Original subtitles

Bow down to your queen.

Me.

When you think of the most powerful women in WWE

history, one name comes to mind.

Stephanie McMahon.

You think the world owes you something.

Well, guess what?

Reality comes around, and it slaps you right in the face.

From a billion-dollar princess to a corporate titan.

I can do what I want when I want.

Whether settling differences inside the ring

or playing a crucial role in shaping WWE behind the scenes,

the impact that Stephanie has left on WWE

cannot be understated.

Finally, all of you have recognized

what's best for business.

Today, we're looking back at the remarkable career

of Stephanie McMahon.

This is WWE's Greatest Moments.

If you smell-

Oh, my God, what the hell are you doing?

Absolutely unbelievable.

Hulkamania is here.

Welcome, everyone, to WWE's Greatest Moments.

I'm Michael Cole, and on this edition,

we're looking back at the best of Stephanie McMahon.

Having the McMahon family lineage,

Stephanie was born into the business,

but it wasn't until 1999 that Stephanie McMahon

started to appear on WWE television.

Introduced as the kind and innocent daughter of the boss,

Stephanie was caught in the middle of her father's rivalry

with Triple H.

You keep coming up with new ways to screw me,

I'll keep coming up with ways to go through it.

Don't you worry.

At Armageddon, Stephanie McMahon would be

forced to sit ringside to watch her dad defend her honor in a

match that would change the professional and personal lives

of Steph and The Game.

The time has come, no holds barred.

Armageddon 1999.

It's this big match, my dad, Vince McMahon, against Triple H,

and he's beating the crap out of my dad

who's fighting for my honor.

That's her father that's getting punished here.

The match with Vince and I,

people sympathized with him,

and you're doing horrible stuff to him.

Dad, get up.

Don't let him do it.

Oh, McMahon got a low blow in.

There comes this moment where finally my dad

has the sledgehammer, and I say to my dad, "Let me do it."

She wants to hit him.

I think you're right.

Hit him.

And I just can't do it.

Stephanie didn't have the heart to use the sledgehammer.

God Almighty.

And he pins my father.

I'm pouring my heart out all over my dad.

And then, at just the right moment-

I smile.

For the love of God.

Seeing the sweet Stephanie aligning with evil

Triple H was something nobody saw coming.

What is this?

That's part of what made it so great

that nobody saw it coming.

And nobody did.

She's turned her back on her father.

And I've never looked back.

I don't believe this.

After aligning herself with her husband, Triple H,

Stephanie would unleash a power struggle within her family.

Here's to a new era.

The McMahon-Helmsley era.

Steph and The Game would stop at nothing to keep

control of WWE.

And with DX in tow, the power couple was unbeatable.

Don't make me tell you to shut up.

Stephanie would find herself in her first

championship opportunity against Women's Champion, Jacqueline,

where she looked to add a piece of gold to the queendom.

So, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley,

for the first time ever, will step into the ring.

I always wanted to learn how to wrestle,

and I had been training for quite a while.

Oh, no, he's starting the match.

And the referee rang the bell.

He started the match.

Now, wait a minute.

Hey, look out.

Jacqueline going after Stephanie.

Oh, no, she's got her.

She's got her.

Jacqueline going after Stephanie McMahon.

Run away, run away.

Hey.

X-Pac from behind just tripped her.

That doe-eyed young girl,

she played it so perfectly.

DDT.

Oh.

Tori just planted Jacqueline.

I don't know what to do, and DX is telling me,

"Cover her.

Cover her."

Now the referee's back in.

Stephanie doesn't know what to do.

Has the match started?

Triple H telling her to cover Jacqueline.

Look.

Wait a minute.

Look at this.

Come on now.

She stepped into frame, ready every time.

There was never a learning curve for her.

new Women's Champion,

Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley.

To be women's champ when I didn't deserve it

was like a big F you to everybody.

What an athlete, Michael.

Once a righteous young woman,

Stephanie quickly discovered she had the taste

for ultimate power.

In 2016, alongside Triple H,

ran roughshod in WWE as The Authority,

conquering all who opposed them.

Back up and get the hell out of my ring.

The terrorizing tandem would constantly put the drones

below them in their places.

There was no grander stage to do that than at WrestleMania.

In front of the largest WWE crowd ever,

Triple H was set to face off against Roman Reigns

in the main event while Steph was ready to address

her subjects and remind them

just who they were dealing with.

Rise in the presence of The Authority

and show your respect.

I'm addressing this sea of people.

My job was to try to amplify a heel presence around Triple H.

You are merely the blind sheep who follow.

We are the absolute power.

We own you.

Stephanie McMahon cuts this amazing promo

where she captivates the entire stadium.

Now bow down and grovel at his feet.

It was incredible and something I could never forget.

It just meant the world.

He is "The Game" Triple H.

ed new stay

rose to prominence in WWE,

but few possessed the sheer talent

held by Canada's greatest export, Trish Stratus.

As far as the WWE is concerned,

I am the dominant female.

Oh, my God.

Trish and Stephanie going at it.

With personalities too brash to share the same locker room,

Trish and Stephanie quickly made enemies of each other.

Constant attacks and brawls

fueled the fire of their rivalry.

How about a shower?

At No Way Out 2001, Steph would come face-to-face

with Trish in her first-ever premium live event match.

Oh, Trish wants to get it on, and so does Stephanie.

Stephanie McMahon and I were finding out

who was the most dominant female in WWE.

And that's a gold storyline that people were connected to.

It took us on a journey to a place where it culminated.

There's a lot of hellacious action here

for these two women who want to destroy each other.

The buildup had been so fun.

Who was this woman thinking she was going to come in

and take over my business?

Stephanie came to fight, no doubt about that.

Oh, without a doubt.

It shows you what it must mean to be the dominant female

in the McMahon family.

They were both of that point never

main characters themselves.

This match was really just about the two of them.

DDT.

That's got to be it.

Stephanie kicked out.

I don't know if people expected much from us.

But when we got in the ring, and we pulled off what we did,

people were like, "Oh, okay."

This has gone beyond anything

I ever dreamed it would be.

Everything hit.

Like all of our spots,

we hit all of the things we wanted to do.

The story that we told, it actually worked.

There's a powerbomb.

Stephanie got the cover.

Will it be?

Oh.

Yes, it is.

It was an incredible experience,

one I'm so grateful for.

And I'm so grateful for Trish.

Stephanie has proven that she is the dominant female.

Being a figurehead in WWE is no easy task,

especially when superstars are challenging authority.

2014 saw Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella

do the unthinkable and stand up to The Authority.

You can't fire me.

I quit.

Oh.

Oh.

After quitting WWE, Brie purchased a ticket

and showed up to Raw as an audience member.

Naturally, this did not sit well with Stephanie.

Security, eject this woman.

Stephanie sees me,

so she wants me thrown out of the building.

But I had a ticket.

I tell you what, you're blocking the view

of the people behind you.

So, take your seat, Brie, or--

You're doing this out of spite.

You're doing this because I've left my handprint on your face,

and you are a vindictive bitch.

Oh.

Oh.

Wow.

And I slap her.

Well, little did I know, because she's now no longer working

for the company, she presses charges against me.

Under the state of Florida, that's considered

battery, and I'm gonna have to arrest you for battery.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

To actually get cuffed and to get shoved

in the back of a cop car, it felt real enough to me.

I will be right behind you.

I will be right behind you.

Don't worry.

And they hauled me straight to the station.

Stet

and versatile demeanor molded her into a force both

in the ring and on the microphone.

When it comes to business, I'm the man.

And in 2002, when SmackDown needed a commanding

figurehead to take over the show,

the choice was a no-brainer.

Allow me to introduce you to the new

general manager of SmackDown, Stephanie McMahon.

I was announced, right,

as this SmackDown general manager.

Welcome to my show, SmackDown.

And I lost my voice.

I had laryngitis.

You got to rise to the occasion, I guess.

I think it was important to see a female

in a strong position like that.

We had seen her be the most dominant female in the WWE,

and now we were seeing her as the most powerful

female in the WWE.

I won't allow Eric Bischoff

to steal your SmackDown superstars from you.

Eric Bischoff was the general manager of Raw,

and we did have a whole, you know, war between us.

Bischoff, my first official act as general manager of SmackDown

is going to take place right now

when I throw you the hell out of my building.

I really did love working with Stephanie.

She's physical, she's smart, she's intense.

Those are all great attributes for any performer.

Walk your little self out of my building,

or I will have you thrown out.

Being the general manager was a lot of fun.

You make the matches, you determine the stipulations.

Hell in a Cell.

Punish people if appropriate.

You will suffer.

Another privilege and opportunity that I've had.

It was awesome.

You might have too much respect for Ric, but I don't.

Oh.

There's nothing quite like a hard-hitting slap

from Stephanie McMahon.

Whoa.

A number of superstars over the years

have felt the infamous sting.

Oh, my God, what a shot.

And one more was on deck at WrestleMania 31.

Stephanie and Triple H were demanding respect

from the WWE Universe.

WWE wouldn't be possible without me.

They were unceremoniously interrupted.

Oh, my.

The Rock is here.

And the People's Champion would soon find himself on the

business end of perhaps the most vicious slap of them all.

Well, just like The Rock left his heart

in San Francisco, you, Triple H, have clearly left your balls

in Stanford, Connecticut.

Hang on, hang on a second here, honey, just wait.

Stephanie has such an incredible presence.

The Rock knows that without the McMahons,

there would be no Rock.

Rock comes out, which was a big surprise for everybody.

They were so excited.

But the truth is, you wouldn't be in power

if it wasn't for Vince McMahon's johnson.

To deliver a line like that, I was laughing my ass off.

Crass as always, I mean--

Oh.

Wow.

She's not afraid to really slap

the out of people.

Her slaps are brilliant.

She just goes right-right for it.

I was there for that.

I remember hearing that sound,

and I was way up in the nosebleeds.

This is my ring, my house, my people.

Get to stepping, Dwayne.

Get out.

Stephanie McMahon and Brie Bella.

Summer of 2014 saw this rivalry getting very personal.

After previously being arrested,

Stephanie was eager to clear the air with Brie Bella.

If I agree to give you your job back,

you'll agree to drop all charges against me?

I agree.

Done deal.

Oh, wait, there's, um, just one more thing I want.

I want a match at SummerSlam against you.

This is as personal as it gets.

For the first time in over 10 years,

Stephanie McMahon's in the ring.

Working with someone like Steph,

who was born into this business-

it was awesome to bring the house down.

One of the coolest moments is the audience started

to chant, "You still got it."

Which is, like, unbelievable.

Oh.

Oh, look out.

Oh, and Brie. Thesz press on Stephanie.

And Brie unloading.

With Stephanie and Brie,

it wasn't so much about moves.

It was more about storytelling.

And there's Nikki, Brie's sister.

Uh-oh.

Oh, Stephanie's had this coming.

A long time coming for the Bellas.

Oh.

Oh.

Nikki just knocked out her sister.

The crowd just went crazy, and I was like,

"Damn, this is good."

Pedigree.

I always have to have a trick up my sleeve.

Come on, I'm Stephanie McMahon.

I'm not gonna lose.

Stephanie leaving victorious at SummerSlam.

behind the scenes, [Mir

Stephanie McMahon was always looking to elevate WWE,

and specifically, the women's division.

So, when mixed martial arts megastar "Rowdy" Ronda Rousey

was ready to sign a WWE contract,

the landscape had indeed changed.

They couldn't wait to have you here,

because they wanted to manipulate you.

Rousey's known as a trailblazer,

someone who lives to challenge the hierarchy,

which is unfortunate if you're Stephanie McMahon and Triple H.

Oh, my God.

She just buried the COO.

This heated rivalry would come to a head at the show of shows,

WrestleMania 34, in a mixed tag team match,

featuring Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle

taking on the powerful Authority.

Now that's a WrestleMania entrance.

I finally had my WrestleMania moment,

driving down the ramp in front of all those people.

The true power couple of WWE.

The spit, people don't realize how hard that is.

Oh, look at this.

Stephanie McMahon grabbing the hair of Rousey.

This is actually her WrestleMania in-ring debut.

Steph has done a lot of performing.

First match at WrestleMania, 75,000 people.

And she's having a great time doing all that stuff.

Oh, and she's mocking Ronda Rousey.

That's guts.

She trusted me and I trusted her,

and I think we created something really,

really special that night.

Oh, and Ronda stopped Stephanie in her tracks.

Armbar.

Ronda wants to tear Stephanie's arm off.

Rousey positioning.

Oh, my God.

Stephanie taps.

Rousey may have broken her arm.

I'm just so grateful to have had that opportunity,

and to have the match, and to help launch her career.

We have now reached our number one moment,

and quite frankly, one that had been a long time coming.

After years of entertaining the WWE Universe,

as well as innovating behind the scenes within the company,

Stephanie McMahon's contributions to WWE

were deservedly recognized

as she received a surprising invitation.

It is my honor to induct you in the class

of 2026 Hall of Fame.

Stephanie McMahon would take her rightful place

amongst the immortals.

Tonight, my sisters, grandmother,

and I are honored to induct our mother into the WWE

Class of 2026 Hall of Fame.

Thank all of you.

The family is the family that started

all of this for us.

I understand the weight that that carries,

but she never let that weigh her down.

I might not have realized how differently I grew

up than everyone else, but one thing was for certain,

I loved everything about our business.

Her contributions and her legacy is lasting

because of the things she did that maybe you didn't see.

I xeroxed, collated, stuffed envelopes,

and answered the switchboard.

She's earned every bit of success

that she's found.

Whether I was that girl in the magazine or even

briefly leading as chairwoman and co-CEO,

my entire life has been lived through WWE.

She's been a vital player in growth of WWE

for decades.

Since we're here to induct Stephanie McMahon,

who was predominantly a heel, I think it's only appropriate

that we hear what she would have to say.

I recommend you get on your feet and bask in my glory as I,

Stephanie McMahon, am immortalized

in the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame.

I can say without a doubt in my mind

that I would not be standing here

right now without Stephanie McMahon.

I was so proud to see her get inducted into the WWE

Hall of Fame, where she has always belonged.

Whether it was in the ring or behind a desk,

Steph is one of the most inspirational and trailblazing

women this industry has ever seen.

Well, that'll do it for this edition

of WWE's Greatest Moments.

I hope you've enjoyed this look back at the best of the career-

Oh, my God.

of Stephanie McMahon.