Original subtitles

THROUGHOUT THE 1990s,

MONDAY NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIME

TIME BATTLEFIELD THAT WOULD

TRANSFORM PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING

INTO SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

McMAHON'S WWE FOR RATINGS

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

SAY HELLO TO RAZOR RAMON.

DURING THE PERIOD OF

TRANSITION, A GROUP OF

SUPERSTARS WOULD FORM A BOND

BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

SHAWN MICHAELS WITH THE KLIQ

CAM.

AND WITH ONE NOTORIOUS

GESTURE CHANGED THE HEROES.

AND RAW AND NITRO WERE

ENTRENCHED IN BATTLE, FORMER

ALLIES MAINTAINED THEIR TRUE

TROY LOYALTIES AND LIFTED THE

INDUSTRY TO NEW HEIGHTS AMIDST

CAMARADERIE AND CONTROVERSY.

THE KLIQ OWNS THIS BUSINESS!

RIGHT BACK AT YA, HBK.

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

WELL, THIS IS ONE KLIQ THAT

YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BREAK UP.

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW!

WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?

MONDAY NIGHT RAW!

MONDAY NITRO!

HE IS BROKEN IN HALF!

AUSTIN 316 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR ASS.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

SUCK IT!

WE ARE AT WAR!

[MUSIC]

IN THE EARLY 1990s, MEDIA

MOGUL TED TURNER WAS LIFTING THE

PERCEPTION OF HIS SMALL WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

WCW HAD A HUGE FOLLOWING IN

THE SOUTH.

BUT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BRANCH

OUT AND BECOME THIS BIG

WORLDWIDE ENTITY, THEN YOU'RE

GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A

WAY TO APPEAL TO THE MASSES.

WITH THE HELP OF WCW'S NEW

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ERIC

BISCHOFF, TURNER USED HIS

BOUNDLESS BUDGET TO LURE SEVERAL

OF THE INDUSTRY'S TOP STARS FROM

VINCE McMAHON'S WWE.

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT'S NATIONAL

LEADER.

THE BIG NAMES AT THAT TIME,

ONE AND ONE WERE ABSOLUTELY

HOGAN AND SAVAGE.

THE MACHO MAN RANDY SAVAGE

AND HULK HOGAN TOGETHER!

FOR HIM TO SIGN THOSE GUYS

WITH ALL THAT LINEAGE, IT TOOK

OUR PRODUCT TO ANOTHER LEVEL.

WE WERE ALL NON-CONTRACT

PLAYERS.

YOU WRESTLED, YOU GOT PAID.

YOU DIDN'T WRESTLE, YOU DIDN'T

GET PAID.

WHAT TED TURNER DID WAS OFFER

NON-CUT CONTRACTS TO EVERYBODY.

SO BOOM HOGAN LEFT.

BOOM MACHO LEFT.

I LEFT BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE

FEED OUR FAMILIES.

THIS IS OUR BUSINESS.

WE JUST WANT TO BE AS

SUCCESSFUL AS VINCE IS.

AND THEN WE'D LIKE TO, YOU KNOW,

KICK HIS BUTT.

A ROSTER OF ESTABLISHED

INDUSTRY HEAVYWEIGHTS MADE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING A WORTHY

ADVERSARY IN WHAT HAD PREVIOUSLY

BEEN A ONE-SIDED FIGHT.

WWE COUNTERED THEIR COMPETITOR

BY EMBARKING ON A YOUNGER

DIRECTION, FEATURING FRESH

TALENT ON THEIR PRIME TIME

FLAGSHIP MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

IT WAS A TIME OF TRANSITION.

IT WAS A TIME OF CHANGE.

AND IT WAS A TIME THAT EVERYBODY

WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW.

SUDDENLY BURSTING ON THE SCENE

WAS THIS YOUNG FLAMBOYANT KID

SHAWN MICHAELS.

IT WAS A NEW CHANCE FOR A LOT

OF US YOUNGER GUYS.

WE WERE GLAD THEY WERE GONE.

WE CERTAINLY FELT WE WERE GOING

TO BE THE GUYS THAT WENT OUT

THERE AND GAVE MORE QUALITY

MATCHES AND MORE QUALITY

PERFORMANCES.

THE HEARTBREAK KID SHAWN

MICHAELS WAS HITTING HIS STRIDE.

BUT HE WASN'T THE ONLY PROMISING

TALENT IN VINCE McMAHON'S

FRESH CROP OF CHARACTERS.

SAY HELLO TO RAZOR RAMON.

ALL RIGHTY!

RAZOR RAMON.

THAT WHOLE RAZOR GIMMICK GOT

OVER.

AND IT ALL FELL IN PLACE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD TIMES

WHERE I SOLD OUT ARENAS.

I MEAN IT'S EVERYTHING I WANTED.

RAZOR RAMON, HE MEANS

BUSINESS.

SCOTT AND I HAD KNOWN EACH

OTHER FROM KANSAS CITY DAYS.

WE JUST REKINDLED OUR FRIENDSHIP

HERE.

THEN KEVIN NASH CAME IN.

AND KEVIN WAS MY BODYGUARD AND

HE AND I HIT IT OFF RIGHT AWAY.

MY FIRST DAY IN THE WWE I MET

SHAWN MICHAELS.

AND LATER ON THAT NIGHT, SHAWN

LOOKS OVER AT ME AND GOES, OH,

BY THE WAY, WE'VE GOT SOME

SERIOUS HEAT.

I CALLED THE UNDERTAKER CARROT

TOP THE OTHER DAY BEHIND HIS

BACK AND HE HEARD ME.

I'M LIKE, OH, SO THIS BODYGUARD

IS A SHOOT?

I'M ACTUALLY PROTECTING YOU?

THIS IS GREAT.

SHAWN MICHAELS, CAN I GET A

WORD WITH YOU, PLEASE?

TAKE IT EASY.

I'VE GOT NOTHING ON.

LET ME PUT SOMETHING ON HERE.

DECENCY, TAKE CARE OF IT.

OUT OF THE RING SHAWN AND

DIESEL HAD A VERY CLOSE

RELATIONSHIP.

THERE WAS THIS BOND THAT GREW

BETWEEN THEM.

ON TELEVISION, YOU COULD SEE THE

VERY SAME THING BECAUSE AGAIN

THE CAMERAS DON'T LIE.

YOU COULD SEE THAT, YOU KNOW,

THERE WAS THIS CAMARADERIE

DEVELOPING RIGHT BEFORE YOUR

EYES.

SHAWN AND SCOTT WERE

TRAVELING TOGETHER.

THEY WERE WORKING TOGETHER EACH

NIGHT AGAINST EACH OTHER.

WHICH WAS AT THAT TIME YOU

WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO TRAVEL WITH

WHO YOU WORKED WITH.

BUT THE THREE OF US TRAVELED

TOGETHER EVERY NIGHT.

AFTER THAT, SEAN WALTMAN CAME

IN, 1-2-3 KID.

SORT OF THE WAY WE WERE BROUGHT

UP IN THE BUSINESS IS THAT A LOT

OF THE VETERANS TOOK THE YOUNG

GUYS UNDER THEIR WING.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH HIM.

[BELL RINGING]

HE BEAT RAZOR RAMON!

WHEN MONDAY NIGHT RAW

STARTED, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS

WASN'T REALLY HEALTHY.

WE WEREN'T MAKING VERY MUCH

MONEY.

THE BUILDINGS WEREN'T PACKED AND

IT WAS A REAL STRUGGLE BECAUSE

VINCE WAS REBUILDING HIS CREW

FROM BASICALLY ALMOST THE GROUND

UP.

BUT AS SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

WAS IN A STATE OF TRANSITION,

THESE SUPERSTARS WOULD BAN

TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF THE RING.

A LOT OF GUYS WERE MISERABLE.

WE WERE WORKING ON A TREMENDOUS

SCHEDULE.

AND WE JUST GRAVITATED TOWARD

EACH OTHER.

A BOND WAS FORMING WITHIN

MONDAY NIGHT RAW'S NEW

GENERATION.

AND AS WWE WAS FINDING ITS WAY,

A PROMISING TALENT IN WCW WAS

ABOUT TO DO THE SAME.

WE USED TO WATCH WCW ON THE

WEEKENDS BECAUSE THEY HAD THAT

SATURDAY SHOW.

AND WE'D BE ON THE ROAD, SO WE'D

ALL SIT IN THE ROOM AND WATCH

TOGETHER BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SO

HORRIBLE.

BUT OUR FAVORITE GUY WAS TERRA

RYZING WHICH WAS HUNTER'S

PERSONA AT WCW AT THE TIME.

I HAD GONE UP TO NEW YORK AND

HAD A MEETING WITH VINCE.

BISCHOFF CALLED ME IN.

ARE YOU TALKING TO VINCE?

IN SIX MONTHS, I'M GOING TO PUT

HIM OUT OF BUSINESS.

HE TRIED TO SAY TO ME, LET ME

GET THIS STRAIGHT, YOU'RE GOING

TO GO TO WORK FOR A GUY WITH NO

GUARANTEE.

I'M OFFERING YOU A GUARANTEE AND

I'M TELLING YOU ARE GOING TO

PROBABLY WORK FOUR DAYS A MONTH

FOR GUARANTEED MONEY.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO GO WORK FOR

THIS GUY WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO

GUARANTEE?

YOU'RE THE WORST BUSINESSMAN IN

THE HISTORY OF BUSINESS.

I SAID, WELL, FOR SIX MONTHS

I'LL WORK 30 DAYS A MONTH AND BE

THAT MUCH BETTER.

SIX MONTHS FROM NOW YOU'LL PAY

ME MORE MONEY TO COME BACK.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT ANY

OTHER WAY, ERIC.

I WANT THE OPPORTUNITY.

AND THE OPPORTUNITY IS NOT HERE

FOR ME.

IN THE SPRING OF 1995, HUNTER

HEARST HELMSLEY, A BLUE BLOOD

ARISTOCRAT WOULD BECOME MONDAY

NIGHT RAW'S NEWEST CHARACTER AND

CAUGHT THE EYE OF WWE'S

UP-AND-COMING TALENT.

GIVE THE CREDIT IN TERMS OF

HIS ATHLETIC PROWESS TO HUNTER

HEARST HELMSLEY MAKING HIS DEBUT

HERE TONIGHT ON MONDAY NIGHT

RAW.

HERE'S A GUY WITH SOME CLASS,

McMAHON.

HUNTER IS ONE OF THOSE GUYS

THAT IF HE DIDN'T KNOW

SOMETHING, HE ONLY HAS TO SEE IT

ONCE AND IT WORKED.

HE WAS A BIGGER GUY THAT

COULD WORK A LOT OF DIFFERENT

STYLES.

WE GOBBLED HIM UP RIGHT AWAY.

HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY IN HIS

WRESTLING EXPERTISE RANKS RIGHT

UP THERE.

YOU TEND TO MIGRATE TOWARDS

CERTAIN PEOPLE ANYWAY.

SHAWN MICHAELS, HE'S ONE OF THE

GREATEST OF ALL TIME.

AND AT THE TIME WAS ON TOP OF

HIS GAME IN THE RING.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO WATCH

SOMEBODY AND YOU'RE GOING TO

LEARN, I MEAN WHY NOT GET

YOURSELF AS CLOSE TO THAT AS YOU

CAN?

I GOT ALONG WITH ALL THOSE

GUYS.

THEY WOULD ALWAYS COME BY AND

GIVE ME A LITTLE ADVICE.

I DIDN'T WANT TO RIDE WITH GUYS

THAT DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO THE

GYM AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO

TRAIN AND THEY'D BITCH ABOUT

EVERYTHING.

WHICH WASN'T ME.

I WANTED TO LEARN.

WE WOULD GET A BIG VAN OR

MINIVAN AND WE'D ALL CRAM IN IT.

WE'D DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND

TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESS.

WE WERE ON THE ROAD SO MUCH

TOGETHER, YOU BECAME, YOU KNOW,

LIKE BROTHERS.

NOBODY TALKED ABOUT WHAT THEY

MADE EVER IN THE BUSINESS.

YOU DIDN'T DO IT.

YOU DIDN'T TALK ABOUT YOUR

PAYDAYS.

AND WE WERE THE FIRST FIVE GUYS

THAT SAT IN THE VAN AND WENT,

WHAT DID YOU GET?

WHAT DID YOU GET?

WHAT DID YOU GET PAID?

I GOT TWO GRAND.

I GOT SIX.

THAT'S NOT FAIR.

THAT WAS KIND OF THE KLIQ

MENTALITY ABOUT BUSINESS.

IT'S REALLY THE WAY WE FELT.

ALL WE HAD WAS EACH OTHER AND

THE WWE.

SO ALL THAT DID WAS JUST DRAW

YOU CLOSER.

WE WERE ALL JUST INSEPARABLE.

AND LUGER GAVE US THE NAME THE

KLIQ BECAUSE WE WERE ALWAYS ALL

TOGETHER.

WE WERE THE KLIQ.

THE KLIQ BREATHED NEW LIFE

INTO WWE.

AS THE UNION FORMED BETWEEN

THESE SUPERSTARS WOULD TRANSLATE

TO THEIR WORK IN THE RING.

IF YOU HAVE A PERSONAL BOND

WITH SOMEBODY, IT SHOWS IN THE

RING.

IF YOU GO OUT THERE AND HAVE FUN

AND IF YOU ARE CONFIDENT IN WHAT

YOU ARE DOING, IT TRANSLATES TO

THE AUDIENCE AND THEY CAN FEEL

IT.

THE COVER!

TWO!

YES!

HE GOT HIM!

HE GOT HIM!

WE WERE TOP OF THE CARD GUYS

SO IN SOME FORM OR FASHION MOST

OF US WERE SOMEHOW INVOLVED WITH

SOMEBODY.

IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE IN

THE RING WITH YOUR BUDDIES.

THERE'S A TRUST THERE AND A

COMFORT THERE THAT YOU CERTAINLY

DON'T HAVE WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

A RELATIONSHIP IS FORMED THERE

THAT'S VERY SPECIAL.

I DON'T NEED NOTHING BUT A

BELT AND MY GOOD-TIME BUDDIES.

THE FOCUS ON IMPROVING THE

PRODUCT TOGETHER HAD BROUGHT ALL

THE MEMBERS OF THE KLIQ INTO

MAIN EVENT STORY LINES.

BUT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WAS BUILDING THEIR OWN MOMENTUM,

EXPANDING THEIR BRAND BY

LAUNCHING MONDAY NITRO DIRECTLY

OPPOSITE MONDAY NIGHT RAW IN

PRIME TIME.

WELCOME TO THE NUMBER ONE

WRESTLING SHOW ANYWHERE IN THE

WORLD!

WCW MONDAY NITRO ON TNT!

NITRO AND RAW TRADED

VICTORIES IN THE RATINGS

THROUGHOUT THE END OF 1995.

NOW FACING DIRECT COMPETITION ON

MONDAY NIGHTS, VINCE McMAHON

WOULD RELY EVEN MORE ON HIS TOP

SUPERSTARS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN

STABILITY ATOP THE INDUSTRY.

I WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHING A

RELATIONSHIP WITH VINCE

McMAHON.

I GUESS EVERYBODY IF YOU TALK TO

YOUR BOSS, YOU GET CALLED THIS

AND THAT AND YOU'RE A BROWN NOSE

AND THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER.

WE HAVE A BOSS HERE THAT

ENCOURAGES THAT.

HE COULDN'T DO IT ALL

HIMSELF.

AND HE WANTED TO BE SURROUNDED

BY SUPERSTARS THAT THOUGHT FOR

THEMSELVES.

HE WANTED PEOPLE TO COME TO HIM

AND GIVE HIM THE IDEAS.

WHETHER VINCE LOVED YOU OR

WHETHER VINCE HATED YOU, IT

DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.

VINCE HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP

WITH THESE GUYS BECAUSE THESE

GUYS WERE THE CASH COW.

WE'RE NOT ONLY TWO DUDES WITH

ATTITUDES, BUT WE'RE TWO CHAPS

WITH ALL THE STRAPS.

THE KLIQ'S RISE IN POPULARITY

IN WWE'S FANS AND CHAIRMAN WOULD

NOT BE RECIPROCATED IN THE

LOCKER ROOM.

PERCEPTIONS OF FAVORITISM AND

POLITICKING WOULD BE INCREASED

BY THE GROUP'S EXCLUSIVITY BOTH

BACKSTAGE AND IN THE RING.

THEY WERE ALL ON TOP.

THAT WHOLE KLIQ WAS THE SHOW.

I MEAN THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

WHEN YOU HAVE A DRESSING ROOM

FULL OF 100 OR BETTER PERFORMERS

AND THE PERCEPTION IS THAT THOSE

THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE GUYS ARE

BEING PAID DIFFERENTLY, TREATED

DIFFERENTLY, GIVEN BETTER

SPOTS --

AND DOUGLAS IS IN A BIT OF

TROUBLE!

WHEN YOU HAVE THAT US AND

THEM ATTITUDE, IT NEVER WORKS.

THE DRESSING ROOM AT THAT TIME

WAS VERY NERVOUS AND SCARED OF

THE KLIQ.

NOT SCARED OF THE GUYS, SCARED

OF THE POWER THAT THEY WERE

WIELDING.

[BELL RINGING]

A BOOT TO THE MID SECTION.

BACKLUND ROLLED OVER, THE

JACKKNIFE.

BACKLUND DOWN TO THE CANVAS.

BIG DADDY COOL DIESEL FOR THE

COUNT.

YES, THERE YOU HAVE IT.

THAT'S IT.

A NEW WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPION.

WE DID HAVE A LOT OF TENSION

AND SEEMED TO RUB IT IN THE

NOSES OF A LOT OF THE WRESTLERS

IN THE DRESSING ROOM AND SEEMED

TO ENJOY DOING THAT.

THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT WAS.

THE TRUTH IS THE KLIQ DIDN'T

REALLY DO ANYTHING MORE THAN

WHAT VINCE McMAHON ASKED US TO

DO -- WHICH WAS COME IN AND GIVE

HIM IDEAS, GIVE HIM SUGGESTIONS.

AND THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF IT.

AND PEOPLE DIDN'T LIKE THAT.

MOST GUYS, THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE

GUTS TO DO IT AND HE INTIMIDATES

THEM.

ESSENTIALLY THAT'S ALL IT IS.

AND THEN THEY TALK TOUGH FROM A

DISTANCE.

RESPECTFULLY, THAT'S WHAT A

CHICKEN DOES.

I MEAN THAT'S JUST WHY THEY ARE

CALLED CHICKEN.

ANIMOSITY TOWARD THE KLIQ

WOULD GROW, BUT ITS MEMBERS

EMBRACED THE HOSTILITY.

IT SEEMS THAT THE KLIQ HAS A

LITTLE SOMETHING TO HANDLE.

[LAUGHTER]

HE DIDN'T SAY SOMETHING ABOUT

US, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE YOU SAY

SOMETHING ABOUT US.

WE WOULD PUT SIGNS UP ON THE

DRESSING ROOM DOOR KLIQ ONLY.

OTHER GUYS WOULD COME IN AND

THEY'D BE LIKE THESE GUYS HAVE

THEIR OWN LOCKER ROOM?

WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR OWN LOCKER

ROOM.

WE JUST MADE IT OUR LOCKER ROOM.

THE KLIQ MONIKER WAS SEEN

BROUGHT TO LIGHT ON CAMERA USED

TO DESCRIBE SHAWN MICHAELS' FAN

BASE.

AND WHY ARE YOU WEARING THE

SHAWN MICHAELS T-SHIRT?

I'M PART OF THE KLIQ.

ISN'T EVERYBODY?

VIEWERS WERE UNAWARE THAT

THEY WERE GETTING A GLIMPSE

BEHIND THE SCENES AS THE GROUP

SAVORED THE CHANCE TO PUSH

BOUNDARIES AND BLUR THE LINES

BETWEEN REALITY AND THEIR

ON-SCREEN PERSONAS.

YOU COULD TELL THEY WERE ALL

IN ON THE SAME JOKE.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS.

WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT WHO

STARTS THIS THING OFF.

YEAH, THE ROCKS ARE IN THEIR

HEADS.

WE ALL LOVE SHAWN NOW, BUT HE

WAS A HUGE JERK THEN.

OF COURSE, HE WAS TRYING TO GET

ON PEOPLE'S NERVES BY BRINGING

THE KLIQ TO THE ACTUAL TV

AUDIENCE.

FOR BETTER OR WORSE, THE KLIQ

WAS KEEPING MONDAY NIGHT RAW

AFLOAT IN WWE'S RATINGS BATTLES

WITH NITRO.

WCW EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ERIC

BISCHOFF WOULD TAKE NOTICE.

I THOUGHT WHAT THE HELL, YOU

KNOW.

WE NEED MORE TALENT.

NITRO AT THE TIME WAS BEGINNING

TO GET SOME TRACTION.

THE NUMBERS WERE GROWING.

REVENUE WAS GROWING.

THE COMPANY WAS GROWING.

WE WERE DOING MORE HOUSE SHOWS,

YOU KNOW.

WE NEEDED SOME FRESH FACES.

SO I CONTACTED SCOTT HALL AND

KEVIN NASH.

SCOTT'S CONTRACT WAS COMING

UP AND ERIC BISCHOFF WAS

STARTING TO THROW A LOT OF MONEY

AROUND.

YOU KNOW, IN THIS BUSINESS,

YOU CAN MAKE FRIENDS OR YOU CAN

MAKE MONEY.

AND I REMEMBER LOOKING AT KEV

AND LIKE A KID, X-PAC AND GOING

I'VE ALREADY GOT SOME FRIENDS.

I'D LIKE THE MONEY.

I WAS ALL ABOUT MONEY THEN.

AND I REMEMBER KEV SAYING, WELL,

I'M STAYING.

WELL, COOL.

BUT IF YOU DO COME, BANG, HERE,

HERE'S MY CONTRACT.

AND I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SHOW

ANYBODY, BUT THESE ARE MY BOYS.

I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD

RELATIONSHIP WITH VINCE.

WE HAVE ALWAYS COMMUNICATED

AND I WANT TO VINCE AND ASKED

HIM, CAN YOU MATCH IT?

HE SAID I CAN'T.

IF I DO THAT FOR YOU, I'M GOING

TO HAVE TO DO IT FOR TAKER AND

BRET.

HE JUST WENT DOWN THE LINE.

HE SAID I JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT.

I TOLD HIM ALL RIGHT.

I GAVE HIM MY 90-DAY NOTICE.

WE UNDERSTOOD, YOU KNOW, THAT

WASN'T HIM GOING BEHIND OUR

BACK.

IT'S HIM DOING WHAT WAS BEST

FOR, YOU KNOW, HIM AND HIS

FAMILY.

AND FRIENDS UNDERSTAND THAT.

ON MAY 19th, 1996, SCOTT

HALL AND KEVIN NASH WERE

SCHEDULED FOR THEIR FINAL

APPEARANCE IN AN ARENA WWE

CALLED HOME, NEW YORK CITY'S

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.

NOW WE ARRIVE IN THE GARDEN.

AND IT'S REALLY SPECIAL FOR ME

BECAUSE IT'S ALL OVER NOW.

THIS IS MY LAST COMMITMENT TO

VINCE.

AND I'M STARTING FOR THE OTHER

COMPANY THE NEXT DAY.

AND I'M WORKING WITH HUNTER.

IT WAS MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.

IF THERE'S ANY PLACE IN THE

WORLD WHERE THE FANS WERE THE

SMARTEST AND THE FANS WERE THE

MOST BEHIND THE SCENES, THEY GOT

IT THERE.

[FANS CHANTING]

AND AFTER THE MATCH, THEY ARE

GOING "YOU SOLD OUT, YOU SOLD

OUT."

I'M GOING YOU'RE RIGHT, I DID.

[FANS CHANTING]

I FELT LIKE I SOLD OUT.

I WANTED THAT GUARANTEED MONEY

TO SECURE MY KIDS' FUTURE.

THE GARDEN CROWD KNEW THEY

WOULD BE SAYING GOOD-BYE TO

SCOTT HALL AND KEVIN NASH AS WWE

SUPERSTARS.

RELISHING IN THE EXPOSED

REALITY, THE KLIQ WOULD PULL

BACK THE CURTAIN LIKE NEVER

BEFORE.

BIDDING FAREWELL TO THEIR

FRIENDS AND SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

TRADITIONS.

I SAID, MAN, IT WOULD BE

GREAT TONIGHT SINCE ME AND SHAWN

ARE IN A CAGE MATCH -- I SAID,

YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS ARE WORKING

BEFORE US.

WHY DON'T YOU GUYS COME DOWN?

I'M SUMMONED TO VINCE'S OFFICE

IN THE GARDEN.

AND WE TALK.

AND AS WE ARE TALKING, SHAWN

MICHAELS COMES IN.

HE GOES, HEY, VINCE, I WANT

RAZOR AND HUNTER TO COME OUT TO

THE RING AFTER THE MATCH.

AND VINCE LOOKED AT HIM AND

SAYS, IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT TO

HAPPEN?

HE SAID YES.

SAID OKAY, WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN.

SHAWN SUPER-DEUCED KEV IN THE

CAGE ONE, TWO, THREE.

PEOPLE EXPLODE.

NOW I COME WALKING DOWN THE

AISLE.

YO YO!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

THEN SHAWN CAME DOWN AND KIND

OF LIKE PICKED ME UP AND KIND OF

DID THE BETSY ROSS THING THERE,

YOU KNOW.

THEY HAD JUST GOT DONE

FIGHTING EACH OTHER AND THEY ARE

IN THE RING HUGGING AND STUFF

WAVING TOWARDS THE CURTAIN.

I'M LIKE OKAY, AND I WENT WITH

THEM.

FANS IN ATTENDANCE WITNESSED

A ONCE IN A LIFETIME MOMENT THAT

WOULD CHANGE THE COURSE OF

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY.

WHAT?

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

OH, MY GOD!

OH, MY GOD!

BUT TRADITIONALISTS BACKSTAGE

FAILED TO EMBRACE WHAT BECAME

KNOWN AS "THE CURTAIN CALL."

OH, YEAH!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

MAN, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU

JUST DON'T DO.

GOOD GUYS AND BAD GUYS DON'T

START HUGGING EACH OTHER.

BACK IN THE DAY IN MADISON

SQUARE GARDEN, THAT'S BULL, MAN.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

YEAH, BABY!

I UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THOSE

GUYS CARED ABOUT EACH OTHER.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, MAN.

YOU'RE ON THE GRANDEST STAGE OF

THEM ALL AND YOU'RE GOING TO

PISS ON IT.

YOU'RE FRIGGIN' WRONG, MAN.

OH!

I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, SITTING

IN THE STANDS AND THINKING TWO

DIFFERENT THINGS.

"A," WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE

GUYS DOING?

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

THEY ARE GIVING EVERYTHING AWAY.

AND THEN I THOUGHT THIS IS SO

COOL.

THEY ARE GIVING EVERYTHING AWAY.

IT WAS A COOL MOMENT.

COOL MOMENT FOR THE AUDIENCE,

THOSE WHO KNEW.

IT WASN'T A COOL MOMENT FOR ME

WHEN I SAW THAT BECAUSE I REALLY

DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS LOOKING

AT.

SO I WAS UPSET.

THERE WERE OTHER INDIVIDUALS

UPSET AS WELL.

I WAS IN REHAB AT THE TIME

WHEN THE BIG CURTAIN CALL

INCIDENT HAPPENED.

THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE THAT WERE

STILL LEFT FROM THE CURTAIN CALL

WERE HUNTER AND SHAWN.

AND HUNTER ENDED UP GETTING

BURIED.

AS I WAS DRIVING TO THE

OFFICE LIKE I WAS, MAN, HOW IS

THIS GOING TO PLAY OUT?

KEVIN IS GONE.

SCOTT'S GONE.

KID WASN'T THERE.

SHAWN'S CHAMPION.

GOT UP TO VINCE'S OFFICE AND,

YOU KNOW, IT WAS --

I KNOW I KIND OF SAID OKAY, BUT

IT BECAME SOMETHING I DIDN'T

THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE.

AND NOW THE IMAGE IS OUT THERE.

AND IF I DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT

IT, IT'S CHAOS.

THERE'S GOT TO BE THE

PUNISHMENT.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ON YOU.

YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOT FOR A

LONG TIME.

BUT I WAS DETERMINED I DID THE

CRIME.

I'M JUST GONNA DO THE TIME FOR

IT.

WELCOME BACK LIVE TO THE

FIRST HOUR OF THIS EDITION OF

WCW MONDAY NITRO ON TNT.

TONY SCHIAVONE AND LARRY

ZBYSZKO.

AND WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THE

MAULER COMPLETELY MAUL HIS

OPPONENT STEVE DOLL.

WELL, YOU KNOW STEVE DOLL IS

TRYING TO GET AN OFFENSIVE

GOING.

WAIT A MINUTE.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?

BUT WHAT?

SCOTT HALL MADE A SHOCKING

ARRIVAL IN HIS NEW HOME, WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

YOU WANNA WAR?

YOU'RE GONNA GET ONE.

HALL WILL BE JOINED BY HIS

KLIQ COMPANION TWO WEEKS LATER.

THE MEASURING STICK JUST

CHANGED AROUND HERE, BUDDY.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT.

WCW VIEWERS WERE UNAWARE THAT

THESE TWO SUPERSTARS WERE NOW

UNDER CONTRACT WITH WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

VERY FEW PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT

IT.

EVERYBODY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT'S

GOING ON BACKSTAGE, BUT NOT MANY

PEOPLE DID.

AFTER YEARS OF TRYING TO

BREAK AWAY FROM TRADITION AND

CHANGE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT, TWO

MEMBERS OF THE KLIQ WOULD DO

JUST THAT IN WCW.

I'VE GOT A TICKET.

I CAME TO SEE THE BIG BOYS!

[LAUGHTER]

THEY BOUGHT TICKETS.

YOU CAN'T GET RID OF THEM

THEN.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

POSITIONED AS OUTSIDERS

INVADING NITRO, HALL AND NASH

BEGAN THEIR WCW CAREERS IN A

REALITY-BASED STORY LINE.

THE OUTSIDERS DEBUT WAS

INCREDIBLE BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T

KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

YOU JUST SAW THEM ON WWE

TELEVISION, SO IT'S LIKE, OH, MY

GOSH, IS WWE INVADING WCW?

HERE THEY COME.

THROUGH THE STANDS, THROUGH

THE PEOPLE.

WE NEED TO GET THEM OUT OF

HERE RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S WHEN I KNEW IT WAS

SOMETHING SPECIAL -- THE

REACTION WE GOT WAS LIKE WOW.

AND THE PERCEPTION WAS THAT WE

WERE SENT BY VINCE AND WE WERE

GOING TO TAKE OVER, YOU KNOW,

TED'S COMPANY.

IT WAS SO MUCH MORE FRESH AND

MORE INTERESTING.

NOT EVEN BEING A BIG WCW FAN, I

JUST STARTED HEARING THE WORD ON

THE STREET YOU'VE GOT TO CHECK

OUT NITRO, WHAT'S GOING ON.

BEING INVADED BY TWO OF WWE'S

MOST POPULAR SUPERSTARS HELPED

NITRO TAKE THE LEAD IN THE

RATINGS.

IT WASN'T LIKE THIS, ALL OF A

SUDDEN, THEY SWITCHED SIDES AND

NOW THEY WERE THE ENEMY.

BUT SURELY, WE WANTED TO BEAT

THEM.

AND SURELY, WE WANTED TO BE

BETTER THAN THEM.

AND IF HELMSLEY WAKES UP, OH,

MY GOODNESS --

WITNESSING HIS FRIENDS'

SUCCESS, HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY

WOULD CONTINUE TO SUFFER THE

CONSEQUENCES FROM THE CURTAIN

CALL.

TRIPLE H WAS BEING PUNISHED.

AND MY UNDERSTANDING WAS HE WAS

GOING TO WIN THE KING OF THE

RING.

AND WHEN STEVE CAME IN, HE JUST

HAPPENED TO BE IN THE RIGHT

PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

AUSTIN 316 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR ASS.

WE KIND OF WONDERED IF HUNTER

WOULD GO TO WCW BECAUSE HE WAS

REALLY BEING PUNISHED.

AND HE STUCK IT OUT.

THERE WAS NO SIGN OF HIS

DISAPPOINTMENT IN LOSING THIS

MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY.

I THINK HE ALWAYS THOUGHT HE'D

GET IT BACK SOMEHOW.

UNBELIEVABLE!

I WENT FROM WINNING THE KING

OF THE RING TO GETTING BEAT BY

EVERY GUY HERE EVERY WEEK.

WHILE HELMSLEY FALTERED, HALL

AND NASH CONTINUED TO PROSPER IN

WCW.

ALIGNING WITH THE VILLAINOUS

HULK HOGAN, THE TRIO WOULD FORM

THE REBELLIOUS NEW WORLD ORDER

GROUP AND SOLIDIFY NITRO'S

POSITION ATOP THE RATINGS.

THE NWO IS THE ONLY WAY TO

GO!

AND WHACHA GONNA DO?

THERE'S A PERIOD OF SOCIAL

CHANGE WHERE SUDDENLY WHAT'S

GOOD IS BAD AND WHAT'S BAD IS

GOOD.

AND THERE'S A BIG GRAY AREA.

IT REALLY BLURRED THE LINES.

WE MADE IT SEEM LIKE THE NWO WAS

THIS GANG OF THUGS AND WE'RE

GOING TO TAKE OVER THE WCW.

AND THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE WCW

ANY LONGER.

THIS IS GOING TO BE NWO.

TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE

SEEING RIGHT HERE.

THIS AD RAN TODAY IN THE "USA

TODAY" PUT IN OBVIOUSLY BY THE

NWO.

THERE YOU SEE THEM SPRAY

PAINTING THE MONDAY NITRO LOGO.

THE SUCCESS OF THE NEW WORLD

ORDER STORY LINE BROUGHT ANOTHER

WWE KLIQ MEMBER DOWN SOUTH.

I RECOGNIZE HIM.

THE MAN YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT

NOW, HE WAS FORMERLY THE 1-2-3

KID WHEN HE WAS WITH THE WWE.

BUT WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE

DOING HERE?

VINCE TOLD ME, LOOK, IF YOU

WANT TO GO TO WCW -- BASICALLY

HIS EXACT WORDS IF YOU WANT TO

GO WORK FOR THAT BILLIONAIRE AND

HE CAN PAY YOU MORE MONEY AND

YOU THINK IT'S BETTER FOR YOUR

FAMILY, I'LL GIVE YOU A WEEK TO

THINK ABOUT IT AND LET ME KNOW.

AND I'LL LET YOU GO IF YOU WANT.

IT'S THE OLD CLICHE.

THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER.

MAKE A LITTLE NOISE!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE KLIQ'S

CONTENTIOUS REPUTATION WAS

DIVIDING THE LOCKER ROOM.

IT WAS A LITTLE DISRUPTIVE TO

SAY THE LEAST BECAUSE IT WAS

REALLY A GOOD WORK ENVIRONMENT

UP UNTIL THAT POINT.

THERE WAS A COCKINESS, KIND OF

ARROGANCE DISPLAYED.

IN WCW, THE NWO CAME IN WITH

HALL AND NASH AND WALTMAN.

THEY DEFINITELY HAD POWER AND

THEY WEREN'T AFRAID TO USE IT

AND FLAUNT IT.

I THINK SHAWN WAS A LITTLE MORE

DIPLOMATIC THAN HALL OR NASH

WERE.

BUT ALL THREE OF THEM WERE AT

THE SAME LEVEL.

ALL THREE OF THEM WERE ON THE

SAME WAVELENGTH FOR WHAT THEY

WANTED TO DO, WHICH IS BASICALLY

TAKE OVER THE WHOLE COMPANY.

AND IF NOT, JUST TRY AND MESS

WITH IT AS MUCH AS THEY COULD.

ERIC, I WAS ALWAYS SAID THIS

ABOUT HIM.

WE CALLED HIM EASY E.

I DIDN'T GET THAT BOSS VIBE THAT

I GOT FROM VINCE.

HE WAS GIVING ME AND KEV KIND OF

FREE WILL TO DO WHATEVER WE

WANTED AT TV.

WE CAME IN, WE WERE SEASONED.

SCOTT AND I WOULD ALWAYS SAY,

WELL, YOU KNOW, IN NEW YORK WE'D

DO IT THIS WAY.

I HEARD STING SAY IF I HEAR

THOSE TWO GUYS SAY, YOU KNOW, IN

NEW YORK THIS IS THE WAY, YOU

KNOW --

THEY HATED US.

ABSOLUTELY HATED US.

OH, HEY, HEY!

WE'VE GOT ACTION!

I REALLY WAS, I WAS HARD TO

DEAL WITH.

I COULDN'T HAVE GIVEN TWO --

BECAUSE NWO TOOK OUR INDUSTRY

AND MADE IT HOT AGAIN.

IT MADE IT COOL.

DESPITE BACKSTAGE TENSIONS,

THE NEW WORLD ORDER HELPED WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING MAINTAIN

THEIR DOMINANCE OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, CONTINUING ON

WHAT WOULD BECOME AN 84-WEEK

WINNING STREAK IN THE HEAD TO

HEAD RATINGS.

BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THE

NWO IS THE REASON FOR THE

SUCCESS OF MONDAY NITRO.

HALL, NASH AND WALTMAN HAD

LEFT MANY VICTIMS IN THE WAKE OF

THEIR PROSPERITY.

MOST NOTABLY, THEIR FRIEND WWE

WORLD CHAMPION SHAWN MICHAELS.

HE GOT THE TITLE AND WE LEFT

SHORTLY AFTER THAT.

HIS FIRST REIGN WITH IT WAS

AGAINST, YOU KNOW, THE

JUGGERNAUT OF THE NWO AND WAS

THE PLAYING FIELD THE SAME FOR

SHAWN AS IT WAS FOR ANYONE ELSE.

NO, IT WASN'T.

KEVIN SAID, LOOK, I WOULDN'T

BE GOING IF I DIDN'T KNOW YOU

COULD HANDLE IT.

AND, OF COURSE, HE WAS WRONG.

[LAUGHTER]

BUT THE HARDEST PART WAS BEING

BLAMED FOR GETTING BEAT IN THE

RATINGS OR NOT DRAWING ENOUGH

MONEY.

WHEN THOSE GUYS DECIDED TO

LEAVE, AS MUCH AS HE WAS FRIENDS

WITH THEM, I THINK SHAWN WAS

BITTER BECAUSE HE WAS GETTING

THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE GUY.

AND JUST WHEN HE GOT THE BALL,

THE TEAM LEFT.

IT LED TO A LOT OF SHAWN'S

ANGER.

AND I THINK IT LED TO A LOT OF

SHAWN'S ISSUES.

SHAWN IN THOSE DAYS HAD BIG

PROBLEMS.

HE REALLY HAD A BAD ATTITUDE.

IT'S HARD IN THIS BUSINESS WHEN

YOU'RE TRAVELING EVERY DAY.

YOU'VE GOT TO PLAY THE CHARACTER

EVERY DAY.

AFTER A WHILE, IT GETS TO YOU.

BACK THEN, IF YOU WERE

SHAWN'S FRIEND, HE TREATED YOU

LIKE GOLD.

IF YOU WEREN'T HIS FRIEND, WATCH

OUT.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

YOU IDIOT!

WELL, HOW MUCH OF THIS CRAP --

I PUT UP WITH SO MUCH CRAP

FROM HIM.

WANTED TO KILL HIM, YOU KNOW, SO

MANY TIMES.

IF IT'S INNER DEMONS AND THINGS

OF THAT NATURE THAT BUG YOU,

HOPEFULLY YOU RISE ABOVE THAT.

SHAWN'S PERSONAL AND

PROFESSIONAL ISSUES WERE

MOUNTING.

THE FUTURE OF WWE'S TOP STAR WAS

BECOMING UNCERTAIN AS MONDAY

NIGHT RAW'S RATINGS WERE

DETERIORATING.

THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT

SHAWN MAYBE GOING DOWN THERE AND

THE KLIQ DOWN THERE.

IT STARTED CASTING A LOT OF

DOUBTS ON LOYALTIES OF PEOPLE IN

THE COMPANY, OF WHO WAS GOING TO

BE NEXT.

THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY TALK OF

CAN WE GET SHAWN DOWN HERE.

ME AND VINCE, YOU KNOW, HAD OUR

ISSUES AT THAT TIME.

I HAD MY OWN ISSUES WITH ME AT

THAT TIME.

THERE WAS A LOT OF STUFF GOING

ON THAT I MEAN ME JUMPING SHIP

AND THINGS LIKE THAT WERE NOT OF

THE FOREFRONT.

SHAWN MICHAELS WASN'T THE

ONLY ONE FRUSTRATED WITH THE

CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN WWE.

GUYS THAT ARE THE MOST

SUCCESSFUL CHARACTERS IN THIS

BUSINESS ARE GUYS THAT CAN

CHANGE WITH THE TYPES.

WE WERE JUST TRYING TO BE

OURSELVES IN THE SHOW, WHICH IS

WHAT WE HAD BEEN TRYING TO SAY

TO VINCE.

LET'S MAKE THE CHARACTERS MORE

REAL.

LET'S MAKE THIS MORE

REALITY-BASED.

PEOPLE GET TIRED OF WATCHING

THAT SAME THING AFTER A WHILE.

THEY WANT TO SEE SOMETHING

DIFFERENT.

WHATEVER IT WAS, VINCE

CONVINCED HIMSELF WE WERE DOING

ISN'T WORKING.

WE SAID LET US GO.

BAD BLOOD.

WHAT IS THAT?

THAT'S NOT BAD BLOOD!

THAT'S MADISON SQUARE GARDEN.

THAT'S YOU, SHAWN.

AND THAT'S RAZOR!

AND BIG DADDY COOL DIESEL.

BUT WHO'S THAT?

THAT'S YOU, TRIPLE H.

WAIT A MINUTE.

HEY, YOU WERE A BAD GUY.

I WAS A GOOD GUY.

YOU WERE A GOOD GUY.

OH, VIN-MAN, WHAT'S THE

MATTER?

THAT SUBJECT STILL A LITTLE TOO

SENSITIVE FOR YOU, VIN-MAN.

LIKE THE KLIQ COUNTER PARTS,

MICHAELS AND HELMSLEY WOULD

TOGETHER INFUSE THEIR OWN BRAND

OF REALITY.

GIVING MONDAY NIGHT RAW A

CONTEMPORARY MAKEOVER.

SHAWN AND I HAD BEEN AFTER

VINCE ABOUT DOING A GROUP WITH

HE AND I ANYWAYS FOR A LONG

PERIOD OF TIME.

VINCE DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT TO

START WITH.

AND THEN HE FINALLY -- WE JUST

BADGERED HIM INTO THE GROUND AND

HE FINALLY ACQUIESCED WHERE WE

WERE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, JUST DO

IT.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

YOU GUYS JUST PLEASE GO, SHUT UP

AND GO DO IT.

DEGENERATION X.

IS THAT US?

TRIPLE H, HBK, CHYNA, RAVISHING

RICK.

WE ARE DEGENERATION X.

YOU MAKE THE RULES AND WE WILL

BREAK 'EM.

YEAH!

SHAWN MICHAELS AND TRIPLE H

IN '97 FORMED DEGENERATION X.

SUCK IT!

[LAUGHTER]

AND THEY WERE THEMSELVES FOR

THE FIRST TIME.

AND THE CROWD SEIZED THAT.

AND NOW THE CROWD CAN 100% GET

INVOLVED AND SUPPORT THESE GUYS.

THEY ARE BEING TRUE.

THEY ARE BEING HONEST.

THEY ARE BEING REAL.

WELL, THIS IS ONE KLIQ THAT

YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO BREAK UP.

HE AND I BEING TOGETHER, US

NOT BEING REAL HAPPY WITH WHERE

WE WERE AT REALLY GAVE US AN

AVENUE, AND HIM AN AVENUE TO

REALLY BRANCH OUT.

AND SO I MEAN IT WAS, YOU KNOW,

WHOO, IT WAS ALREADY DONE.

WE WERE JUST HAVING FUN AND

DIDN'T GIVE A --

AND I THINK FANS COULD SEE THAT.

AND THEY COULD SEE HOW MUCH FUN

WE WERE HAVING.

A LOT OF THE STUFF WAS FUNNY AND

IT WAS KIND OF OUT THERE.

AND IT WAS EXCITING.

AND WHETHER YOU LIKED US OR

HATED US, WHEN WE CAME OUT, IT

GOT EXCITING ON THE SHOW.

DX WERE CREATED IN AN ERA

THAT THE WWE NEEDED ANTAGONISTS.

BUT THEY WERE SO

ANTIESTABLISHMENT, SO CUTTING

EDGE AND SO TALENTED THAT PEOPLE

FOUND IT HEART TO NOT LIKE THEM.

WAIT A MINUTE.

WHOA, WHOA!

WAIT A MINUTE!

HOW DARE YOU!

DX CROSSED A LOT OF LINES.

AND TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY DID

BECAUSE THE AUDIENCE WAS LOVING

DX.

SO I WAS GOING TO LOVE DX.

THEY WERE DOING INSANE THINGS

THAT ANYBODY WANTED TO DO AND

SAY ON TELEVISION.

IT WAS AND A SPECTACLE.

THEY WERE REALLY PUSHING THE

ENVELOPE.

AND IT WAS ENTERTAINING TO

WATCH.

WWE HAD FOUND A POTENTIAL

COUNTER ATTACK TO THE SUCCESS OF

NWO.

BUT WITHIN THE KLIQ, THE TWO

SEPARATE FACTIONS WERE

REVOLUTIONIZING SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

THE KLIQ OWNS THIS BUSINESS!

RIGHT BACK AT YA, HBK!

OUR PHILOSOPHY AT THAT TIME

WAS THAT THE KLIQ BASICALLY

SPLIT AND CONQUERED.

WE HAD KLIQ NORTH RUNNING THE

WWE AND KLIQ SOUTH WAS RUNNING

TURNER'S GROUP.

WE WERE RUNNING EVERYTHING.

SO AS FAR AS WE WERE CONCERNED,

YOU KNOW, WE WERE ON TOP OF THE

WORLD.

BOTH DEGENERATION X AND THE

NEW WORLD ORDER WERE HAPPENING

THEIR RESPECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS

REACH NEW HEIGHTS IN THE

RATINGS.

ONCE AGAIN, THE CAMARADERIE OF

THE KLIQ WAS TRANSLATING ON

SCREEN.

IF THERE HADN'T BEEN AN NOW,

THERE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A

DEGENERATION X.

AT THE SAME TIME I THINK SHAWN

MICHAELS AND TRIPLE H WERE SO

CLOSE, THAT IT WAS INEVITABLE

THEY WOULD SOMEHOW FORM SOME

SORT OF GROUP BECAUSE THEY WERE

BEST FRIENDS.

AGAIN, THAT'S VERY PARALLEL WITH

THE BROTHERHOOD WITH THE GUYS IN

THE NWO.

THEY WERE ALL FRIENDS.

YOU ARE GOING TO BE

SIMILARITIES BECAUSE THEY WERE

PART OF THE KLIQ AND THESE GUYS

HAD SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THEIR

BUT DEGENERATION X IN MANY WAYS

I THINK PUSHED THE ENVELOPE A

LOT MORE THAN NWO DID.

BUT I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO

CHANGE OUR NAME TO DOUBLE

D-GENERATION X.

THE THING I LIKED ABOUT DX,

IT NEVER GOT TOO BIG.

YOU LOOK AT NWO WITH HOGAN AND

NASH AND HALL AND STARTED ADDING

EVERYBODY ELSE, A LOT OF PEOPLE

STARTED JOINING IN.

IT STARTED GETTING WATERED

DOWN, THAT NWO THING.

IT BECAME A VERY UN-EXCLUSIVE

CLUB AT ONE POINT, YOU KNOW.

THERE'S NASH IN THE CENTER

THERE.

YEAH.

IT FENDED OUT AND DILUTED THE

WHOLE THING.

WHERE DX FOR US I THINK STAYED

MUCH MORE TO WHAT THE KLIQ KIND

OF WAS.

IT STAYED TRUE TO THAT AS TIME

WENT ON.

AND IT JUST STAYED TRUE TO WHAT

WE THOUGHT WOULD BE THE RIGHT

THING.

WHO IS THAT IN THE RING?

OH!

I HAVE NO IDEA WHO THAT IS,

BUT IT'S A NEW MEMBER OF THE

NWO.

HOW DO YOU GET SOMEBODY OVER?

THROW THEM A BLACK AND WHITE

SHIRT.

THROW HIM ONE.

AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW,

THERE'S NOBODY TO FIGHT.

AS THE NEW WORLD ORDER BEGAN

TO LOSE THEIR IDENTITY,

DEGENERATION X HAD EMBODIED

WWE'S NEW CREATIVE DIRECTION.

A COMPANY-WIDE MOVEMENT KNOWN AS

THE ATTITUDE ERA.

TRIPLE H AND MYSELF'S

ATTITUDES CAME BEFORE WE DUBBED

IT THE ATTITUDE ERA.

STEVE AND HIS ATTITUDE CAME

BEFORE THE ATTITUDE ERA.

IF YOU NEVER WATCHED THE SHOW

BEFORE, MY NAME IS STONE-COLD

STEVE AUSTIN.

AND IF YOU HAVE WATCHED THE SHOW

BEFORE, GIVE ME A HELL YEAH.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I

THINK THE COMPANY RECOGNIZED

THAT HOLY COW, WE HAVE GOT A TON

OF REBELS ON OUR HANDS.

HOW ABOUT WE CAPTURE THAT AND

GIVE IT A NAME?

THE FACT THAT, WE WERE

INDIVIDUALS THAT REALLY FELT

THAT WAY.

WE REALLY MEANT IT.

AND THAT'S WHY IT WORKED.

SUCK IT!

SUCK IT!

THE ATTITUDE ERA HELPED WWE

BUILD MOMENTUM.

BUT JUST AS RAW SEEMED POISED TO

OVERTAKE NITRO IN THE RATINGS,

THE COMPANY'S CHAMPION WOULD

SUFFER A DEBILITATING INJURY.

MICHAELS --

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

THE EDGE OF THAT CASKET RIGHT

ON THE LOWER BACK OF SHAWN

MICHAELS.

I THOUGHT HONESTLY BECAUSE

SHAWN HAD ABUSED HIS BODY BY

BEING THE DAREDEVIL THAT HE WAS

AND DOING THINGS NOBODY ELSE HAD

DONE, YOU KNOW, NIGHT AFTER

NIGHT -- MAYBE HIS NUMBER HAD

BEEN CALLED.

THAT'S WHERE THE FINAL BLOW

WAS TO MY BACK BECAUSE IT WAS --

WHATEVER IT WAS, A DAY AND A

HALF LATER I WOKE UP AND

COULDN'T MOVE.

THAT WAS THAT.

DESPITE SHAWN MICHAELS'

CONDITION, HE WAS STILL

SCHEDULED TO DEFEND THE WWE

WRESTLEMANIA XIV.

HE WAS LIVING HIS LIFE IN A

GREAT DEGREE OF PAIN.

AND I HAVE SEE A LOT OF GUYS,

THEY DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO

CONTINUE TO GO ON IN MASKING THE

AND A LOT OF TIMES, THAT LEADS

TO SOME DEMONS.

EVEN IF I WAS IN PAIN BACK

THEN, MY BODY MIGHT NOT HAVE

BEEN AWARE OF IT BECAUSE I'M

SURE I WAS MEDICATING MYSELF IN

SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

IF YOU THOUGHT I WAS NOT AT A

GOOD PLACE IN '96 WINNING THE

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP, I WAS IN AN

EVEN WORSE PLACE IN '98 AT

WRESTLEMANIA XIV.

I WAS IN PAIN.

I WAS ON PILLS.

MY LIFE WAS A CAR WRECK.

SHAWN WAS SHAWN, BUT AS GREAT

AS HIS TALENT WAS, SHAWN'S

DEMONS REALLY HAD AHOLD OF

SHAWN.

EVERY DAY THERE WAS ALWAYS A

FEELING THAT THE MATCH WASN'T

GOING TO HAPPEN.

BECAUSE SOMETIMES SHAWN WOULD

THREATEN THAT THE MATCH WASN'T

GOING TO HAPPEN.

AS MUCH AS WE WERE EMERGING,

WE WERE GETTING ON THE AUSTIN

TRAIN.

AND I THINK THAT WAS EVEN MORE

BITTER FOR SHAWN TO SWALLOW.

HIS ANGER MANIFESTED ITSELF IN

BAD WAYS.

THE PERSON, HOWEVER, WHO

SINGLE-HANDEDLY BROUGHT SHAWN

OUT OF THE DARKNESS, SO TO

SPEAK, IS TRIPLE H WHO NEVER

LEFT SHAWN'S SIDE.

HE WAS RIGHT THERE HELPING HIM

GET DRESSED SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW,

WHEN SHAWN WAS SO SCREWED UP.

WHILE TRIPLE H WAS TAKING

CARE OF ONE FRIEND, ANOTHER HAD

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A FRESH

START.

I HAVE A BROKEN NECK.

10 MONTHS I WAS OUT.

AND RIGHT BEFORE I'M READY TO

COME BACK, ERIC GETS PISSED AT

KEVIN AND SCOTT.

AND THEIR CONTRACTS WERE SO

IRONCLAD AND THEY HAD ALL THEIR

BASES COVERED LIKE THAT.

IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM

TO BE PUNISHED IN ANY WAY.

SO FOR ERIC TO GET TO THEM, HE

PUNISHED ME.

AND BASICALLY FIRED ME BY FEDEX

TO TRY TO PUT THOSE GUYS IN

LINE.

I WAS LIKE YES, I'M FREE.

HUNTER CALLED ME AND HE'S LIKE,

YOU KNOW, SHAWN'S BACK IS

SCREWED.

AND HE'S DONE AFTER MANIA.

WHEN SHAWN GOT INJURED AND

WAS GOING TO LEAVE, KID'S

CONTRACT CAME UP, X-PAC, YOU

KNOW.

AND THE TIMING JUST WORKED OUT.

SEAN WALTMAN WAS READY TO

RETURN TO WWE.

AND ON MARCH 29th, 1998, SHAWN

MICHAELS WOULD SAY GOOD-BYE.

SHAWN IS SUFFERING FROM

RUPTURED DISK AS WE SPEAK AND

WILL NOT PARTICIPATE AT THIS

PRESS CONFERENCE.

NONETHELESS, HE PARTICIPATED IN

THE ARENA IN AN EXTRAORDINARY

WAY.

AND THERE IS NO ATHLETE IN THE

WORLD THAT CAN SAY THEY CAN DO

WHAT SHAWN MICHAELS DOES.

I REMEMBER SEEING HIM AFTER

THE MATCH.

SHAWN WAS BACK IN THE DRESSING

ROOM I MEAN LAID OUT ON HIS BACK

AND LITERALLY IN TEARS.

AND THEN WITHOUT FANFARE, THE

NEXT MORNING SHAWN IS ON AN

AIRPLANE.

HE'S GONE.

WWE'S RATINGS WERE RISING.

BUT SHAWN MICHAELS WOULD NOT BE

THERE TO ENJOY THE FRUITS OF HIS

LABOR.

TRIPLE H WAS PRIMED TO TAKE THE

MANTLE FROM MICHAELS AS THE

LEADER OF DEGENERATION X AND

SHED HIS IMAGE AS A SUPPORTING

PLAYER.

ONCE SHAWN LEFT, I THINK

THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE AT

THAT TIME THAT JUST SAW ME AS A

SIDE KICK.

NOW THAT SHAWN IS GONE, THAT

THING WILL DIE.

I KNEW THAT NEXT NIGHT I HAD TO

COME OUT AND HIT IT OUT OF THE

PARK IF THAT WAS GOING TO LIVE

AND I WAS GOING TO CONTINUE.

NOW THE BALL IS IF MY COURT.

VINCE TOLD HIM, YOU'VE GOT TO

TAKE OVER FROM THERE.

AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID.

AS ONE MEMBER OF THE KLIQ

WOULD DISAPPEAR, ANOTHER WOULD

RETURN HOME.

YOU LOOK TO YOUR FRIENDS.

YOU LOOK TO THE KLIQ.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

[MUSIC]

WELL, LOOK WHO'S BACK!

OH!

WHAT A COUP HAS BEEN CALLED

OUT, J.R.

THE TIMING WORKED OUT AND KID

CAME OVER, WHICH EVERYBODY KNEW

I HAD A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP

BEHIND THE SCENES ANYWAY WITH

SEAN WALTMAN.

WITH SHAWN MICHAELS AGAIN,

OBVIOUSLY THE DEGENERATION X

FLAME WAS FLICKERING AND DYING

OUT.

IT NEEDED THAT STIFF BREEZE TO

GET IT IGNITED AGAIN.

AND THAT WAS THAT STIFF BREEZE.

IT WAS WAIT A SECOND, THAT GUY

IS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE OTHER

CHANNEL.

NOW HE'S HERE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN

AN INDENTURED SERVANT FOR TWO

YEARS, YOU RUN UP A LOT OF

FEELINGS.

TALK TO THEM, KID.

ERIC BISCHOFF, UNTIL THE

MOMENT I SHOWED UP ON RAW, HE

STILL THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO

CALL HIM TO GET MY JOB BACK.

AND BEFORE I WALKED OUT, VINCE

TOLD ME THEY ARE EXPECTING YOU

TO SAY SOMETHING BIG.

HE SAID SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT.

AND SO I DID.

KEVIN NASH AND SCOTT HALL

WOULD BE STANDING RIGHT HERE

WITH US.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

IF THEY WEREN'T BEING HELD

HOSTAGE BY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

AND THAT'S A FACT, ERIC

BISCHOFF!

SO PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND

SMOKE IT!

WHEN HE SPOKE, IT WAS JUST

HIM TALKING AND GETTING HIS

FEELINGS OUT.

AND YOU KNOW THAT WAS REAL.

HE WAS THE FIRST HIGH-PROFILE

GUY THAT JUMPED FROM WCW TO WWE

WHICH KIND OF SHOWED YOU THAT

THE MOMENTUM WAS SHIFTING BACK

IN WWE'S FAVOR.

LATER THAT NIGHT, TRIPLE H

WOULD SOLIDIFY THE NEW LOOK

DEGENERATION X, RECRUITING WWE'S

TAG-TEAM CHAMPIONS THE NEW AGE

OUTLAWS.

THIS IS MY DX, MY ARMY!

THE WWE, GET A GOOD LOOK.

AND JUST TWO WEEKS LATER, RAW

RECORDED ITS FIRST VICTORY OVER

NITRO IN NEARLY TWO YEARS.

I WAS ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

THINGS WERE GREAT.

EVERYBODY IN WWE WAS PRETTY DAMN

HAPPY.

WHILE WALTMAN WAS

EXPERIENCING A CAREER RESURGENCE

IN WWE, TRIPLE H WAS EMERGING AS

A WORTHY SUCCESSOR TO SHAWN

MICHAELS.

PROVING HE COULD THRIVE AS ONE

OF THE COMPANY'S TOP STARS.

THAT WAS THE TURNING POINT OF

HUNTER'S CAREER.

THIS WAS REALLY HUNTER'S

OPPORTUNITY TO GRAB THE

SPOTLIGHT AND TO PROVE TO

EVERYONE THAT HE COULD DO THIS

ON HIS OWN.

AND HE DID WITH FLYING COLORS.

YES!

YES!

YES!

HE DID IT!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

[BELL RINGING]

HE DID IT!

FOLLOWING A PROSPEROUS SUMMER

FOR BOTH COMPANIES, TRIPLE H AND

THE REST OF THE WWE ROSTER WERE

HELPING RAW SOLIDIFY THEIR

RATINGS LEAD BY NOVEMBER OF

1998.

THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE

BUSINESS THEY WERE REALLY IN.

WE DID.

AND WE HUNG IN THERE, WHICH WAS

VERY DIFFICULT AT TIMES.

BUT WE HUNG IN THERE UNTIL WE

HAD A BETTER MOUSETRAP.

AND THE AUDIENCE GRAVITATED BACK

TO US.

WWE HAD SUCCESSFULLY TURNED

THE MOMENTUM IN THEIR FAVOR.

BUT IN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING, MANAGEMENT ISSUES HAD

ALLOWED KEVIN NASH TO GAIN MORE

INFLUENCE BEHIND THE SCENES.

ONE, TWO, THREE!

THE STREAK IS OVER!

AND HE BROKE THE WINNING

STREAK OF WCW'S UNDEFEATED

CHAMPION GOLDBERG.

WAS IT THE TIME FOR THE

STREAK TO END?

WHO KNOWS?

THAT'S NOT MY DECISION.

WOULD I HAVE LIKE IT TO BE MADE

BY SOMEONE A LITTLE MORE

OBJECTIVE THAN KEVIN WHO WAS THE

GUY WHO WAS GOING TO WRESTLE ME?

ABSOLUTELY.

ACCORDING TO BILL, I WAS

BOOKING AT THAT TIME.

WHICH WAS NEWS TO ME.

I STARTED BOOKING ABOUT SIX

WEEKS LATER.

THEY CAME TO ME AND THEY SAID,

WILL YOU BOOK?

I SAID THAT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE,

BUT EVEN MORE MONEY.

AND ASKED FOR A $500,000 RAISE

JUST TO BOOK.

DONE.

I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN I'LL TAKE THAT HEAT.

FOR HALF A MILLION BUCKS, NOBODY

ELSE WAS DOING ANYTHING.

KEVIN NASH'S BACKSTAGE POWER

WOULD CONTINUE TO PLAY OUT ON

SCREEN DURING ONE OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S MOST

CONTROVERSIAL MOMENTS.

WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

[BELL RINGING]

WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?

THIS STINKS.

THAT WAS HOGAN AND THAT WAS

NASH PLAYING THEIR OWN LITTLE

GAMES AGAINST THE WRESTLING

WORLD.

AND THEY WERE INFAMOUS FOR DOING

THAT.

WE WERE TRYING TO BASICALLY

GET THE NWO BACK TOGETHER.

AND I JUST SAID, WELL, JUST DO

THIS.

SO THAT WAS MY IDEA.

I'LL TAKE IT.

BUT IF I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT

HEAT, IT WASN'T LIKE I DIDN'T

GET PAID.

I GOT PAID.

SO WHATEVER.

DESPITE NASH'S NEW POSITION,

NITRO CONTINUED THEIR LOSING

STREAK TO RAW IN THE RATINGS

THROUGHOUT 1999.

PUTTING SOMEBODY IN CHARGE

THAT'S ACTIVELY ON THE ROSTER

AND STILL BEING ON TV, IT'S

ALWAYS BEEN A DISASTER.

AND THAT WAS NO DIFFERENT.

BY OCTOBER, EVEN NASH

ACKNOWLEDGED HE WAS ILL-EQUIPPED

TO HANDLE WCW'S CREATIVE AND

TOOK A LESSER ROLE BEHIND THE

SCENES.

WELL, SEEING THERE'S BEEN A

LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SAID I WAS A

HORRIBLE BOOKER, BUT I HAVE

BOOKED MYSELF ON THE BEST ANGLE

OF ALL TIME.

I'M RETIRED.

SINCE THEY WERE PAYING ME BIG

MONEY, THEY DECIDED TO PUT ME ON

THE BROADCAST TEAM TO TRY TO

RECOUP SOME OF THOSE FUNDS.

I THREW MY HANDS UP IN THE

AIR.

I SAID YOU KNOW WHAT.

YOU GAVE ME THE TITANIC AFTER IT

HIT THE ICEBERG.

THERE ARE TOO MANY PROBLEMS.

TOO MANY EGOS.

MONEY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS

A JOB.

BUT BOY, WHEN IT'S BAD, IT

DOESN'T MATTER.

THEY COULD HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW,

STAY ANOTHER TWO YEARS AND WE'LL

GIVE YOU $10 MILLION A YEAR.

I'D HAVE BEEN LIKE NO.

ALL RIGHT.

I WOULD HAVE STAYED.

I'M NOT GOING TO LIE.

BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD.

[LAUGHTER]

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WAS CRUMBLING BY THE END OF

1999.

AS RAW WAS CONSISTENTLY DOUBLING

NITRO IN THE RATINGS.

AND AT THE DAWN OF THE NEW

MILLENNIUM, ANOTHER MEMBER OF

THE KLIQ WAS ON TOP OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

THE PEDIGREE!

HE GOT IT!

TRIPLE H HAS DONE IT!

TRIPLE H HAS BECOME THE NEW

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT

CHAMPION!

TRIPLE H IS ONCE AGAIN THE MAN!

ONCE CONSIDERED THE KLIQ'S

FIFTH WHEEL, TRIPLE H WAS NOW AT

THE TOP OF THE INDUSTRY.

HE HAD ALL THE TOOLS.

VINCE TRIED TO HOLD HIM DOWN

THERE FOR A WHILE.

HE DID HIS PUNISHMENT WITH THE

CURTAIN CALL.

BUT THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GOING

TO STOP TRIPLE H FROM RISING TO

THE TOP.

I THINK HE'S TOO DRIVEN.

TRIPLE H HAS THE ABILITY TO

CONSTANTLY REINVENT HIMSELF.

HE'S GONE FROM BEING A BLUE

BLOOD TO BEING SHAWN MICHAELS'

SIDE KICK, TO BEING THE LEADER

OF DEGENERATION X, TO BEING THE

STANDARD-BEARING CHAMPION.

HE WAS THE GUY WHO WAS ALWAYS

MONDAY NIGHT'S BADDER THAN

SOMEBODY, GETTING HIT WITH THE

STAIRS, BUSTED UP, BRUISED,

BATTERED AND TORN AND STILL WAS

WILLING TO STEP INTO THE FIGHT

AND NEVER WILLING TO RETREAT.

HE REALLY IS THAT DRIVING FORCE.

BY MARCH OF 2011, RAW WAS IN

THE MIDST OF A TWO-YEAR WINNING

STREAK OVER NITRO IN THE

RATINGS.

POOR MANAGEMENT HAD LED TO THE

DEMISE OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

AND THE COMPANY WAS SOON

PURCHASED BY VINCE McMAHON.

YOU SEE, IT WAS JUST A MATTER

OF TIME BEFORE I, VINCE

McMAHON, BOUGHT MY

COMPETITION.

THAT'S RIGHT.

I OWN WCW.

BUT THAT WAS NOT THE END FOR

SCOTT HALL AND KEVIN NASH.

THE TWO KLIQ MEMBERS RETURNED TO

WWE IN EARLY 2002 JOINING FORMER

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES FOR THE

FIRST TIME IN OVER FIVE YEARS.

WE CAME IN HERE AND WE KNEW

THERE WAS A TON OF HEAT.

NOBODY WANTED US BACK IN THE

WWE.

THE MAJORITY OF THE LOCKER

ROOM WAS NOT EXCITED THAT THEY

WERE COMING BACK.

POLITICS AND STIRRING.

THAT'S A LOT OF THE THINGS I

HEARD ABOUT THEM.

CONCERNS ABOUT THE POLITICAL

FALLOUT FROM A KLIQ REUNION WERE

QUICKLY ASSUAGED UNDER VINCE

McMAHON'S LEADERSHIP.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE THEM COME

TOGETHER AND ALL WORK ON A TEAM.

IT WORKED OUT VERY WELL.

I WAS GLAD THEY CAME BACK

TOGETHER.

IT WAS FUN TO SEE THEM.

THE KLIQ REUNION WOULD NOT BE

FULLY COMPLETE UNTIL SHAWN

MICHAELS' HOMECOMING IN THE

SUMMER OF 2002.

HIS LAST MATCH MARCH 29th,

1998 AT WRESTLEMANIA!

HE HAS HAD SEVERAL LIFE-CHANGING

EXPERIENCES SINCE HIS

RETIREMENT.

MICHAELS WOULD FITTINGLY

RETURN TO THE RING AGAINST HIS

BEST FRIEND, TRIPLE H.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF

DOUBT.

YOU'RE GOING TO WONDER, IS THIS

GUY GOING TO BE THE SAME OLD

SHAWN MICHAELS THAT YOU HAD

HEARD ABOUT SO MANY YEARS?

THE GUY WHO COULD STAB YOU IN

THE BACK IN A HEART BEAT.

BUT HE PROVED US WRONG.

SHAWN VACATED THE BUSINESS

PREMATURELY.

HE COULD STILL GO OUT THERE AND

PERFORM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

HE COULD STILL GO OUT THERE AND

BE THE SHOW-STOPPER.

MY LIFE TURNED AROUND.

I FOUND THE LORD.

I STARTED A FAMILY.

EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE CHANGED

ALL FOR THE BETTER.

SHAWN MICHAELS PUTTING HIS

LIFE ON THE LINE!

OH, GOD!

THE CARNAGE!

THERE'S A CHEMISTRY THERE.

AND SHAWN AND I HAVE ALWAYS HAD

THAT CHEMISTRY.

WHEN YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF

CHEMISTRY WITH A GUY, YOU MAKE

MAGIC ALL THE TIME.

AFTER NOT BEING IN THE RING

FOR FOUR YEARS AND HE WAS

SOMEHOW BETTER THAN HE WAS WHEN

HE LEFT, I MEAN HE WAS A

COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SHAWN

MICHAELS.

BUT ON PAR IF NOT BETTER THAN

THE SHAWN MICHAELS THAT LEFT

AFTER WRESTLEMANIA XIV.

FOUR YEARS AWAY, THE BIGGEST

COMFORT WAS KNOWING THAT I WAS

GOING IN THE RING WITH HUNTER.

HE WAS GOOD WHEN I LEFT, BUT HE

GOT SO MUCH BETTER WHEN I WAS

AWAY.

OH, MICHAELS!

THE ROLL-UP!

WILL IT BE?

CAN IT BE?

YES!

HBK, MY GOD!

HBK!

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY

A DECADE, THE KLIQ WAS BEGIN

UNDER ONE ROOF.

JUST TO HAVE THE WHOLE KLIQ

BACK TOGETHER BEHIND THE SCENES,

WE WERE LIKE LITTLE KIDS THAT

HADN'T SEEN EACH OTHER IN

FOREVER.

HAVING HELPED PROPEL SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S RISE TO

PREVIOUSLY UNIMAGINABLE HEIGHTS,

THE GROUP'S COLLECTIVE

REPUTATION WAS DESERVEDLY

CONTROVERSIAL, BUT UNDENIABLY

INFLUENTIAL.

THE KLIQ MADE AN IMPACT.

LOOK AT THE MEMBERS.

WHO THEY ARE.

WHAT THEY DID.

THEY ALL HAD REALLY GREAT RUNS.

THEY WERE ON TOP.

THEY MADE MONEY.

YOU'RE GOING TO PISS PEOPLE OFF

FROM TIME TO TIME NO MATTER

WHAT, YOU KNOW.

IT'S JUST PART OF THE ANIMAL.

BUT THEY HELPED A LOT OF OTHER

PEOPLE, TOO.

IT WASN'T JUST FOR THEMSELVES.

AND THAT'S THE IMPORTANT FACTOR.

OUR LITTLE KLIQ CHANGED

SOMETHING IN WRESTLING.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

EVERY ONE OF THOSE GUYS HAVE

BEEN A HUGE PIVOTAL PART OF SOME

OF THE BIGGEST THINGS IN

WRESTLING.

THE POSITIVES OUTWEIGHED THE

NEGATIVES OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE

FIRED THEM A LONG TIME AGO.

THEY RAISED THE IRE OF MANY OF

THE OTHER GUYS IN THE LOCKER

ROOM, BUT THEY WERE

EXTRAORDINARY TALENTS.

IT WAS THE KLIQ, YOU KNOW.

IT WAS THE KLIQ IN THE LOCKER

ROOM.

IT WAS THE KLIQ ON TELEVISION.

THE KLIQ WAS A UNIQUE GROUP.

COLLECTIVELY HAD GREAT BUSINESS

SENSE.

WERE THEY MISCHIEVOUS?

ABSOLUTELY.

WERE THEY MAYBE TO SOME

UNDERHANDED OR UNRULY?

ABSOLUTELY.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, DID

THEY ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS?

WITHOUT QUESTION.

THE IMPACT THAT THEY HAD ON

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT IS STILL

BEING FELT AND WILL FOREVER BE

FELT.

THAT PARTICULAR GROUP OF GUYS,

THEY ARE LIKE A FAMILY.

AND ONE THING THAT I APPRECIATE

AND RESPECT IS THE BROTHERHOOD

THAT THEY HAVE FOR EACH OTHER,

NO MATTER WHAT.

THROUGH THICK AND THIN, THEY ARE

ALWAYS THERE FOR EACH OTHER AND

THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.

THIS QUINTET OF THE

INDUSTRY'S TOP TALENTS WERE

HELL-RAISERS AND HALL OF FAMERS

WHOSE HUNGER FOR SUCCESS WAS

ONLY EXCEEDED BY THEIR LOYALTY

TO ONE ANOTHER.

IT WAS JUST A GROUP OF GUYS

THAT ALL SHARED THE SAME PASSION

FOR THE BUSINESS.

WE'D ALL GET IN THE CAR

TOGETHER.

ALL WE TALKED ABOUT WERE STORIES

AND THINGS YOU DID WRONG IN THIS

MATCH AND HOW YOU COULD FIX

THAT.

THAT'S ALL WE TALKED ABOUT.

WE HAD A SHARED PASSION.

WE ALL NOW HAVE SUCCESSES AND

STRUGGLES AND THERE'S A VERY

PERSONAL ASPECT OF THAT, TO SEE

THAT YOUR FRIENDS ARE DOING WELL

OR ARE IN A GOOD PLACE AND AT

PEACE.

IF NOT, YOU WORRY ABOUT THEM.

YOU STILL CARE FOR THEM.

HEY YO!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

WE HAVE ALL SORT OF COME FULL

CIRCLE AND OUR CAREERS ARE VERY

IMPORTANT.

WE'RE THRILLED ABOUT WHAT WE

HAVE DONE.

BUT WE KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE.

ANY TIME THERE'S A COUPLE OF

US TOGETHER, THERE'S JUST ALWAYS

THAT LITTLE ENERGY.

I THINK I'VE GOT IT NOW.

[LAUGHTER]

IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THERE

BECAUSE WE WERE THE FIRST GUYS

TO PUT TRUST IN EACH OTHER.

NOBODY DEVIATED FROM THAT TRUST.

IT WAS KIND OF ALWAYS THE FIVE

MUSKETEER TYPE THING.

IF WE HAVE ONE THING I THINK I'M

THE PROUDEST OF, IT'S THE FACT

THAT WE HAVE ALL STAYED TRUE TO

EACH OTHER.