POST Wrestling examines Vince McMahon’s 2001 WCW acquisition

In a new episode of the Rewind-A-Wai podcast, POST Wrestling analyzes the summer of 2001, focusing on Vince McMahon’s management of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) following its acquisition of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) assets.

After failed attempts to secure WCW as a distressed property from Turner due to network commitments, McMahon purchased the company’s tape library and other assets in a fire sale. This led to the “Invasion” storyline, which aimed to capitalize on the rivalry between the two promotions. However, the transition faced challenges as many major WCW stars, including Hulk Hogan, Sting, and Goldberg, were unable to participate due to existing contracts.

The discussion also reviews the WWF SummerSlam 2001 pay-per-view, which featured matches such as The Rock versus Booker T for the WCW Championship and Stone Cold Steve Austin defending the WWF Championship against Kurt Angle. Despite high-profile appearances, the podcast notes that Raw ratings saw a decline during this period as the industry moved away from the peak of the Attitude Era.