Text By Jed Shaffer

What if...Rikishi Wasn't the Guy Who Ran Over Stone Cold Steve Austin at Survivor Series 1999?

Part VI

Raw: Jan. 22, '01

Crash and Grandmaster Sexay are set to square off to open Raw when the glass shatters. Without a word said, Austin Stuns both guys, then helps each one of them to their feet, only to Stun them again. Austin paces around the ring, stomping and snarling, ready to kill. "Last night, at the Royal Rumble, Stone Cold Steve Austin got screwed not once but twice, and I'm pissed off!" he barks. "First, there's that coward piece of crap Rock. He ducks me for months, he makes me work my ass off to get a match, and he doesn't even show up to the match he asks for!" The crowd boos this. "Rock, I hope you're watching, you gutless bastard, so if you are, listen real good: if you thought what I did before was bad, it ain't nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you now. If you wanna get out of this alive, you will face me at No Way Out, Rock, or I will go to my grave trying to put you in yours!" The crowd cheers this with almost psychotic zeal. "And then we got the Royal Rumble, where I'm just a couple seconds away from tossing that yellow sumbitch Rock over the top rope so I can roll into WrestleMania and win back my World Wrestling Federation Title, the thing I live for, the thing I wrestle for every damn day of my life ... and some silly lookin' sumbitch in gold pajamas who got in at the last minute comes up and dumps me out!" Austin looks right in the camera. "I hope you can hear through your stupid little ski mask there, son, cause I'm gonna say this once: it don't matter who the hell you are, 'cause I will find you, and I will stomp a mudhole in your ass and walk it dry, and that's the bottom line, 'cause Stone Cold said so!"

Triple H enters the dressing room and runs into Chris Jericho. For a few long, tension-filled moments, the two rivals stare each other down like old gunslingers, inches from each other. Finally, Triple H extends a hand, which Jericho regards with skepticism.

"I don't like you, Jericho," growls Triple H. "But I do owe you an apology." Jericho's eyes never leaves the lock on Triple H's, and his hand never rises to meet Triple H's. Triple H sighs. "Look, we have to be on the same page tonight. We got a tag match against Chris Benoit and Steven Richards. I don't know if those two are connected, and I don't know why they played us for fools, but I do know that if we don't go out there as a team, we're gonna get beat, and after the past few months, I don't wanna give them another moment over us to gloat about."

Jericho looks down at Triple H's hand, then back up in his eyes and finally returns the handshake. Triple H shakes it and goes to release, but Jericho squeezes and pulls Triple H back. Jericho and Triple H exchange harsh, hostile stares before Jericho says through gritted teeth: "I don't like you either, Hunter. And because someone exploited our hatred, I got turned into the WWF's most hated man. Tonight, we'll have our little tag match. But I owe you something, Hunter, and it ain't an apology." Jericho throws Triple H's hand aside and turns his back on his long-time nemesis.

Val Venis joins William Regal for a tag match against the Right To Censor's Bull Buchanan & Goodfather. The announcers make mention of Regal's embarrassment in endorsing Benoit for so long only to see him turn out to be a snake, and acknowledge that rumors are circulating regarding him being on shaky ground with the board of directors. Before the RTC come down, Venis grabs a microphone. "People ask me wherever I go, 'What's going on, Val? Explain it!' Well, this is what The Big Valbowski can tell you: I was confused, I was frustrated, and Steven Richards sucked me in when I was at my weakest. But when Steven Richards helped Chris Benoit with his scheme, I knew the line had been crossed. I knew they were doing things The Big Valbowski just didn't agree with." Venis turns to Regal with his head hung. "I can't apologize enough, Commissioner Regal. Not to you, or Stephanie McMahon, or Chris Jericho, or Triple H. But I want you to know that I know I won't stop trying to prove to you and everyone I've helped to hurt and the WWF fans that this is the real me. Now let's kick some Right To Censor butt!" Regal accepts Venis' hand to the delight of the crowd. Unfrotunately, the match's outcome isn't as rosy a moment, as Richards makes sure, via timely interference, that Venis and Regal take the loss, and Venis and Regal get their brains bashed in.

Vince and his entourage of Trish Stratus, Eddie Guerrero and Kane walk into the dressing room and asks that everyone leave, save for The Rock and Rikishi. Rock and Rikishi eyeball Vince as the crowd, whether they're fully dressed or not, take their leave. When the room clears, Vince's eyes narrow to lethal slits, aimed first at Rikishi. Rikishi immediately speaks up, knowing what Vince wants. "My flight got switched last night. I don't know why, but somehow, my flight got bumped and I couldn't get another one."

Vince glares at Rikishi for a few seconds, actually making the hefty Samoan take a step back, then directs his glare to Rock. Rock, however, won't have any of it, and holds up a hand. "If you're here to scold The Rock, if you're here to badger The Rock, The Rock says you can take your attitude and take turns stuffing it up each others' asses!" The crowd likes that (even if it is from The Rock), but The Rock doesn't stop. "You're in here to say 'Why didn't you go to the Iron Circle match, Rock? Why'd you ruin the Rumble, Rock? Why'd you cost me money, Rock?' Well, The Rock doesn't need to tell you why, Vince, because you know why. And The Rock knows you know why. And The Rock knows that you know that The Rock knows why. There The Rock was, lacing his boots, ready to get this crap with Stone Cold Steve Austin over and done with. Ready. And what happens? As The Rock is going out the door, the door closes on The Rock's head. And when The Rock wakes up, the door won't open. And the door doesn't open until a bunch of referees and officials cut it open with bolt cutters. Who would do that, Vince? Who would do that? Damn near everybody in this company wants this fight to happen. The people want it to happen. William Regal, the Commissioner, he wants it to happen. Even Rock's wife and daddy, they want it to happen. Only person that don't is you." Rock steps back, crossing his arms. "Go ahead, Vince. Punish The Rock. Make The Rock pay."

Vince's lip curls up as he glares at The Rock. Finally, breaking free of Trish's arm, he steps forward into The Rock's space. "I did what I did last night to protect you, Rock. It's what Mick Foley would've wanted, and it's what this company needed." Vince looks Rock up and down, looking into Rock's eyes with a disgusted sneer. "But I can see I've been wasting my time these past few months. You're just as pathetic as Triple H or Undertaker or any of the other WWF Superstars who don't appreciate all I've done for them. Maybe when I finish taking over this company once and for all, I'll make you the first piece of trash I take out instead of Triple H." Guerrero comes up and whispers something in Vince's ear. Slowly, a malicious smile spreads on Vince's lips. "My associate here has given me an idea, Rock. Since you obviously have no appreciation for what I can provide you, and since your fat friend here can't be bothered to deliver on a promised WWF appearence, I have no need for you. But to be fair and give you a sporting chance, you'll take part tonight in a three-on-two handicap match; if you and your friend here can win, you'll keep your jobs." Vince laughs as he and his cadre leave the room, leaving Rock and Rikishi to talk strategy against an unknown trio of opponents.

Triple H and Jericho stand uneasily together in the ring as wait their opponents, Chris Benoit and Steven Richards. Kevin Kelly tries to get a word with Benoit on why he lied to everyone, including his friend, William Regal, Triple H and the WWF audience, and why he set up Chris Jericho to take the fall; Benoit gives Kelly the brush-off, chuckles ominously and heads down to the ring with his partner. Triple H and Jericho's fragile partnership ends up disintegrating in the face of the unified mission of Richards and Benoit--that of extermination of their opponents--and a mistimed spinning heel kick from Jericho blasts Triple H in the mush, setting him up for a Steven Kick and the pin by Benoit. Benoit and Richards leave the ring, enjoying their triumph as Triple H and Jericho argue over who cost their team the match.

24 hours after successfully defending his WWF Title in a fatal-four-way, Kurt Angle finds himself in the ring with one of his previous night's opponents, Undertaker, in a non-title match. The assumption, per Jim Ross, is that a win here will get Undertaker another WWF Title shot (this one a one-on-one match), and Undertaker fights like the stipulation is in effect, taking it to Angle with intensity that puts the champion on the defensive. Angle fights back with a slow but steady strategy of chipping away at Undertaker's knees, bringing the much taller and stronger Undertaker down to the mat. But Undertaker's capacity for pain keeps Angle from getting the duke, and helps Undertaker find enough energy to bring the match back under his control. Undertaker's advantage evaporates, however, when Eddie Guerrero and Kane come down to the ring and attack Undertaker, drawing the DQ. Angle takes exception to the interference, which earns him not one but two chokeslams from the Big Red Machine, while Guerrero drills Undertaker with a frog splash. Guerrero gives Undertaker and Angle a few choice words about bucking Vince before leaving them on the mat, broken and hurting.

The fight for continued employment takes the main event slot, dividing the crowd; on the one hand, the desire to send The Rock, the most reviled man (next to Vince) in the company, packing, but on the other hand, the thought of Austin getting his vengeance is too sweet. Rock and Rikishi stand in the ring, awaiting their opponents; two of the three appear, being The Dudleys, who look none too thrilled at being sent to the ring as executioners. Once in the ring, their partner appears; it is the Big Show, and unlike Bubba Ray and D-Von, the mammoth man looks hungry for blood. The Dudleys let Big Show do as much of the work as possible, manhandling the surprised Rock and Rikishi and battering them down. Neither he, nor Rock or Rikishi notice Steve Austin walking down the ramp, but the crowd and The Dudleys notice; the brothers immediately distract the referee, while Austin jumps in the ring and pops off a Stunner on Big Show. Rikishi, the legal man, gets the pinfall. The Dudleys drop away and leave the ringside area as Rock and Rikishi celebrate ... until Austin nails Rock with a Stunner. Austin gives Rock some trash-talking on the mat until Rikishi interferes, which earns him a Stunner. Austin salutes the crowd with upraised fingers in the corners, but as he comes down off the last turnbuckle, Big Show stands up, wraps his hand around Austin's throat and plants him with the chokeslam.

Smackdown: Jan. 25, '01

Smackdown opens on Vince McMahon, standing in front of his minimal audience in a locker room, now expanded to include Big Show, giving his troops a pep talk like a general about to send his troops into battle. Trish Stratus stands by his side, batting her eyelashes and staring at Vince as if he was a vision of heaven.

"Tonight, we have the chance to strike a fatal blow to our enemies!" Vince barks, veins standing out on his forehead and neck. He looks at Big Show. "You, Big Show, will team up with Edge and Christian, and together, you will wipe out those damn traitorous Dudleys!" Vince looks at the collected Radicals and Kane. "And you four ... tonight, you have Chris Jericho, that snot-nosed little punk who had the temerity to turn down my endorsement! You have that loose cannon, Undertaker! You have my no-good, rotten bastard ex-son-in-law Triple H! And you have that whining, uncooperative so-called champion, Kurt Angle! I want the four of you to exterminate them! Leave no bone unbroken! Leave no muscle untorn! Excise these four cancers from the body WWF, and we shall reign supreme!"

"What about The Rock?" bellows Big Show, cutting into the revelry like a knife through butter.

Vince's _expression darkens, a crocodile's grin slowly spreading across his face. "I already have plans in motion to ensure that tonight will be the last night we ever have to 'smell what The Rock is cooking', gentlemen. Concern yourself only with the tasks at hand."

"What about Stone Cold Steve Austin?" asks Dean Malenko.

"And Commissioner Regal?" adds Perry Saturn.

Vince's face darkens even further. Unlike before, there is no smile; just the stoic, steely determination of Vince McMahon. "William Regal's power base is eroding by the day. He cannot contain the chaos that is swallowing this company whole, and he no longer has my wife or son to shield him. He is an impotent figurehead. As for Stone Cold Steve Austin ... I am saving Stone Cold for last. Once we have purged the WWF of its toxins tonight, we will focus our efforts on Stone Cold Steve Austin collectively, and finish the job that got started in the Joe Louis Arena two Novembers ago!"

Val Venis and Chyna lead off the in-ring action for Raw, squaring off against RTC members Ivory and Steven Richards. Venis' quest for atonement comes through in his aggressive wrestling, punishing Richards as if every move or blow landed is directed at himself for his misguided following of Richards' vision. Richards' back-up in the RTC help cement the tainted victory, but Richards and his cohorts get a surprise by the appearance of the APA, who run off the geeky foursome before they can lay into Venis and Chyna.

The first phase of Vince's plan, the punishment of the Dudleys for failing to work with Big Show, gets moving, as they square off in a handicap match. But the ring announcer springs a surprise (a surprise even to him, as Trish Stratus runs down to ringside to deliver new index cards): the match will be a table elimination match, taking the already stacked odds against The Dudleys and putting them practically out of reach. Even interference from Edge & Christian rivals The Hardy Boys aren't enough to turn the tide, as D-Von goes through a table first, the victim of a chokeslam. Bubba lasts longer, but mostly because Show dictates that Edge & Christian go and punish D-Von a little more while Show works over Bubba; Bubba fights back as best he can, but also falls victim to a table-enhanced chokeslam. Edge & Christian get off Conchairtos on their rivals to add injury to insult, fulfilling Vince's first phase.

Commissioner William Regal approaches the ring with none of the haughty attitude he normally carries. The crowd gives him a supportive "Regal" chant, but it does nothing to lift his spirits. "I come before you tonight a humbled man," he says, his head bowed. "Despite my best efforts, I have failed to provide to either the WWF Superstars, the employees or the fans of this company the kind of Commissioner that was promised. That I unknowingly allowed and supported such a vile, reprehensible cretin such as Chris Benoit will be a shame I shall not soon live down, and only serves as an example of my failures." The crowd is still as Regal pauses; the announcers speculate wildly on whether or not Regal is leading up to a resignation. "And with Linda McMahon taking an indefinite leave of absence, and her son Shane doing the same, I am left without any allies to counter Vince McMahon's assumption of command, now that he has decided to step away from the ring once again."

Before Regal can get into what is obviously his resignation, Triple H's music hits, still in his street clothes. As soon as Triple H's music dies away, Austin's music hits. Regal faces both of the iconic superstars, pulling at his collar and stammering. "G-g-gentlemen, I, uh ... um ..."

"If you think we're out here to beat your ass, you got it all wrong," says Triple H calmly. "I'm not mad at you over Chris Benoit."

Austin steps up, which makes Regal take a clumsy step back. "Hey, just, just calm down," says Austin soothingly. "Me and Hunter, we don't got much in common, but we agree on this; Vince is gone crazy."

"You can't quit, William. Vince is insane. I mean, he's turning on people left and right ... you saw what he had done to the Dudleys. I think ..." Triple H pauses, scanning the arena before looking Regal dead in the eyes. "I think he may have been behind Chris Benoit and that tape. And maybe behind Steve's hit and run."

"Gentlemen," says Regal, "you can't go and throw around baseless accusations like that."

"Aw, come on, William, don't tell me you ain't thought about it!" says Austin. "Think about it! Everything's happened since I came back in October; who's made off like a bandit? He keeps me and Rocky apart and puts Undertaker in the middle of it. That keeps us busy. He sets up Jericho to keep Triple H busy, and brings in Benoit and them Right To Censor jackasses to muck it up. He gets Stephanie all scared to be here, signs her part of the company over, wants to divorce his wife and sends her packing, and Shane goes off to help mom!"

"Don't you get it, William?" says Triple H. "That crotchety old son of a bitch ... he's playing us."

"And you men want to help me. Out of the goodness of your hearts." Triple H and Austin gesture in the affirmative. "Right. Because both of you are charitable, decent men. Let's not kid ourselves; you, Hunter, are a scoundrel through and through. Nothing you do is for anyone other then yourself. And you, Steven, are a ruffian, a thug. Why, I believe one time, didn't you even attack your good friend, Jim Ross? I appreciate your kind words, but I don't appreciate you thinking I'm daft. What do you want?"

Austin and Triple H look at each other, exchanging glances that confirm Regal's assumption is correct. Triple H speaks on behalf of the two. "Well, William, you're right. I am a rotten son of a bitch. Steve is a cold-hearted bastard. And we ain't just doing this to be Boy Scouts. But if we can't get what we want if Vince gets in a position to muscle you out of the Commissionership. So, if you agree to this ... you give us what we want--"

"And we'll keep your ass out of trouble," adds Austin.

"So what is it you're asking for?"

"I want Chris Benoit at No Way Out," states Triple H. "No disqualifications, no count-outs. Me and him."

Regal looks from Triple H to Austin. "You know what I want, William. I want Rocky. I wanna hurt him. I wanna make him bleed. I wanna beat his ass and I want it all legal."

"There isn't an official in the company that'll step into that ring with you and The Rock, Steve. And if Vince has his way, The Rock won't even be employed by No Way Out."

"You leave that to me. Just find someone to be the ref, and I'll handle the rest."

Regal sighs and offers a hand. "I suppose you don't leave me much of a choice, do you?" Triple H and Austin exchange handshakes with the Commissioner, sealing the deal as Vince watches it all unfold on a monitor in back and seethes.

The first of two main events bows, although exactly what it is is a mystery to The Rock. As The Rock takes to the ring, Vince (with Trish, now changed into an outfit even sluttier then before) comes out on stage with a microphone. "Rock, you're no doubt wondering whom you're wrestling tonight. Well, you see, I was highly unsatisfied by the result of your last match, wherein I placed your job on the line should you fail to defeat your opponents. I say disappointed, because it's obvious you conspired with that alcohol-addled redneck Steve Austin to help you keep your job. But the thing is, Rock, you failed. You see ... you didn't win. Rikishi won. So, as far as I'm concerned, you're back to square one." The crowd, despite the scene being between two hated people, boos Vince's megalomania. "Shut up! This man is a criminal, a vicious, heartless psychopath, and you're booing me? What kind of--" Trish gets in front of Vince and puts a finger on his lips, silencing him. She whispers something as a smile spreads across his lips. She returns to his side, hanging on his arm like a groupie. "I apologize. That was rude of me. As I was saying, Rock, as far as I'm concerned, you're back to square one. You will have to fight for your job tonight. And this time, you'll have no partner to get the winning pinfall for you, so, if you fail to beat your opponents ... oops! I was going to leave that for a surprise! Oh, well, come on out!"

Vince takes a step aside to accomodate Rock's opponents walking by; Raven and Tazz come out, with Raven pushing a shopping cart full of weapons. Vince grins and points out the obvious: "Oh, did I fail to mention this is a hardcore match? Good luck!" Rock swings at Tazz and Raven, scoring some early hits, but facing two guys armed with weapons quickly proves too much to overcome, and the match becomes a protracted, but unstoppable, mugging. As The Rock's hopes of continued employment vanish under a hailstorm of garbage can lids and cookie sheets, Steve Austin jumps into the fray, scrambling the brains of Tazz and Raven with a steel chair. Vince watches from the ramp, horrified as Austin beats The Rock's opponents into unconsciousness, then puts Rock on top of Tazz for the three-count, saving Rock's job once again. As officials come down to help Rock to his feet, Austin turns to the stage and gives Vince a pair of middle fingers, then turns around again and, while Rock is being held up by medics, blasts Rock in the head with the chair to the delight of the crowd. Officials immediately move between Austin and Rock; Austin backs away peacefully while medics continue to help Rock, Raven and Tazz get to their feet.

And, backstage, the winner of the Royal Rumble, bedecked in his golden body suit and mask, watches silently as Austin is escorted from ringside.

The second half of the main event, the eight-man tag, concludes Raw, and the story, like all of the confrontations between Vince's troops and their enemies, is the unity of Vince's gang against the individual agendas of their opponents. Both Angle and Undertaker, not the best of friends, go after Kane, a single goal that often puts them at odds. The residual enmity between Triple H and Jericho turns their fight against The Radicals into two one-on-three matches instead of a unified forced. Somehow, though, as the match proceeds, the all-out aggression of the anti-Vince team puts Vince's thugs on their heels, and while the other six men are busy brawling, Undertaker has Guerrero ready for the Last Ride. But Guerrero comes prepared and, as he's being pulled up for the powerbomb, produces brass knuckles and clocks Undertaker in the forehead. Angle, the legal man for his team, manages to get in the ring and nail Guerrero, but turns around into a chokeslam from Kane. The Big Red Machine then picks up Angle and drops him with a Tombstone and scores the pin for his team. The Big Show comes down to assist in dismanteling Triple H and Chris Jericho. By the time Smackdown fades to black, the McMahon army has totally dominated and destroyed the opposition, leaving four broken bodies strewn about the ringside area.

Raw: Jan. 29, '01

Vince McMahon strides to the ring with Trish Stratus on his arm, a smile so boastful and triumphant, one would think he'd just been elected President. The crowd receives him with unbridled hatred, but Vince shows no effect. "I know the reception you're giving me is rooted in jealousy," he boasts, "because only I, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, could execute such a flawless, brilliant scheme as I did last week on Smackdown! None of you could even create, let alone bring to fruition, a plan that single-handedly eliminated The Dudleys, Triple H, Chris Jericho, Undertaker and Kurt Angle!" Vince's jubilation disappears as he takes on a mockingly mournful tone. "However, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the failure to excise the tumor that is The Rock from the WWF. Fortunately, I will be dealing, once and for all, with this problem tonight, as The Rock will--"

The music of WWF Champion Kurt Angle breaks Vince's prideful boasting. Vince looks horrified to see Angle come down to the ring, looking uncharacteristically angry. "What did I ever do to you, Mr. McMahon?" demands Angle. "I mean, sheesh! I never kidnapped your daughter like Triple H or Undertaker. I never ran someone over like The Rock. I never attacked women and put them through tables like The Dudleys. I'm an Olympic Gold Medalist! I'm WWF Champion! I'm a hero to millions!"

Vince collects himself and lays a hand on Angle's shoulder. "Kurt, Kurt, Kurt. I understand you're upset about last week. You're just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Kurt. The WWF is going through ... some changes, just like I am: new woman, new outlook on life, new friends. And you're just a symbol of everything that needs to be purged in this company. You're ... I mean, Kurt, let's face it." Vince shrugs, smiling suspiciously. "You're a big, whiny, crying dork. And that's not what this company needs as champion."

With that, Kane, having come down the ramp as Vince spoke, slides in the ring. Angle, however, turns around in time to block Kane's punches and nails punches of his own. Vince and Trish bark at Kane to get the job done, but Angle ducks a wild swing by Kane, gets behind the monster and nails the Angle Slam. When Kane stands up from this, Angle knocks him out of the ring, and knocks him out, by ramming the title belt into Kane's head. Angle turns around in time to catch Vince sneaking up to low-blow Angle; Vince staggers back, falling on his butt, begging for mercy. Angle grins the same suspicious grin that Vince used before Kane attacked. "You don't deserve any mercy from us," says Angle. Vince's eyes go wide at the word "us"; he mouths it back, and gets his answer seconds later as all of his victims from Smackdown come to the ring, a human wall of judgment looking down on Vince. Vince scrambles backwards, under the bottom rope and out into the crowd, leaving Trish Stratus behind to face the jury. Chris Jericho tells The Dudleys to get the tables, while Triple H and Undertaker hold Trish down while Angle tears off her skirt and blouse, leaving her in a bra and panties. D-Von sets up the table and lifts Trish up to Bubba, positioned on the top turnbuckle; Trish screams all the way down, until Bubba drives her nearly naked body through the table with a top-rope powerbomb to the fanatical delight of the crowd.

The first match pits the revenge-minded Dudleys against two of Vince's soldiers, Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn, in a non-title match. With the McMahon faction rocked by their leader's vanishing from the building and the phoenix-like rise of their entire hitlist, Malenko and Saturn are little more then rudderless ships while The Dudleys play the part of the stormy sea. Malenko & Saturn's only saving grace is the appearance of Edge & Christian, determined to screw their long-time rivals, The Dudleys. This draws out The Hardy Boys, who go after Edge & Christian, making the ringside area just as chaotic as inside the ring, where Malenko and Saturn both fall victim to 3-D's to give Bubba and D-Von a rousing victory.

As Regal is lacing his boots in the locker room in preparation for his tag team match, Chris Jericho walks in. Regal and Jericho exchange cool, uneasy glances before Regal finally offers a hand. "I misjudged you, Chris. We all did. I'm sorry."

Jericho takes Regal's hand and shakes it firmly. "You can do something for me to make it up," says Jericho.

"I'm afraid every decision I make is a fight anymore, so I can't make any promises."

"I think this one's easy, William. I want Chris Benoit at No Way Out."

"I'm afraid Hunter is facing Chris Benoit at No Way Out. Perhaps at WrestleMan--"

"Not good enough, William. No Way Out. Me and Benoit. I owe him. He ruined my life for months. He made me look like I slept with ... with ..." Jericho shudders, unable to complete the sentence.

"I understand, Chris, how you might want vengeance on him. Chris Benoit suckered me in. He made me believe he was an honorable man. He humiliated me. I want revenge as much as either one of you, but--"

"Listen, William. I don't care how you get it done. Just gimme Benoit, in the ring, at No Way Out, or I promise you, he won't make it to No Way Out." Jericho turns on his heels and leaves Regal alone in the locker room to mull over the complicated scenario.

Regal's opponents, Chris Benoit and Steven Richards, are approached on their way to the ring by Michael Cole, again looking for an explanation behind their conspiracy against Triple H, Stephanie and Chris Jericho. Benoit chuckles, while Richards, usually impossible to shut up, offers only the cryptic "It served its purpose," as reason before heading to the ring, accompanied by the rest of the RTC. Regal and his partner, Val Venis, also come to the ring with escorts: the APA, Venis' personal protection. Unfortunately for Venis and Regal, while the protection nullifies the presence of Richards' cohorts, it doesn't stop the cheating in the ring, as Benoit uses a handful of tights in addition to putting his feet on the ropes to get the pin on Venis.

The scheduled Big Show/Triple H match never gets underway, as Triple H blindsides Big Show backstage with a sledgehammer thrust to the back of the head, dropping the big man instantly. Triple H talks smack to Show's unconscious body, but ends up on the floor beside him when Benoit Pearl Harbor's him. Regal, close behind Benoit on the way back from the ring, immediately jumps in the fray, chopping away at Benoit until he drives the Intercontinental Champ from the scene.

Kevin Kelly meets up with The Rock backstage and asks about what he'll do if Vince has his way and gets Rock fired. Rock raises an eyebrow and stares a hole through Kevin Kelly through his sunglasses.

"What will The Rock ... do? What will ... The Rock ... do? No, The Rock wants to know what you're gonna do. Are you going to stalk The Rock at home? Sit in The Rock's rosebushes? Go through The Rock's garbage? Break into The Rock's house and sniff The Rock's dirty laundry? Because, God knows, you already creep The Rock out here in the WWF. The Rock doesn't even wanna--"

Rock's typical anti-Kevin Kelly rant cuts off dead as Steve Austin walks up. Kevin Kelly actually trips over his own feet, trying to get to safer ground. Austin slowly crouches to pick up the dropped microphone, never taking his eyes off Rock. Slowly, security and officials creep up on the scene, ready in case it explodes into carnage. But Austin stays restrained, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"You ain't gotta worry 'bout Vince McMahon firing you, Rock," says Austin. "If there's anyone that knows how to take care of Vince McMahon, it's Stone Cold Steve Austin. I got over a year of my life stolen from me, and I'll be damned if Vince McMahon's gonna rob me of what I want. So you go to bed tonight and rest them beady little eyes, Rock, because Stone Cold's got your back. That's right, I'm gonna make sure you stick around, so that, come No Way Out, I can be the one to put you outta this business, Rock." The Rock opens his mouth to rebut, but Austin drops the mic and walks away before Rock can get out a single syllable.

The main event sets Kane and Eddie Guerrero against Undertaker and Kurt Angle. While still not on the same page in many respects, Angle and Undertaker prove more formidable then they might've weeks before, thanks to their unified mission against Vince's goons. Guerrero and Kane don't roll over and die, but their usual swarming offensive capabilities are diffused by their opponents' determination. It is the WWF Champion, in the end, who manages to overcome the power of Kane and the cheating of Guerrro to take the victory for his team, pinning Guerrero after an Angle Slam. Kane tries to get a few licks in on Angle, but Angle is ready and takes Kane down. Undertaker, likewise, gets a bit of revenge on Guerrero, splattering him with the Last Ride. Neither are as convincing a domination as the previous week's wholesale slaughter provided, but for the anti-Vince campaign, it is a start.

Smackdown: Feb. 1, '01

As Kane approaches the ring for a Hardcore Title defense, Michael Cole breaks the news that Kane has been granted a WWF Title match at No Way Out. Kane's opponent, Crash, awaits him in the ring, looking like a prisoner being tied into the electric chair. For a few seconds, Kane allows Crash to try whatever he can, but the offense from Kane's diminutive opponent amounts to little more then a mosquito bite on King Kong. Kane finally bores of the match and drills Crash into the mat with a chokeslam. But as Kane is picking up Crash for another chokeslam, Kurt Angle slides into the ring behind the monster hits an Angle Slam into a garbage can. Angle grabs the prone body of Crash and drapes him over Kane; the crowd comes out of their seats when the ref's hand falls for a three-count.

Vince McMahon, pacing in the parking garage, smiles as he sees the headlights of Austin's pick-up come down the ramp. Austin's tires squeal as he slams on the brakes. Vince strides up to Austin's door and extends a hand. "Steve! Good to see you!" Austin's gaze goes from Vince to Vince's hand and back to Vince's face, without saying a word. "Listen, I know we've had a few differences of opinion, but I want to extend an olive branch tonight, because I believe we're both working towards the same goal."

"Whatever you offering, I don't want it," dismisses Austin, pushing past.

Vince stops Austin in his tracks, though, by saying; "I'm giving you Rock. Tonight."

Austin stops cold, wheels around and gets in Vince's face. "Whatever trick you got set up here, Vince, you can just stop it right here and now, before I stomp a mudhole in your ass."

"It's no trick, Steve! Listen to me! I want Rock fired. You want revenge on Rock. Regal isn't here tonight, so there's nothing stopping us. Just think about it. You, Stone Cold Steve Austin, partnering with Undertaker, squaring off in that very ring with The Rock. Me, as special referee. Rock's job on the line. It's everything we want, Steve!"

"Except I want Rocky one-on-one at No Way Out, Vince. I don't want no partner, I don't want you prancin' around like some kind of jackass in your little striped shirt that's too tight for you, and I don't want nobody gettin' in my way of putting Rocky in a wheelchair. So as far as your little offer's concerned," says Austin, then holds up two middle fingers in Vince's face, "here's to ya!"

Austin turns to leave, but Vince's words stop him again. This time, Vince's tone isn't inviting; it's hostile, threatening. "This isn't an offer, Austin. You either partner with Undertaker tonight against The Rock, or it'll be your ass I fire." Austin grumbles, his lip curled up, but he resumes his walk into the building instead of firing off on Vince, who smirks as Austin walks away.

Big Show comes to the ring and demands The Dudleys come out and face him so he can prove once again his dominance, and eliminate The Dudleys once and for all from the WWF. The brothers are all too happy to oblige Show's handicap match request, although the mammoth athlete proves to still be formidable, even by himself. Interference by the Tag Team Champs draws a DQ finish, but it is of small comfort when the threesome outnumber and lay waste to the brothers.

In the back, while Crash looks for sanctuary from Kane, Raven finds him and blasts the little guy with a steel chair to the head. Raven makes the quick pin and captures the Hardcore Title, but gets his skull rattled by Steve Blackman's martial arts sticks, giving Blackman the title. Blackman barely has time to blink before the angry Kane finds the chaos, chokeslams Blackman through a catering table and recaptures the Hardcore Title, then leaves the scene, bellowing Angle's name.

Trish Stratus comes into Vince's office in a fluster, standing in front of Vince's desk with her hands on her hips. Vince looks up at her as he listens to the person on the phone and nods. "Yes. Yes. Mmhmm. Very well. Then do whatever you feel is necessary to keep the situation as is. Cost is not an option. Yes, goodbye." Vince looks up, his smile as phony as a six-dollar bill. "Why, hello, sweetheart! Is there something I can do for you?"

"What the hell was the big idea, leaving me alone with all those ... those ..." Trish shudders. "They stripped my clothes right off of me! They put me through a table! I could sue! I should sue! And you, you ran like a coward and left me there!"

Vince gets up and puts his hands on her arms. "Trish, love, please, calm down. Do I give you everything you want? Money, status, fame? Am I not giving you the chance to manage the World Champion when Kane defeats Kurt Angle at No Way Out? Who's making your dreams come true?"

Trish is reluctant to answer, and does so under her breath. "You."

Suddenly, Vince's _expression darkens. "Then be a good woman and keep your mouth shut. Every single one of us is committed to my vision, Trish, and we've all taken our lumps to bring it to reality. I won't have you reaping the rewards of the hard work and sacrifices made by us while you hang on my elbow; if I wanted that, I would've stayed with Linda. So you can either shut your mouth and just take what happened on Raw as a learning experience ... or you keep being an ungrateful little bitch and you can try to go toe-to-toe with me ... and make no mistake, I will bury you. Now get out of my office before you make me make you regret it." Trish, on the verge of tears, leaves as quick as lightning, sobbing into her hands.

Val Venis steps into the ring for his chance to step up in a huge way: a shot at knocking off Chris Benoit and taking his Intercontinental Title. Benoit shows the whistleblower no mercy, but Venis surprises by taking what Benoit has to give and gives back just as good. Fans are made to hold their breath when Steven Richards, bent on destroying the turncoat Venis, tries to take his head off with a Steven Kick, but Venis misses and clobbers Benoit; Venis gets a two-and-three-quarters count off the error. The ref, however, doesn't miss Richards blatantly pulling Venis out of the ring and brawling with him, and that draws the DQ. Benoit standing alone in the ring provides an easy and tempting target for Triple H and Jericho to pounce on, but before they can even get to the ring, their animosity boils over and fists fly against each other, leaving Benoit unscathed and able to escape through the crowd.

In the dressing room, Angle relaxes on a bench, caught in the middle of a phone conversation. "I mean, Vince is just gone off the deep end, Stephanie," says Angle. "I think he may, I don't know, maybe he's senile or something? I mean, he's hanging out with Kane of all people, and he suddenly hates me. He'd have to be freakin' senile for that to make sense, ya know? Is there anything--"

The door bursts open; Kane charges, murderous rage in his eyes. Thinking quickly, Angle uses the phone as a weapon, breaking it on the side of Kane's head. Crash runs up and tries to take advantage of the situation for a quick pinfall, but gets a jab in the throat to stop him in his tracks. As Kane tries to shake off the cobwebs, he staggers into the swinging arc of the door; Angle kicks him in the gut, grabs the door and throws it with all his might into Kane's head. The Big Red Machine crumples from the hit. Angle makes a cover and Crash's ref makes the count that, for the second time this evening, makes Kane a former WWF Hardcore Champion and gives Angle the distinction of being a two-time double-belt holder.

Much to everyone's surprise, Austin comes out for the main event handicap match, although his displeasure is obvious by his demeanor. More surprising, Austin lets Undertaker take the start against The Rock. When Undertaker tries to tag out, Austin backs away, further confounding everyone (including his partner and Vince). After Undertaker attempts three more times to tag out, only to be met with an empty corner, Vince comes over and chastises Austin. Austin lets Vince rant and rave, but when Vince brazenly slaps Austin across the face, Austin finally rouses himself from complacency. Vince nearly falls over himself trying to get away from Austin as he comes through the ropes, but Austin pulls another surprise by Stunning Undertaker. The Rock, weakened but aware, makes a cover, but Vince won't count; Austin grabs Vince by the scruff of his shirt and drags him over to Rock and Undertaker, deposits him on the mat rather roughly, then bends down and, with a handful of Vince's hair, points and commands Vince to count. Reluctantly, almost crying, Vince makes the three-count, preserving The Rock's job. Austin then hauls Vince to his feet and nails a Stunner on the WWF Chairman. Before leaving the ring, Austin looks right at Rock, points and mouths three words, words quickly developing a new meaning for The Rock: "No Way Out".

Raw: Feb 5, '01

Raw opens with the WWF World & Hardcore Champion, Kurt Angle, heading to the ring with a microphone. Before he can say a word, though, the floodgates open: Raven, Tazz, Crash, Hardcore Holly, Test and Albert all flood the ring, with accompanying refs, trying to take the Hardcore Title. As the invaders start to lose focus and brawl each other, Kane and Big Show push their way through the mass, swatting Superstars out of the way like flies, until Show grabs Angle and tosses his across the ring like a ragdoll. Kane picks up the champ and chokeslams him on an abandoned chair, and makes the cover while Show keeps the others away to retake the Hardcore Title. A few brave souls attempt to take on the Big Red Machine, but both he and Show knock back all would-be fighters as if they were children.

Undertaker comes storming in to William Regal's office as Regal is on the phone. Regal excuses himself, hangs up and jumps out of his chair. "I've had just about enough of all you WWF Superstars barging into my office like an inibriated elephant!" Regal barks. "With Vince McMahon's flight delayed, I finally have the opportunity to craft a Monday Night Raw as I see fit, and I will not tolerate obnoxious lummoxes like you abusing my office and my time! Now state your business and make it quick, because I have work to do!"

Undertaker takes a moment to collect himself from Regal's surprising outburst. "I want Austin," he finally says, not nearly as aggressive as one would expect. "Tonight."

Regal seats himself and looks up at Undertaker condescendingly. "But I thought the two of you were thick as thieves."

"The son of a bitch nailed me with the Stunner last week on Smackdown and made me lose to The Rock. I want a piece of his ass."

Regal shrugs, already looking away from Undertaker to concentrate on his paperwork. "No bother to me." Undertaker fumes at Regal's nonchalant, but Regal continues to ignore Undertaker, so the American Badass has no choice but to walk away.

The WWF Tag Champions are split up for the evening and given singles matches against members of rival teams that are viable contenders: Malenko gets Matt Hardy, while Perry Saturn faces off against Christian. As the Malenko/Hardy match is set to start, Regal comes down to ringside and sends Saturn back to the back on threat of suspension and the titles being stripped, and does the same for Malenko when Saturn wrestles. With Regal perched at ringside, and their partners sent to the back, both Malenko and Saturn find themselves at a loss without their normal match-winning strategies; Malenko eats a Twist Of Fate and gets pinned, while Christian uses a handful of tights to steal a pin on Saturn.

Steven Richards enters the ring for his match against Chris Jericho, microphone in hand. The crowd already starts haranguing him before he can get out a single syllable. "For far too long, the WWF and Vince McMahon have reveled in filth and garbage! For too long, Vince McMahon has peddled smut to you people and you've swallowed it hook, line and sinker, like the idiots you are!" Richards beams with pride as the crowd chants vulgar epithets on him. "Thanks to the showing of that ... that ... videotape ... we are now in a position to submit a complaint to the FCC against Vince McMahon and have him removed from the air once and for all! And the best part is ... every single one of you fell for it! We helped flood this company with smut and filth and objectionable programming so Vince McMahon would have to cave to our demands, and we have Chris Benoit to thank for helping us bring our plan to fruition!"

The countdown of the Y2J clock cuts off Richards' tiresome rantings. "Welcome to Raw Is Jericho!" says Jericho, to the welcome reception of the crowd once again. "Steven Richards, there's only one thing that's been going on for far too long, and that's you, boring this crowd to death!" The crowd agrees with this. "And since I am the cure for boredom, and I got a little problem with how you kinda took my life and flushed it down the toilet for a few months, I'd be more then happy to come down to that ring and kick your teeth in!" Jericho drops the mic and runs for the ring, and the two immediately get into a punchfest. Before the match can really get any traction, Chris Benoit comes down attacks Jericho. Benoit coming out of hiding draws out his other two foes, Triple H and William Regal, in addition to Val Venis coming out to get a piece of Richards. Officials flood the ring to pry everyone apart and send everyone in different directions, while the crowd chants "let them fight!".

With Rikishi standing in the ring, the music for X-Pac hits, but instead of the obnoxious former D-X'er, Rikishi gets Stephanie McMahon. The former princess of the McMahon empire enters the ring, no longer cocky or brash; she shakes Rikishi's hand, and says something to him politely, which gets him to leave the ring.  Stephanie takes a deep breath before speaking, trying her best to assume an image of strength after months of personal disaster.

"The past several months have been a time of great personal loss for me," says Stephanie mournfully. "Because of the lies spread by Chris Benoit and the Right To Censor, I lost people I considered good friends, I lost respect and reputation, and most of all, I lost a man I deeply loved ... a man I still love. My family has been fractured by their plans, possibly beyond repair." Stephanie raises her head, a newfound fire in her eyes. "For too long now, the WWF has been bleeding, wounded by horrible men with plots of destruction and pain. And the worst one of them all may just be ... my father." The crowd boos at the mention of the WWF Chairman. "I am here tonight to clear a misconception, and to publicly state my intentions: my father does not have my 25% interest in the WWF. During the stressful divorce, I mistakenly signed over to him the right to vote my shares as a proxy. It is the worst mistake I have ever made, and in working side-by-side with Commissioner William Regal, I intend to block my father's efforts to rule this company like a tyrant!"

The music of Trish Stratus kicks in, and immediately, Stephanie's body language switches to one of defensive hostility. The blonde vixen--making sure to wear an outfit fashioned to show off her assets--strides up to the McMahon daughter and chuckles. "Stephanie, maybe you don't get how things run around here, but when Mr. McMahon traded in your mother for me, that made me< the first lady of the WWF." Trish sneers at Stephanie, who returns the gesture. "I mean, all you've done is cause nothing but trouble for him. You run off and get married to Triple H ... you almost run the company into the ground while he's gone ... and worst of all ..." Trish gives Stephanie a disapproving scan from head to toe. "You flaunt ... that ... that ... that like you're some kind of model and you run off with one of the WWF Superstars to a motel and bring shame to the entire McMahon family. In fact," adds Trish, "last night, in bed ... that's what he called you. The shame of the family."

Stephanie jumps without warning, tackling Trish to the ground and swinging wildly. The crowd roars with delight as the two women roll around on the ground, pulling hair and trying to get the upper hand before Stephanie finally manages to get on top and starts punching and clawing, with Trish covering up her face for protection. Officials have to pry a nearly-rabid Stephanie off of Trish, the once angelic (and once snotty) Stephanie replaced with a feral, raging beast, while Trish cowers behind the throng of men keeping them apart.

Kevin Kelly catches up with The Rock backstage. Kevin Kelly asks The Rock if he's grateful for Steve Austin saving his job three times. Rocky eyes Kelly for a moment, then says; "Are you thankful when they close off the buffet when they see you coming?" Rock fakes a backhand, which makes Kelly duck. Rock shakes his head in disappointment and takes the microphone when Kelly offers it. "Stone Cold Steve Austin! The Rock knows you don't give a monkey's anus about The Rock. You're interested in one thing, and one thing only: hurting The Rock. Breaking The Rock. Making The Rock break. Well, The Rock isn't running. The Rock isn't hiding. You say you need this, Stone Cold? You say you need this to happen? Well, so does The Rock. The Rock wants this issue gone, done, finished, so The Rock can get on with his life. The Rock has said he's innocent for months, and nobody's listening, so if The Rock has to move on with this over his head, that's fine. The Rock is ready to move on. No Way Out. Sunday, February 25th. Rock, Austin, Austin, Rock. It will happen, Austin. You don't need to worry. You just need to ... bring it." The Rock turns to leave, stops, then turns back to the camera. "One more thing on The Rock's mind, one more thing. Royal Rumble, Rock and Stone Cold, fighting for the chance, the big chance, to main event WrestleMania. What happens? The golden jabroni, the pajama-wearin', mask-hidin', sneaky son of a gun, he comes and dumps us both over the top! Just like that! No Rock in the main event. No Rock, no Austin. Just some lucky piece of monkey crap in a ski mask." Rocky whips off his sunglasses to look dead in the camera, his voice lethally calm. "Don't show up to Raw. Don't show up to Smackdown. It doesn't matter, Goldylocks, because the Rock will find you, The Rock will catch you, and The Rock will make sure he's wearing his extra-special, 24 karat boots, just so they match your precious little outfit when The Rock turns his boot sideways and sticks it straight up your candy ass!"

The Undertaker/Austin clash starts before they get to the ring, trading punches on the ramp and bashing each other into the barricades. The brawling doesn't stop when they finally get in the ring, and it doesn't take long before Austin's fire buckles against Undertaker's brute strength. But it also doesn't take long for Eddie Guerrero to slide in and go after Undertaker. Austin joins Undertaker in pounding Guerrero, but Guerrero gets back up from Malenko and Saturn. When The Rock joins the melee, everyone expects a cheap shot on Austin, but Rock delivers a thunderous Rock Bottom on Guerrero and helps knock drive the tag champs out of the ring. Rock and Austin exchange tense glances as Rock leaves the ring.

Prompted by the earlier attack, the main event features Angle tagging with William Regal against Kane and Big Show. The size difference comes into play immediately, as the champ and the Commissioner are treated like rag dolls, being tossed, slammed, suplexed and beaten at will. Regal gets a minor comeback, enough to tag out to Angle, but Angle is neutralized by Kane getting in a cheap shot behind the ref's back. Kane goes to work on his opponent for No Way Out, with Angle getting in minimal offense that has little effect but prolonging the inevitible. But a savior comes in the form of Raven, who slides into the ring with his own referee, and breaks a beer bottle over Kane's head. The Big Red Machine goes down in a heap, and Raven makes the cover; his ref counts the pinfall, giving Raven the Hardcore Title. As Raven runs to the back with his new championship in his arms, Angle crawls over and drapes an arm over Kane; to the amazement of the crowd, Angle draws the three-count, pinning his future challenger. Unfortunately, there is no time for celebration, as Big Show comes in and chokeslams both Angle and Regal to hell and back before escorting his cohort to the back.

Smackdown: Feb. 8, '01

The McMahon limousine arrives in the parking garage; Vince steps out and it is instantly apparent he is perturbed. "I just can't believe Stephanie is fighting me on this!" exclaims Vince, throwing his hands in the air. Trish Stratus steps out, taking one of Vince's arms. "How can she take back her proxy? This is my company, dammit! Mine!"

"Mr. McMahon—Ò

"And then there's the Right To Censor and Chris Benoit, trying to kill my company from the inside!"

"Mr. McMahon--"

"And there's Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Undertaker, and Triple H, and Chris Jericho, and The Rock, and--"

Trish puts a finger on Vince's lips and lets the other hand stroke his chest. "Shhh," she says. "You're stressed out. If you don't calm down, you're gonna have a breakdown, and we can't have that can we?" Vince shakes his head with Trish's finger still on his lips. "We need your mind crisp if you're going to purge the WWF of all the trash and begin a new era. Why don't you relax here in the limo? You don't need to sit there and worry about how the night will go. Big Show has Kurt Angle tonight, Kane has The Rock, and I got a special surprise in mind for Stephanie." Trish pats Vince playfully on the butt. "Go, get in the limo. Have a drink. Relax. Watch Smackdown on the TV. Go." Vince hesitates, grumbles, and acquiesces. Trish tells him not to worry, kisses him on the cheek, then closes the door and heads into the arena.

Smackdown is scheduled to lead off with The Rock facing off against Kane, but The Rock is ambushed by Kane in the dressing room before he can even change into his wrestling gear. Commissioner Regal arrives with the officials and helps pull Kane off Rock and lays into him about ruining the show. Kane tries to intimidate Regal by leering over him, but not only does it not work, it backfires, as Regal hauls off and slaps Kane hard, shocking the monster. Regal's yelling and posture make Kane backstep, with Regal jabbing a finger in Kane's chest and warning him that continued unprovoked attacks would result in him forfeiting his WWF Title shot. When Smackdown comes back from commercial, Regal is walking through the parking lot, making a beeline for the limo. Regal grabs the handle and almost tears the door off the hinges when he opens it. "Listen to me, you pathetic coward!" he yells. "I have had it with your hooligans running roughshod over the WWF Superstars! From now on, you can be assured I will meet your attempts to derail this program with your threats and your thugs with swift and decisive action the likes of which you have never encountered!" Regal slams the door, pauses, then opens it again. "If your father or your grandfather were alive to see the disgrace you've heaped on your family's name, they would die out of shame!" Regal slams the door again and walks away, muttering under his breath in disgust.

With all the enmity and rivalries amongst teams, Smackdown features a Tag Team Turmoil match between seven pairs to determine the number-one contendership. Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn sit in with the commentators, although they offer little but hostile glares for every team that steps in the ring. Billy Gunn and Chyna are the first eliminated, pinned by Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather. Likewise, the RTC thugs finish off the Holly Cousins, with a liberal dose of help from their leader, Steven Richards. The Hardys come up next and are in position to finish off the RTC members, but Richards' cheating draws out the APA and Val Venis, who end up getting the brothers eliminated via disqualification. Coincidentally, the APA are up next, but the Hardys, sore at the APA's interference, give Faarooq and Bradshaw a receipt for their "help", getting them DQ'ed as well. The Dudleys come out next, who get ambushed on the ramp by Edge and Christian and tossed into the ring for easy pickings for the RTC; however, the RTC overestimate the half-brothers' condition, and the Dudleys are able to drop the nerdy conservatives with a pair of 3-D's, leaving the Dudleys and Edge and Christian. The APA and Val Venis come out again to attack the RTC on their way back, which distracts the ref, leaving Edge and Christian open to grab some chairs and go for a Conchairto. D-Von plays possum, though, ducking the chair sandwich, and snatches up Edge while he nurses ringing hands from the collision of chairsl Bubba adds the assist to complete the 3-D, and Bubba pins Edge while D-Von knocks Christian out of the ring, giving the Dudleys the PPV title shot.

Stephanie McMahon comes out to an unfamiliar response from the crowd: applause. She demurely waves it down and is about to address the audience when Trish Stratus, accompanied by Eddie Guerrero, interrupts. "Maybe you didn't hear me right on Raw," says Trish, "maybe I'm remembering bad, I don't know. But I could swear I made myself clear on Monday Night Raw when I told you that I am the WWF's reigning queen now, and that you're yesterday's news. So why do you keep coming out on my shows and--"

Trish's words are cut off sharply with a slap that hits Trish's cheek so hard, she's taken off her feet. Guerrero moves forward and grabs a handful of Stephanie's hair, threatening her in a mixture of English and Spanish. The gong that marks the start of Undertaker's theme music freezes Guerrero in his tracks, and the rumble of his motorcycle as he tears down the aisle sends him scurrying out of the ring, hiding behind the announce booth. Trish scampers into the corner as Undertaker steps in the ring. "I done had just about enough of you, Guerrero," says Undertaker, looming over the ropes to glare in Guerrero's direction. "Everywhere I turn, everything I do, I got your face stickin' in mine, messin' with my business. Vince don't want Undertaker with the title; Vince don't want Undertaker even on the show, so he sends his little errand boy to screw with my stuff ... and then you and this dirty, bottle-blonde whore try and put the fear on this girl here. Well, I think you and me, we need to have a little pow-wow at No Way Out and come to an understanding, you dig?" The crowd cheers the idea, even as Guerrero is shaking his head and begging off. "But since you seem to got an itch tonight, how 'bout I do you a favor and scratch? You and the ten-cent tramp here come get a piece of me later on, right here, tonight?"

Stephanie steps forward, looking at Undertaker, but speaking to Trish and Guerrero. "And me," she says forcefully, offering Undertaker a hand. The crowd comes out of their seats in support for Undertaker to accept Stephanie's gesture. Undertaker mulls it a moment, grins an entirely humorless grin and takes her hand, sealing the deal.

Raven comes out for a scheduled defense of his Hardcore Title against a peculiar choice for opponent: Steve Austin. Austin, however, has little time to get into the groove before Kane comes down with his own ref, looking to reclaim the Hardcore Title. Kane lays into Raven, but before Austin can take exception, two people come for a piece of Kane's hide: The Rock and Kurt Angle. The Rock barely gets a bit of Kane before Austin pulls Rock away and starts swinging, while Angle hammers down on Kane. The two pairs brawl through the arena, leaving Raven alone, the match more or less thrown out by way of abandonment.

Out in the parking lot, Vince steps out of the limo and comes face to face with a surprise: Mick Foley. For a long few moments, the two exchange tense glances. Vince coughs nervously and adjusts his tie. "Mick. This is a surprise. What are you doing here?"

"Well, um, I was hoping to talk to you."

"No, I mean, how did you get in? Security has orders to bar you from entry."

"I've been waiting since this morning, before security got posted. I was Commissioner, remember. I know the schedule."

Vince sighs. "Wonderful. So now that you managed to break security and invade my arena, can I hope to expect you'll be leaving now?"

"Actually, I was hoping that, um ... well ... I don't know how to ask this." Foley sighs, his head drooping down. "I was kinda hoping you might be able to give me a job."

Vince looks at Foley, blinking absently, not saying a word or showing a single shred of emotion. Suddenly, he starts walking away, shouting for security. Foley chases after him, begging to be heard. After tolerating it for a few seconds, Vince whips around. "I know for a fact you are one of the most frugal men on the planet, Mick Foley, so if you're trying to imply you need me to give you a job for money, you're either a liar, or you think I'm stupid. Now get out of my arena before I have you arrested!"

"No! Please, Mr. McMahon! Give me a chance! I want to make amends! I want to make things right!"

Vince stops, his head cocked. "You what?"

"I screwed up. I was a horrible Commissioner, and I screwed up everything. I screwed up the Austin thing, I screwed up with security, I screwed up everything. Let me make it up. Give me a chance to make things right."

Vince sneers, as if he's being pawed by a filthy animal; suddenly, a smile erases the negativity, an idea striking him almost like a physical force. "Tell you what, Mick," he says with a predatory grin, "come see me on Raw. We'll discuss it then, alright?" Vince walks away before Foley can say anything else.

Angle comes to the ring, fired up and looking none the worse for his arena-encompassing fistfight with Kane earlier. Big Show attempts to intimidate with his size, but Angle has none of it, using his superior wrestling ability to surgically strike at Big Show's weakest points: his knees. With his wheels knocked out, Show is an easier fight for the WWF Champion. Show tries to use his power to keep Angle at bay, and for a little while, he is successful, but Angle manages to level the playing field with targeted shots to the damaged knee. When Angle gets the submission victory off a figure-four, the crowd is amazed. Kane comes down the aisle, but Angle sees him and gets out of the ring before Kane can get his hands on him, taunting him with the title belt and gesturing that he knows know how to take down the Big Red Machine.

Intercontinental Champion Chris Benoit comes out to a hailstorm of jeers and hatred. The secondary champ disregards it; in fact, he looks angry, if focused. "I've held onto this belt for months!" he proclaims. "I held two titles at once, until my partner cowardly abandoned me at the Royal Rumble! I had two WWF Title victories stolen from me by that crooked former Commissioner, Mick Foley! I am the best technical wrestler in the WWF, and yet, with all this, I can't get a title shot with Kurt Angle!" The crowd gives Benoit's rant a stern booing, which he ignores. "I am out here to demand what's mine, what I deserved, what I'm owed! Kurt Angle, I want a WWF Title shot!"

Benoit waits, looking to the stage, knowing full well he's calling out someone who just went through a hard-fought match with Big Show and a brawl with Kane, and isn't likely to come out. "Are you really this kind of champion, Kurt Angle? A coward? Someone who runs from challengers? Come out here and give me what you owe me!"

The countdown of the Y2J clock cuts in, but rather then wait for the clock to finish and go through his elaborate entrance, Jericho runs for the ring and starts trading blows with Benoit. Benoit ducks a wild swing by Jericho, goes behind and tries a German, but Jericho lands on his feet, just in time for Triple H to hit the ring. Triple H spins Jericho around, kicks him in the gut and tries a Pedigree, but Jericho reverses with