10 Best Wrestling Invasions
ECW were invading the WWF years before the Alliance in 2001...
The definition of the word invasion is listed as 'an unwelcome intrusion into another's domain'.
Another meaning relates more to war, citing an invasion as 'an instance of invading a country or region with an armed force'. When it comes to pro wrestling, both definitions have been applicable throughout the years.
There have been numerous examples of invasions in wrestling history, the basic idea usually being that another promotion wants to infiltrate another and take them over. Other times, things are more internal. For example, the NXT rookies deciding to rise up, form 'Nexus' and make a stand on Monday Night Raw in June 2010, or Imperium laying siege to NXT proper this past week.
The latter is akin more to revolution, which is quite fitting. Revolutionising the product of a promotion is exactly the point of staging an invasion angle, but it doesn't always work out for the best.
Listed here are the 10 most prominent examples of invasion storylines, along with their varying levels of success. Each one had potential, but the angle has proven a tricky one to implement correctly...
10. Jim Cornette Brings The NWA To The WWF
Jim Cornette has always been someone with a real liking for the way things used to be in pro wrestling. Seeking to replicate the glory days of the territories, he created Smoky Mountain Wrestling in the early 1990s.
The experiment wouldn't last, but it didn't stop him from pitching an invasion based on tradition in 1998.
By that year, the WWF was in the midst of the 'Attitude Era'. Things could not have been any more different from Cornette's vision of a wrestling product, but he successfully coerced Vince McMahon into running the more traditional NWA as a heel faction in the company.
Jeff Jarrett was the undoubted focal point, wearing the NWA North American Heavyweight Title on WWF programming. The Rock 'N' Roll Express, Barry Windham and a rehashed version of The (New) Midnight Express featuring Bob Holly and Bart Gunn were brought along for the ride too.
The experience was a short one, as WWF fans had a tough time accepting the old-time feel of the NWA as a real threat. It's still notable, however, because few could have predicted it happening when the National Wrestling Alliance was a powerhouse in the 1980s.