WWE has officially changed the name of its upcoming TNA vs. NXT special event from “Invasion” to “Showdown.” The change comes after the original name reportedly received a negative response in Israel, particularly due to the event’s scheduled date of October 7. On September 30, WWE filed a trademark for the term “Showdown” for entertainment services, and the new name is now being used to promote the cross-promotional show. The event, which will be a special episode of NXT, marks the culmination of the recent invasion angle that has seen the stars of TNA and NXT take part in a series of brawls and confrontations.
The “Invasion” name and the October 7 date reportedly drew criticism due to the sensitive timing and the historical connotations of the word. According to a report from Sky News Arabia, the combination of the date and the “Invasion” title was met with a negative response, leading WWE to make the change. The new name, “Showdown,” maintains the confrontational theme of the event while avoiding the controversial implications of the original title. The trademark filing for “Showdown” covers a wide range of wrestling-related entertainment services, indicating that it could be a name WWE uses for future special events as well.
The card for the newly-named “Showdown” special is already stacked with a series of inter-promotional matches. The show will be headlined by two 5-on-5 elimination matches, pitting teams of NXT and TNA stars against each other. The men’s match will see Team NXT, consisting of Ricky Starks, Trick Williams, Myles Borne, and Je’Von Evans, take on Team TNA’s Mike Santana, Frankie Kazarian, Moose, and Leon Slater. The women’s match will feature Team NXT’s Jacy Jayne, Sol Ruca, Jaida Parker, and Lola Vice against Team TNA’s Kelani Jordan, The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay), and Mara Sade.
In addition to the elimination matches, the show will also feature a “title for title” unification match, as the NXT Tag Team Champions, DarkState, will face the TNA World Tag Team Champions, The Hardy Boyz. The winner of that match will hold both sets of championships.
The NXT North American Championship will also be on the line, as the champion, Ethan Page, is set to defend his title against TNA’s Mustafa Ali.
