WCW Main Eventers leading into the Invasion Angle

**The Mackem** · 05-09-2008, 08:47 AM

Yeah so when the invasion angle happened noone seemed happy about how it was executed. Obviously it didn't help when most of the main players in WCW at the time were involved. Is it all as easy as they were all on AOL contracts (don't profess to know anything about the WCW/AOL contract situation) so didn't have any legal obligation to show up in WWF. What happened at this time involving the following people missing:

Ric Flair (showed up immediately after the Invasion Angle)
Scot Steiner: (Showed up 2002)
Rick Steiner
Eric Bischoff
Goldberg (showed up eventually)
Sting
Jeff Jarrett (forming TNA?)
Kevin Nash (showed up evetually)
Rey Mysterio (and again)

and others

Was it just a case that they returned WWF's calls when their contracts with AOL expired or what? Was there any AOL contracted wrestlers that showed up in WWF anyway? The two biggest WCW stars invovled in the Invasion Angle were easily Booker T and DDP.

I guess I'm interested in the seeds as to why the Invasion Angle was not as good as it could have been

**Dave Youell** · 05-09-2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Mackem

Yeah so when the invasion angle happened noone seemed happy about how it was executed. Obviously it didn't help when most of the main players in WCW at the time were involved. Is it all as easy as they were all on AOL contracts (don't profess to know anything about the WCW/AOL contract situation) so didn't have any legal obligation to show up in WWF. What happened at this time involving the following people missing:

Ric Flair (showed up immediately after the Invasion Angle)
Scot Steiner: (Showed up 2002)
Rick Steiner
Eric Bischoff
Goldberg (showed up eventually)
Sting
Jeff Jarrett (forming TNA?)
Kevin Nash (showed up evetually)
Rey Mysterio (and again)

and others

Was it just a case that they returned WWF's calls when their contracts with AOL expired or what? Was there any AOL contracted wrestlers that showed up in WWF anyway? The two biggest WCW stars invovled in the Invasion Angle were easily Booker T and DDP.

I guess I'm interested in the seeds as to why the Invasion Angle was not as good as it could have been

Booker and DDP took a buyout of there contracts, because they thought they could make a go of it in the WWE, it should be noted that they would of made more money doing nothing and sitting on their hands

Here's what I think happened with the rest, this may not be 100% and is taken from my memory of the Death of WCW book:

Ric Flair (showed up immediately after the Invasion Angle): I think his AOL contract expired and he just brought in

Scot Steiner: (Showed up 2002): Joined after his AOL contract was up
Rick Steiner: Sat on his hands with his money, when it was up, worked in the Indys
Eric Bischoff: I have no idea, I would assume he had a contract, but it would of worked in a different manor to talent
Goldberg (showed up eventually): Waiting until his AOL contract was up
Sting: They tried to snag him when his contract was up, but he never showed any interest in that kind of schedule and didn't like the product
Jeff Jarrett (forming TNA?): Was never going to get a job back with Vince after he held them up for $500,000
Kevin Nash (showed up eventually): Panic buying, his contract was paid out in full so he, Hall and Hogan could do the Nwo after the ratings slide from the initial invasion
Rey Mysterio (and again): They waited for his contract to end, he was also hurt, he worked a few indy dates (stand out was a 3 way with Him, Eddie and Punk) when he was healthy, they signed him up.

Basically anyone who was on WWE TV within the first few months would of lost out on some cash, as the AOL contracts were worth more, the only guys who got the contracts paid out in full were the NWO guys, for everyone else, they just signed them up as and when the more expensive contracts ended

**The Mackem** · 05-09-2008, 10:45 AM

Cheers for that dave

So even the guys like Palumbo and O'Haire could have chose to do nothing? If that's the case is it possible that the invasion angle may not have happened when it did for the pure fact that there would have been no WCW workers for it to happen?

I guess the older guys had more to lose and the younger guys could prove themselves in the meantime so it would be better for them to go to the WWE.

**BigDaddyCool** · 05-09-2008, 11:05 AM

Rick Stiener isn't a maineventer.

**Evil Vito** · 05-09-2008, 11:26 AM

A shame it all worked out like that, really. WCW would have seemed like much more of a threat if they managed to get guys like Flair, Steiner, Goldberg, etc. in for the angle. They probably wouldn't have felt compelled to make Austin defect to actually add a threat to the WCW side...hell we could have had the Austin/Goldberg dream match everyone wanted to see back in 98/99.

Also if WCW had bigger names in its ranks they probably wouldn't have made ECW side with them and form the stupid Alliance. If anything ECW could have served as a 3rd entity.

**Rob** · 05-09-2008, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Youell

Basically anyone who was on WWE TV within the first few months would of lost out on some cash, as the AOL contracts were worth more, the only guys who got the contracts paid out in full were the NWO guys, for everyone else, they just signed them up as and when the more expensive contracts ended

Not true. WWE bought their AOL contracts. The guys that didn't show up, WWE didn't buy their deals.

**Dave Youell** · 05-09-2008, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob

Not true. WWE bought their AOL contracts. The guys that didn't show up, WWE didn't buy their deals.

I was under the impression that WWE offered cash for the contracts at a lower rate than the overall amount of the worth of the contract. (i.e if a year left on a AOL contract was worth 100k, Vince would offer 50k to buy it out and offer a new lower rate contract)

For a younger guy, that would of been better than getting your contract paid off then getting hired by no one, because you weren't a name, and there was no other work around

**Rob** · 05-09-2008, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Youell

I was under the impression that WWE offered cash for the contracts at a lower rate than the overall amount of the worth of the contract. (i.e if a year left on a AOL contract was worth 100k, Vince would offer 50k to buy it out and offer a new lower rate contract)

The guys who didn't come in got that offer. If say Lance Storm was on 300k a year in WCW, he went to the WWF on that same contract. Nobody else was offered a buy out. The rest of the guys like Booker T and Scotty Steiner were only offered WWF deals once AOL Time Warner offered to give them X amount of pennies on the dollar of their existing deals. Once they settled with AOL Time Warner (most settlements were over 75 cents in the dollar), they talked with WCW. I'm sure that everyone aside from Scott Steiner and Ric Flair who went to the WWF agreed a buy out. Bill Goldberg took something like 97 cents on the buck.

**mrslackalack** · 05-09-2008, 10:12 PM

As for Palumbo and O'Haire they were part of the 25 wrestlers contracts that were in the purchase of WCW. (The full list is on many sites but I remember guys like them, Storm, Hugh Morris, Awesome, Bagwell, Chavo etc) I believe 24 of the 25 ended up going to the WWF or a territory besides Disco Inferno.

**mrslackalack** · 05-09-2008, 10:15 PM

I remember strong rumors of Bischoff being part of the Alliance when it started. Flair also stated in his book that J.R. and others tried to bring him in as soon as the spring.

**therocksays** · 05-10-2008, 09:36 PM

i think buff bagwell was there for a day, they threw his ass out the door, i forget who did though lol

**Indifferent Clox** · 05-11-2008, 12:14 AM

Booker T maybe?

I think WWE wanted to start with Talent it could mold into it's own thing.

I want RVD to go to the indys and have more amazing matches just to show me he can still do it and renew my faith that he can do a 60 min. match. Maybe even go back to Japan. Then come back to WWE and have amazing matches in main events that combine WWE and those things.

I know this is off topic, sorry.

**FourFifty** · 05-11-2008, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therocksays

i think buff bagwell was there for a day, they threw his ass out the door, i forget who did though lol

I recall hearing a story about how he bitched to his agent that someone else had a limo in their contract.... His agent was his mom, who bitched to the WWE, who then got her son's ego (and contract) hurt.

**Rob** · 05-11-2008, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by therocksays

i think buff bagwell was there for a day, they threw his ass out the door, i forget who did though lol

Faarqooq and Bradshaw maybe?

**Impeccable** · 05-11-2008, 07:35 AM

Austin and Angle threw Bagwell out a door.

The week before, Linda McMahon announced that there would be a WCW match main eventing WWE as a gesture of goodwill. The main event was Bagwell vs Booker T for the WCW championship. Scott Hudson was play by play and maybe Arn Anderson were on colour...they literally dressed Raw up as Nitro.

Anywho, the match wasn't well received, and I think the crowd chanted boring throughout. Booker T hit the scissor kick and did a "spineroonie" and when he got on his feet, Austin and Angle stormed the ring (Booker had attacked Austin in the KOTR main event, breaking his hand, which was why Austin didn't wrestle for a while afterwards). Bagwell joined in the beating and the three of them ended up ejecting Booker from the arena. Bagwell then celebrated, and tried to high five Austin and Angle, only for Austin and Angle to throw him out too.

05-11-2008, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FourFifty

I recall hearing a story about how he bitched to his agent that someone else had a limo in their contract.... His agent was his mom, who bitched to the WWE, who then got her son's ego (and contract) hurt.

it was the Big Show.

and yeah, Bagwell was a main eventer at the end of wcw

**NeanderCarl** · 05-11-2008, 12:12 PM

It was just a case of WWE not wanting to spend money. All the AOL contracted guys were offered buyouts by AOL. They could take a portion of the money they were owed to become free agents, or remain under contract for the duration and receive the full amount.

Many of them felt WWE weren't offering enough money to make it worth their while accepting the buyout at a discounted rate, therefore they didn't.

Quite frankly Vince McMahon blew what should have been the biggest angle in North American wrestling history by being tight as fuck. It is most probably because the huge startup costs of the XFL meant he was being frugal, but a real, bonafide WWF vs WCW feud would have recompensated him many times over for the moolah splashed on buying out the major stars and bringing them in. If the WWF had not been a public company accountable (in theory) to its shareholders, then I think he would have bitten the bullet and brought in the likes of Goldberg and Hogan.

So in my opinion the biggest wrestling angle of all time fizzled because of the XFL and the WWF going public.

**Savio** · 05-11-2008, 01:38 PM

I heard Bagwell Fought Shane Helms which got him fired.

**NeanderCarl** · 05-11-2008, 01:49 PM

Bagwell fought Shane Helms a few weeks before he got fired. Probably played a role in the decision, but his offensively bad showing against Booker T and inflated backstage ego was what did the trick.

**Lock Jaw** · 05-12-2008, 02:41 AM

I'm sad that Lance Storm never amounted to much in the WWE. He could have been so much more.

**The Mackem** · 05-12-2008, 03:16 AM

He seems to be happy with what he accomplished in WWE. Maybe he didn't progress on to World Title status but what he done in comparison to the rest that came from WCW wasn't too bad.

**The Mackem** · 05-12-2008, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDaddyCool

Rick Stiener isn't a maineventer.

He would have been were it not for Edge and Christian.

**The Mackem** · 05-12-2008, 03:23 AM

What is the official list of WCW billed matches (where they changed the stage, ring aprons, commentators etc.) in the WWF?

All I remember is:

Bagwell vs Booker T (Raw)
Shane Helms vs. Kidman (I think) (Smackdown)
There was another WCW match that same Smackdown, I'm thinking DDP versus someone.
Also, did Booker T regain the WCW World title on WWF television? I remember him coming in definitely as WCW United States Champion but not convinced he was world champ at the time of the purchase, I'm leaning more towards Scott Steiner. He gave away the US title later to Kanyon IIRC.

**Lock Jaw** · 05-12-2008, 03:36 AM

Booker was the world champ coming in. He beat Steiner on the final Nitro.

**The Mackem** · 05-12-2008, 03:41 AM

Was that a WWF decision? Wondering what it would have been like if Steiner came in as World Champ - for one thing I can't imagine him being able to run away like Booker T was always doing.

**mrslackalack** · 05-12-2008, 12:54 PM

I remember they changed it on a HEAT too for a Tag Title match between O'Haire/Palumbo vs Stasiak and Kanyon.

DDP wrestled Booker T in the Smackdown Match. I remember Taker interferred.

**Rob** · 05-12-2008, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Mackem

Was that a WWF decision? Wondering what it would have been like if Steiner came in as World Champ - for one thing I can't imagine him being able to run away like Booker T was always doing.

On the final Nitro, Shane McMahon booked Booker to win the title. They knew they'd end up with Booker before Steiner so they wanted the WCW champion.

**NeanderCarl** · 05-12-2008, 08:00 PM

But perhaps the biggest WCW main eventer at the time they went under, that being Road Warrior Animal, didn't show up back in the WWE for years.

**mrslackalack** · 05-12-2008, 10:19 PM

Didnt Steiner get hurt too? I know he needed surgery on something and caused him to miss quite a while of action. Thats another reason why Booker T won the title and why the match was real short. Some believe that Steiner would have taken an AOL buyout earlier on had he not been injured.

**NeanderCarl** · 05-12-2008, 10:41 PM

Severe nerve damage to the point his leg or foot was paralyzed. Don't think it ever fully healed either.

**The Mackem** · 05-13-2008, 02:44 AM

Was it 2001 when Sid got injured? He could have been in the difference in the Invasion angle...

**James Steele** · 05-13-2008, 04:59 AM

I found those "WCW RAW" and "WCW SmackDown!" matches on Youtube. I'll post them in seperate posts.

**James Steele** · 05-13-2008, 05:02 AM

WCW Championship on RAW - Buff Bagwell vs Booker T. (c)

Part 1

Part 2:

**James Steele** · 05-13-2008, 05:02 AM

WCW Cruiserweight Championship on SmackDown! - Billy Kidman vs Gregory Helms (c)

**James Steele** · 05-13-2008, 05:04 AM

WCW Championship on SmackDown! - Diamond Dallas Page vs Booker T. (c)

**James Steele** · 05-13-2008, 05:05 AM

Imagine how different wrestling might be if it wouldn't have been Buff Bagwell in that match.

**The Mackem** · 05-13-2008, 05:47 AM

Maybe if they hada credible challenger to put in his place...cheers for posting the videos

**James Steele** · 05-13-2008, 04:17 PM

Have DDP vs Booker T on RAW instead of on SmackDown. These matches were all on the same week I believe.

**Rob** · 05-13-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Class Act Carl

But perhaps the biggest WCW main eventer at the time they went under, that being Road Warrior Animal, didn't show up back in the WWE for years.

He never had a contract.

**Rob** · 05-13-2008, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamesSteele

Imagine how different wrestling might be if it wouldn't have been Buff Bagwell in that match.

It was meant to be Lance Storm.

05-09-2008, 10:45 AM	#3
The Mackem VG + Q&A FORUM REPRESENT Posts: 38,940	Cheers for that dave So even the guys like Palumbo and O'Haire could have chose to do nothing? If that's the case is it possible that the invasion angle may not have happened when it did for the pure fact that there would have been no WCW workers for it to happen? I guess the older guys had more to lose and the younger guys could prove themselves in the meantime so it would be better for them to go to the WWE.

05-09-2008, 11:05 AM	#4
BigDaddyCool Pelvic Sorcerer Posts: 64,762	Rick Stiener isn't a maineventer.

05-09-2008, 11:26 AM	#5
Evil Vito President of Freedonia Posts: 58,329	A shame it all worked out like that, really. WCW would have seemed like much more of a threat if they managed to get guys like Flair, Steiner, Goldberg, etc. in for the angle. They probably wouldn't have felt compelled to make Austin defect to actually add a threat to the WCW side...hell we could have had the Austin/Goldberg dream match everyone wanted to see back in 98/99. Also if WCW had bigger names in its ranks they probably wouldn't have made ECW side with them and form the stupid Alliance. If anything ECW could have served as a 3rd entity.

05-09-2008, 10:12 PM	#9
mrslackalack Mr. Slack A Lack Jack! Posts: 4,390	As for Palumbo and O'Haire they were part of the 25 wrestlers contracts that were in the purchase of WCW. (The full list is on many sites but I remember guys like them, Storm, Hugh Morris, Awesome, Bagwell, Chavo etc) I believe 24 of the 25 ended up going to the WWF or a territory besides Disco Inferno.

05-09-2008, 10:15 PM	#10
mrslackalack Mr. Slack A Lack Jack! Posts: 4,390	I remember strong rumors of Bischoff being part of the Alliance when it started. Flair also stated in his book that J.R. and others tried to bring him in as soon as the spring.

05-10-2008, 09:36 PM	#11
therocksays your peoples champ! Posts: 984	i think buff bagwell was there for a day, they threw his ass out the door, i forget who did though lol

05-11-2008, 12:14 AM	#12
Indifferent Clox emerge Posts: 16,710	Booker T maybe? I think WWE wanted to start with Talent it could mold into it's own thing. I want RVD to go to the indys and have more amazing matches just to show me he can still do it and renew my faith that he can do a 60 min. match. Maybe even go back to Japan. Then come back to WWE and have amazing matches in main events that combine WWE and those things. I know this is off topic, sorry.

05-11-2008, 07:35 AM	#15
Impeccable Tag Team Wrestling Mark! Posts: 2,340	Austin and Angle threw Bagwell out a door. The week before, Linda McMahon announced that there would be a WCW match main eventing WWE as a gesture of goodwill. The main event was Bagwell vs Booker T for the WCW championship. Scott Hudson was play by play and maybe Arn Anderson were on colour...they literally dressed Raw up as Nitro. Anywho, the match wasn't well received, and I think the crowd chanted boring throughout. Booker T hit the scissor kick and did a "spineroonie" and when he got on his feet, Austin and Angle stormed the ring (Booker had attacked Austin in the KOTR main event, breaking his hand, which was why Austin didn't wrestle for a while afterwards). Bagwell joined in the beating and the three of them ended up ejecting Booker from the arena. Bagwell then celebrated, and tried to high five Austin and Angle, only for Austin and Angle to throw him out too.

05-11-2008, 12:12 PM	#17
NeanderCarl That's Not My Name Posts: 9,086	It was just a case of WWE not wanting to spend money. All the AOL contracted guys were offered buyouts by AOL. They could take a portion of the money they were owed to become free agents, or remain under contract for the duration and receive the full amount. Many of them felt WWE weren't offering enough money to make it worth their while accepting the buyout at a discounted rate, therefore they didn't. Quite frankly Vince McMahon blew what should have been the biggest angle in North American wrestling history by being tight as fuck. It is most probably because the huge startup costs of the XFL meant he was being frugal, but a real, bonafide WWF vs WCW feud would have recompensated him many times over for the moolah splashed on buying out the major stars and bringing them in. If the WWF had not been a public company accountable (in theory) to its shareholders, then I think he would have bitten the bullet and brought in the likes of Goldberg and Hogan. So in my opinion the biggest wrestling angle of all time fizzled because of the XFL and the WWF going public.

05-11-2008, 01:38 PM	#18
Savio Spammy Certified Posts: 46,115	I heard Bagwell Fought Shane Helms which got him fired.

05-11-2008, 01:49 PM	#19
NeanderCarl That's Not My Name Posts: 9,086	Bagwell fought Shane Helms a few weeks before he got fired. Probably played a role in the decision, but his offensively bad showing against Booker T and inflated backstage ego was what did the trick.

05-12-2008, 02:41 AM	#20
Lock Jaw Skibbidy Lock Jaw Posts: 88,650	I'm sad that Lance Storm never amounted to much in the WWE. He could have been so much more.

05-12-2008, 03:16 AM	#21
The Mackem VG + Q&A FORUM REPRESENT Posts: 38,940	He seems to be happy with what he accomplished in WWE. Maybe he didn't progress on to World Title status but what he done in comparison to the rest that came from WCW wasn't too bad.

05-12-2008, 03:23 AM	#23
The Mackem VG + Q&A FORUM REPRESENT Posts: 38,940	What is the official list of WCW billed matches (where they changed the stage, ring aprons, commentators etc.) in the WWF? All I remember is: Bagwell vs Booker T (Raw) Shane Helms vs. Kidman (I think) (Smackdown) There was another WCW match that same Smackdown, I'm thinking DDP versus someone. Also, did Booker T regain the WCW World title on WWF television? I remember him coming in definitely as WCW United States Champion but not convinced he was world champ at the time of the purchase, I'm leaning more towards Scott Steiner. He gave away the US title later to Kanyon IIRC.

05-12-2008, 03:36 AM	#24
Lock Jaw Skibbidy Lock Jaw Posts: 88,650	Booker was the world champ coming in. He beat Steiner on the final Nitro.

05-12-2008, 03:41 AM	#25
The Mackem VG + Q&A FORUM REPRESENT Posts: 38,940	Was that a WWF decision? Wondering what it would have been like if Steiner came in as World Champ - for one thing I can't imagine him being able to run away like Booker T was always doing.

05-12-2008, 12:54 PM	#26
mrslackalack Mr. Slack A Lack Jack! Posts: 4,390	I remember they changed it on a HEAT too for a Tag Title match between O'Haire/Palumbo vs Stasiak and Kanyon. DDP wrestled Booker T in the Smackdown Match. I remember Taker interferred.

05-12-2008, 08:00 PM	#28
NeanderCarl That's Not My Name Posts: 9,086	But perhaps the biggest WCW main eventer at the time they went under, that being Road Warrior Animal, didn't show up back in the WWE for years.

05-12-2008, 10:19 PM	#29
mrslackalack Mr. Slack A Lack Jack! Posts: 4,390	Didnt Steiner get hurt too? I know he needed surgery on something and caused him to miss quite a while of action. Thats another reason why Booker T won the title and why the match was real short. Some believe that Steiner would have taken an AOL buyout earlier on had he not been injured.

05-12-2008, 10:41 PM	#30
NeanderCarl That's Not My Name Posts: 9,086	Severe nerve damage to the point his leg or foot was paralyzed. Don't think it ever fully healed either.

05-13-2008, 02:44 AM	#31
The Mackem VG + Q&A FORUM REPRESENT Posts: 38,940	Was it 2001 when Sid got injured? He could have been in the difference in the Invasion angle...

05-13-2008, 04:59 AM	#32
James Steele TPWW's HHH Mark Since '04 Posts: 29,886	I found those "WCW RAW" and "WCW SmackDown!" matches on Youtube. I'll post them in seperate posts.

05-13-2008, 05:02 AM	#33
James Steele TPWW's HHH Mark Since '04 Posts: 29,886	WCW Championship on RAW - Buff Bagwell vs Booker T. (c) Part 1 Part 2:

05-13-2008, 05:04 AM	#35
James Steele TPWW's HHH Mark Since '04 Posts: 29,886	WCW Championship on SmackDown! - Diamond Dallas Page vs Booker T. (c)

05-13-2008, 05:05 AM	#36
James Steele TPWW's HHH Mark Since '04 Posts: 29,886	Imagine how different wrestling might be if it wouldn't have been Buff Bagwell in that match.

05-13-2008, 05:47 AM	#37
The Mackem VG + Q&A FORUM REPRESENT Posts: 38,940	Maybe if they hada credible challenger to put in his place...cheers for posting the videos

05-13-2008, 04:17 PM	#38
James Steele TPWW's HHH Mark Since '04 Posts: 29,886	Have DDP vs Booker T on RAW instead of on SmackDown. These matches were all on the same week I believe.