With a smirk, he announced that the contracts of every single Alliance member—from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin to the lowest cruiserweight—had been terminated. He called out each fallen general individually: , his traitorous son; Stephanie McMahon , his scheming daughter; Paul Heyman , the mad scientist of ECW; and finally, Steve Austin .

The show opened not with pyrotechnics or a catchphrase, but with a cold, calculated silence. Vince McMahon walked to the ring in a tailored suit, not as a rabid promoter, but as a conquering CEO. The Boston crowd, still riding the high of the previous night’s victory, roared for blood.

Flair revealed that he had sold his stock in WCW to Vince months ago, but that was just business. The real announcement: Flair was now a . He had purchased a controlling interest from a mysterious "third party."