Wrestling veteran Bully Ray has voiced his support for WWE’s decision to rename the NXT vs TNA premium live event from “Invasion” to “Showdown,” explaining why the original name never made sense from a storyline perspective.
Speaking on Busted Open After Dark, Ray questioned the logic behind calling it an invasion when the two brands have been collaborating for months. “I was scratching my head about the whole ‘Invasion’ name. Because how do you have an invasion when just a couple of months ago—maybe six months ago, however long—it’s been, these two brands have been working together?” he explained.
Ray emphasized that this situation differs significantly from past wrestling invasions. “This wasn’t like the ECW/WCW invasion of WWE back in the day. This wasn’t like any type of invasion storyline or angle we’re used to seeing. These are two brands that have gotten together, brand new relationship, and now things are starting to go a little bit wrong.”
The name change came after backlash over the original title’s negative connotations and its proximity to the anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attacks. Ray believes “Showdown” better captures the competitive nature of two collaborative brands whose relationship has turned contentious.
“So it’s no longer an invasion. It’s a showdown, which I think is a far better name for this upcoming PLE—Showdown instead of Invasion,” Ray concluded.