"The End of the WWF/nWo?"
•Power. Everybody wants it, and some will go to all lengths to attain it. However, for those who have it, it may become only a matter of time before it too, slips out of their proverbial hands and into that of others. How long can Vince McMahon, the president of the WWF/nWo, hold onto his position of power over the federation with the uprising of one of the most dominant entities that the federation has ever met, the Monsters of Darkness, led by the Ministry Undertaker? Moreover, it has become evident that this force has also strategically planned to take down the second half of the federation powers, the n.W.o.- more importantly, targeting its leader, Diesel. This, of course, was not met with resistance.
In late 1996, when colour commentator Vince McMahon acquired the power as President of the WWF, he promised fans that despite threats from the New World Order, the World Wrestling Federation would always remain as the number one force in the industry. 8 months prior, when the New World Order first began their hostile takeover, Diesel, the leader of the radical group, promised the same thing- that the n.W.o would be number one. For years thereafter, the WWF and the n.W.o war raged on, each constantly vying for the number one position. For Vince McMahon, this was no easy task. Even after assembling his own task force to disband the New World Order, all attempts were unsuccessful, and Vince McMahon watched in horror as the n.W.o, became the official opposition to the WWF.
However, in late 1998, a new breed of enemy was born, that would threaten the very existence of the federation: the Monsters of Darkness. Papa Shango, the Skullmaster, and the Giant, began their attack on the federation superstars, but with suffered a rather lackluster start, with the severe lack in numbers compared to the n.W.o and the WWF. However, despite their disadvantage, they proved time and time again that they were a force to reckon with, winning several federation championships on numerous occasions. Notwithstanding, the game was about to change. At the 1999 Survivor Series, when the new radical stable unveiled their leader…the Ministry Undertaker. With the fans shocked at the revelation, the feuds began to heat up.
Fast forward to the year 2000, where the success and guerilla warfare of the Monsters of Darkness gave them the opportunity to win the only federation gold they had yet to attain: the World Heavyweight title. At the final PPV of the year, the Ministry Undertaker would be given the chance for total supremacy, taking on the federation Champion, Yokozuna. But perhaps there was something else on their mind that night, as the M.O.D. opted not to go after the title, but instead, introduced a vile surprise for the federation, who stood at 8 feet tall and shocked the world. The pure display of strength that night from the monster known as “Seven” would be unmatched, and as the 600 pound Yokozuna was driven to the mat from the demonic chokeslam, a clear message was sent to the federation.
“I remember that night very well” federation superstar, Shawn Michaels, notes in a recent interview. “After my cage match for the number one contendership, we were all watching the match to see who my opponent would be. The match could’ve gone either way, but it was Seven’s presence in that ring that sent chills up everybody’s spines. Everybody in the lockerrooms and all the production crew members stood in shock at this monster.”
Clearly, Seven was the equalizer, if not, the atomic bomb of the wrestling world that would catapult the Monsters of Darkness into headliners. But perhaps they wanted to prove something to everybody that night at WrestleMania 2000; you don’t need gold to be a force to reckon with.
Since then, the Monsters of Darkness has continued their reign of terror on the federation, much to the dismay of their victims- two of which are Vince McMahon and Big Daddy Cool Diesel. Vince McMahon was later hospitalized for serious injuries sustained at the hands of the MOD.
However, with Vince recovering in the hospital last RAW, and the Ministry Undertaker seen being led away by police officers, the New World Order staged their own comeback to reclaim their power stance, by unveiling 2 new members of the group- one of which is the current WWF/nWo Champion, Yokozuna. It is very evident that tempers are flaring, and matters are now becoming very personal. For Vince McMahon, the WWF needs to ban together more than anything if they want to hold onto everything that they have spent 8 and a half years building. For Diesel and the New World Order, they too, need to keep their focus on whatever may arise, because they also have their power to uphold.
As the temperature rises between these three forces, could we be seeing the end of the WWF/nWo as we know it? Will the Monsters of Darkness become the official opposition to the WWF, or even dethrone the Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation? But perhaps it is just as important to ask if the WWF and the nWo can both hold their positions of power while competing against not one, but two opposing forces. In a federation where anything can happen, we can only wait to see where this road leads us to in the forthcoming coming year.
