Invasion 2001

Invasion 2001 Review


Okay so maybe it wasn't goodbye after all. More like a vacation from writing. I promise there will be no more goodbyes. I've been feeling the itch to write ever since I said that 'fake' goodbye and watching this particular show just put me over the edge.


I've never really had an opinion on the Invasion angle as I wasn't watching at the time so I didn't experience it. I just took it by everyone else's word that the angle was a failure and a disappointment. After watching this show I can now say that those people (all wrestling fans I guess) were right. Let's get started on Invasion.



Edge & Christian vs Lance Storm & Mike Awesome
Jim Ross says that Storm and Mike are representing ECW here. Why? Weren't they both in WCW during its final year? Doesn't make sense to me. This match was a good start to the show as it had the classic formula of the face in peril and the exciting, chaotic finish with many nearfalls and tons of action. Sadly it wouldn't be long until Edge and Christian's inevitable break-up. A good match to start off the show and it's all downhill from here folks. ***1/4



Nick Patrick vs Earl Hebner
Mick Foley is the guest referee. After that opener I was starting to think that this would be a good show until I saw the graphic for this match. To be fair to these guys the match wasn't that bad as the crowd was really into it for some reason and there was some intensity to the action. It didn't last that long and was pretty fun while it lasted to be honest. Nice work referees. *. After the match Nick receives a dental check-up from Mr Socko.



APA vs Sean O' Haire & Chuck Palumbo
It's the WCW Tag Champions against the WWF Champions. Sounds more interesting on paper than in reality. Sean and Chuck looked quite impressive, but the APA seemed quite unmotivated during the match, especially Bradshaw. I don't think the APA should have gotten the win either as the younger guys could have used it more. Besides, the WWF is now at three victories in a row. So much for making the opposition look like a threat. A dull match overall. *1/2



Billy Kidman vs X-Pac
The Light Heavyweight Champion against the WCW Cruiserweight Champion. I find it quite strange that the WWF guy was getting booed more than the WCW guy. I guess X-Pac was just an unlikeable guy. The match was a little disappointing as I was expecting a faster pace, but it wasn't bad and had some nice moments like X-Pac's counter into the X-Factor and Kidman's shooting star press is always great to see. Finally WCW get a victory. **1/2



Raven vs William Regal
Man did this one suck. The crowd wasn't into this one at all and these guys just had no chemistry together. It led to some sloppy moments and miscommunication and it just had no real flow or story to it. I think the crowd was thrilled to see Tazz interfering as it led to the end of the match. A terrible match between two guys that I know are capable of so much more. DUD



Hugh Morrus / Shawn Stasiak / Chris Kanyon vs Albert / Big Show / Billy Gunn
Big Show and Billy Gunn had a tag team? When the hell did that happen? I think this was just an example of getting as many guys on the card as possible. I really don't have much to say about this one as I almost dozed off watching it. Maybe that tells you how good it is. It just seemed to be all over the place with no flow at all and no real point to it. Another blunder. 1/4*



Tazz vs Tajiri
Hey a decent match! Haven't seen one of those in a while. I'm not sure if this match was set up before the show or if it was made up on the spot. Shouldn't Tajiri be a member of the ECW team? You know what, I'm just gonna stop asking questions about this angle. The match didn't have much of the start but it got good towards the end with Tajiri throwing his kicks everywhere and Tazz suplexing the hell out of the Buzzsaw. Not bad guys. **



Jeff Hardy vs Rob Van Dam : Hardcore Match
The Hardcore Title is on the line. Holy shit what an awesome match this was! The crowd was just hot for this from start to finish and these guys just completely stole the show. No wonder RVD quickly became a babyface after this. This was just so much fun to watch with both guys showing their incredible athleticism as they were just flying all over the place. Jeff's fall off the ladder was very scary to watch and I'm surprised that he wasn't too hurt by it. An incredible contest and RVD definitely deserved that win. Match of the Night. ****



Torrie Wilson & Stacy Kiebler vs Lita & Trish Stratus : Bra and Panties Match
Well I'm sure this will be a five star wrestling clinic. Thankfully it wasn't the wrestling I was focusing on. Mick Foley is the referee again by the way. The match was as good as you expect it to be. Don't get me wrong it wasn't awful, but Torrie and Stacy didn't have the same wrestling skill as Lita and Trish. Seeing Torrie and Stacy stripped earns the bout extra points. 1/2*



Stone Cold / Undertaker / Kane / Kurt Angle / Chris Jericho vs Booker T / DDP / The Dudley Boyz / Rhyno : Inaugural Brawl
Team WWF vs Team WCW. The WWF side seems far superior to the WCW side.Apparently the future of the WWF is on the line. Angle got a pretty awesome pop from crowd during his entrance. This started off well with a fun brawl on the entranceway and the momentum never really stopped. The crowd was really into it too. A chaotic match that was a ton of fun to watch and made for a great end to the night. The WCWECW team looked quite dominant in the end as they managed to defeat the WWF team. A great match that's worth a watch. ***3/4



5/10. Well this was a bland show. The Invasion angle didn't look like a complete flop yet as the WCWECW team looked good at the end of the night, but it would all go to hell soon enough. The opener was good, the main event delivered and the Hardcore match was fantastic, but just about everything else was either complete crap or very mediocre and forgettable.