5 Superstars from the WCW Invasion and where they are now

Since purchasing WCW seventeen years ago, WWE has seen a number of the talents that came along with it, go from simple mid-card status to World Championships, some eventually becoming WWE Hall of Famers.

However, not everyone that was part of the promotion achieved the same level of popularity, despite having some success while they were with WWE.

Many have called the 'Invasion' angle a great disappointment, mainly because those that were a critical part of the Monday Night Wars, were not part of the talent transfer from WCW to WWE.

While the likes of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Goldberg were all key to the success of WCW during that late 1990s, they decided to take time off from wrestling immediately after the merger.

There were some talents that were part of some successful programs during their time in WWE, though.

Where are some of these talents that were part of the Invasion angle today? Here are five Superstars from the WCW Invasion angle and where they are today.

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#5 Sean O'Haire

O'Haire had a career full of promise sadly his life ended fourteen years ago

He was armed with a great look and incredible presence. Sean O'Haire had a number of qualities about him that appeared to resonate after his initial debut in WCW.

O'Haire immediately burst onto the scene while WCW was attempting to rebrand their promotion and move in a different direction, after having developed his skills at WCW's Power Plant.

After some time, O'Haire aligned with a number of other WCW talents and got a chance to showcase how good he was in the ring.

When WCW was sold to WWE, he was given a new direction after the initial invasion. It seemed like his 'devil's advocate' gimmick had all the qualities of a counter-culture character that would push the boundaries of decency, but it never fully took hold.

O'Haire left the company in 2004 and dabbled in MMA for a brief time. Sadly, he battled mental illness and on September 14th, 2014 he was found dead of suicide. He is survived by his father, sister, and brothers. O'Haire was 43 years of age.

#4 Chuck Palumbo

Life after wrestling has been very good to the former WCW Tag Team Champion

Palumbo's career began as part of World Championship Wrestling in the late 90s. He was initially known there as 'The Dude' that accepted a challenge from Ernest 'The Cat' Miller.

After taking some time away from the cameras to train and develop, he re-emerged as part of the New Blood, alongside the likes of Sean O'Haire, during the final years of WCW. He was a former Champion that was among the talents that went to WWE after the WCW purchase.

While there, Palumbo took on various roles and characters, including reforming ECW's Full-Blooded Italians.

He departed the company in 2008 and toured the independent scene for a few years. In 2014, he retired and took up a new passion, motorcycle building, and restoration.

This new love and lease on life show that Palumbo is capable of more than just being a professional wrestler. At 43 years of age, Palumbo appears happy with his new endeavors.

#3 Mark Jindrak

After leaving the WWE, Jindrak became Marco Corleone and has been very successful in Mexico

During the later years of WCW, Jindrak, along with a number of other talented young men was given the chance to grow and develop as part of their program known as the Power Plant.

His time as part of the New Blood was short-lived, and he was transitioned, alongside Sean O'Haire, to forming the Natural Born Thrillaz.

When 2001 came around, and WCW was bought out, Jindrak was included in that contract purchase as well. He was initially part of the Alliance, which was there to wreak havoc on the current WWE roster.

Once the Alliance was defeated, he went to WWE's developmental system, Ohio Valley Wrestling, and was given an opportunity to hone his craft. He returned to the main roster and was there until 2005, where he was then released from his contract.

Since his departure, Jindrak has continued to compete, primarily in Mexico where he has had great success both inside and outside of wrestling, as part of the CMLL promotion. He now competes under the name Marco Corleone.

#2 Billy Kidman

Pictured here on the right, Kidman is still involved as a producer with the WWE assisting talent behind the scenes

Billy Kidman's fourteen-year career saw him achieve success with a variety of looks and character reinventions. His initial success came as part of WCW's Cruiserweight division, and he successfully captured the Cruiserweight Championship.

However, before his time as the Cruiserweight Champion, Kidman simply went by his last name as a member of Raven's Flock, a collection of miscreants and degenerates that appeared to be a reflection of society's downtrodden.

Later on, Kidman's direction changed as he joined a group consisting of his real-life friends Konnan, Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero.

Together with the 'Filthy Animals', Kidman went from having little direction to being alongside his friends and having success. He was in this group when his time with WCW came to an end.

When WCW was purchased by WWE, Kidman emerged as a top contender for the Cruiserweight Championship.

After leaving in 2007, Kidman competed on the independent circuit before retiring in 2008. He has been an employee of WWE for a number of years, working behind the scenes in multiple roles.

#1 Gregory Helms

What has Gregory Shane Helms been since he last appeared in the WWE?

He has danced, been cheered, been booed, and all the while achieved great success in the wrestling world.

Many may remember him as part of the faction '3 Count' while he was part of World Championship Wrestling. However, as that group eventually dissolved, so did WCW.

When WCW was purchased, Helms was among those involved in the Invasion angle. His debut saw him initially known as 'Hollywood' Helms, and he was defeated in his first appearance on WWE television. When Helms became The Hurricane, his success was never greater.

Fans looked forward to seeing him in action, and he continued to excite them with his superhero character. Once departing WWE, Helms competed for various promotions all over North America including Lucha Libre USA and Impact Wrestling.

He took on the role of manager as part of the Helms Dynasty in TNA, leading new, young stars in that role. Helms was also an integral part of Matt Hardy's Broken storyline, in particular, the 'Total Nonstop Deletion' event.

Helms was most recently seen in WWE as an entrant in the 2018 Royal Rumble.