50 Things You Learn Binge-Watching Every WWE WrestleMania
33. Just How Much Was Going On In 2001
They say this every year, but WrestleMania X-Seven legitimately was the biggest ever up until that point; certainly in terms of scale married with card quality and buzz. Having to plan that one event alone would've kept anyone busy, but the WWF didn't make things easy on themselves. It's wild to think that Vince was juggling so many plates at the same time. Check out this haul:
He’d just purchased remnants of the dying WCW for a tidy sum, and was negotiating with networks about running Nitro as an opposing brand to Raw. Also, Paul Heyman's ECW was going out of business and the WWF was interested in acquiring some of their trademarks/using some of their best talent. As if that wasn't enough, McMahon was launching the XFL (it should've been called the ICO PRO Football League) at the same time as promoting his biggest annual event.
That time period was insanely concentrated, but that wouldn’t fully sink in until years later.
A scatter of incoming WCW workers were shown watching the show from a skybox midway through, and that ongoing power struggle for Atlanta ownership between Vince and Shane became part of the story to their brawl. So, to recap, Vince was planning a match against his own son that'd see him booted in the balls by his wife, and he was settling WCW's future whilst jumpstarting a new sports league. All at the same time!
Do you think that's enough plate spinning? Perhaps he could've started the WBF up again too. Laziness, that's what stopped him. Clearly.