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Wrestlefreak

10th Anniversary of NWO Formation

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As mentioned in "This Week in Wrestling History" on this week's Raw, today marks 10 years since the creation of, in my opinion, the most important and influential faction in the industry- the New World Order. Wrestling fans came to terms with the most shocking heel turn ever- Hulk Hogan(arguably the biggest face in the history of wrestling) joining the Outsiders, intent on destroying WCW. IMO, Hogan went on to give a speech that would offer one of the fullest and well constructed explanations for a heel turn ever given(a rarity in wrestling!). The NWO began to completely dominate the roster, adding new members along the way. They became one of the most popular factions ever, with their cool persona and bad attitude. However, the group ran for too long, and by the end many fans just didn't care anymore. It is debatable at which point exactly this happened(IMO, it was after the NWO Wolfpac vs NWO Hollywood angle, but some say it was as early as when they added a fourth member).

 

Anyway, the reason I started this thread was so we could discuss the good/bad points of the NWO and your opinions on its impact and legacy. I would also be interested to know if you watched the PPV live(I wish I could have) and if so, what was going through your mind as it was going on? Oh, and also nominate your choice for the most mismatched member of the NWO(anyone who really didn't fit in- Bret Hart is a good example)

 

Thoughts?

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10 years? Man I feel old

 

the nWo thing got overdone when they let just about ANYONE join (Bryan Addams? hello?) instead of being an elite squad, it watered down the concept so bad and then it turned into a Red Vs White war that frankly should have been the death knell of the group.

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Guest TheGameah

Hard to imagine it has been 10 years since the nWo's not-so-humble beginnings. No question that the gimmick got watered down when it seemed like half of WCW's roster were members, but when the nWo worked, it worked really well.

 

For me, the beginning of the end for the group came when the nWo Wolfpac started adding members like Luger and Sting--guys who had feuded with the nWo for years, yet for no explicable reason joined up with the nWo "Facesquad".

 

In fact, in general I had a huge issue--even while I was marking at the time--with members joining up for no reason. At least use the excuse that you want to hide behind power in numbers or something. Don't just have Booker T join up to get the free door prize and the snazzy shirt!

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The original NWO is what really started the Attitude era in wrestling. The fact that WCW's ratings went up during this time showed that fans like more down-to-earth characters with realistic personalities instead of wrestling pig farmers and whatnot. Along with the revolutionizing of cruiserweight wrestling, the NWO was WCW's greatest contribution to the sport.

 

I know a lot of people don't like the cheapening of the NWO as time went along, but it was so hot WCW had no choice but to milk it as much as they could. And, hey, I liked the Wolfpac, so shut up. The real death blow to the NWO was the fingerpoke match where all the over wrestlers from B/W and Wolfpac united, leaving the original B/W sect with nothing but unover, talentless jobbers.

 

On a less important note, today is also the one year anniversary of Hassan's terrorist attack that led to him quitting wrestling.

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And, hey, I liked the Wolfpac, so shut up. The real death blow to the NWO was the fingerpoke match where all the over wrestlers from B/W and Wolfpac united, leaving the original B/W sect with nothing but unover, talentless jobbers.

 

Exactly. I liked the Wolfpac too. I totally agree that the fingerpoke incident was the true killer of the NWO. The NWO Wolfpac vs NWO Hollywood angle wasn't the killer, it was actually a pretty decent feud. Putting them back together after fueding(and devaluing the championship in the process) was the real mistake.

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I was going to start this topic but someone beat me to it. Imo, this was the greatest wrestling angle ever. You just had no idea what to expect during the first 6 months of the nwo angle. Hogan was the last person anyone expected to be the 3rd guy. Basically anyone other than hogan could have been expected and looking back on it, anyone other than hogan wouldn't have worked. I didn't have the internet at the time so I thought it was going to be bret hart. Anyone else want to share who you thought was going to be the 3rd guy ?

 

Btw, I did watch this ppv live and I don't think it would of had the same effect if I saw it at a later time.

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Guest TheGameah

Slightly off-topic, but I don't suppose anyone knows of any sites that still sell the classic black and white nWo shirt? I tossed my ragged old shirt a year or so ago and would love to get another one soon.

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I can't really believe that its been 10 years already. Man I was 12 when the angle first started...wow.

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The NWO was the single most important angle in the history of wrestling. The 3 or 4 years before 1996 are the worst that wrestling has to offer. Sure, there were a few memorable matches/angles and some really good workers, but 90% of the gimmicks were embarrassing.

 

I hate when those douche bags bow when Vince makes an on screen appearance, as if he's the reason wrestling exists. Most of the embarrassing shit from the mid 90's was put out by that dumb ass. Eric Bischoff, or who ever was the master mind behind the NWO angle, is the true saviour of professional wrestling. That angle brought back the interest of the casual viewer, who eventually tuned into RAW for the Austin/Vince angle. If the NWO never happens, the late 90's boom never happens.

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The NWO was the single most important angle in the history of wrestling. The 3 or 4 years before 1996 are the worst that wrestling has to offer. Sure, there were a few memorable matches/angles and some really good workers, but 90% of the gimmicks were embarrassing.

 

I hate when those douche bags bow when Vince makes an on screen appearance, as if he's the reason wrestling exists. Most of the embarrassing shit from the mid 90's was put out by that dumb ass. Eric Bischoff, or who ever was the master mind behind the NWO angle, is the true saviour of professional wrestling. That angle brought back the interest of the casual viewer, who eventually tuned into RAW for the Austin/Vince angle. If the NWO never happens, the late 90's boom never happens.

 

Well, I heard that Terry Taylor is the guy who bought the NWO concept to Bischoff.

 

I was going to start this topic but someone beat me to it. Imo, this was the greatest wrestling angle ever. You just had no idea what to expect during the first 6 months of the nwo angle. Hogan was the last person anyone expected to be the 3rd guy. Basically anyone other than hogan could have been expected and looking back on it, anyone other than hogan wouldn't have worked. I didn't have the internet at the time so I thought it was going to be bret hart. Anyone else want to share who you thought was going to be the 3rd guy ?

 

Btw, I did watch this ppv live and I don't think it would of had the same effect if I saw it at a later time.

 

I heard Bret Hart and Bulldog had a chance of becoming the third member instead of Hogan. I doubt it would of had the same impact.

 

I remember watching this ppv LIVE on scramble ppv(those were the days) and the picture was damn near clear for the whole show. Even when they played the replay on Tuesday, it was clear and you can see everything.

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Well, was it ever truly figured out (by someone credible like Dave Meltzer) who actually invented the nWo? I mean, it's been taken credit for by everyone. List of people I've heard who came up with it:

 

- Eric Bischoff

- Kevin Nash and Scott Hall

- Dusty Rhodes

- Paul Orndorff

- Diamond Dallas Page

- Terry Taylor

 

I'm probably forgetting a few, but it seems like everyone has taken credit for it over the years.

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I heard Bret Hart and Bulldog had a chance of becoming the third member instead of Hogan. I doubt it would of had the same impact.

 

If it was the Bulldog, the NWO wouldn't have a thread commemorating its greatness. It would be listed next to the invasion and NB vs. Millionaire Club feud in a thread about storylines that could've been excellent, but flopped misearbly. Hart would've been ok, but he was really only on par with Nash in terms of status. If you're going to build up the suspense, it has to be someone who's going to be bigger than the two you've already seen. The Hogan turn was perfect on so many levels (arguably the best heel turn in wrestling history), and that's why the NWO took off.

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Well, was it ever truly figured out (by someone credible like Dave Meltzer) who actually invented the nWo? I mean, it's been taken credit for by everyone. List of people I've heard who came up with it:

 

- Eric Bischoff

- Kevin Nash and Scott Hall

- Dusty Rhodes

- Paul Orndorff

- Diamond Dallas Page

- Terry Taylor

 

I'm probably forgetting a few, but it seems like everyone has taken credit for it over the years.

 

 

Nova invented the nWo

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Didn't Bischoff steal/get the idea from Japan? I remember that being a point of contention, that he didn't invent the concept of the gang wars in wrestling as was claimed.

 

Maybe I'm mistaken.

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I've read that as well NJPW had both faction wars and an invasion angle before the nWo

 

I want to say something along the lines of "Ishigun/Shegun" faction war (names may be off) and NJPW VS UWFI (again UWFI may be the wrong name) for the invasion angle

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My recollection was that he was at a New Japan show during the UWFi invasion and got the basic idea for the nWo when he saw the heat and passion of the angle. I think the stuff was booked by Sullivan and Taylor.

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Didn't Bischoff steal/get the idea from Japan? I remember that being a point of contention, that he didn't invent the concept of the gang wars in wrestling as was claimed.

 

Maybe I'm mistaken.

You are correct. Bischoff was at the Dome for the New Japan vs. UWF-I feud, saw the heat was off the charts, and he got the idea for the invasion angle from that.

 

Here is a question for everyone. Is this the best angle of all time ?

 

Short term? Yes. Long term? No.

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The nWo was great. This was the real highlight of when it was cool to cheer the bad guys. The only problems were the Fingerpoke / both nWos re-uniting (did they even bother kayfabe explaining why that happened?) and that was never a blow-off where WCW finally defeated them for good. A rematch in WarGames would have done justice IMO.

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The nWo was great. This was the real highlight of when it was cool to cheer the bad guys. The only problems were the Fingerpoke / both nWos re-uniting (did they even bother kayfabe explaining why that happened?) and that was never a blow-off where WCW finally defeated them for good. A rematch in WarGames would have done justice IMO.

yea thats it in a nutshell

 

actually this does make me feel old. what makes it weirder is the fact that my grandfather died a month after the hogan turn so I can't believe it has been that long. Plus it happened in the summer before my freshman year of HS.

 

this was a great angle. It had me hooked from the moment Hall showed up on Nitro. (I knew Hall was leaving WWF since i had read it in a magazine, plus it was obvious since he dissapeared from WWF tv after the April PPV.

 

I figured Nash would be next and he was. I have said it before, but I thought the third man would be Sid since he dissapeared from the WWF after that Raw Bowl on new years.

 

I kinda hated the nWo since they were the bad guys after all and I was still quite markish even at age 13. I wanted to cheer for Nash and Hall since I liked them in the wwf (hey I was a big Diesel mark during his face title run)

 

 

the angle was fine, but IMO would have best be ended with Sting beating Hogan cleanly at Starrcade 97. That should have started the end of the nWo and they kind of did that with the nwo faction war, which was fine for what it was since the wolfpac was way over with the wcw fans.

 

No real blowoff to the angle and later rehashes (like nWo 2000 with Bret leading it) in both wcw and wwe kinda ruined its legacy, but no doubt we will be talking about this for a LONG time to come.

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Yeah, I think nWo 2000 was the proverbial 'jumping of the shark'. There was no real reason as such to have Hart, Hall, Jarrett and Nash (and later Steiner and The Harris Twins) go under the nWo moniker. Other than for merchandise, etc. of course. At least the red and black 'elite' version that faded away in 1999 was still connected to the original group, lineage-wise.

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