Most pro wrestling fans generally don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. In many ways, that's what makes the industry such a compelling form of entertainment. There's always something new to debate. However, even those usually at odds over other things seem to agree that the whole 'Invasion' angle of 2001 sucked. The reasons are varied, but they usually boil down to one main criticism. When the then-World Wrestling Federation purchased WCW's tape library for around $2.5 million in March, '01, they also acquired 24 talent contracts into the bargain. Amongst those who agreed to come over were the likes of Booker T, Buff Bagwell and Diamond Dallas Page. All of these men played a big role in WCW at one point or another. Sadly, that was about as deep as the main event pot would get during the whole angle. So thin on the ground was the WCW/ECW side that the WWF creative team decided to play company stalwarts like Steve Austin on the opposition side. The whole thing was a mess, and it was clear that things could have been handled much better. The major problem was that a lot of WCW's top stars were locked into contracts with AOL/Time Warner, who were forced to honour them. Therefore, the men that could have made a difference were happy to sit at home and be paid handsomely, rather than lose money to be part of the 'Invasion'. This article explores those talents, and explains why they could have helped.
