WWF - Invasion 2001 (DVD)

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	The war between the 3 companies is a dream come true for wrestling fans
Disadvantages:	Only appealable to fans of wrestling

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The WWE (then WWF) had been involved in a war with rival wrestling company WCW (World Championship Wrestling) for years until Vince McMahon, owner of the WWF finally bought his competition out. This game him the complete freedom of the 2 companies and their workers, to which he put into effect when constructing the storyline of WWF Vs. WCW on screen.

The storyline begins where Shane McMahon, Vince’s son buys WCW, just before his father was about to finalize the deal and then sought to lead his own company to success, much like his father had done in the past, at the expense of his father and his company. This began the war of the two companies which where now being controlled by a father-son stand-off.

For weeks the two promotions battled-on with the WCW wrestlers ‘invading’ the WWF’s shows which lead to them eventually taking each other companies title belts in matches between workers of each company.

Soon after it was revealed that Stephanie McMahon had bought-out ECW, another rival company of both WWF & WCW and after a short while of confusion, Shane & Stephanie combined the workers of both WCW & ECW in an attempt to overpower their father and his company, the WWF. This partnership became known as ‘the Alliance’ and after a few months of battling, they decided to end the war at a Pay-Per-View event where they would have several company vs. company matches as well as a big tag team match at the main event.

The actual event. ‘InVasion’ featured 10 official matches (plus 1 ‘dark’ match before the actual televised event).

The following matches where the best matches on the card, in my opinion of the event.

X-Pac (WWF) Vs. Billy Kidman (WCW/ECW Alliance) was the break-out match of the evening, I think. X-Pac held the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship and Kidman held the WCW Cruiserweight Championship and the two lightweight wrestlers did battle for the first time against each other in an exciting, fast paced, high-flying and action packed match which Billy Kidman went onto win and seal the Alliance’s first victory of the night.

Jeff Hardy (WWF) Vs. Rob Van Dam (WCW/ECW Alliance) was the match that stole the show; I think most viewers of the PPV would agree. The match was the Hardy’s WWF Hardcore Championship and the match revealed a brilliant new partnership in the ring between the two workers, who always end-up having breath-takingly good matches together. Rob Van Dam defeated Jeff Hardy in the end.

The main event, the Inaugural Brawl match between the WWF and the WCW/ECW Alliance was quite good, but the turn by Stone Cold Steve Austin was done for the wrong reasons, I think. A short while before he had recently made one of the most shocking turns in wrestling history as he turned his back on the WWF fans and his turn in this match just seemed like they where doing the same thing all over again. It also seemed to be that they didn’t have many original main event WCW or ECW wrestlers available to take part in this event, so they had to have a couple of WWF wrestler make the turn – ones who where hardly or not at all associated with WCW or ECW before hand.