Minor Things WWE Did Right In Overall Failures

[CMWaters]

In the history of WWE, they have had some things that they tried, but didn't pan out for one reason or another.

But to look at the good mixed with the bad, what are some things that you think WWE over the years did right in characters/matches or whatever else that overall are considered failures?

The thought came to me going back to some early 2002 footage, and I will always be an advocate of the twist they did with the nWo entrance, starting with the clips and film breaking, then having the nWo members enter while the screen went black and white. Example seen at the early part of this video here.



Felt it gave the group a bit of extra style that, despite what it did for WCW, was missing back then.

EDIT: For that matter, Hall and Nash having more nWo focused gear. I personally liked it better than their WCW attires (at least when in classic nWo)

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Muhammad Hassan.

Until, well, you know.

[yokohamacpfc]

RVD’s arc during the invasion, Austin being jealous of his popularity was clever as it was in character for Alliance Austin, wish they’d done a wee bit more with it.

[Bo Rida]

Talking of the nwo in WWE - The Lonely Road of Faith video was beautifuly done.

Wish they did an updated comparable version.

[Citizen Snips]

Heyman’s pre-Survivor Series promo on Vince at the tail end of the InVasion.

[Lizuka #BLM]

The Mania 31 build was the first of like 37 terrible feuds between them but the snowed-in Raw actually got the Lesnar / Reigns build started on a pretty good note.

[Mozenrath]

The InVasion was of course bad, but leaning into humor with Booker T from early on was a brilliant move. He was such a bland top babyface in WCW, but excelled in WWE when they saw, oh, here's someone who can actually deliver humor we write.

[Cvslfc123]

Justin Gabriel's low key character development in The Nexus storyline was brilliant. At the start he'd always pause and look hesitant before delivering a 450 splash at then end of their beatdowns. After a few months he would smile evilly at the camera before hitting it.

[stoptheclocks]

Mar 1, 2023 4:13:48 GMT -5 Citizen Snips said:

Heyman’s pre-Survivor Series promo on Vince at the tail end of the InVasion.

I just watched this back. It's definitely noticeable that a pre-internet crowd didn't react to much of what Heyman said, and Vince was the face. Even just a few years later, crowds would've ate up someone shooting on Vince and the WWE.

[Mozenrath]

Mar 1, 2023 6:10:57 GMT -5 stoptheclocks said:

Mar 1, 2023 4:13:48 GMT -5 Citizen Snips said:

Heyman’s pre-Survivor Series promo on Vince at the tail end of the InVasion.

I just watched this back. It's definitely noticeable that a pre-internet crowd didn't react to much of what Heyman said, and Vince was the face. Even just a few years later, crowds would've ate up someone shooting on Vince and the WWE.

Not super shocking. It's not like Heyman was a sympathetic onscreen character, and a lot of the ECW fans who would be mad ECW died would have probably still been pissed at Heyman over stuff like the Rollerball fiasco, or might have since found out that Vince had been paying ECW to help keep it afloat for years, not to mention the ECW invasion of 1997, which was more of a mutual arrangement, granted, since WWF badly needed some roster depth to cover for I think a European tour WWF had like half the roster doing.

[Gerard Gerard]

Austin’s heel turn and motivation was some of the best storytelling ever done in pro-wrestling. He returned to find the landscape changed and proceeded to lose his mind and himself trying to fit back in at the level he left and it was all shown not told. Shame it was the absolute last story the audience wanted.

Even the swerve on Austin joining WCW was drenched in a delicious poetic irony in that Vince begged to get the old Stone Cold and he got exactly that, the very Austin that would do anything to stick it to VKM.

[Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)]

Mar 1, 2023 4:17:18 GMT -5 Lizuka #BLM said:

The Mania 31 build was the first of like 37 terrible feuds between them but the snowed-in Raw actually got the Lesnar / Reigns build started on a pretty good note.

I do wish we get an episode like the snowed in Raw every 2 years or so. It is a good way to build story and do something different without actually having to rely on in ring action

[stoptheclocks]

It's been hit upon a few times, but huge chunks of the Invasion were great. Infact, as a pure 'invading group tries to take over the company' story it was done well.

It's more the fact that it could have been the single biggest thing to ever happen to wrestling, and for various reasons it was never quite that.

[Psicofreak667]

The InVasion may have been botched and sabotaged, but I still say Mike Awesome powerbombing Rhyno through the ladder may have been the last great moment of the Monday Night Wars.

[Eunös ✈]

The way the Nexus made their debut was awesome. It's just ashame it went downhill very quickly after that.

[WoodStoner1]

Most of this is going to be good things about the inVasion era, isn't it?

Well, Austin was pretty good as a heel (this extends into the decision to turn him at Mania too). WHAT chants aside.

Personalities like RVD, Booker, and Hurricane shining through.

Angle's brief face run.

Back to Austin, he was having good non-Main Event Style wrestling matches.

The Ric Flair swerve at the end and it should have been done some time earlier. I know, Turner contracts, etc. etc.

JR/Heyman commentary.

It gave WWF/E more video libraries and we got some good DVDs soon after.

[Jumpin' Jesse Walsh]

I think this thread is highlighting that even though the InVasion was massively underwhelming, it also had a lot of great moments sprinkled throughout that showed how much better it could've been if it were done properly.

[WoodStoner1]

Non-inVasion?

Katie Vick led to some good veiled callbacks later on.

[Push R Truth]

Most of the Lita/Kane/DemonSeedRapeBaby stuff was pure shit.

But the WWE leaning into goofy ass "IT WASN'T MY FAULT" Snitsky was Grade A entertainment.

[coleslaw]

They at least hired Ultimo Dragon