Invasion

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Invasion

July 22, 2001

Gund Arena

Cleveland, Ohio

News & Notes: Vince called Booker T’s attack at King of the Ring cowardly, and he vowed no WCW wrestler would set foot in Madison Square Garden. However, this didn’t stop them. Booker and Shane lured Austin and Angle to WWF New York and attacked Vince at the arena. Afterward, Linda had an idea. She changed Fully Loaded to Invasion and announced a WCW vs. WWF super card! After all, Vince shouldn’t be afraid of competition. Then they held WCW matches on TV, including Booker T vs. Buff Bagwell. Unfortunately, the fans turned on the contest, so Angle and Austin attacked Booker and Buff.

Next, RVD and Tommy Dreamer interrupted RAW. They joined with other former ECW stars and Paul Heyman to reveal ECW was also invading! It appeared the WWF and WCW would put their differences aside to combat this new threat, but this wasn’t the case. ECW and WCW formed an alliance against the WWF before ECW introduced their new owner, Stephanie McMahon! Shane and Stephanie sold their stock in the WWF and bought WCW and ECW to put their father out of business. They couldn’t wait for Vince to die to take control, so they wanted to do it through force.

Now for a quick rundown of a few extra storylines. Spike Dudley confessed his love for Molly Holly, which led to issues with Crash Holly. Crash chose Jacqueline as his partner against Spike and Molly, but things fell apart after Crash blamed Jackie for a loss. Jackie beat up poor Crash. Later, Spike injured his ankle while attacking the Dudleys, but this didn’t prevent him from costing his brothers their tag titles. Meanwhile, Saturn’s descent into madness continued. He became quite fond of a mop he found during a hardcore bout. He drew a face on it and soon he will name it Moppy.

The opening video mixes footage of World War 2 and FDR with clips of the Alliance invading the WWF. Shane and Stephanie say this is their chance. There is no going back and no tomorrow! Vince says they want to finish him off, but he vows the WWF will kick the asses of ECW and WCW. Playtime is over! Then JR says this could change the history of sports entertainment, but Heyman declares death to sports entertainment and death to the WWF! PlayStation 2 presents WWF Invasion!

Now fireworks explode while JR welcomes everyone to the show. Michael Cole joins him on commentary tonight because Heyman is busy. Once Ross finishes his introduction, a weird edit on the network cuts to Mike Awesome and Lance Storm already in the ring. Storm wants to be serious for a minute without someone interrupting him. He tries to list the variety of reasons tonight is a defining moment in history, but Edge and Christian cut him off. Christian carries Edge’s King of the Ring trophy to the ring while JR and Cole discuss the card.

Edge & Christian vs. Lance Storm & Mike Awesome

Storyline: Regal gave Edge a trophy for his King of the Ring win, but Christian seemed more obsessed with the award than Edge. He took every opportunity to hold it. Then Billy Gunn interrupted Edge’s ceremony to complain some more, so Edge mocked him for it. He promised not to Billy Gunn his reign. Meanwhile, Mike Awesome ambushed Rhyno and captured the Hardcore title. Plus, he and Lance Storm worked as a team against Kane and Jericho. Later, Edge and Christian overheard Awesome asking for new tights with the word awesome on them. Edge said he and Christian were the only ones who reeked of awesomeness around here. They hit Awesome with a Conchairto to help Jeff Hardy take the Hardcore belt. As a result, Storm challenged them to this PPV encounter because he hated their offbeat shenanigans. Afterward, they faced each other in singles matches and split victories.

The Match: The teams exchange takedowns and knockdowns until Edge and Christian send Storm and Awesome outside for Christian’s plancha. He trips over the ropes, which allows Storm and Awesome to attack, but Edge retakes control. Next, Awesome and Christian scuffle in and out of the ring and on the top rope. This lasts until Storm sends Christian rib-first into the post. Now Storm and Awesome target the injury with a gutbuster, a splash, an Alabama Slam, and a backbreaker. Awesome even tries a super Awesome Bomb, but Christian backdrops him to stop it. With Awesome down, Edge tags and cleans house. He scores an Edge-O-Matic on Storm before trading pin attempts. Christian helps Edge reverse one and fends off Storm’s interference. Finally, Christian spears Awesome to prevent an Awesome Bomb, and Edge covers for the three.

Thoughts: This was a solid opener. They kept the action flowing and had enough nearfalls and close calls to make it exciting. It almost became too chaotic, but they never crossed that line, so this turned out well.

Winners: Edge & Christian (10:10)

Vince celebrates Edge and Christian’s win by doing their pose. He says they reek of awesomeness. Then Regal joins Vince and tells him Austin and Debra arrived at the arena. Regal offers to bring them to Vince, but McMahon says to give them some space after what happened on Smackdown. DDP abducted Debra and put her in the trunk of a car. Vince tells Regal to focus on his match with Raven instead. Regal can’t believe that poncy little toe rag challenged him! What was he thinking? Vince doesn’t know either, but he tells Regal to do what George Washington did to the redcoats. He should bloody him up! This statement causes an uncomfortable reaction from Regal, so Vince admits it was a bad example.

Meanwhile, Mick Foley arrives. He will be the special referee for Earl Hebner vs. Nick Patrick. Foley announced this during Heat, but he also promised another surprise for later. When Nick Patrick joins him, Nick brings Charles Robinson, Billy Silverman, and a young Brian Hebner with him. (They don’t acknowledge this is Earl’s son.) Not to be outdone, Hebner has the entire WWF referee roster back him up.

Earl Hebner (w/ WWF referees) vs. Nick Patrick (w/ WCW referees)

Storyline: Hebner grew tired of Nick Patrick helping the WCW guys cheat to win their matches, so he intervened. Booker wrestled Kurt Angle for the WCW title, and Hebner took over once Patrick went down. This caused a brawl between Earl and Nick. Later, Patrick sneaked in and counted a pinfall for Rhyno when he faced Kane, which only angered Hebner even more. He complained to Regal, so William told Hebner to challenge Patrick to a fight. Afterward, the WCW and WWF referees scuffled in the locker room because of a disagreement. To make matters worse, Patrick screwed Jericho out of a chance to take the WCW title from Booker. He then stole a victory from Jericho when Chris fought DDP, but Jericho fended off Patrick and Dallas with a chair.

The Match: They shove and slap each other before exchanging mounted punches. Then Nick pulls Earl to the floor, which causes a stand-off between the refs. Foley separates them before Earl and Nick return to the ring. Now Earl staggers Nick with more strikes, but Patrick answers with a low blow. He also sends Earl outside with a baseball slide, and the WCW refs attack Hebner. Once Foley stops them, he ejects the WCW officials, much to Patrick’s chagrin. The ensuing argument allows Earl to reach his feet and nail a running clothesline for the three.

Thoughts: This was messy, but I can’t deny the crowd enjoyed it. Plus, they kept it short. It was harmless fun, but this wasn’t necessary. I would have rather seen another contest get more time.

Winner: Earl Hebner (2:50)

JR calls it bowling shoe ugly, but he says the WWF is on a roll. While he says this, Nick Patrick yells at Foley for ejecting the WCW referees. Worse yet, Nick accuses Mick of a fast count, so Foley puts a Socko Claw on Patrick!

Next, they present a commercial for the new episode of Tough Enough. They send the contestants to a strip club and make the men perform on stage. Maven says his mother must be proud of him. After this, we get a recap of DDP abducting Debra on Smackdown.

Speaking of Debra, she stresses out at the coffee table, so Sara asks if she’s okay. Debra doesn’t think she is because DDP locked her in a trunk, drove her around the arena, and left her on a street corner! Sara says she knows DDP better than anybody. She calls him a pervert and a psycho, and Debra agrees. Debra can’t wait until Austin tears him limb from limb. Sara wants to do the same thing, but she says Mark won’t leave anything behind after tonight. Debra hopes she’s right.

The APA vs. Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire

Storyline: The APA rallied the WWF guys to stand up to the Alliance, and their first big test came when Palumbo and O’Haire interrupted the Hardys vs. the Dudleys. Faarooq and Bradshaw led the counterattack. They put WCW tag champs through tables, but Palumbo and O’Haire got revenge by jumping the APA at WWF New York. The ambush made the APA realize there was a mole in the WWF. Someone was helping the WCW guys enter WWF buildings. They thought it was Test after somebody saw Test speaking to Shane McMahon, so the WWF guys attacked Test. However, Sgt. Slaughter exonerated him. We later learned Heyman was the mole. Meanwhile, Spike helped the APA defeat the Dudleys for the tag belts. Plus, the APA faced Palumbo and O’Haire in singles competition. O’Haire aided Chuck in a win over Faarooq, but Chuck failed to do the same for Sean.

The Match: They exchange strikes and suplexes until Faarooq nails a shoulder tackle and Bradshaw does the fallaway slam. Then Bradshaw attempts a powerbomb, but O’Haire stops him with a superkick and a fireman’s carry slam. Next, Bradshaw scores a DDT and tags Faarooq, but a cheap shot allows Palumbo and O’Haire to take control. They attack Faarooq on the floor and double-team him. This lasts until Faarooq lands a spinebuster. Now Bradshaw returns to clean house. He gives Chuck a big boot and a powerslam, but Palumbo and O’Haire use more double-teaming. Chuck holds Bradshaw for a dropkick and plants him with a hotshot. Palumbo also takes out Faarooq with a Jungle Kick, but Bradshaw surprises Chuck with the Clothesline from Hell for the victory.

Thoughts: This was fine but unremarkable. They didn’t give them enough time to build momentum. This was what I was talking about with the previous bout. They could have cut the referee fight and extended this. It would have given Palumbo and O’Haire a better chance to shine.

Winners: The APA (6:48)

Vince celebrates another win with Jericho. He says they wanted an invasion, but they got an annihilation! This brings Vince to the main event and Jericho’s participation in the inaugural brawl. Jericho mentions he worked for both companies. He says WCW never had leadership. The inmates ran the asylum, but ECW always had a leader in Paul E. Heyman. Then Jericho says the E stands for ew, gross! After all, Heyman is a bovine, chunky, portly, and rotund jelly belly. He looks like a mutant Shrek, and he passed the ugliness to Shane, Stephanie, and their team. Tonight, they won’t get mad. They will get even! Vince adds to this. He says Team ECW/WCW will never ever be the same again!

When Stephanie sees this promo, she screams about how she hates Jericho. Shane tells her to calm down because they aren’t doing so hot. He tells Kidman to take out X-Pac. Billy has to outsmart him. Otherwise, X-Pac will hit him fast and hard. Billy tells Shane he has it under control, but Heyman disagrees. They are losing, so Kidman has to win his match. It’s all up to him! Kidman tells him to relax. He will show them why everybody says X-Pac sucks. Once Kidman leaves, Shane tells Heyman he’s out of control.

Billy Kidman vs. X-Pac

Storyline: X-Pac had a rematch with Jeff Hardy, and he pinned Jeff with his feet on the ropes to steal Hardy’s Light Heavyweight title. But X-Pac wasn’t the only person to capture gold. Kidman defeated Helms to become the new WCW Cruiserweight champion. X-Pac watched the match backstage and challenged Kidman to face him at the PPV. Later, X-Pac fended off Scotty 2 Hotty’s attempt to take the Light Heavyweight belt while Kidman beat K-Kwik in a Cruiserweight defense. Afterward, Kidman and RVD wrestled X-Pac and Jeff Hardy. Kidman scored the pinfall during the encounter.

The Match: They trade headlocks, takedowns, and taunts until Kidman knocks X-Pac outside with a hurricanrana and an enziguri. Back inside, X-Pac shakes off a headscissors and sends Kidman to the floor. He follows with a springboard crossbody before posing to a chorus of boos. Next, X-Pac subdues Kidman with a heel kick and a chinlock. Once Billy breaks free, they exchange sleeper holds, but X-Pac escapes with a back suplex. With Kidman down, X-Pac tries a somersault senton, which misses. Now Kidman nails a BK Bomb and does corner punches. X-Pac pulls him down, but he learns the hard way you don’t try to powerbomb Kidman! Nevertheless, X-Pac surprises a flying Kidman with the X-Factor, but it only earns two! Finally, Kidman blocks a Bronco Buster with a boot to the balls and ends it with the Shooting Star Press.

Thoughts: This was a good showcase for such a short contest. They mixed enough high spots into the action to keep it exciting. Plus, they chose the right winner. The Alliance needed a win, and this was the bout to do it. Even this crowd hated X-Pac, and they had been cheering the WWF all night.

Winner: Billy Kidman (7:07)

While Heyman, Shane, and Stephanie celebrate the victory, DDP enters the room. He talks about Thursday. DDP says Debra was sweet, but she’s no Sara. This clearly makes Stephanie uncomfortable, so Shane tells him this isn’t about Thursday. It’s about tonight! He asks DDP if he has any idea what this match means. DDP needs to focus because everything is on the line. Dallas denies his lack of focus. In fact, he’s in Austin’s head, so they will take the inaugural brawl. After saying this, DDP fires up Heyman, Shane, and Stephanie.

Elsewhere, Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler prepare for later. Torrie says the audience will have to settle for Trish in her bra, so they will miss out on her voluptuous breasts. Stacy adds to this. They also won’t see her ass. She draws attention to her long legs and says no one looks better in panties than her. The only thing that could beat it is nothing at all. With that said, Stacy suggests they provide someone else with a private show. Torrie agrees. She wants to give Matt and Jeff something to look at once the PPV ends. As they leave, Torrie swats Stacy on the ass and calls it firm.

Raven vs. William Regal

Storyline: Regal continued antagonizing Jericho after King of the Ring. He made Chris fight Tajiri, but Tajiri accidentally sprayed Regal with the mist. He apologized afterward. Then Regal and Tajiri teamed against Jericho and Scotty 2 Hotty, and Scotty pinned Tajiri. Next, Regal punished Jericho by making him wrestle the Dudleys in a handicap contest. However, the Dudleys didn’t like Regal telling them what to do. Once the Alliance formed, Heyman tried to recruit Regal. William found Heyman in his office with his feet on Regal’s desk, so Regal ran him off and rejected the offer to jump ship.

The Match: Regal uses strikes and a butterfly suplex before attempting a Regal Stretch. Raven avoids it, but he can’t escape an awkward catapult over the ropes. This leads to fighting outside, and Raven performs a Russian leg sweep against the barricade. Back inside, Raven nails a rebound clothesline and locks Regal in a rear chinlock. When Regal breaks free, he catches a diving Raven with a shot to the gut and throws more punches and knees. Now Raven lands a bulldog before they trade pin attempts. Later, Regal counters the Raven Effect into a northern lights. This only gets two, and Raven tumbles to the floor after a collision. While the ref checks on him, Tazz appears. He gives Regal a t-bone suplex, which allows Raven to hit the Raven Effect for the three.

Thoughts: This was awkward and messy. They lost the crowd because of it, so no one cared. It’s a shame because I like both guys, but they didn’t have good chemistry. Having little build also hurt this, so it never had much of a chance.

Winner: Raven (6:35)

The Undertaker warms up backstage with Kane and Sara while Vince McMahon enters the room. He says they lost two in a row, but they can’t lose the inaugural brawl. Vince tells Taker and Kane to be at their best tonight. There is no holding back! He reminds Kane about what happened when ECW joined the invasion. They beat Kane down like a dog. Vince also says Taker knows what he has to do. After all, DDP used his voyeuristic work to create the best of Sara tape. When Vince says this, Taker grabs Vince by the throat and pins him against the wall. He says they will see the best of Taker tonight. Then Taker leaves while Vince smiles.

Chris Kanyon, Hugh Morrus, & Shawn Stasiak vs. The Big Show, Billy Gunn, & Albert

Storyline: This match is an added attraction, so I’ll talk about what Albert, Show, and Gunn have been up to over the past few weeks. Albert’s issues with Kane continued. He cost Kane and Taker a win over the Dudleys. This led to Albert vs. Kane for the Intercontinental title, and DDP helped Albert defeat Kane for the gold! Albert and X-Pac had belts, so they mocked Credible for not being a champion. He had enough of the teasing and jumped ship to join the ECW invasion. X-Factor has split up. Meanwhile, Big Show and Billy Gunn were both frustrated, so they formed a team. They picked up victories with Show’s new finisher. It’s a reverse powerbomb he calls the Alley-Oop. Finally, Show and Gunn wrestled Kanyon and Stasiak and scored a pin.

The Match: Everyone brawls until the WWF team does a triple press slam. Then Gunn lifts Kanyon into an electric chair drop. Before Gunn can do more, Stasiak nails a cheap shot. Kanyon follows with a Russian leg sweep into a front sweep. Now Stasiak tags and throws strikes, but Gunn fires back with a neckbreaker. This leads to Albert’s tag, and a brawl erupts. During the melee, Albert scores a bicycle kick and a Baldo Bomb on Shawn, so Morrus and Kanyon break up the pin. Next, Morrus lands a DDT, but Albert responds with a powerslam and tags Gunn. Billy gives Hugh a Fameasser while Albert and Kanyon scuffle to the floor. As this happens, Stasiak sneaks in and grabs Gunn while Billy attempts the One and Only. Shawn drops Gunn with a reverse DDT, and Morrus falls on top of him for the three.

Thoughts: This was a throwaway bout no one cared about. Plus, it contained awkward action and a flat finish. I know they wanted to get as many people on the show as possible, but the PPV didn’t need this contest. Give the time to one of the other encounters.

Winners: Kanyon, Morrus, & Stasiak (4:20)

Big Show and Albert attack before the Alliance team can celebrate. Show chokeslams Morrus and Stasiak and gives Kanyon the Alley-Oop.

Backstage, Shane shines the WCW title and says the Alliance is 4-3 because Chavo defeated Scotty 2 Hotty on Heat. Now they need to win the big enchilada in the inaugural brawl. Booker says he already defeated Jericho and Angle, and he owns Stone Cold Steve Austin. There’s no way these suckas will succeed tonight! Booker says he is the WCW champ and a superior athlete. These suckas will go down because there is no tomorrow!

Meanwhile, Tajiri is in Regal’s office. He plays with a statue on Regal’s desk until William enters the room. Regal says Tajiri came to him for an opportunity and he stayed loyal to the WWF. Therefore, Regal wants Tajiri to take that miserable toe rag gobshite Tazz and beat him for Regal. But most of all, he wants Tajiri to do it for the WWF. Then Regal fires Tajiri up and sends him to the ring.

Tajiri vs. Tazz

Storyline: Tajiri stayed with the WWF once the Alliance formed, so Regal rewarded him by giving Tajiri his wish. He wanted to do commentary. Tajiri joined the booth for Tazz vs. Hardcore Holly, but Tazz attacked Tajiri for taking his job. He choked Tajiri out with the Tazmission. As a result, Regal booked Tajiri vs. Tazz for the PPV. Later, Regal wrestled Tazz while Tajiri did commentary again. This time, Tajiri revealed an ECW shirt and appeared to join the Alliance. However, he pulled a fast one on Tazz. Tajiri put Tazz in the Tarantula and Regal helped him beat Tazz up. Afterward, Tajiri spat the mist onto the ECW shirt. Then Tajiri teamed with Taker and Kane against Tazz and the Dudleys. Taker saved Tajiri from the Tazmission and chokeslammed Tazz for the win.

The Match: Tajiri scores a wheel kick and a moonsault, but Tazz responds with a Tazplex and strikes. Tazz even shakes off Tajiri’s kicks and puts him in a bodyscissors for more punches and forearms. Once Tajiri breaks free, he throws kicks, but Tazz places him in a cross armbreaker. Now Tazz catches a leaping Tajiri and floors him with an Alabama Slam, but Tajiri answers with a handspring elbow! This makes Tazz regroup, and he pulls Tajiri off the apron when Tajiri joins him. After whipping Tajiri into the barricade and steps, they return to the ring. Back inside, Tajiri locks Tazz in the Tarantula. Tajiri also hits a low dropkick, but Tazz surprises him with a t-bone suplex and shoves the ref. With the official dazed, Tajiri sprays the green mist into Tazz’s face and ends it with a buzzsaw kick.

Thoughts: They kept this short, hard-hitting, and explosive. Plus, the fans were into this one because they like Tajiri, so it served its purpose. It wasn’t thrilling, but it was good.

Winner: Tajiri (5:30)

Jeff Hardy warms up backstage while Matt talks to him. He asks Matt if he thinks Lita and Trish are ready for their match, but Matt doesn’t want to discuss that. He’s more worried about Jeff’s encounter with RVD. Matt says Van Dam is good, and this is his element. He tells Jeff to finish him quickly or it will get ugly. However, Jeff says he likes it that way. As he says this, RVD ambushes Matt from behind with a chair. Then he says Jeff is next before running away. Jeff checks on Matt instead of chasing him.

Meanwhile, at WWF New York, Hardcore Holly signs autographs. He freaks out when a fan in a WCW shirt approaches him. Bob asks him if he knows where he is right now. This isn’t WCW New York! This is WWF New York! With that said, Holly rips off the fan’s shirt and threatens to kick his ass, so the guy leaves.

Hardcore Title Match: Rob Van Dam vs. Jeff Hardy (c)

Storyline: Jeff Hardy dropped the Light Heavyweight belt, but he gained the Hardcore title with the surprising help of Edge and Christian. However, this wasn’t the only shocking development for Jeff. Trish Stratus paired with the Big Show after Show tried to woo her. She aided him against Team Xtreme and kissed Matt, which put her on Lita’s bad side. The problem was, Trish’s partnership with Big Show quickly went south. Big Show threatened her, but Jeff Hardy saved Trish! Later, Trish thanked Jeff. She even accompanied Jeff when he faced Big Show. Jeff lost, but Trish kissed him! Then the Alliance formed, and the Hardys fought the Dudleys. RVD interfered in the bout and gave Jeff the Five Star. This led to Jeff and X-Pac vs. RVD and Kidman, but RVD’s team won.

The Match: A series of counters leads to a stand-off. Then RVD scores an underhook facebuster and Rolling Thunder. Now they head outside, where RVD lands his barricade wheel kick before they fight into the stands. While there, RVD does a moonsault off the rail. Back at the ring, they scuffle on the apron until Jeff does a slingshot sunset bomb. Afterward, Jeff fetches a ladder and climbs. Unfortunately, RVD tips the ladder over! Next, RVD grabs a chair, but Jeff smacks him with the ladder and takes it. After a few shots, RVD lures Jeff to the stage and knocks him into the gap with a Van Daminator! This allows RVD to bring Jeff back inside for another Van Daminator and the split-legged moonsault, but Jeff raises his knees. Finally, Jeff misses a Swanton, so RVD puts the belt on him and nails a Five Star for the win.

Thoughts: This was great. It was everything you expected from these two. They didn’t overdo the use of weapons. In fact, they picked their spots and made them mean something. They did some impressive stuff, and this was the loudest the crowd was all night. The performance ensured RVD would become a star in the company.

Winner: RVD (New Champion) (12:40)

Vince paces backstage before Kurt Angle enters the room. McMahon says Kurt has to be in the right frame of mind for the inaugural brawl. He has to think about the beating he took on Smackdown. Plus, he should focus on leadership, his country, and the American flag! Before Vince can say more, Kurt stops him. He says enough of the Americana bullshit! Does Vince know what Kurt did at the Olympics? Vince says he won a gold medal, but Kurt says no. He kicked some ass, and he will do the same tonight for himself. This is true. It’s damn true!

Now it’s time for Trish and Lita vs. Torrie Wilson and Stacy Keibler in a Bra and Panties Match. Before they arrive, Mick Foley returns. He will also officiate this bout, so JR says Foley is good. Torrie and Stacy flirt with Mick when they join him.

Bra & Panties Match: Trish Stratus & Lita vs. Torrie Wilson & Stacy Keibler

Storyline: Torrie Wilson approached Vince. She said her WCW contract was ending soon, so she wanted to join the WWF. Torrie tried to seduce Vince, but Austin, Angle, and Saturn interrupted them. Eventually, Torrie took Vince into a room and convinced him to remove his pants, but it was a trap! Linda caught Vince with his pants down and served him with papers. Vince accused Torrie of conspiring with Linda, so they booked this encounter. Afterward, Lita agreed to it, but she was still unsure about Trish, despite her relationship with Jeff. Lita wrestled Trish so Trish could prove herself. However, Torrie and Stacy hit on Matt and Jeff backstage to distract them. Torrie and Stacy also attacked Trish after a match, but Lita saved her. This led to Trish vs. Torrie in an arm wrestling contest. Torrie cheated to win, so the ladies brawled.

The Match: Torrie and Stacy hide behind Foley before jumping Trish and Lita. Then the ladies trade slaps and clotheslines until Trish takes both of them down. Now Torrie and Stacy argue about who will fight, so Lita brings Stacy inside and rips off her shirt. When she goes for the pants, Stacy escapes. Once Stacy returns, she tears off Lita’s shirt, but Lita tosses her around the ring. Later, Trish comes back, so Torrie stands on her hair and pulls on Trish’s arms. Undaunted, Trish fights back and rolls Torrie up before pulling her pants off. Plus, Trish and Lita do Poetry in Motion and swipe Torrie’s top. Finally, Trish lands a bulldog and Lita scores a moonsault. This allows them to claim Stacy’s pants for the victory.

Thoughts: This was fine for what it was. The women sprinkled a few moves in there to keep it from being just ripping off clothes. They even kept it at the right length. It’s a shame WCW no longer had a proper women’s division because Lita and Trish would have wrestled them instead. At least this got them on the show.

Winners: Trish & Lita (5:03)

Foley raises the arms of Trish and Lita before they leave together. As they walk up the ramp, Trish almost falls into the gap, but Lita saves her. Meanwhile, Foley hands Stacy her clothes.

Backstage, Heyman, Shane, and Stephanie rally the Alliance. Steph calls this the moment of truth. The time is now. This is do or die! Heyman says they have the chance to change the course of history. They can show everyone the difference between a loser and a winner. Do they want to be a failure or a god? What do they want to be in their life? Heyman tells them to either be a loser or a god. As he speaks, Booker repeats random words from Heyman’s speech. (I see he has a history of doing this before TNA.) Then they bring their fists together and yell.

Elsewhere, an intense-looking Austin sits in silence with Debra. Vince enters the room and sits beside him. He says it’s all even, but he isn’t feeling the pressure. Vince has confidence in Austin. When Vince says this, Austin asks if he’s trying to motivate him. He says he isn’t there to sing or play his guitar. Austin is there to whoop somebody’s ass. And that’s the bottom line cause Stone Cold said so!

Now we get the entrances for the main event. Heyman, Shane, Stephanie, and Vince enter first. Next, they stagger the arrivals between the two teams. While this happens, JR mentions an incident on Heat. Shane and Stephanie mocked Freddie Blassie. Stephanie said he would die soon. As he says this, Taker attacks DDP during his entrance, so everybody brawls before Austin joins them.

The Alliance (Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, Rhyno, & The Dudley Boyz) (w/ Paul Heyman, Shane, & Stephanie) vs. The WWF (Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, & Kane) (w/ Vince McMahon)

Storyline: Angle and Austin competed for Vince’s affection. Austin gave Vince gifts, such as a cowboy hat and Debra’s awful cookies. He even played some songs on his guitar. Steve also gave Angle his own tiny cowboy hat to keep him from whining. All the while, Austin and Angle goaded each other into going after Booker T. Eventually, Austin and Angle’s antics and bickering became too much for Vince. This wasn’t what he wanted. Vince needed the old Stone Cold to combat the Alliance, not the Austin who wanted hugs. After hearing this, Austin drowned his sorrows at the Friendly Tap, but he returned to save the day when the Alliance attacked the WWF guys. Austin stunned all the Alliance members, much to Vince’s delight. Meanwhile, Taker earned his place on the team by fighting DDP and Shane. Plus, Jericho demanded a spot and challenged Booker for the WCW title.

The Match: Once the brawl settles, Austin fights with Rhyno for a while until the Dudleys take control. Meanwhile, DDP picks his spots and avoids the Undertaker when he can. Now the Dudleys fight with Kane. They give him the back suplex/neckbreaker combo, but Kane answers with a flying clothesline. This allows Taker to tag and hit Old School before finally facing DDP. They trade DDTs and punches. Later, Austin and Booker take over. Booker avoids Austin’s Stunner and Jericho’s Walls before the Dudleys reclaim the momentum.

Angle fights them with suplexes, but Booker returns for an axe kick and the Spinaroonie. The Dudleys even give Angle the Wassup Drop, and DDP scores a Diamond Cutter. However, Taker breaks up the pin and hits a chokeslam. During the aftermath, a disagreement between the refs leads to chaos. The Dudleys and Kane put each other through the announce tables. Jericho and Rhyno break a table. Austin goes down with an apparent knee injury. And Bubba and Booker double-team Angle. When Angle rallies, Vince passes him the WWF title only for Shane to intercept it. He clocks Vince, but Angle sends Shane outside. With the ring cleared, Angle gives Booker the Angle Slam and puts him in an anklelock, but there’s no ref. Austin sees this, so he drags the ref inside, but Austin attacks Angle! He gives him the Stunner and pulls Booker on top for the three!

Thoughts: I liked the chaos of the closing minutes and the finish, but the rest of the bout dragged. This would have been better if they shaved five to ten minutes off it. I get they wanted everyone to shine, but they did that in half the time. The rest became a little repetitive. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as good as you would expect.

Winners: The Alliance (29:05)

JR doesn’t understand why Austin would do this. He turned his back on everyone. Cole asks what we witnessed. While they say this, Austin throws Chioda out of the ring and invites Heyman, Shane, and Stephanie to share a beer with him. Austin also kicks Kurt Angle to the floor and flips him off. Then Austin poses with the belt. JR says Austin brought the WWF title to the enemy camp! He spat in the face of all the WWF’s fans.

The Good:

• The opener

• RVD vs. Jeff Hardy

• Tajiri vs. Tazz

• Kidman vs. X-Pac

The Bad:

• The six-man tag.

• Regal vs. Raven

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to RVD. He stole the show and put on a star-making performance.

Final Thoughts:

This wasn’t a bad show, but it disappointed me a little. They packed it with a lot of filler, which is sad considering this should have been a night of dream matches. Imagine what we would have gotten if they held off for another year. They could have brought in the big WCW names, but they got impatient. The PPV was a story of wasted potential. This will be a common theme throughout the invasion storyline.

Thank you for reading. My next review is SummerSlam 2001. Look for it next Sunday!