Alternative History


WWE Cyber Sunday was a 2003 professional wrestling event put on by World Wrestling Entertainment. It was the first ever Cyber Sunday event, the 6th event of 2003, and the 162nd event overall in the alternate WWF timeline. It was also exclusive to the Raw brand. Emanating from the US Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, the main event was a triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash. Other matches on the card included a Women's Title match between Trish Stratus and Sara del Rey, a unique triple threat match for the World Tag Team Titles where only one member of each team participated (resulting in Bubba Ray Dudley vs. Ric Flair vs. Rob Van Dam) and an Intercontinental Title match between Randy Orton and Diamond Dallas Page with Mick Foley as the Special Guest Referee.

Prelude[]

With Shane McMahon now running the show on Smackdown, Eric Bischoff was looking for a way to "spice things up" for Raw's next big event. However it would be Raw's Co-General Manager Stone Cold Steve Austin who would stumble onto the idea for the next event, an event called Cyber Sunday. In this event, fans could vote online on WWE's website (or through text messages) on various aspects of the matches, such as stipulations or even in some cases opponents.

The main storyline heading into Cyber Sunday was the return of Kevin Nash to the WWE. The former superstar, who had last been seen in a WWE ring seven years earlier (before he left to join WCW), made his return the night after Backlash, only appearing on stage and seemingly "spooking" his former Kliq running buddy, the World Heavyweight Champion Triple H. The following week, Triple H offered his old friend a spot in Evolution, which Nash declined, stating his intentions to capture the World Heavyweight Title from Triple H no matter the fact that they used to be friends (the promo segment between the two blurred the lines of reality, with references made to a real life incident one year earlier when Triple H had used his backstage influence to shoot down bringing back Scott Hall to the WWE, due to the latter's continued drug addictions). Shawn Michaels, who was also embroiled in an on again, off again feud with the champion. After a tag match went south that saw Michaels and Nash argue amongst themselves, all three former Kliq members were suddenly at each other's throats. Thus Eric Bischoff announced that the audience would decide who Triple H would defend his title against. It would be either Nash, Michaels, or the both of them in a Triple Threat match.

Randy Orton had been Intercontinental Champion since December, and had defeated every opponent put in front of him, though usually through duplicitous means. Recently he had begun using a "variation of" (more like a copy of) Diamond Dallas Page's Diamond Cutter as a finishing maneuver, calling it the RKO. This naturally attracted the attention of the People's Champion, who challenged Orton for the rights to the move in a match, which Orton won with the aide of Batista. Co-GM Austin overruled this stipulation, however, instead forcing Orton to put his IC Title on the line at Cyber Sunday against Page, with the fans able to choose which WWE legend would serve as the Special Guest Referee. The choices were the first Intercontinental Champion Pat Patterson, former WWE Commissioner Sgt Slaughter, and the Hardcore Legend himself Mick Foley.

The Dudley Boys were engaged in a feud with the tag team champions, Kane and Rob Van Dam, in an effort to regain their titles, having earned a title shot in a six man tag match they won over the Dupps at Backlash. However this title match was interrupted by another pair of former champions, Batista and Ric Flair, who laid waste to both teams and caused the match to result in a no contest. A match between the Dudleys and the Evolution team ended the same way, when Kane and Van Dam interfered. As expected, the same thing happened when the Dudleys were the odd team out as well. Tired of having this feud go on, Bischoff ordered a triple threat match with the tag titles on the line at Cyber Sunday, but with a twist. Only one member of each team would get to participate, and the fans would get the chance to choose which member it was.

Other matches on the night saw Trish Stratus defend her title against any woman on the roster, Chris Jericho issue an open challenge to a wrestler of the fan's choice, Steven Richards facing a legend of the fan's choice (choosing between Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka) and a special contest as voted on by WWE fans between Bischoff and Austin (which wound up being a beer drinking contest).

Event[]

Coming Soon...

Results[]

No. Results Stipulations Time
Pre-Show D'Lo d. Jamal by Pinfall Singles Match 9:00
1 Gregory Helms d. "The Amazing" Rene Dupree by Pinfall Kendo Stick on a Pole Match 11:02
2 "Rowdy" Roddy Piper d. Steven Richards by Submission Singles Match 4:29
3 Sara del Ray d. Trish Stratus (c) by Pinfall Singles Match for the WWE Women's Title 8:53
4 "The Alpha Male" Monty Brown d. Chris Jericho w/Christian by Disqualification Singles Match 5:00
5 Rob Van Dam d. Bubba Ray Dudley & "Nature Boy" Ric Flair by Pinfall Triple Threat Singles Match for the World Tag Team Titles 12:34
6 Randy Orton (c) d. Diamond Dallas Page by Pinfall Singles Match for the WWE Intercontinental Title 16:00
7 Stone Cold Steve Austin d. Eric Bischoff Beer Drinking Contest --
8 Kevin Nash d. Triple H (c) & Shawn Michaels by Pinfall Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship 15:42

Aftermath[]

Nash's title victory (where he pinned Michaels rather than Triple H) would form the basis of the continuing feud for the remainder of the summer, when all three men would be involved in the second ever Elimination Chamber (which also involved Chris Jericho, Christian & Monty Brown) with the World Title on the line. Orton's interactions with Mick Foley would form the basis of a nine month long feud with the Hardcore Legend off and on, that would culminate in a match at Wrestlemania 20. Meanwhile The Dudley Boys would enter a feud with a new team of James Storm and Chris Harris, who went by the name of America's Most Wanted, and who would be a fixture of the tag scene for the next few years.