4. The Curtain Call
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1vb2tN4XjQ The May 19, 1996 live event in the historic Madison Square Garden started off just like any other. The Ultimate Warrior popped the crowd in a win over Owen Hart, Vader defeated Yokozuna in a war of the behemoths and Steve Austin continued his slow climb up the ladder of success with a victory over Jake Roberts. What the fans in the arena did not know, most of them at least, was that two of the greatest stars of the New Generation Era in WWE were departing the company for greener pastures and bigger paychecks. Razor Ramon and Diesel were slated to finish up with Vince McMahon's promotion before heading down south to Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling and they, along with friends Shawn Michaels and Hunter Hearst Helmsley, planned to send the Bad Guy and Big Daddy Cool off in style. According to many sources, including the 2013 WWE Home Video release "Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come," McMahon was aware of plans for Michaels and Helmsley to see their friends off. Whether he knew about the extent to which the sendoff would go, he may have refused his permission. After Helmsley defeated Ramon in the penultimate match of the evening and Michaels felled Diesel inside a steel cage to retain the WWE title, the four Superstars embraced and said goodbye to one of the greatest times of their lives. At the same time, they were doing a huge no-no by pulling back the curtain for all of the fans to see that wrestling was really just a show and that the hated enemies were really friends when all was said and done. The moment sent shock waves through the locker room. Top Superstars were enraged over what they perceived to be a lack of respect for the business and, with Ramon and Diesel leaving and Michaels essentially bulletproof as the top guy in the company, the heat was placed squarely on Helmsley. That, however, is a story for another time. Never one to shy away from controversy, Scott Hall found himself in the center of one of the most infamous moments in wrestling history, one that lives on to this day thanks to a fan that illegally recorded it some 18 years ago.
Erik Beaston
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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.
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