10 Shocking Wrestling Plans You Won't Believe ACTUALLY Happened

1. Invasion

Stone Cold Steve Austin The Undertaker
WWE.com

How? How did WWE ruin what should have been the biggest storyline of a generation?

Fantasy booking matches between the heroes and villains of WWE and WCW was for many fans a weekly exercise. Creative and commercial nadirs on either side were satisfied by such speculation. It was the creative golden egg. When Vince McMahon purchased WCW in 2001, the endless possibilities fizzed when he announced plans to keep the brand alive via either Raw or Smackdown's existing television slot or a brand new weekend vehicle that would operate separately from WWE's main roster.

Sadly, the rushed 'Invasion' served only to placate the delicate egos of WWE's established stars, humourlessly abusing countless youngsters in an effort to cling on to spots exactly as the supposedly evil WCW topliners had when that company was still in existence.

Tragically, it was only those veterans who knew their worth enough not to accept a WWE buyout. Signed to monster AOL/TimeWarner deals, the main event crew passed on the pay cut, with only Booker T and Diamond Dallas Page making the ill-fated jump. Without the rest, WCW was a weakened entity, and no 'Alliance' with ECW originals could circumvent their demeaning booking as Stone Cold Steve Austin's idiot goons.

(For extended editions of entries from this list as well as hundreds more, check out WhatCulture.com's 'Shocking Wrestling Plans You Won't Believe ACTUALLY Happened'. Available in paperback at shop.whatculuture.com or as an eBook on Amazon)

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett