WWF 2000 - The McMahon-Helmsley Era
The Master Plan
Armageddon 1999 altered the landscape of the World Wrestling Federation dramatically as we headed into the new millennium. The world bore witness to Hunter Hearst Helmsley’s rise from perennial contender to instrumental mastermind leading the company as the WWF Heavyweight Champion and its on-screen co-chief political power. The loss of main-stay top guys like Steve Austin, the Undertaker, and Shawn Michaels created a power vacuum that Triple H sought to usurp.
It all started to come together on the November 29th, 1999 edition of Raw is War when Triple H interrupted the marriage ceremony of Stephanie McMahon and Andrew ‘Test’ Martin, to reveal that only a few days ago, he himself had married an intoxicated Stephanie in a drive-through Las Vegas wedding. Stephanie was distraught, and both the groom, Test, and his best-man, Shane McMahon, went after HHH. They were quickly cut off by the reformation of D-X as the New Age Outlaws and X-Pac came to HHH’s aid. The result was a broken nose for Test, and a severe beating to Shane that left him in the hospital for several weeks. Vince McMahon was the only man left to defend his daughter’s honour, and he chose to do so in a No Holds Barred match at Armageddon, with the stipulation that if HHH loses, he must annul his marriage to Stephanie. HHH agreed.
As the end of the match drew near, Vince McMahon stood tall over a bloody and broken HHH with a sledgehammer in hand, ready to deal his form of justice to the man who had wronged him and his daughter. Stephanie then entered the ring and demanded that she be the one allowed to deliver the final blow. Vince agreed…only… she can't bring herself to do it. One moment is all he needs, and HHH saw the opportunity and he pounced. Grabbing the sledgehammer from Stephanie, he nails Vince McMahon with it, knocking him unconscious. HHH wins, but when you think it can’t get any worse for the chairman, it does.
Stephanie slowly breaks out into a smile and then embraces her husband, revealing that she had fallen in love with HHH against her own wants and wishes, but she couldn’t help herself. He’s everything she wants in a man. She says Vince is not half the man HHH is. He was always telling her what to do. He was always using the family to further his own ends. He had even sacrificed her to the Undertaker last year. She hated him, and at Armageddon he got what he deserved. Stephanie slaps her father and storms out of the ring. Vince is distraught and, along with Shane, leaves the arena. A press release several hours later reveals that Vince is taking an indefinite sabbatical and asks for privacy at this time, leaving HHH and Stephanie to run the show.
And so the McMahon-Helmsley Era began..
—-
At Survivor Series 1999, Stone Cold Steve Austin was due to face WWF Champion Triple H and the Rock in a triple threat match for the belt. However, early in the show DX and HHH confronted Austin backstage and led him towards the Parking Lot where an unknown assailant ran Austin over with a car. The Big Show took Austin’s place in the main event and won the title! His first WWF Heavyweight Title. Whilst fingers were pointed everywhere about who could have run down Austin, those answers wouldn’t be given until almost a year later, the night after Survivor Series 2000. As far as Big Show goes, he would feud briefly in an uncomfortable program involving Big Show’s deceased father, until HHH re-focussed on the heavyweight title after his war with Vince was over. On the first Raw is War of 2000, DX distracted the referee allowing HHH to hit a low blow and a Pedigree combo to pin the Big Show and become the World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion for the third time in his career.
Having forged alliances with several other members of the locker room outside of just DX and his wife; with the Big Bossman, Prince Albert, the Dudleys, the Mean Street Posse, and even a manipulated Kane all serving their purpose to keep HHH’s enemies in line. With the removal of several potential obstacles, HHH then turned his attention to the last two potential problems. The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection. He forced the two men to face off in a pink slip on a pole match where the loser will be FIRED. A reluctant Rock wins the match and Mankind says his goodbyes.
HHH and Stephanie spend the next few weeks tormenting the entire locker room until the 10th January, 2000 episode of Raw is War where the Rock leads the roster out to the ring to stage a walkout if the McMahon-Helmsley couple don’t agree to their terms. He demands they reinstate Mick Foley. He demands that they stop with the ridiculous handicap and stipulation matches and with firing everyone that they just don’t like. HHH relents. Mankind returns, demands a match at the Rumble for the title against HHH, Rock enters the Rumble itself, and the power-hungry couple finally “eat a slice of the Rock’s homemade humble pie”.
Mick Foley (Mankind) returns on RAW! WWE Monday Night RAW. January 10, 2000
The road to the Royal Rumble was much rockier than HHH had expected for the McMahon-Helmsley Faction, with in-fighting involving DX and the introduction of a particular ‘cute’ Olympic Hero by the name of Kurt Angle. Stephanie had shown favour to Angle several times, even against her husband’s wishes, prompting HHH to try to end the undefeated streak of the only Olympic Gold Medallist in the history of the WWF. Kurt heads into his first Royal Rumble undefeated, looking to earn a spot in the main event of WrestleMania. Will Triple H be able to steady the McMahon-Helmsley ship, retain his title against the reborn Cactus Jack, and consolidate his power? The WWF Heavyweight Champion is always a marked man, but HHH has, more than anyone else - with perhaps the exception of his wife - painted a big red target on himself with the constant abuses of power that almost saw the whole locker room walk out.
The McMahon Helmsley Era may have begun, but will it persist?
It all started to come together on the November 29th, 1999 edition of Raw is War when Triple H interrupted the marriage ceremony of Stephanie McMahon and Andrew ‘Test’ Martin, to reveal that only a few days ago, he himself had married an intoxicated Stephanie in a drive-through Las Vegas wedding. Stephanie was distraught, and both the groom, Test, and his best-man, Shane McMahon, went after HHH. They were quickly cut off by the reformation of D-X as the New Age Outlaws and X-Pac came to HHH’s aid. The result was a broken nose for Test, and a severe beating to Shane that left him in the hospital for several weeks. Vince McMahon was the only man left to defend his daughter’s honour, and he chose to do so in a No Holds Barred match at Armageddon, with the stipulation that if HHH loses, he must annul his marriage to Stephanie. HHH agreed.
As the end of the match drew near, Vince McMahon stood tall over a bloody and broken HHH with a sledgehammer in hand, ready to deal his form of justice to the man who had wronged him and his daughter. Stephanie then entered the ring and demanded that she be the one allowed to deliver the final blow. Vince agreed…only… she can't bring herself to do it. One moment is all he needs, and HHH saw the opportunity and he pounced. Grabbing the sledgehammer from Stephanie, he nails Vince McMahon with it, knocking him unconscious. HHH wins, but when you think it can’t get any worse for the chairman, it does.
Stephanie slowly breaks out into a smile and then embraces her husband, revealing that she had fallen in love with HHH against her own wants and wishes, but she couldn’t help herself. He’s everything she wants in a man. She says Vince is not half the man HHH is. He was always telling her what to do. He was always using the family to further his own ends. He had even sacrificed her to the Undertaker last year. She hated him, and at Armageddon he got what he deserved. Stephanie slaps her father and storms out of the ring. Vince is distraught and, along with Shane, leaves the arena. A press release several hours later reveals that Vince is taking an indefinite sabbatical and asks for privacy at this time, leaving HHH and Stephanie to run the show.
And so the McMahon-Helmsley Era began..
—-
At Survivor Series 1999, Stone Cold Steve Austin was due to face WWF Champion Triple H and the Rock in a triple threat match for the belt. However, early in the show DX and HHH confronted Austin backstage and led him towards the Parking Lot where an unknown assailant ran Austin over with a car. The Big Show took Austin’s place in the main event and won the title! His first WWF Heavyweight Title. Whilst fingers were pointed everywhere about who could have run down Austin, those answers wouldn’t be given until almost a year later, the night after Survivor Series 2000. As far as Big Show goes, he would feud briefly in an uncomfortable program involving Big Show’s deceased father, until HHH re-focussed on the heavyweight title after his war with Vince was over. On the first Raw is War of 2000, DX distracted the referee allowing HHH to hit a low blow and a Pedigree combo to pin the Big Show and become the World Wrestling Federation Heavyweight Champion for the third time in his career.
Having forged alliances with several other members of the locker room outside of just DX and his wife; with the Big Bossman, Prince Albert, the Dudleys, the Mean Street Posse, and even a manipulated Kane all serving their purpose to keep HHH’s enemies in line. With the removal of several potential obstacles, HHH then turned his attention to the last two potential problems. The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection. He forced the two men to face off in a pink slip on a pole match where the loser will be FIRED. A reluctant Rock wins the match and Mankind says his goodbyes.
HHH and Stephanie spend the next few weeks tormenting the entire locker room until the 10th January, 2000 episode of Raw is War where the Rock leads the roster out to the ring to stage a walkout if the McMahon-Helmsley couple don’t agree to their terms. He demands they reinstate Mick Foley. He demands that they stop with the ridiculous handicap and stipulation matches and with firing everyone that they just don’t like. HHH relents. Mankind returns, demands a match at the Rumble for the title against HHH, Rock enters the Rumble itself, and the power-hungry couple finally “eat a slice of the Rock’s homemade humble pie”.
Mick Foley (Mankind) returns on RAW! WWE Monday Night RAW. January 10, 2000
The road to the Royal Rumble was much rockier than HHH had expected for the McMahon-Helmsley Faction, with in-fighting involving DX and the introduction of a particular ‘cute’ Olympic Hero by the name of Kurt Angle. Stephanie had shown favour to Angle several times, even against her husband’s wishes, prompting HHH to try to end the undefeated streak of the only Olympic Gold Medallist in the history of the WWF. Kurt heads into his first Royal Rumble undefeated, looking to earn a spot in the main event of WrestleMania. Will Triple H be able to steady the McMahon-Helmsley ship, retain his title against the reborn Cactus Jack, and consolidate his power? The WWF Heavyweight Champion is always a marked man, but HHH has, more than anyone else - with perhaps the exception of his wife - painted a big red target on himself with the constant abuses of power that almost saw the whole locker room walk out.
The McMahon Helmsley Era may have begun, but will it persist?
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