5 Best moments of Stephanie McMahon's WWE career: A shocking betrayal, father vs. daughter
Former WWE Co-CEO Stephanie McMahon shockingly announced her resignation from the company today following Vince McMahon being unanimously elected as Executive Chairman of the Board.
McMahon retired from the company last year following allegations of paying "hush money" to former female employee. Nick Khan and Stephanie McMahon were named as the Co-CEOs. Following Stephanie's exit from the promotion today, Nick Khan has officially been named the sole CEO.
Triple H will remain as Chief Content Officer as the promotion enters into media rights negotiations and a potential sale of the company. Stephanie has spent decades in the company and entertained wrestling fans countless times.
Listed below are five of the best moments of Stephanie McMahon's WWE career.
#5. Stephanie McMahon and Triple H compete at WWE WrestleMania 34
Ronda Rousey had an epic debut match at WWE WrestleMania 34. The Baddest Woman on the Planet teamed up with Olympic gold medalist and WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle to battle the company's power couple, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
The Baddest Woman on the Planet stole the show when she lifted The Game up in a Fireman's Carry, but Stephanie saved her husband from being slammed to the canvas.
Rousey wound up trapping the former C0-CEO in an Armbar for the submission victory and received a massive pop from the crowd. This was Stephanie's final match with the company and the first in several years since she lost to Brie Bella at SummerSlam 2014.
#4. The original heel turn
Too many fav’s but when @TripleH held up my poor Father @VinceMcMahon’s head after kicking his butt at Armageddon and said “Who’s your daddy now?” was priceless! twitter.com/FalcoPolaris/s…
Stephanie McMahon betrayed her own father over two decades ago at Armageddon in 1999. At the time, Triple H and the former Co-CEO were not presented to the viewer as a couple, nor was the public aware that they were dating in real life.
She was set to marry former WWE Superstar Test, but Triple H ruined the ceremony. The Game revealed on the jumbotron that he had drugged Stephanie, and the two were married in Las Vegas in a storyline that would not fly today.
She later revealed that she was in on it all along and betrayed her father at Armageddon. She went on to mainly portray a heel authority figure for the majority of her on-screen career.
Weddings were an integral part of Stephanie McMahon's character. She was part of another disastrous wedding when she was kidnapped by The Undertaker. The Deadman attempted to marry Stephanie as well, but the Unholy Ceremony was broken up by Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ken Shamrock, and The Big Show.
#3. Vickie Guerrero gets revenge on Stephanie McMahon
Stephanie McMahon accomplished the impossible in 2014 and was able to make the WWE Universe sympathize with Vickie Guerrero. She wanted Vickie to end her career with the company in an embarrassing fashion and instructed several superstars to try to throw Guerrero in a pool of brown liquid.
Guerrero battled back, but Stephanie shoved her into the pool from behind. Stephanie began taunting the manager and paid for it. She pulled McMahon into the pool and danced like the late great Eddie Guerrero to say goodbye to the WWE Universe.
Vickie Guerrero now works in All Elite Wrestling and currently manages Nyla Rose in the promotion.
#2. Stephanie McMahon refused to tap out to Vince McMahon
Twenty years ago, Stephanie was serving as the SmackDown General Manager, and Vince McMahon wanted her removed from the position. The father and daughter squared off in an I Quit match at No Mercy 2003.
Ahead of the match, Vince McMahon forced the former Co-CEO to have a match with one-legged wrestler Zack Gowen against The Big Show. Stephanie and Gowen won the Handicap match following interference from Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar.
Unfortunately, Stephanie was not able to defeat her father at No Mercy. She refused to quit, but Linda McMahon threw in the towel to end the match.
#1. Stephanie McMahon announces WWE Evolution
One of Stephanie McMahon's biggest contributions to the company is her passion for the women's division. She was a part of the Attitude Era and saw the company evolve into a promotion that showcased some of the best female wrestlers on the planet.
A huge step in women's wrestling happened in 2018. McMahon announced the company's first all-female premium live event, WWE Evolution. The show aired at the Nassau Coliseum, New York, and featured Ronda Rousey and Nikki Bella in the main event.
Rousey and Bella's match was massively overshadowed by the instant-classic Last Woman Standing bout between Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair. While there has not been another Evolution event, the company has continued to build its women's division, and many of their biggest stars are female performers.
Speaking to TalkSport in 2019, Stephanie said she was proud of the women's revolution in WWE.
"Proud is the word that comes to mind. I’m so incredibly proud. And these women deserve every opportunity not because they’re women, but because they’re some of the greatest performers in WWE," said Stephanie McMahon.
It remains to be seen whether a second WWE Evolution is on the cards anytime soon.
What do you make of Stephanie McMahon's legacy in WWE? Let us know in the comments section below.