AP: WWE stages takedown of Nuggets

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Vince McMahon got his takedown of Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke on the WWE television show Monday night.

Sort of.

During the World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Monday Night Raw” show, McMahon shoved a mock Kroenke to the mat and the faux Kroenke fell out of the ring at the Staples Center. The wrestling card was switched from the Pepsi Center last week to Los Angeles because of Game 4 of the Lakers-Nuggets series being played in Denver. Originally, the date was held by the WWE.

In the TV skit, the counterfeit Kroenke, microphone in hand, sauntered toward the ring with a basketball under his arm. He handed the ball to an equally fake Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who was standing next to a phony David Stern and Jack Nicholson.

The imitation Kroenke then announced that he is “the owner of the soon-to-be NBA champion Denver Nuggets. And I cannot stand the WWE or its fans, for that matter.”

“Do you think that I care that I screwed thousands of WWE fans? I do not. I have much more important things to do with my team than worry about you people.”

McMahon then entered the fray, ambling into the ring and telling the pretend Kroenke, “None of this had to happen. All you had to do was pick up the phone, say `I didn’t think my team would make the playoffs, I screwed up.'”

Seconds later, McMahon shoved “Kroenke” after warning him, “When you push the WWE universe, they push back.”