4. The Peoples Champion Becomes The Corporate Champion
The Rock, the former Nation Of Domination leader, had become so popular with fans for his arrogant attitude, catchphrases and perfectly timed promos that hed entered into an impromptu babyface turn in the autumn of 1998. Entering into a mini-feud with the tyrannical Mr. McMahon, The Rock would face the corporate mascot Mankind at Survivor Series. Now, just to give a little background the infamous Montreal Screwjob wasnt ancient history at this point. It had happened exactly one year earlier, at Survivor Series 1997. Moreover, very little reference had been made to the controversy since then. This wasnt 2014, where a finish harking back to Montreal elicits groans from a weary fanbase: fans were eager for more gossip in the winter of 1998, and the recently enthroned superheel Mr. McMahon owed all of his heat to it and knew it. In the final of the Deadly Game tournament to declare a new WWF Champion, The Rock would place Mankind in Bret Harts finisher, the Sharpshooter submission hold, and instantly be awarded the win, in a style identical to the Montreal Screwjob one year earlier. The newborn babyface The Rock would instantly turn heel, becoming the Corporate Champion, while Mankind, screwed by his evil boss, would instantly become the babyface and fan favourite, and wrestling fans the world over would break their necks scrabbling for a Foley-related variation on Bret screwed Bret.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
