The War Revisited

[blackHEART]

Chapter 14
"Old Rivalries with New Twists"
Scene: 2002 WCW

There was a rivalry in the 1990s for the WWF between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. These two were in their prime and challenging for the main prize in their company. Now with these two in WCW, it appears to be a new twist on this rivalry. Triple H had held the world title since April, but it was the Canadian Invasion wanting to dethrone Triple H. One week after earning his opportunity and Bret vouching for him, Owen won the world championship. Owen Hart and Triple H highlighted this rivalry with the nWo and Canadian Invasion was the backbone of the storyline.

After the nWo came out on top, the nWo had other problems. Sting began to feud for the world title, but after the nWo cost him several times, Sting helped Chris Benoit in his opportunity. We saw yet another title change when Shawn Michaels captured his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Starrcade, while Sting defeated Triple H at the event.

The company let some diverse wrestlers walk, which didn't sit well with most of the locker room and fanbase. Eddie Guerrero, Jushin Thunder Liger, and Rey Mysterio were among those who left the company. Yet this lower morale didn't hinder the product, as WCW continued to ride high. And to fill this void left in the mid-card division, WCW broke up long-time tag team Harlem Heat by turning Booker T heel. This feud would continue through the fall and Booker T came out of it by the end of the year. It's understood that Stevie Ray is contemplating seeking other business opportunities, which was another driving point to make Booker T the next rising star.

World Championship Wrestling did sign Brock Lesnar, a former football player, and debuting at Starrcade against Stevie Ray has gotten everyone talking. Many believe Lesnar is the Next Big Thing and is going to be huge in things moving forward for WCW in 2002.


WCW World Heavyweight Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Ric Flair	4	February 11, 1996	June 16, 1996	126 days
Hulk Hogan	2	June 16, 1996	September 15, 1996	91 days
Lex Luger	2	September 15, 1996	December 29, 1996	105 days
Sting	3	December 29, 1996	April 14, 1997	106 days
Roddy Piper	1	April 14, 1997	July 28, 1997	105 days
Ric Flair	5	July 28, 1997	September 14, 1997	48 days
Scott Hall	1	September 14, 1997	October 26, 1997	42 days
Dean Malenko	1	October 26, 1997	December 28, 1997	63 days
Scott Hall	2	December 28, 1997	May 17, 1998	140 days
Chris Benoit	1	May 17, 1998	July 12, 1998	56 days
Scott Hall	3	July 12, 1998	October 25, 1998	105 days
Sting	4	October 25, 1998	December 27, 1998	63 days
Roddy Piper	2	December 27, 1998	March 14, 1999	77 days
Cactus Jack	1	March 14, 1999	July 19, 1999	127 days
Scott Hall	4	July 19, 1999	September 12, 1999	55 days
Chris Benoit	2	September 12, 1999	October 25, 1999	43 days
Roddy Piper	3	October 25, 1999	December 19, 1999	55 days
Lex Luger	3	December 19, 1999	February 21, 2000	64 days
Scott Steiner	1	February 21, 2000	April 24, 2000	63 days
Owen Hart	1	April 24, 2000	July 9, 2000	76 days
Chris Benoit	3	July 9, 2000	November 26, 2000	140 days
Sting	5	November 26, 2000	April 15, 2001	147 days
Triple H	1	April 15, 2001	January 14, 2002	274 days
Owen Hart	2	January 14, 2002	March 24, 2002	69 days
Triple H	2	March 24, 2002	September 15, 2002	175 days
Chris Benoit	4	September 15, 2002	December 22, 2002	98 days
Shawn Michaels	1	December 22, 2002

[blackHEART]

Chapter 15
"Opportunity"
Scene: 2003 WWF

The World Wrestling Federation was been a two-man show between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin the last two years, which has hurt the product. With more than capable wrestlers around them, WWF decided to end The Corporates storyline early 2003. Bill Goldberg won the Royal Rumble and after refusing The Rock's proposal to forfeit his match at WrestleMania, Goldberg turned on Rock and went on to become the world champion.

It wasn't too long until Bill Goldberg lost his title to former Corporate ally, Chris Jericho. Jericho finally had his chance to reign as the champion for a long time, but he turned around at SummerSlam to lose it to The Undertaker. The Undertaker was just a placeholder for Kurt Angle. After this match, The Undertaker would take the rest of 2003 off with a kayfabe ankle injury. Kane entered the main event scene, but failed to capture the title in his opportunity.

While Stone Cold Steve Austin took time off after his WrestleMania match with The Undertaker, The Rock was the established main eventer who remained. As Vince wanted to give more opportunity to others, he allowed The Rock to help guys out in the mid-card scene after failing to recapture the WWF Championship from Bill Goldberg at two consecutive pay-per-view events. Stone Cold Steve Austin joined a Traditional Survivor Series in his return in November and is expected to be a mid-card stay for now.

Opportunity was a tagline used by guys such as Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio who jumped ship from WCW. These two entered a rivalry that entertained the masses before entering programs with other talent on the roster. Guerrero challenged Jericho for the Intercontinental Championship and Rey Mysterio had a rivalry with Ken Shamrock.

As The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin won't go forever, the WWF made leaps in establishing more primetime players in 2003.


WWF Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Shawn Michaels	1	March 31, 1996	June 23, 1996	84 days
Diesel	2	June 23, 1996	December 15, 1996	175 days
Bret Hart	4	December 15, 1996	March 23, 1997	98 days
Diesel	3	March 23, 1997	August 3, 1997	133 days
The Undertaker	2	August 3, 1997	October 5, 1997	63 days
Shawn Michaels	2	October 5, 1997	November 9, 1997	35 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	1	November 9, 1997	April 26, 1998	168 days
Diesel	4	April 26, 1998	August 31, 1998	127 days
Hunter Hurst Helmsley	1	August 31, 1998	November 15, 1998	76 days
The Undertaker	3	November 15, 1998	January 24, 1999	70 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	2	January 24, 1999	May 23, 1999	119 days
The Rock	1	May 23, 1999	July 25, 1999	63 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	3	July 25, 1999	August 22, 1999	28 days
The Rock	2	August 22, 1999	October 2, 1999	41 days
Diesel	5	October 2, 1999	January 3, 2000	93 days
Kane	1	January 3, 2000	April 2, 2000	90 days
The Undertaker	4	April 2, 2000	September 24, 2000	175 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	4	September 24, 2000	July 22, 2001	301 days
The Rock	3	July 22, 2001	November 19, 2001	120 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	5	November 19, 2001	January 20, 2002	62 days
The Rock	4	January 20, 2002	April 21, 2002	91 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	6	April 21, 2002	June 23, 2002	63 days
The Rock	5	June 23, 2002	September 30, 2002	99 days
Chris Jericho	1	September 30, 2002	October 20, 2002	20 days
The Rock	6	October 20, 2002	March 30, 2003	161 days
Bill Goldberg	1	March 30, 2003	June 15, 2003	77 days
Chris Jericho	2	June 15, 2003	August 24, 2003	70 days
The Undertaker	5	August 24, 2003	October 27, 2003	64 days
Kurt Angle	1	October 27, 2003

[blackHEART]

Chapter 16
"nWo Evaporates"
Scene: 2003 WCW

WCW had a faction called the new World order since 1996 and established themselves as the greatest faction of all-time, paralleling to the Four Horsemen in many eyes. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. It began when Scott Hall, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H all butted heads. They kicked Sean Waltman out when Waltman tried to play peacemaker and the three biggest egos in the business burned the nWo to the ground. At the Spring Stampede event in April, Michaels would drop the belt in a triple threat to Scott Hall.

Now, Triple H and Shawn Michaels would establish a working relationship again as they targeted Scott Hall. This partnership was revealed when Triple H was facing off against Scott Hall and Michaels returned to help Triple H. Eventually, Triple H would drop the belt to Sting for the most world title reigns of all-time. After this happened, the nWo trio reformed.

WCW had been working on a younger bunch of talent that included Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles, and third-generation star Randy Orton. Their goal was to push these young men as the next crop of stars, and so they had these three join forces against the nWo at Starrcade with the stipulation of nWo done for good if they lost - which they did.

Big things are in store for Lesnar, Styles, and Orton as we get to see what is next for WCW's handling of older talents.


WCW World Heavyweight Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Ric Flair	4	February 11, 1996	June 16, 1996	126 days
Hulk Hogan	2	June 16, 1996	September 15, 1996	91 days
Lex Luger	2	September 15, 1996	December 29, 1996	105 days
Sting	3	December 29, 1996	April 14, 1997	106 days
Roddy Piper	1	April 14, 1997	July 28, 1997	105 days
Ric Flair	5	July 28, 1997	September 14, 1997	48 days
Scott Hall	1	September 14, 1997	October 26, 1997	42 days
Dean Malenko	1	October 26, 1997	December 28, 1997	63 days
Scott Hall	2	December 28, 1997	May 17, 1998	140 days
Chris Benoit	1	May 17, 1998	July 12, 1998	56 days
Scott Hall	3	July 12, 1998	October 25, 1998	105 days
Sting	4	October 25, 1998	December 27, 1998	63 days
Roddy Piper	2	December 27, 1998	March 14, 1999	77 days
Cactus Jack	1	March 14, 1999	July 19, 1999	127 days
Scott Hall	4	July 19, 1999	September 12, 1999	55 days
Chris Benoit	2	September 12, 1999	October 25, 1999	43 days
Roddy Piper	3	October 25, 1999	December 19, 1999	55 days
Lex Luger	3	December 19, 1999	February 21, 2000	64 days
Scott Steiner	1	February 21, 2000	April 24, 2000	63 days
Owen Hart	1	April 24, 2000	July 9, 2000	76 days
Chris Benoit	3	July 9, 2000	November 26, 2000	140 days
Sting	5	November 26, 2000	April 15, 2001	147 days
Triple H	1	April 15, 2001	January 14, 2002	274 days
Owen Hart	2	January 14, 2002	March 24, 2002	69 days
Triple H	2	March 24, 2002	September 15, 2002	175 days
Chris Benoit	4	September 15, 2002	December 22, 2002	98 days
Shawn Michaels	1	December 22, 2002	April 27, 2003	126 days
Scott Hall	5	April 27, 2003	July 20, 2003	84 days
Triple H	3	July 20, 2003	October 6, 2003	78 days
Sting	6	October 6, 2003

[blackHEART]

Chapter 17
"Hello Tuesdays"
Scene: 2004 WWF

The WWF and WCW have been on this rivalry for nearly a decade now on Monday nights, but that rivalry took a new turn as Vince McMahon decided it be best to move to Tuesday nights to help ratings. This meaning fans could watch both Nitro and Raw if they desired, but as Vince said, he believes WWF is the better product and fans will begin to realize such.

As far as the product goes, the 20th anniversary of WrestleMania was as gigantic as people expected it to be. This was a historic landmark for the WWF and they did not hold back on the card. Stone Cold Steve Austin lost his Intercontinental Championship to John Cena. Chris Jericho was able to take down Diesel at WrestleMania, in what are rumors to be Diesel's final match. Eddie Guerrero won the first ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match against Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Rey Mysterio, and Ken Shamrock. Bill Goldberg and The Rock, in addition to their main event last year, fought in a No Holds Barred match that The Rock came out on top for. Plus, The Undertaker made his triumphant return at the Royal Rumble and secured himself a world title match against Kurt Angle, reclaiming the title back.

The Undertaker had his reign on top until the July pay-per-view, Judgment Day, when Eddie Guerrero chose to cash that briefcase in to become the new WWF Champion. Eddie Guerrero then scraped for a win at SummerSlam against The Undertaker, but would lose it a couple months later on Tuesday Night Raw to Bill Goldberg. Goldberg would defend it successfully at the Survivor Series pay-per-view against The Undertaker, but on the very last Tuesday Night Raw before 2005, Bill Goldberg dropped the championship to Kane while Jim Ross made the infamous phrase, "2004 is burning up in flames," to end the year.

With the move to Tuesday nights, WWF had to step up their game on a week-to-week basis. We saw debuts of the likes of Batista and CM Punk. We saw the return of Bret Hart, who was contracted to WCW in 2003, as well as Mick Foley who hadn't been seen in the WWF since 1996, as he competed in WCW for seven years as Cactus Jack. Edge and Christian broke up, as they gave both mid-card pushes after their breakup rivalry. This made way for two new tag teams on the scene, Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury, with Melina, as MNM arose. Also, a fan-favorite tag team of Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper, known as One Body, came up and found success.


WWF Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Shawn Michaels	1	March 31, 1996	June 23, 1996	84 days
Diesel	2	June 23, 1996	December 15, 1996	175 days
Bret Hart	4	December 15, 1996	March 23, 1997	98 days
Diesel	3	March 23, 1997	August 3, 1997	133 days
The Undertaker	2	August 3, 1997	October 5, 1997	63 days
Shawn Michaels	2	October 5, 1997	November 9, 1997	35 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	1	November 9, 1997	April 26, 1998	168 days
Diesel	4	April 26, 1998	August 31, 1998	127 days
Hunter Hurst Helmsley	1	August 31, 1998	November 15, 1998	76 days
The Undertaker	3	November 15, 1998	January 24, 1999	70 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	2	January 24, 1999	May 23, 1999	119 days
The Rock	1	May 23, 1999	July 25, 1999	63 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	3	July 25, 1999	August 22, 1999	28 days
The Rock	2	August 22, 1999	October 2, 1999	41 days
Diesel	5	October 2, 1999	January 3, 2000	93 days
Kane	1	January 3, 2000	April 2, 2000	90 days
The Undertaker	4	April 2, 2000	September 24, 2000	175 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	4	September 24, 2000	July 22, 2001	301 days
The Rock	3	July 22, 2001	November 19, 2001	120 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	5	November 19, 2001	January 20, 2002	62 days
The Rock	4	January 20, 2002	April 21, 2002	91 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	6	April 21, 2002	June 23, 2002	63 days
The Rock	5	June 23, 2002	September 30, 2002	99 days
Chris Jericho	1	September 30, 2002	October 20, 2002	20 days
The Rock	6	October 20, 2002	March 30, 2003	161 days
Bill Goldberg	1	March 30, 2003	June 15, 2003	77 days
Chris Jericho	2	June 15, 2003	August 24, 2003	70 days
The Undertaker	5	August 24, 2003	October 27, 2003	64 days
Kurt Angle	1	October 27, 2003	March 14, 2004	139 days
The Undertaker	6	March 14, 2004	July 11, 2004	119 days
Eddie Guerrero	1	July 11, 2004	October 5, 2004	86 days
Bill Goldberg	2	October 5, 2004	December 28, 2004	84 days
Kane	2	December 28, 2004

[blackHEART]

Chapter 18
"The Next Big Thing"
Scene: 2004 WCW

After the official breakup of the nWo in 2003, each took new paths. Shawn Michaels entered a program against Sting while Sting held the world title, and eventually won the championship, but forfeited it back to Sting. Triple H was rumored for this push, but as he and Sting gained momentum in the program, he tore the labrum in his shoulder and was landed out of action. While Scott Hall decided to take a huge gimmick change, becoming a cult leader while he conned Low Ki and Sonjay Dutt to do his dirty work. This would take a huge turn when Scott Hall added a debuting Mabel to the group as the enforcer. This posse helped Hall be a heel in the mid-card division, having a nice run as the WCW United States Champion.

As for the rush of young blood, we saw Randy Orton and AJ Styles maintain their alliance after working together to stop the nWo. This duo then took to the tag team division, and are the current tag team champions at the end of 2004 after originally winning the championships in April.

Despite the impressive run in the tag team division by Styles and Orton, Brock Lesnar was the one to take the most monumental step in 2004. On the 4th of July at the Great American Bash, Sting faced his most athletic challenge to date against Brock Lesnar. Lesnar dominated Sting unlike anything ever seen, winning the world championship. Lesnar continued to wreak havoc on the roster and main evented Starrcade after Sting made his return, in which Lesnar retained to end the year as champion.

This was perhaps WCW's best year to-date as to the depth in every level of the card.


WCW World Heavyweight Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Ric Flair	4	February 11, 1996	June 16, 1996	126 days
Hulk Hogan	2	June 16, 1996	September 15, 1996	91 days
Lex Luger	2	September 15, 1996	December 29, 1996	105 days
Sting	3	December 29, 1996	April 14, 1997	106 days
Roddy Piper	1	April 14, 1997	July 28, 1997	105 days
Ric Flair	5	July 28, 1997	September 14, 1997	48 days
Scott Hall	1	September 14, 1997	October 26, 1997	42 days
Dean Malenko	1	October 26, 1997	December 28, 1997	63 days
Scott Hall	2	December 28, 1997	May 17, 1998	140 days
Chris Benoit	1	May 17, 1998	July 12, 1998	56 days
Scott Hall	3	July 12, 1998	October 25, 1998	105 days
Sting	4	October 25, 1998	December 27, 1998	63 days
Roddy Piper	2	December 27, 1998	March 14, 1999	77 days
Cactus Jack	1	March 14, 1999	July 19, 1999	127 days
Scott Hall	4	July 19, 1999	September 12, 1999	55 days
Chris Benoit	2	September 12, 1999	October 25, 1999	43 days
Roddy Piper	3	October 25, 1999	December 19, 1999	55 days
Lex Luger	3	December 19, 1999	February 21, 2000	64 days
Scott Steiner	1	February 21, 2000	April 24, 2000	63 days
Owen Hart	1	April 24, 2000	July 9, 2000	76 days
Chris Benoit	3	July 9, 2000	November 26, 2000	140 days
Sting	5	November 26, 2000	April 15, 2001	147 days
Triple H	1	April 15, 2001	January 14, 2002	274 days
Owen Hart	2	January 14, 2002	March 24, 2002	69 days
Triple H	2	March 24, 2002	September 15, 2002	175 days
Chris Benoit	4	September 15, 2002	December 22, 2002	98 days
Shawn Michaels	1	December 22, 2002	April 27, 2003	126 days
Scott Hall	5	April 27, 2003	July 20, 2003	84 days
Triple H	3	July 20, 2003	October 6, 2003	78 days
Sting	6	October 6, 2003	March 22, 2004	168 days
Shawn Michaels	2	March 22, 2004	April 25, 2004	34 days
Sting	7	April 25, 2004	July 4, 2004	70 days
Brock Lesnar	1	July 4, 2004

[blackHEART]

Chapter 19
"The Final Stunner"
Scene: 2005 WWF

2005 in the World Wrestling Federation saw a legendary career write the end chapter. After The Rock failed to capture the WWF Championship from Kane at the Royal Rumble, he met face-to-face with his longtime rival Stone Cold Steve Austin. Stone Cold says WWF is about to usher in a new era with lots of young talent, so it's time for one to step aside. Stone Cold and The Rock agreed to meet at WrestleMania 21, Career versus Career, with the loser accepting defeat and retirement.

As Vince tries to go all out with WrestleMania events year after year, this one was no different in Hollywood. The Hardy Boyz successfully retained their WWF Tag Team Championships against MNM at the event. Edge defeated former tag partner Christian along with CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, Shelton Benjamin, and last year's winner Eddie Guerrero to win the second ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Mick Foley dared to challenge The Undertaker to a Hardcore Rules Match, in which Undertaker advanced his Streak at WrestleMania to 14-0. Bret "The Hitman" Hart had his first WrestleMania back with the company and suffered a loss at the hands of Batista in his WrestleMania debut. Then after Chris Jericho hid for much of the Royal Rumble and eliminated John Cena from behind, he had to put up his title opportunity against John Cena on a Tuesday Night and intentionally disqualified himself. This was made a triple threat for WrestleMania, in which John Cena hit a fireman's carry slam on Chris Jericho to take the WWF Championship away from Kane. However, it was The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin battle that ended the night, and a Rock Bottom closed out Stone Cold's career.

After WrestleMania, John Cena entered a program against former champion Kane in which Cena lost the championship, but got it back. John Cena's big test was at SummerSlam when he wrestled The Rock, in which The Rock emerged as the champion. The Rock would eventually lose it in an Elimination Chamber Match at Survivor Series to Kurt Angle, whom sat out WrestleMania with an injury, but Edge cashed in Money in the Bank that night to win his first WWF Championship. Kurt Angle now has the shortest world title reign since Yokozuna won and lost the WWF Championship in 1993 at WrestleMania 9. The following month, Edge escaped the triple threat rematch and closed 2005 as the WWF Champion.

The WWF recognized the insane amount of depth they've had in the longest time, and despite Stone Cold Steve Austin departing, they feel they have the talent to hold the company up in this war with WCW.


WWF Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Shawn Michaels	1	March 31, 1996	June 23, 1996	84 days
Diesel	2	June 23, 1996	December 15, 1996	175 days
Bret Hart	4	December 15, 1996	March 23, 1997	98 days
Diesel	3	March 23, 1997	August 3, 1997	133 days
The Undertaker	2	August 3, 1997	October 5, 1997	63 days
Shawn Michaels	2	October 5, 1997	November 9, 1997	35 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	1	November 9, 1997	April 26, 1998	168 days
Diesel	4	April 26, 1998	August 31, 1998	127 days
Hunter Hurst Helmsley	1	August 31, 1998	November 15, 1998	76 days
The Undertaker	3	November 15, 1998	January 24, 1999	70 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	2	January 24, 1999	May 23, 1999	119 days
The Rock	1	May 23, 1999	July 25, 1999	63 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	3	July 25, 1999	August 22, 1999	28 days
The Rock	2	August 22, 1999	October 2, 1999	41 days
Diesel	5	October 2, 1999	January 3, 2000	93 days
Kane	1	January 3, 2000	April 2, 2000	90 days
The Undertaker	4	April 2, 2000	September 24, 2000	175 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	4	September 24, 2000	July 22, 2001	301 days
The Rock	3	July 22, 2001	November 19, 2001	120 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	5	November 19, 2001	January 20, 2002	62 days
The Rock	4	January 20, 2002	April 21, 2002	91 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	6	April 21, 2002	June 23, 2002	63 days
The Rock	5	June 23, 2002	September 30, 2002	99 days
Chris Jericho	1	September 30, 2002	October 20, 2002	20 days
The Rock	6	October 20, 2002	March 30, 2003	161 days
Bill Goldberg	1	March 30, 2003	June 15, 2003	77 days
Chris Jericho	2	June 15, 2003	August 24, 2003	70 days
The Undertaker	5	August 24, 2003	October 27, 2003	64 days
Kurt Angle	1	October 27, 2003	March 14, 2004	139 days
The Undertaker	6	March 14, 2004	July 11, 2004	119 days
Eddie Guerrero	1	July 11, 2004	October 5, 2004	86 days
Bill Goldberg	2	October 5, 2004	December 28, 2004	84 days
Kane	2	December 28, 2004	April 3, 2005	96 days
John Cena	1	April 3, 2005	May 1, 2005	28 days
Kane	3	May 1, 2005	May 22, 2005	21 days
John Cena	2	May 22, 2005	August 21, 2005	91 days
The Rock	7	August 21, 2005	November 27, 2005	98 days
Kurt Angle	2	November 27, 2005	November 27, 2005	<1 day
Edge	1	November 27, 2005

[blackHEART]

Chapter 20
"Lesnar's Record-Setting Reign"
Scene: 2005 WCW

2005 was not much different than 2004. Mainly because Brock Lesnar asserted his dominance and was pushed as the greatest world champion in WCW history. It eventually was because Brock Lesnar became the longest-reigning world champion in history, breaking Hulk Hogan's record set in 1994-1995. In February, Triple H returned from his labrum surgery last year and after a program with Shawn Michaels, he challenged Lesnar and not only fell short, but creative used Triple H's real shoulder injury in 2004 to create a storyline centered around a kayfabe injury in 2005. After sitting Triple H out from June to September, allowing him to hit the weight room and totally remake himself, he returned to challenge Brock Lesnar in the fall and this was the end of Lesnar's reign, at Halloween Havoc at 483 days.

Brock Lesnar wasn't the only one to have a record-setting reign. AJ Styles and Randy Orton broke the 30-year old record held by the Minnesota Wrecking Crew for the longest reigning WCW World Tag Team Champions. After they would lose the belts to The Dudley Boyz, they would regain the titles and have a little run until they'd lose their second reign to Garrison Cade and Lance Storm. It wouldn't be too long as the championships wouldn't keep them together that Orton turned on his partner AJ Styles. They feuded a couple months with it climaxing at Starrcade 2005.

While WCW week-to-week had the better program than WWF, they haven't been able to top WWF's WrestleMania with Starrcade. They worked to fix that this year. Shawn Michaels defeated Chris Benoit, Cade and Storm lost the titles in a Tables Match to The Dudley Boyz, and The Endless Hall lost to a new group that emerged in the fall. That group consisted of Chris Sabin, Jay Lethal, Orlando Jordan, and Tomko, beating The Endless Hall in a 4-on-4 showdown. The event was headlined by Booker T defeating Diamond Dallas Page, as Booker T had taken a heel turn as of late 2005, showing disrespect to the veteran. Rob Van Dam and Raven were challenged in the extreme game when Sabu and Shane Douglas arrived on the scene and when an Extreme Rules 4-Way took place, Rob Van Dam emerged the victorious one. AJ Styles and Randy Orton stole the show in their match, with Orton barely scraping by Styles. Then in the main event, Triple H defended successfully against Brock Lesnar and ended 2005 as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.


WCW World Heavyweight Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Ric Flair	4	February 11, 1996	June 16, 1996	126 days
Hulk Hogan	2	June 16, 1996	September 15, 1996	91 days
Lex Luger	2	September 15, 1996	December 29, 1996	105 days
Sting	3	December 29, 1996	April 14, 1997	106 days
Roddy Piper	1	April 14, 1997	July 28, 1997	105 days
Ric Flair	5	July 28, 1997	September 14, 1997	48 days
Scott Hall	1	September 14, 1997	October 26, 1997	42 days
Dean Malenko	1	October 26, 1997	December 28, 1997	63 days
Scott Hall	2	December 28, 1997	May 17, 1998	140 days
Chris Benoit	1	May 17, 1998	July 12, 1998	56 days
Scott Hall	3	July 12, 1998	October 25, 1998	105 days
Sting	4	October 25, 1998	December 27, 1998	63 days
Roddy Piper	2	December 27, 1998	March 14, 1999	77 days
Cactus Jack	1	March 14, 1999	July 19, 1999	127 days
Scott Hall	4	July 19, 1999	September 12, 1999	55 days
Chris Benoit	2	September 12, 1999	October 25, 1999	43 days
Roddy Piper	3	October 25, 1999	December 19, 1999	55 days
Lex Luger	3	December 19, 1999	February 21, 2000	64 days
Scott Steiner	1	February 21, 2000	April 24, 2000	63 days
Owen Hart	1	April 24, 2000	July 9, 2000	76 days
Chris Benoit	3	July 9, 2000	November 26, 2000	140 days
Sting	5	November 26, 2000	April 15, 2001	147 days
Triple H	1	April 15, 2001	January 14, 2002	274 days
Owen Hart	2	January 14, 2002	March 24, 2002	69 days
Triple H	2	March 24, 2002	September 15, 2002	175 days
Chris Benoit	4	September 15, 2002	December 22, 2002	98 days
Shawn Michaels	1	December 22, 2002	April 27, 2003	126 days
Scott Hall	5	April 27, 2003	July 20, 2003	84 days
Triple H	3	July 20, 2003	October 6, 2003	78 days
Sting	6	October 6, 2003	March 22, 2004	168 days
Shawn Michaels	2	March 22, 2004	April 25, 2004	34 days
Sting	7	April 25, 2004	July 4, 2004	70 days
Brock Lesnar	1	July 4, 2004	October 30, 2005	483 days
Triple H	4	October 30, 2005

[blackHEART]

Chapter 21
"A Woman's World"
Scene: 2006 WWF

2006 in the WWF, Vince McMahon realized they needed to make a shift to attract the younger audience and also targeting a women's demographic. Vince took himself off programming and let his daughter Stephanie McMahon, the wife of WCW World Heavyweight Champion Triple H, in charge on-screen. This was a decision made the first episode of Tuesday Night Raw and Vince entrusted her to carry it through WrestleMania season and beyond. The rush of a younger generation showed as John Cena, whom failed to win the Royal Rumble last year, won it this year by eliminating The Rock to move to WrestleMania.

WrestleMania 22 in Detroit had a tough task following up last year's extravaganza. MNM and One Body had a rivalry going on that saw MNM fall short to One Body, losing their WWF Tag Team Championships. Surprisingly the veteran Chris Jericho won Money in the Bank this year, outlasting The Hardy Boyz, CM Punk, Carlito, and Kane. Fan-favorite Shelton Benjamin won the Intercontinental Championship against William Regal. Kurt Angle fought the debuting monstrous Umaga and lost that match. Mick Foley and The Rock fought each other mid-show and The Rock was the one to win. The Undertaker then advanced to 15-0 by defeating "The Animal" Batista. And in the main event, John Cena topped Edge to win back the WWF Championship, where he won his first world title at last year's event. Critically, this was one of the weaker WrestleManias to date after setting the bar too high in years past.

With Stephanie in charge, she pushed to use women in more significant roles. This happened when Stacy Keibler introduced WWF's newest signee 48 hours after WrestleMania, Bobby Rude. Rude was introduced as the son of "Ravishing" Rick Rude and Bobby Rude would eventually win the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam. When Edge failed to recapture the WWF Championship from John Cena, he began to show interest in backstage journalist Christy Hemme. The two entered a romantic relationship, Hemme began to escort Edge to the ring, and ended up helping him win the championship back later on in the year.

Speaking of the WWF Championship, John Cena held onto the WWF Championship for a while until Chris Jericho cashed his Money in the Bank briefcase on Cena and won. They entered a program, but so did Angle, and Kurt Angle ended up winning the title. We then saw Edge get back on top before the year ended itself on a Tuesday Night Raw in December, as noted, with the assistance of Christy Hemme. Hemme intrigued Angle and tricked Angle as if she was leaving Edge for him, but that wasn't the case, as Hemme crossed Angle and left with the new WWF Champion Edge.

WWF officially unloaded the contracts of Bill Goldberg and Diesel this year. While Diesel had retired, he was kept on as an Ambassador for the WWF. Bill Goldberg hadn't been used since 2004 due to a neck injury, and they opted to not renew his contract. While the WWF didn't have as big of a WrestleMania as in the past, they kept a solid year and focused on heightening other Pay-Per-View events as well as their weekly product to compete with WCW's. They also gained more money than they spent this year, putting them in position to make some big improvements in the upcoming year.


WWF Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Shawn Michaels	1	March 31, 1996	June 23, 1996	84 days
Diesel	2	June 23, 1996	December 15, 1996	175 days
Bret Hart	4	December 15, 1996	March 23, 1997	98 days
Diesel	3	March 23, 1997	August 3, 1997	133 days
The Undertaker	2	August 3, 1997	October 5, 1997	63 days
Shawn Michaels	2	October 5, 1997	November 9, 1997	35 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	1	November 9, 1997	April 26, 1998	168 days
Diesel	4	April 26, 1998	August 31, 1998	127 days
Hunter Hurst Helmsley	1	August 31, 1998	November 15, 1998	76 days
The Undertaker	3	November 15, 1998	January 24, 1999	70 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	2	January 24, 1999	May 23, 1999	119 days
The Rock	1	May 23, 1999	July 25, 1999	63 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	3	July 25, 1999	August 22, 1999	28 days
The Rock	2	August 22, 1999	October 2, 1999	41 days
Diesel	5	October 2, 1999	January 3, 2000	93 days
Kane	1	January 3, 2000	April 2, 2000	90 days
The Undertaker	4	April 2, 2000	September 24, 2000	175 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	4	September 24, 2000	July 22, 2001	301 days
The Rock	3	July 22, 2001	November 19, 2001	120 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	5	November 19, 2001	January 20, 2002	62 days
The Rock	4	January 20, 2002	April 21, 2002	91 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	6	April 21, 2002	June 23, 2002	63 days
The Rock	5	June 23, 2002	September 30, 2002	99 days
Chris Jericho	1	September 30, 2002	October 20, 2002	20 days
The Rock	6	October 20, 2002	March 30, 2003	161 days
Bill Goldberg	1	March 30, 2003	June 15, 2003	77 days
Chris Jericho	2	June 15, 2003	August 24, 2003	70 days
The Undertaker	5	August 24, 2003	October 27, 2003	64 days
Kurt Angle	1	October 27, 2003	March 14, 2004	139 days
The Undertaker	6	March 14, 2004	July 11, 2004	119 days
Eddie Guerrero	1	July 11, 2004	October 5, 2004	86 days
Bill Goldberg	2	October 5, 2004	December 28, 2004	84 days
Kane	2	December 28, 2004	April 3, 2005	96 days
John Cena	1	April 3, 2005	May 1, 2005	28 days
Kane	3	May 1, 2005	May 22, 2005	21 days
John Cena	2	May 22, 2005	August 21, 2005	91 days
The Rock	7	August 21, 2005	November 27, 2005	98 days
Kurt Angle	2	November 27, 2005	November 27, 2005	<1 day
Edge	1	November 27, 2005	April 2, 2006	126 days
John Cena	3	April 2, 2006	September 19, 2006	170 days
Chris Jericho	3	September 19, 2006	October 15, 2006	26 days
Kurt Angle	3	October 15, 2006	December 5, 2006	51 days
Edge	2	December 5, 2006

[blackHEART]

Chapter 22
"Legal Issues Insist"
Scene: 2006 WCW

2006 was supposed to be a legendary year for WCW, and in the ring, it was. Regarding the WCW World Tag Team Championships, Cade and Storm entered a rivalry against legendary tag teams such as The Dudley Boyz. When they survived that rivalry, they ended up dropping the belts to The Outlaws. A little time elapsed until The Outlaws would drop the belts to The Endless Hall's Mabel and Low Ki, and using the Freebird Rule, they were able to dominate the tag team division for 2006.

Triple H would hold the WCW World Heavyweight Championship to begin the year, but he'd lose it in a triple threat involving Shawn Michaels and Booker T, as Booker pinned Michaels on Nitro. This title reign only lasted a couple of months until Triple H regained it at a Pay-Per-View event. Triple H then ended up entering a program with Randy Orton, who captured his first world title. Randy Orton would outduel Triple H at three consecutive Pay-Per-View events until AJ Styles arose to battle him once more. AJ Styles wouldn't capture the world title, and Randy Orton entered Starrcade as the world champion.

Starrcade was a success with ISH's Chris Sabin and Jay Lethal pinning Scott Hall and Low Ki to become the new WCW World Tag Team Champions. AJ Styles defeated Paul Wight in a David versus Goliath type of a match. Brock Lesnar defeated "The Icon" Sting at this event in a No DQ Match. Triple H and Booker T squared off and Booker T took a shocking victory here. But perhaps the biggest upset of all was Rob Van Dam defeating Randy Orton at Starrcade to become the brand new WCW World Heavyweight Champion. However, this would only lost one day as Orton would win the championship back the following night.

While WCW was killing it in the ring, they had trouble backstage. After Chris Benoit committed suicide in May of this year in a hotel room after a Nitro, his family sued the company. While dealing with this tragic event, one of WCW's top stars left. Shawn Michaels refused to renew his contract with WCW after stating he was not only being used improperly, but he wasn't getting paid enough. WCW lost two of its premier athletes in one year for two separate reasons, and just as significantly, the majority of the locker room left has lost confidence in WCW's ability to run a business effectively and treat their stars well. Time will tell how WCW will live past this.


WCW World Heavyweight Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Ric Flair	4	February 11, 1996	June 16, 1996	126 days
Hulk Hogan	2	June 16, 1996	September 15, 1996	91 days
Lex Luger	2	September 15, 1996	December 29, 1996	105 days
Sting	3	December 29, 1996	April 14, 1997	106 days
Roddy Piper	1	April 14, 1997	July 28, 1997	105 days
Ric Flair	5	July 28, 1997	September 14, 1997	48 days
Scott Hall	1	September 14, 1997	October 26, 1997	42 days
Dean Malenko	1	October 26, 1997	December 28, 1997	63 days
Scott Hall	2	December 28, 1997	May 17, 1998	140 days
Chris Benoit	1	May 17, 1998	July 12, 1998	56 days
Scott Hall	3	July 12, 1998	October 25, 1998	105 days
Sting	4	October 25, 1998	December 27, 1998	63 days
Roddy Piper	2	December 27, 1998	March 14, 1999	77 days
Cactus Jack	1	March 14, 1999	July 19, 1999	127 days
Scott Hall	4	July 19, 1999	September 12, 1999	55 days
Chris Benoit	2	September 12, 1999	October 25, 1999	43 days
Roddy Piper	3	October 25, 1999	December 19, 1999	55 days
Lex Luger	3	December 19, 1999	February 21, 2000	64 days
Scott Steiner	1	February 21, 2000	April 24, 2000	63 days
Owen Hart	1	April 24, 2000	July 9, 2000	76 days
Chris Benoit	3	July 9, 2000	November 26, 2000	140 days
Sting	5	November 26, 2000	April 15, 2001	147 days
Triple H	1	April 15, 2001	January 14, 2002	274 days
Owen Hart	2	January 14, 2002	March 24, 2002	69 days
Triple H	2	March 24, 2002	September 15, 2002	175 days
Chris Benoit	4	September 15, 2002	December 22, 2002	98 days
Shawn Michaels	1	December 22, 2002	April 27, 2003	126 days
Scott Hall	5	April 27, 2003	July 20, 2003	84 days
Triple H	3	July 20, 2003	October 6, 2003	78 days
Sting	6	October 6, 2003	March 22, 2004	168 days
Shawn Michaels	2	March 22, 2004	April 25, 2004	34 days
Sting	7	April 25, 2004	July 4, 2004	70 days
Brock Lesnar	1	July 4, 2004	October 30, 2005	483 days
Triple H	4	October 30, 2005	February 20, 2006	113 days
Booker T	1	February 20, 2006	April 9, 2006	48 days
Triple H	5	April 9, 2006	August 27, 2006	140 days
Randy Orton	1	August 27, 2006	December 10, 2006	105 days
Rob Van Dam	1	December 10, 2006	December 11, 2006	1 day
Randy Orton	2	December 11, 2006

[blackHEART]

Chapter 23
"Heartbreak Hotel"
Scene: 2007 WWF

2007 was an eventful year for the WWF. It all began at the Royal Rumble, perhaps the biggest in years. At 24, the Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels returned! Michaels had let his contract expire last June and hadn't been seen since in wrestling until now. Michaels would superkick The Undertaker and eliminate him, and eventually Michaels would be thrown out overhead by Batista onto Undertaker and this would spark a brawl. This would mark a huge headlining match for WrestleMania - The Undertaker versus Shawn Michaels, the first time ever at the event. As for the Royal Rumble match itself, Batista would last eliminate Eddie Guerrero to earn himself a WWF Championship match.

That match alone could improve WrestleMania from a year ago. WrestleMania 23 was one to remember, for sure! In the third-annual Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Johnny Nitro grabbed the briefcase before his own partner Joey Mercury and four others to guarantee himself a world title match within the next year. The Rock failed to take the Intercontinental Championship out of the grasps of Bobby Rude, who has held the title since August due to the help of Stacy Keibler. Shelton Benjamin lost a nailbiter to the veteran Eddie Guerrero. Bret Hart put his career on the line against Chris Jericho, in which Jericho put the nail in the coffin. Umaga dominated Rey Mysterio and won his match. The three big matches was Kurt Angle challenging John Cena, and Cena winning with a broken ankle. Batista would capture the WWF Championship from Edge, while in the main event, The Undertaker advanced to 16-0 against Shawn Michaels.

WWF was able to fill the year solidly after that. In the night after WrestleMania, we saw the debuts of Mr. Kennedy, America's Most Wanted, and Jeff Jarrett. Also, Christy Hemme broke up with Edge that night. This would play into the hands of the continuation of Batista and Edge, as Batista would pursue and land Hemme's services. This would only last until the program was over, as Batista admitted using the conniving witch to defeat Edge. Christy Hemme would eventually get with a clueless Eugene, who has been at the bottom of WWE as a jobber. And we would see the emergence of another escort, when Chris Mordetzky was repackaged as Masterpiece and came with Candice Michelle.

America's Most Wanted coming to WWF aided the company to split Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury. This happened when there was discontentment inside MNM. When Nitro finally tried cashing in in the fall, Mercury cost him his opportunity and the two would go on to feud. Melina would side with Nitro in this and it wouldn't sit well with Mercury as they continued their rivalry a little longer until Nitro came out on top. Jeff Jarrett's signing ended up helping. While Jarrett began in singles competition, he ended up pairing with Bobby Rude after Rude lost his Intercontinental Championship to Eddie Guerrero. Rude and Jarrett would eventually win the championships later in the year.

Shawn Michaels returned to the WWF in January and had a successful year. He would end up winning a Fatal-4 Way to earn an opportunity to compete against Chris Jericho, who had won it from Batista, at SummerSlam for the title. Shawn Michaels would capture the championship and it wouldn't be long until Survivor Series against Batista, Edge, Kurt Angle, The Rock, and mystery opponent revealed to be former WCW star Raven. Raven filled the spot left void by The Undertaker, who was taken out a couple weeks later by the debuting Abyss. Michaels would lose the belt against The Rock and The People's Champion held onto the championship until the end of 2007, marking the best year for WWF as they just keep getting better.

WWF Championship Title History

Holder	Reign	Date won	Date lost	Days held
Shawn Michaels	1	March 31, 1996	June 23, 1996	84 days
Diesel	2	June 23, 1996	December 15, 1996	175 days
Bret Hart	4	December 15, 1996	March 23, 1997	98 days
Diesel	3	March 23, 1997	August 3, 1997	133 days
The Undertaker	2	August 3, 1997	October 5, 1997	63 days
Shawn Michaels	2	October 5, 1997	November 9, 1997	35 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	1	November 9, 1997	April 26, 1998	168 days
Diesel	4	April 26, 1998	August 31, 1998	127 days
Hunter Hurst Helmsley	1	August 31, 1998	November 15, 1998	76 days
The Undertaker	3	November 15, 1998	January 24, 1999	70 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	2	January 24, 1999	May 23, 1999	119 days
The Rock	1	May 23, 1999	July 25, 1999	63 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	3	July 25, 1999	August 22, 1999	28 days
The Rock	2	August 22, 1999	October 2, 1999	41 days
Diesel	5	October 2, 1999	January 3, 2000	93 days
Kane	1	January 3, 2000	April 2, 2000	90 days
The Undertaker	4	April 2, 2000	September 24, 2000	175 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	4	September 24, 2000	July 22, 2001	301 days
The Rock	3	July 22, 2001	November 19, 2001	120 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	5	November 19, 2001	January 20, 2002	62 days
The Rock	4	January 20, 2002	April 21, 2002	91 days
Stone Cold Steve Austin	6	April 21, 2002	June 23, 2002	63 days
The Rock	5	June 23, 2002	September 30, 2002	99 days
Chris Jericho	1	September 30, 2002	October 20, 2002	20 days
The Rock	6	October 20, 2002	March 30, 2003	161 days
Bill Goldberg	1	March 30, 2003	June 15, 2003	77 days
Chris Jericho	2	June 15, 2003	August 24, 2003	70 days
The Undertaker	5	August 24, 2003	October 27, 2003	64 days
Kurt Angle	1	October 27, 2003	March 14, 2004	139 days
The Undertaker	6	March 14, 2004	July 11, 2004	119 days
Eddie Guerrero	1	July 11, 2004	October 5, 2004	86 days
Bill Goldberg	2	October 5, 2004	December 28, 2004	84 days
Kane	2	December 28, 2004	April 3, 2005	96 days
John Cena	1	April 3, 2005	May 1, 2005	28 days
Kane	3	May 1, 2005	May 22, 2005	21 days
John Cena	2	May 22, 2005	August 21, 2005	91 days
The Rock	7	August 21, 2005	November 27, 2005	98 days
Kurt Angle	2	November 27, 2005	November 27, 2005	<1 day
Edge	1	November 27, 2005	April 2, 2006	126 days
John Cena	3	April 2, 2006	September 19, 2006	170 days
Chris Jericho	3	September 19, 2006	October 15, 2006	26 days
Kurt Angle	3	October 15, 2006	December 5, 2006	51 days
Edge	2	December 5, 2006	April 1, 2007	117 days
Batista	1	April 1, 2007	June 24, 2007	84 days
Chris Jericho	4	June 24, 2007	August 26, 2007	63 days
Shawn Michaels	3	August 26, 2007	November 18, 2007	84 days
The Rock	8	November 18, 2007