Update on NXT Showdown Name Change, TNA President Carlos Silva Reacts – WWE has officially completed the legal process for the name change of its upcoming cross-promotional event with TNA Wrestling. The special, originally announced as NXT vs. TNA Invasion, is now titled NXT vs. TNA Showdown. The rebranding was confirmed during the September 30 episode of NXT on CW, where TNA Director of Authority Santino Marella explained that this collaboration is not an “invasion” but a “showdown” featuring the best talent from both promotions.
WWE had initially filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for “InVasion” on September 24. However, the company quickly reversed course, filing on September 30 to trademark “ShoWDown” instead. The decision came after reports of backlash surrounding the use of “Invasion” for the October 7 event, which falls on the second anniversary of the Hamas attacks on Israel.
Sky News Arabia reported that the timing and branding drew criticism from Israeli fans, who considered the name “insensitive.” The Jewish Chronicle echoed those sentiments, noting that while the scheduling could have been coincidental, WWE should have foreseen the negative response. Following the controversy, WWE removed all promotional material using “Invasion” and confirmed the new branding as Showdown.
TNA President Carlos Silva recently addressed the matter in an interview with WrestleZone. When asked if he had insight into WWE’s decision, Silva explained that he only knew what had circulated online but fully supported the rebranding.
“Only what I’ve read on social. You know, we probably all read the same thing on social. I think there was some thinking around what had happened over in Israel and Hamas, with the word ‘Invasion’ and that invasion that happened a year ago.
“So, that’s—I just read the same thing and I saw that we branded everything last night ‘Showdown.’ We all leaned into it in a positive way, supported TKO and WWE on that. It seems like a great name. It is a showdown between NXT and TNA. So it seemed like the right way to go.”
NXT vs. TNA Showdown takes place Tuesday, October 7, live from the WWE Performance Center, just days before TNA’s annual Bound For Glory event in Lowell, Massachusetts, on October 12.
Update on NXT Showdown Name Change, TNA President Carlos Silva Reacts
