August 13, 2001 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: WWF Invasion PPV does big business, more

It’s amazing how quickly things change, and realizing that, it has to be recognized just how quickly they can change again.

The Invasion PPV on 7/22 in Cleveland, based on preliminary reports, looks to have done a 1.6 buy rate. With the ever-expanding PPV universe, it would be 750,000 buys, making it, if these numbers hold up, the fourth most purchased pro wrestling PPV in history, trailing only the past three Wrestlemanias. SummerSlam, which is being far more heavily promoted within the cable industry because of the belief the return of the Rock (who did both his first TV appearance and match on Raw the past two weeks) will lead to another large number. It’s pretty clear the Invasion number was drawn both based on the interpromotional aspect, this being the first big event, as well as the tease of the return of the old Stone Cold, which no matter what TV and movie executives think of Rock, it is Austin, well at least the old Austin, who has always been the bigger PPV draw.

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