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in the fall of 2012, i started a wrestling viewing project. i decided to relive the Monday Night Wars, in their entirety, in real time.
September 1, 2012 i watched the WCW Saturday Night from 9/2/95. This led into the very first WCW Monday Nitro on 9/4/95.
From that day, i watched every piece of WCW i could get my hands on. Every PPV, Nitro, Thunder, Saturday Night, Worldwide, Prime, and Pro that i could possibly find. 

In the summer of 2013 i included WWF in my weekly obsession. Starting with SummerSlam '96, i watched every PPV, Raw, SmackDown, Shotgun, Heat, and Metal that i could. I even caught some XFL, but that put me over my threshold. 

 

Anyway, the true goal of this project was to re-experience the WWF/WCW/ECW Invasion angle from the summer and fall of 2001. When it originally aired, i had just graduated high school. Many friends and I would be leaving for college in the fall. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was the last time I would spend regular quality time with all of my friends. What a time of change. Being the nay-sayer I am, i rooted strongly and loudly for WCW to triumph. Obviously this goes against everything WWF was showing at the time, which only made me more steadfast in my ways. I always maintain that the WWF Invasion wasn't really THAT bad, but more that it didn't live up to impossible expectations. I am interested in seeing how my views on this have changed in the last 17 years.

I plan on keeping a tally of every time a member of the WWF faces a member of the Alliance, to see how the numbers play. I will update this thread after every Raw, SmackDown, and PPV with results and a quick recap of the goings on. Feel free to ask questions and make suggestions.  Hope you enjoy!

 

To get started, here's a primer on key moments from 2001 so far:

1/12: Haku (WCW Hardcore Champion Meng) debuts in WWF, joins forces with Rikishi

2/12: AJ "Air" Styles debuts in WCW (not related to this project, but a fun aside)

2/12: Justin Credible debuts in WWF, joins forces with X-Pac

2/27: WWF releases Stacy "the Kat" Carter. Jerry Lawler walks out in protest

3/5: Paul Heyman joins the WWF announce team

3/12 Jason Jett (ECW's EZ Money) debuts in WCW

3/19: Rhyno debuts in WWF, helps Edge & Christian win the Tag Team Titles

3/19: Cash (ECW's Kid Kash) debuts in WCW, loses to Jason Jett

3/19: Spike Dudley debuts in WWF, helps Dudley Boyz win the Tag Team Titles

 

And here's a breakdown of current champions:

WWF World Champion: The Rock (4 weeks, beat Kurt Angle)

Tag Team Champions: Dudley Boyz (1 week, beat Edge & Christian)

InterContinental Champion: Chris Jericho (8 weeks, beat Chris Benoit)

European Champion: Test (8 weeks, beat William Regal)

Hardcore Champion: Raven (1 week, beat Big Show)

Light Heavyweight Champion: Crash Holly (2 weeks, beat Dean Malenko)

Women's Champion: Ivory (20 weeks, beat Lita)

 

WCW World Champion: Scott Steiner (16 weeks, beat Booker T)

Tag Team Champions: Palumbo & O'Haire (10 weeks, beat Kevin Nash & DDP)

United States Heavyweight Champion: Booker T (1 week, beat Rick Steiner)

CruiserWeight Champion: Shane Helms (1 week, beat Chavo Guerrero, Jr)

CruiserWeight Tag Team Champions: Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo (1 week, beat Rey Mysterio & Billy Kidman in Tournament Final)

Hardcore Champion: Meng (well, not really, but they never officially stripped him)

 

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March 26, 2001
WCW Monday Nitro: "Night of Champions"; "Spring Break-Out"; Season Finale
LIVE @ Panama City Beach, FL

Vince McMahon announces that he bought his competition. What is the fate of WCW? It is in Vince's hands. Simulcast tonight.

Tony Schiavone welcomes us. He is stunned. Sadly, he is not speechless. Scott Hudson says we'll go out with a bang (not a DDP BANG!) tonight. 

Ric Flair comes out and cuts a long, rambling face promo. Apparently he forgets he's been the heel CEO for a number of months now.  Yay WCW Boo McMahon. Then he calls out his "greatest opponent", Sting, for a match tonight.

Title vs Title:  WCW World Champ Scott Steiner  w/Midajah  vs  US Champ Booker T
match only goes about 5 minutes. Steiner's power and aggression vs Booker's agility and determination.
Booker goes for the Book End, Steiner reverses it into a Northern Lights Suplex.
Booker kicks out and catches Steiner with the Book End for the 3 count!
New WCW World Champion!

Jung Dragons (Yun Yang & Kaz Hayashi)  vs  3 Count (Evan Karagias & Shannon Moore)  vs  Filthy Animals (Rey Mysterio, Jr. & Billy Kidman)
Triple Threat match, winner gets a CruiserWeight Tag Title shot later tonight.
This is a complete car crash match. Lasts maybe 3 minutes. Not a single tag made, all we get is spots and finishers.
Rey Jr. hangs Shannon Moore in the ropes and hits a guillotine leg drop for the win.

CruiserWeight Title:  Chavo Guerrero, Jr.  vs  "Sugar" Shane Helms (c)
this was a good back-and-forth match-up. It clocks in at just under 5 minutes. Lots of counters and reversals, since they've wrestled each other a lot lately.
Helms retains with the Vertebreaker.

Booker T backstage. He's got so many mixed emotions. Says this might be the end of one story, but he has many more pages in this book (can't tell if that was a pun or not).
He will prove that he is the best, to each and every sucka. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Tag Team Titles:  Team Canada (Lance Storm & Mike Awesome)  vs  Chuck Palumbo & Sean O'Haire (c)
this is a rematch from last week's non-title match, which Team Canada won after an Awesome Bomb to Palumbo.
Storm calls for the Canadian Anthem to play. We go to commercial.
Match goes about 3 minutes but is a bit of a mess. 
Palumbo escapes an Awesome Bomb (continuity?!?) and nails a Jungle Kick. O'Haire lands a Seanton Bomb for the finish.

WWF Monday Night Raw (this is the last Raw before WrestleMania 17)
LIVE @ Cleveland, OH

Vince announces that he bought his competition. 
Says Jeff Jarrett should start spelling his name "G-O-Double N-Double E. GONE!" lol.
Jim Ross & Paul Heyman welcome us. Paul: "The war is over. Vince McMahon has won."

Kurt Angle comes to the ring and laments that he doesn't have a WrestleMania match.
Chris Benoit comes out with some good news, and some bad news. The good news is that he doesn't have a WrestleMania match, either. The bad news is that he doesn't have a WrestleMania match, either.
Benoit says that IF they had a match, he would make Angle tap.
Angle says IF that was a challenge, he accepts. Says he'll make Benoit "squeal in seconds"
They brawl, Benoit locks on the Crippler Crossface. Angle taps. Edge & Christian run in to save Angle.

Shawn Stasiak w/Stacy Keibler  vs  Bam Bam Bigelow
If Bigelow wins, he gets to tattoo Stasiak.
Total crap match that ends in like 90 seconds. Stasiak wins. They usher us away.

DDP on the beach. He thanks the fans. blah blah blah.

Lumberjack Match:  Tazz  vs  Val Venis
Less than a minute. the lumberjacks (APA and RTC) brawl.
Tazzmission - Steven Kick - Money Shot (miss) - Northern Lights Suplex for a Tazz win.

CruiserWeight Tag Team Titles:  "Primetime" Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo (c)  vs  Rey Mysterio, Jr. & Billy Kidman
Tony makes disparaging remarks about Steven Regal.
the heels beat on Kidman, hot tag to Rey.
they trade moves for a bit, Kidman reverses a "Play of the Day" into the Kid Crusher for the 3 count and new CW Tag champs!
This was an OK match that went about 5 minutes. Definitely could've used more time. 
P.S. Kidman and Skipper were both the illegal men in the ring.

Sting promo. For some reason, there's a bunch of baseball bats hanging from the ceiling where he's at.
As for Sting's future, "the only thing for sure is that nothing is for sure. It's Showtime!" ok then.

Doink is in the Raw crowd to hype his Gimmick Battle Royal appearance.

William Regal  vs  Light Heavyweight Champion Crash Holly  w/Molly Holly
Regal has something important to tell us. Something about W.C......Fields! ha!
Crash says he never backs down from a challenge.
Regal shoves him out of the ring and says he meant Molly Holly.
Regal rubs her face in the mat and Regal Stretches her.
Crash runs in and gets Regal Stretched too.
Doink runs in and puts Regal in the Boston Crab (causing the DQ win for Regal). Doink unmasks and it's Chris Jericho!
Paul Heyman calls the move the "Walls of Doink"

Ric Flair  vs  Sting
longest match of the night so far, at 7 minutes. This one actually could've been quicker.
This was like a record company-mandated greatest hits performance from a band that is about to break up.
They both do their signature spots at about half speed and face off a couple of times.
Sting gets the win after a superplex and Scorpion Death Lock.
Sting & Flair embrace. I wait for Flair to turn on Sting, but to no avail.

SIMULCAST:
Vince McMahon struts to the ring.
says (again) that he bought his competition. Crowd cheers.
Says Time Warner is practically begging him to buy WCW.
Vince hasn't signed yet, but will at WrestleMania, when Ted Turner personally walks the contract down to him in the middle of the ring.
he keeps talking. this segment is longer than any match yet tonight.
after THIRTEEN MINUTES, "No Chance in Hell" plays. Vince and the announcers turn their attention to the entrance ramp, waiting for Shane.
Shane comes out....in Panama City Beach!
Shane says the contract does say McMahon, but it's not Vince McMahon, it says Shane McMahon!
Shane McMahon has bought WCW!

Hardy Boys & Chris Benoit  vs  Team ECK (Edge, Christian, Kurt Angle)
2 1/2 minute entrances, 2 1/2 minute match.
Heyman plays up that Benoit and the Hardys don't get along. It doesn't factor into the match at all.
Benoit's Crossface on Angle. Christian makes the save and gets Crossfaced for his troubles. he taps.
Rhyno GORES Matt Hardy. then he GORES Lita for good measure.

Non-Title Match:  European Champ Test  vs  X-Pac w/Albert (no Justin Credible)
Eddie Guerrero is our special guest referee.
typical heel ref chicanery. fast/slow counts, light interference, etc.
Test overcomes all of that, knocks Guerrero outside the ring, and slams X-Pac with the Pumphandle.
Albert makes the save, hits the Baldo Bomb, and Eddie Guerrero counts three for X-Pac to get the win.

Mick Foley returns!
When he was the Commissioner, he signed a document that lets him referee any match at WrestleMania.
That match will be the Vince vs Shane streetfight, much to Vince's displeasure.  

Non-Title Match:  InterContinental Champ Chris Jericho  vs  Big Show
this match started off good, with speed versus strength. 
Kane attacked Big Show.  Raven attacked Kane.  Regal attacks Jericho.
Big Show with the Chokeslam for the win at about 3 minutes.

Dudley Boys are at WWF New York. After WrestleMania, they're bringing their tag titles back to Dudleyville.

Kane & Undertaker  vs  Rock & Austin
Kane & Taker beat on Rock.
Austin tags in, but Brothers of Destruction continue the assault.
Triple H cracks Undertaker with a chair. Austin gets the pin at about 4 1/2 minutes. oh come on!
Austin celebrates with beers in the ring.
Rock slides in behind him, and gives Austin the Stone Cold Stunner!
fade to black.


Oh man, where to even begin? There were about a dozen backstage vignettes of Vince McMahon in his dressing room. Mostly he hated on WCW or made out with Trish, but there were just so many of them and they got old REAL quick.
Also, i'm a bit confused. Shane is the face, and him buying WCW got a big pop. Does that make WCW the good guys here?
Nitro felt completely disconnected from their own history. No mention of Flair's Magnificent 7 (with the exception of Steiner). Every match was insanely rushed. Every face went over (except Bigelow).
Raw really wasn't much better. Every match featured outside interference. no titles defended. a main event that showed promise cut short. 
Not a good night for in-ring action.  There's a reason the only thing remembered from these shows is Shane McMahon in a WCW ring. 
 

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  • 1 month later...

so, full disclosure here. My memory is shot. I was under the impression that the InVasion angle started a week or two after WrestleMania. That hasn't happened, and i haven't updated this thread since. Well, i'm here to correct that. Up next is my WrestleMania X-Seven review. I watched this on 4/1 but never posted it. Coming later tonight or maybe tomorrow night will be the Backlash 2001 review. Once the Invasion angle really gets started i will start with the full Raw/SD/etc reports.

 

WrestleMania X-Seven
April 1, 2001 @ Houston, TX+

HeAT:
Grandmaster Sexay & Steve Blackman  vs  X-Pac & Justin Credible  w/Albert
quick match. X-Pac clocked GMS in the face with a spinning heel kick.
X-Factor gets the pin after a double superkick to Blackman while Albert distracts GMS

InterContinental Title:  Chris Jericho (c)  vs  William Regal
Regal takes some chops to the chest, which immediately turns bright red
Regal expertly works over Jericho's left shoulder (injured on SD)
Crowd pops big anytime the Walls of Jericho gets teased
finish comes out of nowhere as Y2J lands a bulldog and the Lionsault for the 3 count.
Good match to get the crowd warmed up, goes a bit over 7 mins.

backstage, Shane-0-Mac arrives in his limo with the "WCW 1" plates

APA/Jacquelyn in their office. Bradshaw wonders where Tazz is, then cuts a Texas face promo.

Right to Censor (Val Venis/Bull Buchanan/Goodfather) w/Steven Richards  vs  Tazz & APA w/ Jackie
RTC has THE most annoying music ever
Didn't have high hopes for this match, but it's a pretty good brawl; fast paced and hard hitting.
Bradshaw steamrolls Goodfather with the Clothesline from Hell about 4 minutes in.

Hardcore Title: Raven (c)  vs  Kane  vs  Big Show
this was a crazy fight which took place mainly backstage
Raven gets thrown through a plate glass window, Kane & Big Show shoved each other through a wall
Kane ran Raven down with a golf cart
Big Show gorilla presses Raven, but Kane big boots Show off the entryway and they both crash land into and through a smaller stage.
Kane follows with a big elbow drop onto Big Show to become the new Hardcore Champ in about 9 minutes.

"Superfly" Jimmy Snuka is @ WWF New York (remember that place?). Guess Snuka won't be in the Gimmick Battle Royal.

European Title:  Eddie Guerrero w/Perry Saturn  vs  Test (c)
Test with the early advantage, using power moves. Eddie starts working over Test's leg and this turns into a pretty good match.
Test slams Eddie with the Pump Handle, but Saturn distracts him.
Test the Big Kicks Eddie's head off, but Malenko runs down to break up the pin
With Test distracted, Eddie clocks him with the Euro title to be crowned the new champ.
At around 8 minutes, this is really solid.

Kurt Angle  vs  Chris Benoit
Story of the match is "who can make the other tap out?"
We get about 4 minutes of amateur-style transitions before Angle waylays Benoit.
We are witness to a masterclass of psychology, as the tension and aggression build as these men trade holds and counters expertly.
12 minutes in, we get a ref bump and Angle taps to the Crippler Crossface.
While Benoit checks on the ref, Angle secures an Angle Slam for a 2 count
They trade top rope maneuvers, but in the end Angle rolls Benoit over and grabs a handful of tights for the win.
fantastic match that, even at 15 minutes, seemed too short. Can't wait for the rematch.

Women's Title: Ivory (c)  vs  Chyna
Chyna dominates a complete squash in less than 3 minutes. yawn.

Street Fight:  Shane McMahon  vs  Vince McMahon w/Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
Mick Foley is our special Guest Referee
We get a wide shot of the WCW wrestlers. About 10 indistinguishable people in 30+ seats. yikes
Tough match to recap. Shane with all the control early, landing at will.
Shane misses a top rope elbow and drives himself through the Spanish Announce Table instead.
Trish/Steph catfight
Vince places Linda in the ring and beats on Shane with trash cans.
Linda punts Vince, Foley attacks Vince, and Shane with the Van Terminator Coast to Coast for the win.
As much an angle as a match, and i'm a self-proclaimed Shane-O-Mark, but i thought it was an enjoyable 14 minutes.

Tag Team Titles / TLC II:  Hardy Boys  vs  Edge & Christian  vs  Dudley Boyz (c)
this match is completely insane.
we see interference from Spike Dudley, Rhyno, and Lita
All 6 men on ladders in the ring. Christian gets dumped all the way to the floor.
Jeff Hardy swantons Spike & Rhyno off a 20 foot ladder through tables
Buh Buh/Matt fall from the 20ft ladder in the ring down through 2 double decker tables on the floor
the infamous Edge -> Jeff Hardy spear occurs here
Rhyno propels Christian up to the belts for the win.
what an awesomely ludicrous 16 minute match.

Official attendance is announced at 67,925.

Gimmick Battle Royal
Our commentary team for this is "Mean" Gene Okerlund and Bobby "the Brain" Heenan
the Iron Sheik wins this. With knees that bad, it's no surprise he couldn't take an over the top rope bump.
Other participants: Bushwhackers, Duke "the Dumpster" Droese, Earthquake, the Goon, Doink, Kamala, Repo Man (my pick), James E. Cornette, Nikolai Volkoff, Michael "PS" Hayes, One Man Gang, Gobbledygooker, Tugboat, Hillbilly Jim, Brother Love, and Sgt. Slaughter.
a fun but pointless battle royal

Triple H  vs  Undertaker
JR mentions 'Taker is 8-0 and has never been defeated at WrestleMania
this match was fantastic!  i was 100% invested in everything that happened here
They face off, HHH's toughness refusing to yield to Taker's assault.
They brawl through the crowd up to some tech/camera platform, where HHH's desire to win leads to him using a chair. 
Taker's vengeance saw a chokeslam on HHH to the floor
Back in the ring, the notorious Last Ride to sledgehammer shot for only 2.
Taker finally secures the Last Ride PowerBomb for 3 at about 19 minutes and runs the streak to 9-0.

WWF Title / No DQ:  Steve Austin  vs  the Rock (c)
this match starts off with a bang.
Austin leads the assault for most of the 1st 10 minutes. 
Crowd is decidedly pro-Austin, even after Rock takes the reigns
Rock locks the Sharpshooter on Austin, evoking memories of WM13
Austin resuscitates the Million Dollar Dream but Rock calls back to Bret Hart pushing off the turnbuckle into a pin
Rock Stunners Austin for a close 2 count, leading to Vince making his way ringside
Rock connects with the People's Elbow, but Vince breaks up the pin.
Austin with a Rock Bottom, but he also only gets a 2 count.
Austin holds Rock while Vince blasts Rock with a chair, but still can't get the 3 count.
Rock survives with a Rock Bottom of his own, but then focuses on Vince, leading to a Stone Cold Stunner.
Vince hands Austin a chair, and Austin lays into the Rock with multiple shots and reckless abandon. After this beatdown, Steve Austin pins the Rock and becomes the new WWF Champion!
 

Did Austin sell out for the WWF Championship !?!?

 

overall, this show is a total blast. Very deserved of its victory in the MMMM WrestleMania tournament hosted here last month. 
This ranks as one of my all-time favorite shows, bar none. I hadn't seen it in a number of years so i'm glad that it lived up to the hype.
TLC2 is probably my MOTN, but Angle/Benoit and HHH/Taker give it a run for its money.  The main event isn't far behind either. 
I can't recommend this show enough, whether you want to relive some Attitude Era fondness or just see some quality action. 
 

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WWF Metal 4/14/01: Johnny Swinger debuts for the WWF, in a losing battle against K-Kwik. poor Johnny doesn't even warrant an entrance.  I know this is negligible for the purpose of this thread, but i popped a bit for it.

Now on to one of the shows that i've claimed is near the top of my "favorite non-wrestlemania ppv events" list. been looking forward to reliving this one for quite a while.

Backlash
4/29/01 @ Chicago, IL

HeAT:
Light HeavyWeight Title:  Jerry Lynn  vs  Crash Holly (c)
Mr. JL makes his WWF debut!  Well, i assume he's done some job work for them, but for all intents and purposes this is it!
match only goes about 3 1/2 minutes. includes your back-and-forth pinfall attempts and the double bridge spot. Past that, not really much substance.
JL wins the belt in his debut after grabbing the tights on a schoolboy.

Lita  vs  Molly Holly
they start out trading technical holds. Molly seemingly works in slow motion so Lita can keep up.
Molly reverses a Twist of Fate into a Northern Lights Suplex for 2.
Lita then connects on a ToF and goes up top, to "land" a horrendous moonsault, which sees Lita damn near headplant into the mat and land awkwardly on Molly's legs, for the pinfall in about 3 minutes.

PPV:
Six Man Tag Team Match:  Dudley Boyz  vs  X-Factor
Dudleyz are crazy over, and they all get a chance to shine.
On the other hand, the crowd doesn't care about X-Factor at all. Albert continues to be solid, though.
After 8 minutes, X-Pac & Justin Credible double superkick Buh Buh for the win.
Post match, X-Pac get's 3D'd through a table, so the crowd is happy.

William Regal greets the Duchess of Queensbury as she arrives backstage.

Hardcore Title:  Rhyno (c)  vs  Raven (w/shopping cart)
2 weeks ago, Rhyno beat Kane for the HC title with help from Austin & HHH. In some unofficial way, this also makes this for the linear ECW Title.
Trash cans, road signs, and the kitchen sink. fun brawl, mostly in-ring.
Crazy finish as Rhyno attempts a GORE! on Raven, but Raven sidesteps and Rhyno instead ends up inside the shopping cart
This only leads to a 2 count, as Rhyno recovers and executes a GORE! for the win in about 8 minutes.

Duchess of Queensbury Rules Match:  William Regal  vs  Chris Jericho
pretty basic match to start. fairly even, but Jericho seemingly has the upper hand.
at just under 5 minutes, Jericho lands a Lionsault and goes for the pin, but the Duchess announces that Round 1 has ended.
Regal taps to the Walls of Jericho at the 7 minute mark, but this match cannot be won by submission.
Regal waylays Jericho with the Duchess' scepter, but the match continues as there are No Disqualifications.
Jericho pulls the Duchess into the ring and locks on the Walls.
@ 13:30 Regal wallops Jericho with a steel chair for the 3 count.
OK match. the stipulation hinders the match itself, while also failing to live up to potential.

30 Minute Ultimate Submission Match:  Kurt Angle  vs  Chris Benoit
this match was technically excellent.
Despite that, and the fact that i remember loving this match, i just couldn't get into it. Maybe because it started slow, maybe i'm just not in the mood for it.
Interestingly enough, the time limit expires at 29:56 by my clock. Why kayfabe 4 seconds? Or could they just not tell time?
The score is tied at 3-3, so we go to a sudden death overtime.
Benoit's Crossface forces Angle to tap out, giving him the bragging rights and the victory.

Last Man Standing:  Big Show  vs  Shane McMahon
this match feels really thrown together storyline wise, but ultimately isn't bad.
Shane employs ether to get the job done.
We see interference from both VKM and Test.
Ultimately, this is a one-move match, with Shane climbing up the stage racking and dropping an elbow on a prone giant. 
It's a crazy move and we've all seen it.
At 12 minutes, this is better than you'd expect.

European Title:  Matt Hardy (c)  vs  Christian  vs  Eddie Guerrero
interesting placement for this match, i would've expected it sooner.
this was a pretty damn good triple threat match
lots of 2-on-1 and 1-on-2 offense, non-stop action, and just all around fun.
we get the obligatory interference from Edge and Jeff Hardy, but the Radicalz are surprisingly absent
Matt hardy retains after 7 minutes with a Twist of Fate on Christian.

IC Champ Triple H  &  WWF Champ Steve Austin  vs  Tag Team Champs Kane & Undertaker
these guys have a good, solid, hard hitting brawl.
All men play up to their characters' strengths. Austin & HHH take control once they begin working over Kane's injured arm.
After interference from Steph & Vince, HHH hits Kane with the sledgehammer, first in the heavily taped arm and then in the head for the win.
2 Man Power Trip celebrate with all the belts.

 

Overall, this show actually disappointed me a bit. I believe i've mentioned before (including in Yo-Yo's Roomie's B-Tier PPV recap thread) that i LOVED this show when it aired, and it remained one of my favorite events for quite some time. I haven't actually watched it in probably 7-8 years, and my memories of it are WAY better than the show itself. Don't get me wrong, it's still a solid outing, but i guess i just hyped myself way to much for it. 

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10 hours ago, twiztor said:

so, full disclosure here. My memory is shot. I was under the impression that the InVasion angle started a week or two after WrestleMania.

That would have made more sense.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Judgment Day

5/20/18 @ Sacramento, CA

HeAT:

Val Venis  vs  Raven
pretty basic match. solid but forgettable
Val's offense focuses on Raven's neck.
Raven wins about 4 minutes in with a bulldog out of nowhere

Hardcore & Crash Holly  vs  Kaientai
Taka & Funaki do their bad English dub......Indeed! intro. i love that bit.
Kaientai's speed advantage keeps it competitive, but Hardcore slams Taka with the Alabama Jam in just under 4 minutes.

PPV:

William Regal  vs  Rikishi
Regal fights for Stephanie's honor, as Rikishi stinkfaced her 2 weeks ago
crowd is hot for this one. Regal gets stinkfaced about 3 minutes in.
He sells it at ringside for almost a full minute with dry heaves and excellent facials
Regal eats a shot into the stairs and is busted open
Back inside, Regal shoves Rikishi, bad shoulder first, into the turnbuckle and then connects with the Regal Cutter for the 3. Not bad for a 4 minute match, and a surprisingly clean finish!

2/3 Falls for Kurt's Olympic Medals:  Kurt Angle  vs  Chris Benoit
Fall 1 (Pinfalls Only):
Kurt jumps Benoit at the bell, landing 3 German Suplexes, but missing a top rope headbutt.
Benoit connects with an Olympic Slam for the quick pin. one minute first fall. hmmm.
Fall 2 (Submissions Only):
They brawl outside for a bit, then trade the submission counters they are so good at
Angle eventually lands his own Olympic Slam and secures an Ankle Lock for the tap at about 12 minutes.
Fall 3 (Ladder Match):
pretty good match here. the ladder doesn't come in to play as often as you'd expect for the time period.
Angle retrieves his medals after Edge & Christian interfere, holding Benoit outside the ring while Angle ascends to victory. Goes about 24 minutes total. I enjoyed this more than their Backlash Clash and it felt like it delivered on what was hinted during their Mania match.

Jerry Lynn is at WWF New York. He's upset he's not defending his Light HeavyWeight Title tonight and then heels on JR a bit.

Hardcore Title:  Test  vs  Big Show  vs  Rhyno (c)
most of this match is a mediocre 'walk around backstage and throw each other into things' brawl
eventually they end up back in the ring, and then it gets pretty good.
the crowd is biting on all the false finishes. Ultimately, Rhyno smashes Big Show with a steel steps-assisted GORE! through a trash can for the 3 count. a decent way to spend 9 minutes.

Women's Title:  Lita  vs  Chyna (c)
Chyna enters dressed as a peacock
this isn't good, but the crowd is invested.  Chyna is just so limited, and Lita is ridiculously sloppy.
they get 6 1/2 minutes and Chyna retains after a powerbomb.

InterContinental Title / Chain Match:  Triple H (c) w/Stephanie McMahon  vs  Kane
Heyman actually hyped this up as saying he never promoted a chain match because they were too violent, even mentioning barbed wire matches. I guess dog collars don't count.
Anyway, this is a solid match, but nothing we haven't seen from these 2 before.
At 12 minutes, Austin runs in for the save, but he accidentally nails Triple H with a chair and Kane gets the pin to become the new IC Champ.

Tag Team Turmoil for the #1 Tag Team Contenders:
APA  vs  Perry Saturn & Dean Malenko w/Terri
Faarooq spinebusters Saturn in 90 seconds
APA vs Dudley Boyz w/Spike
good 5 minute sprint. fast paced and hard hitting
Hardcore Holly puts D-Von through a table while Bradshaw clotheslines Bubba.
APA  vs  X-Pac & Justin Credible  w/Albert
Bradshaw grabs X-Pac for the fallaway slam, but Albert trips Bradshaw and holds him down for the pin
also a fun 4 minute match, better than i expected.
X-Factor  vs  Hardy Boys
3 quick minutes. Albert's interference saves X-Factor and leads to Credible superkicking Matt
X-Factor  vs  Chris Jericho & Mystery Partner Chris Benoit
goes 5 minutes, which was longer and is closer than i thought.
Jericho & Benoit make X-Pac and Credible simultaneously tap.
Jericho & Benoit  vs  Edge & Christian
E&C attempt to con-chair-to Benoit, but Y2J sidetracks Edge while Benoit traps Christian in the Crossface for the victory in 7 minutes.
this was a really good Turmoil match, and i'm not usually a fan of this type of contest. Every segment told a good story and differentiated from what came before it.

WWF World Title / No Holds Barred:  Undertaker  vs  Steve Austin (c)
Vince joins us for commentary
they brawl for the first 10 minutes. Taker is focusing his attack on Austin's head, while Austin centers his on Undertaker's legs.
Austin gets chokeslammed through the announce table
Austin brains Taker with a chair and follows up with a Stunner, but only gets a 2 count. 
Taker gets the chair and unleashes on Austin and on Triple H, who has since run in.
Vince also interferes and gets beat up
Triple H nails Taker with the sledgehammer.
Kane runs in to make the save, but he's too late as the ref's hand hits three. It took 3 men, but Austin retains in about 23 minutes.

What looked like a mediocre card on paper over delivered. And other than the women's match, everything shined. Angle/Benoit and the Tag Team Turmoil matches were the highlights for me. Next up: King of the Ring!

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WOW.
this week really ups the ante as far as quality goes. both shows were super enjoyable and i am hyped that everything's coming together so well. Here's some highlights (i'll probably keep up this format until we get into the real meat & potatoes of the Alliance era):

Raw
5/21/01 @ San Jose, CA
Big Show beats Rhyno to win the Hardcore Title
Saturn gets "concussed" and we get the first 'you're welcome' promo
Angle's Olympic Reenactment Ceremony- wherein Shane McMahon interrupts and cuts an long inane WCW soliloquy
Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho def Steve Austin and Triple H win win the WWF Tag Team Titles- this is the match that Triple H tears his quad

SmackDown!
5/24/01 @ Anaheim, CA
Tajiri debuts, Commissioner Regal makes him an errand boy
the Spike Dudley-Molly Holly romance blossoms- in this episode, Spike calls her his girlfriend for the first time, and Angle proceeds to beat him up
Benoit & Jericho successfully defend their Tag Team Titles in TLC3 against the Dudleyz, Hardys, and Edge & Christian

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Raw
5/28/01 @ Calgary, AB
Storyline of the night: Jericho and Benoit each want a shot at Steve Austin's WWF Title. Vince books two matches, Jericho vs Big Show and Benoit vs Rhyno. Whoever impresses McMahon more will get a title shot later tonight.
Chris Benoit beats Rhyno in a quick match. good but not amazing.
Steve Blackman & Trish Stratus  vs  Perry Saturn & Terri Runnels
here, in a nothing match, Lance Storm runs in, superkicks Saturn, and hightails it outside the arena. There he embraces Shane McMahon and they leave together. The first shot of the InVasion has been fired.
Chris Jericho defeats the Big Show (c) to win the Hardcore Title. solid match, with Jericho playing the "david" roll perfectly. As he's on his way back up the ramp in celebration, Rhyno spears him and pins him to win the Hardcore Title (remember the 24/7 rule?). 
JR received a letter earlier today and it leads to video being shown of Sara, the Undertaker's wife. Someone is stalking her....
WWF Title:  Chris Benoit  vs  Steve Austin (c) 
i want to point out that in the ring introductions, they announce Earl Hebner as the referee, to enormous boos. really awesome match. both guys look good and it is super entertaining. goes about 10 minutes before a riff on the Montreal Screwjob happens with Austin retaining. weak finish but everything up until that point was worth the price of admission.

SmackDown! 
5/31/01 @ Edmonton, AB
Jericho & Benoit open the show to a gigantic crowd reaction. it is insane.
they're doing an angle where Eddie Guerrero is teaming with the Hardy Boys, and seems to be trying to be a part of Team Extreme. Matt has his doubts, but Jeff and Lita are both OK with it. Eddie has sacrificed himself a number of times to prove his worth. In tonight's episode, he saves Matt from Albert as part of a 6-man tag, and Lita runs to check on him. This distracts Matt, who gets BaldoBombed and pinned. i've been trying to remember how this angle plays out, and drawing a blank, but today it hit me: i *THINK* this is the end. there is no payoff because Eddie is off TV after this, and why he misses the entire invasion angle. bummer.
another Sara/Stalker video. 
WWF Title: Chris Benoit  vs  Steve Austin (c)
Vince McMahon is the outside enforcer for this match. this match felt like a PPV main event. it gets tons of time, and even though it is only 3 days removed from their Raw match, is completely different. way more violent, way more intense. leading up to the finish, Benoit hits 10 german suplexes in a row, then locks on the Crippler Crossface. McMahon runs in, Benoit beats him down with a chair, and Austin rolls Benoit up (holding the tights) to retain. This match has to be the prototype for the Austin/Angle series later this summer. Really good stuff, and almost a shame that it's on a random episode of SmackDown.
 

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  • 2 weeks later...

HeAT
6/3:
Test pinned the Big Show, clean. either they're REALLY pushing Test, or they're creatively bankrupt on what to do with Big Show. no way should this have happened on Heat.

Raw
6/4/01 @ Minneapolis, MN
InterContinental Title: Kane (c) vs Christian w/Edge: Edge tries to interfere and gets a chokeslam for his effort. WCW's Hugh Morrus runs in, hits the No Laughing Matter Moonsault, and gets outta Dodge.  Kane chokeslams Christian to retain.
Mick Foley announces Austin vs Jericho for tonight. Vince balks, but Foley brings out Gov. Jesse Ventura to sponsor it. neat segment.
King of the Ring Qualifier: Matt Hardy  vs  Jeff Hardy. 4 minutes of nonstop action. Matt goes for the Twist of Fate but Jeff reverses it into a backslide
Chris Benoit makes the Big Show tap out. how long will the depush continue?
King of the Ring Qualifier: Rhyno  vs  Tazz. 3 1/2 minutes. Rhyno wins with the GORE! decent match, but Heyman's commentary made it seem like a bigger deal than it otherwise would've.
WWF World Title: Steve Austin (c)  vs  Chris Jericho
good match. Austin is really firing on all cylinders lately. He even takes a top rope hurracanrana! 
typical overbooked finish: ref bump, Foley (the outside enforcer) in, Regal interferes, Foley accidentally hits Jericho with a chair, Stone Cold Stunner for the win.

SmackDown!
6/7/01 @ Grand Forks, ND
King of the Ring Qualifier: Kurt Angle  vs  Hardcore Holly. solid match and given some time, a bit over 6 minutes. Angle advances after the Olympic Slam.
Light Heavyweight Title: Jerry Lynn (c)  vs  Jeff Hardy. good fast paced match. Jeff Hardy wins. questionable booking. JL has only been with the company a month and a half. he barely gets mentioned as is, taking his one accomplishment away will likely leave him without anything happening.
King of the Ring Qualifier: Edge (w/Christian) vs  Test. they're teasing dissention between E&C, with both men looking for singles success. solid match, Test has it fully in hand before Christian interferes, eating a Big Kick but allowing Edge to land the Implant DDT to move on in the tournament.
Tag Team Titles:  Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho (c)  vs  Steve Austin & Vince McMahon
but first, Jericho & Benoit have to beat the Acolytes in a non-title match. which they do, with a Lionsault to Faarooq.
and then, they must face Big Show & Rhyno. again they do, but DQ when Rhyno smashes Jericho with a weapon.
this match was OK. Austin delivered a top rope superplex. Jericho eats a Stunner, but Benoit rolls Austin up (holding the tights) to retain.

 

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Raw
6/11/01 @ Richmond, VA
dark match:  Chilly Willy  vs  Pat "Q-Sic" Cusick. i didn't know this ever happened. Chilly Willy gets a big crowd reaction and the pin after a bad looking Falcon Arrow.
King of the Ring Qualifier: Kane vs Christian.  total squash match by Kane until Albert runs in and hits the Baldo Bomb, allowing Christian to advance
King of the Ring Qualifier: Perry Saturn (w/Terri) vs Steve Blackman (w/Trish). Saturn gets the surprising upset win.
Steel Cage Match: Chris Benoit  vs Kurt Angle
Six Man Tag: Dudleyz vs Hollys. match is pretty mediocre, but it does deliver the first kiss between Spike Dudley and Molly Holly that they've been teasing all night. Since it happens in-ring, it gets a big pop from the crowd.
very good match. Austin on commentary is a lot of fun. match features Kurt Angle missing a moonsault from the top of the cage as well as Benoit connecting with a headbutt from all the way up. Angle wins after a bit of Austin interference.  Post match, Austin beats down Benoit with a steel chair.

SmackDown!
6/14/01 @ Baltimore, MD
Tag Team Titles: Edge & Christian  vs  Chris Benoit & Chris Jericho (c)
excellent match that gets about 15 uninterrupted minutes. lots of tried-and-true heel tag staples (blind tag, isolating one opponent, etc.) Big pop when Jericho gets the hot tag. Jericho pins Edge after the lionsault. Post-match, Edge and Christian argue to the back. 
King of the Ring Qualifier: Big Show  vs  Raven. Show makes up for a week of jobbing by chokeslamming his way into the tournament.
Hardcore Title: Test vs Rhyno (c)
decent enough match. test has a prone Rhyno after elbow dropping him through a table. WCW logo on the tron. crowd pops. Shane comes out with Stacy Keibler, who distracts Rhyno for Test to Big Kick him and win the Hardcore 24/7 title.
King of the Ring Qualifier: Crash Holly  vs  Tajiri
this is Tajiri's in-ring WWF debut, and a damn fine one at that. Crowd eats up all of the big kicks and the Tarantula. Regal's facial expressions continue to impress. a smattering of ECW chants. Tajiri advances after the Buzzsaw Kick.
the main event is Spike Dudley vs Steve Austin, and while a one sided ass whooping, it was a lot of fun and the crowd was completely into it.

Jakked/Metal
6/16/01
in a tag match that is WCW levels of WTF, Haku & Ivory (still in RTC gear) face K-Kwik & Jacquelyn. Jackie powerbombs Ivory for the pin.
also, a boss Jerry Lynn vs Taka Michinoku match happens that's worth checking out.

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HeAT
6/17/01
hey, did you know Tough Enough starts this Thursday? they air 2-3 highlight packages for it and mention it practically every segment.

Raw
6/18/01 @ Tampa, FL
King of the Ring QuarterFinal: Kurt Angle  vs  Jeff Hardy
Angle's high impact suplexes vs Hardy's high risk antics. Hardy connects on the Swanton but Kurt gets to the ropes. He tries it again but Kurt yanks him off the top turnbuckle and immediately locks in the Ankle Lock.
King of the Ring QuarterFinal: Rhyno  vs  Tajiri
very fun match. Tajiri (or "ty-jiri" as Austin keeps calling him) uncorks more offense and the crowd eats it up. Rhyno catches Tajiri with a blindside GORE! to advance.
Undertaker's music hits and the crowd loses it. The Stalker (not Barry Windham) comes out, riding Taker's bike to the ring. Stalker stands in the ring, one arm up like the 'Taker. He slowly pulls off his mask. It's DDP! Diamond Dallas Page is the Stalker! Crowd goes bonkers. Mix of cheers and jeers. "Like the Diamond Cutter, you never saw it coming!"  DDP did it to make an impact. "Make Me Famous!"
King of the Ring QuarterFinal: Edge  vs  Saturn
quick match and kinda pointless. Christian eats a superkick so that Edge can plant Saturn with the DDT for the win.
King of the Ring QuarterFinal: Big Show  vs  Christian
total squash. Add some Kurt Angle distractions and a dash of Con-Chair-To, and you get a quick Christin upset. It's an all Team RECK final four!

SmackDown!
6/21/01 @ Orlando, FL
Austin gives McMahon a bunch of gifts
Shane McMahon hits Angle with a kendo stick
Austin bullies and beats up Michael Cole. this is actually pretty intense and comes off as very real. #Triggered ?
Test successfully defends his Hardcore Title vs Saturn. Saturn shows remorse for a broken mop
Taker calls out DDP. Page takes us on a tour of Taker's house
Tag Team Titles: Dudley Boyz  vs  Benoit & Jericho (c)
pretty good match, par for the course. Austin nails Benoit with a title belt, leading to Bubba pinning Benoit to win the titles. 

SmackDown was pretty mediocre, definitely felt like a stopgap until King of the Ring this Sunday. see ya then!

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HeAT:
European Title: Matt Hardy (c) w/Lita  vs  Justin Credible
decent enough match. crowd is pretty ambivalent.
Credible has Hardy in trouble until Lita performs a hurracanrana. Hardy follows up with a Twist of Fate to retain.
i mostly wonder what happened to the Women's Champion, Chyna, while this match happens. She was last seen at the previous PPV, Judgment Day, retaining her title against Lita.

King of the Ring
6/24/01 @ East Rutherford, NJ

DDP's music hits to open the show. He tells Undertaker that he's here. He'll be the one in the front row with the "Make Me Famous" sign

King of the Ring SemiFinal: Kurt Angle  vs  Christian
very good match. Angle keeps control most of the time, but Christian holds up his end and looks great here. Shane McMahon comes to ringside. 
Christian fights out of the Ankle Lock and counters the Olympic Slam with the Unprettier. Shane breaks up the pinfall attempt, allowing Angle to hit the Olympic Slam to advance after about 8 minutes of great action.

King of the Ring SemiFinal: Edge  vs  Rhyno
another very good match. Hard hitting offense, with Rhyno working over Edge's midsection.
We get a mid-ring collision as both men attempt their signature spears.
Ultimately, Edge sidesteps a GORE! attempt and Rhyno runs headfirst into an exposed turnbuckle. This opens him up for Edge to Impale him with a DDT. A solid 9 minutes to send Edge to the finals where Angle awaits.

Tag Team Titles:  Dudley Boyz (c)  vs  Spike Dudley & Mystery Partner Kane
match told a good story, with Spike bumping big for his brothers, but the Dudleyz bump big for Kane.
Bubba is excellent as a base for Spike. Lots of Spike hope spots, which the crowd loved.
At 8 1/2 minutes, Spike eats a 3D and the Dudleyz retain. In return, Kane powerbombs D-Von and drives Bubba through a table.

King of the Ring Finals:  Kurt Angle  vs  Edge
feels a bit too early for this. should've had another match in between.
they shake hands. Kurt asks Edge to lay down for him. Edge responds with a right hand.
Angle belly-to-belly suplexes Edge from inside the ring all the way to the floor. ouch.  Angle then dominates, breaking down Edge with a variety of headlocks and submission holds.
Edge with a top rope hurracanrana, and then the match really picks up.  They trade moves, counters, and roll throughs, all for 2s.
A ref bump later, Edge is tapping to the Ankle Lock. Shane-O-Mac enters again, spearing Angle so Edge can DDT him and become the new King of the Ring.
a solid 10 minute match that is told in two halves. Both are good, but the latter is much more exciting.

Light HeavyWeight Title:  Jeff Hardy (c)  vs  X-Pac
they announce the next PPV as Fully Loaded on 7/22. hmmm.
X-Pac dominates almost all of this match. X-Pac gets a three count after an X-Factor (the move, not the group) but Jeff's foot was on the ropes, so the match continues. Jeff wins after a Swanton Bomb. 
this match was OK but didn't really do much for me.

DDP vs Undertaker
DDP is at ringside. they've aired a few videos of someone stalking him earlier today. DDP gets all upset (huh?) and jumps in the ring. DDP's stalker is Sara, and the Undertaker comes out.
this is a total one sided beatdown that lasts about five minutes but feels like triple that.
DDP gets virtually no offense, but Taker is relentless with punches and some kicks. This is not a beatdown that garners sympathy for DDP. It really doesn't look impressive, as there are literally no high impact moves (powerbomb, chokeslam, tombstone, etc.). It is just complete ass.
How one sided was it? Well, i watched it a second time to get a complete strike count.
DDP: six punches, one low blow, two chair shots.
Undertaker: 93 punches/kicks. Now, this does include his "rapid-fire" punches in the corner, but come on. 93-6?

Street Fight:  Shane McMahon  vs  Kurt Angle
Angle uses him amateur skills to decimate Shane in the early going. Some of those shots look pretty stiff.
Shane pulls out the Plundah to even the odds (or at least hold his own) worked well. Some of these shots are definitely stiff. Angle suffers a couple small cuts.
And then they brawl at ringside. This is when it really gets crazy.
Shane suplexes Angle on the entrance ramp, breaking Angle's tailbone.
Angle tries to overhead belly-to-belly suplex Shane through some KotR branded glass panes. The first one lands Shane on the top of his head, concussing him. The second sends him through the glass. 
Two more suplexes and a throw send Shane back to our side of the next glass pane.
Back in the ring, Angle delivers a top-rope Olympic Slam for the win.
I unapologetically love this match. I'm not sure what it's reputation is now, but it is absolutely crazy. It's by far the most insane Street Fight in WWF history. so much carnage. 

WWF Title:  Chris Benoit  vs  Chris Jericho  vs  Steve Austin (c)
starts out with Benoit and Jericho double teaming Austin.
Jericho inadvertently hits Benoit with a spinning heel kick and it's all men for themselves.
Jericho gets back suplexed over the top rope to the floor. JR says that he hit his head on the apron on the way down, but i didn't see that. At any rate, it leads to an extended Benoit-Austin segment, so no complaints here.
Benoit Stunners Austin, but Jericho breaks it up, sending Benoit outside. Now we get a Jericho-Austin faceoff for a while.
Benoti brains Jericho with a chair, but we only get a 2 count.
Austin taps out to the Crossface/Liontamer combo. The match continues.
While Benoit and Jericho face off in the ring, Austin escapes outside. Booker T enters through the crowd, gives Austin the Axe Kick, and throws him through an announce table before escaping the same way he arrived.
Benoit gives Jericho a top rope back suplex but immediately clutches his neck. Austin rolls over and pins Benoit to retain.

 

a solid show with some very, very good stuff. The main ending the way it did was odd, but i imagine that Benoit realized he was injured and couldn't continue. Pretty sure we don't see him until his big comeback next summer.  It also is probably the most blatant in the style of a triple threat match, but there's always one person outside the ring. Can't say that i enjoy that aspect so much.
The Austin-McMahon paranoia continues into this show, should be switching gears any week now. The DDP-Undertaker segment was atrocious. They really need to amp it up tomorrow on Raw, as they lost any momentum they had from the stalker vids.  The street fight is absolutely bat shit crazy. if you haven't seen it, check YouTube or the WWE Network. it must be seen to be believed.

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Raw
6/25/01 @ New York City, NY (Madison Square Garden)
Hardcore Title:  Test (c)  vs  Rhyno
pretty middling match. they wander around backstage and hit each other with things. Rhyno GORES! Test into a wall to regain the Hardcore TItle.
Somebody runs up from behind. Mike Awesome powerbombs Rhyno into a ladder to win the title. A WCW wrestler just won a WWF Belt!
Light HeavyWeight TItle: Jeff Hardy (c)  vs  X-Pac
very anti-X-Pac crowd. match is shorter than last night but worlds better, incredibly crisp and fast paced.
X-Pac rolls out of a Swanton Bomb and backslides Jeff Hardy. X-Pac puts his feet on the ropes and steals a victory and the title.
Tag Team Titles:  Kane & Undertaker  vs  Dudley Boyz (c)
we get about 5 minutes. solid, but i'm getting tired of the the unstoppable badass undertaker biker bit.
taker & kane dominate most of the match. Albert runs in and BaldoBombs Kane and the Dudleyz retain. Taker chokeslams Bubba in retaliation.
As Taker & Sara celebrate on the entrance ramp, DDP hits him twice with a chair. Then he pulls out some of Sara's hair and runs away.
European Title: Matt Hardy (c) w/Lita  vs  Big Show w/Trish
Big Show dominates, Lita rips Trish's top off. Show goes to chokeslam Hardy, but Lita with a Low Kick for the DQ. bleh.
Shane McMahon is @ WWF NY. so is Booker T.
backstage, a crowd of wrestlers has formed in APA's office. Faarooq says WCW never gave any of them a chance. (huh? Maybe he forgot when he beat Vader to win the World Title?) Bradshaw says they'll take the fight to the WCW guys.

As Vince is in the ring telling us how smart he is, Austin & Angle invade WWF NY looking for Shane & Book. They've already left. In fact, Shane comes out to the MSG ring. Booker T (from behind) axe kicks Vince. The WWF troops run to ringside, but Shane and Booker escape......

SmackDown!
6/28/01 @ New York City, NY (Madison Square Garden)
Vince & Linda in the ring. The next PPV will be WCW vs WWF. It will be called Invasion.
InterContinental Title: Kane (c)  vs  Albert
Albert dominates early. Goes to powerbomb Kane, but Kane reverses it with a hurracanrana (!)
Chokeslams Albert, DDP runs in and Diamondcuts Kane. Albert is the new champ!
Tag Team Titles / Tables / Elimination Match:  Hardy Boys  vs  Dudley Boyz (c)
D-Von gets Swanton'd through a table and eliminated. Jeff gets backdropped over the top rope to the floor through a table.
WCW Tag Champs Chuck Palumbo & Sean O'Haire run in and attack both men. About 20 WWF wrestlers run down and obliterate the two men. Just a complete beatdown.
Torrie Wilson debuts in a backstage segment where Austin and Angle are competing for Vince's affection.
Austin in the ring, blah blah blah, Booker T runs in, attacks him, and escapes while the WWF troops storm the ring.

Jakked
6/30/01
Raven vs Low-Ki. Raven wins with the Evenflow DDT but a cool artifact nonetheless.

 

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On 6/24/2018 at 9:36 PM, twiztor said:

Christian fights out of the Ankle Lock and counters the Olympic Slam with the Unprettier. Shane breaks up the pinfall attempt, allowing Angle to hit the Olympic Slam to advance after about 8 minutes of great action.

 

On 6/24/2018 at 9:36 PM, twiztor said:

A ref bump later, Edge is tapping to the Ankle Lock. Shane-O-Mac enters again, spearing Angle so Edge can DDT him and become the new King of the Ring.

 

On 6/24/2018 at 9:36 PM, twiztor said:

Street Fight:  Shane McMahon  vs  Kurt Angle

Huh? Shane interfered to help Angle in the semifinals, then screwed him in the finals, then wrestled him in a street fight all in one night?

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33 minutes ago, Sublime said:

Shane wanted Angle to have to wrestle two matches before the street fight to wear him down so that's why he helped him in the first match.

oddly enough, the announcers never figured this out and argued about it a bunch

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Raw
7/2/01 @ Tacoma, WA
Undertaker vs IC Champ Albert - i missed if this was for the title or not.
Albert does OK, but of course the Undertaker dominates. 
Taker sets up the Last Ride, but DDP runs down, hits Taker with a chair and DiamondCuts him. 
then Sara, Kane, & Undertaker beat up DDP (and Albert for good measure too)

Rhyno vs Test - Winner faces Mike Awesome at InVasion
Test dominates. APA & WWF gang enter. APA's been conducting a mole hunt and determined that Test is it. Test dominates more. WWF guys surround the ring. Bradshaw clotheslines Test, setting him up for the GORE!  Post match, the WWF gang beat up Test.
they're teasing a Vince/Torrie Wilson sexual encounter. they're doing more than teasing it. i'm sick of it.
It is now time for the WCW segment. Paul Heyman makes a production of saying "don't blame the WWF for what is about to happen". that sounds promising.
WCW World Title:  Booker T  (c)  vs  Buff Bagwell
a lot has been said about this match. I have generally defended it as being 'not as bad as its reputation'
I will admit that it is not a great match. it's not even a good match. But it is also not a bad match. It's just a very typical midcard match, which isn't good enough after all the hype. The match is really hurt by three things:
1- the crowd is sitting on their hands. and for good reason. Buff has never appeared on WWF TV before now.
2- Buff Bagwell is clearly gassed early. He hits his two moves and huffs and puffs.
3- we only get 5 minutes. Austin and Angle run down and beat up Booker T for 8 minutes. Bagwell joins in the beatdown, until the very end, when Austin/Angle suckerpunch him and throw him outside the arena next to Book.

Oh, we get more Vince/Torrie stuff. Vince is literally caught with his pants down by his wife Linda. this is terrible.

SmackDown!
7/5/01 @ Tacoma, WA
Tag Team Titles: Jericho & Spike  vs  Dudley Boyz (c)
Spike is SO good at getting beat up, but always has believable comebacks. Dudleyz pin Spike after a 3D.
WCW CruiserWeight Title match: Billy Kidman  vs  Sugar Shane Gregory Helms (c)
good match. a bit sloppy, but very fast paced and the crowd was all about it. Kidman misses the Shooting Star Press, then fights his way out of the Vertebreaker attempt, and lands a move i don't know the name of (sorta looks like a reverse Pedigree) to win the CruiserWeight Title.  Good for him, but Helms is better than this.

IC Title:  Edge  vs  Albert
Christian is barred from ringside, so elects to stay in the locker room with the KotR trophy. Albert dominates and retains. Edge isn't doing so hot as the King.
There is lots of Vince/Austin/Angle segments tonight. WAY too many.
WCW World Title:  Diamond Dallas Page  vs  Booker T (c)
now this is more like it. these guys brawl around and put on a pretty good show. Booker T lands the scissor kick, but DDP bails outside and grabs a chair. He DDT's Book on it for a two count. As he readies to clock Book with the chair, Undertaker runs (?) down, leading to the quickest schoolboy pin and three count. DDP bails and Taker chases him to the back. Angle runs down to attack Booker, but Book gets the better of him.
Outside, Taker corners DDP, but a group of 8 WCW guys (including Buff Bagwell. i thought he was released immediately after Raw) attack Taker and beat him down. Shane McMahon interrupts to escape with a victory, but DDP sucker punches him. what? now Booker T is out, checking on Shane, but Mike Awesome gives him the old right hand and the WCW guys beat him down too. wait, what just happened here? this doesn't even make sense.

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1 hour ago, Brian Fowler said:

Wow, I have no recollection of there being WCW matches on SmackDown after the RAW disaster.

same here. there's even a wcw tag title match on Heat this Sunday.

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Now it makes me wonder if things would've turned out different materially if they had run Booker vs DDP the first WCW match. Booker was solid and Page was one of the smartest workers on the planet, I'm pretty sure they could've delivered a good main event caliber match.

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Wasn't the following RAW held in Atlanta or North Carolina or another similar WCW stronghold city? They could've just waited one more week to have the WCW matches in front of what likely would've been a stronger crowd for the WCW guys. 

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HeAT  7/8/01
fantastic four minute match between Tajiri and Jerry Lynn. Tajiri via Buzzsaw Kick.
WCW Tag Team Title:  Chuck Palumbo & Sean O'Haire (c)  vs  Shawn Stasiak & Chris Kanyon
i can't quite put my finger on why, but this is the first match that felt like a WCW match.
very solid. the heels isolate Palumbo and put a beating on him. After 6-7 minutes, O'Haire get the hot tag and just cleans house, culminating with an F5 on Kanyon to retain. Crazy seeing an F5 pre-Brock. 

Raw
7/9/01 @ Atlanta, GA  (Phillips Arena)
dark match: Rick Michaels vs AJ Styles
i guess this is probably Styles' in-ring WWF debut. good enough match for an opener. crowd enjoyed it for two unknown guys. Styles wins after a Styles Clash (i think. the video went fuzzy just as he was about to set it up) followed by a Shooting Star Press.
Street Fight: Shane McMahon  vs  DDP
Undertaker comes out and says that Page belongs to him.
He beats up DDP for a while, until Shane clocks Taker with a kendo stick a couple times. Undertaker then beats them both up until DDP nails him with a chair. 
Sara slides into the ring, attacking Shane, but DDP BANGS! her with a diamondcutter.
i guess the whole fracas from SmackDown! was a ploy. hmm.
interestingly, for this being a "WCW match", JR and Heyman did commentary, with no mention of Scott Hudson or Arn Anderson.

Tag Team Titles:  Dudley Boyz (c)  vs  APA
hard hitting match, as expected. the Dudleyz are heels, but every signature move they tease or hit gets a big pop. Faarooq hits a hellacious Spinebuster on D-Von, but only gets a 2 count. Bubba goes outside for a table, but Spike (with a broken leg, which apparently happened last week) hits him with a crutch. Bradshaw connects with a Clothesline From Hell and we've got new champs. Didn't expect that one.
WCW Title:  Kurt Angle  vs  Booker T (c)  w/Shane McMahon
first cross-promotional match.  again no WCW announce team. I guess that gimmick is dead.
solid contest, pretty evenly matched, although Book took a bit more.
Angle counters the Scissor Kick directly into the Ankle Lock. Booker taps, but referee Nick Patrick is distracted by Shane.
Angle with the Olympic Slam. Earl Hebner runs out to make the count, but Patrick (conscious again after being pushed outside) pulls him out of the ring. 
Booker hits Angle with the WCW Title for a 3 count while a group of referees brawl.  WCW 1, WWF 0.
Handicap Match:  Kane  vs  Lance Storm & Mike Awesome
Jericho comes out as the match starts. No promo, no announcement, but now he's Kane's partner. ok then.
match goes through phases. starts out a bit plodding, then gets good, then wanes for a bit, and then i'm interested again.
Overall, it was fun enough. Another overbooked finish. Jericho has Storm in the Walls while Kane is dominating Awesome.
two guys enters from the crowd. It's Tommy Dreamer & Rob Van Dam!  all 4 men attack Jericho & Kane.
WWF reinforcements arrive from the back. the Dudleyz, Rhyno, Raven, Tazz, & Justin Credible all make the save. or do they?
all these men beat on Kane. Dreamer with the Spicolli Driver. RVD with the Van Daminator.
Paul Heyman gets in the ring. "this InVasion has now been taken to the Extreme!"

In the back, Shane and Vince run into each other. They're going to team up, one night only, the 10 ECW guys vs 5 WCW and 5 WWF guys. 
Team WWF: APA, Big Show, Bob Holly, Billy Gunn   &
Team WCW: Palumbo & O'Haire, Jindrack, Stasiak, & Kanyon
vs the 10 ECW guys mentioned above.
Lillian Garcia flubs the WCW guys' names and they cut her mic.
the WWF/WCW team brawl with each other before the ECW guys come out. Team WWF clears the ring.
Team ECW enters from the crowd. they beat the WWF guys 10-on-5. Team WCW enters the ring and embraces Team ECW!
Long story short (too late), Shane McMahon brokered a merger between the two teams and introduces us to ECW's new owner, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley!

 

 

ok. thoughts.
this show is a roller coaster and blows through as many turns and reveals as it possibly can. the WCW dissention being a non-issue was really pointless. they don't even address it in a meaningful way. the Team ECW thing was a big shock at the time, i've been wondering when it was gonna happen this go-round. I thought they were going to stretch this out a bit more. You could've easily gotten more mileage out of a potential Three Way Dance! between the companies (hell, you couldn't have gotten any less!)
And then the reveal of Steph as the show was going off the air? i mentioned last week that i was tiring of all the Vince McMahon stuff on screen, so they add ANOTHER McMahon to the mix? 
i feel like this show was booked by Vince Russo. Is that the biggest swerve of them all? did WWF buy WCW just to get Russo back?
I'm almost scared to see where this goes once SmackDown! rolls around.
 

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