10 WWE Moments That Shocked The Wrestling World
2. Vince McMahon Buys WCW
In March 2001, hell froze over: WWF purchased long-time rival WCW. In truth, there'd been a cold spell in Tartarus for some time.
The extent of WCW's hideous decline was emphasised by how easily - and criminally cheaply - Vince McMahon was able to purchase the saleable assets of his throne's great pretenders. In the end, the only national organisation to ever make a dent in WWE's hegemony had wheezed out of existence after two years on life support.
The circumstances didn't lessen the significance of the event. The Monday Night Wars had came to a decisive end, and with the parallel dissolution of ECW, McMahon now held all the cards. His objective of a wrestling monopoly was finally complete - whatever the wider cost of the industry.