It has become abundantly throughout the course of this piece that the father-daughter relationship between Vince and Stephanie McMahon was far from idea in 2003. They found themselves at odds for the better part of six months, the animosity intensifying as the fall months approached. With their visions for the SmackDow brand clashing on a regular basis and both refusing the back down from the other, a controversial match was booked for the No Mercy pay-per-view in October. The match would pit father vs. daughter, chairman of the board vs. general manager. It would be contested under "I Quit" rules and would be the final time one of the two would be seen on WWE programming for quite some time. The fans in Baltimore were incredibly hot for the match. Stephanie, showing the fire that made her such a successful businesswoman and a dangerous fighter. Her father found out just how dangerous she was early but soon settled down and overwhelmed her in one of the more sickening displays in WWE history. The fans greeted Vince's demonstration of superiority with a loud chorus of boos, disgusted that he would physically assault Stephanie in that manner. He played to the crowd masterfully, eliciting the desired reaction while Stephanie, for the first time in nearly four years, generated such sympathy that it added to the overall presentation of the bout exponentially. http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1gj0fz_wwe-no-mercy-2003-mr-mcmahon-vs-stephanie-mcmahon_sport Stephanie would be choked nearly unconscious with a lead pipe before mother Linda threw the towel in on her behalf. As she made her way up the ramp following the bell, she was greeted with a reaction that mirrored the respect the fans had for her and her efforts in the bout. She would be gone for nearly two years before returning to her evil ways in 2005.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
