WWE changing name of upcoming NXT vs. TNA TV episode
Image: WWE
Next Tuesday’s WWE NXT vs. TNA themed show on The CW is no longer named Invasion and will now go by Showdown, according to WrestleVotes.
The reason was backlash to the name that emerged from Israeli fans due to the date: October 7 which is the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks in southern Israel that killed 1200 people and began the current war in Gaza. Some also reportedly took umbrage with the logo used: a red letter V as it “unintentionally resembles the downward-facing red triangle used as a Hamas symbol.”
The name and logo were the same used during the WWE vs. WCW pay-per-view Invasion from 2001. References to the old name have disappeared from both the WWE and TNA websites with social media posts using the name also having disappeared. As of this writing, the show is being referred to as “next week’s special event.”
Next Tuesday will feature wrestlers from NXT and TNA going head-to-head as part of an angle that has been playing out for several weeks.
Since 2011, Josh has been a contributing editor to Wrestling Observer/F4WOnline.com and also hosts the Punch-Out podcast. He has also written for Fight Magazine, Bloody Elbow, Bleacher Report, and other websites. He's a 2000 graduate of the University of Maine, worked in pro sports, and once was an indie ring announcer.