Always in a position of power on SmackDown, Stephanie McMahon managed to play the role of both heroic woman and evil villainess during her time as an on-air talent with the blue brand. At first, she was the spoiled brat daughter of Vince McMahon and the vindictive wife of Triple H. She relied on those two men to backup any decision she made or shield her from any backlash that she may incur. She was such a unlikable character that fans wanted nothing more than to see her get her comeuppance. They wanted to see Lita or even Jacqueline punish her, beat her up and take the Women's Championship that she had won on SmackDown, just days before WrestleMania 2000. They wanted The Rock to drop her with a Rock Bottom or Steve Austin to open up a can with a Stone Cold Stunner. She was as hated as any other male star on the roster and it made her one of the top stars in all of WWE. In 2002, however, she assumed a new role on the show. As the SmackDown general manager, Stephanie was a strong woman in need of no assistance by any of her male counterparts. She could make decisions in the best interests of the show and stood by them in the face of pressure from the likes of Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. One of the more interesting and intriguing aspects of the character was the fact that, for that first five months, she was never really a defined heel or babyface. She confronted villains and heroes equally and walked a fine line while making the most informed decisions possible. Her feud with father Vince in the summer and fall of 2003 gave fans a look at a new Stephanie. She was defiant, no longer willing to sit back and watch her father's ego run rampant. It led to an emotional story that culminated at No Mercy 2003, where Vince defeated Stephanie in an I Quit match to gain complete control of the brand. Today, Stephanie makes the rare appearance on the show, as she did during the 15th Anniversary special, to lay down the law as one-half of The Authority, proving that the days of impartial Stephanie are far gone.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
