5 iconic invasions of WWE

#5 The NWA invades WWE

In 1998, WWE was in the midst of a transformation. In an effort to keep up with a red-hot WCW, the company turned to edgier, more risque, and more violent content. This was vital in its attempt to not just compete with rivals, but to simply remain in business.

So it would make sense to work with the one promotion that most represents everything old school and traditional about pro wrestling: the National Wrestling Alliance.

We could write a whole book on this whole angle - how it mirrored what WCW was originally doing with the nWo, how it all came about, how it all dissolved - but we have four other entries to write and this thing is past the deadline already. So, the video above will help you catch up.

What started out as WWE simply hosting a title match for a different promotion turned into a faction in of itself. Led by manager Jim Cornette (who, ironically, had nothing to do with the creation of this angle), WWE's NWA would count Jeff Jarrett, The Rock and Roll Express, Barry Windham, and Dan Severn as members.

Cornette also debuted a new version of one of his most famous charges, the Midnight Express. This time, this "New" Midnight Express consisted of Bodacious Bart (Bart Gunn) and Bombastic Bob (Bob Holly).

None of this went over particularly well, and hardly anybody really cared. Eventually then-NWA World Heavyweight Champion Severn, who had a following outside of wrestling due to his success in UFC, amateur collegiate wrestling, and other combat sports, was brought in to create interest.

This didn't work either, and both the group and the angle were dropped six months later.