Today in Pro Wrestling History (July 2): WCW gets RAW

Today in Pro Wrestling History: On July 2nd, 2001, After purchasing World Championship Wrestling in March, WWF presents its first WCW match on Raw is War.

Today in Pro Wrestling History (July 2): WCW gets RAW

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WCW Champion Booker T defeated Buff Bagwell by disqualification to retain the title in what is a heavily-criticized match. Chants of’boring’ came from the crowd, and Vince McMahon, himself, was upset with the performance and the reception it received.

The slow, methodical match gave hardcore WWF fans the impression that this would be dominating their televisions for weeks to come. Only run-ins by Stone Cold Steve Austin and Kurt Angle managed to save the segment,which was supposed to be a huge startup for the Invasion angle.

We’ve done a deep dive on Buff Bagwell, you can read it here: Buff Bagwell: A Tumultuous Life in and Out of the Ring

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