canadians are some of the dumbest people on the planet - and that’s why both Jericho and Christian live in the great state of Florida in the United States. Jericho points out that he wasn’t even born in Canada.

Hogan tells them both that tonight, they’ll get a big dose of reality when they face Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin. That draws a chuckle from both men, Jericho saying that neither of those dinosaurs can match the ability of the two men standing in front of Hogan. After they are done with them - they may pop over to Smackdown and put Hogan’s old ass into retirement where he belongs - says Christian. The segment comes to an end with Jericho and Christian walking off, leaving Hogan looking mad as hell.

***

And now, we cut to a shot of Kurt Angle to huge boos as he walks out of his private locker room, heading past Team Angle who pats him on the back as the WWE Champion heads out for his title defense - NEXT!

***

ANGLE VERSUS EDGE - VIDEO PACKAGE:

A collection of shots of Kurt Angle overcoming the Big Show at Armaggedon 2002, slaying the giant, and capturing the WWE Championship for a THIRD time in his historic career. We see the grand celebration thereafter and Brock Lesnar looking on from the entrance ramp after his involvement - which shows how he helped assist in the title change that night.


Then, we see the formation of Team Angle and the heel turn of the WWE Champion. His refusal to lose the belt and the “by any means necessary” attitude he has adopted in the last 2 months since becoming the champion.

Clips of Edge explaining how he has always dreamed of being the WWE Champion, and that he was voted most likely to be WWE Champion back in high school. We see a few shots of Edge’s early career, and his big wins including the WrestleMania 16 and 17 tag title matches. It then fast forwards to Edge becoming the number one contender - and the staredown with Kurt Angle.


The title match is announced, the contract is signed and we see the multiple attacks by Team Angle towards Edge. The video package also highlights the decision from Smackdown GM, Stephanie McMahon to place Brock Lesnar on the outside of the ring as the Special Enforcer for this bout.
***



**NEXT BIG THING**


Entering first, Brock Lesnar - the winner of the 2003 Royal Rumble - slowly steps out onto the stage dressed in jeans and a referee’s t-shirt - representing his role as a one-night official. Recognised by the WWE as an official for this evening and has all the power of a standard referee. He’ll oversee the contest to make sure we don’t get any outside involvement. On commentary, Cole hypes up that this man will be one of the youngest men to ever main event WrestleMania - and tonight he will find out who his dance partner will be for the grandest stage of them all.

**YOU THINK YOU KNOW ME**

The raw emotion is shown on the face of the next man to enter; Edge rushing onto the stage and throwing his sunglasses into the crowd. He rips off his jacket straight away and sprints to the ring, he’s fired up - Edge knows this is the biggest opportunity in his young singles career. He climbs the turnbuckle and tells the crowd to let him hear them - his eyes then looking down at Brock Lesnar. They exchange a moment, Edge walks over to Brock Lesnar and says that he hopes that he doesn’t need to get involved because Edge doesn’t need or want any help.

**MEDAL**

The chitchat is cut short, WWE Champion Kurt Angle appears at the top of the stage - his head covered with his jacket. Angle soaks in the boos from the crowd, tossing his hood off and pointing to the sky as pyro goes off behind him… the camera zooming in on the title belt around his waist. On his way to the ring, commentary discusses the recent weeks where Angle hasn’t been able to compete due to his neck injury and the difficult nature of the type of injury that is impacting the WWE Champion. Cole says that Angle is tough as they come but has his body run out of gas - is tonight the night where Kurt Angle crashes and burns after pushing the physical limits too much?


Once inside the ring, Kurt Angle and Edge come face to face. He all but ignores the man on the outside of the ring - locked into the task ahead of him. Angle unclips the title belt, and hands it to the referee, keeping his eyes on Edge - the crowd roaring with noise for the staredown. We are just moments away from knowing the main event of WrestleMania 19! It’s the WWE Champion - Angle versus Edge - winner is champ and faces Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 19 in the main event!

WWE Championship Match:
Kurt Angle vs. Edge
*Special enforcer; 2003 Royal Winner, Brock Lesnar will be at ringside*


A highly competitive match that showcased both men from two workers who have great chemistry. For the man on the outside, there wasn’t a lot for him to do for the opening ¾ of the contest. At times, Lesnar would get some slight interaction when Edge and Angle brawled on the outside of the ring, Angle using the announce table against his challenger. However, Edge would keep his involvement with Lesnar to barely a glance. It was an absolute clinic inside the ring, Angle showing that he was at the top of his game and Edge proved that he could hang with the top star in the business. Throughout the contest, Angle would grab at his neck after big impact moves, and Tazz continued to mention it as a thread on commentary. I’ll keep the summary of the contest brief as I’ve written the finish in detail below as it’ll play a big role in multiple stories moving forward.

The ending to the contest, which occurred at nearly twenty minutes of excellent wrestling, saw Angle and Edge battling it out - and the referee was accidentally knocked down. Edge had Angle lined up for the spear, showing excellent ring awareness, the WWE Champion dove out of the way… sending Edge straight into the referee and splitting him in half. The referee fell to the outside of the ring, leaving Angle and Edge alone - which Angle took advantage of with a low blow from behind. After taking a moment to evaluate the situation, Angle waved to the back, signaling for something… and it soon became clear what it was - Team Angle! Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas rushed out to the ring, ready to do the bidding of their mentor - however, it was not to be tonight. Rushing around the ring, Brock Lesnar went straight for Team Angle, knocking both men to the floor with a double clothesline.

The crowd went wild, glad to see that Lesnar was not going to let interference occur in this contest. Lesnar fought back both men when they got to their feet - hitting big forearms and punches up the ramp on both Benjamin and Haas - forcing them from the ringside area. It looked like the plan had been foiled! Meanwhile, Angle showed why he is at the very top of the business, noticing that the referee was still down - Lesnar was distracted with Benjamin and Haas - so he rolled to the outside and grabbed the WWE Title. Upon returning to the ring, a wild look in his eyes, Angle screamed at Edge to get up… the challenger slowly pulling himself to his feet after a very competitive contest. When Edge was back to his feet, he turned around - Angle rushed him brandishing the title belt, and swung for a knockout blow.

Angle would miss! Edge ducked at the last possible second… ran directly to the ropes, and bounced back with great velocity - SPEAR! With a devastating spear from the challenger, the crowd went wild, they knew that this would be it! The title belt flew from the hands of the champion and landed on the outside of the ring; Edge meanwhile covered the champion for the win… except the referee was still down on the outside! There was nobody to make the count. Lesnar was all the way up at the top of the ramp; he had finally dispatched Team Angle. From the ring, Edge began to yell - “Brock! Brock! Count, damn it!” Suddenly, upon seeing the scenes on the titantron, Lesnar sprinted back to the ring and slid underneath the bottom rope… 1… 2… KICK OUT! The outrage from the live crowd was loud as Lesnar failed to make it for a three count; Angle got the shoulder up at a count of 2.9 but he was covered for maybe 10 seconds beforehand.

While the crowd was mad - one man was furious; Edge. The challenger couldn’t believe what had just happened. He had the match and the title won, he was going to WrestleMania but the referee was down, and Lesnar was distracted clearing out Team Angle. It was a collection of unfortunate events; all of which resulted in Edge coming up less than a second short of his dream. The challenger lost focus after this and approached Lesnar, yelling that he didn’t do his job - “You were supposed to be here! You were the backup and you just screwed up, man. You weren’t there!” Lesnar could do nothing but explain that he was clearing out Team Angle - a role he was advised to specifically do by Stephanie McMahon. Edge would argue and argue… to the point that Cole on commentary said that Edge had to let it go and refocus if he wanted to get the win here. Still visibly frustrated, Edge walked back into a corner and stomped the ground - calling for the spear. Lesnar remained in the ring, taking over as the referee as was his ability tonight, and he observed Angle gingerly getting back to a vertical base. Edge would charge forward for the spear… Angle dropped down to the mat, drop toe hold by the WWE Champion… he spun behind - ANKLE LOCK! Angle had hit! The frustration had cost Edge, he took too long to follow up and now he was caught. After a few seconds, Angle would grapevine the leg of the challenger and ultimately force a tap out for the submission victory.


Winner: And STILL WWE Champion - Kurt Angle @ 19:57

A champion is determined by how he faces his toughest tests, and tonight Kurt Angle found a way to win when it looked like he was gone. He was in enemy territory against a national hero, with a foe at ringside, without the support of his stablemates. Yet, amongst all of that, when the dust has settled… Kurt Angle is still the WWE Champion. Upon reaching his feet, Angle demanded that Lesnar hand him the title belt, since the latter was acting as the referee in the final stages of the contest. Brock grabbed the title belt, looking down at it - what was he thinking? This is the title he’ll be competing for in just 35 days in the main event of WrestleMania. After what felt like an eternity, Lesnar looked up at the WWE Champion and handed him the title belt. With a smirk on his face, Angle told Brock to put the title belt around his waist - “Do it! You’re the referee; put the title on me.”

Lesnar had to laugh but he did it; he walked around and wrapped the gold around the waist of the reigning WWE Champion. Angle then paraded around the ring, cheering and gloating to the Canadian crowd after just beating their hero. With an air of arrogance, Angle strutted over to Brock - “RAISE MY HAND! C’MON! RAISE IT!” Once again, Lesnar chuckled, shaking his head for a second… but he then raised Angle’s hand in the air. Angle looked so smug, the title around his waist, his hand raised by Lesnar, and a huge grin on his face. Then, without warning, the grin would fade… as Lesnar yanked Angle toward him… lifted him into a fireman’s carry… F5! F5! F5! The winner of the 2003 Royal Rumble had struck - he left the WWE Champion lying with his devastating F5! Lesnar stood tall over the fallen WWE Champion, turning his head and looking up at the WrestleMania sign hanging in the rafters. Could this be a sign of things to come?

***

We cut to the backstage area now, Ric Flair is shown walking through the halls of the arena, looking back and forth until he reaches the trainer’s room. He enters the room and finds the World Heavyweight Champion; Triple H - the trainer applying tape to his wrists for the champ. Flair greets his friend and asks if he’s ready for the match tonight. ‘The Game’ shoos the trainer away for a moment, telling him to come back in a minute. The World Title sits to his left, and Triple H brushes his hand against the gold softly. He tells Flair that tonight, he plans on getting rid of the Scott Steiner problem once and for all.

Inside the cage, there’s going to be no doubt that Triple H is the best wrestler alive - the greatest World Champion of this era and unmatched in this business. Flair is eating this all up - he hypes Triple H even further; saying that both of them know what it is like to not only survive but to thrive in a steel cage. He says that once the match is over - Evolution is going to be waiting with the champagne and the women - they’re going to party all night long like only Evolution knows how to do! Triple H extends his hand which Flair grasps and hugs him before leaving the room while wishing Triple H luck.


***

Back in the arena now, and over to Monday Night Raw’s announce team.

**BREAK DOWN THE WALLS**

Entering the arena in unison; Chris Jericho and Christian come out together as a team, showing their unity and receiving a mixed reception from the audience. They are Canadians but have done everything they could do in the weeks leading into the event to be booed tonight - which they have done successfully for the most part. They play no part with the crowd; Jericho and Christian both strut right past any outstretched hands and enter the ring with barely a glance in the direction of the audience. Lawler points out how Jericho and Christian have entered together, they have experience teaming in tag team action - something that their opponents do not have. However, as Ross counters - sometimes you just have to put the All-Stars on the court and then get out of the way.

**SEXY BOY**

Out next is the ‘Heartbreak Kid’ Shawn Michaels, dancing his way out onto the stage, and soaking in a MIXED reaction himself. This is the site of his most infamous moment and while only 6 years on, the fans have not forgotten what occurred on that night. Michaels plays this up, mouthing that he knows and is sorry. He made his way down to the ring, not worrying that he was outnumbered by the presence of the heels. Ever the maverick, Shawn climbed the turnbuckle and stared down at his opponents tonight - a camera getting a shot of Jericho seething with hate just by the appearance of HBK.

The music would then stop… and the wait began. The crowd began to build, a slow chant of ‘Austin’ starting in pockets of the arena before growing to the larger masses. Soon the entire arena was in on it, the sound echoing all over the place, the fans all understanding the assignment. It was seconds but it felt like minutes. The commentary team hyped up how big this moment was - Ross said he tries to be unbiased but even he could not hide how happy this was going to make him.

**GLASS SHATTERS**

HE’S BACK! An absolutely thunderous reaction in the arena - the roof nearly blowing off the building and that’s before the man himself even appeared. The sound of the glass shattering sends the fans into pandemonium. A few seconds later, Stone Cold Steve Austin walked out from behind the curtain, dressed in his classic black boots, knee brace, and black trunks. Austin went to head straight down the ramp but stopped… he looked around at the fans, seemingly taking it in. This was the first time since 2002 - when he walked out on the company - that Austin had been in front of a live crowd.


Ross was calling this one of the proudest moments of his career, this is where Stone Cold belonged. He was finally home, no matter what had happened, Austin was back. In contrast, Lawler did bring up how the layoff could impact the match tonight, stating that Michaels and Austin were about to go up against two men who are on the road every night and competing all over the world. Austin hasn’t wrestled since mid-2002 and Michaels works a light schedule. Would that end up impacting how this match worked? We were only a few moments from finding out. Austin marched to the ring and joined up with his tag partner, both men climbing turnbuckles and firing up the crowd. Austin took the time to do it for each turnbuckle, hitting every side of the arena - like a true professional.

!! RETURN OF STONE COLD !!
Tag Team Match:
Chris Jericho & Christian vs. Shawn Michaels & Stone Cold Steve Austin


There are very few times when the sound of the ring bell, and then nobody moving an inch, will receive a gigantic pop from the crowd… tonight was one of those times. With the sound of the bell ringing in the ears of the audience, it was official, for the first time in over six months; Steve Austin was going to wrestle a match in the WWE. All four men would stand in the ring when the bell sounded, Austin and Michaels side by side - a sight that Jim Ross passionately declared that he never thought he would see again. Michaels played to the audience, ever the showman, glancing back and forth, asking if the cheers were for him or Austin. Their opponents on the other side of the ring, were less than thrilled at the spectacle that was occurring around them. With the audience ready to explode from the moment the contest kicked off, Michaels would start the contest as the legal man and send Austin to the ring apron - allowing the anticipation to build even further for the audience. It looked for a moment that Jericho would start, rival versus rival, but he tagged out straight out to send in Christian in his place.

The tag match went for just under fifteen minutes, and as you can imagine was heavily focused on the ability of Christian and Jericho to keep Stone Cold on the outside of the ring - blocking him over and over from getting into the match. Michaels and Christian would kick things off trading some chain wrestling to start and moving towards some fast-paced action. One of the key story points of the match was highlighted from the beginning by commentary as well; Jericho NEVER shared the ring with Shawn Michaels as the legal man - and anytime they touched it was either a sneak attack from Jericho or an illegal attack when Jericho such as knocking Shawn off the apron or breaking up a pinfall. The frustration of this built all match long for the Heartbreak Kid; he would at one point yell directly at Jericho to get his ass in the ring and face him like a man - only for Jericho to smirk and wave him off.

The finish of the contest occurred in a bout of chaos. Michaels had wrestled the whole match as the legal man inside the ring - the clock showing about 9 minutes had expired. Michaels would try to make the tag to Austin but was cut off again by Christian. He would then try the Unprettier on HBK… only for Michaels to shove him off into the ropes, Christian returned and was sent high overhead with a back body drop. The crowd rose, and everyone knew what was coming - Christian made the tag - BUT SO DID MICHAELS! STONE COLD WAS LEGAL! In came the ‘Rattlesnake’ like a house on fire, hitting everyone with a heartbeat and cleaning out the ring. He smashed Jericho in the corner with repeated right hands before stomping him into the turnbuckle when he collapsed to the bottom of it. Austin dragged him around the ring, just belting Jericho as much as he could - hitting his classic moves much to the delight of the crowd. Jericho would sneak a tag to Christian… and the same thing would happen to Christian! Austin beat the tar out of him, and while Jericho would try to make a run in… Michaels would cut him off with a superkick! With Jericho dispatched, Stone Cold lined up Christian and nailed a STUNNER!!! Austin hooked the leg and the referee slid into position… 1… 2… 3!


Winners: Shawn Michaels & Stone Cold Steve Austin @ 14:46

The return of a lifetime has been completed - Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels have beaten the Canadians! The roar of the audience cannot be understated at this time, it may be 2003 but Stone Cold is still one of the most popular stars on the entire roster, and tonight he proved that he’s still got it to hang with the best of them. His in-ring was limited but that’s all it needed to be; the people came to see Austin kick ass and that’s exactly what they got tonight. This isn’t going to be the last we see of Michaels and Jericho as well - their issues are not resolved with the two men never really squaring off… and I’m sure that Jericho isn’t going to take that superkick to the jaw very well.

The heels head for the exit as quickly as they can; Christian and Jericho arm in arm as they scurry up the ramp licking their wounds. Inside the ring, Austin stood tall and soaked in the reaction from the crowd having not felt this for a long time. Joined by Shawn Michaels, partners tonight but also a long-time rival, they came together to shake hands. Michaels went to leave the ring, giving Austin this moment to cherish by himself… but Austin grabbed him by the arm and pulled him close to whisper something. A smile and then a laugh would appear on Michaels’ face, and he would mouth “okay” before Stone Cold called for the beers!

What would likely become an iconic shot - Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin stood in the middle of the ring, partners on this evening… perhaps even friends… sharing a cold beverage whilst the crowd cheered wildly. The return of Stone Cold had been a success, he was back and it was like he had never left. After finishing their beers, Michaels was the first to leave the ring, telling Austin to take the opportunity to soak it in. Austin would do just that as he went to each corner once again and raised his arms in the air before exiting the ring. On his way out of the ringside area, Stone Cold stopped by the announce desk and embraced Jim Ross - the commentator proudly shouted - “Stone Cold is back in the WWE, and bah gawd is it good!”

***

In the backstage area, Stephanie McMahon makes her first appearance of the evening, watching the pay-per-view on a small television screen. The General Smackdown looks thrilled with the product thus far and has a big smile on her face - until the office door suddenly swings open. Into the frame enters her father, Mr. McMahon - he enters the room without notice and strides confidently into the shot. Stephanie asks her father why he is here and he replies that as the WWE Chairman, he can go wherever he wants and tonight, he thought it was important, being that this is the last stop before WrestleMania, that he be here to make sure things go “according to plan” tonight.

Before Stephanie can ask what that means, Vince interrupts and says he has a question of her own - or more so a directive - what the hell is going on with Kurt Angle and his neck? Why is the WWE Champion getting time off instead of being on the show? Is this how Stephanie runs Smackdown - letting the champion take ‘off nights’ like this is some kind of part-time job? Stephanie stands up for herself - she defends the decision saying that she has done what was in the best interest of Smackdown and that everyone saw tonight - Angle was able to compete BECAUSE of that time off she gave him. Vince looked unconvinced, he shook his head and replied; “You best sort this mess you’ve created with your champion otherwise I will.”

***

TRIPLE H VERSUS SCOTT STEINER - VIDEO PACKAGE:

A brief history of the World Heavyweight Championship is shown including; Triple H being awarded the title, Shawn Michaels winning it in the Elimination Chamber and then Triple H regaining it after 3 Stages of Hell.


We hear the voice of Ric Flair, he hypes Triple H as the greatest wrestler of his generation and that nobody can match him in the ring. This then cuts to Scott Steiner interrupting Triple H on Raw and shows their clash at the Royal Rumble. The Game cheats to win; forming Evolution in the process.

Clips of Scott Steiner from WCW where he won the big gold belt previously and we hear him give a breakdown of why he’s going to win the belt tonight. He’s tougher than Triple He. He’s stronger than Triple H. He’s more badass than Triple H. When times get tough inside the steel cage; Steiner doesn’t need help - Triple H is going to be crying for help by the time Big Poppa Pump gets through with him.

A fast collection of the several beatdowns by Evolution to Steiner - highlighted by the time they drew blood on the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion. The video package comes to an end with a shot of Triple H standing at the top of the stage - flanked by Evolution - while Scott Steiner stands alone in the ring, glaring up at the task that faces him.

***

...

Following the video, the steel cage which has hung above the ring all night long, slowly begins to lower down towards the ring until it is clipped into place by officials.


**HOLLA IF YA HEAR ME**

Emerging from the curtain, his chainmail draped over his head looking JACKED as always, Scott Steiner showed no fear of the cage on his way down the ramp. Returning to the company back in November, Steiner was in his second chance to become World Champion - a chance he knew would be his last so long as Triple H held the World Title should he lose tonight. Commentary is sure to make that point; this is the end of the road if Steiner cannot get the job done in the cage. While that’s a great deal of pressure, Ross pointed out that this was his best chance as the steel cage would prevent any obvious interference from Evolution. Steiner entered the cage after checking underneath the ring on all sides - something that even Lawler had to praise as being smart.

**THE GAME**


There is nobody better in big game situations than the man entering the arena now - according to Jerry Lawler. With ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair by his side, the World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H made his way out from the back, drink bottle in hand and a look of determination on his face. Boos from the audience rained down against the leader of Evolution. This was his chance to rid himself of the Scott Steiner problem in one night - no more rematches, no more back and forths, it was simple. If ‘The Game’ wins tonight - he never has to worry about Steiner as a challenger so long as he is champion. Triple H’s walk to the ring was a slow one, taking his time to observe the cage and possibly come to some sort of understanding within himself as to what may happen once that door closes. Flair would be at ringside, that’s one thing that Triple H could count on - his mentor would stay by his side.

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
*Steel Cage Match*
Triple H vs. Scott Steiner
*Escape is the only method of victory*


A solid twelve minutes of action in this match which was never going to be an all-time classic pure wrestling match. It’s a fight from the beginning, both men colliding in the middle of the ring and trading big shots to get things kicked off for the crowd. The finish of the contest is detailed below in a fair amount of detail. With the goal of not bloating this show for the sake of doing so, I’ll spare a full summary. The takeaways are that it was a fairly even back-and-forth match, they both used the cage throughout and Triple H has bladed. Flair is on the outside of the ring, and the only way to get the win is to escape the cage - pinfalls and submissions are meaningless.

The finish of the contest would be as followed after over ten minutes of punishment for both men. Triple H’s face cut, blood dripping down his face, and made for an awesome vision as the World Champion hooked the challenger for a Pedigree after a low blow. The crowd was furious, laying in the heat when ‘The Game’ looked certain for victory - BUT STEINER BLOCKED IT! Big Poppa Pump began to break the grip and ultimately broke free, sending Triple H over his head into the steel cage. Steiner staggered towards the middle of the ring, creating separation to gather his thoughts - and caught Triple H trying to rush back with a belly to belly suplex. The crowd popped loudly… Steiner motioned that this was his time! He stood over Triple H, flipped him over, delivered a hard shot to the back… and applied the STEINER RECLINER! The building was going wild; Steiner had his best hold on Triple H and the World Champ was busted open - blood falling to the canvas with each excruciating second that passed.

Triple H fought back… inching towards the ropes and Ric Flair on the outside of the cage. The ‘Nature Boy’ was pleading with Triple H to hold on - just keep fighting and this match is yours. After an incredible effort, the World Champ made contact with the ring ropes… and the referee waved it off! It meant nothing! There are no rope breaks, and the only way to win is escaping the cage so this meant nothing for the referee. Flair lost his mind on the outside - screaming that this son of a bitch needs to be stopped. Steiner cranked the hold back, using every bit of strength he had left in his body… and slowly but surely… Triple H’s arms dropped, his eyes closed and he collapsed forward. Triple H had PASSED OUT TO THE STEINER RECLINER!! If this were contested under standard wrestling rules we would have a new champion but not tonight; tonight Steiner has to scale the cage or go through the door and have his feet hit the outside.

Steiner stood up on wobbly legs himself, he eyed the door and realised that wouldn’t be an option as Ric Flair shoved the outside official out of the way and held it shut. Steiner looked to the crowd for support, they cheered and pointed to the sky - motioning for the challenger to climb. All he has to do is get his big body over the top of the cage and the gold belongs to him. Steiner’s climb began - it was slow due to his size and the punishment of the contest. An added layer was that Ric Flair then ran around to the side where Steiner was climbing and started climbing himself to meet him at the top! Steiner was able to knock Flair down each time he tried to climb from the outside, but this delayed his ascent. Across the ring, the lifeless body of Triple H began to stir… he started crawling… he was heading for the door! Soon our commentary team realised; Steiner was at the top of the cage now, Flair throwing his jacket, his shoes, whipping his belt against the steel like a madman - but Triple H had a free shot at the now open door, the official on the outside having moved back into position.

Steiner had no idea he… he began to climb down, his body now over the top of the cage as Flair continued to pester him. On the other side of the ring, Triple H has his hands out the door and the crowd watches in awe as the race hits its climax. Steiner dropped from the cage - he hit the floor. Big Poppa Pump raised a hand in the air - the crowd let out a loud noise… not cheers but rather boos? Steiner looked around, his eyes darting to the cage door and there, standing on the outside, blood covering his face but being presented with the World Title - Triple H. He had won the race and retained the gold at the last second.


Winner: And STILL World Heavyweight Champion - Triple H @ 12:32

Despite what was an impressive effort from a very game number-one contender, Triple H overcomes Big Poppa Pump and retains the championship by escaping the steel cage first. He did so just seconds before the challenger did, but those are the margins at the top of the business, razor thin and just mere seconds, is all that separates those at the top of the division. With the World Championship in his hands, Triple H is helped up the ramp by Ric Flair, and shortly thereafter Batista and Randy Orton, who come out from the back to assist in keeping ‘The Game’ upright after losing a lot of blood tonight. Triple H is barely able to raise the title but he does… managing to sneer as he looks down the ramp at Steiner - the latter sitting against a guardrail, looking devastated.

The camera now focuses on Scott Steiner; the picture of what happens when someone realises their dreams have just come to an end. He was seconds away from being World Champion and would have done so if not for the delays caused by Ric Flair. He would have been World Champion if the match was contested under standard rules when Triple H passed out to the Steiner Recliner. So many ‘what ifs’ are left in the minds of the fans, Ross and Lawler, and most importantly… in the mind of Scott Steiner himself.


***

With only one match remaining on the card, we moved to the announce desk for Friday Night Smackdown. Cole and Tazz thanked everyone for bringing us into their homes and mentioned a few of the results thus far, including the incredible WWE Title match. Cole said it was now time for the main event—the biggest rematch in the WWE's history: Icon vs. Icon, Part 2.

***

THE ROCK VERSUS HULK HOGAN - VIDEO PACKAGE:

Clips of Hulk Hogan during the formative years of WrestleMania; voiceover done by Vince McMahon. We see his several highlights including the implosion of the Mega Powers, the Ultimate Main Event, Hogan vs. Slaughter, and ultimately his clash with The Rock last year.


The package focuses on the crowd cheering Hulk Hogan and booing The Rock; the announcers are unsure how to handle this reaction. The Rock’s promos over the last few weeks are played over the footage, citing his dislike for the fans dating back to this moment.

Lots of clips of The Rock badmouthing Hulk Hogan and vowing to add yet another win to his already legendary career at No Way Out.

Hogan and Mr. McMahon are shown arguing backstage on multiple episodes of Smackdown. Mr. McMahon looks gleeful that The Rock is going to unleash a beating on Hogan, who he is having major problems with now that the Hulkster has returned to the company.

Hulk Hogan’s previous babyface run is shown, and the joy he brought to the fans, and how beloved he was in the days of the WWF. This is then dubbed with a voiceover of The Rock saying that the run comes to an end in Montreal, and he’ll be the one to kill Hulkamania in front of the traitorous fans who turned their backs on him.

***

For the final time tonight; back to the arena…


**REAL AMERICAN**

We have shelved ‘Voodoo Child’ because this is the WWE and Hulk Hogan coming out to anything other than ‘Real American’ is beyond dumb. To a rockstar reception, Hogan steps out in his famous red and yellow, the crowd going wild for the megastar. The veteran claps his hands together, points towards the ring, and tells the crowd that it is go time! He marches down to the ring, high-fiving the front row of fans on the way down, being the typical Hulk Hogan that you remember. Once in the ring, Hogan rips his shirt for the hard camera, drawing a huge cheer from the crowd and he begins to play to them further, going to each side and putting his hand to his ear.

The music stops in the arena, and the crowd turns to the entrance ramp, as the lights dim, Hogan standing in the ring with the referee awaiting the arrival of his opponent for the evening.

We wait…

A little longer now…

Until the lights fully go out as a video of a helicopter appears on the big screen - flying through the city of Los Angeles, California.

**IT’S CONQUERED**

For the first time since SummerSlam 2002, we are greeted with the arrival of ‘The Great One’ - The Rock! With a brand new theme that he is debuting for the first time tonight, The Rock appeared at the top of the entrance ramp, in the best shape we have seen him in, bald (exactly as he was in 2003), and already chirping. The Rock was slammed with heat from the crowd, all of which he ate up and spat right back at them, threatening to smack children as he strutted down the ramp toward the ring. You could tell that The Rock was in his element - he walked around the ring, making Hogan wait as long as possible before this thing kicked off. From the outside, The Rock would climb a turnbuckle and lift his arm in the air - posing to a chorus of boos and responding by telling the crowd to “shut the hell up” before he entered the squared circle.


The Rock smiled once in the ring; telling Hogan that he was back and about to whoop that old ass like never before. Hogan stared back at him, lifting his arms and motioning for Rocky to bring it - pun intended.

!! THE BIGGEST REMATCH OF ALL TIME !!
The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan


It was a rematch for the ages that many never thought was possible after a once-in-a-lifetime type situation twelve months ago, yet here we are. The Rock would play the role of the heel on this night, and this time it was on purpose. Across from him stood the most popular star of the 80’s and tonight, in Montreal, you would’ve thought we had traveled back in time based on the reaction. The first minute or so saw no contact, both men playing to the crowd and letting them unload their energy for the moment, understanding that them just standing across from each other was enough without going too early.

After eleven minutes of action, back and forth battling as only these two legends can do, we would see Hogan and The Rock reach their ultimate finale. The Rock hammered away on Hogan, keeping the bigger man down for the moment, as he stalked the veteran. Hogan pulled himself off the mat via the ropes, and got hooked - Rock Bottom! A picture-perfect shot by The Rock who dove into the cover… 1… 2… KICK OUT! Not only was it a kick out, but to the dismay of The Rock, it was the beginning of a Hulk-Up! Hogan began to shake, feeding off the energy from the crowd - they were giving him strength; powering him to the next level as they have done for decades - and The Rock looked terrified. He had seen this before, just under 12 months ago, he saw this exact same thing happen and it took everything to stop it that night. The Rock kept bringing the pain but it was doing nothing; Hogan was fired up and fought back - punch after punch sending The Rock stumbling back. It was all going wrong, The Rock was sent into the ropes… BIG BOOT! This crowd was standing as Hogan ran backward, bounced back off the ropes and nailed the ATOMIC LEG DROP!! He went into the cover, 1… 2… Kick Out!

The Rock got the damn shoulder up and forced this match to continue. He kicked out tonight; finding that next level that has been in him previously. Hogan looked confused and had to think about what to do next - his best shot having failed. Then, at the top of the ramp, Mr. McMahon made his way down to the ring. Over the next minute, the entire WWE would shift due to the finish we were about to see. Hogan looked at McMahon as if to say, what the hell are you doing out here? McMahon was at ringside now, spitting venom at Hogan, distracting him enough so that The Rock could recover… and he snuck up behind Hogan - ROCK BOTTOM!! A second Rock Bottom for the evening, and another cover, 1… 2… KICK OUT! By god, Hogan refused to quit and this sent The Rock off. He got up to his feet, mounted Hogan and punched him repeatedly in the face with closed fists. The referee began to count him but McMahon jumped onto the apron and said “Don’t you dare!” so the official stopped - unable to DQ The Rock.

The Rock stood up, sweat dripping down his body, as the crowd booed him loudly, understanding how close he was to another win over perhaps the best of all-time. The Rock slowly turned, and standing on the outside, a sly smile on his face, was Mr. McMahon holding a steel chair in his outstretched hand. The Rock inched closer, eyeing what was being offered, consideration turning to pleasure, turning to excitement - The Rock took the chair and proceeded to unleash hell. He struck Hogan a total of sixteen times with the steel chair, right in front of the referee, who had been ordered to not DQ him, and drew the ire of the fans. It was unfair but there was nothing anyone could do - The Rock was backed by Vince. He tossed the chair down - sixteen times, the exact amount of times Steve Austin had hit him with a chair at WrestleMania 17. There was no need for anything further, Hogan was out… but it wasn’t enough for The Rock. He stood at the head of Hogan, who was unable to move, a lifeless body below on the canvas. The Rock tossed an elbow pad to the crowd… ran the ropes as only he does… PEOPLE’S - NO! HOLLYWOOD ELBOW!!! The cover was academic now; 1… 2… 3!


Winner: The Rock @ 12:08

The Rock jumps to his feet after the three count, whilst Mr. McMahon enters the ring, ordering the referee to scram as he does the honours of raising the hand of the victor. The new theme of The Rock playing in the arena, the crowd almost in shocked silence as The Rock and Mr. McMahon stand side by side together - Cole outraged, “I can’t believe what these two so-called men did tonight. They went too far, they damn near killed the man with the steel chair - and look at them! They’re pleased with themselves.”

The defeated man tonight can barely move, his body still in the ring, just off to the side, the camera showing a shot of Hogan’s body and the bent steel chair that was used to leave him in this state. Before they exit the ring, The Rock grabs the steel chair - “I’m going to keep this as a trophy.” Together, The Rock and Mr. McMahon exit the ring and walk up the ramp, leaving Hulk Hogan defeated - have they successfully killed Hulkamania as they planned?

The final shot of the night - The Rock holding up the steel chair in one hand whilst Mr. McMahon raises his other hand; a huge smile on his face for the Chairman of the Board.

END OF SHOW
 

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