WWE Tagged Classics: Unforgiven 2001 & No Mercy 2001

Unforgiven 2001 was the first WWF PPV since the 9/11 tragedy. You would think WWF would say 'Hey, let's put the storylines on hold for a minute and just celebrate life' or at least just ignore the storylines that have been going on. No, no, no. That's not the WWF way. Remember this is the company who went 'What Owen Hart's dead... well on with the show!' So despite the beautifully moving rendition of America the Beautiful that just tugs on all the right emotions... this is cut short by the stupid, stupid storylines that went into this PPV.

Of course at Summerslam the WCW/ECW, or the Alliance as they were now known, stars had been once again been made to look like utter chumps and so surely this is the PPV where they kick ass and take names, right? Well, I suppose technically if we are now counting Stone Cold (the very embodiment of the WWF) as a member of WCW/ECW that would be true.

This is the problem with the 'Invasion', I have no idea who is on who's side. We have a four team elimination tag match (which is pretty good) and yet who is representing who? It seems even Jim Ross and Paul Heymann are unable to say too! Tajiri vs Rhyno? Both were the backbone of ECW and yet I'm supposed to buy one as a WWF guy? Tajiri is accompanied by WCW's Torrie Wilson? My head hurts thinking about that! We then have a match between Edge and Christian (also very good) and yet they are both WWF guys? Why are they fighting? Was it to show dissention in the ranks? Nope. It is simply the break up of a tag team Wrestling 101 'Tag team split up and feud'. We then have the WCW Tag Team Championship on the line. Defended by Kane and Undertaker? What? So not only do WCW not have their World Championship, but they don't even have their tag belts either? Thankfully they knew how to book RVD. How do you book RVD? You just put him in a match and let him go. His match with Chris Jericho is great and certainly one of the highlights of the night (and not just because I got to watch Stephanie and her new boobies jiggle). I mean that is the problem I have with the Invasion. Take away the storyline and watch them as singular matches and this feels like quite a solid card, but sadly that storyline keeps intruding and making me realise just how badly this thing was booked!

The two world title matches are very good but then when you look are involved it would be expected. A handicap match between WCW Champion The Rock (no doesn't sound right) and Booker T and Shane McMahon is ok, though they really should have added someone else to the match from WWF to even the odds. I get the idea that the deck is stacked against The Rock, but that means one of two things will happen:

1.) The Rock will win no matter how much he is doubleteamed and it will make no sense.

Or

2.) Booker or Shane will win and the ending will suck!

Stone Cold vs Kurt Angle for the WWF Championship is a great match. I doubt I would ever see a bad Kurt Angle match and Stone Cold could just enter the ring and I'd enjoy it. The match was a lot more satisfying than their Summerslam match and it was given the time it needed to really get me involved.

No Mercy 2001

And yes the plug hadn't been pulled on this crap yet. Again I have to say if it wasn't for the storyline this PPV would be fine. Once again we get quite a few good matches and yet looking at them you still wonder who is on who's side? Edge vs Christian? (Both WWF guys in an excellent match) Torrie Wilson vs Stacy Keibler in a Lingerie Match (Both WCW... ah who cares, did you not hear LINGERIE MATCH!!!) The theme at this point in the Invasion was that people from WWF (Christian, Test) were defecting over to the Alliance. Because the Alliance was so strong? No silly. It's so the WWF can put WWF guys against WWF guys and pretend there is a feud between them.

This PPV is a bit up and down when it comes to matches. As I say Edge vs Christian in a ladder match is arguably match of the night, however the rest of the card leaves a lot to be desired: WCW Tag Champions Hardy Boyz (no WCW still haven't got them back) against Hurrican and Lance Storm is fine, Kane vs Test is a lumbering big man match, Dudleyz vs Tajiri and Big Show is ok, but nothing special, Booker T vs Undertaker should have been the point where Booker proved why he was a FIVE TIME FIVE TIME FIVE TIME FIVE TIME FIVE TIME WCW Champion instead made me go 'Damn has this guy ever won a match during this thing?'

The two title matches are good. Though you may question why The Rock was facing Chris Jericho in the first place? But still him against The Rock is a great match as to be expected, both men were at their most charismatic at this time and this match was an excellent example of this. And a wonderful match it is. (And again not because I got to see Stephanie bounce around again!) The triple threat between Stone Cold, Kurt Angle and RVD is possibly one of the best examples of the triple threat that I have ever seen. The three different styles worked so well together and I still cannot believe that even though WWF knew how over RVD was, he had to wait another five years before they trusted him with the world championship.

Both PPVs have a lot of good matches, but it's almost like a wonderful luxurious piece of chocolate placed inside a piece of five day stale fish. Sure there are some good matches, in fact there are some great matches on these two disks, but the Invasion storyline that accompanies them is too awful to ignore. You have been warned!