Lance Storm opens up on the pressure of being the first WCW star to invade WWE
Fans, unfortunately, remember the WCW Invasion angle from 2001 as one of the most underwhelming storylines in WWE history.
WWE purchased WCW and signed several wrestlers from the defunct company. Lance Storm was the very first WCW star to invade WWE TV at the end of May 2001, and the former star recently revealed the circumstances surrounding his WWE debut during an appearance on the It's My House podcast.
Lance Storm recalled being informed on the last WCW Nitro episode that the talent would get an opportunity in the WWE. The Canadian legend was contacted by WWE and assured that he would be employed in due time.
Lance Storm revealed that he wasn't aware of his first WWE appearance until two hours before it happened. Storm was told to go to the RAW show in Calgary for a meeting with Jim Ross (Head of Talent Relations), and much to his surprise, the company ended up booking him on the episode.
"Well, it was weird because you never really knew what everything was going to be until it happened. So you never really had a chance to think about how we had the last Nitro where we were told we'd all be given an opportunity. And then, along the way, I'm contacted and told that I'm one of the guys that are going to be employed moving forward. So it's like, great. And then the kickoff of the Invasion, if you will, in Calgary - I was told I'm just coming down to meet Jim Ross because they were flying all the talent to Connecticut to, you know, do your initiation orientation type of thing. And I just got the call from Johnny, John Laurinaitis.
I was told we're going to be in Calgary in a week there's no point in flying you all the way to Connecticut just to sit down and have a two-hour meeting with Jim Ross; just go to Raw, and you'll have a sit down with him at some point during the day. Then an hour or two before the show starts. I'm told I'm on the show," recalled Lance Storm.
I was very nervous: Lance Storm about the reaction to his WWE debut
Lance Storm admitted he was nervous about the crowd's reaction heading into the show. The former Intercontinental Champion wasn't even sure whether the WWE fanbase would recognize him amidst a lot of buzz regarding the Stings and Flairs coming over to WWE.
Despite rumors floating around at the time, most of the main event stars from WCW didn't show up until the Invasion angle concluded. Lance Storm stated that while there was speculation about the big-name signings, fans didn't know who to expect to walk through the curtains.
Lance Storm said that he and other wrestlers brought in from WCW were just trying to give their best during a crucial phase in wrestling
"So it's like with the Invasion, I run in, I remember at the time I was very nervous that the crowd would even recognise me in that brief moment because there isn't going to be the music on the Tron where they go hey that's Lance recognizes from Calgary, It's just, I'm going to run in kick them and run out, I'm like are they even going to recognise me.
There's no time to think abourumorsing, and I didn't know for sure if they had the Flairs and the Stings and so forth you know, you'd read rumours and reports, but it's like, it's not like the company's telling us that these are the 15 people we've hired these are the people we have. So we're really just as talent flying by the seat of our pants, just trying to do the best you can with what you're given," added Storm. H/t It's My House Podcast
While the Invasion angle was a prominent topic, Lance Storm also shared his thoughts on Karrion Kross' RAW loss and Bruce Prichard's recent comments about him during his recent podcast appearance.