WWF Midcarders and The InVasion

[Deleted]

Here's a lost group of guys.

There were so many guys that had WCW connections, and if they had defected it would've made too much sense.

For example, have Haku targeted as a mole. Fresh from WCW, everyone starts to question him, and he just gives them the Death Grip.

Dean Malenko, Perry Saturn, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guererro. Now, if these guys were the moles and defected to WCW boy, would it have so much more credibility.

Along with that, have Jericho, Big Show, and Regal jump ship to WCW too.

Guererro, Saturn, Malenko, Benoit, Big Show, DDP, Kanyon, Kidman, Booker T., Meng, Jericho, Storm and Awesome would've given the WCW a better chance.

Anyone else think they missed the boat on the undercard at this time? We all talk about the main eventers and guys who didn't sign, but what about guys already under contract?

[kamotengkahoy]

They didn't just miss the boat on the undercard but on the whole concept as well. Disregarding ratings, ticket sales the whole wwf/wwe vs wcw and ecw sucked imo.

[thegame415]

Well, Guerrero was actually out during the Invasion. I believe he was actually released in November 2001 before coming back in April 2002.

I'm all on board with Big Show and Jericho joining the Alliance. With Booker and DDP, they could've feuded with Austin, Rock, Angle and Undertaker in a series of matches. Those were pretty much all fresh feuds.

Also, I would've loved to have seen a Saturn/Malenko, or maybe even Malenko/Storm and Saturn/Raven tag team. It would've been two fresh new teams to feud with the Hardyz and Dudleyz.

[Free Hat]

I don't even remember Haku being around during the Invasion. It seemed like he just vanished along with a bunch of other lower midcard guys right around the start of it.

[Mighty Attack Tribble]

Jan 18, 2013 5:03:22 GMT -5 Free Hat said:

I don't even remember Haku being around during the Invasion. It seemed like he just vanished along with a bunch of other lower midcard guys right around the start of it.

He was around for the first month or so, and had a match or two on Heat, but was released around the time of the Invasion PPV.

[Deleted]

^^ Y'know, I never heard about the releases of most of those lowcarders back then (lord I've been doing this a long time).

I recall Blackman and Bossman headed to Heartland Wrestling Association (HWA, which used to be one of their developmental groups alongside OVW, until that deal ended around 2003) and disappeared from there. I presumed Haku went there too.

[thelonewolf527]

Eh WCW would have been stronger if their midcard in 2001 wasn't essentially what a normal undercard/dark match roster was.

[Reflecto]

IIRC, Haku did go to HWA with them and was also part of the HWA's InVasion angle running concurrently with all the WCW low-carders who didn't make WWE TV.

[Deleted]

Jan 18, 2013 13:41:37 GMT -5 Reflecto said:

IIRC, Haku did go to HWA with them and was also part of the HWA's InVasion angle running concurrently with all the WCW low-carders who didn't make WWE TV.

........there was a HWA InVasion angle?!?!

DETAILS!!!!!

DEAR GOD WHY AM I ONLY LEARNING OF THIS 12 YEARS LATER?!?!!!!!!

[chazraps]

Jan 18, 2013 15:29:55 GMT -5 @knapp said:

Jan 18, 2013 13:41:37 GMT -5 Reflecto said:

IIRC, Haku did go to HWA with them and was also part of the HWA's InVasion angle running concurrently with all the WCW low-carders who didn't make WWE TV.

........there was a HWA InVasion angle?!?!

DETAILS!!!!!

DEAR GOD WHY AM I ONLY LEARNING OF THIS 12 YEARS LATER?!?!!!!!!

I'm curious as well.

Also, Jericho as part of the InVasion wouldn't make sense to me. His time in WCW, he was not only a longer, but (even in kayfabe) fought with the company repeatedly. Even taking his time in WCW into consideration, the WWF made so much of an effort to retain his strengths while divorcing Jericho from the mid-card WCW stigma that I feel him turning toward the alliance, even in a leading fashion, would have damaged everyone involved.

[Metalheadbanger Man]

Jan 18, 2013 15:29:55 GMT -5 @knapp said:

Jan 18, 2013 13:41:37 GMT -5 Reflecto said:

IIRC, Haku did go to HWA with them and was also part of the HWA's InVasion angle running concurrently with all the WCW low-carders who didn't make WWE TV.

........there was a HWA InVasion angle?!?!

DETAILS!!!!!

DEAR GOD WHY AM I ONLY LEARNING OF THIS 12 YEARS LATER?!?!!!!!!

There were a bunch of WCW guys sent down there to be part of an Invasion stable I think. It included Jamie Noble, Elix Skipper, Mike Sanders, Lash LeRoux, Kid Romeo, Shannon Moore, The Wall, Evan Karagias, Yang, Jason Jett and maybe some others.

[MolotovMocktail]

Jan 18, 2013 0:55:33 GMT -5 @benji said:

Here's a lost group of guys.

There were so many guys that had WCW connections, and if they had defected it would've made too much sense.

For example, have Haku targeted as a mole. Fresh from WCW, everyone starts to question him, and he just gives them the Death Grip.

Dean Malenko, Perry Saturn, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guererro. Now, if these guys were the moles and defected to WCW boy, would it have so much more credibility.

Along with that, have Jericho, Big Show, and Regal jump ship to WCW too.

Guererro, Saturn, Malenko, Benoit, Big Show, DDP, Kanyon, Kidman, Booker T., Meng, Jericho, Storm and Awesome would've given the WCW a better chance.

Anyone else think they missed the boat on the undercard at this time? We all talk about the main eventers and guys who didn't sign, but what about guys already under contract?

I believe Haku was released either right before the Invasion started, or right in its early stages.

For the Radicalz, Benoit was injured, Guerrero was injured/battling personal demons/released, and Malenko had just retired.

I thought it was strange that Saturn and Tajiri didn't side with ECW. Jerry Lynn, too-he was still on the roster but wasn't used at all.

And was Steve Blackman injured? He could've had a role himself.