I was skimming through this episode on the Network this morning. It's still mind-boggling to this day just how many MONTHS of angles they blew through in 120 minutes all because of the bad reaction to Booker T vs. Buff Bagwell the previous week.
On the Smackdown the previous Thursday, the WCW guys (led by Diamond Dallas Page) jumped the Undertaker in the parking lot. WCW owner Shane McMahon stepped in to stop it and got beat up by his own employees. WCW champion Booker T stepped in and also got beat up by the rest of the WCW guys. WCW had been portrayed as a mix of heels & faces wanting to make their mark up to this point while Shane was a complete face. Vince was still playing the evil WWE boss & evil father roles.
- Fast forward to Raw (being hosted in the hometown of OG WCW -- Atlanta, GA), the very first segment is a street fight between Shane and DDP. Undertaker comes out before DDP's entrance, says he's going to fight DDP and tells Shane to step aside. DDP & Undertaker fight for about a minute and then Shane jumps in and hits Undertaker with a kendo stick while DDP gives Undertaker a few chair shots. This leads to Sara (Undertaker's wife at the time) getting involved, who beats Shane with the kendo stick before catching a Diamond Cutter from DDP.
- APA defeat the Dudley Boyz to win the WWF tag team titles after Spike Dudley interferes.
- Albert successfully defends the IC title against Rhyno.
- Big Show squashes Jeff Hardy. Trish Stratus walks out during the match and kisses Jeff after he loses.
- In the middle of the show is Booker T vs. Kurt Angle for the WCW title. Booker T is apparently a heel by default now because Shane comes out with him. Shane interferes, Nick Patrick pays the role of crooked WCW ref ignoring Booker tapping to the ankle lock & being down for a 3-count after the Angle slam, fukkery ensues when WWF ref Earl Hebner runs down to spear Nick Patrick and they start brawling outside the ring. Booker retains with a belt shot as WCW ref Charles Robinson runs out and counts the pin.
- Next up is another WWF vs. WCW match: Chris Jericho & Kane vs. Lance Storm & Mike Awesome. Jericho & Kane win by DQ when ECW alums Tommy Dreamer & Rob Van Dam run out from the crowd to interfere. JR says it's 2 WCW guys and 2 ECW guys vs. 2 WWF guys. Rhyno, Justin Credible, Raven, Tazz, and the Dudley Boyz run down to even the odds and help save the WWF guys. Then they all turn around and everyone starts beating down Jericho & Kane some more. Paul Heyman, who had recently replaced Jerry Lawler on commentary, drops his headset, gets into the ring and cuts a promo saying that with everyone talking about WWF vs WCW, everyone has forgotten ECW. He announces Storm & Awesome have quit WCW and that Rhyno, Raven, Credible, Tazz and the Dudleyz have quit the WWF. He challenges Shane's WCW and Vince's WWF and says the invasion has been taken to the extreme.
- Backstage, Shane & Vince decide to join their WCW & WWF forces to deal with Paul Heyman & ECW TONIGHT in a 20-man tag match.
- X-Pac retains the WWF light heavyweight title against Scotty 2 Hotty.
- MAIN EVENT: Team ECW (Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, Mike Awesome, Raven, Rhyno, Rob Van Dam, Tazz & Tommy Dreamer) vs. Team WWF (Billy Gunn, Bradshaw, Faarooq, Hardcore Holly & The Big Show) & Team WCW (Chris Kanyon, Chuck Palumbo, Mark Jindrak, Sean O'Haire & Shawn Stasiak)
The WWF & WCW guys can't get along and get into a fight, WWF clears the ring, leaving the 5 WWF guys standing alone against the 10 ECW guys. ECW whips WWF's ass, then the WCW guys step back in and get in the face of the ECW guys... then they all start hugging and high-fiving each other. Shane McMahon and Paul Heyman hug as 15 WCW & ECW wrestlers beat down 5 WWF wrestlers.
Vince walks out asking WTF. Shane says that he and Heyman have been working together all along and that WCW & ECW have formed an alliance. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE... Shane then announces the NEW owner of ECW... Stephanie McMahon.
Vince goes into a state of shock. Shane & Stephanie celebrate as Heyman laughs in the background.
END SHOW.
===================
To sum it up for this one episode: Shane swerves and turns heel, ECW shows up to challenge WCW & WWF, WCW swerves and teams up with ECW, Stephanie buys ECW.
It's just crazy to me how much they threw out there in one episode. I remember watching the episode live and having the
face most of the time, but then feeling we were robbed of some great storylines and interesting match ups that could've easily been stretched out for a whole year. How do you buy your competitor, blow an invasion angle, then buy ANOTHER competitor and blow it again? 
This is the time frame that Vince truly began to lose it and start letting his ego stand in the way of making money and giving fans something enjoyable and memorable.
On the Smackdown the previous Thursday, the WCW guys (led by Diamond Dallas Page) jumped the Undertaker in the parking lot. WCW owner Shane McMahon stepped in to stop it and got beat up by his own employees. WCW champion Booker T stepped in and also got beat up by the rest of the WCW guys. WCW had been portrayed as a mix of heels & faces wanting to make their mark up to this point while Shane was a complete face. Vince was still playing the evil WWE boss & evil father roles.
- Fast forward to Raw (being hosted in the hometown of OG WCW -- Atlanta, GA), the very first segment is a street fight between Shane and DDP. Undertaker comes out before DDP's entrance, says he's going to fight DDP and tells Shane to step aside. DDP & Undertaker fight for about a minute and then Shane jumps in and hits Undertaker with a kendo stick while DDP gives Undertaker a few chair shots. This leads to Sara (Undertaker's wife at the time) getting involved, who beats Shane with the kendo stick before catching a Diamond Cutter from DDP.
- APA defeat the Dudley Boyz to win the WWF tag team titles after Spike Dudley interferes.
- Albert successfully defends the IC title against Rhyno.
- Big Show squashes Jeff Hardy. Trish Stratus walks out during the match and kisses Jeff after he loses.
- In the middle of the show is Booker T vs. Kurt Angle for the WCW title. Booker T is apparently a heel by default now because Shane comes out with him. Shane interferes, Nick Patrick pays the role of crooked WCW ref ignoring Booker tapping to the ankle lock & being down for a 3-count after the Angle slam, fukkery ensues when WWF ref Earl Hebner runs down to spear Nick Patrick and they start brawling outside the ring. Booker retains with a belt shot as WCW ref Charles Robinson runs out and counts the pin.
- Next up is another WWF vs. WCW match: Chris Jericho & Kane vs. Lance Storm & Mike Awesome. Jericho & Kane win by DQ when ECW alums Tommy Dreamer & Rob Van Dam run out from the crowd to interfere. JR says it's 2 WCW guys and 2 ECW guys vs. 2 WWF guys. Rhyno, Justin Credible, Raven, Tazz, and the Dudley Boyz run down to even the odds and help save the WWF guys. Then they all turn around and everyone starts beating down Jericho & Kane some more. Paul Heyman, who had recently replaced Jerry Lawler on commentary, drops his headset, gets into the ring and cuts a promo saying that with everyone talking about WWF vs WCW, everyone has forgotten ECW. He announces Storm & Awesome have quit WCW and that Rhyno, Raven, Credible, Tazz and the Dudleyz have quit the WWF. He challenges Shane's WCW and Vince's WWF and says the invasion has been taken to the extreme.
- Backstage, Shane & Vince decide to join their WCW & WWF forces to deal with Paul Heyman & ECW TONIGHT in a 20-man tag match.
- X-Pac retains the WWF light heavyweight title against Scotty 2 Hotty.
- MAIN EVENT: Team ECW (Bubba Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, Justin Credible, Lance Storm, Mike Awesome, Raven, Rhyno, Rob Van Dam, Tazz & Tommy Dreamer) vs. Team WWF (Billy Gunn, Bradshaw, Faarooq, Hardcore Holly & The Big Show) & Team WCW (Chris Kanyon, Chuck Palumbo, Mark Jindrak, Sean O'Haire & Shawn Stasiak)
The WWF & WCW guys can't get along and get into a fight, WWF clears the ring, leaving the 5 WWF guys standing alone against the 10 ECW guys. ECW whips WWF's ass, then the WCW guys step back in and get in the face of the ECW guys... then they all start hugging and high-fiving each other. Shane McMahon and Paul Heyman hug as 15 WCW & ECW wrestlers beat down 5 WWF wrestlers.
Vince walks out asking WTF. Shane says that he and Heyman have been working together all along and that WCW & ECW have formed an alliance. BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE... Shane then announces the NEW owner of ECW... Stephanie McMahon.
Vince goes into a state of shock. Shane & Stephanie celebrate as Heyman laughs in the background.
END SHOW.
===================
To sum it up for this one episode: Shane swerves and turns heel, ECW shows up to challenge WCW & WWF, WCW swerves and teams up with ECW, Stephanie buys ECW.
It's just crazy to me how much they threw out there in one episode. I remember watching the episode live and having the
face most of the time, but then feeling we were robbed of some great storylines and interesting match ups that could've easily been stretched out for a whole year. How do you buy your competitor, blow an invasion angle, then buy ANOTHER competitor and blow it again? This is the time frame that Vince truly began to lose it and start letting his ego stand in the way of making money and giving fans something enjoyable and memorable.
