Invasion 2002

[The Brain]

It has been said many times that the invasion angle of 2001 was handled poorly. This is mostly because of the absence of many big name stars. Would it have been better if the angle was held off for a year? Could it have been held off for a year?

If they waited until the summer of 2002 they would have had A LOT more big names involved in this angle. Just take a look at all these names that were around in 2002 that weren’t around in 2001. Bischoff, Hogan, Nash, Hall, Flair, Mysterio, and Steiner. Also Goldberg would have come in during the angle. That’s just the WCW side. WWE would have had Triple H and Chris Benoit back from injury. Shawn Michaels and Eddie Guerrero would have been back too. It would have been interesting to see who guys like Booker and DDP would align with after having spent a year with WWE. The two sides could have had a bidding war over new stars like Lesnar, Orton, Cena, and Batista. This doesn’t have anything to do with time, but Big Show was horribly misused during this angle. He had almost equal experience with both companies during the Monday Night Wars and should have been used better. Maybe he could have joined the alliance due to his frustration of being misused in WWE. The only guy I would be concerned about postponing this is Stone Cold Steve Austin. We all know he “took his ball and went home” in 2002. Who knows if that would have happened with different booking? Would his health have held up to finish this angle if it took place a year later?

I think it’s obvious the angle would have been better if it was held off, but could it have been held off. Would it have had the same momentum if WCW was completely on the shelf for a year? I would say yes considering all the big names that would have been involved. Picture this main event for Invasion: Austin + Rock + Taker + HBK + Angle vs. Hogan + Hall + Nash + Flair + Big Show. We could have even had Vince McMahon vs. Eric Bischoff. Sounds a lot better than what we got.

So what do you think about the invasion angle taking place in 2002 instead of 2001?

 

[DiscipleofWrestling]

I think it would have been mismanaged all the same. It was one giant clusterbomb anyway. Too many titles and too many people involved and not enough important people. I don't think it would have mattered. Vince just wanted to make WWE look superior, and it really didn't matter who was involved. So, while I can see what you are saying by them having waited a year, I don't think in retrospect it would have done a lot.

 

[BigMoe131888]

I agree with Disciple. Frankly, for this whole angle to have worked. They would have needed Sting to be apart of it. Lets face it. Sting WAS WCW. When you think of WCW Sting is more than likely the first wrestler that pops into your head. They threw too many jobbers into the angle and tried to elevate them into this HUGE angle. It failed miserably. I kinda think its prob one of the most "screwed" up angles ever. If you had had Sting, Flair, Hogan, and Goldberg leading the way for WCW, than it could have been something special. Especially with the WWE countering with The Undertaker, HBK, Triple H, Stone Cold and the Rock...Oh well!

 

[The Wild One]

They needed to do it in 2001 because a) most of the guys they used for the angle weren't that popular b) WCW being bought out was in people's minds. A year later it would be like, where is this coming from and the original post would have read, why did they wait a year. What they should have done was get Goldberg, Hogan, Hall, Nash ect a year earlier.

 

[Pepper Wadman]

I didn't think this through very much but in my opinion, they should have had the Invasion in 2001 but kept it going longer. Have WCW win at Survivor Series. Then afterwords, have them slow down and lose matches a bit. In 2002, Hogan comes in to save WCW, with him he brings in Hall and Nash. At this point, Ric Flair would also be in the WWE and could go with WCW. Altering the course of history. The nWo would prevail along side WCW and we could even have ECW switch sides and help WWE in the fight.

Then of course, Eric Bischoff would be in the WWE around this time and could be the proper "owner" of WCW instead of the McMahons which would see him kick Steph and Shane and they would help Vince in the good fight against WCW. Finally around 2003 we would aquire Rey Myrterio, Goldberg and Scott Steiner and we would have a proper WCW.

Like I said, it could have been thought out a bit better, but you understand where I am going. Basically, hold the WCW invasion angle out longer until 02 and 03 where we would eventually get: Flair, Bischoff, nWo, Goldberg, Mysterio, Steiner and Ultimo Dragon. With maybe some jumping ship all throughout. Could have been much better but as someone said before, it needed to happen in 2001 while it was fresh in our minds.

 

[The Brain]

I'm not sure it needed to happen in 2001 while it was fresh on our minds. Imagine WWE taking a few stars like Booker, DDP, Hurricane, Storm, etc. and going about business as usual. Vince brags that he killed WCW and scooped up the few valuable pieces and converted them to WWE. A year later Bischoff shows up on a random RAW. Or maybe even Scott Hall instead. He says three simple words. We're taking over. Next week Nash, Hogan, and Flair show up. I think this way would have created a lot more excitment. I think with it being out of our minds for a year would have made things that much better. We're talking big names here. It's not like these guys would show up and everyone would say "Oh I forgot about them." This would have been much better than just getting Booker, DDP, and the lower mid card.

 

[lamo78]

I think that WWE should have used the angle to push some of the WCW talent who had potential. In my opinion, they did a poor job of that.

 

[drummerboy144]

is simple vince didnt want to have a long angle he just wanted wwe to prevail and thats what hee did he dindt care about wcw or glodberg or hogan he just wanted wwe on top so that he would "kill wcw" and thats what he did

 

[Midnite Express 2009]

I think a question should be asked and that question is, did the Invasion angle even need to take place at all? If this question is asked, I'd have to say no. I think what Vince should have done was what he did with ECW. He should have created a NEW WCW with basically the talent he aquired from the merger along with up and comers (i.e. Batista, Cena, Orton, etc). Can you imagine Orton and Cena eariler on in their careers fighting over the "WCW" World Championship? Also, he could have moved other talent from the WWE over to the new WCW, again in the same light as they have done with ECW. Quite honestly, I'd rather sit through an hour of WCW programming than some rip-off ECW any day of the week because with the name ECW comes the memory of what it used to be and what it isn't anymore. That being said, WCW wasn't extreme or hardcore and could have gotten away with being a springboard to new talent while also "invading" the WWE once they got enough talent to wage a war. Anyone agree?

 

[samboisdead]

They had to do it right away. you always do something when its hot and fresh on peoples minds. if you waited a year well WCW would have been forgotten by then. Honestly the angle should have never been done. They should have tried running WCW as a second comapany and let Shane or Steph honest to God handle it. It would have been good experince for when Vince is gone after all he is in his 60s. Anyways I dont think they screwed up the Invasion. i think it went just the way they wanted it to. I think it was bad on purpose because they totally wanted to discredit both WCW and ECW. Even though they were missing alot of people they had the stars to do the invasion right they just chose not to. DDP was legit enough to lead WCW so was Booker T and honestly the first time I saw Buff Bagwell on WWE he got an incredible pop and could have been built as a legit WCW leader after all he was WCW made he was their forever. Remember they also had Van Damm at this time. They could have had Luger but Vince holds grudges. WWE wasnt stupid they wanted to make WCW look like a bunch of rejects.

 

[JDavis328]

Your idea is great but heres the thing. Most of those guys wernt unable to come in during 2001. Nash,Hogan,and Hall had nothing in their contracts that ive heard that stopped it from happening earlier. Same with Goldberg. Goldberg didnt want to go to wwe at all till he ether his fans kept asking and waiting for his return to tv(has said this on interviews) and the more realistic version was running low on money so needed to go back for a bit. Shawn decided to come back when he did but health wise he was cleared easily before that to be able to come back. It was just the timeing that he decided to come back. The idea you had worked but didnt happen not for the reasons you put.

 

[S_Raines]

Is everyone forgetting the BIG FACTS?! Hogan, Nash, Hall, Goldberg, Steiner, etc...... They all had guaranteed contracts through Turner Networks..... Which is why they didn't come along in the begining, they had the option to kick back and collect huge paychecks, the people that did opt to sign on with WWE (because they were offered) did so for reasons like: they didn't make a hell of a lot with WCW and had a chance to make more money if they were to "strike while the iron was hot", or some did make q good amount but knew that the weren't over enough to try and hold out with WWE knocking at their doors...... The Angle had to be done when it was. YES they fumbled tremendously.... YES they were missing alot of TOP GUYS FROM BOTH SIDES....But waiting was not an option.... had those key WCW guys not opted to sit back and collect a pay check (and face it,who can blame 'em?) Then WE ABSOLUTLY COULD HAVE HAD AN AMAZING LONG TERM ANGLE.........Could have ran entirelyseperate companies BOTH underTitan sports... I.E. SEARS and K-MART, one corporation two entirely seperate companies still trying to out do each other....we can talk till we're bluein the faces aboutit, just as long as we all agree, they really messed up

 

[S_Raines]

and sorry about the spaces missing lol, the space key keeps not working

 

[byrnside]

I think it's really ironic that Brain posted this because just the other day I was watching the matches from Invasion [Jeff Hardy vs. RVD anyone?] When I was watching I couldn't help but mark out because I remember vivdly just how crazy the whole thing was, at first.. The RAW/Nitro simulcast. Shane showing up on Nitro. ECW and Heyman getting involved. I liked the whole concept. There was one video I watched the other day on YouTube that was basically a montage of the two sides' stories, all the promos they did, Stone Cold coming out during that huge battle they had on RAW and stunnering everyone. Seeing guys like the Undertaker and the APA step up to lead team WWE, I thought, was inspiring. Granted, Triple H, HBK, Sting, Nash, Hall, Hogan and Goldberg could've made the whole thing even better, but I liked it as it was. Vince wanted to bury WCW and he did, and I felt like he had every right to, but it was only after the program had run it's course. Didn't this culminate at Survivor Series? The alliance won the actual Invasion ppv if memory serves, but the whole thing lasted almost 6 months.. I'm not sure how long you guys wanted it to go for? Maybe a year I guess.. But I don't think waiting a year would've been that good of an idea.

Unless, you had all the aforementioned gentlemen, the guys sitting on the side line, slide in on some PPV, interfere during the main event and then come out and say they "sat at home on the sidelines, getting a paycheck and when the time was right THEY struck while the iron was hot." Almost like a "modern" nWo. They could've even said guys like Booker T, DDP, etc. were sent in as spies to infiltrate. Thoughts?

 

[attitude_hero]

I think that WWE should have used the angle to push some of the WCW talent who had potential. In my opinion, they did a poor job of that.

Thats what I also thought. I admit the only reason I actually liked the damn storyline was because it gave us The Rock and Austin full time. There were a lot of B players that could have been turned in to A listers, however wwe chose to turn the B players in to Cs Ds or Fs

 

[The Gribbler]

Vince was out to bury them from the start. That is really all there is too it...

It never stood a chance.

 

[JBK2008]

It would've been nice to see bigger people in the Invasion angle but it wasn't meant to be and Vince had every intention of crushing WCW anyway so it would've hurt Nash, Goldberg and Stiener. 2002 Would've been a good year, but still mismanaged either way.