WWE's first PPV after 9/11 was the Unforgiven show held in Pittsburgh, PA two months prior to the Invasion closing "winner-take-all" match at Survivor Series 2001. Believing that the time was right to marshal pro-American fervor into an incredible TV moment, Team WWF member and US Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle was hot-shotted into position to wrestle Team Alliance's Steve Austin for the WWF Championship. Add in that Pittsburgh was Angle's hometown and the stage was set for something special. Angle's championship win was short-lived as Steve Austin defeated Angle for the WWE Championship 16 days later on the October 8 episode of Raw. Though champion for only two weeks, Angle's run being used as a way to attempt to give American citizens something special to cheer for in a time of great depression showcased that on some occasions, Vince McMahon is a classy guy who can find a way to blend common sense and the financial bottom line.
Besides having been an independent professional wrestling manager for a decade, Marcus Dowling is a Washington, DC-based writer who has contributed to a plethora of online and print magazines and newspapers writing about music and popular culture over the past 15 years.
