With a buyrate of 770,000, the 2001 WWF Invasion PPV was the highest grossing non WrestleMania pay-per-view in company history. But the show itself, whilst it had its high points (Jeff Hardy vs RVD, and the opening show video among ones that come to mind right away) the PPV, much like the angle itself, was somewhat of a flop. With the headline being the main event RE-heel turn of Stone cold Steve Austin joining up with The Alliance it set the tone for the end of the angle, as it became just another storyline when it SHOULD have changed the face of the business forever. I intend on MY Invasion PPV being much different… and MUCH better… see what you think…
(SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT: Hurricane Helms (WCW) (C) defeats X-Pac (WWF) to retain the WCW Cruiserweight Championship)
This was the GREAT opening video for the PPV. I’d keep this but changing things where needed (personnel used and of course removing the ECW stuff).
‘Team Xtreme’ (The Hardy Boyz, Matt and Jeff, & Lita) (WWF) defeats Christian, Test and WWF Women’s Champion Chyna
We start the main show off with a fun 6 person tag. Have this all action, protect Chyna where you need to, but ultimately have the WWF get one on the board. In the real life show they counted the Sunday Night Heat match towards the overall ‘scores’ for the night, so we’d be at 1-1 at this stage. Either Matt or Jeff would get the pinfall here over Test or Christian it doesn’t really matter.
So the WWF’s Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho comes out. Ahead of his title open challenge to someone from WCW he cuts a babyface promo about his pride in representing the WWF and hammers WCW and how they treated him. He says he’s been waiting for a long time to get some payback on a company that wasted the talent of JERICHO…
Then the music of former WWF star Goldust plays… the titantron and music and everything… everyone is confused including Jericho. And JR and Paul Heyman on commentary (yes with no ECW in the invasion I’m keeping that team together as they’re among my favourite parings, and they had way too short a time together), they point out how Goldust was never in WCW… but then Jericho is jumped in the ring from behind by… DUSTIN RHODES (the version of him in the later months of WCW nitro’s existence)!
Chris Jericho (C) (WWF) defeats Dustin Rhodes (WCW) to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship
This doesn’t need to be too long. The story here is Rhodes being very aggressive and Jericho the underdog-babyface. Sure Y2J can get some of his stuff in but Rhodes will take most of the match before Jericho gets a flash win via roll up. After I’d have a frustrated Rhodes cut a promo where he shits on Goldust and what the WWF did to him, and to his Father. He says he’s here to stand up for what’s right, and he’s going to do that as ME, DUSTIN RHODES.
Backstage in his office we see Vince McMahon absolutely raging at what Dustin Rhodes has just said. Commissioner Foley then enters and says Austin has arrived, but Vince is still raging… that’s when RVD walks in. And in his chilled attitude he tells Vince to relax and that he’s got it all covered, cause he’s about to win the Hardcore title AGAIN… then after RVD leaves the office, coming from just out of shot, Tazz walks past him stopping briefly to go nose to nose with him… and explain to him ‘the mood, is about, to change’!
Tazz (WWF) defeats William Regal (WCW), RVD (WWF) and Rhyno (WCW) (C) in a Hardcore Match to win the WWF Hardcore Championship
So unsurprisingly this is just an all out brawl. Shit tonne of weapons, and all sorts going on, run ins form people not in the match too like Tajiri and a couple of the WCW lower end of their roster, but the one theme is the eventual winner Tazz. He not only comes out in his classic-ECW attire of the singlet with the black towel over his head, but this is TAZ! He’s just suplexing people all over, Taz-missions to everyone, he just smashes everything and everyone in sight. For the finish Regal tries to hit him with the brass knuckles but Tazz ducks out the way and locks in the Taz-mission for the win.
The Dudley Boys (Bubba Ray & D-Von) and The APA (Bradshaw & Faarooq) (WWF) defeats Mike Awesome & Lance Storm & Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo (WCW)
After the chaos of the match before this, this match doesn’t need to be too long at all. Have everyone get their stuff in, and the 3Ds to everyone and Bradshaw getting the W with the big Clothesline From Hell to give the WWF another win.
Edge (WWF) defeats Diamond Dallas Page (C) (WCW) to win the WCW United States Championship
I think these two if given the time would have a really good match in 2001, so I’m going to let them do just that. Give them the time that went to the RVD-Jeff match on the ppv, so 10-15 minutes, lots of nearfalls, and ultimately Edge gets the big babyface win.
Scott Steiner (with Stacey Keibler) (C) (WCW) defeats Big Show (with Trish Stratus) to retain the WWF European Championship
Just a big man match here really. Have Trish and Keibler do some spots on the outside too, and the finish will be Big Show saving Trish from Steiner which ultimately costs him and allows Steiner to take him down with a steel chair shot to the back as the ref was seeing to Trish. And Big Poppa Pump retains.
Booker T (C) (WCW) defeats Kurt Angle (C) to retain the WCW Championship
No need for loads of BS here, just have them have a really good match. Booker playing heel and Kurt going desperately close to winning, but in the end it’s Booker T who gets the win to retain. And another win for WCW.
After this we have Shane going wild in his own office, like a child almost he’s so excited. WCW Commissioner Regal is much more subtle in his celebrations, still suffering from the Hardcore match earlier. The nWo then walk in with big smiles on their faces, exclaiming how much they’re looking forward to what’s gonna end up being a great night. Shane then gets a phone call, and he quickly passes the phone to Hollywood Hogan saying ‘he wants to talk to you’… Hogan takes the phone and soon begins laughing and then ‘I’ll see you seen brother, yeah it’s been too long’…
nWo (Kevin Nash & Scott Hall) (WCW) defeats Kane & The Undertaker (WWF) (C) to win the WWF and WCW Tag Team Championships
So… I’m guessing this booking isn’t going to go down well… but needs must… have them have a solid tag match, lots of nearfalls, and soon enough Nash and Hall use BS to win. Have Nash pin Taker after Hall traps or lays out Kane at ringside whilst the ref is distracted. Maybe even do some BS with a WCW ref coming in to count the pin or ‘over-look’ nWo shenanigans? I want nWo hated not to be cool remember? But yes Hall and Nash walk out with all the gold.
Goldberg (WCW) defeats Triple H (WWF) with Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley
Have this really be all about Goldberg. Give him a classic Goldberg entrance, have the match go fairly quick, and then Godlberg does all his signature stuff and gets the Spear and the Jackhammer and the 1,2,3. Make a real statement here, and after Stephanie just consoling a devastated Triple H who just looks lost. Goldberg by this stage has already gone to the back having arrived, done his job, and left.
For the main event this needs to be built like it’s the biggest match of all time. Have backstage shots of Hogan and Shane walking out, with the WCW roster cheering them to the ring in the backstage area, and the same for Vince with Austin. Have the WWF roster cheer Austin on. Have Austin cut a promo before he walks out very similar to the one he cut prior to the actual main event of the real life Invasion PPV main event… The dialogue of which (picture Austin sat with an angry expression on his face on a sofa, with Debra nearby, and the crowd cheering loudly when he comes on screen) went as follows:
Vince: Steve, Listen, this thing’s pretty much all evened up here, and you know I’m not exactly feeling the pressure because I’ve got all of the confidence in the world, but I’ve
*Austin interrupts*
Austin: You tryin to motivate me Vince? I don’t need nobody to to come here to give me no pep rally, I din’t come here to sing to nobody, I ain’t here to play guitar to nobody, I ain’t here to hug nobody, I’m here to go out there and whip somebody’s Ass! Do you know why? Because that’s the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so!
So here is the pre match promo video they played to hype the Invasion main event. And again I’d have to be similar again, as this match is pretty much the main one of the invasion as a whole, so you can combine a video promoting Hogan vs Austin with one for the whole angle. Again changing aspects of personnel and removing ECW where needed. Here is that original video because it’s great to be fair.
And so finally… it is time… for the main event…
Hollywood makes his entrance first with his cornerman Shane McMahon beside him. Remember the agreement that no WCW or WWF roster member is legally allowed to interfere in this match or be at ringside, only Shane and Vince. But aside from that it is NO DQ so we will definitely get a clear winner.
Austin enters after with Vince to a HUGE pop. He looks focused and angry, and Hogan and Shane retreat to the outside of the ring. We get the ring introductions from Howard Finkel when both guys get back in the ring, just for that added bit of class and to give it that ‘big fight feel’.
…
Hollywood Hogan with Shane McMahon (WCW) defeats Stone Cold Steve Austin (C) with Vince McMahon (WWF) to win the WWF Championship
Yes… I know you’re angry, and you see that result and call bullshit… but let me explain… So the match can just be as big as it should be with Hogan and Austin getting their big moves in. Some weapons stuff as well with it being no DQ, and you’d have to have Shane and Vince get involved at some stage… but as for the finish… with the crowd at fever pitch desperate for Austin to win, and to stick it to Hogan who is just being a proper asshole all match… You have Vince smash Shane with a chair on the outside… Vince throw the chair to Austin who attacks Hogan with it… Austin hits the stunner to Hogan and the crowd go ape shit as Hogan bumps huge. 1,2… but then… THEN… the ref is pulled out the ring by a masked man dressed all in black… the man undoes his jacket to reveal an nWo shirt… and with Vince and Austin both looking on bemused the man takes off his mask…
It’s the man who SHOULD have led the WCW invasion in real life… ERIC BISCHOFF!!! The crowd is stunned by this, as JR sells it on commentary like Satan himself has just showed up. Eric smashes Vince in the face with a steel chair, and then looks on at Austin and smiles. He starts laughing as Austin mouths away calling Eric very name under the sun… and as he goes towards the ropes to go after Eric… the lights go out… they come back on and in the ring…
IT’S STING!!! The crowd go fucking MENTAL for this moment. Heyman and JR again going crazy on commentary, with JR explaining how neither Bischoff nor Sting are listed WWF or WCW roster members so there’s nothing nobody can do about them coming out here. Bischoff on the outside looks stunned by this, and Sting and Austin stare down eachother before Sting turns around to see Hogan (his long term rival in WCW)… he looks at Hogan, then at Austin, that at his signature club he has in his hand, he lines up the club, facing Hogan, waiting for him to get up so he can hit him with it… and then BAM! He smashes Austin with the club!!! He then looks down at Austin and shakes his head, and then leaves and goes to the back, with Bischoff laughing at all this. Bischoff then lifts Hogan to help him get up, and Hogan bounces off the ropes and hits the big leg drop on Austin, and then Bischoff helps the ref come to… and he slowly but surely (much to the horror and shock from Heyman and JR on commentary, as well as the crowd)… he counts the pin!!!
Your winner… and NEW World Wrestling Federation Champion… HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN!!!
Austin is down selling the whole time as everyone looks on in shock. Vince is just coming to at ringside as Hogan, Shane McMahon and Bischoff are at the top or the ramp posing. And Vince looks like his world has just ended…
And that’s how we go off the air and close the PPV.
OK… so A LOT to unpack there!!! But the Invasion PPV is unquestionably in my booking a HUGE night for WCW. They now have the WWF, WCW, both tag titles, European and Cruiserweight titles… and as well as that Eric Bischoff and Sting have joined. Their roles and motivations will be explained in due course. My next PPV is SummerSlam which will be another big one. But we leave Invasion with WCW hugely on the up, and the WWF and Vince McMahon in pieces. They need a savior you’d think for sure… Wonder who that could be…
Josh.