4. A Losing Invasion
WWE.comIn July of 2001, Stephanie cashed in her stock in WWE and purchased the rights to ECW. Combining the company with the remnants of WCW, she and brother Shane provided a united front against her father and his company. Determined to put Vince out of business and prove that they were the future of the industry, the siblings made the chairman's life a living hell. They persuaded longtime WWE stars to jump ship and join them in the invasion, including WWE champion "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Braggadocios after every success, it was ego and the underestimation of their father's will to win that ultimately proved to be Stephanie and Shane's downfall. At the Survivor Series in November 2001, McMahon outsmarted them en route to WWE's victory over the Alliance in the "Winner Takes All" match. The following night on Raw, Stephanie lowered herself to begging and pleading with her father not to be banished from the company. She blamed the entire invasion on Shane and clung to her father's leg. She wanted forgiveness but there was none to be had. Vince ordered that Stephanie be removed from the ring. "Say goodbye to Daddy's Little Girl," he said, the audience in Charlotte cheering the spoiled brat's departure. It was a fitting end for the character, who would be gone from television until the return of her on-screen husband, Triple H, two months later.