Jan. 7, 2001 – ECW Guilty As Charged
In what would become the final televised event of the original ECW promotion, the surprise main event sees longtime rivals Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn meet one more time in ECW, with Van Dam getting the victory. In another surprise, the ECW World Title changes hands twice, first with The Sandman defeating Steve Corino and Justin Credible in a ladder match to capture the title for a record fifth time. ECW TV Champion Rhino then challenges Sandman to an immediate match and quickly pins him to win the title.
Jan. 8, 2001 – WWF World Title: Kurt Angle vs. Steve Austin (WWF Action! DVD)
Austin and Angle meet in their first singles match for the WWF Title on Monday Night Raw. Interference from both William Regal and Triple H causes the match to end without a decisive winner, allowing Angle to retain the championship.
Jan. 21, 2001 – WWF Royal Rumble
Steve Austin enters at #27 and becomes the first man in WWF history to win the Royal Rumble for a third time, last eliminating Kane, who had survived for nearly an hour in the ring. Austin also makes an appearance during the match between WWF Champion Kurt Angle and Triple H, getting his revenge on Triple H by costing him the match and helping Angle to get a pinfall victory. Two other titles do switch hands on the show, as Chris Jericho wins a brutal ladder match against Chris Benoit to capture the WWF Intercontinental Title for a fourth time and The Dudley Boyz finally are able to defeat Edge & Christian, earning their second WWF Tag Team Championship.
February 18, 2001 – WCW SuperBrawl Revenge
When Kevin Nash scores a surprise pinfall on WCW Champion Scott Steiner, CEO Ric Flair makes their match 2-out-of-3 falls, and later adds a falls-count-anywhere and no disqualification stipulation to help Steiner ultimately retain the title, 2 falls to 1. As a result, Nash must leave WCW. Diamond Dallas Page is forced to face Chris Kanyon in an impromptu match and is pinned, but then rebounds to defeat Jeff Jarrett. The Cat also reclaims the job of WCW Commissioner by beating Lance Storm.
February 19, 2001 – WCW Monday Nitro #281
With Sting, Sid Vicious, Booker T, and now Kevin Nash eliminated, Scott Steiner sets his sights on Diamond Dallas Page as his final victim, but Page scores a win over Chris Kanyon to set up his challenge for Steiner’s WCW World Title at Greed. The Cat announces the creation of a new WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Title to be decided in a tournament beginning the following week. In other bouts, Cat loses to Buff Bagwell and Hugh Morrus pins Lance Storm.
February 21, 2001 – WCW Thunder #151
Hugh Morrus calls out Rick Steiner to get revenge for Steiner’s attack on Lash Leroux on Nitro, but Morrus gets WCW World Champion Scott Steiner instead. The two meet in a non-title match with Steiner getting the win using the Steiner Recliner. The Cat also seeks revenge for Miss Jones, who was injured by Kanyon and Buff Bagwell on Nitro. Cat teams with Diamond Dallas Page to defeat Kanyon and Bagwell in a tag team match. Lex Luger falls victim to Chuck Palumbo in singles action and in an upset the team of A.J. Styles and Air Paris defeat Disco Inferno and Alex Wright.
March 18, 2001 – WCW Greed
The final WCW pay-per-view event takes place in Jacksonville, Florida, headlined by WCW World Champion Scott Steiner defeating Diamond Dallas Page to retain the title. Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes fittingly have one last battle, with Dusty and son Dustin teaming to beat Flair and Jeff Jarrett. Three new champions are also crowned, as Booker T wins the U.S. Title from Rick Steiner, Shane Helms topples Chavo Guerrero for the WCW Cruiserweight Title, and Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo become the first-ever WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions by defeating Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman in a tournament final. WCW Tag Team Champions Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo retain their titles with a dominant victory over Lex Luger & Buff Bagwell.
March 19, 2001 – WCW Monday Nitro #285
Eric Bischoff calls in to announce that his purchase of WCW has fallen through and next week will be the final broadcast of Nitro and the end of WCW on the Turner networks. He declares the show will be a “Night of Champions” with all titles on the line and any former world champion welcome to return. The show’s in-ring action includes new WCW Cruiserweight Champion Shane Helms beating Billy Kidman, Rick Steiner getting a disqualification win over Konnan, and Lance Storm & Mike Awesome defeating WCW Tag Team Champions Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo in a non-title match.
March 21, 2001 – WCW Thunder #155 (Final Episode)
The last edition of WCW Thunder, and the final WCW show to air on TBS, features WCW Champion Scott Steiner teaming with Jeff Jarrett to defeat Dustin Rhodes in a handicap match in the main event. In a battle of cruiserweights, Shane Helms, Rey Mysterio, and Billy Kidman beat Chavo Guerrero, Elix Skipper, and Kid Romeo. The show also features some of the newest talent in WCW, with Jason Jett pinning fellow ECW alum Cash and Jimmy Yang & Kaz Hayashi beating AJ Styles & Air Paris.
March 26, 2001 – The Raw/Nitro simulcast (WWF Raw is War # and WCW Monday Nitro #286)
After more than five years, the real-life promotional war between the WWF and WCW comes to a shocking conclusion on the final episode of Monday Nitro on TNT. Nitro, airing live from Panama City, Florida, opens with a message from Vince McMahon, who is backstage at the WWF’s Raw broadcast live in Cleveland, Ohio. McMahon announces that he has purchased WCW from AOL/Time Warner and will make a live announcement on both Raw and Nitro in a simulcast on both TNT and TNN. Throughout the night, McMahon teases the firing of WCW stars and ultimately announces his plan to bury WCW before being interrupted by his son Shane McMahon, who is live in the ring in Panama City. After Vince had promised to finalize the contract to buy WCW at Wrestlemania, Shane surprises his father by saying he has finalized the deal and is in fact the new owner of WCW.
Prior to Shane’s announcement, Nitro features messages from many top WCW stars who are uncertain about their future, ending in an emotional final match between Ric Flair and Sting. Booker T ends the final Nitro as both WCW World Champion and U.S. Champion after pinning Scott Steiner in a title vs. title match. Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman also win the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Tea Title from Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo, while Shane Helms retains the WCW Cruiserweight Title over Chavo Guerrero and WCW Tag Team Champions Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire defeat Lance Storm & Mike Awesome.
Raw features the final build to Wrestlemania, with The Rock teaming with Steve Austin to defeat The Undertaker and Kane in the main event. In other matches, The Big Show beats Chris Jericho, Tazz defeats Val Venis in a lumberjack match, and Chris Benoit teams with The Hardy Boyz to get a win over Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian.
July 22, 2001 – Invasion: WWF Vs. WCW/ECW
In an event fans had long dreamed of, the top stars of the WWF face off against WCW and ECW stars in inter-promotional matches. The main event 10-man “inaugural brawl” sees the WCW/ECW team of Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, Rhyno & The Dudleys defeat Team WWF of Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, The Undertaker, Kane & Chris Jericho when Austin defects to WCW and helps their team get the victory. The event’s only title match sees ECW’s Rob Van Dam defeat Jeff Hardy to win the WWF Hardcore Title. Two other non-title matches see champions from WCW and the WWF face off, with WWF Tag Team Champions The APA beating WCW Tag Team Champions Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire and WCW Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman pinning WWF Light Heavyweight Champion X-Pac. In the end, the two sides split the night’s 10 matches, with each side winning five.
October 21, 2001 – WWF No Mercy
In a no disqualification triple threat match, WWF Champion Steve Austin retains his title over former champion Kurt Angle and WWF Hardcore Champion Rob Van Dam. The showdown between Chris Jericho and The Rock sees Jericho, with the help of a steel chair, finally “win the big one” by pinning Rock to capture the WCW Championship. Edge also regains the WWF Intercontinental Title, defeating Christian in a ladder match.
October 22, 2001 – WWF Raw #439
Vince McMahon, now reunited with wife Linda, issues a challenge to his children to end the invasion once and for all with a winner-take-all match at Survivor Series, which Shane and Stephanie accept. The WWF then proceeds to dominate the Alliance for the rest of the night, winning back four championships: Rivals The Rock and Chris Jericho team up to defeat The Dudleys for the WWF Tag Team Title, Kurt Angle takes the WCW U.S. Championship from Rhyno, Tajiri pins Billy Kidman to regain the WCW Cruiserweight Title, and Bradshaw steamrolls over The Hurricane to capture the WWF European Title. Rob Van Dam is the only Alliance member to retain his title, beating The Big Show in a match for the WWF Hardcore Championship.
November 3, 2001 – WWF Rebellion 2001
The Rock challenges Steve Austin in a WrestleMania rematch for the WWF Championship in a match that sees interference from both Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle. After Angle hits The Rock with the title belt, Austin hits the Stunner to gain the pinfall victory. Jericho and Angle also battle for the WCW World Championship, with Jericho scoring the pin to retain his title. Edge and Christian meet in the third and final match of their feud, this time in a steel cage, with Edge escaping first to retain his WWF Intercontinental Title.
November 18, 2001 – WWF Survivor Series 2001: Winner Take All
The battle between the WWF and the Alliance of WCW and ECW comes to an end with a final showdown to determine the surviving brand. In the final match of survival, Kurt Angle returns after being eliminated and reveals he was working for the WWF all along, turning on Alliance partner Steve Austin. This allows The Rock to pin Austin and become the sole survivor, earning a win for Team WWF of Rock, Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, and The Big Show over Team Alliance of Austin, Angle, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Shane McMahon. WCW U.S. Champion Edge unifies the title with the WWF Intercontinental Championship by defeating Test. After losing his title, Test wins an immunity battle royal to ensure a roster spot with the winning brand. In a steel cage match to unify the tag team titles, WCW Tag Team Champions The Dudley Boyz beat WWF Tag Team Champions The Hardy Boyz to win both championships. Trish Status wins a six-woman match for the vacant WWF Women’s Title and WWF European Champion Christian pins Al Snow to retain his title.
Wrestling History Preserved 