Sports entertainment is a pre- determined sport. The action is planned and the result is booked. Outside intrusions in this case will be defined when a person or people who is/are known to be from other brands, make their appearance in another brand.They just don’t make a mere appearance, they make an impact.
How does the audience know that they’re from other brands? Either they are smart with their wrestling news or the commentators establish the fact that they belong/ belonged to some other brand.
Here are the 10 most memorable outside intrusions in WWE history-
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10.The Outsiders
We’ll begin the list with one of the most famous examples during the Monday Night Wars. Razor Ramon and Diesel were no longer with the WWE. They signed new contracts with WCW. Scott Hall was the first one to make an appearance on WCW television. Kevin Nash followed soon after. They were known as The Outsiders. It was clearly stated that they were from their rival company out here to create havoc.
Nash and Hall interrupted Bischoff and cut a promo saying, “The measuring stick just changed around here, buddy. You’re looking at it.” But due to some legal concerns courtesy the WWE, they had to steer away from this backstory. So Bash of The Beach PPV happened and so did a Hulk Hogan heel turn.
The Outsiders became the New World Order. And the rest is history.
9.Bam Bam
Bam Bam Bigelow, just like Nash and Hall, signed a new contract with the WCW. The Beast From The East never really won major main event titles but he has main evented many major PPVs, like Wrestlemania. So, one night, he walks into the premises of WCW and searches frantically for the WCW World Champion Goldberg. Like Nash and Hall, even Bigelow was treated like an outsider who was trespassing a rival promotions’ territory.
Bigelow, though, soon after, moved away below the main event scene in WCW.
8.DX and the army jeep
It was 1998 and tensions were flaring between WWE and WCW. DX took the situation to a new controversial high. Once upon a long, long time the shows for WWE and WCW were held in the same town. So DX thought about getting geared up in army wear in an army jeep and ride straight into the WCW premises.
They alleged that WCW sold free tickets to fill up their arena and as they were about to enter the premise, the doors were shut. This was not just WWE vs WCW, this was also DX vs NWO.and weren’t we all happy to see that culminate at Wrestlemania 31?
7.”The battle lines have been drawn!”
Now that the ‘Monday Night Wars has been established, we move on to the 21st century when Vince McMahon actually purchased WCW and won the ‘War’.
Immediately a storyline began where his son Shane McMahon purchased WCW, behind his father’s back. This led to an Invasion angle. The first attack came at the hands of Lance Storm, the second one came at the hands of Booker T. Booker T later attacked Vince McMahon. This triggered the WWE guys to come and save their boss but Shane O Mac and Booker T ran away, into the crowd.
J.R’s line in the title officially inaugrated this storyline.
6.”This Invasion just got taken to the Extreme."
It should now be established that when J.R. said that line, Paul Heyman was sitting right beside him on commentary.
One fine night, Jericho offered to be Kane’s partner in his match against Lance Storm and Mike Awesome. It was during this match that Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer, both from ECW, attacked Kane and Jericho. This led the then WWE wrestlers Dudley Boyz, Tazz, Raven, Rhyno etcetera to run in and make the save only to have a staredown with the two ECW loyalists. These WWE guys were originally from ECW. And in a spectacular sequence of events where actions spoke louder than words, all of them combined to continue the attack on WWE’s Kane and Jericho.
Paul Heyman flew from the commentary booth and into the ring to announce that “This Invasion just got taken to the extreme."
5.Nexus
This was the one shining, memorable moment from this storyline that fizzled out quickly. This was special, this was new and refreshing.
Wade Barret won the first season of NXT and this made him the leader of this movement. During a match between CM Punk and John Cena, the group intervened and attacked not just the face who runs the place but also the heel CM Punk, then they attacked the announcers team and almost choked Justin Roberts. Then they decimated everything around them. Everything. It was a place of ruins.
The Nexus had arrived and it spelt danger.
4.Pop-up Powerbomb
There hasn’t been a clear demarcation between WWE and NXt as it was when Owens showed up on Raw.
During his Smackdown interview with Cole, the commentator stated that Owens had just been in the WWE for two weeks. Up until then he had been on the roster for 2 weeks, but he was in NXT for more than 5 months. So, with that in mind, Owens made his way to the ring with the NXT logo blaring on the titantron.
He shut Cena up and delivered a Pop-up Powerbomb and marked an awesome moment and debut.
3.The Shield
NXT- the discussion around it began soon after Rollins and Ambrose got their feud going in then- known FCW. Rollins was crowned the first NXT Champion. Ambrose was M.I.A. Roman Reigns was Leakee.
But then, Survivor Series 2012 happened. CM Punk was there. Paul Heyman was there.And so were Cena and Ryback for their match.
And you just didn’t know what was about to unravel. Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins stormed through the crowd, performed their first triple powerbomb and became The Hounds of Justice.
The future had been put in action.
2.MMA Brock Lesnar
When Brock Lesnar returned for the first time in 8 years to the WWE, he not only got the biggest pop of the year, he got the MMA baggage along.
His UFC credentials were well mentioned and spoken about by the announcers and till date are listed as his achievements whenever he’s around. Heck, he still wears his MMA gear.
When Lesnar made his retun in 2012, he was not just the 3 time WWE Champion, he was also the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Another brand’s name was mentioned. The Beast had returned.
1.Speaking of UFC...
Name just one of the biggest draws of the company ever.
Ronda Rousey!
She’d made an appearance before in the crowd at Summerslam 2014 and helped Stephanie with her Ice Bucket Challenge. But at Wrestlemania, she was their to make a moment work and it worked amazingly well. She accompanied Rock to the ring after he’d been slapped away by Stephanie. The Authority team of McMahon and her husband Triple H were vary of her badassery and yet angry at her guts to step into the ring.
Rousey made it clear that any ring she steps into is her ring. And went on to judo throw Triple H and gave Stephanie a slice of pain through her grappling arm technique.