The History of the WWF Volume XVI: 2001: From 1985 to the Present

Imagine going back in time and reliving WWF history as it actually happened. Not as the WWE wants to present it, but as it actually aired. No longer would superstars disappear from the history books or angles be edited out because they’re deemed too offensive to WWE’s current corporate philosophy. Instead, you’d see the WWF as it aired, as you remembered it if you’re old enough, or as it really happened for the first time if you’re a younger fan. You’d see the WWF that turned a regional promotion into a global billion dollar powerhouse. You’d see the WWF that the fans who grew up on the product came to know and love.Welcome to a year-by-year account of the WWF. This is the history of the WWF as presented on television. Not Vince McMahon’s revisionist history, but the WWF that aired on television. This series follows the weekly shows, PPVs, and major events that made the WWF (and later WWE) the household name that it is. Love it or hate it, the WWF has become part of the world’s culture and the events in this book helped define that culture.For 2001, see "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's heel turn, possibly the greatest PPV in WWF history, wrestling's first Undisputed Champion, and the ECW/WCW Alliance. Witness history when McMahon purchases WCW and appears on a live simulcast on both Raw and SmackDown!. Watch as the WWF tries to make an Invasion out of secondary WCW superstars and how the company pivots on possibly the dream storyline in professional wrestling history. Also see the WWF emerge as the first major assembly post-9/11 and the patriotism that rings through the company to end the year. Read about the last full year in WWF history and the final runs of both Austin and The Rock. 2001 is one of the most impactful and pivotal years in WWF history, ending the acclaimed Attitude Era and sending the company barreling into the future. Read more