Original subtitles

[MUSIC]

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, MONDAY

NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIMETIME

BATTLE FIELD THAT TRANSFORMED

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING INTO

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE FOR RATING

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTENSION AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

ARE YOU READY?

[MUSIC]

WITH WWE ON THE LOSING END OF

THE RATINGS, TWO SUPERSTARS

STEPPED FORWARD TO CHALLENGE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT TRADITIONS.

WE ARE D-GENERATION X.

YOU MAKE THE RULES AND WE WILL

BREAK THEM.

THE ATTITUDE ERA'S MOST

NOTORIOUS FACTION WAS BORN AS

D-GENERATION X DEFIED AUTHORITY

AND LED MONDAY NIGHT RAW BACK

INTO BATTLE.

D-GENERATION X NOW CROSSES

OVER INTO THE FRONTLINE OF WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

[MUSIC]

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW.

WHAT IN THE--WHAT IS HE DOING

HERE?

WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

MONDAY NITRO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT IS--HE IS MOVING AT...

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR -- .

BRET SCREWED BRET.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER.

LET'S GET THESE SUCKERS.

WE ARE AT WAR.

[MUSIC]

YOU ARE LOOKING LIVE AS TNT

AND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

PRESENT AMERICA'S NUMBER ONE

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING PROGRAM,

IT IS MONDAY NITRO.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IN THE LATTER MONTHS OF 1996,

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING'S

MONDAY NITRO WAS DOMINATING

WWE'S MONDAY NIGHT RAW IN THE

CABLE TELEVISION RATINGS.

THE NWO IS THE ONLY WAY TO

GO.

AND WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO?

SPURRED ON BY THE INNOVATIONS

OF EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, ERIC

BISCHOFF, AND THE REBELLIOUS NEW

WORLD ORDER FACTION, TED

TURNER'S WCW DETHRONED VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE TO BECOME SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S NUMBER ONE

ORGANIZATION.

PEOPLE REALLY IDENTIFIED WITH

THE NWO.

IT WAS SO DIFFERENT, BUT SO

FRESH.

AND WHEN YOU SEE THAT KIND OF

CROWD ENERGY AS A FAN AT HOME

WATCHING ON TV, THAT REALLY

HOOKS YOU AS A VIEWER.

WE WERE IN TROUBLE.

THE WCW WAS KICKING OUR REAR

ENDS EVERY MONDAY NIGHT.

THEY WERE TAKING OUR STARS.

THEY WERE DISHING OUT MONEY.

THEY HAD BETTER RATINGS.

AND WE WERE HANGING ON BY THE

SKIN OF OUR TEETH.

NWO IS THE GREATEST SHOW.

POWERED BY AN EVERY GROWING

ROSTER OF FORMER WWE TALENT, THE

NWO'S REALITY BASED STORYLINES

OFFERED VIEWERS AN EDGY

ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL FORMS

OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

WCW DID SOME THINGS THAT WERE

COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF THE BOX IN

TERMS OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN

THE--IN THE WRESTLING WORLD.

THE PRODUCTS WERE IN TWO

DIFFERENT WORLDS.

I MEAN ONE WAS HIP, ONE WAS

COOL, ONE WAS CUTTING EDGE, THE

OTHER PRODUCT JUST WASN'T

GETTING IT.

ALTHOUGH WCW HAD RISER TO

POWER ON THE BACK OF MORE

CONTEMPORARY STORYLINES...

[MUSIC]

WWE WAS STILL STUCK IN THE

PAST.

MONDAY NIGHT RAW CONTINUED TO

FEATURE THE SAME COLORFUL STEREO

TYPICAL CHARACTERS THAT HAD BEEN

A SUCCESSFUL FORMULA DURING THE

1980S.

HELLO, HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY

HERE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO RIFF

RAFF, DELINQUENTS, AND

HOOLIGANS, THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT HAS MORE THAN ITS

FAIR SHARE.

[MUSIC]

I WAS DOING A CHARACTER THAT

VINCE LIKED.

HERE'S A GUY WITH SOME CLASS,

MCMAHON.

COMING IN AS HUNTER HEARST

HELMSLEY AND THE BLUE BLOOD

SNOB.

HE THINKS HE'S A LITTLE BIT

BETTER THAN MOST OTHER

AMERICANS.

YOU DO WHAT YOU DO TO GET

YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR.

AND I ALWAYS KIND OF SAW MY

CHARACTER BECOMING MORE OF JUST

MYSELF.

TIMES CHANGE, PEOPLE CHANGE AND

PEOPLE GET TIRED OF WATCHING

THAT SAME THING AFTER ALL, THEY

WANT TO SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

[MUSIC]

THE WWE, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT

POINT, GUYS WERE OCCUPATIONS.

YOU WERE A PLUMBER, YOU WERE A

PIG FARMER, YOU WERE A CLOWN.

THERE THEY ARE, THE GODWINNS

SLAP BETTING ALL IN THAT BUCKET.

AND THEN THERE WERE THESE

GUYS LIKE SHAWN MICHAELS--IT WAS

SHAWN MICHAELS.

SHAWN MICHAELS'S IN-RING

ABILITY AND POPULARITY WITH THE

FANS HAD PROPELLED HIM TO THE

TOP OF WWE.

BUT VINCE MCMAHON'S SMILING HERO

WAS GROWING TIRED OF PLAYING THE

PART.

[MUSIC]

FRIENDS BEHIND THE SCENES,

SHAWN MICHAELS AND HUNTER HEARST

HELMSLEY HAD WITNESSED THEIR

COMRADES SCOTT HALL, KEVIN NASH

AND SEAN WALTMAN EXIT WWE FOR

GREENER PASTURES, LIFTING NITRO

TO THE TOP OF THE RATINGS AS A

PART OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER.

BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THE

NWO IS THE REASON FOR THE

SUCCESS OF MONDAY NITRO.

LEAVING MICHAELS AND HELMSLEY

IN THEIR WAKE.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT

TO MISS YOUR BUDDY AND THINGS

LIKE THAT, BUT WE'RE GETTING

OUR--YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING OUR

-- KICKED.

LET'S DESTROY THE BROADCAST

BOOTH.

THEY WERE DOING SOME CUTTING

EDGE STUFF THAT WE WEREN'T.

SO SHAWN AND TRIPLE H

REALIZED, "LISTEN, THIS KIDDY

PROGRAM WE'RE PUTTING ON SUCKS

COMPARED TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING."

SHUT UP.

THE WARS ARE GOING ON

SIMULTANEOUSLY, REAL LIFE STUFFS

GOING ON ALSO.

FRUSTRATION WITH THE CREATIVE

DIRECTS IN THE WWE AND PERSONAL

DEMONS BEHIND THE SCENES WERE

TAKING THEIR TOLL AND BEGAN TO

MANIFEST THEMSELVES ON CAMERA

FOR SHAWN MICHAELS.

SHAWN WAS CHALLENGING TO WORK

WITH.

HE HAD SO MUCH PRIDE AND PASSION

FOR THE PRODUCT THAT HE WAS SO

FRUSTRATED.

HE WAS LASHING OUT.

MISTER, DO YOU WANNA --

GET SUED HERE?

YOU IDIOT.

SHAWN'S STATE OF MIND WAS IN

A--IN A STATE OF FLUX, SHALL WE

SAY.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HIS PERSONAL LIFE WAS

CRUMBLING AND HIS PROFESSIONAL

LIFE WAS CRUMBLING EVEN THOUGH

HE WAS AT THE TOP OF HIS GAME.

I'M THE GUY THAT--YOU KNOW,

THAT WAS JUST SO OUT OF WHACK.

THAT WAS MY RELEASE.

SHAWN MICHAELS'S HOSTILITY

BECAME MORE PROMINENT IN HIS

ON-SCREEN PERSONALITY.

MICHAELS, A--BOY, THAT'S A

PROUD CHAMPION RIGHT THERE.

DESPERATE TO TURN THEIR

FORTUNES AROUND, WWE WOULD PAIR

THE TWO DISGRUNTLED SUPERSTARS

TOGETHER.

THE DUO WOULD CHANNEL THEIR

AGGRESSIONS TO FORGE A NEW

DIRECTION.

WHATEVER IT WAS VINCE

CONVINCED HIMSELF WE WERE DOING

WASN'T WORKING.

IT'S LIKE, "LET US GO."

[MUSIC]

WE WERE JUST TRYING TO BE

OURSELVES WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE

BEEN TRYING TO SAY TO VINCE

LIKE, "LET GUYS BE THEMSELVES."

WELL, VINCE DIDN'T WANNA DO

IT TO START WITH.

AND THEN FINALLY WE JUST

BADGERED HIM INTO THE GROUND AND

HE FINALLY ACQUIESCED TO LIKE,

"ALL RIGHT, JUST DO IT.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, YOU GUYS

JUST GO, PLEASE JUST SHUT UP AND

GO DO IT."

[CROWD CHEERING]

BUT THIS PARTNERSHIP WAS MORE

THAN JUST A STANDARD TAG TEAM.

HERE HE COMES, THE NEW

EUROPEAN CHAMPION, THE ARROGANT

SHAWN MICHAELS.

A MORE BRASH VERSION OF THE

ICONIC HEARTBREAK KID, SHAWN

MICHAELS WAS PAIRED WITH AN

EDGIER HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY

DUBBED TRIPLE H.

GET YOUR FAT -- OUT HERE.

WITH THESE TWO SUPERSTARS AT

THE HELM, AN OMINOUS AMAZON

WOULD JOIN THE COALITION.

[MUSIC]

CHYNA BROUGHT WITH HER A

FOREBODING FEMININE TOUCH.

CHYNA WAS JUST A SIGHT TO BE

SEEN, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE FIRST

TIME SHE CAME OUT, I WAS JUST

LIKE, "WHO IS THIS PERSON?"

SHE'S MASSIVE.

SHE'S HUGE.

SHE BROUGHT SUCH AN

INTERESTING DYNAMIC TO THE

GROUP.

IT WASN'T JUST LIKE HAVING A

NORMAL VALET SITTING OUT THERE

THAT WASN'T GONNA DO YOU ANY

DAMAGE, CHYNA COULD BEAT YOU UP.

DID YOU SEE WHAT CHYNA JUST

DID?

YES.

CHYNA GIVES NEW MEANING TO THE

TERM FEMININE PROTECTION.

HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY,

CHYNA, HBK.

CHYNA WAS WITH US AND I DON'T

EVEN RECALL ACTUALLY HOW SOMEHOW

RICK RUDE WAS WITH US.

I THINK JUST BECAUSE WE LIKED

RICK AND WE'RE LIKE, "DO YOU

WANNA DO THIS GROUP WITH US?"

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?

AND HE'S LIKE, "WHAT AM I GONNA

DO?"

AND, "I DON'T KNOW.

JUST HANG OUT WITH US."

[CROWD CHEERING]

TRIPLE H AND MYSELF, OUR

SENSE OF HUMOR, HE AND I BEING

TOGETHER, US NOT BEING REAL

HAPPY WAS WHERE WE WERE AT

REALLY GAVE US AN AVENUE TO

REALLY BRANCH OUT.

MICHAELS AND TRIPLE H NEVER

LOOKED BACK.

AND LET'S GO TO THE WISE --

OF THE WWE, PERHAPS...

MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS HIT WITH

A DOSE OF REALITY AS THIS GROUP

OF MISFITS PULLS BACK THE

LOOK AT THOSE PUNKS.

OH.

AND USE THEIR BACKSTAGE

PERSONALITIES TO HAVE FUN AT

EVERYONE ELSE'S EXPENSE.

MICHAELS AND HUNTER HEARST

HELMSLEY.

WE JUST WOULD DO THE CRAZIEST

THING WE COULD THINK OF.

AND WE WERE BOTH COMING AT IT

FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE THAN WE

ARE NOW.

WE'RE BOTH ANGRY AND JUST TRYING

TO MAKE A POINT.

WE PULL YOUR STRING.

WELL, I...

AND I PULL YOUR STRING AND

TELL YOU TO TALK.

SHUT UP.

SHAWN AND HUNTER HAVE THAT

ATTITUDE.

I MEAN THEY ARE THOSE GUYS.

THEY'RE VERY SARCASTIC, YOU

KNOW, ABRASIVE IN THEIR

PERSONALITIES AT TIMES.

AND THEN JUST SAY, "WE DO WHAT

WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN OURSELVES

AND IF PEOPLE LIKE IT, GREAT.

IF THEY DON'T, WE'RE GONNA DO IT

ANYWAYS."

HUNTER COULD EVEN BREAK WIND

WITH SGT.

SLAUGHTER, THANK GOODNESS HE

JUST FARTED, SO HE BROKE WIND

NOW.

THEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT RULES.

THEY DIDN'T CARE ABOUT

BOUNDARIES OR ANYTHING LIKE

THAT.

THEY JUST KIND OF WENT BEYOND

THEM.

WAIT A MINUTE.

THIS IS GOING ENTIRELY TOO FAR.

THEY PUSHED THE ENVELOPE.

AND I THINK WE ALL KNEW AT THE

TIME THAT, "WOW, WE'RE ONTO

SOMETHING HERE."

WORKING TOGETHER, THESE

SUPERSTARS WERE LOOKING TO

IGNITE A COMPANY-WIDE EVOLUTION.

AND IN AUGUST OF 1997, MONDAY

NIGHT RAW'S RATINGS BEGAN TO

RISE AS THEIR ANTICS CAUGHT ON

WITH WWE'S AUDIENCE.

TRIPLE H AND SHAWN MICHAELS,

THEY MUST HAVE SPENT HOURS AND

HOURS THINKING OF WAYS TO GET ON

MY NERVES.

WE NEVER KNEW WHAT WAS GONNA

HAPPEN.

YOU WANT KEN SHAMROCK IN A

MATCH HERE NEXT WEEK ON RAW?

ALL RIGHT.

HOLD ON, HOLD ON.

WHEN I YELL AND SCREAM, SPIT

GOES EVERYWHERE.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?

NEXT THING I KNOW, I SEE THEY

HAVE TWO PAPER BAGS.

WE'RE DOING LIVE TELEVISION HERE

AND THEY'VE GOT THESE WELDER'S

MASKS AND THEY HAD WINDSHIELD

WIPERS ON THEM.

OKAY.

WE'RE READY.

NOW, YOU CAN GO.

WE'RE INTERVIEWING THE NIGHT

BREAK GYM CLASS.

THE COUNTRY IN ENOUGH ITSELF

WAS SORT OF IN A REBELLIOUS

STATE OF MIND.

AND THAT'S HOW WE FELT AT THE

TIME.

I JUST REMEMBER THEM ACTING

HOW I ACTED IN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU

KNOW, LIKE I DON'T WANNA BE

HERE.

I DON'T WANNA DO WHAT YOU'RE

TELLING ME TO DO.

YOU GOT TO SIT IT ON TV AND

YOU GOT TO LIVE VICARIOUSLY

THROUGH THEM.

ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT ATTITUDE

AND REBELLIOUS PERSONALITY WOULD

SOON BE EMBODIED IN A TWO-WORD

MANTRA.

OKAY, SERGE, WE'LL START

SHOWING YOU SOME RESPECT.

[MUSIC]

SUCK IT.

UNBELIEVABLE.

OH, THAT'S CLASSY.

ALL RIGHT.

I CAN'T--BUT THIS IS GOING TOO

FAR.

THAT WAS HONESTLY SOMETHING

THAT WE WERE SAYING TWO ONE

ANOTHER IN REAL LIFE WHEN

SOMEBODY DIDN'T AGREE WITH A

TRAIN OF THOUGHT THAT WE WERE

VERY MUCH BEHIND.

AND IT DOESN'T LIVE A LOT TO THE

IMAGINATION.

YOU GOT MY ATTENTION.

THOSE ON THE RECEIVING AND

MAY NOT HAVE LIKED IT, BUT FANS

HAD BEGAN TO EMBRACE IT.

THERE WAS NO DENYING THE GROWING

POPULARITY OF THESE DEFIANT

SUPERSTARS.

ONE, TWO, THREE, SUCK IT.

[MUSIC]

THIS HAS GOT--AND YOU GOT A

SMILE ON YOUR FACE.

SUCK IT CHANTS AND, YOU KNOW,

THE GESTURES.

THEY WERE RIGHT ON THE EDGE IN

EVERYTHING THAT THEY WERE DOING,

BUT YET SOMETIMES A LITTLE BIT

OVER THE EDGE.

THE STINTS OF THIS BEHAVIOR

IS ABSOLUTELY NAUSEATING.

WHAT'S THE MATTER, ROSS, DO

YOU THINK THIS IS SICK IN THE

NEW LOWS?

I THINK IT'S HORRIBLE.

PEOPLE WHO WERE MORE

TRADITIONAL IN THE LOCKER ROOM

WOULD BLANCH, "OH, WAIT A

MINUTE, THEY CAN'T CROSS THAT

LINE."

OH, GOOD LORD.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I

APOLOGIZE.

THE THINGS THAT WE DID AT

THAT POINT IN TIME WERE SEEN US

CROSSING THE LINE, SO I THINK A

LOT OF IT WERE SEEN IN A LOT OF

WAYS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE

BUSINESS, LIKE, "THESE GUYS ARE

KILLING THE BUSINESS.

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?"

HE'S PICKING HIS NOSE...

HELMSLEY IS...

...WITH THAT CANADIAN FLAG,

LOOK AT THIS.

WHAT IS HE DO--THAT IS..

OH, NO.

...COMPLETELY IN UTTER

DISREGARD.

AND IT'S THAT FUNNY.

YOU GOT TO ADMIT.

IT AIN'T THAT FUNNY.

I LOVE CANADA.

THEY REALLY DID SEEM TO RUB

IN THE NOSES OF A LOT OF THE

WRESTLERS ON THE--IN THE DRESSER

ROOM AND SEEMED TO ENJOY DOING

THAT.

MAKING EVERYONE UNEASY, ROUGHING

EVERYONE'S FEATHERS AND ALL THAT

KIND OF STUFF.

AND HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS ALL A

THUMB IN THE EYE TO GUYS LIKE ME

AND JUST TO SHOW ME THAT THEY

COULD DO WHATEVER--I'LL NEVER

REALLY KNOW.

SHAWN MICHAELS, BOY TOY.

YES, BRET HART.

YOU'RE A DISGRACE TO

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A DEGENERATE.

THAT'S HOW IT ALL STARTED.

THEY WERE DEGENERATES IN BRET'S

MIND.

[MUSIC]

YOU TALK ABOUT US BEING

DEGENERATE, D-GENERATION X, IS

THAT US?

D-GENERATION X, TRIPLE H, HBK,

CHYNA, "RAVISHING" RICK, WE ARE

D-GENERATION X.

YOU MAKE THE RULES AND WE WILL

BREAK THEM, YEAH.

FOLKS, WE PROMISE WE'RE GONNA

GET AN INTERVIEW WITH SHAWN

MICHAELS, HUNTER HEARST

HELMSLEY, RICK RUDE, AND CHYNA,

AND THE REST OF THE FOLKS.

AND HERE THEY ARE.

OH, COME ON, GUYS.

GUYS, COME ON, GUYS.

WITH THEIR SOPHOMORIC STYLE

OF HUMOR AND HIJACKS,

D-GENERATION X HAD SUCCESSFULLY

BROKEN THE MOLD OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT SUPERSTARS.

AS A PURIST, I HATED IT,

BECAUSE LIKE THESE GUYS ARE JUST

MAKING MOCKERY OF EVERYTHING.

HEY, SHAWN, GUY, YOU WANNA DO

AN INTERVIEW?

COME HERE.

BUT AS A FAN, I WAS LIKE,

"THIS IS LIKE SO FUNNY."

FORGET IT, RICK.

THAT WATER MUST BE COLD.

THAT THING SHRUNK RIGHT UP.

OH.

HEY, IT'S D-GENERATION X.

THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE TELLING

YOU, IT WAS, YOU KNOW.

[MUSIC]

THESE DEGENERATES PROVIDED

WWE FANS WITH A MORE TRUE TO

LIFE BLEND OF VILLAIN AND HERO.

[MUSIC]

IT WAS REALISTIC, YOU KNOW.

IT WAS VERY SHADES OF GRAY.

IT WASN'T JUST LIKE, I'M A BAD

GUY OR, HEY, I'M SMILING AND I

GOT MY HANDS UP.

[CROWD CHEERING]

SUCK IT, SUCK IT.

I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE

FIRST BIG MOVES THAT THIS

COMPANY MADE ACTUALLY TO REGAIN

ITS POSITION, BUT IT LOOKED TO

ME LIKE DX WAS NOTHING MORE THAN

A RIP OFF OR AN EVOLUTION OF

WHAT WE HAD CREATED WITH NWO.

I DON'T SEE THE COMPARISON.

OURS WAS MORE SEXUAL INNUENDO,

THEIRS WAS ALMOST GANGSTER.

THUG LIFE, BABY, THUG LIFE.

I MEAN THEY'RE A BUNCH OF

FRUSTRATED WHITE GUYS TRYING TO

BE GANGSTER.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THEY BEAT EVERYBODY UP ALL

THE TIME.

WE GOT BEAT UP ALL THE TIME.

THIS NWO IS OUT TO DOMINATE

AND DESTROY.

NWO, THEY WERE A HOSTILE

TAKEOVER.

THEY WANTED TO TAKEOVER THE

COMPANY AND TAKE OVER THE

BUSINESS.

DX WAS DIFFERENT BECAUSE DX

WAS MORE, "LET'S ENTERTAIN,

LET'S CREATE CONTROVERSY, LET'S

GET PEOPLE AT THE WATER COOLER

THE NEXT DAY AT WORK TALK ABOUT

WHAT WE DID LAST NIGHT."

THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS GONNA

LEAVE A MARK.

GUYS IN THE NWO WERE TRYING TO

BE COOL.

WE WEREN'T TRYING TO BE COOL.

WE JUST ENDED UP BEING COOL,

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE SO

STUPID.

WHAT--WAIT A MINUTE.

WAIT.

WHOA, WHOA, WAIT A MINUTE.

HOW DARE YOU?

ONE OF US IS STILL LIKE THAT.

HE IS--I MEAN, I'M--YOU KNOW,

I'M A LITTLE LESS SO.

I'M PRACTICALLY A REAL PERSON

NOW.

IT'S MY BUTT, MCMAHON.

X MARKS THIS BUTT.

BUT WE WERE IN A WAR AND

WE'LL MAKE PEOPLE LOOK AT US ONE

WAY OR THE OTHER.

I DON'T CARE WHAT WE GOT TO DO,

BUT SOMEHOW EVEN IF IT'S

HORRIBLE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOOK

AT IT AND GO, "JESUS, YOU GOT TO

WATCH THAT, IT'S JUST CRAZY."

FANS WEREN'T THE ONLY ONES

TAKING NOTICE.

WITH THE MOMENTUM OF DX ON THE

RISE, WCW ONCE AGAIN USED TED

TURNER'S FINANCES TO LURE AWAY A

WWE SUPERSTAR.

CUT THE MUSIC.

THAT'S RICK RUDE.

IT'S TIME FOR THE

GENERATION X.

HIT THE MUSIC.

RICK RUDE HAD PERFORMED ON A

TAPED EPISODE OF MONDAY NIGHT

RAW, BUT WOULD SECRETLY SIGN

WITH WCW.

[MUSIC]

AND IN A SPORTS ENTERTAIN

FIRST, ONE TALENT WOULD APPEAR

ON BOTH RAW AND NITRO.

OH, HOLY SMOKES.

RICK RUDE.

RICK RUDE?

WHEN RUDE, YOU KNOW, JUMP

SHIPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE

NIGHT, IT'S FUNNY, BECAUSE IT'S

LIKE HE'S GONNA BE ON BOTH

SHOWS.

BECAUSE OUR SHOW WAS TAPED AND

WORD IS HE'S GONNA SHOW UP LIVE

ON THEIR SHOW TONIGHT.

RICK RUDE WALKS INTO NITRO.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING, ISN'T

IT?

YOU KNOW, A SITUATION WHERE

WE COULD JUST DRIVE HOME THE

POINT ONE MORE TIME THAT NITRO

WAS HAPPENING NOW, IT WAS LIVE,

IT WAS CURRENT.

AND WHAT WAS GOING ON ON RAW WAS

OLD, YOU KNOW, HISTORY.

OH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY

MAKES.

YOU KNOW, LIKE, WE'RE

SCREAMING LIKE, "OH, WHAT'S HE

GONNA DO?"

I MEAN, I'M LIKE--I MEAN, WHO

CARES?

I MEAN JUST--I MEAN WHAT DO

WE--AND AGAIN, THAT WAS--THAT--I

MEAN--AND THAT WAS THE THING, DX

WAS REAL LIFE DON'T--WHO CARES?

[MUSIC]

MY GOD, RUDE SHRUNK.

THEY HAD ME WALKED OUT THE

NEXT WEEK WITH A SUIT LIKE HIM

AND A SUITCASE LIKE HIM PROBABLY

LIKE A LITTLE, "DIG IT RUDE,

LIKE LOOK HOW EASILY WE REPLACED

YOUR CHARACTER, RICK."

AND DX BEAT ME UP AND THREW ME

OUT OF THE RING.

LORD KNOWS THAT WAS A TOUGH

SPOT TO FILL.

OH, AND LOOK.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELL, THERE GOES HANDSOME

HARVEY.

HE WASN'T THE FOUNDATION OF

IT.

THERE'S ONLY TWO GUYS THAT NEED

TO BE THERE ALL THE TIME, THAT'S

ME AND HUNTER.

AND THAT WAS NEVER GONNA CHANGE.

IT WAS SHAWN MICHAELS AND

TRIPLE H WHO MADE THE DIFFERENCE

IN DX.

THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN THESE TWO

BEST FRIENDS PROVIDED A NEW

SENSE OF HUMOR IN SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

[MUSIC]

I'M JUST ABOUT REACHING MY

PAIN THRESHOLD.

IT WASN'T TWO GUYS THAT WERE

TOLD GO OUT THERE AND TRY AND BE

ENTERTAINING.

YOU COULD SEE IT WAS VERY

ORGANIC.

MAN, DO YOU HAVE TWO NIPPLES

FOR A DIME?

WELL, THAT'S REALLY FUNNY,

KING.

I MEAN WE'RE JUST DOING

WHATEVER WE WANT AND SAYING

WHATEVER WE WANT, A LOT SEXUAL

INNUENDO.

YOUR WIFE, YOUR OLD LADY IS

NOT TOO THRILLED WITH YOU

PRIVATES.

THEY WERE TWO GUYS WHO ACTING

PRETTY MUCH ALL I THINK EVERY

MALE AT THE TIME ACTED.

IT WAS BRILLIANT.

DX IS ON ITS WAY TO STATE

COLLEGE.

AND IN PENNSYLVANIA TONIGHT, IT

LOOKS LIKE IT'S GONNA BE A FULL

MOON.

[MUSIC]

D-GENERATION X ALONG WITH A

FRESH CRIP OF EXCITING

CHARACTERS WAS SPEARHEADING A

COMPANY-WIDE CHANGE IN DIRECTION

IN WHAT WOULD BECOME KNOWN AS

THE ATTITUDE ERA.

WWE'S NEW ATTITUDE BROUGHT IN

MORE VIEWERS AND WAS CLOSING THE

RATINGS GAP WITH MONDAY NITRO IN

DECEMBER OF 1997.

[MUSIC]

BUT AS POPULAR AS THEIR

ANTICS HAD BECOME, IT WAS ONLY A

MATTER OF TIME BEFORE DX WOULD

GO TOO FAR.

WRESTLING HAD SUCH A

TRADITION OF BEING A FAMILY

FRIENDLY SPORTING EVENT THAT

PEOPLE STARTED TO GET UPSET

ABOUT THE CONTENT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

MERRY KISS MY -- .

[CROWD CHEERING]

SHAWN AND I WERE COMING UP

WITH ALL OF THIS STUFF.

AND ON LIKE A WEEKLY BASIS, WE

WERE JUST GETTING SCREAMED AT

UNMERCIFULLY BY VINCE.

PUT THAT YULETIDE LOG IN YOUR

FIREPLACE.

ALL RIGHT.

IT WAS FUNNY, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE

CROWD LOVES IT, BUT VINCE WAS

PULLING HIS HAIR OUT.

TIME WE COME BACK, "WHAT ARE YOU

DOING?"

"IT'S FUNNY.

BLAH, WE'RE SORRY."

THE RATINGS HAD STARTED TO

TICK UP A BIT FROM WHEN WE WERE

ON, SO I THINK THERE WAS PART OF

HIM WHILE HE WAS YELLING AT US

WAS LIKE, "KEEP THIS, KEEP DOING

IT", YOU KNOW.

DID YOU SEE THAT DEGENERATE?

WELL, I WAS ALWAYS

ENTERTAINED PERSONALLY SPEAKING,

YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYTHING THAT

THEY DID.

BUT PROFESSIONALLY, I THOUGHT

THEY'D CROSSED A LOT OF LINES.

VINCE WAS GETTING CALLS FROM

USA COMPLAINING ABOUT US.

THE AUDACITY OF D-GENERATION

X.

USA NETWORK FINALLY SENDS

THIS LETTER TO VINCE.

AND HE GOES, "YOU TWO GET IN

HERE."

SHAWN, DAMN IT, HOW MANY

TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU?

WHAT...

WE GOT ENOUGH OF THIS CRAP.

OH, HERE WE GO.

HE'S...

HE MIGHT FIRE US.

THEY'D HAD IT AND THIS WAS

IT.

VINCE BROUGHT IT TO US AND I

REMEMBER HIM, HE'S LIKE, "HEY,

YOU GUYS DONE IT NOW."

"SO LET'S SEE THIS LETTER."

"LIKE, THEY'RE SAYING IF YOU

GUYS DO THIS, THEY'RE PULLING US

OFF THE AIR, SO WHAT ARE WE

GONNA DO?"

WE'RE GONNA READ THE LETTER.

AND ALL THE STUFF THAT THEY SAY

WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO.

YOU CAN'T USE THIS WORD WE'RE

SAYING...

[CROWD CHEERING]

THEY HAD LIKE A LIST OF

BANNED WORDS THAT WE COULDN'T

SAY.

AND THEY'RE CENSORING US AND,

YOU KNOW, BASICALLY, IF THESE

ARE THE RULES AND WE'RE THE GUYS

THAT BREAK THEM, LET'S BREAK

THEM.

WE INTERRUPT YOUR REGULARLY

SCHEDULED PROGRAM FOR THIS

SPECIAL REPORT.

GOOD EVENING, MY FELLOW

AMERICANS.

THIS PAST WEEK, D-GENERATION X

WAS INFORMED THAT TSN, STAR TV,

SKY SPORTS AND USA NETWORK IS

DRAWING THE LINE--THEN, MAN, WE

GO OUT THERE AND WE READ THEIR

LETTER AND USING ONLY THEIR

STANDARDS AND PRACTICES.

IT'S THE STANDARD AND PRACTICES

THAT DX PROMISES TO ADHERE TO.

HIT OR MISS AT THIS POINT,

WE'RE EITHER GONNA HIT A GOOD

ONE AND FANS ARE GONNA DIG THIS

OR WE'RE GONNA GET TAKEN OFF THE

AIR.

FROM THE HOURS OF 9:00 TO

10:00 PM, WE WILL ONLY USE THE

WORDS, -- , DAMN AND HELP.

FROM 9:00 TO 10:00, THEY'RE

ALLOWED TO SAY THESE WORDS, BUT

THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY...

--.

THEY BEAT US OUT, BUT WE SAID

EVERY SINGLE WORD THAT WAS ON IT

THAT WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY

AND DID ALL OF IT.

--

YOU CANNOT SAY THE WORD BEEP,

YOU CANNOT SAY--YOU KNOW WHAT I

MEAN, WE'RE GOING THROUGH ALL--I

MEAN THIS LITANY OF CURSE WORDS.

WE PROMISE THERE WILL BE LESS

-- REFERENCES.

--

WATCH YOUR -- MOUTH.

OH.

--

--

, --

AND THEN LIKE NO REFERENCING

THE GENITALIA, NO POINTING AT

THE GENITALIA, NO MOONING, YOU

KNOW, NO ANYTHING.

OH, AND ONE LAST THING, EVEN

THOUGH MANY OF YOU BELIEVE THAT

CURRENTLY THE FAVORITE PAST TIME

IN THE ORAL OFFICE...

AND YOU SEE HUNTER...

SWALLOW THE LEADER.

...DOING HIS BEST NOT TO

LAUGH.

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, AND, YOU

KNOW, AND FINALLY I ENDED UP

WITH THE GUILT, WITH THE BILL

CLINTON, YOU KNOW, AND I DID NOT

SLEEP WITHOUT GETTING INJURED.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, I WAS UP

ALL NIGHT.

OH, MY GOODNESS, VINCE WAS LIKE,

"SORRY."

OH, MY GOODNESS, HE GOES

BALLISTIC.

"YOU TWO"--YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T

VERY FLATTERING WHAT HE REFERRED

TO US THEN, "GET IN HERE!"

WE GET IN THERE LIKE, "OH, MY

GOODNESS, THIS IS THE ONE WE'RE

GONNA GET FIRED FOR SURE."

WE'VE PUSHED HIM TOO FAR, YOU

KNOW, AND HE WAS, "YOU WON'T

BELIEVE THIS.

THAT'S GOOD YOU DID LAST WEEK,

THE USA NETWORK, THEY LOVED IT.

THEY THOUGHT IT WAS HILARIOUS."

THEY LOVE THE FACT THAT WE

USED OUR OWN STUFF AGAINST THEM

AND THEY THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY.

THE RATINGS WERE HIGH FOR THAT

SEGMENT, THEY GOT A LOT OF BUZZ

ON THE SEGMENT.

I REMEMBER SHAWN AND I BOTH

LEAVING THERE AND BEING LIKE,

"SO LIKE WE'RE OKAY NOW?

SO WE CAN DO MORE OF THAT?"

[CROWD CHEERING]

DISCRETION IS ADVISED, BUT

WILL BE COMPLETELY IGNORED.

D-GENERATION X HAD SHATTERED

THROUGH SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

TRADITIONS.

NOW, WITH VINCE MCMAHON'S

BLESSING, THERE WAS NO FILTER

FOR THESE RAUNCHY REBELS.

THE AUDIENCE WAS LOVING DX,

SO I WAS GOING TO LOVE DX.

THAT WAS IT.

I MEAN HE TOLD US RIGHT THERE,

"BECAUSE I'M CUTTING YOU LOOSE."

IT'S A BIG MOMENT.

I WAS A BIG DX FAN.

THESE GUYS ARE FUNNY AND COOL

AND HIP JUST BECAUSE YOU NEVER

KNEW WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO.

DX, THERE'S NO TELLING WHAT'S

GONNA BE SAID OR SHOWN NEXT.

THE MACHINE WAS JUST STARTING

TO BUILD.

IT WAS ANYTHING GOES, ANYTHING

CAN HAPPEN.

AND SO IT WAS--IT WAS PARTY

TIME.

WE STARTED DOING THE SKITS.

WE'RE DOING THE BARBECUE WITH

THE BIG SAUSAGES.

SHAWN AND I BOTH GOT JUMBO

WEENIES.

BUT, CHYNA, SHOW US WHAT YOU'RE

BRINGING TO THE BARBECUE, GIRL.

THAT IS THE BIG STICK.

EVEN I REMEMBER WATCHING AND

THINKING LIKE, "WHAT ARE THEY

DOING?

THEY'RE PLAYING STRIP POKER IN

THE RING."

IN ALL OF MY YEARS, I'VE

NEVER SEEN A STRIP POKER GAME,

UNBELIEVABLE.

WELL, I THOUGHT I'VE SEEN IT

ALL.

BUT I'M WATCHING, BECAUSE YOU

DON'T KNOW WHAT DX WAS GOING TO

DO NEXT.

WHOA, HE'S GOING ALL THE WAY

HERE.

WE WOULD JUST TAKE WHATEVER

WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO TALK

ABOUT AND LIKE I REMEMBER WHEN,

YOU KNOW, CHYNA GOT BOOBS.

THE TWO NEWEST MEMBERS OF

D-GENERATION X.

WHAT?

A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT PERHAPS.

AND THEY ARE RIGHT HERE.

SHE WENT FROM BEING

FLAT-CHESTED TO LIKE DOUBLE DS.

BUT I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO

CHANGE OUR NAME TO DOUBLE

D-GENERATION X.

THEY WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW, "OH MY

GOD.

WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?"

"WELL, DON'T MENTION IT.

JESUS, DON'T LOOK AT THEM.

DON'T SAY ANYTHING."

LIKE, "WHY?

LIKE WHAT?

NO ONE'S GONNA NOTICE THEM?"

SO SHAWN AND I WENT OUT, WE WERE

LIKE LEANING ON THEM.

AND SO WE TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE

PROMO.

HI, MOM.

I COULDN'T WAIT FOR THEIR

SEGMENTS.

ARE THESE THINGS ON?

BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THEY

THINK WE'RE TRYING TO DO

SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO BE

INFLAMMATORY, IT WAS STILL

ENTERTAINING AS HELL.

BECAUSE REMEMBER THIS, TRIPLE

H HAS GOT THE HEAD IF YOU GOT

THE CLASS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THEY HELPED THE WWE'S SUCCESS

AT THAT POINT IN TIME, YOU KNOW,

IN A MAJOR WAY.

AS MONDAY NIGHT RAW CONTINUE

TO BUILD MOMENTUM...

LOOK OUT.

OH, NO.

...THE REBELLIOUS FORMULA WAS

SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE WWE

LOCKER ROOM.

[MUSIC]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...

LIKE SHAWN MICHAELS AND

TRIPLE H, TWO OTHER SUPERSTARS

HAD FORMED A TAG TEAM TO DEVELOP

MORE CONTEMPORARY CHARACTERS.

THE ROAD DOGG, JESSIE JAMES

AND THE BAD ASS, BILLY GUNN.

RIGHT WHEN WE GOT PUT

TOGETHER, WE DIDN'T CHANGE

EVERYTHING, BUT WE GOT TO BRING

OUT A LITTLE OF WHAT WAS INSIDE

OF US.

LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT.

OH.

MY GOD, MAN.

WE JUST STARTED CAUSING

TROUBLE.

AND IT CAUGHT ON WITH THE FANS.

THE NEW AGE OUTLAWS ARE

SHAVING HAWK'S MOHAWK.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNHEARD OF.

WE LIKED ROAD DOGG AND BILLY

GUNN.

AND THE WHOLE IDEA WAS TO PUT

THEM WITH US.

SO THEY CAME TO US BEHIND THE

SCENES AND THEY SAID, "HEY,

WOULD YOU GUYS LIKE TO BE IN

D-GENERATION X?"

PUSH THE ENVELOPE, RAISE THE

BAR, GET THOSE RATINGS.

I GOT NEWS FOR YOU, THAT'S

EXACTLY--HEY, THAT'S EXACTLY

WHAT D-GENERATION X DOES, BUT I

KNOW QUESTION IS...

WELL, WE GOT TO CHECK OUR

CALENDAR AND SEE WHAT WE HAD

COMING UP.

OF COURSE WE ACTED PLAY HARD

TO GET, YOU KNOW, LET US--GIVE

US SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT.

AND WE WALKED AWAY AND JUST

SAID, "HOLY CRAP, MAN, THEY

WANT--THEY WANT US TO BE IN DX."

OH, NO, DOGG, DON'T DO THAT.

OH, GOD, THERE'S PEOPLE IN

THERE'S PEOPLE IN THERE.

BUT THEN THEY STARTED TO GET

HOT ENOUGH WHERE THEY DIDN'T

NEED US, SO WE WERE LIKE, "WE'LL

JUST LET THEM DO THEIR OWN THING

RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S WORKING

FOR THEM."

D-GENERATION X WAS AT THE

FOREFRONT OF WWE STORYLINE AND

THEIR INFLUENCE WAS LIFTING

MONDAY NIGHT RAW IN THE RATINGS.

WHEN MAINSTREAM ICON MIKE TYSON

WAS INCORPORATED INTO WWE

PROGRAMMING, THE BADDEST MAN ON

THE PLANET EMBODIED THE

COMPANY'S NEW ATTITUDE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

WAIT A MINUTE.

WHAT?

WHAT THE HELL?

WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT?

LOOK AT THAT.

MIKE TYSON IS THE NEWEST MEMBER

OF D-GENERATION X, IT APPEARS.

THAT'S WHO MIKE WAS.

YOU KNOW, MIKE WAS A DEGENERATE.

LOOK AT THE STUFF THAT MIKE HAD

GONE THROUGH IN HIS CAREER AND

ALL THE PUBLICITY THAT HE HAD

MADE BECAUSE OF SOME OF HIS

ANTICS.

HE FIT RIGHT IN WITH THIS GROUP.

AND IT WAS FANTASTIC TO BE

INVOLVED WITH D-GENERATION X.

OH, MAN, I WAS JUST SO HAPPY.

ALTHOUGH NITRO WAS STILL

AHEAD IN THE RATINGS, DX HAD

HELPED EXPAND THE WWE AUDIENCE

ON THE ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA XIV.

BUT AS THE STAGE WAS SET FOR

SHAWN MICHAELS TO LEAD WWE BACK

TO THE TOP OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT, THE YEARS OF PAIN

AND PERSEVERANCE HAD TAKEN THEIR

TOLL ON THE COMPANY'S TROUBLED

CHAMPION.

MICHAELS BACKDROPPED ON THAT

BIG OLD WOODEN CASKET.

IT WAS YEARS AND YEARS OF

ABUSE ON MY BODY, 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.

MY LIFE WAS A CAR WRECK.

I WAS KILLING MYSELF BOTH

PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.

OBVIOUSLY, OUR FOCUS AT THAT

TIME WAS OKAY.

WELL, I KNEW I WAS GOING TO

WRESTLEMANIA WITH STEVE.

I GOT TO GET THERE, GET THAT

DONE, AND THEN WE GO FROM THERE.

DESPITE THE DEBILITATING

INJURY, SHAWN MICHAELS WAS SET

TO DEFEND HIS WWE CHAMPIONSHIP

IN THE MAIN EVENT AT THE

COMPANY'S BIGGEST EVENT.

HE'S COMING UP TO THE BIGGEST

SHOW OF OUR COMPANY'S HISTORY

AND HE HAD A BROKEN BACK.

[MUSIC]

HE WAS THE CHAMPION AND IT'S

HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO CARRY THE

COMPANY ON HIS SHOULDERS.

AT ANY POINT IN TIME, YOU CAN

GO DOWN AND HAVE SERIOUS

REPERCUSSIONS FOR THE REST OF

YOUR LIFE.

AND HE WAS WILLING TO PUT THAT

ALL ON THE LINE FOR THE SAKE OF

NOT ONLY WWE, BUT FOR ALL THE

PEOPLE WATCHING, BECAUSE OF

WHERE WE WERE IN THAT CRUCIAL

BATTLE WITH WCW.

[CROWD CHEERING]

SHAWN MICHAELS PERFORMED

THROUGH EXCRUCIATING PAIN.

AND THE WWE CHAMPION

OBVIOUSLY IN PAIN, USING EVERY

OUNCE OF STRENGTH AND ENERGY

THAT HE'S GOT.

AND BY THE END OF THE MATCH,

THE HEARTBREAK KID'S TIME IN THE

WWE SPOTLIGHT WOULD COME TO AN

END.

NOW, HE'S GOING FOR ANOTHER

CHAMP.

AUSTIN, HE GOT HIM.

THE STUNNER, THERE GOES

MICHAELS.

EVERYONE KNEW GOING INTO

WRESTLEMANIA THAT THAT WAS MY

LAST RUN.

AND I WAS SPIRALING DOWNWARD AT

THAT TIME.

MY CAREER WAS OVER, YOU KNOW, I

WAS APPARENTLY NEVER GOING TO

WRESTLE AGAIN.

WWE HAD CROWNED A NEW

CHAMPION IN STONE COLD STEVE

AUSTIN TO LEAD MONDAY NIGHT RAW

IN THE FIGHT AGAINST WCW.

BUT WITH THE CORNERSTONE MEMBER

OF D-GENERATION X OUT OF ACTION

INDEFINITELY, THE FUTURE OF

WWE'S MOST POPULAR FACTION WAS

IN DOUBT.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE AT

THAT TIME THAT JUST SAW ME AS A

GUY THAT WAS, "OH, HE'S JUST A

SIDEKICK.

AND NOW THAT SHAWN'S GONE, THAT

THING WILL DIE.

THAT WAS THE THOUGHT.

THERE'S NO SHAWN MICHAELS, NO

D-GENERATION X.

[CROWD CHEERING]

HELLO AGAIN, LADIES AND

GENTLEMEN.

AND WELCOME TO WWE RAW.

WE ARE SOLD OUT IN THE PEPSI

ARENA HERE IN ALBANY, NEW YORK.

TRIPLE H AND DX IS GONNA MAKE A

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT HERE TONIGHT.

AND THERE'S SOME RUMBLINGS THAT

THERE HAS BEEN A RIFT IN DX.

THEY WERE SETTING UP THE POST

SHAWN ERA WITH DX.

HUNTER AND I TOGETHER

HAVING--WE'RE HAVING

CONVERSATIONS.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS

IS THAT NEXT DAY.

"THE NIGHT AFTER I LEAVE, YOU

GOT TO TAKE IT OVER FROM THERE."

WELL, TONIGHT, TRIPLE H IS

GONNA DROP THE HAMMER, THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT, AS YOU

KNOW IT, COMES TO AN X-RATED END

TONIGHT.

I KNEW THAT NEXT NIGHT I HAD TO

COME OUT AND HIT ONE OUT OF THE

PARK IF I WAS--IF THAT WAS GONNA

LIVE AND I WAS GONNA CONTINUE.

[MUSIC]

WELL, WE ARE WONDERING WHAT

BIG NEWS TRIPLE H HAS FOR US.

APPARENTLY, WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW ON THE WAR

ZONE.

FOR D-GENERATION X TO

SURVIVE, TRIPLE H WOULD HAVE TO

STEP OUT OF THE BACKGROUND AND

INTO THE SPOTLIGHT.

LET ME MAKE THE DECISIONS.

HBK, YOU DROPPED THE BALL.

VINCE TOLD HIM, "YOU COME OUT

THE NEXT NIGHT, YOU GOT TO TAKE

HOLD OF THIS.

YOU GOT TO SORT OF KICK SHAWN ON

THE NUTS, THAT'S BUSINESS."

TRIPLE H PICKED IT UP AND NOW

THE BALL IS IN MY COURT.

AND HE WENT OUT AND HE TOOK

OVER DX AND HE DID A GREAT JOB.

THIS IS THE GENESIS OF

D-GENERATION X.

TONIGHT, LIVE IN FRONT OF THE

WORLD, I FORM THE DX ARMY.

AND WHEN YOU START AN ARMY, YOU

LOOK TO YOUR FRIENDS, YOU LOOK

TO THE KLIQ.

WHAT?

[MUSIC]

YEAH.

WELL, LOOK WHO IS BACK.

FORTIFYING THE NEXT

INCARNATION OF D-GENERATION X,

TRIPLE H WOULD INTERCHANGE ONE

FRIEND FOR ANOTHER.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHAT A COUP HAD BEEN CALLED

UP HERE, JR.

A NEW DAY IS DAWNING FOR DX.

AND SEAN WALTMAN MADE A

SURPRISING DEFECTION FROM WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TO RETURN

TO WWE.

ALL THE TIMING JUST WORKED

OUT.

AND SEAN WALTMAN CAME OVER WHICH

EVERYBODY KNEW I HAD A PERSONAL

RELATIONSHIP ANYWAYS BEHIND THE

SCENES.

IT WAS A LITTLE VINDICATION

ON OUR PART THAT WE COULD DO THE

SAME THAT THEY'RE DOING.

OKAY.

YOU GRABBED OURS.

WE CAN GRAB SOME OF YOURS TOO.

SO IT BECAME THE FIRST STAR THAT

WWE GRABBED.

ARRIVING IN WWE WITH AN EDGY

X-PAC ALIAS, WALTMAN'S TENURE IN

WCW HAD COME TO A DISCOURAGING

END IN EARLY 1998.

AS FAR AS YOUR LITTLE TEENY

BUDDY, SYXX-PAC GOES, IT'S NOT

MY FAULT THAT HE CAN'T CUT THE

MUSTARD AND RUN WITH THE REST OF

THE NWO.

I WAS PRETTY MISERABLE.

I WAS KIND OF GETTING BURIED.

ERIC BASICALLY FIRED ME BY

FEDEX.

SOMETIMES, HE WAS A REAL DICK.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'VE BEEN IN

A DUNGEON SERVING FOR TWO YEARS,

YOU RUN UP A LOT OF FEELINGS,

TALK TO THEM, KID.

I WAS GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT

TO GO OUT THERE AND JUST GIVE

WHATEVER YOU WANT TO OFF OF YOUR

CHEST.

I HEARD HULK HOGAN COME OUT ON

TELEVISION SAYING I COULDN'T CUT

THE MUSTARD.

WELL, HULK HOGAN, YOU SUCK, PAL.

[CROWD CHEERING]

BRINGING X-PAC BACK OUT JUST,

WAIT A SECOND, THAT GUY IS

SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE OTHER

CHANNEL.

NOW, HE'S HERE AND HE'S TALKING

TRASH ON THE OTHER.

IT JUST MADE IT THAT TORNADO OF

CONTROVERSY THAT EVERYBODY JUST

LIKES TO SINK THEIR TEETH INTO.

AND, HULK, I GOT--I GOT SOME

MORE ADVICE FOR YOU.

YOU BETTER NOT STEP SHORT OR

ERIC BISCHOFF WILL GO SO FAR UP

YOUR -- , HE'LL KNOW WHAT YOU

HAD FOR BREAKFAST.

[CROWD CHEERING]

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.

OH, YEAH, BY THE WAY, I GOT

TWO WORDS FOR YOU.

SUCK IT.

YEAH.

TRIPLE H WAS NOT DONE

RECRUITING DISGRUNTLED

SUPERSTARS LOOKING TO LET OUT

THEIR AGGRESSION.

OH, MY.

MAN.

WITH STABILITY RESTORED UNDER

NEW LEADERSHIP, THE NEXT

EVOLUTION OF D-GENERATION X WAS

TAKING SHAPE.

THE GROUP WOULD CONTINUE TO

EXPAND THAT EVENING BY ADDING

TWO SUPERSTARS NOW READY TO RUN

WITH DX, COMPLETING THE

REFORMATION OF TRIPLE H'S

REBELLIOUS FACTION.

DX AND THE OUTLAWS ARE TAKING

APART CACTUS JACK.

YOU'RE SEEING A NEW DX.

WELL, IF THIS IS A NEW DX,

WE'RE DAMN SURE IN FOR SOME

TROUBLE.

ROAD DOGG AND BILLY AND

X-PAC, THE NEW GUYS WERE

DEGENERATES.

THERE WAS NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

THIS IS MY DX, MY ARMY.

THE WWE, GET A GOOD LOOK.

WWE'S MOMENTUM CONTINUED TO

BUILD IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED

AS THE NEW LOOK DEGENERATES HELP

SPUR MONDAY NIGHT RAW TO ITS

FIRST WIN OVER NITRO IN THE

RATINGS IN NEARLY TWO YEARS.

AS WWE CONTINUE TO PUSH THE

ENVELOPE, TRIPLE H ONCE AGAIN

SEIZED AN OPPORTUNITY AND WOULD

LEAD DX TO THE FRONT LINES OF

THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

SO THEY STARTED RUNNING

SHOWS.

WHEREVER WE WOULD GO, THEY WOULD

BRING IN NITRO LIKE RIGHT NEXT

DOOR TO US.

HELLO AGAIN, EVERYBODY, AND

WELCOME TO WWE RAW HERE IN THE

HAMPTON, VIRGINIA COLISEUM.

MONDAY NITRO AS WE COME TO

YOU FOR THE SCOPE IN DOWNTOWN

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

AND THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE

MONEY, SO THEY'LL JUST GIVE AWAY

THE TICKETS AND THEY'LL KILL THE

MARKET, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WILL

GO ON THE FREE SHOW AND THEY'RE

NOT GONNA PAY US.

WE GOT TO GET PAID.

I THINK I MIGHT HAVE SAID

SOMETHING--LIKE I SAID, I'D LIKE

TO ROLL A TANK UP TO THEM AND

BLOW THE BUILDING UP WHILE

THEY'RE ALL ON IT OR SOMETHING

LIKE THAT.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LOOKED IN

SILENCE FOR A SECOND.

AND THEN, LIKE, WE DID EXACTLY

THAT.

WE DECIDED IT WAS A GREAT IDEA.

WE KIND OF HASHED IT OUT.

VINCE WAS LIKE, "SO NOBODY KNOWS

ABOUT THIS.

ABOUT THIS, THIS IS GONNA GET

EVERYWHERE AND IT WON'T WORK."

NOW, ROAD DOGG AND KID AND

BILLY GOT TO THE BUILDING AND

THEY SEE ALL THIS MILITARY

STUFF.

AND THEY'RE LIKE, "WHAT'S GOING

ON?"

FINALLY VINCE WAS LIKE, "GO

AHEAD AND TELL THEM."

SO I GO WHERE I, "GUYS, WE WANT

YOU TO KNOW, WE'RE DOING THIS."

YEAH, I SAID, "WE'RE GONNA GET

IN THAT TANK.

WE'RE GONNA DRIVE OVER TO

NORFOLK SCOPE, DRIVE RIGHT UP TO

WCW AND HOPE--AND DRIVE THAT

TANK RIGHT IN THE BUILDING."

AND THEY WERE LIKE, "OH, REALLY?

WHAT ARE WE DOING?"

I'M LIKE, "THAT'S WHAT WE'RE

DOING."

[MUSIC]

ATTENTION.

OH.

AT EASE, MEN.

I SAID AT EASE.

THAT'S BETTER.

WELL, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH,

WE COULD NOT BELIEVE WE WERE

GONNA DO THAT.

THIS MISSION WILL START AT

THE NORFOLK SCOPE WITH WCW

WRESTLING.

OH, YEAH.

AND IT WILL END RIGHT HERE

TONIGHT AT THE HAMPTON ROADS

COLISEUM FOR RAW IS WAR.

WE JUST GET IN THE TANK AND

LITERALLY GO TO THEIR SHOW, LIKE

THIS IS JUST EVERY DAY STUFF FOR

US.

LET'S GO.

THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE

DRIVING OVER THERE DOING IT,

EVERYBODY WAS, "I CAN'T BELIEVE

WE'RE DOING THIS, THIS IS THE

CRAZIEST THING EVER."

D-GENERATION X OF THE WORLD

WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT ALREADY

CALL TO CHANGE THE FACE OF

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING AS YOU

KNOW IT.

THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

SO WE DRIVE DOWN THERE, WE GET

OUT, START TALKING TO PEOPLE.

WHO RULES PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING?

DX.

YEAH.

DX, DX, DX.

THAT WAS AS REAL AS IT GETS.

LET'S TAKE A TANK AND LET'S

DRIVE ACROSS THE STREET AND

WE'RE GONNA--WE'RE GONNA INVADE

NITRO LIKE, THIS IS JUST MIND

BOGGLING.

THIS IS D-GENERATION X AND WE

ARE CALLING THE FIGHT TO THE

FRONT ROW AGAINST WCW.

TONIGHT, WE HAVE FIRED THE FIRST

SHOT IN THE WORLD.

I REMEMBER KEVIN NASH CALLING

ME LATER AND HE WAS DRIVING--HE

HAD GONE TO THE GYM WITH LEX

LUGER AND THEY WERE PULLING BACK

INTO THE BUILDING THAT THEY WERE

DRIVING.

AND KEVIN WAS LIKE, "WHAT'S

GOING ON DOWN THERE?"

YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THIS BIG MOB

SCENE.

AND THEN LUGER'S LIKE, "I DON'T

KNOW.

IT LOOKS LIKE AN ARMY THING.

IT MUST BE NATIONAL GUARD OR

SOMETHING."

HE WAS LIKE, "NO, HOLD ON A

SECOND."

DX, DX, DX, DX.

IT'S DX.

SO THEY DROVE DOWN INTO THE

BUILDING AND THEY'RE ALL SITTING

THERE.

AND HE'S LIKE, "GUYS, I'M

CONCERNED ABOUT DX BEING OUT

FRONT, THE TANK SHOOTING AT THE

BUILDING WITH LIKE 10, 000 FANS

AROUND THEM."

AND THEY WERE LIKE, "WHAT?"

THEY LIKE FREAKED OUT, YOU KNOW.

[MUSIC]

"WELL, DX IS OUTSIDE."

"WHAT?

THEY'RE OUTSIDE LIKE WHY?

ARE THEY COMING--ARE THEY

WORKING FOR US?"

"NO, THEY'RE OUTSIDE, LIKE

THEY'RE PULLING A RIOT OR AN

ATTACK, WHATEVER IT WAS."

D-GENERATION X PROUDLY

INVADES WCW.

AND WE WERE STANDING NEXT TO

THE DOOR LIKE LOOKING OUT AT

THIS LITTLE WINDOW LIKE, "YEAH,

THEY'RE OUT THERE."

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DO YOU

THINK ERIC BISCHOFF SUCKS?

YEAH.

[CROWD CHEERING]

AND I REMEMBER BISCHOFF

COMING AND GO, "GO BACK TO WORK,

THERE'S NOTHING TO LOOK AT, GET

OUT OF HERE."

SO WE ALL KIND OF HAD TO SCOFF

OFF AND LIKE, "I HOPE THEY GET

IN, LIKE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?"

WHEN DX SHOWED UP, IT WAS A

BRILLIANT MOVE.

AS MUCH AS I HATED TO SEE IT

HAPPEN, I WENT, "OH, THEY'RE

FIGURING IT OUT."

D-GENERATION X NOW CROSSES

OVER INTO THE FRONTLINE OF WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING TO TAKE

THE WORLD--I'M GONNA TRY TO

DRIVE THAT TANK RIGHT IN THE

BUILDING.

BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, THEY WON'T

OPEN THE DOORS.

THEY'LL BLOCK US FROM ENTERING

AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT IT'LL

BE GOOD TV AND THEY'LL LOOK LIKE

A BUNCH OF COWARDS.

LET IT BEGIN, BUT THE COWARDS

ARE [INDISTINCT]

WCW IS A BUNCH OF COWARDS.

I COULD SEE THESE GUYS WERE

SERIOUS ABOUT THE WAR.

WWE WAS ALWAYS ABOUT TAKING THE

FIGHT, YOU KNOW, THEN TAKING IT

TO THE FULLEST.

I WAS STANDING ON THE OTHER

SIDE OF THAT STEEL DOOR AND I

COULDN'T GET THIS OLD MAN TO

OPEN THE DOOR.

HEY, WE JUST WANT TO TALK.

YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO TALK TO

MR. BISCHOFF.

IF THEY'D LET US IN THE

BUILDING, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN

LIKE, "ALL RIGHT."

BECAUSE WE'D HAD NO PLAN FOR IF

WE GOT IN.

I BEG YOUR PARDON.

TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON.

HEY, ERIC BISCHOFF, IF YOU

GOT A MINUTE, LIKE COME OUT.

I JUST WANNA HAVE A WORD WITH

YOU.

YOU WANNA FIGHT SOMEBODY AND

YOU GO TO THEIR HOUSE AND YOU

START BANGING ON THEIR DOOR AND

YOU TELL THEM, "ALL RIGHT, COME

OUT, LET'S FIGHT."

AND THEY DON'T EVEN COME TO THE

DOOR.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, WCW.

WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN

HAD THEY ACTUALLY GOTTEN IN.

D-GENERATION X WOULD LIKE TO

SAY GOODBYE TO THE SCOPE AND TO

THE LOSERS OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING AS WE HEAD BACK TO THE

WORLD OF REAL PROFESSIONAL

WRESTLING IN THE WWE MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

WHEN YOU GUYS LEAVE, IF THEY'RE

SMART ENOUGH TO GET A GROUP OF

10 GUYS TOGETHER AND COME DOWN

HERE AND POUND ON OUR DOORS AND

PUT IT BACK ON US.

AND VINCE GOES, "GREAT, OPEN UP

THE DOORS AND LET THEM IN.

WHAT WRESTLING SHOW ARE YOU

GONNA WATCH, THE ONE WITH NOBODY

ON IT, THE ONE WITH EVERYBODY ON

IT?"

[MUSIC]

VINCE WAS, YOU KNOW, HE WAS

AHEAD OF THE CURVE IN ALL OF

THAT STUFF AND IT WOULD

HAVE--YOU KNOW, I WISH THEY

WOULD HAVE COME.

ONCE AGAIN, D-GENERATION X

HAD HELPED WWE BREAK NEW GROUND

IN SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

IT WAS REALLY CROSSING THE

LINE.

AND THAT'S WHAT DX WAS SO FAMOUS

FOR.

THEY DID THINGS THAT HADN'T BEEN

DONE BEFORE, THINGS THAT THE

OTHER PEOPLE WERE AFRAID TO DO.

SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE MOVE

YOUR TYRANNOSAURUS OUT OF THE

WAY, WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE

IT.

THIS WAS LIKE A MOMENT FOR ME

WHERE I THOUGHT THIS IS WHY

WE'RE GONNA WIN.

BUT ERIC BISCHOFF WASN'T

ABOUT TO SIGNAL HIS SURRENDER.

IN FACT, HE WOULD RAISE THE

STAKES.

WHEN DX SHOWED UP, I HAD TO

COUNTER WITH SOMETHING.

I'LL TAKE THE FOCUS OFF OF DX.

SO, VINCE MCMAHON, IF YOU WANT

TO CALL ME OUT, DO IT YOURSELF.

THIS ISN'T ABOUT DX.

VINCE, THIS IS ABOUT YOU AND ME.

YOU WANT ME?

I'M GONNA BE IN YOUR BACKYARD.

CONSIDER THIS AN OPEN

INVITATION, VINCE MCMAHON.

YOU SHOW UP, IT'LL BE ME AND YOU

MCMAHON IN THE RING.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WELL, HE'S GOT ME WITH THAT

ONE.

I'LL BUY A TICKET.

BISCHOFF GOING ON AIR AND

CHALLENGING VINCE MCMAHON.

I MEAN THAT WAS LIKE, "IS HE

REALLY SAYING THAT?

WOW."

[MUSIC]

HE WAS IN IT TO WIN IT.

GOING ON TV AND CALLING VINCE

MCMAHON OUT AND, YOU KNOW, I

TOLD ERIC, "BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU

WISH FOR.

HE MIGHT SHOW UP AND HE MIGHT

NOT BE A HAPPY CAMPER."

YEAH.

IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS, THERE IS

NOBODY HERE.

FIGHT.

HULK HOGAN SAID, "ERIC, YOU

MIGHT NOT WANT TO DO THIS."

I SAID, "I DON'T CARE IF HE

SHOWS UP."

THIS GUY SHOWS UP AND KICKS MY

-- , I'M PRINTING MONEY.

WHAT DO I CARE?

[BELL RINGING]

VINCE MCMAHON WOULD NEVER

ANSWER ERIC BISCHOFF'S

CHALLENGE, BUT AS BISCHOFF

REVELED IN HIS RIVAL'S FAILURE

TO APPEAR ON WCW PROGRAMMING,

THE MOMENTUM OF THE MONDAY NIGHT

WAR HAD ALREADY SHIFTED IN WWE'S

FAVOR.

[MUSIC]

WE HAD WWE IN THE ROPES FOR A

LONG TIME.

AND I THINK IT JUST INFLATED

SOME EGOS THAT LIKE WCW WAS

UNTOUCHABLE.

I HAVE DEFEATED VINCE

MCMAHON.

[CROWD CHEERING]

IT IS SO GOOD TO BE KING.

WCW WAS ABLE TO LAST A COUPLE

OF EXTRA MONTHS ON TOP BECAUSE

IT WAS JUST A HABIT.

AND THEN WHEN THE HABIT STARTED

DYING OFF, THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE

JUST LEAVING IN ROWS, COMING

OVER TO WATCH RAW.

MONDAY NIGHT RAW'S RATINGS

WOULD INCREASE THROUGHOUT THE

SUMMER OF 1998 AS WWE'S ATTITUDE

ERA WAS IN FULL SWING.

THE COMPANY'S CREATIVE DIRECTION

MIRRORED SOCIETY'S EVOLVING

COUNTERCULTURE.

AND LIKE D-GENERATION X HAD

HELPED TURN THE TIDE IN THE

MONDAY NIGHT WAR, WWE'S ENTIRE

LOCKER ROOM WOULD EMBRACE RAW'S

ARTISTIC FREEDOMS IN ORDER TO

SHINE IN THE PRIMETIME

SPOTLIGHT.

COMPETITION DROVE BUSINESS,

NOT ONLY ON TELEVISION BUT IN

THE LOCKER ROOM, GUYS WERE

TRYING TO OUTDO EACH OTHER.

AND IT ELEVATED EVERYBODY.

[MUSIC]

THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE WERE

PUSHING EACH OTHER TO LITERALLY

GO OUT THERE AND GO, "PLEASE

FOLLOW THAT."

SO IT MAKES THE PROGRAMMING AND

MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER.

CREATIVELY SPEAKING, I'VE

EXPANDED THE BOX QUITE A BIT.

NOW, WWE WAS EXPANDING IT EVEN

MORE.

IT WAS SUCH A UNIQUE TIME.

WE ALL HAD A PLATFORM TO BE

CREATIVE, GO OUT AND ENGAGE

AUDIENCES AND GO OUT THERE AND

DO AND SAY ANYTHING I WANTED TO.

YOU KNOW, TRIPLE H, IF YOU

AND THE REST OF YOUR DX

JABRONIES GOT ANY TESTICULAR

FORTITUDE, YOU'LL COME OUT HERE,

SMELL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKING,

GET IT ON WITH THE NATION RIGHT

HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THE NATION OF DOMINATION WAS

A BIG DEAL AT THE TIME.

WE WERE KIND OF FEUDING WITH

THEM.

WE WERE THE DEGENERATES AND

THEY WERE THE DOMINANT MILITANT

FORCE THAT THEY WERE AND SO IT

JUST MADE SENSE THAT WE WOULD GO

AT EACH OTHER.

THIS IS A WAR BETWEEN THE

NATION AND DX.

I THOROUGHLY ENJOY THEM.

THERE'S AN ARGUMENT THAT CAN BE

MADE THAT THAT DX WAS BETTER

THAN ME AND HUNTER'S.

ARE YOU READY?

[CROWD CHEERING]

TRIPLE H MADE D-GENERATION X

SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

IN MY OPINION.

HE MADE IT HIS OWN.

AND I THINK CROWD PARTICIPATION

WAS A HUGE PART OF IT.

I MEAN TRIPLE H ASKING THE

AUDIENCE, "ARE YOU READY?"

I SAID, ARE YOU READY?

[CROWD CHEERING]

[MUSIC]

THE FANS WANNA BE A PART OF

THAT.

THEY WANT THEIR VOICE TO BE

HEARD.

AND THAT'S WHY THESE GUYS ARE

SUCCESSFUL.

THEY UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE

OF INVOLVING THE WWE UNIVERSE IN

THE PRODUCT.

AND, OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE NOT

DOWN WITH THAT, WE GOT TWO WORDS

FOR YOU.

SUCK IT.

WHEN I SAID THOSE TWO WORDS,

I BROUGHT EVERYTHING I HAD, I

BROUGHT IT ALL, BECAUSE I KNEW

EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE BUILDING

WAS GONNA BLOW THE ROOF OFF THE

JOINT.

WE GOT TWO WORDS FOR YOU.

[CROWD CHEERING]

I WAS WATCHING A RELATIVELY

RAPID EROSION OF MY AUDIENCE, MY

18 TO 34 YEAR OLD DEMO THAT I

PRETTY MUCH OWN UP UNTIL THAT

POINT GOING OVER TO THE WWE.

IF YOU CAME TO SEE THE GRUMPY

OLD MEN STINKING THE JOINT UP,

YOU CAME TO THE WRONG PLACE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THEY WERE YOUNGER, THEY WERE

HIPPER, THEY HAD--YOU KNOW, THEY

HAD WAY MORE LEEWAY.

[CROWD CHEERING]

DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU GUYS

THAT PEOPLE ARE SICK AND TIRED

OF LOOKING AT YOUR -- EVERY

WEEK?

YOU KNOW, DX WAS HUGE.

[CROWD CHEERING]

WHOO, OH MY!

[MUSIC]

ONCE THE AUDIENCE VOTES, ONCE

THEY MAKE UP THEIR MIND, IT'S

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THEM

BACK.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE

SUCCESS OF D-GENERATION X WAS

ROOTED IN REAL LIFE CHEMISTRY

BEHIND THE SCENES, A FORMULA

THAT CONTINUE TO RING THROUGH

FOR DX AS WWE DISTANCED

THEMSELVES FROM WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING IN THE

RATINGS.

WHEN THAT RED LIGHT CAME OFF,

WE ALL JUST CAME TOGETHER.

MAN, IT WAS MAGIC.

IT WAS MAGIC AND IT WASN'T JUST

MAGIC FOR US PERSONALLY, THAT

CAME ACROSS ON CAMERA.

THEY'RE PUTTING ON A GREAT

SHOW, PUTTING -- IN THE SEATS.

THESE GUYS COMPLEMENTED EACH

OTHER PERFECTLY.

WE GOT TWO WORDS FOR YOU.

SUCK IT.

EVERYBODY IN D-GENERATION X

FIT.

I MEAN THEY ALL HAD THEIR ROLE

AND IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY

ALL KNOW YOUR ROLE.

WELL, THEY DID AND THEY ALL JUST

JELL TOGETHER.

WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, THE

POPULARITY OF D-GENERATION X IS

AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH.

WE HAD A SYNERGY ABOUT US,

THE SUM...

[BELL RINGING]

...WAS GREATER THAN ITS

PARTS.

DX.

THE CAMARADERIE BETWEEN ITS

MEMBERS NOT ONLY ELEVATED THE

GROUP AS A WHOLE, BUT BROUGHT

EACH DX SUPERSTAR CHAMPIONSHIP

SUCCESS IN THE YEARS TO COME.

WE CAME, WE SAW, AND WE

KICKED THEIR -- .

[CROWD CHEERING]

ANYTIME YOU'RE DEALING WITH

THE GROUP AND THE SUCCESS OF THE

GROUP, IT STARTS TO EXPAND.

PERSONALITIES HAVE REALLY

HIGHLIGHTED THAT WAKE.

D-GENERATION X PROUDLY BRINGS

TO YOU ITS WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS

OF THE WORLD.

THEY WERE ALL CHAMPIONS AT

ONE POINT.

HUNTER HAD THE HEAVYWEIGHT,

X-PAC, THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT,

CHYNA HAD THE INTERCONTINENTAL.

[MUSIC]

IT WAS A REALLY GOOD MIX.

IT WAS THE TYPE OF MIX THAT YOU

COULD MAKE EACH ONE OF THOSE

GUYS A CHAMPION AND PEOPLE WOULD

BUY IT.

FOR THE THOUSANDS IN

ATTENDANCE, FOR THE MILLIONS

WATCHING AT HOME AND JUST

BECAUSE DX IS COVERED IN GOLD,

LET'S GET READY TO SUCK IT.

[CROWD CHEERING]

THROUGHOUT THE MONDAY NIGHT

WAR, D-GENERATION X REMAINED A

CATALYST ULTIMATELY HELPING WWE

DECLARE VICTORY AND USHERING A

NEW ERA OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

THE YOUNG ADULTS ARE COMING

TO THEIR OWN, WANT TO BE

INDEPENDENT AND EXPRESS

THEMSELVES, SO THE TIMING WAS

PERFECT.

AND IT WAS REALLY GOOD TO SEE

HOW THEY EVOLVE.

DX WAS A HUGE FACTOR IN

CHANGING THE TIDE, BECAUSE YOU

ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE WHAT THEY

WERE GONNA DO.

[MUSIC]

I TRIPLED--THERE YOU, GUYS.

WHO IS ON THOSE...

OH, YEAH.

THESE GUYS ARE COOL AND THEY

DO WHATEVER THEY WANT WHENEVER

THEY WANT AND I LOVE IT.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, JR, THEY

GOT MY ATTENTION.

PEOPLE WERE LOOKING FOR

SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD LATCH

ONTO THAT WAS

ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT.

IT WAS A TIME FOR THE YOUTH

OF AMERICA TO BE DEGENERATES.

THEY'VE DONE IT AGAIN, GOOD

OLD DX.

AND IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT

WE FIT THE BILL.

WE JUST LOOKED AT IT AS, "FANS,

YOU MAKE THE DECISION, YOU CAN

WATCH THEIR SHOW AND HAVE A

BUNCH OF HIGH PAID SUPERSTARS

SHOVED DOWN YOUR THROAT OR YOU

CAN WATCH US YOUNG BUCKS HAVING

A BLAST."

[CROWD CHEERING]

ENTERTAINMENT IS WHAT THEY

BROUGHT TO THE FOLD.

AND THE ENTERTAINMENT THAT HAD

NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE IN THIS

BUSINESS AND I DON'T THINK IT'S

BEEN SEEN SINCE.

PEOPLE WERE STICKING WITH

WCW.

IT TOOK DX, YOU KNOW, REALLY AT

ITS BEST TO BEAT WCW IN THE

RATINGS.

YOU SAW THAT AND YOU REALIZE

WHAT THE FUTURE HELD IN STORE

FOR WWE.

WHAT BEGAN AS TWO FRIENDS IN

SEARCH OF CHANGE, D-GENERATION X

WOULD CONTINUE TO REFORM AND

REGROUP ON WWE PROGRAMMING FOR

OVER A DECADE, FOREVER

REPRESENTING THE COMPANY'S

ABILITY TO EVOLVE AND CONTINUING

TO EMBODY THE SPIRIT AND

CREATIVITY OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S GREATEST ERA.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT DX EVEN OVER

THE YEARS FROM WHAT WE DID THEN

TO WHAT WE DID LATER, WE WERE

JUST HAVING FUN.

THOSE ARE THE KIND OF CHICKS

HE GETS.

WE DID WHATEVER WE THOUGHT

WAS FUNNY OR DUMB.

BRET COMING UP A LITTLE BIT

SHORT ON THE OFFENSE.

AND DIDN'T GIVE A -- .

AND I THINK FANS COULD SEE HOW

MUCH FUN WE WERE HAVING.

AND WHETHER YOU LIKED US OR

HATED US, WHEN WE CAME OUT, IT

GOT EXCITING ON THE SHOW.

NOW, THE BAND IS BACK

TOGETHER AGAIN.

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY COULD START

ANOTHER ATTITUDE ERA TOMORROW.

IT WAS JUST OUTRAGEOUS, YOU

KNOW, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE

MOMENTS THAT CHANGED THE

BUSINESS.

[CROWD CHEERING]