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[announcer] We greet you from ringside
for another great main event.
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[crowd cheering]
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[announcer] Whoo! Here we go!
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Believe me, Dr. Jerry Graham
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is not the favorite citizen in this arena.
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[Vince McMahon]
We all have favorites as kids.
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[chuckles]
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My favorite was a performer
by the name of Dr. Jerry Graham.
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- [propulsive music playing]
- [McMahon] He wasn't a doctor, obviously.
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Big guy, bleached blond hair,
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and he would light a cigar
with a hundred-dollar bill.
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[announcer] I have never known a guy
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that could make as many enemies
as Dr. Jerry Graham.
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[McMahon] He was a heel,
in the parlance of our business.
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Maybe that's one reason why I liked him,
I don't know.
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'Cause I never liked the good guys.
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I wanted to be like him so badly,
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I convinced my stepmother
to dye my hair blond,
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and I learned to strut just like he did.
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"Yeah."
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"He doesn't walk. You know, he struts."
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[music fades]
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[McMahon] So, he sort of
took me under his wing.
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[compelling music playing]
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"You want to take a ride, kid?"
Boy, did I ever.
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He had this 1959 convertible.
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I'm riding shotgun.
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He's honking the horn
going through intersections
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regardless if the light was green or red,
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and it's like, "This is grand."
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"Man, I wanna live my life like this."
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He was just so flamboyant.
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So aggressive.
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And the hubris and, you know,
the color and all of that,
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it was like,
"Yeah, that's who I want to be."
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[compelling music rising]
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[music fades abruptly]
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- [audience clamoring]
- [commentator 1] Are you kidding me?
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[commentator 2] Michaels?
Are you kidding me?
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[commentator 1] You gonna try to beat
Bret Hart with a sharpshooter? Yes, he is!
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Ring the bell, ring the bell!
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[bell ringing]
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[Michael Landsberg]
In Montreal, in the Survivor Series,
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Bret Hart, "The Hitman,"
is counted out by Vince McMahon,
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and a brawl ensues afterwards.
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Unquestionably,
the most controversial bout
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in the history of wrestling.
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[Paul Levesque] The Montreal Screwjob.
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It just was so crazy surreal.
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That caused such inner turmoil
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within the business.
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The underground world,
what is now the internet world,
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got a hold
of the behind-the-scenes information,
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and that was spreading like wildfire.
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[Levesque] You're seeing
the reaction by people
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of something they should have
known nothing about.
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[Dave Meltzer] The fans knew
that Vince double-crossed Bret Hart,
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which was something very unprofessional
by the rules of professional wrestling.
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There's two sides to every story,
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but most people
did not side with Vince on that one.
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[crowd cheering]
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Listen, the Montreal Screwjob,
to me, as a Canadian,
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like, I fucking hated Vince. [laughs]
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Vince goes on television
and tries to explain it.
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He didn't come off very well.
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Bret screwed Bret.
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I have no sympathy whatsoever for Bret.
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[Levesque] The "Bret screwed Bret" speech,
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that begins a moment in time
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where reality takes front seat to fantasy,
and we begin to blur the line.
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[commentator 1] And here comes
Vince McMahon to a rousing--
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{\an8}-They're being booed.
- [commentator 2] What?!
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{\an8}[commentator 1] They're booing
McMahon out of the building!
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What's going on? We'll be right back!
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As a result of all this,
I have all this heat, as we call it.
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[commentator 2] I wonder
if somebody's gonna knock the bejeesus
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out of Vince McMahon this week!
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And so I thought, "Okay, Vince,
why not turn that into business?"
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Use now you as a character.
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[commentator 1] Vince has not
endeared himself to this crowd.
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[McMahon] I always
wanted to be a performer,
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but my dad wouldn't let me
in the business, much less that.
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He just thought,
"No, that's not what you want to do."
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I was like,
"Yeah, that's what I want to do."
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When it happened, it felt pretty natural.
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If you just show a little respect...
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[crowd booing]
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[Levesque] At that point in time,
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Vince McMahon creates
the Mr. McMahon character,
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the evil tyrant boss,
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and eventually, that would change
the trajectory of the business.
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[Michael Landsberg]
Let's talk about the business
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and the challenge
that you have received from WCW.
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If I look at cable listings
for January in one week,
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WCW is number one, number two,
number four, and number six.
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You're down at number 18.
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[tense music playing]
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[Meltzer] Through '97, WCW,
they were just so far ahead,
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and their product was better,
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so I'm just thinking
that this is just a domination,
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and it's gonna be like this
for the foreseeable future.
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{\an8}[announcer] Bret Hart!
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{\an8}I think once Bret Hart
made the transition and came over to WCW,
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I think if you were to put the rosters
side-by-side on a piece of paper,
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WCW was in a much better position
than WWE was.
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I wanted to dominate and win.
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If WWE went out of business
in the process,
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that would've been unfortunate,
but I wouldn't have felt bad about it.
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[announcer 1] What is this?
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[announcer 2]
What a piece of work this guy is.
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[announcer 1] Ho, ho!
There it is! What is it?
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[Mark Calaway] For years,
we were kind of stuck
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in that really young demographic,
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whereas WCW,
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they were hitting
that 18-to-34-year-old demographic
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with some really cutting-edge stuff.
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You know, 83 weeks of getting
our tails kicked in the ratings,
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it messes with your confidence,
it messes with your psyche,
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but it also lets you know that
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you gotta do something different.
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I knew if we didn't change,
we'd just get left behind.
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You're dealing with networks,
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and you're dealing with people
in the networks
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that are looking at you going,
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"Hey, these guys
are beating you in the ratings,
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and I see our talent on their show."
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"What's going on, guys?"
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[McMahon] You listen to the audience,
and you sort of feel it.
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It's time for a change.
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It was time for us to, uh,
take another step and evolve.
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[Bonnie Hammer]
When I started working with Vince,
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it was absolute war
between the two franchises.
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It'll be me and you, McMahon, in the ring.
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Vince decided that he wanted
to be known for pushing the envelope.
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For being bold,
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being a little crazy.
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{\an8}[Bischoff] Vince came out
and did an interview about this
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new way of producing WWE programming.
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We in the WWE think that you,
the audience, are, quite frankly,
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tired of having
your intelligence insulted.
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[Bischoff] Vince kind of teased all this
newness that was coming down the road,
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and I thought, "Yeah, whatever."
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"You're gonna come out
with another version of Doink the Clown
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and some evil dentist,
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and you're gonna
keep doing what you're doing."
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I didn't know that Vince
was making the decision
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to create the Attitude Era.
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[interviewer] Was there a distinctive
moment when the Attitude Era was born?
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[exhales] Yeah, there was.
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♪ I think I'm cute, I know I'm sexy ♪
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[announcer] Well, here he comes, folks...!
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[Prichard] One night,
Vince was not at our television taping,
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and Shawn Michaels
came down in bicycle shorts.
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Right before he went out, he stuffed
the front of his shorts with a sock.
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It was gauze. It wasn't a sock.
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It was gauze that I'd wadded up
from the trainer table.
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And I was just bouncing around,
gyrating, and stuff like that.
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Vince's reaction
was to call me the next day
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and tell me how unprofessional it was
and that he was fining me $10,000.
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And I said, "Okay,
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but you go back and watch it
and tell me that isn't funny."
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If we're talking about "entertainment,"
it was very entertaining.
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That was one of the things
that got us into the conversations of,
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"You know, we need to start going there."
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I felt like you can have respect
for this line of work,
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but you don't have to act
like it's freaking not weird.
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Suffice to say,
I weaseled my way out of the $10,000 fine.
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[Prichard] Vince was livid,
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but then three or four weeks later,
I remember Vince pointing to him,
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"Shawn Michaels. That's attitude."
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"That's what he is, he's got attitude."
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"We need more attitude."
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The Attitude Era was born.
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- [propulsive music playing]
- [siren blaring]
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[Prichard] The Attitude Era was
just this transformation that took place.
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I mean, we changed
how we presented our product.
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We got a little grittier.
We got a little dirtier.
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- We made it a little more raw.
- [yelling]
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People just go, "Oh, the Attitude Era.
Here's where it started. What it is."
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It was slowly bits and pieces over time.
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We are D-Generation X!
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- D-Generation.
- You make your rules, we will break 'em!
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D-Generation X is what we would call,
in sports entertainment, a faction.
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They were an offshoot of The Kliq.
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They were anti-authority,
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and there's something
about anti-authority at this time
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that really spoke to fans.
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And whether it was part of the fiction
or completely real, you didn't know.
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- This is going too far!
- [Michaels] And then the next thing...
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But you couldn't turn away.
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[Levesque] When Shawn and I
started doing D-X...
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[exhales] Man, most of the things
we were saying and doing,
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Vince was coming back and telling us,
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"Goddamn, you guys do that again,
and you're going to get fucked like..."
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You know, "USA's threatening
to take us off the air."
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But we're like, coming in the back,
and people are going crazy.
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[audience cheering]
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And then there's a flip moment in time
where all of a sudden it's,
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"Hey, that worked. Do that again."
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[announcer] A fight bra.
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[screaming] What is-- Oh my gosh!
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[Calaway] We just finally
changed the writing
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to where it wasn't
for a 12-year-old demographic.
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00:10:02,727 --> 00:10:06,230
It got into that
18-to-34-year-old-male demographic.
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00:10:06,897 --> 00:10:09,859
Once that door was opened,
I marched right through it,
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because it was working.
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[Calaway] It was all about filling up
those arenas and stadiums,
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00:10:14,238 --> 00:10:19,452
and, you know, it was like we could do
whatever we had to do to be the best.
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00:10:19,452 --> 00:10:20,828
[glass shattering]
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00:10:20,828 --> 00:10:23,789
- [audience cheering]
- [hard rock music playing]
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00:10:26,459 --> 00:10:30,087
The biggest star of the Attitude Era
by far was Stone Cold Steve Austin.
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[Austin] Anytime you stick your head
in the ring with Steve Austin,
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00:10:34,216 --> 00:10:37,136
bottom line is I'm gonna kick your ass.
Straight simple.
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[audience cheering]
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00:10:38,095 --> 00:10:40,473
[Shoemaker] He was something
that we weren't used to seeing,
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this kind of foul-mouthed, roughneck,
blue collar, Southern badass.
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[Austin] When I first got into
the business of professional wrestling,
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00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:54,278
I never had any designs
on being as successful as I would be,
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00:10:54,278 --> 00:10:56,739
because I didn't know how far
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00:10:57,406 --> 00:11:00,242
some ragamuffin
from Victoria, Texas, could take it.
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[announcer] Introducing first...
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00:11:02,578 --> 00:11:04,914
[Shoemaker] Prior to WWE,
Steve Austin was a wrestler
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00:11:04,914 --> 00:11:06,707
{\an8}in WCW.
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00:11:06,707 --> 00:11:08,501
{\an8}But he got fired from WCW,
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00:11:09,543 --> 00:11:11,087
so he winds up in ECW,
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00:11:11,087 --> 00:11:15,383
sort of the punk rock-indy federation
in the pro wrestling world.
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00:11:16,592 --> 00:11:19,095
[Austin] And walking into that federation,
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00:11:19,095 --> 00:11:21,639
man, it was an eye-opener
and a hell of a scene.
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00:11:22,306 --> 00:11:24,475
[announcer] This is extreme!
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00:11:24,475 --> 00:11:27,812
- This is the ECW arena!
- [audience cheering]
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00:11:27,812 --> 00:11:30,314
[Paul Heyman] ECW
was the necessary disruption
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00:11:30,314 --> 00:11:33,818
of the pro wrestling/sports entertainment
industry.
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00:11:33,818 --> 00:11:34,902
[audience cheering]
234
00:11:34,902 --> 00:11:37,613
[Heyman] No rules, no regulations.
235
00:11:37,613 --> 00:11:40,783
A testosterone and adrenaline-driven,
236
00:11:40,783 --> 00:11:45,705
no-holds-barred,
this-can't-possibly-be-legal,
237
00:11:45,705 --> 00:11:48,040
what-the-fuck-am-I-watching atmosphere.
238
00:11:48,874 --> 00:11:50,251
It was a mosh pit.
239
00:11:51,001 --> 00:11:55,423
[McMahon] ECW was a wild-ass
renegade-type promotion
240
00:11:55,423 --> 00:11:58,384
that attracted a niche, uh, audience,
241
00:11:59,093 --> 00:12:02,555
and it was... very unusual.
242
00:12:02,555 --> 00:12:04,223
[audience cheering]
243
00:12:04,223 --> 00:12:08,853
I greatly appreciated the promotion
and the promoter behind it.
244
00:12:08,853 --> 00:12:13,190
There ain't a mofo organization
in the world today
245
00:12:13,190 --> 00:12:16,277
like ECW!
246
00:12:16,277 --> 00:12:17,319
[audience cheering]
247
00:12:17,319 --> 00:12:19,905
Vince always saw everyone else
248
00:12:19,905 --> 00:12:25,786
{\an8}as a feeder system
to the major leagues of WWE.
249
00:12:25,786 --> 00:12:26,704
[indistinct]
250
00:12:26,704 --> 00:12:29,582
[Heyman] So I knew
we didn't have Steve for a long time,
251
00:12:30,291 --> 00:12:32,334
but we were gonna make it quality time
252
00:12:32,334 --> 00:12:35,588
for every moment that he was in ECW.
253
00:12:37,465 --> 00:12:39,925
[Austin] We achieved
a lot of success in a short time,
254
00:12:39,925 --> 00:12:43,554
and finally,
Vince took, uh, serious notice of me,
255
00:12:43,554 --> 00:12:46,432
and that's when I would go to WWE.
256
00:12:46,432 --> 00:12:49,894
{\an8}[commentator] Stone Cold Steve Austin.
I love it, McMahon.
257
00:12:49,894 --> 00:12:51,937
{\an8}[Austin] So I turned into
Stone Cold Steve Austin,
258
00:12:51,937 --> 00:12:57,276
and I became this
just trash-talking SOB from south Texas.
259
00:12:57,276 --> 00:12:58,652
It became very entertaining,
260
00:12:58,652 --> 00:13:02,031
and people started disliking me,
and we started gaining traction.
261
00:13:02,615 --> 00:13:03,866
Now, at that time,
262
00:13:05,201 --> 00:13:07,703
everybody knows
that Triple H was supposed to win
263
00:13:07,703 --> 00:13:09,705
that King of the Ring pay-per-view.
264
00:13:11,248 --> 00:13:14,752
But then Triple H got punished
because of what happened in the Garden.
265
00:13:15,544 --> 00:13:16,796
I hear a voice behind me.
266
00:13:16,796 --> 00:13:19,048
It's Vince. He goes,
"Hey, Steve, you got a second?"
267
00:13:19,048 --> 00:13:21,759
I'm like,
"Yeah. I guess so. You're the boss."
268
00:13:21,759 --> 00:13:25,387
He says, "Wanna let you know in two weeks,
you're gonna win King of the Ring."
269
00:13:25,387 --> 00:13:27,181
[announcer]
...the King of the Ring tournament...
270
00:13:27,181 --> 00:13:30,726
[Austin] We get to the pay-per-view,
I'm wrestling Marc Mero first.
271
00:13:30,726 --> 00:13:34,814
We do a move, he kicks me in the mouth,
you know, busts my lip wide open.
272
00:13:34,814 --> 00:13:38,317
I've gotta go to the hospital immediately
and get 14 stitches.
273
00:13:38,317 --> 00:13:41,445
Soon as I come back from the ambulance,
Michael Hayes comes up to me and goes,
274
00:13:41,445 --> 00:13:44,573
"Hey, man, you got
Jack "The Snake" Roberts in the final,
275
00:13:44,573 --> 00:13:46,951
and Jake just cut
a religious promo on you."
276
00:13:46,951 --> 00:13:50,454
The power above
is reaching down and lifting me up.
277
00:13:50,454 --> 00:13:52,957
And immediately I thought of Austin 3:16,
278
00:13:52,957 --> 00:13:55,376
because back in the day,
you'd watch football games,
279
00:13:55,376 --> 00:13:57,795
they would put John 3:16 signs
in the end zone.
280
00:13:58,754 --> 00:14:00,923
I go out there, work the match with Jake.
281
00:14:00,923 --> 00:14:02,132
You're pathetic!
282
00:14:02,132 --> 00:14:04,218
[commentators] There it is!
283
00:14:04,218 --> 00:14:06,554
[commentator] One, two, and he got him!
284
00:14:06,554 --> 00:14:08,472
- [bell ringing]
- [audience cheering]
285
00:14:08,472 --> 00:14:10,057
[commentator ] Stone Cold Steve Austin...
286
00:14:10,057 --> 00:14:12,643
I go up to the microphone
and I just went out there
287
00:14:12,643 --> 00:14:14,186
and started running Jake down.
288
00:14:14,895 --> 00:14:19,483
You sit there, and you thump your Bible,
and you say your prayers,
289
00:14:19,483 --> 00:14:21,652
and it didn't get you anywhere.
290
00:14:22,945 --> 00:14:26,740
Talk about your Psalms,
talk about John 3:16.
291
00:14:27,491 --> 00:14:31,203
Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass.
292
00:14:31,203 --> 00:14:32,913
[audience cheering]
293
00:14:32,913 --> 00:14:35,207
[McMahon] When Steve said that, I went,
294
00:14:35,207 --> 00:14:37,543
"Oh my God.
Tell me he didn't just do that."
295
00:14:37,543 --> 00:14:40,754
"That may not play too well
you know, in the Bible Belt."
296
00:14:40,754 --> 00:14:42,756
- [audience booing]
- Piss off.
297
00:14:42,756 --> 00:14:44,925
[Austin] And then I kept talking
and kept talking,
298
00:14:44,925 --> 00:14:48,262
and I could hear Vince in the background
'cause he was doing commentary,
299
00:14:48,262 --> 00:14:50,389
and I said,
"Oh man, I need a button on this promo."
300
00:14:50,389 --> 00:14:52,975
And so just out of the blue I said,
301
00:14:52,975 --> 00:14:56,812
"And that's the bottom line,
'cause Stone Cold said so."
302
00:14:56,812 --> 00:14:58,689
It was brilliant.
303
00:14:58,689 --> 00:15:00,441
It changed who he was
304
00:15:00,441 --> 00:15:02,735
and the perception
of who he was as a character.
305
00:15:02,735 --> 00:15:07,781
The next night, everywhere you looked
were Austin 3:16 signs.
306
00:15:08,407 --> 00:15:12,786
Austin 3:16 took over, and it was insane.
307
00:15:13,746 --> 00:15:17,249
When the Monday Night Wars started,
and we kept losing in the ratings,
308
00:15:17,249 --> 00:15:20,753
for a while, we understood it
because they had a really hot show.
309
00:15:20,753 --> 00:15:24,882
It was really fresh, and they had a lot
of great talent and some cool storylines,
310
00:15:24,882 --> 00:15:26,800
but as we started to ramp up,
311
00:15:27,384 --> 00:15:29,011
we really thought we had a better show.
312
00:15:29,011 --> 00:15:31,305
We're like,
"Man, what is up with these ratings?"
313
00:15:31,305 --> 00:15:34,391
"Someone's gotta be paying somebody off.
We got a better show than they do."
314
00:15:34,391 --> 00:15:37,811
[Prichard] At that point in time,
I remember Vince was like,
315
00:15:37,811 --> 00:15:40,147
"We need to do something here."
316
00:15:40,147 --> 00:15:43,233
"We need a way
to get a lot of eyeballs on us
317
00:15:43,233 --> 00:15:46,987
and do something in a really big way
for WrestleMania."
318
00:15:46,987 --> 00:15:48,989
And that's what we did.
319
00:15:48,989 --> 00:15:52,785
{\an8}At this time,
I would like to introduce to you
320
00:15:52,785 --> 00:15:55,746
a man who is simply
321
00:15:56,580 --> 00:16:00,084
the baddest man on the planet!
322
00:16:00,084 --> 00:16:01,585
Ladies and gentlemen,
323
00:16:02,169 --> 00:16:07,007
"Iron" Mike Tyson!
324
00:16:07,007 --> 00:16:09,677
[crowd cheering]
325
00:16:09,677 --> 00:16:10,970
{\an8}[Bischoff] I get a phone call.
326
00:16:10,970 --> 00:16:13,222
{\an8}"You're never gonna believe
what they're doing next."
327
00:16:13,222 --> 00:16:15,140
I'm thinking, "Yeah, whatever."
328
00:16:15,140 --> 00:16:18,602
I was so ahead of him at that point,
I was like, "Whatever." I was arrogant.
329
00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,272
He goes, "They're bringing in Mike Tyson."
330
00:16:22,272 --> 00:16:24,817
I got uncocky real fast.
331
00:16:25,693 --> 00:16:28,237
[Prichard] The idea for bringing in
Mike Tyson came from Vince,
332
00:16:28,237 --> 00:16:31,198
and Shane McMahon was heavily involved.
333
00:16:31,991 --> 00:16:33,784
[Shane McMahon]
We wanted a big personality,
334
00:16:33,784 --> 00:16:37,121
you know, someone extremely identifiable,
to be a part of WrestleMania,
335
00:16:37,121 --> 00:16:40,207
and there was at that time
no one bigger than Tyson.
336
00:16:40,207 --> 00:16:43,752
I believe he had gotten out of jail
about three years earlier.
337
00:16:43,752 --> 00:16:47,047
[interviewer] Knowing Mike Tyson's
baggage during the '90s,
338
00:16:47,047 --> 00:16:50,509
was it risky for WWE
to so fully invest in him?
339
00:16:50,509 --> 00:16:55,097
He hadn't been arrested for rape yet,
though, when we did that.
340
00:16:55,097 --> 00:16:57,266
- Right? He had?
- [man] Yeah, he had.
341
00:16:59,685 --> 00:17:02,604
[Costas] You know, Mike is not perhaps
universally approved of now,
342
00:17:02,604 --> 00:17:05,983
but he certainly-- His public image
is certainly in a better place than it was
343
00:17:05,983 --> 00:17:07,067
at that point.
344
00:17:07,067 --> 00:17:09,945
[tense music playing]
345
00:17:11,613 --> 00:17:14,658
[Sharon Mazer] Wrestling at that level
is about generating heat.
346
00:17:14,658 --> 00:17:16,452
[crowd clamoring]
347
00:17:16,452 --> 00:17:18,662
[Mazer] Heat is what sells tickets.
348
00:17:19,538 --> 00:17:20,789
[commentator] Here we go!
349
00:17:20,789 --> 00:17:23,333
And heat doesn't have to be positive.
350
00:17:23,333 --> 00:17:24,543
Heat can be negative.
351
00:17:24,543 --> 00:17:27,504
Specifically,
I would like to thank Mike Tyson
352
00:17:27,504 --> 00:17:30,924
for being the media magnet that he is.
353
00:17:32,176 --> 00:17:35,220
Tyson being on pay-per-view
was a big deal.
354
00:17:35,971 --> 00:17:38,974
Mike would be the special guest referee
355
00:17:38,974 --> 00:17:42,311
between Stone Cold Steve Austin
versus Shawn Michaels.
356
00:17:42,311 --> 00:17:45,314
It's Mike Tyson, you know, like,
one of the biggest names in sports.
357
00:17:45,314 --> 00:17:49,359
And by then, you had to be blind
not to see Steve Austin was takin' off.
358
00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:53,322
Mike, I'll tell you this,
if you get in my face at WrestleMania,
359
00:17:53,322 --> 00:17:54,907
I'll knock your damn lights out,
360
00:17:54,907 --> 00:17:57,868
and you won't want to get
back in the ring ever again.
361
00:17:57,868 --> 00:17:59,369
And that's the bottom line.
362
00:17:59,369 --> 00:18:01,205
[audience chuckling]
363
00:18:02,414 --> 00:18:05,584
[Meltzer] At that point,
I thought that WCW, while still ahead,
364
00:18:05,584 --> 00:18:08,212
it's going to get very, very competitive.
365
00:18:08,212 --> 00:18:10,214
[announcer 1]
It don't get no bigger than this.
366
00:18:10,214 --> 00:18:13,050
This is what our business is all about.
367
00:18:13,050 --> 00:18:15,344
It's about earning the opportunity
368
00:18:15,344 --> 00:18:17,721
to wrestle in the main event
at a WrestleMania.
369
00:18:18,472 --> 00:18:20,224
- [announcer 2] Look out!
- [announcer 1] Over!
370
00:18:20,224 --> 00:18:21,892
[announcer 2] Look out!
371
00:18:21,892 --> 00:18:24,019
[announcer 1] Look out, Mo! By God--
372
00:18:24,019 --> 00:18:27,523
[Austin] In WrestleMania 14,
uh, Shawn had a real bad back,
373
00:18:27,523 --> 00:18:29,608
and so that match was very forgettable.
374
00:18:29,608 --> 00:18:32,194
[announcer 1]
Michaels going for another kick. Austin--
375
00:18:32,194 --> 00:18:34,780
He got it! The stunner!
376
00:18:34,780 --> 00:18:37,324
- [crowd cheering]
- Mike Tyson in!
377
00:18:37,324 --> 00:18:39,284
Austin is the champion...
378
00:18:39,284 --> 00:18:41,870
[Austin] The match wasn't good.
It wasn't anything to brag about.
379
00:18:41,870 --> 00:18:44,498
I remember afterwards,
I looked over at Vince and he goes,
380
00:18:44,498 --> 00:18:48,877
"Eh, Steve, don't worry about it.
From here forward, it starts."
381
00:18:49,837 --> 00:18:51,380
[McMahon] I would like to congratulate,
382
00:18:51,380 --> 00:18:55,008
uh, the new
World Wrestling Entertainment champion,
383
00:18:55,008 --> 00:18:57,970
who has an attitude, no doubt about that.
384
00:18:57,970 --> 00:19:03,725
Not one necessarily that all of us
here in the WWE necessarily appreciate.
385
00:19:04,601 --> 00:19:08,772
[Bischoff] The Mr. McMahon character,
at least in my mind, became a real thing
386
00:19:08,772 --> 00:19:12,776
after the Mike Tyson storyline
played itself out.
387
00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:16,363
Hey, Vince, are you--
Are you turning into a bad guy?
388
00:19:17,614 --> 00:19:19,241
[McMahon] I've always been a good guy.
389
00:19:19,241 --> 00:19:20,826
Oh, but they're booing you now.
390
00:19:20,826 --> 00:19:22,411
I'll always be a good guy.
391
00:19:22,411 --> 00:19:23,829
[reporter] Oh, okay.
392
00:19:23,829 --> 00:19:26,957
[announcer] The owner of WWE,
Vince McMahon, makes his way to the ring.
393
00:19:26,957 --> 00:19:27,958
[crowd booing]
394
00:19:27,958 --> 00:19:31,170
{\an8}Quite honestly,
not the most rousing ovation.
395
00:19:31,837 --> 00:19:35,716
[Levesque] At that point in time,
a feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin
396
00:19:35,716 --> 00:19:40,429
would ignite and would start
a battle between those two
397
00:19:40,429 --> 00:19:43,307
that would change
the course of the business.
398
00:19:43,307 --> 00:19:46,643
Nobody, especially Vince McMahon,
399
00:19:46,643 --> 00:19:50,063
tells Stone Cold Steve Austin what to do,
400
00:19:50,063 --> 00:19:51,607
and that's the bottom line.
401
00:19:51,607 --> 00:19:52,733
[crowd cheering]
402
00:19:52,733 --> 00:19:58,989
But all of that based on
blurring the lines of reality and fiction.
403
00:19:58,989 --> 00:20:01,575
[suspenseful music playing]
404
00:20:01,575 --> 00:20:06,663
You got to understand the power
that a Vince McMahon has, the control...
405
00:20:06,663 --> 00:20:10,375
[Calaway] You've got the eccentric
billionaire boss Vince McMahon,
406
00:20:10,375 --> 00:20:14,213
and then you've got the anti-system
Stone Cold Steve Austin,
407
00:20:14,213 --> 00:20:16,924
and they were perfect for each other.
408
00:20:16,924 --> 00:20:19,259
I will fire your ass!
409
00:20:19,259 --> 00:20:21,053
- [announcer 1] Good God!
- [announcer 2] Whoa!
410
00:20:21,053 --> 00:20:24,890
It was about a guy who was trying
to keep me down and control me,
411
00:20:24,890 --> 00:20:27,059
and it was about me
trying to buck the system.
412
00:20:27,059 --> 00:20:28,143
You stupid bastards.
413
00:20:28,143 --> 00:20:31,271
You ain't got the balls
to fire Stone Cold Steve Austin.
414
00:20:32,022 --> 00:20:33,815
[Austin, present day]
Any other era, I'm a heel
415
00:20:33,815 --> 00:20:36,068
because of what I'm doing,
the trash I'm talking.
416
00:20:36,068 --> 00:20:38,487
You're pathetic.
You're completely pathetic...
417
00:20:38,487 --> 00:20:41,073
[Austin, present day] But I was the guy
that brought the gray area
418
00:20:41,073 --> 00:20:42,950
to the business of professional wrestling,
419
00:20:42,950 --> 00:20:45,702
which is usually a black-and-white
type thing as far as love and hate.
420
00:20:45,702 --> 00:20:47,454
[crowd cheering]
421
00:20:48,163 --> 00:20:51,625
See, in my day,
there was a good guy and a bad guy.
422
00:20:52,668 --> 00:20:56,880
Vince Jr. made it the bad and the worse.
423
00:20:56,880 --> 00:21:00,008
There were no more good guys in wrestling.
424
00:21:00,008 --> 00:21:02,844
Society at that time
had taken a rougher edge.
425
00:21:02,844 --> 00:21:06,306
Society at that time had more attitude.
426
00:21:06,306 --> 00:21:11,603
That forced you to create characters that
fit into that gray area in the middle.
427
00:21:12,229 --> 00:21:14,940
[White] The fans did not want to see
good guys no more.
428
00:21:14,940 --> 00:21:17,901
Nobody wanna see a good guy,
even in the movies.
429
00:21:19,278 --> 00:21:23,323
Look at the video games
and the wrestling business.
430
00:21:23,323 --> 00:21:26,785
We cater to what is in front of us.
431
00:21:27,828 --> 00:21:29,621
You tap into that.
432
00:21:29,621 --> 00:21:31,164
That's big money.
433
00:21:31,164 --> 00:21:34,668
So Vince said,
"Hey, give me some of that money."
434
00:21:34,668 --> 00:21:38,005
We don't always set trends,
you know, we try to follow them.
435
00:21:38,755 --> 00:21:41,800
And back in those days, it was Wild West.
436
00:21:42,384 --> 00:21:46,680
[reporter] Stone Cold Steve Austin,
who is as crude as he is mean.
437
00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,224
He's just about
the biggest thing in wrestling,
438
00:21:49,224 --> 00:21:51,643
worshiped by his fans.
439
00:21:51,643 --> 00:21:53,979
He feels like smashing a beer bottle,
he does it.
440
00:21:53,979 --> 00:21:56,106
Feels like throwing up his middle finger,
he does it.
441
00:21:56,690 --> 00:21:58,191
- [groans]
- [commentator] Oh no!
442
00:21:58,775 --> 00:22:03,947
[Mazer] Some part of us really loves
watching the bad guys get over.
443
00:22:03,947 --> 00:22:08,452
Maybe the part of us that doesn't like
the fact that we have to behave ourselves.
444
00:22:08,452 --> 00:22:10,704
You can't go around shoving people.
445
00:22:10,704 --> 00:22:13,332
You can't go around insulting people.
446
00:22:13,332 --> 00:22:17,002
[announcer] And Stone Cold
hammering away on the boss!
447
00:22:17,002 --> 00:22:20,005
[Austin] People live vicariously
through those kinds of storylines
448
00:22:20,005 --> 00:22:22,716
and would love
to punch their boss in the mouth.
449
00:22:22,716 --> 00:22:26,136
You know, I got a chance
to literally and figuratively do that
450
00:22:26,136 --> 00:22:28,013
almost every Monday night on Raw.
451
00:22:28,013 --> 00:22:31,808
[announcer] Oh boy, look out!
Austin downs McMahon again!
452
00:22:33,268 --> 00:22:34,269
[sobbing]
453
00:22:34,269 --> 00:22:36,563
[Austin] I think the fans
responded strongly
454
00:22:36,563 --> 00:22:39,024
because he's such a strong character.
455
00:22:39,024 --> 00:22:41,568
He's just so over-the-top.
He's larger than life.
456
00:22:41,568 --> 00:22:44,029
He's easy to hate,
and he's also easy to love,
457
00:22:44,029 --> 00:22:45,489
but he's very easy to hate.
458
00:22:45,489 --> 00:22:46,865
[crowd clamoring]
459
00:22:46,865 --> 00:22:49,576
{\an8}[Prichard] Mr. McMahon, he's at the top.
460
00:22:49,576 --> 00:22:52,621
{\an8}So, any and everybody
that's not at the top
461
00:22:52,621 --> 00:22:54,373
hates the guy at the top.
462
00:22:54,373 --> 00:22:57,000
[announcer] He's got
an entire collection of Corvettes.
463
00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:01,421
Vince walks by with his custom suits
and his flaunting and everything.
464
00:23:02,589 --> 00:23:04,549
What's to like?
465
00:23:04,549 --> 00:23:06,426
He's easy to hate.
466
00:23:06,426 --> 00:23:07,928
Get that mic out of my face!
467
00:23:07,928 --> 00:23:11,473
It's my mic. I own that mic!
I own that camera! Cut it off!
468
00:23:11,473 --> 00:23:15,268
And he became the most hated character
in the history of the business.
469
00:23:15,268 --> 00:23:21,983
[crowd chanting] Asshole! Asshole!
Asshole! Asshole! Asshole! Asshole!
470
00:23:21,983 --> 00:23:26,863
Mr. McMahon, of course, is a character
derived from, uh, Vince McMahon,
471
00:23:26,863 --> 00:23:29,825
and is a character of someone
I could relate to when I was growing up.
472
00:23:29,825 --> 00:23:31,118
[atmospheric music playing]
473
00:23:31,118 --> 00:23:33,912
Because when I was growing up,
I was, like, dirt poor.
474
00:23:34,704 --> 00:23:37,999
Coming from that environment,
I don't like rich people,
475
00:23:37,999 --> 00:23:41,044
because I was around some people
who thought they were better than me
476
00:23:41,044 --> 00:23:43,380
because they had "more money."
477
00:23:43,964 --> 00:23:47,008
So it felt like
you weren't anybody at all.
478
00:23:47,008 --> 00:23:48,135
You were a nobody.
479
00:23:49,010 --> 00:23:51,847
And you learn certain things.
480
00:23:52,639 --> 00:23:56,268
In those days,
I could fight, and loved to fight.
481
00:23:56,268 --> 00:23:59,396
If you could do that well,
now you're somebody.
482
00:24:00,313 --> 00:24:03,400
I was good at fighting,
but they would say,
483
00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:04,943
"You didn't fight fair!"
484
00:24:05,485 --> 00:24:06,695
You cheated!"
485
00:24:06,695 --> 00:24:08,697
[atmospheric music continues]
486
00:24:08,697 --> 00:24:10,782
"Yeah? I won." [chuckles]
487
00:24:10,782 --> 00:24:12,742
What the hell's the matter with you?
488
00:24:12,742 --> 00:24:15,620
[McMahon, present day] And so,
with my character, Mr. McMahon,
489
00:24:15,620 --> 00:24:20,125
I can play someone who intimidates,
because that was the way I grew up.
490
00:24:20,125 --> 00:24:22,377
That was the way
I thought rich people were.
491
00:24:22,377 --> 00:24:23,920
They'd try to intimidate you.
492
00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:25,422
You're gonna get it.
493
00:24:25,422 --> 00:24:27,924
[McMahon, present day]
I know how to be an arrogant person
494
00:24:27,924 --> 00:24:31,470
that just throws his weight around
and a bully. That sort of stuff.
495
00:24:31,470 --> 00:24:36,224
It's not my fault that I happen to be
a self-made billionaire!
496
00:24:36,224 --> 00:24:38,602
It was easy for me
to get into that character,
497
00:24:38,602 --> 00:24:42,230
because I knew
all the things that I disliked.
498
00:24:42,230 --> 00:24:44,608
Some people are rich.
499
00:24:44,608 --> 00:24:46,485
And you're not.
500
00:24:46,485 --> 00:24:48,195
[crowd booing]
501
00:24:48,195 --> 00:24:50,655
[Austin] He knows
how to manipulate a crowd
502
00:24:50,655 --> 00:24:53,533
as well or better
than anybody that's ever done it.
503
00:24:53,533 --> 00:24:54,784
[applause]
504
00:24:54,784 --> 00:24:56,995
Hell, I'm a real Texan now!
505
00:24:56,995 --> 00:24:59,247
[McMahon, present day]
I loved heat, as they call it.
506
00:24:59,247 --> 00:25:01,666
When you go out
and manipulate the audience
507
00:25:01,666 --> 00:25:03,627
and, you know,
they boo the hell out of you,
508
00:25:03,627 --> 00:25:06,505
you really want
to get that heat and feel it.
509
00:25:06,505 --> 00:25:09,007
You're not afraid of it.
It's like, go embrace it.
510
00:25:09,591 --> 00:25:11,343
This is what I think of Texas.
511
00:25:12,844 --> 00:25:14,221
[crowd exclaims]
512
00:25:14,221 --> 00:25:15,889
[McMahon] Such a great feeling.
513
00:25:16,515 --> 00:25:18,433
[Austin] Vince was a master
at making people care
514
00:25:18,433 --> 00:25:20,519
or making people hate him or feel emotion.
515
00:25:20,519 --> 00:25:23,271
Emotions are when you sell tickets.
516
00:25:23,271 --> 00:25:24,439
It's emotion.
517
00:25:24,439 --> 00:25:28,068
If you mash that button
so that you get emotion from people,
518
00:25:28,068 --> 00:25:29,986
they forget where they are.
519
00:25:29,986 --> 00:25:31,780
They're not at a movie theater
or an arena.
520
00:25:31,780 --> 00:25:34,282
They're right there looking at you.
It's one-on-one.
521
00:25:35,242 --> 00:25:36,660
That's when you know you have them.
522
00:25:36,660 --> 00:25:39,788
- [commentator] Revel in it, Mr. McMahon.
- I remember where I was...
523
00:25:39,788 --> 00:25:44,000
Performing is easy.
Being yourself is the more difficult part.
524
00:25:45,210 --> 00:25:48,505
[interviewer] And what similarities
do you share with Mr. McMahon?
525
00:25:49,172 --> 00:25:50,632
The character Mr. McMahon with me?
526
00:25:50,632 --> 00:25:52,968
- [interviewer] Yeah.
- None whatsoever.
527
00:25:53,969 --> 00:25:57,055
Mr. McMahon
is an extension of Vince McMahon,
528
00:25:57,055 --> 00:25:59,099
but blown way out of proportion.
529
00:25:59,683 --> 00:26:03,186
The difference between
Mr. McMahon and Vince McMahon...
530
00:26:04,104 --> 00:26:06,356
[laughs] Probably not that much.
531
00:26:06,356 --> 00:26:09,442
Exactly the same person.
532
00:26:09,442 --> 00:26:11,069
It's not a far stretch.
533
00:26:11,069 --> 00:26:15,407
The character of Mr. McMahon
is really just Vince.
534
00:26:15,407 --> 00:26:18,577
He'll tell you different.
No, Mr. McMahon is Vince.
535
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:24,249
A lot of the promos and the diatribes
that have been cut on other people,
536
00:26:24,249 --> 00:26:27,919
I've had actually cut on me in real life.
537
00:26:27,919 --> 00:26:32,215
"Ah, I'd never say that." I said,
"Yeah, you would. You said it to me."
538
00:26:32,215 --> 00:26:35,093
[interviewer] Bruce claimed
that he's been on the receiving end
539
00:26:35,093 --> 00:26:37,262
of the Mr. McMahon in real life.
540
00:26:37,262 --> 00:26:38,471
[chuckles]
541
00:26:39,389 --> 00:26:42,434
[McMahon] I'm very,
very passionate about our business,
542
00:26:42,434 --> 00:26:46,271
and sometimes
that passion is a bit effusive.
543
00:26:46,271 --> 00:26:49,274
So, I probably can get
out of bounds a little bit.
544
00:26:49,274 --> 00:26:52,819
The Mr. McMahon character
is pretty close to Vince the man,
545
00:26:52,819 --> 00:26:55,363
but, obviously, highly exaggerated.
546
00:26:56,114 --> 00:26:58,533
The best characters in wrestling
547
00:26:58,533 --> 00:27:02,078
are guys at their core
with the volume turned up.
548
00:27:02,078 --> 00:27:04,956
What you saw from me as Stone Cold
was me with the volume turned up,
549
00:27:04,956 --> 00:27:06,583
same with Vince.
550
00:27:07,584 --> 00:27:11,254
Much of great fiction is that funny line
551
00:27:12,297 --> 00:27:15,008
between reality and storytelling.
552
00:27:15,008 --> 00:27:20,263
Vince loved blurring that line
between fact and fiction.
553
00:27:20,263 --> 00:27:22,807
A lot of people
have confused through the years
554
00:27:22,807 --> 00:27:25,810
who my character was on television
and who I am.
555
00:27:25,810 --> 00:27:29,731
It used to bug the hell out of me.
"I'm not that guy."
556
00:27:29,731 --> 00:27:33,026
And then I realized,
"It doesn't matter what you want, Vince."
557
00:27:33,026 --> 00:27:35,070
"It doesn't matter
how you wanna be perceived."
558
00:27:35,654 --> 00:27:37,864
"It's the way you are being perceived."
559
00:27:37,864 --> 00:27:39,658
Perception is reality.
560
00:27:39,658 --> 00:27:42,285
You can't change
the way people think about you.
561
00:27:42,869 --> 00:27:44,162
[commentator 1] The double bird!
562
00:27:44,162 --> 00:27:47,666
[commentator 2] Pure hatred
driving Mr. McMahon!
563
00:27:47,666 --> 00:27:51,586
Austin-McMahon,
that dynamic was just ridiculously good.
564
00:27:51,586 --> 00:27:53,630
You could make a great argument
565
00:27:53,630 --> 00:27:55,507
it's the greatest feud
in wrestling history.
566
00:27:55,507 --> 00:27:57,133
[crowd cheering]
567
00:27:57,133 --> 00:27:59,177
[Brian Gewirtz] The rise
of Stone Cold Steve Austin
568
00:27:59,177 --> 00:28:01,388
and Stone Cold versus Mr. McMahon
569
00:28:01,388 --> 00:28:05,141
is what generated
the huge amount of ratings for WWE
570
00:28:05,141 --> 00:28:09,312
that essentially ended the 83 weeks
of WCW beating them in the ratings,
571
00:28:09,896 --> 00:28:14,442
and, ultimately, like a tsunami,
overtook the wrestling business, period.
572
00:28:14,442 --> 00:28:16,403
It was the hottest thing in the world.
573
00:28:16,903 --> 00:28:19,614
[Bischoff] I say this, knowing it'll sound
like I'm putting myself over
574
00:28:19,614 --> 00:28:24,077
and being an arrogant prick,
but Vince took our formula,
575
00:28:24,077 --> 00:28:26,454
decided he was going to do it,
576
00:28:26,454 --> 00:28:28,581
only he was going to do it better.
577
00:28:29,457 --> 00:28:30,417
And he did.
578
00:28:30,417 --> 00:28:34,963
There were so many things that we did
in WCW that WWE eventually replicated.
579
00:28:35,547 --> 00:28:39,926
D-X was nothing more
than a derivative of the nWo.
580
00:28:39,926 --> 00:28:44,973
The Mr. McMahon character
was a derivative of evil Eric Bischoff,
581
00:28:44,973 --> 00:28:46,683
was the evil boss.
582
00:28:46,683 --> 00:28:50,603
Come on, Vince. You gotta admit
you ripped me off on that one.
583
00:28:50,603 --> 00:28:52,689
Now, granted, you did it better.
584
00:28:52,689 --> 00:28:55,316
But, come on, who did it first?
585
00:28:55,316 --> 00:28:59,863
If Eric Bischoff thinks that
he played the heel character before I did...
586
00:29:01,239 --> 00:29:04,951
Okay. If that were the case,
he sure as hell didn't play it as well.
587
00:29:04,951 --> 00:29:06,786
So, good for him.
588
00:29:08,246 --> 00:29:10,790
WWE was going to win inevitably.
589
00:29:10,790 --> 00:29:13,418
Vince McMahon, being the competitor he is,
590
00:29:14,043 --> 00:29:15,879
the fighter that he is,
591
00:29:15,879 --> 00:29:18,339
would have done whatever he had to do
592
00:29:18,339 --> 00:29:20,216
to ultimately win that fight.
593
00:29:21,217 --> 00:29:22,719
And I was coming up short.
594
00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:26,055
{\an8}I was not focused on creative.
595
00:29:26,055 --> 00:29:29,017
The nWo angle was a couple years old now.
596
00:29:29,017 --> 00:29:31,102
It wasn't fresh anymore.
597
00:29:32,061 --> 00:29:33,897
Things that were going on in WWE
598
00:29:33,897 --> 00:29:39,235
with Mr. McMahon, and Steve Austin,
and others was new, was fresh,
599
00:29:39,819 --> 00:29:43,573
which caused the audience to shift over
and check out what they were doing.
600
00:29:44,491 --> 00:29:47,118
[Meltzer] Eric's big mistake was thinking,
601
00:29:47,118 --> 00:29:48,328
"Because I'm ahead,
602
00:29:48,328 --> 00:29:51,331
all I gotta do is go with these guys,
and I'll always be ahead."
603
00:29:51,331 --> 00:29:55,168
In wrestling, everyone's got a shelf life,
and you always have to make new stars.
604
00:29:55,168 --> 00:29:58,171
And Vince was trying
to make new stars because he had to.
605
00:29:58,171 --> 00:30:02,425
And that's the bottom line,
'cause Stone Cold said so.
606
00:30:02,425 --> 00:30:03,760
[crowd] Said so!
607
00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:05,053
[Meltzer] Vince got very lucky.
608
00:30:05,053 --> 00:30:08,097
Austin was an incredible,
incredible, incredible success.
609
00:30:08,097 --> 00:30:10,225
And then Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson comes.
610
00:30:10,225 --> 00:30:12,560
[Johnson] Do you smell
what The Rock is cooking?
611
00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:15,730
[crowd cheering]
612
00:30:16,439 --> 00:30:17,816
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen...
613
00:30:17,816 --> 00:30:21,277
[Landsberg] Great to welcome to the show
one of the fastest risers to the top
614
00:30:21,277 --> 00:30:24,239
{\an8}in the history of wrestling, The Rock.
Let's start off with your history.
615
00:30:24,239 --> 00:30:27,534
{\an8}When you broke in, you were packaged
as a part of a wrestling legacy...
616
00:30:27,534 --> 00:30:29,953
{\an8}[Johnson] My grandfather
was High Chief Peter Maivia.
617
00:30:29,953 --> 00:30:30,995
{\an8}He was,
618
00:30:30,995 --> 00:30:35,291
in many ways, responsible
for putting the island of Samoa
619
00:30:35,291 --> 00:30:37,627
and Samoan athletes on the map.
620
00:30:37,627 --> 00:30:40,755
[announcer] From the isle of Samoa,
621
00:30:40,755 --> 00:30:45,093
High Chief Peter Maivia!
622
00:30:45,885 --> 00:30:49,514
[Johnson] My grandfather
wrestled for Vince McMahon Sr.,
623
00:30:49,514 --> 00:30:51,975
and then in the '80s, my dad came along,
624
00:30:52,559 --> 00:30:54,394
Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson,
625
00:30:54,394 --> 00:30:58,690
{\an8}and, along with Tony Atlas,
became the first Black tag team champions.
626
00:30:59,566 --> 00:31:02,026
[White] The Rock,
everything he do is just like his father.
627
00:31:02,026 --> 00:31:04,487
Walk like his father,
dress like his father.
628
00:31:04,487 --> 00:31:06,906
You didn't know better,
you'd think that was Rocky Johnson.
629
00:31:07,490 --> 00:31:11,786
[Johnson] I remember meeting
Vince McMahon Jr. when I was 11 years old.
630
00:31:11,786 --> 00:31:13,413
Looked down at me, "Good to meet you,"
631
00:31:13,413 --> 00:31:15,540
gave me a firm handshake,
and looked me in the eye.
632
00:31:15,540 --> 00:31:17,166
I'll never forget it.
633
00:31:17,166 --> 00:31:19,043
[announcer] Here we go with a newcomer
634
00:31:19,043 --> 00:31:23,256
who's really made a name for himself
as of late, talking about Rocky Maivia.
635
00:31:23,256 --> 00:31:26,634
[Prichard] When he came in,
we really promoted him
636
00:31:26,634 --> 00:31:29,721
as this third-generation guy
that you're gonna love.
637
00:31:29,721 --> 00:31:31,806
[announcer 1] This guy
is gonna be phenomenal.
638
00:31:31,806 --> 00:31:34,309
[announcer 2] The first
third-generation superstar ever.
639
00:31:34,309 --> 00:31:36,394
We shoved him down their throats.
640
00:31:37,979 --> 00:31:39,898
[announcer 3] Uh-oh.
You hear the chant of...
641
00:31:39,898 --> 00:31:42,817
- [crowd chanting] Rocky sucks!
- [announcer 3] "Rocky sucks."
642
00:31:42,817 --> 00:31:44,319
[crowd] Rocky sucks!
643
00:31:44,319 --> 00:31:46,154
They hated him.
644
00:31:46,154 --> 00:31:48,156
[crowd booing]
645
00:31:48,156 --> 00:31:51,910
[McMahon] A lot of our audience, I think,
thought that this person was just, like,
646
00:31:51,910 --> 00:31:53,453
handed this opportunity,
647
00:31:54,037 --> 00:31:57,582
and no matter how hard
Dwayne worked in the ring,
648
00:31:57,582 --> 00:31:59,834
initially, people start booing him.
649
00:31:59,834 --> 00:32:03,671
[announcer] I'm sick of hearing about
Rocky Maivia's old man. Who cares?
650
00:32:03,671 --> 00:32:05,673
[crowd chanting] Rocky sucks! Rocky sucks!
651
00:32:05,673 --> 00:32:09,677
[Shoemaker] The fans hated The Rock
because WWE told us to love The Rock.
652
00:32:09,677 --> 00:32:12,805
And it took The Rock turning heel
653
00:32:12,805 --> 00:32:15,224
and acknowledging
that the fans were booing him
654
00:32:15,224 --> 00:32:17,477
for the fans to start to love him.
655
00:32:17,477 --> 00:32:20,521
[group, chanting]
We are the Nation of Domination!
656
00:32:20,521 --> 00:32:22,398
[forceful rock music playing]
657
00:32:22,398 --> 00:32:27,070
[Johnson] The Nation of Domination
was a faction that was based on pride
658
00:32:27,070 --> 00:32:31,157
in being of color
and not being held down by the man.
659
00:32:31,157 --> 00:32:35,745
[announcer] The newest member of
the Nation of Domination, Rocky Maivia!
660
00:32:35,745 --> 00:32:38,081
[Johnson] I talked to Vince, and I said,
661
00:32:38,081 --> 00:32:40,667
"I would just love
the opportunity to speak
662
00:32:40,667 --> 00:32:42,710
on why I'm joining the Nation,"
663
00:32:43,628 --> 00:32:46,172
and he said, "You got it."
664
00:32:47,340 --> 00:32:49,175
I got three words.
665
00:32:50,051 --> 00:32:52,553
"Die, Rocky, die."
666
00:32:53,346 --> 00:32:56,391
That's the gratitude I get
from you pieces of crap.
667
00:32:56,391 --> 00:32:59,978
I said, "It's not a Black or white thing.
It's a respect thing."
668
00:32:59,978 --> 00:33:01,646
"It's about me kicking your ass thing."
669
00:33:01,646 --> 00:33:06,150
This isn't about the color of my skin.
This is about respect.
670
00:33:06,150 --> 00:33:07,944
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
671
00:33:07,944 --> 00:33:10,446
[Johnson] Sometimes in our lives,
we find these moments
672
00:33:10,446 --> 00:33:13,116
where there's a shift and a click,
673
00:33:13,116 --> 00:33:17,704
and you go, "Man, there is
some real power behind that."
674
00:33:17,704 --> 00:33:23,084
Well, Rocky Maivia's a lot of things,
but "sucks" isn't one of 'em.
675
00:33:23,084 --> 00:33:27,672
And boom, just like that, within a month,
I became the hottest heel in the company.
676
00:33:27,672 --> 00:33:32,385
- ...if you smell what The Rock is cookin'.
- [crowd] ...what The Rock is cookin'.
677
00:33:32,385 --> 00:33:35,096
[rock music playing]
678
00:33:35,096 --> 00:33:37,849
[Johnson] I remember having a conversation
with Vince and him saying,
679
00:33:37,849 --> 00:33:40,560
"I'm gonna make you WWE Champion."
680
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,145
[announcer 1] Sharpshooter!
681
00:33:42,145 --> 00:33:43,604
That's a sharpshooter!
682
00:33:43,604 --> 00:33:45,023
[announcer 2] Sharpshooter!
683
00:33:45,023 --> 00:33:47,442
- [announcer 1] Ref's gonna ring the bell!
- [bell ringing]
684
00:33:47,442 --> 00:33:49,360
[crowd cheering]
685
00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:52,280
[Johnson] I said,
"You know, this is a really big deal."
686
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:55,033
I said, "I'm first WWE champion of color."
687
00:33:55,033 --> 00:33:58,161
He said, "I know."
And he goes, "But I don't see that."
688
00:33:58,161 --> 00:34:00,413
[crowd cheering]
689
00:34:00,413 --> 00:34:04,333
Vince, and I know this for sure,
he was always about,
690
00:34:04,333 --> 00:34:08,713
"I don't care what color you are.
You could be black and green and purple."
691
00:34:08,713 --> 00:34:11,257
"You could be a unicorn
for all I give a shit." [laughs]
692
00:34:11,257 --> 00:34:14,802
"As long as you are drawing money,
you will be champion."
693
00:34:15,428 --> 00:34:17,638
[crowd cheering]
694
00:34:17,638 --> 00:34:22,894
It ain't got nothing to do with color.
It's not racism, it's business.
695
00:34:24,479 --> 00:34:27,148
He don't see Black. He don't see white.
696
00:34:27,148 --> 00:34:28,357
He sees only green.
697
00:34:28,357 --> 00:34:31,110
[crowd cheering]
698
00:34:32,111 --> 00:34:35,865
[Johnson] For people who knew WWE
at that time, the Attitude Era,
699
00:34:35,865 --> 00:34:37,533
it was a unique and special time,
700
00:34:37,533 --> 00:34:41,704
because it truly was
whatever you can imagine,
701
00:34:41,704 --> 00:34:42,830
we can do.
702
00:34:43,831 --> 00:34:44,749
And we did.
703
00:34:45,875 --> 00:34:47,335
[compelling music playing]
704
00:34:47,335 --> 00:34:51,255
[announcer 1] Someone help!
Oh my gosh! Oh my God!
705
00:34:51,255 --> 00:34:52,548
Oh!
706
00:34:53,466 --> 00:34:56,511
- [announcer 2] Look out!
- [announcer 1] See what just happened!
707
00:34:56,511 --> 00:35:00,098
[Prichard] The Attitude Era.
Man, it was a movement.
708
00:35:00,098 --> 00:35:03,810
Everywhere you went, you saw Austin 3:16,
709
00:35:03,810 --> 00:35:05,812
you saw DX.
710
00:35:05,812 --> 00:35:07,313
- Suck it, man.
- [all] Right!
711
00:35:07,313 --> 00:35:09,732
[Prichard] You saw The Rock.
712
00:35:09,732 --> 00:35:11,776
Everybody was in on it.
713
00:35:11,776 --> 00:35:15,530
[Meltzer] They were so popular.
Their merchandise was everywhere.
714
00:35:15,530 --> 00:35:18,616
The influence was all over the culture.
715
00:35:18,616 --> 00:35:22,245
We're gonna have WWE superstars
right here in the house.
716
00:35:22,245 --> 00:35:25,373
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
The Rock!
717
00:35:25,373 --> 00:35:27,041
[Johnson] You invited The Rock
718
00:35:27,041 --> 00:35:30,294
{\an8}to speak
at the Republican National Convention?
719
00:35:30,294 --> 00:35:31,462
[audience cheering]
720
00:35:31,462 --> 00:35:34,465
Please welcome
the one, the only, Triple H.
721
00:35:35,299 --> 00:35:37,176
[Levesque] For a lot of us
in the Attitude Era,
722
00:35:37,176 --> 00:35:38,970
we went from being like,
723
00:35:38,970 --> 00:35:42,223
"Yeah, I'm a dude on TV
that people recognize occasionally,"
724
00:35:42,223 --> 00:35:44,684
to, "You can't go anywhere."
725
00:35:44,684 --> 00:35:47,812
It was getting out of control.
726
00:35:48,521 --> 00:35:50,523
They're making way more money now
than they did then,
727
00:35:50,523 --> 00:35:53,317
but as far as actual real popularity,
that was the peak.
728
00:35:53,901 --> 00:35:56,904
[reporter] It's the entertainment
phenomenon of the '90s.
729
00:35:56,904 --> 00:35:59,407
A billion-dollar industry worldwide,
730
00:35:59,407 --> 00:36:01,784
a TV-ratings smash,
731
00:36:01,784 --> 00:36:05,872
a sport, of sorts,
that draws more teenage male viewers
732
00:36:05,872 --> 00:36:07,498
than Monday Night Football
733
00:36:07,498 --> 00:36:09,417
or World Series Baseball.
734
00:36:10,293 --> 00:36:13,838
[announcer speaking indistinctly]
735
00:36:13,838 --> 00:36:17,508
[compelling music continues]
736
00:36:17,508 --> 00:36:20,011
[announcer speaking indistinctly]
737
00:36:20,970 --> 00:36:24,724
[Meltzer] People who remember that period,
that is a very fond memory,
738
00:36:24,724 --> 00:36:28,060
because wrestling really was
huge mainstream at that time.
739
00:36:28,060 --> 00:36:30,229
From a pure marketability standpoint,
740
00:36:30,229 --> 00:36:33,733
the product they were putting on was,
was awesome. It connected.
741
00:36:33,733 --> 00:36:36,569
Um, from a moral standpoint,
morals are morals,
742
00:36:36,569 --> 00:36:38,571
but it rubbed some people the wrong way.
743
00:36:38,571 --> 00:36:40,990
[reporter 1] One true thing
about professional wrestling,
744
00:36:40,990 --> 00:36:42,867
millions of fans are pouring in.
745
00:36:42,867 --> 00:36:44,911
But this business has serious questions,
746
00:36:44,911 --> 00:36:48,164
some involving violence
and sexually explicit content.
747
00:36:48,164 --> 00:36:51,334
[reporter 2] Promoters would have you
believe that it's family entertainment.
748
00:36:51,334 --> 00:36:55,504
But if you've never been to a show
or never seen one on TV, watch one.
749
00:36:55,504 --> 00:36:56,839
You're in for a shock.
750
00:36:57,590 --> 00:37:00,801
[Levesque] As performers, you're going
for whatever the biggest reaction is,
751
00:37:00,801 --> 00:37:04,847
and you're seeing these things
get bigger reactions than anything else.
752
00:37:04,847 --> 00:37:08,768
So you're going down that road of,
"I'm going to be edgy."
753
00:37:08,768 --> 00:37:11,187
I got two words for ya.
754
00:37:11,187 --> 00:37:13,189
"Suck it!" Yeah!
755
00:37:13,189 --> 00:37:15,316
[Levesque] It was a lot of fun
and a lot of freedom,
756
00:37:16,317 --> 00:37:20,863
but there's a lot of stuff online that
you can watch, where I go, like, "Oh..."
757
00:37:21,447 --> 00:37:23,950
"How did we ever
get away with that stuff?"
758
00:37:23,950 --> 00:37:26,744
You can take your pick
of either one of these hoes.
759
00:37:26,744 --> 00:37:31,582
[reporter 1] Critics say WWE
blows away the envelope of good taste.
760
00:37:31,582 --> 00:37:34,669
[reporter 2] Perhaps no one
has been more critical of McMahon
761
00:37:34,669 --> 00:37:38,214
than New York Post columnist
Phil Mushnick.
762
00:37:38,214 --> 00:37:40,299
They knew that they could
get away with everything.
763
00:37:41,092 --> 00:37:42,843
Not anything, everything.
764
00:37:43,636 --> 00:37:46,514
And they pushed it.
They pushed that for all it was worth.
765
00:37:47,098 --> 00:37:49,976
We're gonna go low,
and then we're gonna go lower,
766
00:37:50,559 --> 00:37:51,894
{\an8}and then we're gonna go lower.
767
00:37:51,894 --> 00:37:53,521
[gasps]
768
00:37:53,521 --> 00:37:56,357
{\an8}This was maybe a standard deviation
769
00:37:56,357 --> 00:37:58,484
beyond what we were doing before,
770
00:37:58,484 --> 00:38:02,321
um, but it was still family-friendly.
771
00:38:02,321 --> 00:38:03,781
No one got killed.
772
00:38:03,781 --> 00:38:06,409
[announcer] The Rock
is inside that casket!
773
00:38:06,409 --> 00:38:08,160
There was, you know, no rape.
774
00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:10,997
Come on out, you rapist!
775
00:38:10,997 --> 00:38:14,333
No use of knives or guns
or anything like that.
776
00:38:14,333 --> 00:38:15,334
[woman screams]
777
00:38:15,334 --> 00:38:18,796
[reporter] Witness a recent
simulated castration scene.
778
00:38:18,796 --> 00:38:21,340
[McMahon] So, it's still family-friendly,
779
00:38:21,340 --> 00:38:23,759
maybe for more of an adult family,
780
00:38:23,759 --> 00:38:25,803
not for young kids.
781
00:38:25,803 --> 00:38:30,057
They were doing the double-talk.
They'd say, "We're not marketing to kids,"
782
00:38:30,057 --> 00:38:32,685
when, in fact, their audience was kids.
783
00:38:32,685 --> 00:38:34,061
And so some people would go,
784
00:38:34,061 --> 00:38:37,481
"You've got a responsibility
to not be such a bad influence on kids."
785
00:38:37,481 --> 00:38:40,276
"We're not marketing to kids anymore.
That's what we used to do."
786
00:38:40,276 --> 00:38:41,569
All right, whatever.
787
00:38:41,569 --> 00:38:46,532
I think it was primarily
aimed at young males.
788
00:38:46,532 --> 00:38:48,868
Action figures, dolls.
789
00:38:48,868 --> 00:38:51,454
{\an8}These aren't being
bought by and enjoyed by adults.
790
00:38:51,454 --> 00:38:53,122
{\an8}These are for 8-year-olds, 10-year-olds.
791
00:38:53,122 --> 00:38:57,335
[Prichard] Frankly, the Attitude Era,
the kids embraced it.
792
00:38:57,335 --> 00:38:59,462
- Suck it!
- Suck it!
793
00:38:59,462 --> 00:39:02,673
They were seeing something
maybe they weren't supposed to see.
794
00:39:02,673 --> 00:39:08,512
So, the Attitude Era,
in many ways, probably attracted kids.
795
00:39:08,512 --> 00:39:12,516
Would I have let my kids watch it?
Yeah, I probably would have.
796
00:39:12,516 --> 00:39:14,643
{\an8}It's a monster, is really what it is.
797
00:39:14,643 --> 00:39:17,063
{\an8}It's a nationwide monster
that's gotta be stopped.
798
00:39:17,063 --> 00:39:19,690
{\an8}The principal is entitled to his opinion.
799
00:39:20,775 --> 00:39:22,026
{\an8}I'm entitled to mine.
800
00:39:22,026 --> 00:39:25,112
We wholeheartedly
would want parents and everyone
801
00:39:25,112 --> 00:39:27,573
to exercise their freedom of choice.
802
00:39:27,573 --> 00:39:30,034
Damn it, it is America.
Go live in your world.
803
00:39:30,034 --> 00:39:33,704
Don't like us, click us off.
Don't watch us.
804
00:39:35,289 --> 00:39:41,879
Look, I... I was the one
certainly leading the charge in that,
805
00:39:41,879 --> 00:39:45,383
"Don't tell us to raise your children.
You need to raise them yourself."
806
00:39:45,383 --> 00:39:47,385
"If they're influenced by TV,
that's your fault."
807
00:39:47,385 --> 00:39:50,679
Now, having a daughter, uh, I...
808
00:39:50,679 --> 00:39:54,475
Look, there are times
we probably could have been less...
809
00:39:54,475 --> 00:39:57,728
less objectionable towards our women.
810
00:39:57,728 --> 00:39:58,646
[chanting]
811
00:39:58,646 --> 00:40:03,651
It is time to stop your grinnin'
and drop your linen.
812
00:40:03,651 --> 00:40:04,568
[crowd cheering]
813
00:40:04,568 --> 00:40:06,153
[announcer] Oh my!
814
00:40:06,153 --> 00:40:10,783
We continued to consistently
go over the line in terms of taste.
815
00:40:10,783 --> 00:40:13,035
Uh, there were
a lot of questionable things.
816
00:40:13,035 --> 00:40:17,706
You look pretty good on your knees, Chyna.
It almost looks like a natural position.
817
00:40:18,457 --> 00:40:21,710
[Meltzer] It was exploitive of women
like you wouldn't believe,
818
00:40:21,710 --> 00:40:23,963
but that's what was selling,
and the audience was guys.
819
00:40:23,963 --> 00:40:26,340
Teenage guys seeing women like that,
820
00:40:26,340 --> 00:40:29,510
from a pure marketing standpoint,
it was, uh, very, very successful.
821
00:40:29,510 --> 00:40:33,222
The Attitude Era women
weren't really considered wrestlers.
822
00:40:34,432 --> 00:40:37,393
{\an8}Eye candy.
That's kind of what they were at the time.
823
00:40:37,393 --> 00:40:38,644
[feline roar]
824
00:40:38,644 --> 00:40:39,728
[whip cracks]
825
00:40:40,604 --> 00:40:44,233
{\an8}[Stratigeas] Sable was
the pioneer WWE diva, so to speak.
826
00:40:44,233 --> 00:40:47,236
She knew exactly what her role was.
827
00:40:48,487 --> 00:40:50,322
People know her as Sexy Sable,
828
00:40:51,115 --> 00:40:54,076
but she was also
athletically contributing to the show,
829
00:40:54,660 --> 00:40:57,079
which I think is overlooked,
because it wasn't normal,
830
00:40:57,079 --> 00:40:59,665
it wasn't acceptable,
it wasn't what the women did.
831
00:41:01,041 --> 00:41:03,961
You know, at the time, late '90s,
you had Jerry Springer.
832
00:41:03,961 --> 00:41:08,841
{\an8}[narrator] Just when you thought
you'd seen it all, the bad get badder.
833
00:41:08,841 --> 00:41:11,260
[Stratus] You had trainwreck television
that was happening.
834
00:41:11,260 --> 00:41:12,761
Howard Stern was huge.
835
00:41:12,761 --> 00:41:15,097
- I wanna bang Bonnie, Jill, and Brandy.
- [chuckle]
836
00:41:15,097 --> 00:41:17,892
The Attitude Era was a reflection
of what was going on in the world.
837
00:41:19,602 --> 00:41:20,895
I've got to question--
838
00:41:20,895 --> 00:41:24,398
[Prichard] Society at that time
was a lot sexier,
839
00:41:24,398 --> 00:41:26,484
and we were reflecting that in every way.
840
00:41:27,067 --> 00:41:28,402
Some of the things...
841
00:41:28,402 --> 00:41:29,570
Eh...
842
00:41:29,570 --> 00:41:34,992
Bra-and-panty matches, I'm not sure
that, uh, that would be suggested today.
843
00:41:35,576 --> 00:41:38,496
At that time,
that was what was on television.
844
00:41:38,496 --> 00:41:39,705
[crowd cheering]
845
00:41:39,705 --> 00:41:41,999
[Mazer] Vince McMahon is part of his time.
846
00:41:42,583 --> 00:41:46,086
The difference is
that he's in a distinctive position,
847
00:41:46,086 --> 00:41:48,839
where he reinforces those tendencies,
848
00:41:48,839 --> 00:41:53,761
rather than challenging or changing
or transforming them into something else.
849
00:41:53,761 --> 00:41:54,762
[crowd cheering]
850
00:41:54,762 --> 00:41:56,263
[McMahon] We more or less followed
851
00:41:56,263 --> 00:41:58,766
what was going on
in the entertainment business.
852
00:41:58,766 --> 00:42:01,602
A lot of times, the highest quarter-hour,
853
00:42:01,602 --> 00:42:05,189
the highest rating
in that segment were women.
854
00:42:06,148 --> 00:42:09,652
Much higher than some of the great matches
and things of that nature.
855
00:42:11,028 --> 00:42:12,738
We felt like we needed to be edgy,
856
00:42:12,738 --> 00:42:15,241
'cause that's what
television was at that time.
857
00:42:15,241 --> 00:42:17,826
And this is live TV,
858
00:42:17,826 --> 00:42:21,497
and there ain't a damn thing
Vince can do about this.
859
00:42:23,290 --> 00:42:26,961
[Stephanie] We'd always want
to serve our audience, so we did,
860
00:42:26,961 --> 00:42:30,881
and, of course, took it
maybe a little too far in some cases.
861
00:42:30,881 --> 00:42:32,132
- [cheering]
- [yells]
862
00:42:32,132 --> 00:42:34,218
[atmospheric music playing]
863
00:42:38,138 --> 00:42:39,473
[music fades]
864
00:42:40,307 --> 00:42:42,977
[Levesque] You can look back at it now
and say how crazy it was,
865
00:42:42,977 --> 00:42:45,980
You can look back and say,
"God, you should have never done that,"
866
00:42:45,980 --> 00:42:49,316
or, "That was so inappropriate," or, um...
867
00:42:49,316 --> 00:42:50,442
It was.
868
00:42:50,442 --> 00:42:51,652
And, uh...
869
00:42:52,778 --> 00:42:55,948
Who's worse, the guy that did it
or the people that loved it? I don't know.
870
00:42:57,616 --> 00:42:59,868
[Ross] Welcome to the War Zone, everybody!
I'm Jim Ross.
871
00:42:59,868 --> 00:43:03,289
I've been joined by James T. Gordon
here at ringside.
872
00:43:03,289 --> 00:43:07,585
The owner of World Wrestling Entertainment
is on his way...
873
00:43:07,585 --> 00:43:09,378
[McMahon] Owen Hart,
874
00:43:09,378 --> 00:43:15,593
I am ordering you
to appear in this ring right now.
875
00:43:15,593 --> 00:43:17,261
[crowd cheering]
876
00:43:17,261 --> 00:43:19,221
[Lawler] There he is, right there.
877
00:43:19,221 --> 00:43:21,181
[Ross] He's coming, but are we gonna see
878
00:43:21,181 --> 00:43:23,058
reporting for duty or for a fight?
879
00:43:23,058 --> 00:43:24,727
[McMahon] After the problems I had
880
00:43:24,727 --> 00:43:26,228
with Bret Hart, I met with Owen.
881
00:43:26,228 --> 00:43:30,274
I said, "Do you want to stay with us,
or do you wanna leave with Bret?"
882
00:43:30,274 --> 00:43:32,693
He said, "Well, I'd like to stay."
883
00:43:32,693 --> 00:43:37,197
It's time for me to do what I have to do,
884
00:43:37,197 --> 00:43:42,661
and that is remain right here
in World Wrestling Entertainment!
885
00:43:42,661 --> 00:43:48,208
[Hart] When I went to WCW and Owen stayed,
nothing was the same anymore.
886
00:43:48,208 --> 00:43:50,252
He thought I was mad at him.
887
00:43:50,878 --> 00:43:53,672
If anything, I had great sympathy for Owen
888
00:43:53,672 --> 00:43:57,509
and felt badly that he was in
the predicament that he was in.
889
00:43:57,509 --> 00:44:00,429
Owen had nothing to do
with either me or Vince,
890
00:44:00,429 --> 00:44:02,139
but he was gonna pay for it,
891
00:44:03,057 --> 00:44:06,477
and they kind of humiliated his character
892
00:44:06,477 --> 00:44:10,898
as often as they could
for quite a while to get at me.
893
00:44:11,732 --> 00:44:16,487
[McMahon] The hypothesis that we would do
something against Owen because Bret left
894
00:44:16,487 --> 00:44:18,739
only speaks to Bret's ego. [chuckles]
895
00:44:18,739 --> 00:44:20,699
Really, Bret?
You know, why would we do that?
896
00:44:20,699 --> 00:44:22,576
We don't care about you. You left.
897
00:44:22,576 --> 00:44:24,453
We're trying to make Owen a star.
898
00:44:24,453 --> 00:44:26,538
[Ross] What? What is this?
899
00:44:26,538 --> 00:44:28,999
[Hart] So they ended up
doing a storyline with him,
900
00:44:28,999 --> 00:44:31,418
where they said,
"You're gonna be the Blue Blazer again,
901
00:44:31,418 --> 00:44:34,546
and you're gonna be
this sort of clumsy oaf hero."
902
00:44:35,673 --> 00:44:37,591
[interviewer] May 23rd, '99.
903
00:44:39,677 --> 00:44:41,220
Can you talk about that day?
904
00:44:42,054 --> 00:44:43,180
That was Owen.
905
00:44:46,266 --> 00:44:47,434
[sighs]
906
00:44:48,227 --> 00:44:50,771
[somber music playing]
907
00:44:51,605 --> 00:44:55,526
{\an8}[Ross] Folks, let's take you now
to an interview conducted earlier tonight,
908
00:44:55,526 --> 00:44:57,695
{\an8}and we got big problems out here.
909
00:44:57,695 --> 00:44:59,613
{\an8}Blue Blazer, you got a big match tonight...
910
00:44:59,613 --> 00:45:03,575
{\an8}[Prichard] We were live
in a pre-taped interview of Owen.
911
00:45:03,575 --> 00:45:05,911
{\an8}We were going to drop Owen down,
912
00:45:05,911 --> 00:45:09,248
kind of like rappelling
from the top of the ceiling.
913
00:45:09,832 --> 00:45:11,667
Owen was to fly, so to speak,
914
00:45:11,667 --> 00:45:15,713
as we've done before,
from the rafters of the building.
915
00:45:16,296 --> 00:45:18,382
{\an8}[Prichard] I'm watching
the pre-tape interview,
916
00:45:18,382 --> 00:45:20,426
{\an8}and I hear someone say,
917
00:45:20,426 --> 00:45:22,386
"Owen's in the ring."
918
00:45:23,137 --> 00:45:25,764
I went, "What the hell is he doing?"
919
00:45:25,764 --> 00:45:29,768
I was on a flight,
and I could feel something.
920
00:45:30,394 --> 00:45:32,271
Something overcame me,
921
00:45:32,271 --> 00:45:36,608
and I can remember going,
"Something bad happened. I can feel it."
922
00:45:36,608 --> 00:45:39,153
[Ross] Ladies and gentlemen,
when you're doing live television,
923
00:45:39,153 --> 00:45:43,657
a lot of things can happen,
and sometimes they are not good.
924
00:45:43,657 --> 00:45:46,785
Uh, the Blue Blazer,
as we know is Owen Hart,
925
00:45:46,785 --> 00:45:51,415
was going to make a very spectacular,
superhero-like entrance from the rafters,
926
00:45:51,415 --> 00:45:53,959
and something went terribly wrong here.
927
00:45:54,793 --> 00:45:59,465
[McMahon] Thank God, for the audience,
that we were in a blackout.
928
00:45:59,465 --> 00:46:03,093
So they didn't really see it. Thank God.
929
00:46:03,886 --> 00:46:07,514
When the lights came up,
they saw Owen in the ring
930
00:46:07,514 --> 00:46:09,850
and medical personnel were working on him.
931
00:46:09,850 --> 00:46:13,187
We wondered whether or not,
"Could Owen be alive?"
932
00:46:13,187 --> 00:46:14,146
Uh...
933
00:46:14,146 --> 00:46:15,355
Surely he could be.
934
00:46:15,355 --> 00:46:17,316
Jerry Lawler back joining me here.
935
00:46:17,316 --> 00:46:21,153
King, I was just reiterating to the fans
this is not a part of the show.
936
00:46:21,153 --> 00:46:25,073
Uh, we're here to entertain and have fun,
but this is neither.
937
00:46:25,783 --> 00:46:29,787
No. It's, uh... It's--
It doesn't look good at all.
938
00:46:30,370 --> 00:46:34,792
Jerry Lawler came back and says,
"Bruce, I... I think he's dead."
939
00:46:34,792 --> 00:46:36,084
[somber music continues]
940
00:46:36,084 --> 00:46:38,670
I'm like... "No."
941
00:46:39,755 --> 00:46:41,131
You know, I was like...
942
00:46:42,341 --> 00:46:43,926
"How do you even say that?"
943
00:46:43,926 --> 00:46:45,636
[somber music continues]
944
00:46:45,636 --> 00:46:49,097
[Prichard] The policeman that
was next to me, pulled me off to the side,
945
00:46:49,097 --> 00:46:53,227
and Vince was there, and he let us know
they pronounced him dead.
946
00:46:53,227 --> 00:46:58,857
I have the... unfortunate responsibility
947
00:46:59,691 --> 00:47:01,902
to let everyone know
that Owen Hart has died.
948
00:47:03,278 --> 00:47:08,116
Owen Hart has tragically died
from that accident... here tonight.
949
00:47:10,619 --> 00:47:14,039
The decision that, uh,
basically, I had to make,
950
00:47:14,039 --> 00:47:15,958
was whether or not the show goes on.
951
00:47:16,750 --> 00:47:19,336
The live audience
didn't really see what happened.
952
00:47:19,336 --> 00:47:22,297
Had they seen, no question,
you have to shut the show down.
953
00:47:22,965 --> 00:47:24,758
[Prichard] He didn't announce
to the live house
954
00:47:24,758 --> 00:47:27,261
'cause he just didn't think
that was the right thing to do.
955
00:47:28,178 --> 00:47:30,806
[McMahon] Those people came to see a show.
956
00:47:30,806 --> 00:47:32,850
They didn't come to see somebody die.
957
00:47:33,433 --> 00:47:35,561
And, me as a businessman, it's like,
958
00:47:35,561 --> 00:47:38,438
"Okay, let's continue on.
Let's continue the show."
959
00:47:38,438 --> 00:47:43,068
First off, Owen Hart,
I'm praying for you, buddy.
960
00:47:43,068 --> 00:47:44,570
[emotionally] And I am too.
961
00:47:44,570 --> 00:47:45,654
[sighs shakily]
962
00:47:45,654 --> 00:47:49,032
Val Venis, you've been chasing
these puppies around.
963
00:47:49,032 --> 00:47:50,659
Well, pal, I got news for you.
964
00:47:50,659 --> 00:47:53,537
Those are my puppies,
and they always have been.
965
00:47:53,537 --> 00:47:55,622
They never should have continued the show.
966
00:47:55,622 --> 00:47:56,540
[crowd cheering]
967
00:47:56,540 --> 00:47:59,501
[Meltzer] You know,
one of your buddies just died.
968
00:47:59,501 --> 00:48:02,129
Like, literally just died in this ring,
969
00:48:02,129 --> 00:48:06,508
and his blood is right there,
and we're going out there wrestling,
970
00:48:06,508 --> 00:48:09,469
trying to perform for this audience
that doesn't even know it,
971
00:48:09,469 --> 00:48:10,971
while we're brokenhearted.
972
00:48:12,431 --> 00:48:14,600
[Landsberg] What you do,
your business, is entertainment,
973
00:48:14,600 --> 00:48:17,185
and you allowed
the entertainment to continue
974
00:48:17,185 --> 00:48:19,021
with the blood of Owen Hart
still in the ring.
975
00:48:19,021 --> 00:48:21,064
I'm not sure
that's not disrespectful to Owen Hart.
976
00:48:21,982 --> 00:48:23,942
There were a lot
of negative comments, actually,
977
00:48:23,942 --> 00:48:26,194
as to whether or not
the show should have continued.
978
00:48:26,194 --> 00:48:29,364
{\an8}I actually know firsthand
from the wrestlers involved
979
00:48:29,364 --> 00:48:32,034
{\an8}that they wheeled my dead brother past...
980
00:48:32,659 --> 00:48:35,787
{\an8}right past all the wrestlers
and actually pushed wrestlers out the door
981
00:48:35,787 --> 00:48:38,457
{\an8}and said, "Go, go, go. You're on."
982
00:48:38,457 --> 00:48:42,419
Naturally, Bret's gonna feel like,
you know, like a brother should.
983
00:48:42,419 --> 00:48:46,590
He had every right to say
anything negative about our company.
984
00:48:46,590 --> 00:48:50,260
{\an8}I think if Vince McMahon had dropped
Shane McMahon from the ceiling,
985
00:48:50,260 --> 00:48:51,970
{\an8}uh, and he splatted on the mat,
986
00:48:51,970 --> 00:48:54,848
{\an8}I don't think he would've scraped him off
and set the next match up.
987
00:48:54,848 --> 00:48:58,268
Had it been me, not just my son,
988
00:48:58,268 --> 00:49:01,480
had it been me who was
"splatted on the mat," as Bret said,
989
00:49:01,480 --> 00:49:03,440
I would want the show to go on.
990
00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:07,444
So get me out of there, you know,
and let the show go on.
991
00:49:07,444 --> 00:49:11,114
I'd do it with me,
and to this day, I would.
992
00:49:11,114 --> 00:49:13,367
[somber music continues]
993
00:49:16,495 --> 00:49:19,331
[Hart] It really was very hard
for me to take at that time
994
00:49:19,331 --> 00:49:21,833
because I kept thinking that maybe it was...
995
00:49:22,501 --> 00:49:25,337
Maybe they murdered him to get back at me.
996
00:49:27,089 --> 00:49:28,423
[exhales emotionally]
997
00:49:29,549 --> 00:49:32,719
At 10:01 a.m. this morning,
998
00:49:32,719 --> 00:49:36,473
my legal counsel
filed a wrongful death lawsuit
999
00:49:36,473 --> 00:49:38,183
for my husband's death.
1000
00:49:38,183 --> 00:49:42,688
[McMahon] In terms of Owen, we settled
a lawsuit basically with his wife,
1001
00:49:42,688 --> 00:49:46,274
and then we find out,
which we thought all along,
1002
00:49:46,274 --> 00:49:48,026
it wasn't our fault.
1003
00:49:48,610 --> 00:49:52,280
{\an8}Unfortunately, the apparatus
they were using was defective,
1004
00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:54,658
{\an8}and the manufacturer
knew it was defective,
1005
00:49:54,658 --> 00:49:56,785
and then we sued the manufacturer.
1006
00:49:57,369 --> 00:50:02,791
[Hart] They investigated Vince and WWE
for a long time.
1007
00:50:02,791 --> 00:50:06,545
A policeman from Kansas City's,
uh, police department called me,
1008
00:50:06,545 --> 00:50:08,755
and he goes, "I promised you I'd call you,
1009
00:50:08,755 --> 00:50:11,091
and I'm calling to tell you
there's nothing criminal here."
1010
00:50:11,091 --> 00:50:13,343
"This was just a horrible accident."
1011
00:50:13,927 --> 00:50:19,099
And for me, when I heard that,
it was like, "Okay, it's an accident."
1012
00:50:19,099 --> 00:50:23,520
I basically, I think
in my heart of hearts, forgave Vince.
1013
00:50:24,730 --> 00:50:27,816
I had plenty of reasons
to have issues with Vince,
1014
00:50:27,816 --> 00:50:32,154
but they were on a professional level
and not a personal level.
1015
00:50:33,280 --> 00:50:34,322
[music fades]
1016
00:50:35,699 --> 00:50:36,616
[crowd cheering]
1017
00:50:36,616 --> 00:50:39,745
[Landsberg] Do you think there will be
any changes in wrestling because of this?
1018
00:50:39,745 --> 00:50:42,456
{\an8}[Hart] I certainly hope so. We're not
1019
00:50:42,456 --> 00:50:45,292
so dead against the wrestling business,
1020
00:50:45,292 --> 00:50:48,670
but we are disappointed
in the drastic turn
1021
00:50:48,670 --> 00:50:50,881
that wrestling's taken
in the last two years,
1022
00:50:50,881 --> 00:50:54,176
and it's a shame that the fans
have sort of become wild dogs
1023
00:50:54,176 --> 00:50:57,596
that sort of want more
and more and more all the time.
1024
00:50:58,180 --> 00:51:01,391
At that point,
we're all pushing the envelope.
1025
00:51:01,391 --> 00:51:02,309
[crowd cheering]
1026
00:51:02,309 --> 00:51:04,436
- [announcer] Look out!
- [woman] Oh my--
1027
00:51:04,436 --> 00:51:06,813
[Calaway] Everybody's willing
to do whatever it takes.
1028
00:51:07,564 --> 00:51:09,608
No one's saying,
"I don't want to do that,"
1029
00:51:09,608 --> 00:51:11,026
or, "That's too dangerous."
1030
00:51:11,026 --> 00:51:12,235
[announcer] Oh my...
1031
00:51:12,235 --> 00:51:16,823
...but at some point, enough is enough.
1032
00:51:16,823 --> 00:51:18,950
[announcer 1] He's burning! Put him out!
1033
00:51:18,950 --> 00:51:21,703
[McMahon] We want to give
our fans what they want.
1034
00:51:21,703 --> 00:51:24,331
We're probably pushing it
as far as we can right now,
1035
00:51:24,331 --> 00:51:28,502
but who knows as it relates to the future?
1036
00:51:28,502 --> 00:51:31,505
[tense music rising]
1037
00:51:37,219 --> 00:51:38,386
[music fades]
1038
00:51:38,386 --> 00:51:42,432
[crowd chanting]
Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit...
1039
00:51:45,018 --> 00:51:47,312
[melancholy music playing]
1040
00:51:53,944 --> 00:51:57,823
[closing theme music playing]