The Final Episode Of WCW Monday Nitro Aired 15 Years Ago Today

WWF announced their purchase of WCW on March 23, 2001, but it was on this date 15 years ago that the Monday Night Wars officially ended. The final episode of WCW Nitro aired on March 26, 2001 and a historic era of professional wrestling came to a close.

The episode was filmed at the Club La Vela in Panama City Beach, Florida and it was billed as “The Night of Champions” with every belt on the line. Vince McMahon opened the broadcast with a pre-taped video announcing that he had purchased WCW. He told fans he would reveal the fate of WCW during a special simulcast later in the show.

• Booker T defeated Scott Steiner with the Book End in a match with the US and World Title on the line. Booker T retained the WCW United States Championship and won WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
• Rey Mysterio Jr. & Billy Kidman defeated Shannon Moore & Evan Karagias and Kaz Hayashi & Yang when Mysterio pinned Moore with a leg drop off the top rope. The victory earned Mysterio & Kidman a shot at the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles later in the broadcast.
• Shane Helms defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. with the Vertebreaker to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
• Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo defeated Lance Storm & Mike Awesome to retain the WCW World Tag Team Championships. O’Haire pinned Awesome with the Swanton Bomb to win the match.
• Shawn Stasiak (with Stacy Keibler) defeated Bam Bam Bigelow in only 83 seconds. Shawn Stasiak pinned Bam Bam Bigelow after hitting a neckbreaker. A pre-match stipulation was put in place which stated that if Stasiak lost Bam Bam Bigelow would be able to tattoo him.
• Rey Mysterio Jr. & Billy Kidman defeated Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo when
  Kidman pinned Skipper with the Kid Crusher. Mysterio & Kidman became the last ever WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions as the titles were retired after this show.
• Sting defeated Ric Flair when he made him tap out to the Scorpion Deathlock. The two hugged and celebrated in the ring after the match.

The final segment of the show featured a historic simulcast which featured Raw being simulcast live on both TNN and TNT. Vince McMahon cut a promo where he talked about how he had defeated his enemy Ted Turner and he told the fans that he was going to put WCW on the shelf. McMahon named several WCW stars such as Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger, Buff Bagwell, Booker T, Sting and Goldberg and he asked the crowd if he should sign them to the WWF.

Shane McMahon then surprised everyone when he showed up on Nitro in Panama City and told Vince that he had gone behind his back and purchased WCW. Shane announced that he was the new owner of WCW and it was one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history. He went on to face and defeat his father a few days later at WrestleMania X7 on April 1.

The final episode of WCW Nitro aired on March 26, 2001, but that wasn’t the last wrestling fans saw of the WCW brand. Shane McMahon led an invasion of the WWF later that year and he tried to take over the company by using members of the WCW roster as his henchmen. Shane then formed an alliance with his sister Stephanie McMahon who in the storyline had purchased ECW.

The Alliance terrorized the WWF for months until everything came to a head at Survivor Series 2001. Team WWF went up against Team Alliance for total control of the company and in the end the Team WWF won the match, putting the WCW brand to rest for good.