Vince Wants His Little Girl Back....
AND ONLY STONE COLD CAN HELP HIM GET HER!
Vince wants Stephanie back. Steve Austin will soon be looking to reclaim his lofty standing in the WWF. Can these two megalomaniacs work together to achieve their goals?
BY BRYAN ETHER
Daddy's little girl. Say what? All ringlets of hair, smudged lipstick, pouting face, evil glare in her eyes, leather skirt, despotic will....this is the little girl Vince McMahon raised?
Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley. How the sound of that name sends a shiver up Vince's spine. But after a few months, the union between the WWF's owner's daughter and the former WWF outcast has worked pretty well.
Much to Vince's chagrin.
Whatever became of that demure young woman who used to accompany her dad and brother into the ring?
"She got a taste of the WWF, a taste of power, and a whiff of her own ego," said Jim Ross. "She fell into the wrong company and lost herself. I find it hard to imagine that the cold, calculating Stephanie we see is the real Stephanie McMahon. I just wish she'd awaken from whatever spell Triple H has her under...before it's late."
One of the recent times we saw Stephanie and her hubby together, they were toasting the retirement of Mick Foley, whose loss to Triple H at No Way Out forced him to hang up his boots for good. The night after that match, Triple H played on the Titan Tron what initially appeared to be a heartful tribute to the fans' fallen hero.
"I admire Mick Foley," said a teary-eyed Triple H. Steph stared in disbelief. Had her husband gone soft?
But within moments, she and the fans realized this was a scathing mockery of Foley, a montage of his most embarrassing moments in the ring. Shockingly, Steph and hubby erupted with cheers.
"This is disgusting," lamented Ross at ringside. Vince no doubt agreed.
"I feel worse for someone like her than me," said Foley, when asked later about the film and Stephanie's response. "I can always build upon my success. What's Stephanie got? A worm for a husband, a federation that hates her, a father estranged from her. This is what life's about? As much as Vince and I have had our differences, I really feel sorry for him. I'd want to die if one of my kids behaved like his daughter."
That's why Vince must do something to get his daughter back. A psychiatrist won't do the trick, either. A bounty hunter probably can't get the job done. Don't think Foley will come to Steph's rescue. The Rock? He called Stephanie a "high-priced tramp."
But it doesn't matter that none of those alternatives will work....Vince has a stone-cold solution to the Stephanie problem.
Wrestle America has learned that Vince McMahon is considering commissioning an ally to rescue hid brainwashed daughter. According to an inside source, Vince would like to use this ally as a mole to infiltrate the Helmsley cult. Working from the inside out, this ally would endeavor to bring Stephanie back to the McMahon family.
"That ally will be Stone Cold Steve Austin," said our source. "He is the only person with the savvy and the knowledge to be a double agent of sorts, and to steal Stephanie from her captor."
It makes sense. If you think about it.
During the USA Network's Half-Time Heat broadcast on January 30, Austin estimated that he'd be back to work in about three or four months. What will his work consist of? That depends on his health, for starters. But consider the position Austin's in: He's been out of the ring for months and will have to work his way back up the WWF ladder, if and when he returns to full-time competition. What better way to do that than with a giant push from Vince?
"It is safe to say that there will be some back-scratching," said our source. "Steve's not going to work for Vince for nothing, and Vince isn't going to hire Steve thinking there are no strings attached."
The plan can work for a few reasons. First, Shane McMahon's recent return to the ring as manager of The Big Show lessened some of Stephanie's power. One need only read her body language when she and her brother are together to see that she's not quite as cock-sure as she once was.
So, even with Triple H by her side, Stephanie is still susceptible to other points of view.
Enter Austin and his unique viewpoint.
Austin and Vince have proven they can work together, despite their past conflicts. Austin remembers some of Steph's travails with Undertaker. He knows how protective Vince is of his little girl, even when his actions sometimes indicate otherwise.
"Vince recognizes that Austin is the kind of guy with an agenda--with many agendas," said our source. "When Steve decides to do something, he will see it through to completion. Steve is a smart, calculating man who refuses to let anything and anyone stand in his way."
Anyone have a Zamboni handy? Well, perhaps Austin won't need an ice resurfacing machine, but he will need a game plan and some tools to spring SMH and DX and clan.
"The mechanics of the game plan are basically in place right now," said our source. "Out of respect to the McMahon family, I cannot divulge the details. But if all goes according to plan, the relationship between the McMahons and Steve could be forever changed."
A McMahon/Austin partnership? Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves. "The Rattlesnake" is anything but a team player. Then there's the nefarious Shane to consider. Still,maybe boss and Austin can form a cordial if not amicable working relationship.
That bond, however, will not likely form if Austin does not get compensated for his efforts, and compensation would likely mean a shot at the World title whenever he's ready for it.
After all, would we expect anything less from Stone Cold?