The Corporation (professional wrestling)
Encyclopedia
The Corporation was a heel
stable in the late 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation
(WWF).
in an attempt to secure control of the WWF and "crush the rebels" that were popping up on the WWF landscape (such as D-Generation X
, Mankind
and Stone Cold Steve Austin
). Previously, McMahon started surrounding himself with an entourage consisting of himself, The Corporate Stooges (Brisco and Patterson), Commissioner Slaughter and his personal enforcer The Big Boss Man
to help him quell the rebellious actions of one Stone Cold Steve Austin, whom he claimed was not acting the way that a World Champion should be. Upon the stable's formation, they became notorious for using their immense political stroke in the company to give the group vast degrees of advantages in matches. To keep with their "corporate" gimmick, Corporation members were known to adopt "cleaned-up businessmen" modifications to their individual characters; for example, The Rock's "People's Champion" modus operandi changed as he then became known as "The Corporate Champion" during his tenure in the stable. The group subsequently became the most dominant stable in the company by the end of '98, with Corporate members The Rock, Ken Shamrock
, and The Big Boss Man holding the WWE Title, the Intercontinental Title, and the Hardcore Title respectively, and Shamrock and Boss Man were briefly double champions as well during this time, as they held the WWF Tag Team Titles as well.
The Corporation was officially formed on November 16, 1998 when Shane
and Vince McMahon along with The Big Boss Man (named the group's Corporate Enforcer), Commissioner Slaughter, and Pat Patterson & Gerald Brisco reconciled, joining forces with The Rock, who was The Corporation's proclaimed 'Crown Jewel' (and whom they helped win the World Title at Survivor Series the night before), holding the WWF Championship
three times while part of the group.
The group proceeded to terrorize the rest of the WWF roster as well, freely using their political strokes and corporate agenda to put down their authority on other wrestlers. Besides Stone Cold Steve Austin who was their main adversary in ambition (seeking to capture the WWF Championship) and character (an everyman redneck), the popular faction of rebels D-Generation X
butted heads with the stable over principles with DX leader Triple H frequently challenging The Rock for the WWF Title though often lost due to screwing on the part of The Corporation. However, the stable often found themselves under attack by Mankind, who was still bitter at Vince McMahon for screwing him out of the WWF Title at Survivor Series 1998 by having the bell rung when Rock put the Sharpshooter on him immediately despite not tapping (see Montreal Screwjob
).
Though the group remained on top of the Federation heading into 1999, members began to dwindle throughout the year. Then-commissioner Shawn Michaels was the first, having viciously being attacked by the group in a parking lot once it became clear he began to make decisions that didn't cater to their interests any longer (Michaels was given the vacant Commissioner position left by founding Corporation member Sgt. Slaughter to use his powers on their behalf). Kane's membership was unsteady from the start as he was only a member because the McMahons threatened to send him back to the insane asylum if he didn't cooperate with them. When they entered a feud with the Ministry of Darkness, Mr. McMahon was kicked out and his position as leader, unsurped by Shane, who justified his actions as pointing out that Vince no longer cared about The Corporation and only about Stephanie McMahon, who was a target of The Undertaker's plotting in taking over the WWF (and thus threaten The Corporation's power). Brisco & Patterson were kicked out the same night with Shane stating there was no room in The Corporation for the old and subsequently replaced them with the Mean Street Posse. Ken Shamrock was kicked out soon afterward when he showed more loyalty to his sister Ryan who was also being tortured by 'Taker. Test left, stating he felt The Corporation wasn't using him to his full abilities. Finally, The Rock was kicked out after he failed to take back the WWF title from Stone Cold Steve Austin at Backlash thanks to botched interference from Shane McMahon and spouting venomous remarks that caused Shane to have the remaining Corporation members attack him and beat him down.
With their severely dwindled numbers, they subsequently merged with the Ministry of Darkness to create the Corporate Ministry
(thus revealing that the loss of members in the Corporation was a process of elimination, separating loyal members from the ones that would be troublesome). Not too long after that, the Corporate Ministry crumbled when the Undertaker's relationship with Vince McMahon deteriorated after a loss to Austin over the WWF Championship in a First Blood match and with that, The Corporation was officially over. Note: the storyline for this was cut due to a legitimate injury from the Undertaker.
Later on in 2000, remnants of the Corporation (Shane and Vince McMahon, The Stooges) allied with then heels, D-Generation X in 2000, creating the McMahon-Helmsley Faction
. Although considered a different group, its goals and format was virtually identical to The Corporation remnants. To this day, the Mr. McMahon character continues to be featured in angles involving a heel character acting as his right-hand man which started originally with the Corporation angle.
Entrance themes
Heel (professional wrestling)
In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...
stable in the late 1990s in the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
(WWF).
History
The group was put together and led by WWF Chairman Vince McMahonVince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
in an attempt to secure control of the WWF and "crush the rebels" that were popping up on the WWF landscape (such as D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
, Mankind
Mick Foley
Michael Francis "Mick" Foley, Sr. is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, author, comedian, actor, voice actor and former color commentator. He has worked for many wrestling promotions, including WWE, WCW, ECW and TNA. He is often referred to as "The Hardcore Legend", a nickname he...
and Stone Cold Steve Austin
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin , better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American film and television actor and retired professional wrestler...
). Previously, McMahon started surrounding himself with an entourage consisting of himself, The Corporate Stooges (Brisco and Patterson), Commissioner Slaughter and his personal enforcer The Big Boss Man
Ray Traylor
Ray Walter Traylor, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man and World Championship Wrestling under various ring names, most notably Big Bubba Rogers.-Early years:Traylor, a prison guard in...
to help him quell the rebellious actions of one Stone Cold Steve Austin, whom he claimed was not acting the way that a World Champion should be. Upon the stable's formation, they became notorious for using their immense political stroke in the company to give the group vast degrees of advantages in matches. To keep with their "corporate" gimmick, Corporation members were known to adopt "cleaned-up businessmen" modifications to their individual characters; for example, The Rock's "People's Champion" modus operandi changed as he then became known as "The Corporate Champion" during his tenure in the stable. The group subsequently became the most dominant stable in the company by the end of '98, with Corporate members The Rock, Ken Shamrock
Ken Shamrock
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
, and The Big Boss Man holding the WWE Title, the Intercontinental Title, and the Hardcore Title respectively, and Shamrock and Boss Man were briefly double champions as well during this time, as they held the WWF Tag Team Titles as well.
The Corporation was officially formed on November 16, 1998 when Shane
Shane McMahon
Shane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
and Vince McMahon along with The Big Boss Man (named the group's Corporate Enforcer), Commissioner Slaughter, and Pat Patterson & Gerald Brisco reconciled, joining forces with The Rock, who was The Corporation's proclaimed 'Crown Jewel' (and whom they helped win the World Title at Survivor Series the night before), holding the WWF Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
three times while part of the group.
The group proceeded to terrorize the rest of the WWF roster as well, freely using their political strokes and corporate agenda to put down their authority on other wrestlers. Besides Stone Cold Steve Austin who was their main adversary in ambition (seeking to capture the WWF Championship) and character (an everyman redneck), the popular faction of rebels D-Generation X
D-Generation X
D-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
butted heads with the stable over principles with DX leader Triple H frequently challenging The Rock for the WWF Title though often lost due to screwing on the part of The Corporation. However, the stable often found themselves under attack by Mankind, who was still bitter at Vince McMahon for screwing him out of the WWF Title at Survivor Series 1998 by having the bell rung when Rock put the Sharpshooter on him immediately despite not tapping (see Montreal Screwjob
Montreal Screwjob
The Montreal Screwjob was a controversial, purportedly real life professional wrestling event in which the owner of the World Wrestling Federation, Vince McMahon, double-crossed the defending WWF Champion, Bret Hart, during the main event match of the professional wrestling pay-per-view event...
).
Though the group remained on top of the Federation heading into 1999, members began to dwindle throughout the year. Then-commissioner Shawn Michaels was the first, having viciously being attacked by the group in a parking lot once it became clear he began to make decisions that didn't cater to their interests any longer (Michaels was given the vacant Commissioner position left by founding Corporation member Sgt. Slaughter to use his powers on their behalf). Kane's membership was unsteady from the start as he was only a member because the McMahons threatened to send him back to the insane asylum if he didn't cooperate with them. When they entered a feud with the Ministry of Darkness, Mr. McMahon was kicked out and his position as leader, unsurped by Shane, who justified his actions as pointing out that Vince no longer cared about The Corporation and only about Stephanie McMahon, who was a target of The Undertaker's plotting in taking over the WWF (and thus threaten The Corporation's power). Brisco & Patterson were kicked out the same night with Shane stating there was no room in The Corporation for the old and subsequently replaced them with the Mean Street Posse. Ken Shamrock was kicked out soon afterward when he showed more loyalty to his sister Ryan who was also being tortured by 'Taker. Test left, stating he felt The Corporation wasn't using him to his full abilities. Finally, The Rock was kicked out after he failed to take back the WWF title from Stone Cold Steve Austin at Backlash thanks to botched interference from Shane McMahon and spouting venomous remarks that caused Shane to have the remaining Corporation members attack him and beat him down.
With their severely dwindled numbers, they subsequently merged with the Ministry of Darkness to create the Corporate Ministry
Corporate Ministry
The Corporate Ministry was a stable in the World Wrestling Federation in 1999 composed of members from both The Corporation and the Ministry of Darkness.-Background:...
(thus revealing that the loss of members in the Corporation was a process of elimination, separating loyal members from the ones that would be troublesome). Not too long after that, the Corporate Ministry crumbled when the Undertaker's relationship with Vince McMahon deteriorated after a loss to Austin over the WWF Championship in a First Blood match and with that, The Corporation was officially over. Note: the storyline for this was cut due to a legitimate injury from the Undertaker.
Later on in 2000, remnants of the Corporation (Shane and Vince McMahon, The Stooges) allied with then heels, D-Generation X in 2000, creating the McMahon-Helmsley Faction
McMahon-Helmsley Faction
The McMahon-Helmsley Faction was a large heel stable in the World Wrestling Federation which was founded in late 1999, had mostly faded away by early 2001 and finally ended in mid-2002...
. Although considered a different group, its goals and format was virtually identical to The Corporation remnants. To this day, the Mr. McMahon character continues to be featured in angles involving a heel character acting as his right-hand man which started originally with the Corporation angle.
Members
- Non-Wrestlers
- Gerald BriscoGerald BriscoFloyd Gerald "Jerry" Brisco is a former American professional wrestler, and prior to June, 2009, worked as a road agent for WWE on its Raw brand....
- Pat Patterson
- Sgt. SlaughterSgt. SlaughterRobert Remus , better known by his ring name Sgt. Slaughter, is an American former WWE personality and semi-retired professional wrestler. From the late 1970s to the early 1990s, Slaughter had success in the National Wrestling Alliance, American Wrestling Association, and World Wrestling...
- Shawn MichaelsShawn MichaelsMichael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
(1998)
- Gerald Brisco
- Wrestlers
- Vince McMahonVince McMahonVincent Kennedy "Vince" McMahon is an American professional wrestling promoter, announcer, commentator, film producer, actor and former occasional professional wrestler. McMahon is the current Chairman, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Committee of professional wrestling promotion WWE...
- Shane McMahonShane McMahonShane Brandon McMahon is an American executive, currently serving as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of YOU On Demand. A former executive and professional wrestler for World Wrestling Entertainment , he is the son of WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon and former US Senate candidate Linda...
- The Big BossmanRay TraylorRay Walter Traylor, Jr. was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his appearances with World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Big Boss Man and World Championship Wrestling under various ring names, most notably Big Bubba Rogers.-Early years:Traylor, a prison guard in...
- The Big ShowPaul WightPaul Donald Wight, Jr. , better known by his ring name, Big Show, is an American professional wrestler and actor, currently signed to WWE on its Raw brand....
(1999) - Chyna (1999)
- Ken ShamrockKen ShamrockKenneth Wayne Shamrock is an American mixed martial arts fighter, UFC Hall of Famer and professional wrestler...
- Mean Street PosseMean Street PosseThe Mean Street Posse was a villainous professional wrestling faction that formerly wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation. The faction consisted of Pete Gas, Rodney, and Joey Abs...
(Pete GasPeter GasperinoPeter Gasparino is an American former professional wrestler, better known simply as Pete Gas from his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation.-Professional wrestling career:...
, RodneyRodney LeinhardtRodney Leinhardt is an American professional wrestler, better known simply as Rodney from his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation. He is currently working on the independent circuit as RodRageous.-Career:Leinhardt trained under Tom Prichard and debuted in 1998...
, and Joey AbsJason ArhndtJason Ahrndt is a professional wrestler best known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as part of the three man team known as the Mean Street Posse, where he was known as Joey Abs...
) - The Rock
- Test
- Triple HTriple HPaul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
(1999) - KaneKane (wrestler)Glenn Thomas Jacobs is a Spanish-born American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name, Kane. He is signed to WWE, appearing on its SmackDown brand, but is currently inactive due to injury....
- Vince McMahon
Entrance themes
Music in professional wrestling
Music in professional wrestling serves a variety of purposes. The most common uses of music in professional wrestling is that of the entrance theme, a song or piece of instrumental music which plays as a performer approaches the ring...
- "No Chance in Hell" performed by Peter Bursuker and composed by Jim JohnstonJim Johnston (composer)James Alan "Jim" Johnston is an American music composer who has been working for WWE since 1985. His work is often accredited to the names Jim Johnston, James A...
- Originally created for the 1999 Royal Rumble in reference to McMahon declaring that Austin had 'no chance in hell' of winning the match itself. After the Rumble, it was made as The Corporate Team's theme until its dissolution into the Corporate Ministry, and it became just Vince and Shane's up until 2001 when Shane was given his own theme. Vince continues to use it to this day.
Championships and accomplishments
- WWF ChampionshipWWE ChampionshipThe WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
(3 times) – The Rock - WWF European ChampionshipWWE European ChampionshipThe WWE European Championship was a professional wrestling championship competed for in World Wrestling Entertainment. A coveted singles title of the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was held by superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero, and was...
(1 time) – Shane McMahon - WWF Hardcore ChampionshipWWE Hardcore ChampionshipThe World Wrestling Entertainment Hardcore Championship is a hardcore wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment and is contested under "hardcore" rules, meaning there is no disqualifications, no countouts, and pin falls could be counted anywhere...
(1 time) – Big Boss Man - WWF Intercontinental ChampionshipWWE Intercontinental ChampionshipThe WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in WWE. It is the original secondary title of the promotion. Currently, it is the secondary championship exclusive to the SmackDown brand...
(1 time) – Ken Shamrock - WWF Tag Team Championship (1 time) – Big Boss Man and Ken Shamrock
See also
- Corporate MinistryCorporate MinistryThe Corporate Ministry was a stable in the World Wrestling Federation in 1999 composed of members from both The Corporation and the Ministry of Darkness.-Background:...
- McMahon-Helmsley FactionMcMahon-Helmsley FactionThe McMahon-Helmsley Faction was a large heel stable in the World Wrestling Federation which was founded in late 1999, had mostly faded away by early 2001 and finally ended in mid-2002...
- Team McMahonTeam McMahonTeam McMahon, also known as The McMahons in appropriate general reference to the family involved, is the name of a familial alliance in World Wrestling Entertainment , usually on its Raw brand and consisting of WWE chairman/majority owner Vince McMahon, his son Shane, and at least one wrestler...
- Ministry of DarknessMinistry of DarknessThe Ministry of Darkness was a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation during the WWF Attitude Era of the late 1990s...
- D-Generation XD-Generation XD-Generation X was a professional wrestling stable in WWE . The group originated in the midst of the WWF's "Attitude Era" from 1997 to 2000...
- Evolution (professional wrestling)Evolution (professional wrestling)Evolution was a villainous professional wrestling stable on WWE's Raw brand between 2003 and 2005. At the height of its existence, the group consisted of Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Batista and briefly Eugene....
External links
- WWE.com (Official Website of World Wrestling Entertainment)
- Mr. Vince McMahon's WWE Profile
- Shawn Michaels' WWE Profile
- Triple H's WWE Profile
- The Rock's WWE Alumni Profile
- Kane's WWE Profile
- Sgt. Slaughter's WWE Hall of Fame Profile
- Pat Patterson's WWE Hall of Fame Profile
- Gerald Brisco's WWE Hall of Fame Profile