Kane won the Royal Rumble match by last throwing out The Godfather. Others in the final 4 included Kurt Angle & Magnum T.A.
Ken Shamrock def. Larry Zybyszko (c) & 2 Cold Scorpio to win the WWF World Heavyweight Championship for the 2nd time by pinning Scorpio
The Unholy Alliance def. The Rock & Sock Connection (c) to win the WWF Tag Team Titles for the 3rd time when The Undertaker pinned The Rock
Gangrel def. The Godfather (c) to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship
Test (c) def. Al Snow to retain the WWF Hardcore Championship
Tazz def. Kurt Angle in the Kurt Angle American Hero Challenge match via submission
NOTES
During Sunday Night Heat Mick Foley was seen questioning WWF COO, Linda McMahon about the events of the night of Stone Cold’s accident
At one point all 4 members of The Unholy Alliance and The Rock & Sock Connection were in the Royal Rumble at the same time
Road Warrior Animal picked #1 after winning the WWF Title in the Rumble match last year. He was instantly eliminated by Road Dogg, who himself was a late entry last year (27) and was thrown out by Animal in 1999
The Rock was bumped into by Mick Foley during the Rumble and Mankind thought for a split second about eliminating The Rock but then realised who it was. X-Pac then superkicked The Rock over the top rope
The Undertaker eliminated The Big Show. When Show protested on the floor his co-tag team champion shouted “whatcha gonna do about it?”
Gangrel was the ironman of the match with X-Pac, and Undertaker also putting in long shifts
The Undertaker had the most eliminations with 5
The Santino Marella award goes to Michael Hayes and Edge who both were barely in the ring before being eliminated
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: Ken Shamrock (2) - 0 days Intercontinental Champion: Gangrel - 0 days Tag Team Champions: The Unholy Alliance (3) - 0 days Hardcore Champion: Test - 6 days
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING World Heavyweight Champion: Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart (5) - 7 days United States Champion: Macho Man Randy Savage - 63 days Tag Team Champions: The Executive - 63 days Hardcore Champion Scott Steiner - 13 days
Mick Foley came to the ring and said that something bothered last night. In fact, a lot of things happened last night that he didn’t like. He lost the tag team championships with his very best friend, The Rock. The Rock then ended their full time careers but he was talking to Linda McMahon about a few things and something struck him as not completely making sense - like offering Al Snow a contract. But this concerned Stone Cold so with that in mind…
The glass breaks before anything else can be said and down comes Stone Cold, full of piss and vinegar, and gets right in Foley’s face asking if he knows something… Foley just asks Austin for 5 minutes and he’ll explain everything. Austin says that if Foley’s holding out on Stone Cold he’s going to open a can of whoop-ass and Foley drops his register and says quite plainly, Steve… 5 minutes
Foley calls down Linda McMahon to the ring and Foley mentions to her that they had a chat last night and something was bothering him. Foley said that he asked Linda McMahon who seemed the most ambitious in the WWF locker room. Who would want to climb this ladder with Stone Cold gone.
Linda says that she responded by saying, this has Triple H written all over it but we’ve gone over the CCTV from the venue and they can account for his whereabouts at the time of the attack
Austin gets impatient and Foley says “Steve, 5 minutes” - Steve throws his hands up and goes back to leaning in a nearby corner
Foley then says that he then asked whether Triple could have hired someone to do the job… Linda said they considered this as well and they checked the rental plates on the car. It belonged to Rikishi
Rikishi’s music hits and he walks down to the ring (yellow sunglasses to go alongside a black leather jacket). He gets into the ring and grabs the mic and eats a Stone Cold Stunner. Foley freaks out “Steve, Steve, Steve” it couldn’t have been him. He didn’t even work for the company in April. Linda McMahon says that it’s true. Stone Cold asked what was that about the rental plates… Foley said it was just a red herring. These quarter-hour ratings don’t just appear out of nowhere. Austin just stares a hole in Foley as Foley responds “you’re right, that’s an error in judgment, that one’s my fault. But Steve… 5 minutes”
Austin leans in and says that how do we know all this isn’t just throwing Old Stone Cold off the scent and he shouldn’t just raise hell on Foley right here right now.
Foley says that he was in the back of the limo with Vince that night - don’t you remember?
Austin backs down from Foley and agrees he couldn’t have done it. Foley says “Steve, please” and Austin goes “yeah, yeah, 5 minutes” and returns to his corner
Foley says that he asked Linda last night who profited more than anyone from Stone Cold’s absence and Linda says that she provided him with one name that unquestionably benefitted more than anyone.
Foley said that the interesting thing about the angle we’ve been looking at is that it only features one side of the limo and therefore only one door. But there is a building with a security camera we didn’t think to look at. Until now.
*Austin says that you can’t see for hell who that was. Foley asked who was the only person we didn’t see in the limo from the WWF footage when Stephanie was put in the limo: We saw Test, we saw Big Show, we saw Vince and we saw Mick Foley. We didn’t see one person. The same person Linda McMahon said has profited more than anybody else - Ken Shamrock.
Music hits and The World’s Most Dangerous Man and WWF World Heavyweight Champion, Ken Shamrock comes out on stage saying you can’t put this on me. He claims he was in the limo and was just a touch late getting out because he was cramped from sitting next to Big Show out of the shot.
Foley said that he thought Shamrock would say this but then he saw this
Austin is incensed and asks why Foley didn’t lead with that
Foley said he was going to use his 5 minutes. I’m telling you Steve these quarter hours don’t build themselves
Shamrock looks stunned at the screen and then an evil smile comes across his face and he mentions how everything seems to have gone his way. With Steve out of the picture The Baddest S.O.B. on the Planet wasn’t in the way of The World’s Most Dangerous Man. See ya Steve, drive safe. Shamrock then leaves.
Steve Austin demands a title match but Linda McMahon says that while what Shamrock did was heinous it doesn’t entitle Austin to a title match. He was not the champion at the time of the attack. She can give him a match but not a title match.
Austin says if that’s how you really feel… Linda says it grieves her to say it but yes, championship opportunities can’t be handed out based on personal grievances. Austin shakes her hand and then stuns the COO
Foley looks at Austin and questions why he’s done this.
Austin tells Foley you’ve got to pop these quarter hour ratings somehow and takes off after Ken Shamrock
Showing that maybe all they had was the one good idea, WCW has relaunched the nWo with nWo 2000 after Hall & Nash helped Bret regain the title belt against Lex Luger. There are those in WCW who feel that the move will lead WCW to higher heights than before while others feel that it’s the kind of group that Bret doesn’t need. In the meantime though we’ve got The Executive acting as Heels and the nWo acting heelish but really moreso as tweeners as they’re getting heavy cheers when going up against Ric, Roddy & David Flair
3 big retirements as we hit 2000 with Ted DiBiase, 2 Cold Scorpio and The Road Warriors all hanging it up. There will be ceremonies attended and plaudits to hand out but that seems to be it for a legendary 4 performers with DiBiase & Animal former World Champions and The Road Warriors being the only established tag team to hold tag gold in both major promotions. Those close to Animal think it’s not the end for him necessarily but they’ll most likely never tag again
There’s said to be some major players jumping back and forth between the two companies in the coming weeks. All the more reason to be watching on Monday and Thursday nights.
WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart (c) vs. Hollywood Hogan
Lex Luger vs. Terry Funk
The Nasty Boys vs. VinSid (Vincent & Sid Vicious)
WCW UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. Steve McMichael
WCW HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Psicosis (c) vs. Curt Hennig
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Brian Adams
Buff Bagwell vs. Sting
Rick Steiner vs. Billy Kidman
The Executive vs. The Outsiders
Nikita Koloff vs. Kokina Maximus
Prince Iaukea vs. Bart Gunn
NOTES
Hogan and Bret are tied 2-2 in matches for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Ken Shamrock (2) - 28 days Intercontinental Champion: Gangrel - 28 days Tag Team Champions: The Unholy Alliance (3) - 28 days Hardcore Champion: Mideon - 13 days
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING World Heavyweight Champion: Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart (5) - 35 days United States Champion: Macho Man Randy Savage - 91 days Tag Team Champions: The Executive - 91 days Hardcore Champion Psicosis - 13 days
Hollywood Hogan def. Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart (c) to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship for a 3rd time (see notes)
Terry Funk def. Lex Luger in a MOTY candidate
VinSid def. The Nasty Boys when Vincent submitted Jerry Sags
‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage def. Steve McMichael to retain the WCW United States Championship
Curt Hennig def. Psicosis (c) to win the WCW Hardcore Championship
Diamond Dallas Page def. Brian Adams
Sting def. Buff Bagwell
Rick Steiner def. Billy Kidman
The Executive def. The Outsiders to retain the WCW Tag Team Championships when Flair submitted Nash
Nikita Koloff def. Kokina Maximus
Bart Gunn def. Prince Iaukea
NOTES
After their tag team loss to The Executive, Hogan passed Nash & Hall in the back and said ‘never would’ve happened on my watch’ (despite this thing happening literally on Hogan’s watch several times)
The NWO interfered in the Main Event, turning on Bret Hart and helping Hogan win his 3rd WCW World Title and taking the lead in his series with Bret Hart 3-2
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Ken Shamrock (2) - 28 days Intercontinental Champion: Gangrel - 28 days Tag Team Champions: The Unholy Alliance (3) - 28 days Hardcore Champion: Mideon - 13 days
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING World Heavyweight Champion: Hollywood Hogan (3) - 0 days United States Champion: Macho Man Randy Savage - 91 days Tag Team Champions: The Executive - 91 days Hardcore Champion Curt Hennig - 0 days
After many months of dating, it’s finally time for the wedding of Stephanie and Test
Everybody was dressed to the nines and Stephanie looked radiant as a bride
When the preacher got to the part about "does any man know of any lawful impediment, speak now or forever hold his peace - “The Ultimate” plays and out comes WWF Champion, Ken Shamrock. He throws to a video package that reveals that he and an unconscious Stephanie got married at a wedding chapel in Las Vegas
Test screams at Ken Shamrock as Stephanie cries at Vince McMahon to ‘fix this’ while Linda just looks on stoically
J.R. asks what this means while calling Ken Shamrock a son of a bitch as Raw goes off the air
THE FALLOUT FROM THE KEN SHAMROCK & STEPHANIE McMAHON WEDDING
In the Main Event The McMahon family come down to the ring. Stephanie looks like she hasn’t stopped crying as she holds onto Test’s hand. Test looks emotionally detached.
Vince says that he knows why Shamrock has done what he’s done. He wants a stranglehold on the WWF Championship but in doing this he’s tipped his hand because without that WWF Championship he’s nothing.
Ken Shamrock’s music hits and the WWF World Heavyweight Champion comes out and as he walks down the ramp he talks about family and how they’re all family now - except for Test. Shamrock then presents a restraining order against Test and tells Vince that if Test is allowed to lay a finger on him then he’ll end up owning the whole shooting match around here. Test is sent to the back against his will and seems to take it badly when Steph herself sends him away
Shamrock then enters the ring and gets very close to Steph who appears to be nauseated by him. Shane tries to jump in but Shane is quickly incapacitated and it looks like his arm might even be broken in a quick submission by the WWF Champion but the ringposts explode in flame and Kane walks down to the ring
Shane then says he’s been talking to Kane and the big red machine and Kane is willing to move his championship match up a month in order to make this happen
Vince says that won’t need to be an issue. He says that he had a conversation himself and sometimes in the matter of family, you’ve got to look at the bridges you’ve burned and maybe step over some broken glass
The glass shatters and Steve Austin comes down to the ring. In the commotion Shamrock has managed to get his arm around the waist of Stephanie McMahon and is enjoying her trying to struggle free
Vince McMahon offers Stone Cold a handshake and he walks right by Vince and gets into Shamrock’s face telling the WWF Champion that he’s got no problem punching him right between his beady little eyes
Shamrock calls himself the world’s most dangerous man. There’s not a soul alive that can run submission holds on his level
Vince says that he and Austin clearly don’t get along but Austin is probably owed a championship match somewhere and who else is out there
Linda puts the mic to her mouth and says “actually” and everyone just looks at her. She says that Vince is right. Sometimes you’ve got to look at the bridges you’ve burned and sometimes you’ve got to rebuild them and she thought of someone who’s definitely owed a championship match. Seeing how he was screwed out of the last one.
That familiar guitar riff hits and The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be flash on the screen and Bret Hart walks down the aisle.
Vince walks up to protest and Bret knocks him out with a single punch and spits on him before mouthing to Linda ‘I told you I was gonna do that’
Bret gets in Shamrock’s face (Steve Austin is wide-eyed the entire time) and Shamrock puts him in the same hammerlock he did to Shane only Bret quickly reverses it into one of his own - in the process Steph gets knocked down and Bret releases the hold to check on Steph before Austin spins him around and starts jaw-jacking at him
Shamrock grabs Stephanie and puts her over his shoulder and walks to the back. Kane, Bret, and Austin all stand there with a single McMahon backing them as Linda confirms that No Way Out will be headlined by Ken Shamrock vs Bret Hart in the Main Event
WWF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ Ken Shamrock vs. Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart
WWF WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The Unholy Alliance (c) vs. Mankind & Grandmaster Sexay
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Chris Benoit
Owen Hart vs. X-Pac
The New Age Outlaws vs. The Hardy Boyz
WWF HARDCORE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Hardcore Holly (c) vs. Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler
WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Gangrel (c) vs. D’Lo Brown
Magnum T.A. vs. The Godfather
TEST MUST LEAVE THE BUILDING AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MATCH
Kurt Angle vs. Test
NOTES
None to really speak of here
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Ken Shamrock (2) - 35 days Intercontinental Champion: Gangrel - 35 days Tag Team Champions: The Unholy Alliance (3) - 35 days Hardcore Champion: Hardcore Holly - 3 days
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING World Heavyweight Champion: Hollywood Hogan (3) - 7 days United States Champion: Macho Man Randy Savage - 98 days Tag Team Champions: The Executive - 98 days Hardcore Champion Shane Douglas - 3 days
Did your simulation algorithm result in saying Bret had to switch? Was his contract up? He joined WCW about 26 months ago. That’s a strange contract length.
Within the simulation it seems like WCW is much better booked than IRL and Bret was promoted as a main eventer. Any thoughts on what simulation Bret’s logic is to justify going to WWF right now?
You’ve nailed it. A bit of chaos theory. Bret was going to jump as soon as he dropped the belt so he did an extra month or so in the end. Call it 2 years and then finishing up.
If I had to kayfabe a Wrestling Observer article I guess I’d talk about the impact of Owen still being alive with it being apparent (to me at this point) that the WWF has passed them and therefore having the financial muscle to ‘do right’ by Bret.
Do you reckon? That’s fascinating. I think the WWF is firing on all cylinders to the point where HHH isn’t even necessary. WCW, on the other hand, never went all the way with Sting and Goldberg is barely a step above The Wall.
I agree that the storylines in the main event of the WWF are very good right now with a mix of new and veteran talent.
But WCW had seemingly been better for so long that the overall quality I now say is even. WCW’s main event scene looks just as strong. You could roll your eyes at a Hulk title reign in 2000 but he hadn’t won the championship for years.
I think both companies are in a really good place in the simulation.
Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart def. ‘The World’s Most Dangerous Man’ Ken Shamrock (c) via Submission to win the WWF World Title in a match of the year candidate
The Unholy Alliance (c) def. Mankind & Grandmaster Sexay to retain the WWF Tag Team Titles
Chris Benoit def. Stone Cold Steve Austin via submission
X-Pac def. Owen Hart
The New Age Outlaws def. The Hardy Boyz
Hardcore Holly (c) vs. Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler to retain the WWF Hardcore Title
Gangrel (c) def. D’Lo Brown to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship
Magnum T.A. def. The Godfather
Test def. Kurt Angle
NOTES
3 McMahons made their way down to the ring during the Main Event. Steph was pulled by Shamrock down to the ring at the start. Vince McMahon made his way down to the ring with about 5 minutes left in the match and Linda followed with Test in tow. Linda, fearing another screwjob, made Test grab the ring bell as Vince protested her actions saying that he wasn’t about to do that, he was here as a father
Bret celebrated in the ring as Test embraced Stephanie on the outside and her joy looks slightly performative
WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart (3) - 0 days Intercontinental Champion: Gangrel - 35 days Tag Team Champions: The Unholy Alliance (3) - 35 days Hardcore Champion: Hardcore Holly - 3 days
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING World Heavyweight Champion: Hollywood Hogan (3) - 7 days United States Champion: Macho Man Randy Savage - 98 days Tag Team Champions: The Executive - 98 days Hardcore Champion Shane Douglas - 3 days
