My profile page has the first chapter. Go if you missed, then return.
What if the InVasion hadn’t failed?
Our story continues on Raw the night after King Of The Ring, a night which proved to be of mixed emotions for both Vince and Shane McMahon. For Shane, his WCW match for the US Title proved a major hit for the company as he tries to rebuild it … but a savage beating from Kurt Angle left him hospitalized. For Vince, Shane’s incapacitation, as well as Steve Austin’s successful defense of the WWF Title against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho (two people with seemingly close ties to WCW), is cause to celebrate … but the actions of Booker T stepping in to save his former WCW friends from further beatings has Vince convinced Shane’s motives are hostile. Vince decides Raw is the place to put an end to the threat before it can get any further …
Raw: June 25th
Raw opens with Vince in the ring, looking as cocky and proud as he could possibly be. “You know, last night at the King of the Ring,” he begins, “there was an ugly rumor going around, and that rumor was simply that if either Chris Benoit or Chris Jericho became WWF Champion, then quite frankly they would come here tonight to Madison Square Garden and defect to WCW.” The crowd breaks out in cheers, which breaks Vince’s cool demeanor. “If you uncouth ingrates would shut up a minute and let me finish speaking, I-” The crowd starts in with an “asshole” chant; Vince tries to bellow over it, but it only incites the crowd more, so he simply waits it out. “Well, I’m here to tell you that didn’t happen and it never will, because your World Wrestling Federation Champion is still Stone Cold Steve Austin! That’s right, Austin is still champion; he took on two men at the same time and not only did he beat them both, but he beat Benoit so badly, his neck may never recover, and he may have to retire!” Vince sighs, a look of (mock) sadness creeping over his features. “But in spite of all that, I have news for everyone here, from you the audience to the WWF superstars in the back room. I’d like to have Chris Jericho come out here right now.”
Jericho’s music hits and, after playing to the crowd, he comes to the ring, looking all business. Vince picks up on this and backs into a corner. “Now, Chris, don’t go getting any ideas, you lost fair and square!” Jericho backs away and paces; Vince steps out, straightens his tie and clears his throat. “Now, Chris, I want to address this ugly rumor about you defecting to WCW. I’ve heard about how friendly you’ve become with the WCW wrestlers, and how Shane has talked to you about coming over … and don’t think I missed that piece of WCW scum Booker T come into, or should I say invade, my ring and attack my WWF Champion. He was coming to your rescue, right, Chris? Come to save you from the big, bad Austin?” Chris opens his mouth to speak, but Vince holds up a hand. “Save it, kid. I don’t wanna hear it. I want you to do something for me, Jericho; since you’re such a good buddy with the WCW morons, I want you to deliver a message to them: the WWF crushed WCW once before, and dammit, we’ll do it again. Their employment under my son is temporary; he can’t pull this off, and I will see to it that he, and WCW, are wiped off the face of the map once and for all. Do you got that? Now get out of my sight.”
The announcers kvetch about Jericho being used as a messenger as Jericho walks back up the ramp. As he is about to go through the curtain, Vince speaks again. “Oh, Chris? One more thing; you’re gonna deliver another message for me. Vince McMahon will not stand for anyone in the WWF even thinking about jumping ship. Zero tolerance, Jericho. And it starts with you. You are hereby suspended for 30 days.”
The crowd is caught in a mixture of abject shock and hatred (as are JR and Heyman). Jericho mouths a few insults Vince’s way and leaves with a middle finger salute. Vince can only grin. “Now then, tonight, here in Madison Square Garden, the WWF has brought to you many a memorable moment … and tonight will be no different. This is hallowed ground, where no WCW star has ever walked, or ever will. Indeed, this is the house the World Wrestling Federation helped build, and tonight will be no different! Thank you!”
But Vince’s good mood only lasts as long as he can get back to his office, when he is handed the docket for the evening’s matches. WCW now has two matches on the card. Vince screams and hollers, demanding to see Regal. Instead of Regal, however, WCW Commissioner Arn Anderson comes in and reminds Vince that, unless he wants to face off against in court, he has to abide by the settlement and allow WCW their matches.
The first WCW match of the evening pits Cruiserweight Champion Shane Helms against old nemesis Chavo Guerrero Jr.; the match, with its fast-paced, high-flying action, is a welcome antidote to the WWF’s style and welcomed eagerly. Perturbed, Vince shuffles the evening’s card and pits WWE Light Heavyweight Champion against X-Pac; while entertaining, the two aren’t as reckless nor as daring as their WCW counterparts, and the match isn’t as warmly received, especially with the much-despised X-Pac taking the title away from the beloved Hardy.
Equally well-liked is WCW’s main event, Booker’s first title defense on WWF TV, against Diamond Dallas Page. The match is treated with all the pageantry of a PPV main event, with a special ring announcer (Stacy Kiebler), special pyro and all the trappings, giving it a truly big-match feel. Unfortunately, Austin’s unprovoked attack on both men with a chair ruins the event; WCW wrestlers scurry from the back to check on their fallen friends and run off Austin, who disappears into the crowd with a smile and a maniacal laugh.
Smackdown: June 28th
Again, the WWF emanates from Madison Square Garden, and again, Vince has to deal with WCW programming on his show, in a place that was, at one point, a sanctuary for the WWF. A place the WCW couldn’t even knock on the doors of.
Arn comes out to introduce the first WCW match of the evening (leading off the show, no less), but is interrupted by Dean Malenko. Dean shakes hands with Arn, then produces his own microphone. “Arn, I apologize for interrupting, but I got something to say. It’s no secret about the circumstances to which I came to the WWF; I had a problem with WCW’s management, and even though it killed us to do it since we’d been there for a major chunk of our careers, Chris Benoit, Perry Saturn, Eddie Guerrero and myself all demanded our releases. We thought that the WWF would hold greater promise, and a chance to work under the best conditions the industry could provide, and we never looked back. For the better part of a year, I have been proud to call myself a WWF superstar, and the memories of how difficult it had been working in WCW were all but faded from my mind. Then, this past Monday Night Raw, I saw what had to be the single most shocking event I’ve ever seen in wrestling.” Malenko turns to the TitanTron, whereupon plays the footage of Vince suspending Chris Jericho. “If there’s one thing Dean Malenko has stood for in his career, its integrity. When I was in WCW”-Dean holds up four fingers, which catches Arn’s attention like a slap in the face-“I flashed these four fingers like a badge of honor and lived up to the standards they exemplified, even when you Arn Anderson said I had no business doing so. When I came to the WWF, I did so with pride and, together with my friends, we proved we weren’t a group of vanilla midgets from ‘down south’. But when I see crap like that … when I see Vince McMahon punish someone for something they have neither said nor even insinuated that they might be doing … the WWF is becoming something far worse then WCW ever was. Vince McMahon is turning the WWF into a cesspool of intolerance and hatred for anything that doesn’t have his stamp of approval, and I will not stand by and watch a good man like Chris Jericho get screwed by a man who has made a career out of screwing people.” Dean turns around and faces Arn, whose eyes are wide with rapt attention. “Arn … I want you to look me in the eye and tell me this isn’t the WCW I had to walk away from. You tell me that this is a new WCW, and that Shane is gonna rebuild the integrity and honor of this company’s legacy.”
Arn holds up his own four fingers. “If you’re lookin’ for this, Dean, well, I ain’t gonna lie and tell you you’re gonna find it,” says Arn. “But I will tell you that what those four fingers stood for, well, you can be your last damned dollar me and Shane are gonna make sure that’s the fuel the new WCW is gonna run on.”
Arn extends a hand and, without hesitation, Dean accepts it. The shake becomes a hug, and the fans show their respects with a warm, respectful applause. Backstage, however, the reception in the WWF locker room (and in Vince’s office) is anything but pleasant; Dean’s personal belongings are ransacked and destroyed by irate WWF wrestlers, his car vandalized and the tires slashed.
The backlash from Malenko’s abdication continue to be felt later on, during a WCW match between Mike Awesome and Chris Kanyon, when WWF Hardcore Champion Test, along with Kane and Albert, come down to ringside and attack. Awesome and Kanyon hold their own until Regal gets a chair and blasts Awesome with it in the back; Awesome falls forward, unconscious, trapping Test beneath him. While more WCW wrestlers come in to run off the WWF attackers, the referee, noticing the circumstances, makes the count, and announces Mike Awesome the new WWF Hardcore Champion. Regal goes into hysterics and argues with the referee about the legality of a WCW wrestler winning a WWF belt, but before anything can be done about it, the WCW wrestlers help Awesome get up and help him to the back with his new championship over his shoulder.
Raw: July 2nd
Two major announcements, one from Vince and one from WCW, are heavily promoted throughout the weekend programming and on the respective websites. Come Raw, it is Vince who gets first crack, and his announcement doesn’t fail to disappoint as a bombshell.
“Last week was black week for the WWF,” says Vince. “Last week, this company lost one of its titles to a WCW wrestler in a pinfall that shouldn’t have been counted to begin with. Last week, I had to suspend Chris Jericho because he was proving to be a WCW sympathizer. And last week, on Smackdown, Dean Malenko spit right in my face and the face of each and every one of you when he abandoned the World Wrestling Federation and allied himself with WCW. Well, I’m here to tell every one of you pieces of Tacoma trash who saved up your pennies to buy a ticket tonight, and especially to every single WWF superstar under my employ: I WILL NOT ALLOW ANOTHER DEAN MALENKO! Tonight, I am here to announce that, effective immediately, every WWF superstar will be required to visit my office and, by the end of Smackdown on Thursday, sign a Declaration Of Loyalty Statement. Those who refuse to declare their loyalty to the WWF and disavow any ties to WCW, or sign and go on to break the terms of the statement will find themselves facing trouble … legal trouble … monetary trouble … employment trouble … the kind of trouble you can only get when you cross Vincent Kennedy McMahon!”
The APA are the first in line to sign the statement, the beginning of a flood of people; JR and Paul Heyman point out that, while the volunteers are lining up faster then a new ride as Disneyland, not all look comfortable. Worries about the threat of legal action and being fired are written on the faces of many of the WWF wrestlers, but to Vince, all that matters is the signature at the bottom of the final page of the lengthy document (which no one bothers to read in full; Big Show tries, but upon seeing it is 10 pages long, quits and, reluctantly, scratches out a signature).
Vince’s night only gets better when Arn Anderson comes out for WCW’s announcement. Mike Awesome, the Hardcore Title slung over his shoulder, accompanies Arn to the ring. “Shane McMahon would be here tonight if he could,” says Arn, “but with the injuries he incurred at King Of The Ring, it is my sad duty to inform you all that he will not be in attendance for a while yet. In his stead, and on his behalf, though, I am here to discuss the events that occurred on Smackdown last Thursday, when Mike Awesome, however inadvertently, became WWF Hardcore Champion.” The crowd cheers, but Arn urges them to quiet down. “Despite the current hostility the WWF has for WCW, we in WCW have nothing but the utmost respect for the WWF and its championships. Mike Awesome is a man who could, without a doubt, compete for the Hardcore Title and, as champion, defend the title with pride …” Arn pauses to take a deep, mournful sigh. “… were he a WWF wrestler. He is not, though, and as such, the decision has been made to forfeit the title. So, if my colleague, Commissioner Regal, or perhaps-“
As if on cue, Vince comes storming through the curtain and down to the ring, a maniacal glare in his eyes. He snatches a microphone from ringside and gets in the ring. “Why, that’s the first smart decision someone in charge of WCW has ever made!” Vince says. Vince walks up to Awesome and holds out his hands; Awesome, a tower of a man, glares down at Vince like a tiger would a rabbit.
“Give it to him, Mike,” says Arn.
Suddenly, Vince’s smile gets even bigger. “No, wait, Arn. I got a better idea. Jeff Hardy! I command you, as your employer, to get your ass down here!”
Jeff, confused, comes down to the ring; he asks Vince what is going on, but Vince won’t even acknowledge him. “Arn, I appreciate the gesture, but here in the WWF, we believe in competition. Championships are earned, not awarded. Therefore, to keep the valued lineage of the title unbroken, Jeff Hardy will pin Mike Awesome for the title.” Vince turns to Awesome, snaps his fingers and points to the mat. “Now lay down, kid.”
Awesome’s eyes go big; he shakes his head slowly, emphatically. Now Vince’s eyes go wide, and a snarl curls his lip. “What?”
Again, Awesome shakes his head. He grabs Vince hand and hauls up the microphone to his mouth (with Vince’s arm still attached). “You wanna see me pinned for this belt? You pin me for it. Kid.” He releases Vince’s hand and shoves him away, putting him on his ass. Hardy immediately launches himself at Awesome, rattling him with shots to the jaw. Awesome staggers back; Hardy climbs to the ropes and leaps at Awesome with his Whisper In The Wind, but Awesome catches him, adjusts the weight, walks over to the ropes, and Awesome Bombs Hardy over and down through the announcers table (to the amazement of everyone there, starting an impromptu “E-C-Dub” chant). Awesome plays to the crowd as medics check on the lifeless Hardy; he never notices Test racing down the ramp. A chairshot (and a three-count by Vince) later, Test is the new Hardcore Champion.
The rest of the evening continues to be a bad one for WCW, with a Tag Title defense by Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire against Kronik spoiled by The Dudley Boys and X-Factor, and a match between Mike Sanders and Shannon Moore ruined by The Undertaker and Kane.
But the final straw occurs in WCW’s main event, with Lance Storm facing, in his WCW debut, Dean Malenko. The match, a fast-paced technical classic, thrills fans with echoes of WCW’s old cruiserweight division with a touch of the mat-based skills of a Flair/Steamboat classic. For 10 minutes, they hold the fans in their hands, until the WWF locker room, led by Austin, empties and floods the ring. Storm is beaten and thrown out by a small group of wrestlers, while the rest-outnumbering Malenko 10 to 1-corner Malenko; handcuffs and rope are produced, and Malenko is bound and stretched out, face down on the mat. Austin pulls off his belt and whips Malenko, raising red welts on his back. A table is produced, and Bradshaw powerbombs him through it. Raw ends with the vision of Austin setting fire to Malenko’s WCW t-shirt.
Smackdown: July 5th
The WWF locker room as Smackdown begins (complete with catered food and drinks), celebrating the death of WCW. Indeed, no WCW matches are scheduled, and WCW staff are nowhere to be seen in the arena. Vince brags to Regal how the night of humiliation that was Raw, culminating with the public flogging of Dean Malenko, will all but convince every television network and PPV distributor that WCW is weak and not a viable money-making entity. Vince goes about his evening with a sense of relief, giving all champions the night off and scheduling matches for his personal entertainment (including a bra and panties tag match, Big Show facing Tajiri, and the Dudleys against the Hardys in a hardcore match).
But the delivery of the finalized loyalty statements from the corporate lawyers puts a quick damper on Vince’s evening and he quickly goes to the ring to address the issue.
“This past Monday on Raw,” he proclaims, “I succeeded in finally crushing WCW once and for all by proving them to be the inferior, substandard joke they’ve always been. I proved, once again, that the well of my power is bottomless, and that there is nothing I will not do to rule over this industry with an iron fist!” The disdain from the audience is overwhelming, but Vince is unperturbed. “And, most of all, I proved that the WWF is not only the dominant brand in sports entertainment, but to go against it, be it an individual or a rival company, will only result in your demise. Unfortunately, we have seen examples of people who do not subscribe to my vision in recent weeks, and tonight, the burden is mine and mine alone to inform you all that there are four people left in the WWF who have not signed their Loyalty Statements. I am now giving these four men the chance, right now, to come down to the ring, sign the statements, and redeem themselves in the eyes of these fans, and the eyes of their boss, their superior, me, Vince McMahon. Those four men are …” Vince takes a deep breath (for mock drama), and says (in an exceedingly fake distraught tone of voice), “… Chris Jericho, William Regal, Raven and Stone Cold Steve Austin.”
Regal is the first to come out, looking very flustered. By the time he gets to the ring, Raven comes down to the ring and sits in the corner. There is a pause as everyone waits to see who, if anyone is coming next; finally, Austin’s music hits and he comes down, the WWF Title in hand, looking (as usual) angry as all hell. Vince gives the proceedings a couple extra seconds before going on.
“Well, it seems Mr. Jericho is unable to come forward to affirm his loyalty. So, I shall deal with him on Monday, and I advise you, Jericho, to be there.” He turns to the other three people in the ring and produces three documents from his jacket. “In my hand I have Loyalty Agreements for all three of you. You can all sign them right now and get this nightmare over with, but I’m warning you right now … you better have a damned good explanation for not signing already.”
Regal is first to step away, almost tripping over himself to get the microphone so he can explain. “Sir, Mr. McMahon, honestly, I’d assumed these things were for all the scrubs like”-Regal hikes a thumb over his shoulder at Raven-“that ruffian behind me. I’m the WWF Commissioner, sir, not some bloody window-licking commoner. I’d think you trust me enough not to need such a thing.”
“I trust you, William,” says Vince. “Implicitly. But you’re still signing the damn paper. Or else.”
Regal locks eyes with Vince for a couple seconds; seeing that there’s no give in McMahon’s eyes, Regal snatches the document and signs it. Vince shakes his hand, and Regal returns the gesture weakly, then turns to leave, only to be met face to face with Raven. Raven stares him down for a moment before Regal tries to sidestep him; Raven moves with Regal to the left, then the right. “Now, see here,” says Regal, “move out of the way, scrub, before I knock you back to last Tuesday.” Raven responds with a kick to the gut and a Raven Effect DDT (much to the delight of the crowd).
“I hope you have a damned good explanation for that!” Vince yells.
Raven grabs the microphone from Regal’s hand. “The only rules I follow are my rules. The only world I live in is my world. Your fascism holds nothing for me but mindless servitude and misery. By violently rejecting your totalitarian oppression, I force you to do something you’ve never been willing to do; I am forcing you to see me. I am forcing you to see Raven. You cannot make me into something I’m not, for I’m not something you want. Quoth the raven, nevermore.” Raven extends his arms in his Christ-like pose, drops down and rolls out of the ring.
“Well,” Vince says as Raven backs up the ramp, “I suppose I’ll have to deal with you on Monday just the same, Raven.” Vince looks at Austin, smiles and steps forward. “Steve. I assume it was just an oversight. No hard feelings, eh? Just sign this silly thing and we’ll be done with it.”
Austin’s response is typical Austin: two middle fingers in the face, a reaction that stuns both Vince, the crowd and everyone else watching. Vince is unable to do anything but move his jaw up and down soundlessly. Austin picks up the abandoned microphone. “Ever since your stupid kid bought WCW and started parading them jackasses around here like some damn dumb kid with a new toy, have you once hugged me?” Vince shrugs, but before he can say anything, Austin keeps going. “Ever since your stupid kid came around, Stone Cold has been dealing with some mealy-mouthed bastard called Booker T, but have I gotten a match with him? Have I gotten a chance to beat on any of these damned sons of bitches since they came barging in here like they own the place! Eh-eh! Not a damn one, Vince! Where’s the love for Stone Cold? Where’s Vince McMahon saying ‘Stone Cold, I’ll take care of you. You’ll get Booker T at the next pay-per-view.’? I’ll tell ya where; you’re too damned busy runnin’ your mouth, paying attention to your son, and you done forgot about ol’ Stone Cold! You know, you damn well know how much I hate WCW, and you wanna stick some stupid piece of paper under my nose so I can swear to you I’m loyal to the WWF?” Austin stomps up to Vince, shoving the belt in his face. “Do you see this, Vince? Do you know who I am? My name is Stone Cold Steve Austin, and I am the WWF Champion. I am a WWF superstar, and always will be. And here you are, sucking up all the spotlight for yourself, pushing Stone Cold to the back so you can run your mouth and talk about loyalty? Well, here’s what I’m gonna do: I’m gonna shove that agreement up your ass if you don’t get it out my face, son. Then, I’m gonna find that piece of crap Booker T, and I’m gonna be him silly and take his little toy belt and chuck it in the trash and kill WCW dead.” Austin flips off Vince again and turns to leave; he pauses, turns back around and adds, “I forgot something …” before hitting a Stunner on Vince.
Raw: July 9th
The advertised card for Raw is big enough to be a PPV, with title defenses galore and fallout from the previous week’s shows. In addition to Booker T defending the WCW Title, both the WCW and WWF Tag Titles are slated for defenses, and Kurt Angle is booked to have a rematch against Edge.
But no matter how big the matches booked, everyone watching is waiting for two things: how Vince will deal with Jericho and Raven, and whether or not Austin’s demand of a match against Booker T will be fulfilled.
Austin makes his presence, and his demands, known (as if they weren’t already) by inserting himself into a good portion of the matches, especially focusing on WCW’s offerings. One match, a WCW Cruiserweight Title defense, never even gets started when challenger Mike Sanders is eliminated before he can get to the ring, having been thrown into a vending machine and busted open. Finally, after the third WCW match is spoiled by Austin’s rampage, Arn comes out and interrupts Austin’s tantrum to let him know that he has heard from Shane (now released from the hospital, but still nursing injuries from his King Of The Ring mega-beating), and he has authorized Arn to make the deal: Austin versus Booker (non-title) for the next pay-per-view.
Raven’s fate, at least for the night, is revealed when he’s slated to face Undertaker and Kane in a hardcore handicap match. Vince watches from the stage, laughing gleefully as Raven takes a world-class beating, his head split open as he is bashed with all sorts of instruments before he’s finally pinned. Nevertheless, Vince’s moment of triumph over his rebellious employee is ruined when, blood dripping from his face, Raven pulls himself up to his feet, grinning like a madman and, through the blinding pain, stands defiant in his familiar pose. Vince’s scowl only confirms what everyone else can guess: Raven’s punishment has just begun.
Jericho, however, isn’t subjugated to a merciless beating en route to his public humiliation. Vince presents himself, again, as the benevolent employer wronged by the turncoat employee. “Last week on Raw, faced with the incursion of the hostile WCW forces, I put forth to my employees a perfectly voluntary gesture of goodwill on their parts, to sign a Loyalty Statement and publicly declare themselves loyal WWF superstars. A few of them procrastinated, some were confused about how important this gesture was, and some, quite frankly, refused to show up. William Regal, for instance, simply misunderstood that his position as Commissioner did not exclude him from this mandate, and was more then pleased to add his signature to the ever-growing list of loyal WWF family members. Equally, Stone Cold Steve Austin had some reservations about the issue, but over the weekend, he and I were able to come to an accord.” Vince scowls, his lip twitching and curling at the corner. “And, as you all have seen tonight, those who defy my will are handled, and will be continue to be handled with extreme prejudice until they are broken. All this brings me to one man: Chris Jericho.” The crowd reacts favorably, but Vince shakes his head. “Now, Chris Jericho, you failed to show up on Monday Night Raw when the Loyalty Agreements were made available. And you failed to acquire and sign one by the deadline of last Thursday’s Smackdown. This, coupled with the actions which led to your suspension … well … as they say in baseball, that’s three strikes. And do you know what happens when you get three strikes, Jericho? You’re f-“
The countdown of the Y2J clock cuts off Vince’s rambling, sending the crowd into hyperdrive, and obviously flustering Vince, who huffs and puffs. “You’re not supposed to be here! You’re suspended!” he yells as Jericho steps out onto the stage.
Jericho plays to the crowd for a moment before finally acknowledging Vince standing in the ring. “Hey, you told me to show up, Vince,” says Jericho with a goofy grin. “Vince, before you bore these fine people to death with another one of your rambling speeches, let me ask you a question: do you know where I was 2 years ago? WCW. I spent a few years in WCW; won a few titles, and got the attention of someone up in Stamford who decided the WWF needed Y2J!” The crowd bursts out in a “Y2J” chant, which Jericho lets die out before continuing. “But for all the belts I won, for all the great matches I put on and the people I beat … do you know what I did in that last year in WCW? Well, I thought that the time had come, with my popularity on the rise and after winning numerous championships, to step it up a notch and start going after the big boys … the ‘legends’ … people like Hulk Hogan, and Kevin Nash, and Goldberg. And you know what? Not a one of them gave me a second look. I was just some scrub, some lowly little nobody. So I went to the matchmakers, and they made it clear WCW saw nothing in Chris Jericho. That’s why I came to WWF, Vince; I came here because I was told that, for me, in the WWF, the sky’s the limit. I was told if I wanted a piece of Stone Cold, or The Rock, or The Undertaker, all I had to do was step up to the plate and swing. And since then … well, Chris Jericho’s career has taken some strange turns. I had to defend-and share-my Intercontinental Title with a woman, but did I complain? When I beat Triple H in the middle of that ring for the WWF Title only for him to bully a referee into reversing the decision, and you and the Commissioner didn’t do a thing, did I complain? Since I’ve come to WWF, I have been screwed just as bad, if not worse, then in WCW, but I kept my mouth shut and didn’t complain. You know why? Because I’m STILL getting a better shot then I ever would’ve in WCW, and I am eternally grateful. And yet, you question my loyalty because I say hi to a couple old friends? Because I once worked for WCW? Cause if that’s the case, you got a locker room full of traitors.”
“Oh, no, Jericho, you’re not gonna divert suspicion like that,” proclaims Vince. “You have been engaging in suspicious behavior since the moment those WCW lowlifes showed up, and I am not going to let a potential spy develop under my nose! I took the necessary steps-“
“To stab a loyal WWF superstar in the back, you horse’s ass!” The crowd agrees vociferously, which angers Vince more. “I have bent over backwards to help make this company successful, Vinnie, and instead of trusting me, you suspend me? What do I need to do to prove myself to you?”
“You need to show me that you’re on my side, Jericho. That what you see is what I see, that what you believe is what I believe, and that is that WCW is a plague that needs to be extinguished. That the vermin that call themselves wrestlers need to be crippled and driven from this industry to make it, and the WWF, clean again.” Vince hesitates a moment, and a gleam suddenly appears in his eyes. “And you can start at the pay-per-view, Chris Jericho. Since it’s now plainly apparent to even the dumbest of people that WCW’s arrival here is really an invasion, it’s only fitting that the next pay-per-view be called what it’s all about: Invasion. And you, Chris Jericho, will take part in this by helping to eliminate the WCW threat by ending the career of your good buddy, Dean Malenko.”
The announcement of the match (accepted, respectfully, by Malenko moments later) punctuates the new atmosphere in the WWF, one on the brink of all-out war. And looking to be the person to light the fuse is, naturally, Austin, who sticks his nose in the main event, as Booker T defends his WCW Title against DDP. Booker takes a shot in the back of his head with his own belt, but DDP lays out Austin with a Diamond Cutter. This draws out wrestlers from both locker rooms, and Raw ends with a massive inter-company brawl that covers the arena from the ring to the stage and beyond.
Smackdown: July 12th
With open war between the companies declared, Vince gives the okay to his troops to run wild on WCW and do everything they can to exterminate the company before InVasion can even occur. Many take this carte blanche and run wild, turning many matches into little more then wild brawls, and the backstage area into a continual hardcore brawl. In the midst of this, the Hardcore Title changes hands several times (including onto and off of WCW wrestlers Chris Kanyon and Shawn Stasiak) before finally settling on WWF wrestler Rhyno. Rhyno then picks a fight with “former” Hardcore Champion Mike Awesome, which spills out into the parking lot before cops separate them.
Some WWF wrestlers decide to take their frustrations out by using psychological warfare, including the ever-popular vandalism of personal property. But a new level of depravity is reached when the APA rough up WCW announcer Mike Tenay backstage, and torture WCW referee Charles Robinson by locking him in the trunk of a car and beating it with a ballbat.
Even the two black sheep of the WWF are not forgotten in the wave of violence that disrupts Smackdown; a tag match pitting Jericho with Edge and Christian against the Dudleys and Kurt Angle shows that the suspicion extends into the locker room when Jericho is all but thrown to the wolves by Edge and Christian, and only tagged out when the match is in danger of being lost. Raven, meanwhile, gets to suffer through another handicap match, pitted against all three member of X-Pac’s X-Factor faction; he makes a valiant effort in trying to win, but the numbers game is far too much (especially when he is forced to face down with Albert) for the deranged slacker to withstand, and again, he is beaten senseless before losing. But, like he did on Raw, Raven gets a symbolic measure of revenge against Vince by getting back to his feet after his opponents have left, wincing through a pose, and then grabs a microphone. “Is that all you got, Vince? Is that the best you can do? Three years of hard time in that bingo hall hellhole in Philly, Vince; barbed wire, fire, thumbtacks. Can you beat that, Vince? Do you really think you can make me suffer anymore then I already do for selling my soul for your filthy lucre? Are you listening, you son of a bitch? You can’t break me!”
But Raven isn’t the only person to make a stand against the might of McMahon’s evil empire that night. WCW as a whole, sick of weeks of passive resistance and ass-kickings, take the fight back to the WWF. During a bikini contest between WCW’s blonde bombshells Stacy Kiebler and Torrie Wilson, Trish Stratus interrupts the proceedings, calling the two valets “sluts” and “brain-dead bimbos who give good blondes bad names”. Stacy and Torrie order the WCW production crew to play a video package of Trish’s lowlights in her career, including being stripped to her underwear and forced to bark like a dog, her run as manager of a tag-team called T&A, and having an affair with her married boss. Enraged, Trish storms into the ring, not realizing the set-up until several WCW wrestlers form a human barricade in the aisle. Outnumbered, Trish tries to plead with her new foes, but to no avail; she is stripped to her bra and underwear and spanked before being sent on her way (through a gauntlet of men all hamming it up with catcalls and whistles).
But the biggest victory for WCW comes in WWF’s main event, when Booker T comes to ringside and does commentary with the WWF announcing crew (although Michael Cole likens it more to the show being “hijacked”) as Steve Austin faces off against the temporarily reinstated Chris Jericho in a non-title match (as Vince puts it, “wrestlers on probation don’t deserve title shots”). The referee’s bias against the “suspicious” Jericho is obvious, as Austin gets away with everything short of criminal assault, but Jericho is admonished for open-handed chops, giving Austin a license to maim and injure Jericho and making it near-impossible to win. Yet, for all the advantage Austin has, he fails to press it, as he is preoccupied with Booker. Austin barks at the ring attendant, who makes a signal that, eventually, draws security down to escort Booker away from the match. Booker collects the belt and walks up the ramp while Austin rambles on to his back, until Booker stops halfway up the ramp. He looks down at the belt in his hands and realizes he grabbed Austin’s WWF Title; he turns around and holds it up for everyone to see, sending Austin into an uncontrollable fit of rage. So distracted by this is Austin that he doesn’t notice Jericho come up from behind, and has no idea what hit him when Jericho nails a bulldog and a quick Lionsault for the three-count. Booker gives Jericho a thumbs-up, tosses the belt aside and walks off.
Raw: July 16th
More matches for InVasion are announced during the course of Raw, including a bra & panties tag match between Stacy & Torrie against Trish Stratus and Lita, and three more champion versus champion (non-title) matches: US Champ Billy Kidman against IC Champ Albert, Cruiserweight Champ Shane Helms versus Light Heavyweight Champ X-Pac, and the respective Tag Champions, O’Haire & Palumbo against The Dudleys.
For the WWF, the night begins auspiciously, with production problems ruining the intro of Raw. Nevertheless, Vince demands the presence of his roster on the stage as he, from the ring (and behind a podium, surrounded by large pictures on easels of WWF legends), sets to deliver a very special speech.
“My employees,” he begins. “We are but six days away from what could be the beginning of the end for this company. For make no mistake about it: the mission of Shane McMahon and World Championship Wrestling has been, from the onset, one not of peaceful coexistence and competition, but of extermination and eradication. Shane McMahon and his WCW thugs will not rest until they have completed the task that every man who has ever taken the reigns of that doomed company has shared: to put me out of business. They are jealous of my success. They are jealous that I took this company from a small promotion in the northeast to the multi-billion dollar international conglomerate it is today.” Vince starts to point to the pictures surrounding him. “Look at these faces! Bruno Sammartino! Superstar Billy Graham! Gorilla Monsoon! Bob Backlund! Pedro Morales! Pat Patterson! Gerald Brisco! These men sweat, and bled, and gave of their very souls and lives to help build this company into what it is today! Shane McMahon means to erase all that, and replace it with the cancer that is WCW. He means to annihilate the legacies of these men, and if they can succeed in doing that, in destroying the World Wrestling Federation, then you too will be wiped off the face of the earth! The threat is very real, don’t let their peaceful lies blind you. They blinded Dean Malenko; they may well have blinded Chris Jericho and Raven. You cannot assume that everyone standing next to you is dedicated to the same cause you are; you all must assume the burden as if it were your own, and give 1000% to the cause of driving WCW into extinction! Three years ago, I dragged this company up from the brink of bankruptcy and beat back the threat of Eric Bischoff and WCW, and drove them to the point that their corporate owners needed to sell them off before WCW bled them dry. This is our opportunity to strike! This is our opportunity to, once and for all, present a final solution to the so-called ‘Monday Night Wars’, and eliminate the threat of WCW for all time! Ladies and g-“
But microphone troubles swallow the rest of Vince’s xenophobic speech. Vince demands a new microphone, but it too is faulty by the time it gets to his hands. Vince loses it and starts to kick at the podium and the easels while the show goes to commercial.
Thus begins a long night for the WWF; the TitanTron repeatedly goes blank. Pyro misfires (Kane’s goes off during the middle of a match he isn’t involved in, and Big Show’s go off during his opponent’s intro), music fails to play on cue or the wrong music plays (Spike Dudley comes out to Big Show’s music, and Trish Stratus comes out to a snippet of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back”). After over an hour of technical glitches and mistakes, Vince sends trusted underling Pat Patterson to check out the production truck. He is greeted at the door-and sent away brusquely-by Bryan Clarke, who bolts the door shut on the inside. Patterson reports back to Vince that WCW has taken over the production truck and, in effect, hijacked the broadcast. It takes calling local police and a locksmith to get inside; the WCW wrestlers involved are arrested, but not until the show’s closing moments, having had the opportunity to destroy a full broadcast.
Among those in the audience watching the WWF’s almost slapstick inability to counter a few hooligans playing practical jokes and their total meltdown is a young man wearing a WWF baseball hat and sunglasses, an obvious attempt at concealing himself. Before walking away in disgust at the close of the show, the young man throws down his hat, shaking his head. Cameras quickly focus in on him when everyone realizes who he is: the hottest free agent in the wrestling business, Rob Van Dam.
Smackdown: July 19th
The final Smackdown before InVasion continues the build towards the epic clash on Sunday, but despite the impending war (with the rest of the show’s matches being confirmed on Smackdown), everyone’s attention is drawn to two things: the announcement that Shane McMahon will do a phone interview with Mike Tenay, and that Rob Van Dam is thought to be appearing on the show.
RVD shows up not long after the show has started, taking a seat in the front row as Kidman and Awesome warm up for their respective matches (Kidman against Albert, and Awesome against Undertaker) by fighting each other. After the match concludes, Michael Cole and Scott Hudson both rush over to the barricade with microphones to get the interview with RVD. The two try to cut their introductions over one another and bicker until RVD silences both of them.
“I got something to say,” says RVD, “and if the two of you don’t shut up, I’ll just walk right on out of here.” He gives both men a chance to say something and louse it all up; when neither do, he continues. “Since before ECW closed down a few months ago, RVD has been the hottest ticket in professional wrestling: 23 months I spent as ECW Television Champion, making that belt as valuable as any World Title in the business. That’s why people call me”-RVD points to himself as he speaks-“‘The Whole Damn Show’. I never wanted to leave ECW, no matter how much money WCW and WWF threw at me, because I liked it in ECW … but since ECW went under, Mr. Monday Night, Mr. Pay-Per-View has been Mr. Sitting At Home On His Butt. So, I figured I’d come down and scope the two companies and see which one deserved my services more.”
Hudson and Cole fall all over themselves trying to ask the obvious questions; RVD shakes his head and waits for them to shut up. When they finally do, RVD answers the question that everyone is asking (although neither man could fully form it). “I wasn’t impressed with either company after Raw. The WWF looked like a joke; you couldn’t handle a couple people pulling pranks with your production? Couldn’t even break a lock on a trailer door? And WCW … well, RVD likes a good joke now and then, but ruining their television show was a little more then I think is funny. I think I’m gonna sit back and watch the two companies a little longer and see what plays out, if you don’t mind.” When the two talking heads try to press for more information, RVD glares at both of them. “Guys, I’d like to sit here and eat my popcorn and see what the WWF and WCW can do to impress Mr. Monday Night. If you want me to leave, you can stay.” Cole and Hudson take the hint, but RVD calls them back. “Oh, one more thing: I will be at InVasion, watching.”
Following the blockbuster of RVD’s promotion-scouting comes the telephone interview (really, a statement) of Shane McMahon. Tenay introduces Shane; “Thank you, Mike. I just wanted to take a minute to thank all the fans of WCW who have supported us as we try to re-establish WCW as an eminent force in this industry. From our office staff to our wrestlers, all the way up to me and Arn, we all thank you incredibly, and look forward to proving how much we deserve to be in this business when we take on the WWF’s finest at InVasion this Sunday. And while I don’t begrudge Arn the slightest bit of respect, because in my absence, Arn has done a tremendous job in my shoes, I wanted this time to inform everyone that, this Sunday, I will be back at the helm, guiding WCW back to the promised land. I intend to deliver the best wrestling you can find, and maybe a surprise or two.”
But the final images on the way to InVasion are not of surprises or of proud competitors; it is of another locker-room clearing melee, this time incited by Austin clobbering Booker with his own championship belt and busting him open during a tag match. Once again, both locker rooms empty and the fights spill throughout the arena, and even into the crowd. RVD watches it all and leaves, again his face a mask of disappointment.
InVasion: July 22nd
The opening video package, with comparisons drawn between the WWF/WCW conflict and its principals against World War II and the men in charge, set a tone for the event of impending disaster and doom. And, as Vince sits in his dimmed office as the event begins, the mood of a massive, hyper-violent conflict is not altogether incorrect; in total, there are 9 inter-promotional matches (and a 10th match, another handicap punishment for Raven), pitting the best against the best. Vince quietly awaits, watching on his monitors like a vulture watching its soon-to-be-food give up the fight and die, while Shane watches with the pride of a new father beaming from him like a spotlight. And, sitting in the first row, the third interested party in the outcome, the free agent Rob Van Dam.
Only, based on the first match, Vince is in for a long wait. The showdown between Sugar Shane Helms and X-Pac, a meeting of champions, opens the event, and X-Pac’s slower wrestling style is no match for the blinding speed of offense put up by Helms. Even X-Pac’s dirty tactics gain him no advantage, as Helms manages to overcome them and counter with pure talent. After 8 minutes of struggling to keep up with the younger, faster man, X-Pac is nearly decapitated by a Helms superkick and eats a pinfall loss. Vince reacts as expected: by throwing a massive tantrum and throwing things in his office.
The next match, while pitting the companies against one another, is hardly about superiority, even to the most hardcore of wrestling purists, for the next match on the card is a tag team bra & panties match. Trish Stratus and Lita end up getting the victory, tying the (unofficial) score at a victory apiece. Vince breaths a sigh of relief, choosing to ignore the reaction from the males at seeing the two blonde bombshells in their unmentionables.
Edge is sent to take out Lance Storm for the following match, a blistering 12 minute marathon of fast-paced, high-impact wrestling that earns a standing ovation for both performers when all is said and done. Edge comes out with the win in the end, and, when the younger, less-experienced (but certainly not lacking in intensity) Rhyno upsets the wily veteran Diamond Dallas Page, it puts the WWF ahead 3-1. Upon seeing DDP get folded in half with Rhyno’s Gore, Vince calls Commissioner Regal and orders him to get in contact with corporate lawyers to set up a tele-conference after the PPV to discuss canceling WCW’s television-time settlement.
But Vince’s good mood turns sour after the next match, pitting Kidman against Albert. Initially, the mismatch of speed versus strength seems to guarantee a squash for Albert. But Kidman uses his speed and agility to dazzle the big man, and generally outsmarts him with sounder decisions and smarter strategies. Even the interference of Albert’s X-Factor teammates aren’t enough (especially when the referee ejects them from ringside), and when Kidman hits the Shooting Star Press, it is enough to seal the deal and give WCW its second win of the night.
In a panic, Vince sends Regal, armed with a message to find WCW Commissioner Arn Anderson with a proposition: increase the stakes in the next match, the battle of the Tag Team Champions, by making it a tables match. Arn agrees, much to the delight of Vince. But the glee quickly turns to misery when the rookie tandem of O’Haire and Palumbo manage to upend the seasoned Dudleys in their own match, thanks to their fiery offense and deceptive athleticism (qualities not to be found in either of the rotund brawlers known as The Dudleys). D-Von tastes wood, giving the decision to the former Natural Born Thrillers, and to add insult to injury, when Bubba Ray tries a post-match revenge attack, he gets put through a table with a Seanton Bomb. The victory evens up the score and, more importantly, gives WCW the psychological edge of having all three of their champions besting WWF’s champions.
Now panicking, Vince orders yet another match to be altered; this time, the Mike Awesome/Undertaker match is turned into a street fight. For the American Badass, this is like home … but, for the veteran of Japan’s FMW promotion and ECW, the no-rules atmosphere is suited just fine for Awesome. The two duke it out for 15 long minutes, throwing everything they have at one another, including chokeslams and Awesome Bombs through tables, chairs, the ring bell, and everything else they can get their hands on. By the time the match reaches its closing moments, both men are bleeding profusely and look in desperate need of medical attention. Undertaker attempts to chokeslam Awesome off the top rope through a table in the ring, but Awesome manages to counter and turn it into a sit-out Awesome Bomb through the table from the second turnbuckle. As the crowd chants “holy shit”, the referee makes the count, and, when Undertaker’s shoulder doesn’t come up during the third count, even the referee is stunned. The ref pauses a moment before signaling the timekeeper to ring the bell, as much in shock as anyone else in the building over seeing what has just happened: Mike Awesome has defeated The Undertaker.
Vince goes into a total rage-fit, upending his chair, throwing furniture and anything else he can get his hands on. After he has destroyed everything he can lift or move, he storms out of his office and into the office of Shane McMahon.
“That’s it! I’ve had it!” he bellows. “I want you out of my life!”
“Sorry, Dad,” Shane says with a smile and a shrug. “Looks like my WCW …” Shane looks to Arn and says; “What was that word my Dad used for us? Scrubs?”
“I think he used that once.”
“Yeah. These WCW scrubs have shown they’re more then capable of competing at”-Shane makes quote marks in the air-“‘your level’. I think we’re here to stay.”
Vince throws the two guest chairs in front of Shane’s desk out of the way and leans over it ominously, right in Shane’s face. “Then tomorrow night, you and me are gonna have a little WrestleMania rematch, and if I can’t wipe WCW off the face of the earth, I’m at least gonna wipe that stupid grin off your face!”
The next match, the only match not to be billed as inter-promotional (despite Vince’s suspicions) pits Raven in yet another handicap match, his toughest challenge yet: trying to defeat the monster Kane and Olympic Gold-medallist Kurt Angle. Raven manages to hold his own when it is one-on-one, but the duo make frequent use of distractions and dirty tactics to gain advantages, and double-team during the grace period after tags. Soon, Raven is fighting a losing battle, being beaten and tossed around like a practice dummy. It is only when Kane chokeslams Raven and goes for the pin that troubles start to mount; Angle’s ego takes over, and he pulls Kane off, wanting the pin for himself. Angle barks at Kane how he is a worthless machine whose only purpose is to inflict pain, while he is a real athlete, and deserves the right to pin Raven and make Mr. McMahon happy. The tiff turns into a fight, and the fight into a brawl; Kane ends up winning the brawl, knocking Angle out of the ring with a clothesline. But before he can do anything else, Raven takes advantage of the moment, hits an unseen low blow and rolls up Kane for the humungous upset. Raven quickly rolls out as Angle manages to crawl back in the ring and argue with Kane some more. Raven revels in the disintegration of the team, and therefore never sees who has jumped out of the crowd behind him in a plain black shirt and black pants, wielding a Singapore cane. Raven crumples when Tommy Dreamer swings the cane and blasts Raven in the back of the head. A few more shots for good measure put Raven out like a light and bring in the paramedics. The worst fears are confirmed when Vince comes out and shakes Tommy’s hand; the crowd immediately bursts out into a chant of “sellout”.
The tension in the next match is palpable, probably more so then any other match on the card, as Jericho is forced to take on his friend, Dean Malenko. After several minutes of chain wrestling and counters and counter-counters, the crowd gives the combatants a standing ovation. But Vince isn’t satisfied, and he comes down to the ring and commands Jericho to stop wasting time and fight. They continue, and, for another 15 minutes, the two friends keep each other on their toes, virtually trading move for move, neither man gaining an advantage. Vince watches from the sidelines, “encouraging” Jericho on by reminding him his job is at stake, and his reputation is being sullied by not taking it to Malenko as hard as he should. When Malenko scores a hurricanarana on Jericho and goes to the second turnbuckle to follow it up, Vince springs into action and grabs Malenko’s foot. Malenko tries to kick it off, and has to turn to push Vince away. Jericho comes to, stumbles over to the corner, pulls Malenko down to the mat and goes for the Walls Of Jericho. Malenko tries to reach for the ropes, but Jericho moves them both out into the middle of the ring and cinches in the hold tighter. Malenko has no choice but to quit. Exhausted, Jericho collapses to his knees, gives a thank you to the sky above, and then starts to check on his friend. The moment is broken by Vince’s voice on the microphone.
“I told you to cripple him, Jericho. Now get back to work!”
Jericho stands up and leans over the ropes, responding to Vince with a dirty gesture.
“Jericho, if you’re really as loyal to the company as you say you are, you’ll do what I damn well tell you to and break his back!”
Again, Jericho responds in the negative, this time with a clearly audible vocal vulgarity. “This is my friend,” Jericho says.
Vince gets in the ring and starts to poke Jericho in the chest. “You better do what I tell you, or else you’re gonna find yourself wrestling for hot dogs in school gymnasiums back up in Moosejaw. Now break his damn back!”
Jericho shoves Vince. Vince shoves Jericho back. Jericho grins, rears back to punch, only for Malenko to grab his hand and shake his head. Instead, the two of them start to stalk Vince. Vince panics, looking for an escape, but he knows the two men can corner him even if he gets out of the ring. Vince suddenly stops, takes off his suit jacket and puts up his fists like a bareknuckles boxer. Jericho and Malenko look at each other in disbelief … then fall victim to blindside attacks from the APA. Jericho eats a Clothesline From Hell, while Malenko is smeared with a Dominator, and both men get the leather strap-whipping treatment. Between the victory (now tying things up at 4) and the humiliation of Jericho, the night is back on track for Vince. He goes into the main event feeling confident, despite WCW’s track record for the evening in champion matches.
The Booker/Austin match doesn’t even pretend to be a showdown of two superior wrestlers or two champions; both men eschew all pretenses of a competition and sink into a wild brawl. The referees are instructed by both WWF and WCW officials to let the two have a little more rope then most, and for good reason: neither man tries very hard to adhere to the rules. Instead, their focus is on beating the other person senseless at all costs, and by the time the match has reached 20 minutes, both men have done just that, using the announce tables and even the set as weapons against one another. A Stunner by Austin is pushed off and, when Booker hits the kick to the gut and sets up the scissors kick, Austin moves out of the way and hits a Stunner, only for Booker to kick out. Moments later, Booker is able to land the axe kick, but like Austin, only gets two. This draws out a very nervous Vince, who, when the referee’s back is turned, sneaks in and nails Booker with a low blow. This only gets a two count, but is enough to bring Shane out, who attacks his father and tosses him out of the ring. Austin hits Shane with a Stunner and pushes him out onto the arena floor, but by then, the referee has seen enough and throws the whole match out. The crowd is notably upset at the non-finish, but the brawl continues down to the arena floor. Shane eventually regains consciousness and manages to incapacitate Austin with a low blow, setting up Booker to hit his scissors kick from the ring apron. The crowd gives the spot a “holy shit” chant; Booker and Shane revel in the moment, but when Shane forget about Vince, who comes to and hits both of them with a chair. Vince then grabs the WCW Championship and uses it to bust Shane open. Next, Vince fishes out a garbage can from under the ring and, after teasing it for a couple seconds, hurls the WCW Championship into it. Vince puts the can next to Shane and Booker’s prone bodies, screaming at Shane that he’s put the belt where it belongs, and that, in 24 hours, WCW will go with it into the trash for good.
And, sitting quietly in the front row, with an expression as blank as a cloudless sky, sits RVD.
To be continued …
Kurtis helped out. So did Gohan and Bonto, but they don’t have links, so they get named.
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Read our whole damn site!
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And, thanks to Padawan, there’s a thread in the forums dedicated to discussing this very story arc. Go there, discuss, try and figure out who’s next to jump, or if EHKS Holdings Ltd. stands for anything (or if it even matters in the long run), or where I’m going next.
How will the two promotions react to the virtual stalemate of InVasion? What surprises does Vince have in store for his son come Monday Night Raw? Will the addition of Tommy Dreamer tip the scales in favor of the WWF? How can Jericho and Raven expect to survive under Vince’s constant vengeful thumb? And what about RVD? The WWF/WCW war continues to unfold in two weeks with Month 3 …
