Wrestling Headcanon, Season 6: The Invasion, and The Rise Of The Indies

4/19/2025

WCW disappears forever this season. We spend a chunk of time watching the WWE battle a watered down remnant of WCW, and a few famously loyal ECW alums who team up to
“invade” the WWE. This could have been a cool, long-term storyline. Instead, it quickly turns into McMahon vs McMahon vs McMahon vs McMahon, and the ECW/WCW Alliance becomes major WWE stars like Steve Austin and Kurt Angle padding out the dwindling team of non-WWE superstars. It was a six month storyline that we’re going to squish into four episodes.

If you miss WCW, don’t worry, this season sees Jeff Jarrett and his father open their own
NWA territory called TNA (it was called Impact for many years, and I’m only going refer
to it as Impact in this Headcanon). It had similar professional production, a problem with too many lazy geezers in the main event scene but a damned impressive undercard. Instead of a cruiserweight division, they created the X-Division with the tagline “It’s not about weight limits, it’s about no limits.” This division made superstars of AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and many others. The X Division is the absolute star of this season of Impact episodes.

At the same time, we get a replacement for ECW in the form of Ring Of Honor. Low budget, bad lighting, paper thin storylines. Instead of blood, guts, and chaos, thought, it has some of the best pure athletes of the era including AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, Christopher Daniels, and the Briscoes. Yea, there’s a ton of crossover in early Impact and Ring Of Honor, which allows us to see multiple sides of some underrated wrestlers like Lo Ki and The Amazing Red in this season.

There’s no Big Moment at the end of this season, as it begins with destruction and ends
with growth, which is not usually how these seasons go.

Season 6:
The InVasion & The Rise Of The Indies

Season 6 Sorbet Episode: UnFnBelievable (2001 - 1003)

I mentioned that ROH will scratch your ECW, low-budget production itch, but if you’re absolutely hankering for blood and violence, our sorbet episode has you covered.

Combat Zone Wrestling is a violence and weapon-focused independent wrestling company founded in the late 90s. It’s famous for its death match tournaments and use of light tubes as weapons. Many famous WWE, ROH, and AEW wrestlers did a stint in CZW before graduating to the more corporate wrestling companies.

1. Jun Kasai and Nick Mondo vs Johnny Kashmere and Justice Pain in a Fans Bring The Weapons Tag Match at UnFnBelievable.

2. The H8 Club (CZW Tag Champs) vs The Briscoes at H8 Club: Dead?

3. Messiah vs Nick Mondo at This Time It’s Personal.

4. Nick Mondo vs Wifebeater in a 200 Lightbulbs Barbed Wire Match at Zandig’s Ultraviolent Tournament Of Death.

5. M-Dogg 20 vs Josh Prohibition in a Tables & Ladders Match at Ultraviolent Freedom Of Expression.

6. Justice Pain (CZW Heavyweight Champ) vs CM Punk at Ultraviolent Freedom Of Expression.

7. Ian Rotten vs Necro Butcher in a Fans Bring The Weapons Match at Ultraviolent Tournament Of Death 2.

8. Nick Mondo vs Zandig in a 2/3 Falls Light Tube Log Cabins Match at Ultraviolent Tournament Of Death 2.

MAIN EVENT: NICK MONDO vs IAN ROTTEN in a 200 LIGHT TUBES AND BARBED WIRE MATCH at ULTRAVIOLENT TOURNAMENT OF DEATH 2.

Season 6, Episode 1: A Current Affair (2001)

2001 has a strong first few months for the WWE. The Royal Rumble pay-per-view is chock full of great matches. The Chyna/Ivory match isn’t great but it sets up their match at
Wrestlemania.

The big story of the beginning of 2001 was Vince McMahon’s affair with Trish Stratus and how it put his real wife, equally soulless monster, Linda McMahon, into a vegetative state. Much of the storyline is crass and not worth watching but I’ve included the big plot points here, as it does lead to an important match between Stephanie and Trish. I have, for the sake of those wrestling fans with human empathy, completely skipped any of the storyline that included Vince abusing Trish. What he does to the character of Linda is cruel and emotionally abusive but what he made the actual human being, Trish Stratus, do for the sake of this storyline is as disgusting as the real-world accusations against him are.

Nobody needs to see that part.

1. Lita (WWE Womens Champ) vs Jacqueline vs Trish Stratus vs Ivory from Smackdown.

2. The Brood (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs The Dudley Boyz at Royal Rumble 2001.

3. Chris Benoit (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chris Jericho in a Ladder Match at Royal Rumble 2001.

4. Ivory (WWE Womens Champ) vs Chyna at Royal Rumble 2001.

5. Kurt Angle (WWE Champ) vs Triple H at Royal Rumble 2001.

THE MAIN EVENT: THE ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH AT ROYAL RUMBLE 2001.
Albert, Al Snow, The Big Show, Billy Gunn, Bob Holly, Brian Christopher (as Grandmaster Sex-ay), Bull Buchanan, Crash, Drew Carey, Farooq, The Godfather (as The Goodfather), Haku, The Honky Tonk Man, JBL (as Bradshaw), Jeff Hardy, Kane, Man Hardy, Perry Saturn, R-Truth (as K-Kwik), Raven, Rikishi, The Rock, Scotty 2 Hotty, Steve Austin, Steve Blackman, Taz, Test, The Undertaker, Val Venis, William Regal

Season 6, Episode 2: Road To Wrestlemania X7 (2000, 2001)

This episode contains the absolute last of the pay-per-views in WCW history. Intertwined with WWE’s last pay-per-view before what’s probably the most popular Wrestlemania of all-time. There’s not a ton of storyline. We do see the winner of a tag team ladder match get a shot at the cruiserweight title in WCW, Steve Austin finally gets his revenge match against Triple H for that whole vehicular assault storyline from last season, and Stephanie McMahon and Trish battle it out in the ring after the shenanigans from the last episode. Don’t think the Stephanie and Trish match is a feminist revolution, though. The ending is still decided by a man’s interference.

1. The Natural Born Thrillahs vs The Filthy Animals vs The Boogie Nights at Halloween Havoc 2000.

2. Raven (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs The Big Show at No Way Out 2001.

3. Chris Jericho (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Chris Benoit vs Eddie Guerrero vs XPac at No Way Out 2001.

4. Three Count vs Jung Dragons vs Evan Karagias and Jamie Noble in A Ladder Match at Mayhem 2000.

5. Stephanie McMahon vs Trish Stratus at No Way Out 2001.

6. Chavo Guerrero (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs The Hurricane (as Shane Helms) at Sin 2001.

7. Kurt Angle (WWE Champ) vs The Rock at No Way Out 2001.

8. Jason Jen vs Kwee Wee at Greed 2001.

9. Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo vs The Filthy Animals for the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Championship at Greed 2001.

MAIN EVENT: STEVE AUSTIN vs TRIPLE H in a 3 STAGES OF HELL MATCH at NO WAY OUT 2001.

Season 6, Episode 3: Wrestlemania X7 (2001)

Wrestlemania X7 is definitely in contention for the best Wrestlemania ever. Not every match was a classic but no match was bad. I’ve taken the best of the matches and combined them with the previous week’s Raw, which saw McMahon family drama surrounding the bankruptcy and purchase of WCW. It makes for an incredible show. I only had to leave out one of the show’s absolute bangers, which I’m going to tack on to the beginning of the next episode.

The worst match on this show is the gimmick battle royal, which is a sweet goodbye to the
80s, as I’m pretty sure, apart from Sgt Slaughter, that we never see the participants or the announcers for this match again in this Headcanon.

1. Ivory (WWE Womens Champ) vs Chyna at Wrestlemania X7.

2. William Regal vs Molly Holly and Crash Holly from Raw.

3. Raven (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs The Big Show vs Kane at Wrestlemania X7

4, Chris Jericho (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs William Regal at Wrestlemania X7

5. Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit at Wrestlemania X7.

5. Vince McMahon vs Shane McMahon in a Street Fight at Wrestlemania X7.

6. The Dudley Boyz (WWE Tag Champs) vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Brood in a TLC Match at
Wrestlemania X7.

7. The Gimmick Battle Royal at Wrestlemania X7
Brother Love, Bushwhacker Butch, Bushwhacker Luke, Doink The Clown, Duke Droese, Earthquake, The Gobbledy Gooker, The Goon, Hillbilly Jim, Iron Sheik, James E. Cornette, Kamala, Kim Chee, Michael Hayes, Nikolai Volkoff, One Man Gang, Repo Man, Sgt. Slaughter, Tugboat

MAIN EVENT: THE ROCK (WWE CHAMP) vs STEVE AUSTIN at WRESTLEMANIA X7.

Season 6, Episode 4: Two Man Power Trip (2001)

Steve Austin’s heel run following Wrestlemania X7 is often regarded as a misstep. His role in the upcoming Invasion angle doesn’t quite work despite some lovely skits he does with Kurt Angle. But before The Invasion, he and Triple H teamed up to take the top four belts in the company to make a super tag team that would have absolutely wrecked the WWE and dominated The Invasion. Unfortunately, Triple H got injured in their first big defense and they lost the titles and the storyline.

Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit had a series of bangers in a row, a Submission Iron Man Match, the 2/3 Falls Match that I’ve included here, and a Three Stages Of Hell Match. They were all great but fairly similar, so I’m choosing the one that I liked the best out of the three of them.

WWE was truly ruling the industry at this point and making very few mistakes. It’s a shame that the upcoming Invasion idea tanked so hard.

1. The Undertaker vs Triple H at Wrestlemania X7.

2. Rhyno (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs Raven at Backlash 2001.

3. Chris Jericho (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Triple H from Smackdown.

4. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs The Rock in a Steel Cage Match from Raw.

5. Matt Hardy (WWE European Champion) vs Eddie Guerrero vs Christian at Backlash 2001.

6. The Brothers Of Destruction (WWE Tag Champs) vs Two Man Power Trip at Backlash 2001.

7. Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit in a 2/3 Falls Match at Insurrextion 2001.

MAIN EVENT: TWO MAN POWER TRIP (WWE TAG CHAMPS) vs CHRIS BENOIT and CHRIS JERICHO from RAW.

Season 6, Episode 5: InVasion (2001)

WWE’s InVasion angle is much maligned for a variety of valid reasons: It went on too long. Many of the biggest stars from WCW sat out their contracts and didn’t participate. Steve Austin’s heel turn didn’t make sense or really work. Also, and this is the big one for me: the invasion had started over a year previously. Five of the biggest WCW stars (Jericho, Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko, and Saturn) were already in the WWE. Six of the biggest ECW stars (Taz, The Dudley Boyz, Stevie Richards, Rhyno, and The Blue Meanie) were already in the WWE. Hell, even the most impressive GLOW wrestler, Jacqueline, was already in the WWE. The invasion was well underway before The InVasion technically began.

I’ve pared down six months of mostly unsatisfying storyline into four episodes, including the long promos, and a few matches that happened during the invasion but weren’t technically a part of The InVasion. I think it works in the condensed form. It also ripples on for a few episodes when the big names from WCW eventually run out their contract time and end up joining WWE after The InVasion angle technically wrapped up. This first episode contains the events leading to and including the first Invasion pay-per-view, which was easily the most exciting part of the entire storyline.

1. Kurt Angle vs Shane McMahon in a Street Fight at King Of The Ring 2001.

2. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs Chris Jericho vs Chris Benoit at King Of The Ring 2001.

3. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho (WWE Tag Champs) vs The Brood vs The Dudley Boyz vs
The Hardy Boyz in a TLC match from Smackdown.

4. Chris Jericho and Kane vs Mike Awesome and Lance Storm from Raw.

5. XPac (WWE Light Heavyweight Champ) vs Scotty 2 Hotty from Raw

6. Team WWE and Team WCW vs Team ECW from Raw.
The Big Show, Billy Gunn, Bob Holly, Chris Kanyon, Chuck Palumbo, Farooq, JBL (as Bradshaw), Mark Jindrak, Sean O’Haire, Shawn Stasiak vs Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, Mike Awesome, Raven, Rhyno, Rob Van Dam, Taz, and Tommy Dreamer

MAIN EVENT: JEFF HARDY (WWE HARDCORE CHAMP) vs RVD at INVASION.

Season 6, Episode 6: AlLiance (2001)

The first of two WWE vs The Alliance multi-man matches has lower stakes and fewer
superstars but at least the rosters for the teams make sense here. Apart from Jericho realistically being a WCW guy, everyone is competing for the company they’re most famous for working with. The ending is Pure Chaos.

There’s much valid critique of how WWE fumbled Booker T later on in his stint in the company but the beginning of his run was filled with high quality matches with some of the WWE’s biggest superstars and it seemed like he was going to be right up there with Benoit, Guerrero, Angle, and Edge as the next generation’s headliners. Not so much. At least this episode has him in a killer headliner before he sinks down to the comedy midcard.

1. Team WWE vs Team Alliance at Invasion.
Chris Jericho, Kane, Kurt Angle, Steve Austin, and The Undertaker vs Booker T, Bubba Ray Dudley, DDP, D-Von Dudley, and Rhyno

2. Booker T (WCW Champ) vs Kurt Angle from Smackdown.

3. Lance Storm (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Edge at SummerSlam 2001.

4. XPac (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Tajiri (WWE Light Heavyweight Champ) at SummerSlam 2001.

5. Jeff Hardy (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs RvD in a Ladder Match at SummerSlam 2001.

6. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs Kurt Angle at SummerSlam 2001.

MAIN EVENT: BOOKER T (WCW CHAMP) vs THE ROCK at SUMMERSLAM 2001.

Season 6, Episode 7: RePrisal

Kurt Angle vs Stone Cold was a weird set of featured matches for a story arc that was supposed to be about the WWE being invaded by WCW and ECW. Unfortunately, their matches were easily some of the best from the era.

We also have our first glimpse of a Christian vs Edge feud that will go on for more than two decades, and almost always be excellent.

The Main Event is a lovely cap-off to the Rock/Jericho frienemy angle.

1. The Dudley Boyz (WWE Tag Champs) vs The Hardy Boyz vs Lance Storm and The Hurricane vs The Big Show and Spike Dudley at Unforgiven 2001.

2. Edge (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Christian at Unforgiven 2001.

3. RvD (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs Chris Jericho at Unforgiven 2001.

4. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs Kurt Angle at Unforgiven 2001.

5. Lita vs Molly Holly from Raw.

6. Kurt Angle (WWE Champ) vs Steve Austin from Raw.

7. Christian (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Edge in a Ladder Match at No Mercy 2001.

MAIN EVENT: THE ROCK (WCW CHAMP) vs CHRIS JERICHO at NO MERCY 2001.

Season 6, Episode 8: DiVision (2001)

The InVasion all comes down to this episode as Austin, Angle, Jericho, and RvD are all suggested as being traitors to their InVasion teams. At this point, neither side makes any sense at all, it’s pretty much each a team of WWE stars with a couple of pity members from either ECW or WCW. As usual, the angle gets squashed in McMahon vs McMahon nonsense.

Still, the final Survivor Series Match is a satisfying ending to the saga, and leads brilliantly into the new era of WWE.

1. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs RvD vs Kurt Angle at No Mercy 2001.

2. Kurt Angle (WCW US Champ) vs Christian from Smackdown.

3. RvD (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs The Rock from Smackdown.

4. Chris Jericho (WCW Champ) vs The Rock from Raw.

5. DDP vs The Big Show from Smackdown.

6. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) and Kurt Angle vs The Rock (WCW Champ) and Chris Jericho from Smackdown.

MAIN EVENT: TEAM WWE vs TEAM ALLIANCE in a SURVIVOR SERIES MATCH at
SURVIVOR SERIES 2001.
The Big Show, Chris Jericho, Kane, The Rock, and The Undertaker vs Booker T, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Shane McMahon, and Steve Austin

Season 6, Episode 9: A Flair For The Dramatic (2001, 2002)

WOOOOOO! Ric Flair is back. Not as a wrestler, as the new co-owner of the WWE. He and McMahon are initially fun foils, though the gag quickly sours, as it’s just another Vince McMahon fight against someone he owns a company with, which has been the major WWE storyline for several years at this point.

This is the end of the Amazing Main Event Title Match Era, as the superstars of the late 90s and 2000-2002 fade out before the WWE had a strong replacement. The stars were there to put on great matches but the stories were bad and the wrestling in the main event scene floundered for a bit, even falling into the basement where WCW dwelled in the last couple of years, so get excited for WWE’s midcard to start rapidly improving.

1. The Dudley Boyz (WCW Tag Champs) vs The Hardy Boyz (WWE Tag Champs) in a Steel Cage Title Unification Match at Survivor Series 2001

2. Edge (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs William Regal at Vengeance 2001.

3. RvD (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs The Undertaker at Vengeance 2001.

4. Trish Stratus (WWE Womens Champ) vs Jacqueline at Vengeance 2001.

5. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs Kurt Angle at Vengeance 2001.

6. The Rock (WCW Champ) vs Chris Jericho at Vengeance 2001.

7. Steve Austin (WWE Champ) vs Chris Jericho (WCW Champ) at Vengeance 2001.

7. Ric Flair vs Vince McMahon in a Street Fight at Royal Rumble 2002.

MAIN EVENT: CHRIS JERICHO (WWE CHAMP)(WCW CHAMP) vs THE ROCK vs KURT ANGLE from RAW.

Season 6, Episode 10: The Era Of Honor Begins (2002)

Do you miss the ECW episodes? Me, too. But we have a replacement! It’s not Extreme Bloody Chaos, though. It’s high-quality wrestling from the future Hall of Famers of WWE and AEW.

Baby Daniel Bryan Danielson debuts here, as does Baby AJ Styles. They’re already incredible at this point in their careers. So what makes Ring Of Honor equivalent to ECW? The poor-quality lighting, the bare-bones writing, the lack of a real budget, and their notoriety coming from devout wrestling fans trading VHS tapes and DVDs because ROH didn’t have a TV deal or the ability to put on pay-per-views yet.

We open with Eddie Guerrero on his rehab tour back to the WWE. He was greatly missed in the big leagues, and his very brief stint in ROH was enough to get him back there quickly.

Lo Ki also debuts here. He was an incredible star in ROH and Impact Wrestling’s early days but, sadly, was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him flop in WWE, probably through not fault of his own. He really seemed like he might be the star of these organizations until Styles, Bryan, Samoa Joe, and CM Punk ascended.

1. Eddie Guerrero vs Super Crazy for the IWA Puerto Rico Intercontinental Championship at Era Of Honor Begins.

2. Lo Ki vs Daniel Bryan Danielson (as The American Dragon) vs Christoper Daniels at Era Of Honor Begins

3. Brian Kendrik (as Spanky) vs Jay Briscoe at Round Robin Challenge 2002.

4. Lo Ki vs Daniel Bryan Danielson (as The American Dragon) at Round Robin Challenge 2002.

5. Brian Kendrik (as Spanky) vs Paul London at Road To The Title 2002.

6. Lo Ki vs AJ Styles at Night Of Appreciation 2002.

7. Doug Williams vs Daniel Bryan Danielson (as The American Dragon) at Road To The Title 2002.

8. Lo Ki vs The Amazing Red at Road To The Title 2002.

MAIN EVENT: AJ STYLES vs CHRISTOPHER DANIELS at ROAD TO THE TITLE 2002.

Season 6, Episode 11: Marathon Matches (2002)

Only three matches in this episode. The Rumble is not an all-time classic but it has some
wonderful moments and does its job setting up The Road To Wrestlemania.

Jericho and The Rock have another banger, and then we “change channels” again to catch the hour-ling, four man battle to be the first ever ROH Champ. It’s a great match despite featuring neither AJ Styles nor Daniel Bryan Danielson.

1. The 2002 Royal Rumble Match.
Al Snow, Albert, The Big Boss Man, The Big Show, Billy Gunn, Booker T, Christian, Chuck Palumbo, DDP, Farooq, The Godfather, Goldust, The Hurricane, JBL (as Bradshaw), Jeff Hardy, Kane, Kurt Angle, Lance Storm, Matt Hardy, Maven, Mr Perfect, Perry Saturn, Rikishi, RvD, Scotty 2 Hotty, Steve Austin, Test, Triple H, The Undertaker, Val Venis

2. Chris Jericho (WWE Champ) vs The Rock at Royal Rumble 2002.

MAIN EVENT: BRIAN KENDRICK (as SPANKY) vs CHRISTOPHER DANIELS vs DOUG WILLIAMS vs LO KI at CROWNING A CHAMPION.

Season 6, Episode 12 Totally New Attitude (2002)

Impact Wrestling was originally known as TNA and, without a real TV deal, featured weekly pay-per-views at discount prices. Jeff Jarrett was the money behind this NWA territory. While his main event scene was immediately stale and full of forgettable matches, he was inspired by WCW’s cruiserweight division, and created The X Division.

The X Division made AJ Styles a legend. The combination of this division and Jarrett’s deep pockets made Impact a lesser-WCW show. It was certainly better than the final days of WCW but it wasn’t quite as legendary as the 80s and early 90s WCW.

One of the surprise highlights of this episode is R-Truth as K-Krush, later Ron Killings, who cuts a hell of a promo before destroying WCW alum, Norman Smiley.

You’ll notice that Lo Ki from ROH is also all over this episode.

1. The Flying Elvises vs AJ Styles, Jerry Lynn, Lo Ki at TNA #1.

2. R-Truth (as K-Krush) vs Norman Smiley from TNA #5.

2. AJ Styles vs Lo Ki vs Jerry Lynn vs Psicosis for the Impact X Championship at TNA #2.

3. Sabu vs Malice in a Ladder Match at TNA #5.

4. AJ Styles & Jerry Lynn (NWA Tag Champs) vs The Disciples Of The New Church at TNA #4.

5. Christopher Daniels vs Elix Skipper vs Jerry Lynn vs Kid Romeo vs Lo Ki vs Tony Mamaluke at TNA #4.

6. Ken Shamrock (NWA Champ) vs R-Truth (as Ron Killings) at TNA #8.

7. AJ Styles (Impact X Champ) vs Lo Ki at TNA #5.

8. The Flying Elvises vs Amazing Red and the Spanish Announce Team at TNA #8.

MAIN EVENT: AJ STYLES (IMPACT X CHAMP) vs JERRY LYNN vs LO KI at TNA #8.

Season 6, Episode 13: The Next Big Thing (2002)

Ladies and gentlemen, you may remember WCW manager, ECW president, WWE commentator, and InVasion agitator, Paul Heyman. He is now the advocate for the most impressive WWE athlete, Brock Lesnar, who appears here to destroy everyone. He doesn’t
even have a match in this episode. He’s just here to murder.

Kurt Angle and Edge begin one of the most memorable feuds of 2002. Eddie Guerrero is back, and so is Chris Benoit! Oh, and the NWO. Their return was a wetter fart than The InVasion angle, so we’re going to skip all of their matches except one, and that one is one of the greatest Wrestlemania non-main event bouts ever, Hulk Hogan vs The Rock. It’s on-par with the Rock’s very good matches but it’s easily the best Hulk Hogan Match since our Season 2, maybe Season 1.

Ric Flair vs Undertaker isn’t on the same level but it is another fun battle between two huge stars from different eras. Two stars who teamed up to kick Hogan’s butt back in Season 2.

Another fun moment is that the episode starts with the Briscoe brothers, future ROH and
AEW Hall of Famers that we saw in our sorbet episode, having their first match against each other shortly after one of them turns 18! Baby Briscoes aren’t quite as terrifying as their later iterations but they’re clearly talented and put on a hell of an opener here.

1. Mark Briscoe vs Jay Briscoe from Honor Invades Boston 2002.

2. William Regal (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs RvD at Wrestlemania 18.

3. The Undertaker vs Ric Flair in a No DQ Match at Wrestlemania 18.

4. Billy Kidman (WCW Cruiserweight Champ) vs Tajiri at Backlash 2002.

5. Maven (WWE Hardcore Champ) vs Al Snow from Raw.

6. Kurt Angle vs Edge at Backlash 2002.

7. Eddie Guerrero (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs RvD in a Ladder Match from Raw.

MAIN EVENT: THE ROCK vs HULK HOGAN at WRESTLEMANIA 18.

Season 6, Episode 14: Get The F Out (2002)

We’ve finally reached the time when the WWF was legally forced to change its name and officially became the WWE. Lesnar gets his first couple of matches in this episode, including a tag match where he and his Advocate, Paul Heyman, took on The Hardy Boyz.

The most fun angle in this show is the Hair vs Hair shenanigans from Judgment Day.

The Main Event is part of one of many stop/start attempts to push Jeff Hardy into the MainEvent Scene. What better way to do it than to put The Undertaker through his first ladder match.

1. Lo Ki (ROH Champ) vs AJ Styles at Honor Invades Boston 2002.

2. Jazz (WWE Womens Champ) vs Trish Stratus at Backlash 2002.

3. Brock Lesnar vs Jeff Hardy at Backlash 2002.

4. Kurt Angle vs Edge in a Hair vs Hair Match at Judgment Day 2002.

5. Triple H vs Chris Jericho in Hell In A Cell at Judgment Day 2002.

6. Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman vs The Hardy Boyz at Judgment Day 2002.

MAIN EVENT: THE UNDERTAKER (WWE CHAMP) vs JEFF HARDY in a LADDER MATCH from RAW.

Season 6, Episode 15: Totally Nonstop AJ Styles (2002)

AJ Styles is all over both ROH and Impact for the foreseeable future. He’s in roughly half the matches in this episode but so is Jerry Lynn. The two of them compete in a Three Stages Of Hell Match with a Falls Count Anywhere, a No DQ, and a Ten Minute Iron Man. All three matches are solid and show how impressive both of them are. Amazing Red and The Spanish Announce Team each appear twice, once as a unit, and then separate.

Our third R-Truth match has him defending the title against Lo Ki, and our main event brings in XPac from the WWE. He won the X Division title in a pretty blah match so we skipped it. His defense against AJ Styles was fun, even if it does include a run-in from fellow WWE refugee, Too Sexay Brian Christopher as part of a storyline we will not be following.

1. Jerry Lynn vs AJ Styles in a Falls Count Anywhere Match at TNA #10.

2. The Amazing Red and The Spanish Announce Team vs Kid Kash, Shark Boy, and Slim J at TNA #9.

3. Jerry Lynn vs AJ Styles in a No DQ Match at TNA #10.

4. Jerry Lynn vs AJ Styles in a 10 Minute Iron Man Match at TNA #10.

5. Kid Cash vs Amazing Red at TNA #11.

6. Lo Ki (Impact X Champ) vs Jerry Lynn vs AJ Styles in a Ladder Match at TNA #11.

5. R-Truth (as Ron Killings) (NWA Champ) vs Lo Ki at TNA #15.

6. America’s Most Wanted (NWA Tag Champs) vs The Spanish Announce Team at TNA #16.

7. Amazing Red vs Elix Skipper vs Joel Maximo vs Jose Maximo vs Kid Kash at TNA #18.

8. America’s Most Wanted (NWA Tag Champs) vs The Hot Shots at TNA #18.

MAIN EVENT: XPAC (as SYXXPAC) (IMPACT X CHAMP) vs AJ STYLES at TNA #18.

Season 6, Episode 16: Ruthless Aggression (2002)

Vince McMahon announces the end of The Attitude Era by calling for more “ruthless aggression”, a phrase repeated by rookie unknown, John Cena, when he challenges Kurt Angle on Smackdown. The other major rookie of the moment, Brock Lesnar, starts his angle as The Silent Legend Killer (Randy Orton is coming next season and makes The Legend Killer his gimmick, but Lesnar mostly keeps his mouth shut as he destroys Flair here, and goes on to commit more carnage for the rest of this season).

1. Paul London vs Michael Shane at Unscripted 2002.

2. RvD vs Chris Jericho at King Of The Ring 2002.

3. Trish Stratus (WWE Womens Champ) vs Molly Holly at King Of The Ring 2002.

4. Kurt Angle vs Hulk Hogan from King Of The Ring 2002.

5. Brock Lesnar vs Test at King Of The Ring 2002.

6. Kurt Angle vs John Cena from Smackdown.

5. Brock Lesnar vs Ric Flair from Raw.

6. Bubba Ray Dudley and Spike Dudley vs Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero in an Elimination Tables Match at Vengeance 2002.

MAIN EVENT: THE UNDERTAKER (WWE CHAMP) vs KURT ANGLE vs THE ROCK at VENGEANCE 2002.

Season 6, Episode 17: Deterioration X (2002)

Shawn Michaels is back! Returning from his supposedly career-ending injury, he looks to pick things up right where they left off. It doesn’t really go that way.

There’s also another WWE debut as Rey Mysterio debuts to take on one of his cruiserweight rivals from the WCW days.

1. The Amazing Red vs Ikuto Hidaka at Glory By Honor 2002.

2. RvD (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Brock Lesnar at Vengeance 2002.

3. Billy & Chuck (WWE Tag Champs) vs Hulk Hogan & Edge on Smackdown.

4. RvD (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Jeff Hardy (WWE European Champ) in a Title Unification Ladder Match from Raw.

5. Chavo Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio from Smackdown.

6. Edge vs Chris Jericho in a Steel Cage from Smackdown.

MAIN EVENT: TRIPLE H vs SHAWN MICHAELS at SUMMERSLAM 2002.

Season 6, Episode 18: Fights Without Honor (2002)

This episode’s debut happens over in ROH as Samoa Joe announces himself. He’s part of one of ROH’s sillier storylines where Christopher Daniels is running an organization that doesn’t want to shake hands at the end of matches. That’s it. That’s their gimmick. But Samoa Joe can make any gimmick work.

Lesnar continues his path of destruction through Hulk Hogan and The Rock. And the Smackdown Six: Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle, Edge, and Chavo Guerrero start to percolate into the Main Event scene.

1. Lo Ki vs Samoa Joe in a Fight Without Honor at Glory By Honor 2002.

2. Edge, John Cena, Rey Mysterio vs Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle from Smackdown.

3. Brock Lesnar vs Hulk Hogan from Smackdown.

4. Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio at SummerSlam 2002.

5. Edge vs Eddie Guerrero at SummerSlam 2002.

6. Chris Benoit (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs RvD at SummerSlam 2002.

7. The Rock (WWE Champ) vs Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam 2002.

8. Triple H (WCW Champ) vs RvD at Unforgiven 2002.

MAIN EVENT: KURT ANGLE vs CHRIS BENOIT at UNFORGIVEN 2002.

Season 6, Episode 19: Typically Nonsensical Action (2002)

A dark cloud has formed over our exciting X-Division NWA territory as Vince “I Killed WCW And I Will Kill This, Too” Russo takes over booking, amps up the misogyny, the swerves and other things that fans outright rejected. He makes an appearance halfway through this episode, and we change channels to ROH where we get a great six man match, and then Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles clash for the first time. It’s a banger.

1. America’s Most Wanted (NWA Tag Champs) vs Disciples Of The New Church at TNA #20.

2. AJ Styles (IMPACT X Champ) vs Jerry Lynn vs Kid Cash at TNA #21.

3. R-Truth (as Ron Killings)(NWA Champ) vs Jeff Jarrett at TNA #22.

4. Jerry Lynn (IMPACT X Champ) vs The Amazing Red at TNA #22.

5. Sports Entertainment Extreme vs Amazing Red and The Spanish Announce Team at TNA #26.

6. Samoa Joe and The Prophecy vs Doug Williams, Homicide, Lo Ki at All Star Extravaganza 2002.

IMPACT/ROH SEASON FINALE MAIN EVENT: DANIEL BRYAN DANIELSON (as THE AMERICAN DRAGON) vs AJ STYLES at ALL STAR EXTRAVAGANZA 2002.

Season 6, Episode 20: Rise Of The Smackdown Six (2002)

We closed out last season with a six person Hell In A Cell Match. This season will end with
just two men in the cage but those two men are Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker, and they annihilate each other.

The Smackdown Six are the stars of the episode, though, as we see them in multiple combinations here. This is going to continue well into next season.

1. Masato Tanaka and Shinjiro Otani vs Lo Ki and Steve Corino at All Star Extravaganza 2002.

2. Edge vs Eddie Guerrero in a No DQ Match from Smackdown.

3. Chris Benoit vs Kurt Angle vs Rey Mysterio from Smackdown.

4. Edge vs Kurt Angle from Smackdown.

5. Rey Mysterio vs Chris Benoit from Smackdown.

6. Kane (Raw Tag Team Champ) vs Bubba Ray and Spike Dudley vs Chris Jericho and Christian vs Jeff Hardy and RvD from Raw.

SEASON FINALE MAIN EVENT: BROCK LESNAR (WWE CHAMP) vs THE UNDERTAKER in a HELL IN A CELL MATCH at NO MERCY 2002

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