The Inception was the first

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

event Event may refer to: Gatherings of people * Ceremony, an event of ritual significance, performed on a special occasion * Convention (meeting), a gathering of individuals engaged in some common interest * Event management, the organization of e ...

produced by

World Wrestling All-Stars World Wrestling All-Stars (WWA) was a professional wrestling promotion founded by Australian concert promoter Andrew McManus in 2001. The promotion was operated by McManus' International Touring Company. WWA was one of several promotions to come ...

(WWA). The event took place at the Sydney Super Dome in Sydney, Australia on October 26, 2001. The event was broadcast live on pay-per-view in Australia and via tape delay in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

on January 6, 2002. The event featured a Seven Deadly Sins tournament to crown a new

World Heavyweight Champion At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. During the 19th century many heavyweights were 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less, tho ...

after previous champion

Road Dogg Brian Girard James (born May 20, 1969) is an American professional wrestler currently signed with the WWE where he serves as the Senior Vice President of Live Events. James was best known for his initial tenure with World Wrestling Federation ( ...

was stripped of the title, so a new champion could be crowned.

Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...

defeated Road Dogg in a

Steel Cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

in the tournament final to win the vacant title. The event also featured a ladder match in the first round of the Seven Deadly Sins, in which Juventud Guerrera defeated

Psicosis Dionicio Castellanos Torres (born May 19, 1971) is a Mexican professional wrestler, better known by the ring names Psicosis (sometimes Anglicised as Psychosis) and Nicho el Millonario. He is best known for his appearances with the promotions Luc ...

to win the vacant International Cruiserweight Championship. Other featured matches on the

card Card or The Card may refer to: * Various types of plastic cards: **By type ***Magnetic stripe card *** Chip card *** Digital card **By function ***Payment card ****Credit card **** Debit card ****EC-card ****Identity card ****European Health Insur ...

were

Norman Smiley Norman Anthony Smiley (born February 28, 1965) is an English-American retired professional wrestler and vocalist specializing in Gregorian Chants. He is best known for his appearances with the Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre fro ...

versus Crowbar in a

Hardcore match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

and Gangrel versus

Luna Vachon Gertrude Elizabeth Vachon ( ; January 12, 1962 – August 27, 2010) was an American-Canadian professional wrestler, better known as Luna Vachon.Lisa S. Davis,Ex-wrestler Luna Vachon, 48, found dead", ''Tampa Bay Online'' (August 31, 2010). Over ...

in a Black Wedding match.

Production

Background

WWA was established in 2001 and the first tour of WWA was held in its native country Australia in October 2001 beginning from October 19 to October 27. The tour also included the company's first pay-per-view event Inception which took place on October 26.

Storylines

Inception featured

professional wrestling matches Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

that involved wrestlers from pre-existing

scripted ''Scripted'' is the debut studio album by American rock band Icon for Hire. It was released on Tooth & Nail Records on August 23, 2011, and went on to break the label's new artist record for albums sold during the first week of release. Back ...

feuds, plots, and storylines that played out on WWA shows. Wrestlers portrayed

heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

villains A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...

as they followed a series of events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. On October 23,

defeated

to become the inaugural WWA World Heavyweight Champion. On October 26, the title was vacated by the Commissioner

Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...

and put for grabs to be defended in the Seven Deadly Sins tournament at Inception. On October 19, Juventud Guerrera defeated

at WWA's first-ever show to become the inaugural WWA International Cruiserweight Champion. The title was vacated on October 23, so the title could be determined in a Ladder match at Inception. The ladder match was added in the quarter-final round of the Seven Deadly Sins tournament.

Event

Quarterfinals

The opening match of the event was a ladder match, in which Juventud Guerrera took on

for the vacant International Cruiserweight Championship. The match was a part of the quarter-final round of the Seven Deadly Sins tournament for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Near the end of the match, Guerrera dropped Psicosis from the top of the ladder by powerbombing him on the mat and then nailed a 450° splash on Psicosis and then retrieved the title belt by climbing the ladder to win the title and advance to the semi-final round of the tournament. Next,

competed against

Konnan Charles Ashenoff (born Carlos Santiago Espada Moises; January 6, 1964),''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'', Dave Meltzer, ed., May 10, 2010, issue.Sims, Steve"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame/Founded by Dave Meltzer - Konnan". Accessed August 1, 2016. O ...

in a

Dog Collar match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. Konnan nailed Dogg with a crowbar but Dogg countered it and hit Konnan with it and then grabbed him and touched all the four corners to win the match and advance to the next round. Next,

took on Crowbar in a non-tournament

hardcore match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. The two brawled with each other throughout the ringside area. Near the end of the match, Crowbar placed Smiley on a pair of tables on the stage and then climbed the video screen and dived onto Smiley driving him through the tables. Smiley then rolled over Crowbar for the win. Next, an open invitational

battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...

took place in the quarter-final of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament, where Commissioner

allowed all the employees of WWA to participate which included wrestlers and non-wrestlers. Buff Bagwell,

Disco Inferno "Disco Inferno" is a song by American disco band the Trammps from their 1976 fourth studio album of the same name. With two other cuts by the group, it reached No. 1 on the US ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart in early 1977, but had limit ...

, Norman Smiley and Crowbar participated while non-wrestlers including interviewer

Stevie Ray Lash Steven Huffman (born August 22, 1958) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Stevie Ray. Stevie Ray is best known for his seven-year tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) from 1993 to 200 ...

, commentators

Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Ap ...

and

Jeremy Borash Jeremy Borash (born July 19, 1974), is an American professional wrestling play-by-play commentator, announcer, ring announcer, booker, interviewer, and producer who is currently signed to WWE. He is known for his work in Impact Wrestling as ...

, referee

Mark "Slick" Johnson Mark Eric "Slick" Johnson is an American professional wrestling referee, best known for working for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). Career World Championship Wrestling Johnson gained national expos ...

, cameraman, other referee and a woman in gold dress also participated in the match, making it a hilarious match. Bagwell last eliminated Inferno after Inferno's security guards Lenny Lane and Lodi turned on him. As a result, Bagwell qualified for the semi-final round. The last match in the quarter-final round was a Guitar on a Pole match between Nathan Jones and

. Jones was managed by

Rove McManus John Henry Michael McManus (born 21 January 1974), better known by the stage name Rove McManus, is an Australian triple Gold Logie award-winning comedian, television and radio presenter, producer and media personality. He was the host of the e ...

for the match. Near the end of the match, Jones tried to retrieve the guitar but Jarrett hit a low blow to Jones and retrieved the guitar and then hit McManus with the guitar who tried to interfere. Jarrett then delivered a '' Stroke'' to Jones for the win.

Semifinals

The first semi-final match was scheduled to take place between Juventud Guerrera and Road Dogg but Guerrera sustained injuries during the ladder match and was thus unable to compete. Bret Hart then replaced Guerrera with Lenny Lane and Lodi, making it a

three-way match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

. Dogg delivered a '' Shaky Knee Drop'' to both men for the win. The next semi-final featured Buff Bagwell against Jeff Jarrett, where Bagwell was allowed to pick the match stipulation. He chose Tits, Whips, and Buff match featuring several women present at ringside acting as his lumberjills. Near the end of the match, Bagwell nailed a '' Buff Blockbuster'' to Jarrett and one of the lumberjills counted the pinfall but the referee who had left the ring to engage himself with the lumberjills did not allow the pinfall. This allowed Jarrett to hit a ''Stroke'' to Bagwell for the win. Later,

took on Vampire Warrior in a Black Wedding match. Warrior avoided fighting Vachon but she continued to attack him which led to Warrior nailing an '' Impaler'' to Vachon for the win. The penultimate match was a non-televised Skin to Win match, which Adara James won. The match also featured Danny Dominion competing in drag as Sharon A. Wad.

Final

The tournament final for the World Heavyweight Championship was a

steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...

between Road Dogg and Jeff Jarrett. Two referees were knocked out during the course of the match. Near the end of the match, Dogg snatched the title belt away from Bret Hart and attempted to hit Jarrett with it but Jarrett avoided it and hit a ''Stroke'' and Hart counted the pinfall, resulting in Jarrett winning the title. After the match, Jarrett tried to hit Hart with the title belt but Hart countered by applying a

Sharpshooter A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century combat. Along with " marksman" and "expert", "sharpshooter" ...

on Jarrett.

Reception

Scott Keith of ''411Mania'' praised the event, considering it a positive effort by WWA to produce a good pay-per-view event. He considered ''Inception'' to be "a solid first effort from someone other than the WWF featuring a totally different style of wrestling with guys who are well above the green indy worker level and well below the age of hasbeens." He further added "this is a breath of fresh air in a stale PPV market with three really good matches justifying the price and solid entertainment all around." ''Crazy Max'' staff criticized the event citing "insane booking and whacky finishes" but praised the International Cruiserweight Championship ladder match and the open invitational battle royal.

Aftermath

WWA held its next tour in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

starting from November 27 to December 11 and several matches from Inception evolved into rivalries that continued into the live events in the United Kingdom tour. Jeff Jarrett continued to defend the WWA World Heavyweight Championship against Road Dogg in the house show circuit.

Brian Christopher Brian Christopher Lawler (January 10, 1972 – July 29, 2018) was an American professional wrestler. He is best remembered for his career in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), where he performed as "Too Sexy" Brian Christopher and Grand ...

and Road Dogg defeated Jarrett and

Scott Steiner Scott Rechsteiner (born July 29, 1962), better known by the ring name Scott Steiner, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Steiner is perhaps best known for his time in World Championshi ...

in tag team matches on December 3 and December 5 due to Christopher pinning Jarrett.

Randy Savage Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestl ...

was originally scheduled to be Jarrett's challenger at the next pay-per-view The Revolution but backed out of the event and Christopher was announced as his replacement on the account of his pinfall victories over Jarrett. Juventud Guerrera and Psicosis continued their feud for the International Cruiserweight Championship. Guerrera successfully defended the title against Psicosis in rematches until Psicosis beat Guerrera for the title on December 8. At The Revolution, Psicosis defended the title against Guerrera and

Eddie Guerrero Eduardo Gory Guerrero Llanes (October 9, 1967 – November 13, 2005) was an American professional wrestler. He was a prominent member of the Guerrero wrestling family, being the son of first-generation wrestler Gory Guerrero. Eddie Guerrero i ...

in a

, which Guerrero won to become the champion. Gangrel defeated Luna Vachon in several Black Wedding rematches throughout the United Kingdom tour. Norman Smiley and Crowbar continued their feud as the two exchanged wins in Tables matches throughout the United Kingdom tour.

Results

Seven Deadly Sins tournament bracket

*Juventud Guerrera was unable to compete after his Ladder match. The team of Lenny Lane and Lodi (The West Hollywood Blondes) were chosen to replace him.

References

External links

The Inception results at Pro Wrestling History
{{Professional wrestling in Australia 2001 in professional wrestling October 2001 events in Australia 2001 in Australia World Wrestling All-Stars events Professional wrestling in Australia Events in Sydney