WWE Classic of the Week: Stephanie McMahon vs. Vince McMahon from No Mercy 2003

There are certain expectations fans have that must be met for a match to be considered good. Fair or not, fans expect matches to look a certain way or feature certain elements and if they do not, they cannot possibly be anything resembling a classic bout.

That belief is inaccurate.

Professional wrestling is a sport as reliant on storytelling as the athleticism that is on display from bell to bell. Fans want to take the emotional roller-coaster ride with the Superstars, Divas and other personalities they watch every week, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to tell a story that is both easily understandable and intriguing all at the same time.

In October 2003, WWE presented a rivalry between father and daughter that played out on its SmackDown brand. It featured Vince McMahon at his most villainous and Stephanie McMahon at her most sympathetic.

Their "I Quit" match at the No Mercy pay-per-view was not pretty, nothing that fans would immediately look at and deem a wrestling classic by any stretch of the imagination. What it was, though, was a masterclass in sports-entertainment psychology and performance by two generations of McMahons, a family excelling in the art of fan manipulation.

This is their story.

The Background

The issues between Vince and Stephanie began in summer 2003, when Stephanie began taking exception to some of the decisions her father was making in regards to her on SmackDown. Those decisions began affecting the vision she had for the show and as the general manager of the brand, she had every right to stand up to him.

Unfortunately for Stephanie, the recently returned Sable made for a much more muddled situation. The two fierce females engaged in a rivalry that saw Stephanie's own father supporting her most hated rival. At Vengeance in July, Sable defeated Stephanie following interference from A-Train, whose involvement came at the behest of the billionaire owner of WWE.

In the weeks and months to come, Stephanie's refusal to see things her father's way would lead her to some very dangerous situations, including a match in which she and one-legged wonder boy Zach Gowen met Big Show in a 2-on-1 handicap match. That match ended up in Stephanie's favor, thanks to interference from Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar.

But what happened when the Beast Incarnate was standing across the ring from the boss' daughter? It was another scenario Stephanie found herself in, courtesy of her loving father.

When Daddy's Little Girl booked Lesnar in a WWE Championship defense against The Undertaker at No Mercy, Vince demanded that she take back the decision. That did not happen, so he did her one better, scheduling a match between father and daughter for the same event. It would be an "I Quit" match and if Stephanie lost, which was almost guaranteed, she would be forced to resign as general manager of SmackDown.

A teary-eyed Stephanie spoke about the match just days before it occurred.

The Promo

The Analysis

The match between Vince and Stephanie McMahon at No Mercy was a perfect example of characters that fans care about holding the audience in the palm of their hand, manipulating them and eliciting the desired reactions through body language and facial expressions.

Vince, in particular, was outstanding as he mercilessly assaulted his daughter. He was incredibly over the top with every little instance of him striking Stephanie or pummeling her. Stephanie put forth a valiant effort and did a tremendous job of garnering sympathy from the fans. She fought from underneath, mounting a comeback but ultimately falling prey to her father.

Linda McMahon, Stephanie's mother, threw the towel in and ended her daughter's suffering.

There was little in the way of fallout, especially since Stephanie disappeared from television. What happened, though, was that Vince enjoyed the greatest heel heat since his rivalry with Steve Austin, and it was absolutely warranted.

A classic match, even if it does not look like one upon first glance.