In the world of professional wrestling, nothing quite captures the imagination of fans like good wrestling crossovers. When wrestlers from one promotion appear in another, it challenges the perceived boundaries of the wrestling world and sends fans into a frenzy of excitement and speculation. Here are some of the most jaw-dropping crossovers in wrestling history.
Wrestling Crossovers That Shocked the Fans
- The Outsiders (Scott Hall & Kevin Nash) in WCW (1996)
- Background: Formerly Razor Ramon and Diesel in WWF, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash’s unexpected appearance on WCW television was one of the most shocking moments in wrestling history.
- Impact: This led to the formation of the nWo, a faction that would change the course of professional wrestling during the Monday Night Wars.
- ECW Invasion of WWF (1997)
- Background: In a shocking episode of Raw, wrestlers from Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) appeared and took over segments of the show.
- Impact: This partnership gave ECW significant mainstream exposure and hinted at the Attitude Era’s boundary-pushing nature.
- The Radicalz Debut in WWF (2000)
- Background: After leaving WCW, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn appeared on WWF television as The Radicalz.
- Impact: This shifted the balance of talent between the two biggest promotions during the Monday Night Wars, and these wrestlers would go on to have successful careers in WWF/WWE.
- Sting’s WWE Debut (2014)
- Background: For decades, Sting was the one major wrestling star who had never competed in WWE. When he finally made his debut at Survivor Series, fans were ecstatic.
- Impact: Sting’s presence led to marquee matches at WrestleMania and further solidified his legendary status in the industry.
- AJ Styles’ WWE Royal Rumble Debut (2016)
- Background: Widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, AJ Styles had competed everywhere except WWE. His unexpected entry at the Royal Rumble sent shockwaves through the wrestling community.
- Impact: Styles quickly became one of WWE’s top stars, proving his worth on the biggest wrestling stage.
- Chris Jericho’s Appearance in NJPW (2017)
- Background: After being synonymous with WWE for years, Jericho’s surprise challenge to Kenny Omega for a match at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in NJPW was a huge talking point.
- Impact: The crossover brought many new eyes to New Japan Pro Wrestling and showcased the potential of inter-promotional feuds in the modern era.
- KENTA’s Appearance on AEW Dynamite (2021)
- Background: Representing NJPW, KENTA shocked fans by appearing on AEW Dynamite to confront Jon Moxley.
- Impact: This hinted at a working relationship between AEW and NJPW, exciting fans at the prospect of more crossovers between the two promotions.
Crossovers exemplify the unpredictable and theatrical nature of professional wrestling. They blur the lines between reality and fiction, as real-world contracts and loyalties come into play. As the wrestling world continues to evolve and promotions become more open to collaboration, fans can surely anticipate more groundbreaking crossovers in the future.
