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00:01Bow down to your queen, me!
00:05When you think of the most powerful women in WWE history, one name comes to mind.
00:11Stephanie McMahon.
00:12You think the world owes you something?
00:14Well, guess what?
00:15Reality comes around and it slaps you right in the face.
00:19From a billion dollar princess to a corporate titan.
00:22I can do what I want, when I want.
00:25Whether settling differences inside the ring or playing a crucial role in shaping WWE behind the scenes,
00:31the impact that Stephanie has left on WWE cannot be understated.
00:35Finally, all of you have recognized what's best for business.
00:42Today, we're looking back at the remarkable career of Stephanie McMahon.
00:47This is WWE's Greatest Moments.
01:08Welcome everyone to WWE's Greatest Moments.
01:12I'm Michael Cole.
01:13And on this edition, we're looking back at the best of Stephanie McMahon.
01:19Having the McMahon family lineage, Stephanie was born into the business.
01:23But it wasn't until 1999 that Stephanie McMahon started to appear on WWE television.
01:30Introduced as the kind and innocent daughter of the boss, Stephanie was caught in the middle of her father's rivalry
01:36with Triple H.
01:37You keep coming up with new ways to screw me, I'll keep coming up with ways to go through it.
01:41Don't you worry.
01:42At Armageddon, Stephanie McMahon would be forced to sit ringside to watch her dad defend her honor in a match
01:48that would change the professional and personal lives of Steph in the game.
01:56The time has come. No holds barred.
02:00Armageddon 1999. It's this big match. My dad, Vince McMahon, against Triple H.
02:05And he's beating the crap out of my dad who's fighting for my honor.
02:09That's her father that's getting punished here.
02:12To the match with Vince and I, people sympathize with him. And you're doing horrible stuff to him.
02:19Don't let him do it!
02:21Only man for the long blow-in!
02:23There comes this moment where finally, my dad has the sledgehammer. And I say, no, dad, let me do it.
02:30She wants to hit him!
02:31I think you're right. Hit him!
02:33And I just can't do it.
02:35Stephanie didn't have the heart to use a sledgehammer!
02:37Oh, God!
02:39Oh, my!
02:40And he pins my father.
02:42I'm pouring my heart out all over my dad.
02:46And then at just the right moment...
02:51I smile.
02:53For the love of God!
02:55Seeing the sweet Stephanie aligning with evil Triple H was something nobody saw coming.
03:02What is this?!
03:03That's part of what made it so great that nobody saw it coming.
03:06And nobody did.
03:08She turned her back on her father!
03:10And I've never looked back.
03:15I don't believe this!
03:19After aligning herself with her husband Triple H, Stephanie would unleash a power struggle within her family.
03:25Let's do a new era.
03:27The McMahon-Helmsley girl.
03:29Steph in the game would stop at nothing to keep control of WWE.
03:32And with DX in tow, the power couple was unbeatable.
03:36Don't make me tell you to shut up!
03:40Stephanie would find herself in her first championship opportunity against women's champion Jacqueline, where she looked to add a piece
03:46of gold to the queendom.
03:51So, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, for the first time ever, will step into the ring.
03:56I always wanted to learn how to wrestle.
03:59And I had been training for quite a while.
04:02Oh, no! He's starting the match!
04:04And the referee rung the bell! He started the match!
04:06Now, wait a minute!
04:07Hey, look out!
04:08Jacqueline going after Stephanie!
04:10Oh, no! She's got her!
04:11Jacqueline going after Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley!
04:13From the way, from the way!
04:14X-Pac from behind just tripped her!
04:16That doe-eyed young girl, she played it so perfectly.
04:22DDT!
04:22Oh!
04:23Tori just planted Jacqueline!
04:24I don't know what to do, and DX is telling me, cover her! Cover her!
04:29Now the referee's back in!
04:31Stephanie doesn't know what to do!
04:32Has the match started?
04:33Triple H telling her to cover Jacqueline!
04:35Look!
04:35Wait a minute!
04:36Look at her!
04:36Come on now!
04:37She stepped into frame ready every time.
04:41There was never a learning curve for her.
04:44New women's champion, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley!
04:50To be women's champ when I didn't deserve it was like a big F you to everybody.
04:56What an athlete, Michaels!
04:59Once a righteous young woman, Stephanie quickly discovered she had the taste for ultimate power.
05:05In 2016, alongside Triple H, ran roughshod in WWE as the authority, conquering all who opposed them.
05:12Back up and get the hell out of my brain!
05:17The terrorizing tandem would constantly put the drones below them in their places.
05:22There was no grander stage to do that than at WrestleMania, in front of the largest WWE crowd ever.
05:28Triple H was set to face off against Roman Reigns in the main event.
05:32While Steph was ready to address her subjects and remind them just who they were dealing with.
05:40Rise in the presence of the authority and show your respect.
05:45I'm addressing the sea of people.
05:48My job was to try to amplify a heel presence around Triple H.
05:54You are merely the blind sheep who follow.
05:57We are the absolute power.
06:01We own you!
06:04Stephanie McMahon cuts this amazing program where she captivates the entire stadium.
06:09Now bow down and grovel at his feet.
06:15It was incredible and something I can never forget.
06:18It just meant the world.
06:19He is the game!
06:22Triple A!
06:27The early 2000s featured new stars that quickly rose to prominence in WWE.
06:33The few possess the sheer talent held by Canada's greatest export, Trish Stratus.
06:38As far as the WWF is concerned, I am the dominant female.
06:45Oh my gosh!
06:46Trish and Stephanie going at it!
06:48With personalities too brash to share the same locker room, Trish and Stephanie quickly made enemies of each other.
06:54Constant attacks and brawls fueled the fire of their rivalry.
07:00And in No Way Out 2001, Steph would come face to face with Trish in her first ever premium live
07:07event match.
07:10Oh, Trish wants to get it on and so does Stephanie!
07:13Stephanie McMahon and I were finding out who was the most dominant female in WWE.
07:17And there's a bold storyline that people were connected to.
07:20It took us on a journey to a place where it culminated.
07:23There's a lot of hellacious action here from these two women who want to destroy each other.
07:28The build-up had been so fun.
07:31Who was this woman thinking she was going to come in and take over my business?
07:35Stephanie came to fight, no doubt about that.
07:37Oh, without a doubt.
07:38Shows you what it must mean to be the dominant female in the McMahon family.
07:42They were both at that point never main characters themselves.
07:45This match was really just about the two of them.
07:48DDT!
07:49That's gotta be it!
07:51Stephanie kicked out!
07:52I don't know if people expected much from us.
07:54When we got in the ring and we pulled off what we did, we were like, oh, okay.
07:58This has gone beyond anything I ever dreamed it would be.
08:02Everything hit.
08:03Like, all of our spots we hit, all of the things we wanted to do, the story that we told
08:06it actually worked.
08:08There's a powerbomb!
08:10Stephanie got the cover!
08:11Will it be?
08:13Yes, it is!
08:13It was an incredible experience, one I'm so grateful for.
08:18And I'm so grateful for Trish.
08:21Stephanie has proven that she is the dominant female!
08:27Being a figurehead in WWE is no easy task, especially when superstars are challenging authority.
08:342014 saw Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella do the unthinkable and stand up to the authority.
08:40You can't fire me.
08:42I quit!
08:47Ooh!
08:49After quitting WWE, Brie purchased a ticket and showed up to Raw as an audience member.
08:55Naturally, this did not sit well with Stephanie.
09:01Security!
09:03Eject this woman!
09:05Stephanie sees me, so she wants me thrown out of the building.
09:09But I had a ticket.
09:10I tell you what, you're blocking the view of the people behind you.
09:14So take your seat, Brie.
09:17Or...
09:18You're doing this out of spite.
09:21You're doing this because I've left my handprint on your face.
09:26And you are a vindictive bitch!
09:35And I slap her.
09:38Well, little did I know, because she's now no longer working for the company.
09:43She presses charges against me.
09:45We're on the追 Gaston райone
09:48and we got thelogo at this The Derby.
09:52What I tell you about the 이걸?
09:53We chose the level.
09:53But hopefully you out.
09:54We call you out...
09:55All you got that!
09:57What you got that guy!
09:58And last we have that guy!
09:58And actually get cuffed, and to get shoved in the back of a cop car, it felt real enough to
10:03me.
10:04I will be right behind you.
10:06I will be right behind you.
10:07And they hulked me straight to the station.
10:11Over the years, Stephanie's incredible talent
10:13and versatile demeanor molded her into a force
10:15both in the ring and on the microphone.
10:17When it comes to business, I'm the man.
10:21And in 2002, when SmackDown needed a commanding figurehead
10:25to take over the show, the choice was a no-brainer.
10:31Allow me to introduce you to the new general manager
10:35of SmackDown, Stephanie McMahon!
10:41I was announced right as this SmackDown general manager.
10:45Welcome to my show, SmackDown!
10:51And I lost my voice. I had laryngitis.
10:54You got to rise to the occasion, I guess.
10:56I think it was important to see a female
10:58in a strong position like that.
11:00We had seen her be the most dominant female in the WWE,
11:03and now we were seeing her
11:04as the most powerful female in the WWE.
11:07I won't allow Eric Bischoff
11:09to steal your SmackDown superstars from you!
11:13Eric Bischoff was the general manager of Raw,
11:15and we did have a whole, you know, war between us.
11:19Bischoff, my first official act as general manager
11:23of SmackDown is gonna take place right now
11:27when I throw you the hell out of my building!
11:31I really did love working with Stephanie.
11:34She's physical, she's smart, she's intense.
11:38Those are all great attributes for any performer.
11:42Walk your little self out of my building
11:44or I will have you thrown out.
11:49Being the general manager was a lot of fun.
11:51You make the matches, you determine the stipulations.
11:55Hell in a cell!
11:57Punish people if appropriate.
11:59You will suffer.
12:02Another privilege and opportunity that I've had.
12:05It was awesome.
12:10You might have too much respect for Rick, but I don't.
12:14There's nothing quite like a hard-hitting slap from Stephanie McMahon.
12:18Whoa!
12:19A number of superstars over the years have felt the infamous stink.
12:22Oh my God, what a shock!
12:25And one more was on deck at WrestleMania 31.
12:28Stephanie and Triple H were demanding respect from the WWE Universe.
12:32WWE wouldn't be possible without me.
12:38They were unceremoniously interrupted.
12:41If you smile!
12:43Oh my!
12:45The Rock is here!
12:47And the People's Champion would soon find himself on the business end
12:51of perhaps the most vicious slap of them all.
12:57Well, just like The Rock left his heart in San Francisco,
13:01you, Triple H, have clearly left your balls in Stanford, Connecticut.
13:07Hang on, hang on a second here. Honey, just wait.
13:10Stephanie has such an incredible presence.
13:13The Rock knows that without the McMahons, there would be no Rock.
13:21Rock comes out, which was a big surprise for everybody.
13:25They were so excited.
13:26But the truth is, you wouldn't be in power
13:28if it wasn't for Vince McMahon's Johnson.
13:34To deliver a line like that, I was laughing my ass off.
13:38Crass as always. I mean...
13:42Oh!
13:43Wow.
13:43She's not afraid to really slap the shit out of people.
13:48Her slaps are brilliant.
13:50She just goes right, right for it.
13:54I was there for that. I remember hearing that sound.
13:57And I was way up in the nosebleeds.
13:59This is my ring, my house, my people!
14:04Get to stepping, Dwayne.
14:09Get out!
14:14Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella.
14:17Summer of 2014 saw this rivalry getting very personal.
14:20After previously being arrested, Stephanie was eager to clear the air with Brie Bella.
14:26If I agree to give you your job back, you'll agree to drop all charges against me?
14:33I agree.
14:34Done deal.
14:36Oh, wait, there's, um, just one more thing I want.
14:42I want a match at SummerSlam...
14:46...against you!
14:52This is as personal as it gets.
14:55For the first time in over ten years, Stephanie McMahon's in the ring.
14:59Working with someone like Steph, who was born into this business,
15:03It was awesome to bring the house down.
15:06One of the coolest moments is the audience started to chant,
15:10You still got it!
15:13You still got it!
15:15Which is, like, unbelievable.
15:18Oh, and Brie! There's press on Stephanie! And Brie unloading!
15:22With Stephanie and Brie, it wasn't so much about moves.
15:25It was more about storytelling.
15:27And there's Nikki, Brie's sister!
15:30Uh-oh!
15:33Oh, Stephanie's had this coming!
15:35A long time coming for the Bellas!
15:37Oh!
15:38Nikki just knocked out her sister!
15:41The crowd just went crazy, and I was like, damn, this was good.
15:46Pedigree!
15:49I always have to have a trick up my sleeve.
15:52Come on, I'm Stephanie McMahon.
15:53I'm not gonna lose.
15:55Stephanie leaving victorious at SummerSlam!
16:00As a leader behind the scenes, Stephanie McMahon was always looking to elevate WWE,
16:05and specifically, the women's division.
16:08So when mixed martial arts megastar, Rowdy Ronda Rousey,
16:12was ready to sign a WWE contract, the landscape had indeed changed.
16:16They couldn't wait to have you here, because they wanted to manipulate you.
16:20Rousey's known as a trailblazer, someone who lives to challenge the hierarchy,
16:25which is unfortunate if you're Stephanie McMahon in Triple H.
16:28Oh, my God!
16:30She just buried the CLO!
16:33This heated rivalry would come to a head at the show of shows.
16:36WrestleMania 34 in a mixed tag team match featuring Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle
16:42taking on the powerful authority.
16:47Now that's a WrestleMania entrance!
16:51I finally had my WrestleMania moment driving down the ramp in front of all those people.
16:59The true power couple of WWE!
17:03The spit!
17:03People don't realize how hard that is!
17:06Oh, look at this!
17:07Stephanie McMahon grabbing the hair of Rousey!
17:09This is actually her WrestleMania in-ring debut!
17:14Steph has done a lot of performing.
17:17First match at WrestleMania, 75,000 people.
17:19She's having a great time doing all that stuff.
17:22Oh, she's mocking Ronda Rousey!
17:24That's guts!
17:25She trusted me and I trusted her.
17:28And I think we created something really, really special that night.
17:32Oh, and Ronda stops Stephanie in her tracks!
17:36Armbar!
17:37Ronda wants to tear Stephanie's arm off!
17:40Rousey positioning.
17:41Oh, my God!
17:43Stephanie taps!
17:44Rousey may have broken her arm!
17:46I'm just so grateful to have had that opportunity
17:49and to have the match and to help launch her career.
17:56We have now reached our number one moment
17:58and quite frankly, one that had been a long time coming.
18:01After years of entertaining the WWE Universe
18:04as well as innovating behind the scenes within the company,
18:07Stephanie McMahon's contributions to WWE
18:10were deservedly recognized as she received a surprising invitation.
18:15It is my honor to induct you in the Class of 2026 Hall of Fame!
18:26Stephanie McMahon would take her rightful place amongst the Immortals.
18:32Tonight, my sister's grandmother and I are honored to induct her mother
18:37into the WWE Class of 2026 Hall of Fame.
18:45Thank all of you!
18:47The family is the family that started all of this for us.
18:50I understand the weight that that carries, but she never let that weigh her down.
18:55I might not have realized how differently I grew up than everyone else,
19:00but one thing was for certain, I loved everything about our business.
19:06Her contributions and her legacy is lasting because of the things she did that maybe you didn't see.
19:11I Xeroxed, collated, stuffed envelopes and answered the switchboard.
19:16She's earned every bit of success that she's found.
19:19Whether I was that girl in the magazine, or even briefly leading as chairwoman and co-CEO,
19:26my entire life has been lived through WWE.
19:30She's been a vital player in the growth of WWE for decades.
19:36Since we're here to induct Stephanie McMahon, who was predominantly a heel,
19:42I think it's only appropriate that we hear what she would have to say.
19:47I recommend you get on your feet and bask in my glory as I, Stephanie McMahon,
19:55am immortalized in the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame!
20:05I can say without a doubt in my mind that I would not be standing here right now
20:09without Stephanie McMahon.
20:10I was so proud to see her get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame,
20:14where she has always belonged.
20:17Whether it was in the ring or behind a desk,
20:18Steph was one of the most inspirational and trailblazing women
20:21this industry has ever seen.
20:24Well, that'll do it for this edition of WWE's Greatest Moments.
20:27I hope you've enjoyed this look back at the best of the career.
20:30Oh, my God!
20:32Stephanie McMahon.
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