Vince was right about one thing. Eric Bischoff did have a plan. And it was a really great one.
On the last Monday before No Way Out, Bischoff and the other strikers taped a segment and sent it in to be played on RAW. They had spent the last few weeks taping anti-WWE segments and sending them in for air play. Sometimes they would get a taped segment aired and still be seen striking outside of the arena later that night. The strikes would stop after the pay per view one way or the other.
Vince had already told the strikers of their opposition. Now the ball was in the other court. Bischoff and crew would pick the stipulations and the historic card would be set.
The camera panned around the room. The strikers were in a gym tonight. Chris Benoit was seen running on a treadmill. Eric Bischoff was using his martial arts skills to kick the hell out of a punching bag. Kevin Nash was lifting weights. Tommy Dreamer was sitting around drinking beer. No one ever accused Dreamer of being the most athletic of wrestlers.
Nash was the first to speak.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Vince, we're takin' over!"
The others roared their approval of that comment.
"Do you remember McMahon?" Bischoff chimed in. "Do you remember how I was always one step ahead of you? I put Flair versus Hogan on pay per view before you. I brought cruiserweight wrestling to America before you. I discovered guys like Triple H and Austin before you. I even became the heel owner before you! And this time, I'm going to be one step ahead of you again. I've got a surprise for you on Sunday."
"Unlike you Vince" Benoit added "This man has respect for wrestling. For you, promoting wrestling was always a weakness. For Bischoff it was a strength that he used against you. At No Way Out, we're going to use it against you again. You want to put the best wrestler you have against me? Well that's fine. Shawn Michaels can wrestle all he wants to against me. Because we're going to compete in an iron man match."
The camera went to Dreamer next.
"The fun doesn't stop there Vince. You stole hardcore wrestling. Then you killed it. Nowadays you glorify Mick Foley as a hardcore legend. Well hardcore wrestling is far from dead McMahon. And Foley? The man is a sell out. He stopped being Cactus Jack and started being an author. He gave up what made him famous for what would make him popular. He traded chair shots and barbed wire to sell t-shirts and wear socks on his hand. At No Way Out, I'm going to bring back hardcore wrestling, true hardcore wrestling, whether you, or even Mick Foley, likes it or not."
"I don't need no stinking gimmicks" Nash said next. "I'm gonna beat Kane's ass redder than it has ever been. Nobody steals my legacy."
The camera finally panned over to Bischoff. He was smiling that trademark toothy grin of his as he paused for dramatic effect.
"So we've got a singles match, a hardcore match, and an iron man match. What could be missing? What would cap off a great WWE pay per view? You and I Vince, we need something special. We need to settle our issues in the most violent manner possible. If you're going to hand over this company to me, you should go out in style. You should go out giving the people what they want for once.
You should go out in a hell in the cell match."
And so the matches were set. Vince McMahon was no doubt watching the show tonight. He would surely see the segment and prepare the troops and himself for action on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Bischoff's secret weapon was all set and ready to be launched.
Unfortunately, so was Vince's.
On the last Monday before No Way Out, Bischoff and the other strikers taped a segment and sent it in to be played on RAW. They had spent the last few weeks taping anti-WWE segments and sending them in for air play. Sometimes they would get a taped segment aired and still be seen striking outside of the arena later that night. The strikes would stop after the pay per view one way or the other.
Vince had already told the strikers of their opposition. Now the ball was in the other court. Bischoff and crew would pick the stipulations and the historic card would be set.
The camera panned around the room. The strikers were in a gym tonight. Chris Benoit was seen running on a treadmill. Eric Bischoff was using his martial arts skills to kick the hell out of a punching bag. Kevin Nash was lifting weights. Tommy Dreamer was sitting around drinking beer. No one ever accused Dreamer of being the most athletic of wrestlers.
Nash was the first to speak.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again. Vince, we're takin' over!"
The others roared their approval of that comment.
"Do you remember McMahon?" Bischoff chimed in. "Do you remember how I was always one step ahead of you? I put Flair versus Hogan on pay per view before you. I brought cruiserweight wrestling to America before you. I discovered guys like Triple H and Austin before you. I even became the heel owner before you! And this time, I'm going to be one step ahead of you again. I've got a surprise for you on Sunday."
"Unlike you Vince" Benoit added "This man has respect for wrestling. For you, promoting wrestling was always a weakness. For Bischoff it was a strength that he used against you. At No Way Out, we're going to use it against you again. You want to put the best wrestler you have against me? Well that's fine. Shawn Michaels can wrestle all he wants to against me. Because we're going to compete in an iron man match."
The camera went to Dreamer next.
"The fun doesn't stop there Vince. You stole hardcore wrestling. Then you killed it. Nowadays you glorify Mick Foley as a hardcore legend. Well hardcore wrestling is far from dead McMahon. And Foley? The man is a sell out. He stopped being Cactus Jack and started being an author. He gave up what made him famous for what would make him popular. He traded chair shots and barbed wire to sell t-shirts and wear socks on his hand. At No Way Out, I'm going to bring back hardcore wrestling, true hardcore wrestling, whether you, or even Mick Foley, likes it or not."
"I don't need no stinking gimmicks" Nash said next. "I'm gonna beat Kane's ass redder than it has ever been. Nobody steals my legacy."
The camera finally panned over to Bischoff. He was smiling that trademark toothy grin of his as he paused for dramatic effect.
"So we've got a singles match, a hardcore match, and an iron man match. What could be missing? What would cap off a great WWE pay per view? You and I Vince, we need something special. We need to settle our issues in the most violent manner possible. If you're going to hand over this company to me, you should go out in style. You should go out giving the people what they want for once.
You should go out in a hell in the cell match."
And so the matches were set. Vince McMahon was no doubt watching the show tonight. He would surely see the segment and prepare the troops and himself for action on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Bischoff's secret weapon was all set and ready to be launched.
Unfortunately, so was Vince's.