The history of the new World
order.
From the Original group to how they made the two new
World
orders From the Black and White to the Black and Red
At Bash at
the Beach '96, the New World Order changed wrestling forever. The Outsiders
Kevin Nash and Scott Hall united with Hollywood Hogan and undoubtedly formed the
most intimidating triad in the sport's history. Their mission was simple:
Collect the most formidable wrestlers in the world. Take over World Championship
Wrestling. Enemies and allies tried to unite against this alien and powerful
threat, but the nWo's solidarity and brilliant strategy proved to be too much.
It was only a matter of weeks before Hogan and the Outsiders captured both the
World Heavyweight and Tag Team Titles, respectively, and began expanding their
wrestling empire. While fans were stunned at the arrivals of Ted DiBiase, Vince
and Sean Waltman, they still weren't prepared for the nWo's next big coup the
succession of the only name that rivaled Hogan's power and reputation. Eric
Bischoff. Ousted and exposed by the recently returned Roddy Piper, it quickly
became apparent that the WCW President had helped Hogan and the nWo orchestrate
their takeover. After Bischoff's arrival, the nWo continued to expand at a rapid
rate. The first exodus of wrestlers, including Marcus Bagwell, Scott Norton and
Ray Traylor joined when Bischoff threatened to cancel all existing contracts.
But that was only the beginning. After being pummeled by the organization for
months, Randy Savage finally succumbed to the group's dark power. Giant a Hogan
fan since childhood followed the lures of wealth and lifestyle. Even referee
Nick Patrick became consumed with the possibilities and betrayed his oath as an
official to taste the fast lifestyle. There was one man, however, who did manage
to resist the nWo's overwhelming presence despite his newfound respect for black
and white attire. A few months after the nWo's inception, Hogan and the
Outsiders realized that overcoming WCW would involve the assimilation or
destruction of the promotion's franchise player Sting. An insidious plot was
devised, where a Sting look-alike (a remarkable double named Jeff Farmer) would
discredit the former World Champion's reputation. The plan worked phenomenally
and even Lex Luger turned away from his most trusted friend. The once colorful
and vociferous superstar finally snapped at WCW's Wargames pay-per-view. Under
the suspicion of the entire wrestling world, Sting left Team WCW, mid-match only
to have his reputation re-established when the nWo Sting made an appearance.
Sting disappeared, but would soon return armed with silence, vengeance and a
big, black
bat.
After a
long hiatus, Sting's first few appearances took place in the rafters, and
wrestling fans wondered if his black and white face paint and attire meant he'd
joined the dangerous fringe group. His actions only provided more questions. A
confrontation with Rick Steiner, appearances in the presence of the nWo. But
soon Sting's actions and his home run swing made his hatred of the nWo all too
clear. Perhaps, Sting wasn't fighting for WCW, but he wanted to destroy those
who wished the promotion harm. For a long time, it seemed like Sting's new
disposition had made him invincible. Whether he was repelling from the ceiling,
hiding under the ring or just running from the dressing room, Sting would handle
as many as a dozen nWo members at once. It became the distraction that always
seemed to diffuse the nWo's master plans. While the nWo recruited Curt Hennig
and battled Diamond Dallas Page, Lex Luger, the Steiner brothers and the Four
Horsemen, the black and white avenger kept things from getting out of control.
All the while, a rookie named Goldberg was training and working his way through
the ranks. As Starrcade approached, Sting finally made his true motives clear a
shot at World Heavyweight Champion Hollywood Hogan. Besides taking the one thing
that mattered to Hogan, Sting knew that Such a victory could mark the beginning
of the end for the black and white organization. As long as Hogan had the belt,
the nWo would be symbolically in control of WCW. It was finally time for the
group's tyranny to end. Hogan avoided the match, but since Bischoff had lost
control of the WCW (due to a decision from Turner Sport's head Harvey Schiller),
the contest seemed inevitable. The group made dozens of attempts to retire Sting
from wrestling, but to no avail. nWo reached into its coffers again and decided
to reinforce its forces with another gargantuan superstar Bret
Hart.
Before
Starrcade, Hart's allegiance was never quite established, but the buzz was
enough to bring the nWo to the next level. If Sting could not win the belt from
Hogan, the promotion would surely be lost to this cancerous alliance.
Surprisingly, Hogan chose to fight Sting alone at first, but when Sting came
closer to victory, the nWo forces made their move. So did Hart. What followed
was one of the most controversial decisions in the history of the sport. After
the appointed official was knocked out, nWo referee Patrick came to the ring.
After Hogan's trademark leg drop, Patrick delivered a 3-count. Enter the Hitman.
Hart claimed the count was fast the Hitman had just experienced a similar
situation with his past employer, although many witnesses actually felt Patrick
hadn't erred. Hart restarted the match, and Sting proceeded to win the title.
The bizarre event led to a rematch, which ended in an almost identical fashion.
Sting was the champion, but the odd circumstances didn't provide a conclusive
enough ending. The nWo would survive, and Hogan would eventually regain his
coveted title. But the loss did engender doubt and dissension within the group
especially between The Outsiders and Hogan-Bischoff. Nash felt that Hogan's ego
had gotten out of control and realized that the international star was using its
members as a vehicle for his own personal fame. nWo members Konnan and Randy
Savage had come to similar conclusions. While Hogan with bodyguard The Disciple
and Bischoff fought to quiet its detractors and keep the organization together,
a far more immediate threat had developed in the shadows. The undefeated phenom
Goldberg had become the promotion's hottest sensation and the newest threat to
the nWo's existence and Hogan's reputation as the greatest wrestler of all
time.
Hugh
Morrus was the first. In the fall of 1997, Jimmy Hart's charge was scheduled to
wrestle a newcomer named Bill Goldberg. It was a mid-card match on a Monday
night; Morrus was experiencing a small winning streak at the time and figured
the bout would just help bolster his numbers. No need for research, no game
tapes to watch. A few minutes into the contest, Morrus was startled by
Goldberg's resilience, but still managed to set up the rookie for the No
Laughing Matter moonsault. He executed the finisher, hooked the leg and covered
for the pin.That's when the streak began. Goldberg kicked out, becoming the
first man to ever survive the wicked finisher. One Jackhammer later, he had his
first win as a professional wrestler. The victory jump-started a series of
victories over up-and-coming wrestlers, rookies and veteran stars in the
twilight of their careers. Despite the lack of marquee names, fans immediately
started responding to Goldberg's intensity and seeming invincibility. The
cheers, however, didn't seem to reach the nWo locker room. Hollywood Hogan was
far too focused on defending the World title; Randy Savage was embroiled in a
bitter feud with Diamond Dallas Page; and the Outsiders were dealing with the
likes of the Steiners and Harlem Heat. How could the Black and White Express
focus on a rookie when powerhouses like Roddy Piper, Lex Luger, Giant and Ric
Flair were plotting their demise? Not to mention a one-man wrecking crew named
Sting. While Goldberg dealt handily with opponents like Mongo McMicheals, the
nWo's dramas dominated Nitros and pay-per-view main events. Goldberg focused on
his winning streak and minded his own business. The nWo seemed satisfied with
just ignoring the phenom backstage and avoiding run-ins during his matches, even
when Goldberg was slated against nWo second stringers like Vince, Wallstreet and
Ray Traylor. But the conflict was inevitable. The first catalysts came from the
fans. Arenas nationwide had taken to chanting Goldberg's name, even when the
rookie star wasn't scheduled to appear. The chants would often drown out
interviews by Hogan and The Outsiders. The nWo leaders were clearly displeased.
Internet savvy fans began e-mailing nWowrestling.com, wondering aloud about the
nWo's position on this rising, dangerous superstar. But, despite the chants,
questions and letter inquiries, no statement was issued, and no official stance
was ever decreed. Until Goldberg defeated Raven for the US
Title.
Now Goldberg
was the No. 1 contender to Hogan's belt. The nWo, suffering from the growing
problems between Kevin Nash and Hollywood Hogan, knew they had to address the
issue, but were too busy dealing with their internal breakdown.Goldberg,
however, was tired of waiting. He'd nearly beaten WCW's entire roster and knew
that his title and ability would eventually make him an nWo target. Besides, the
former Atlanta Falcon wanted to test his skills against the very best wrestlers
in the world a prerequisite for entrance into the black and white. Goldberg took
the guardian role once held by Sting. When the nWo rushed the ring, so did
Goldberg. If WCW employees, announcers or wrestlers were in trouble, the
undefeated marvel made the matter his business. At first, it was a matter of
survival but it soon became a mission of heroism. The focused loner found he
liked employing his arsenal to defend the weak and the overwhelmed. Goldberg
enjoyed doing the right thing and giving the fans what they so desperately
desired. Not only did Goldberg have the No. 1 contender spot, he had become a
uniting force in the WCW locker room. For the nWo, destroying Goldberg was no
longer a preventive measure he legitimately threatened the future of the
group.
So
Hollywood Hogan did the unthinkable. In July of 1998, he challenged Goldberg to
a World Title match on Nitro. Goldberg accepted, and the match was signed for
that very night. It was more than just a chance for Goldberg a man who'd been
wrestling professionally for under a year to hold the most prized belt in WCW.
For the first time in his career, Goldberg would be facing a legend and,
perhaps, proving whether he could one day garner the same title. Although
Goldberg started strong, Hogan's controlled the pace of the match, worked
Goldberg on the outside and stretched the contest well past 10 minutes. The
undefeated phenom looked dazed; Goldberg was accustomed to quick victories and
had never been tested with such a rigorous beating. Hogan piled his two decades
of experience atop his opponent, in hopes of crushing the life out Goldberg's
almost mythical reputation. He brought Goldberg to the mat hard, ran to the
ropes and delivered the leg drop that had even defeated wrestling's most
indomitable presence, Andre the Giant. And, just like he'd done during his debut
match and over a hundred times thereafter, Goldberg refused to lose. He rose as
strong as the moment he'd climbed the ring steps and came at the Champ for one
last round.
The nWo rushed to Hogan's side, but fans knew nothing could stop Goldberg. He'd
survived the impossible, and no man or men would be able to deny Goldberg's
imminent destiny. With the help of several WCW superstars, Goldberg cleared the
ring and cornered Hogan. The most famous wrestling persona could do nothing but
fold from the force of the Spear and writhe from the impact of the Jackhammer.
Goldberg was the WCW World Champion, and the nWo had finally lost their grip on
the promotion's future. Goldberg seemed to have finished the job that Sting had
pioneered. In the following months, the once unbeatable fringe organization
would suffer a major split and finally desist its attempts to take over WCW. The
nWo, however, still had some surprises for the Atlanta-based promotion. And the
ultimate revenge planned for Goldberg the undefeated, insuperable phenom that
had captured the hearts and imaginations of the entire world had fulfilled an
impossible
prophecy.
He
had cleanly defeated wrestling's most dominating presence for the last two
decades and secured his place as the wrestler of the millennium. There wasn't a
wrestler who had stepped into the ring with Goldberg and not left humbled and
defeated. But there was still one man who hadn't waged war with Goldberg. A
superstar and a seasoned competitor that had earned the title as wrestling's
only true giant and was the backstage favorite to end the phenom's unbelievable
streak Since arriving in WCW, Kevin Nash and partner Scott Hall had focused
nearly all of their attention on WCW's tag team division. The Outsiders were so
dominant that they broke up teams like Harlem Heat and the Steiner brothers,
decimated newcomers and destroyed the division. All the while, Nash served as
Hogan's lead henchman due to his size and ferocity. Although Nash had been a
World Champion in another federation, the big man had agreed to serve Hogan for
the good of the nWo. Big Sexy was a completely devastating soldier. Few men
could match his strength. No challenger could sway his
momentum
After Hogan lost his belt to Goldberg, Nash saw weakness in the former nWo
leader and an opportunity to elevate himself into the top position. Big Sexy
broke from the nWo, allied himself with former black and white warriors Randy
Savage, Konnan and Curt Hennig, recruited Sting and Lex Luger and created the
Wolfpac. Hogan kept the rest of the original crew including a confused Scott
Hall. The two factions fought each other for nWo supremacy and respect. The
Wolfpac almost drew Diamond Dallas Page into the group, but the recruitment was
thwarted by Hogan's cronies. Hennig and Rick Rude betrayed the Wolfpac and
rejoined nWo Hollywood for an undisclosed sum of cash. At the same time, Hogan
was trying to avenge his loss to Goldberg and regain the World title he'd held
so many times in his career. Goldberg found himself facing numerous nWo
opponents and even defended his belt against nearly the entire black-and-white
crew during a Road Wild Battle Royal. Goldberg kept the strap, and seemed more
unbeatable than ever... Nash was busy dealing with the betrayal of Hall, but
soon realized that a quicker way to hurt Hogan and nWo Hollywood was by helping
Goldberg. Whenever the black-and-white tried to attack the World Champ, Big Sexy
and crew evened up the odds. Goldberg seemed to appreciate the help and actually
returned the favor several times. Sometimes, however, their efforts to help each
other had negative results. Week after week, Nash and Goldberg came into the
ring like whirling dervishes and inadvertently struck each other. The encounters
created tension between the two men, even though tapes of the incidents proved
the attacks were honest mistakes.
Despite
their problems, Nash and Goldberg's relationship did affect the Hulkster. Hogan
soon became obsessed with his old nemesis Warrior, defeated him and then retired
from wrestling to pursue a run at the Presidency. Nash told friends that he was
depressed by Hogan's departure, since he would never have a chance to exact
revenge on his former nWo founder. Now it seemed their was only one man that
offered a true challenge to Big Sexy the competitor that Nash had focused on
protecting. Nash had spent a good deal of his career as a World Champion, yet he
found himself helping yet another wrestler keep the strap. Goldberg wanted Nash,
too. The phenom was an athlete obsessed with his fighting acumen, yet he was
taking charity from the one man he'd never defeated in a match. Thanks to 1998's
WW3 pay-per-view, both men could finally stop wondering. Nash won the
three-ring, 60-man battle royal that evening and earned a title shot at WCW's
most prestigious event, Starrcade. As soon as the match was announced, the mind
games began. Nash still helped Goldberg, but only to assure that the phenom
would have the belt at Starrcade. Hogan was retired, and Eric Bischoff was busy
dealing with Ric Flair. Despite the leadership of Big Poppa Pump, the nWo had
lost its fire Nash and Goldberg could finally focus on each other and the
biggest match of their respective careers. The superstars exchanged harsh words,
shoves and several near-encounters. Both men wanted to test the other but didn't
want to risk injury. The boys backstage were evenly split concerning the outcome
of the match. Goldberg was undefeated, but Nash had achieved even longer winning
streaks during his impressive
career.
Goldberg might have become a legend by beating Hogan, but he'd have to beat Nash
to assure his ranking as the toughest man in the sport. Fans roared when their
Starrcade battle finally commenced. Nash struck Goldberg with knee strikes and
Mafia kicks; Goldberg tossed Big Sexy around like a bag of wheat bread. The
battle was everything people expected a demolition derby, featuring the two most
impressive rigs that have ever owned the road. But this spectacle of strength
and athletics ended on a sour and surprising note. Dressed as a security guard,
Scott Hall rushed the ring and electrocuted Goldberg with a stun stick. Nash
seemingly unaware of Hall's interference delivered the power bomb and took the
victory. Goldberg had finally lost his first match to 60,000 volts of juice.
Nash was the WCW World Champion but couldn't escape the dark cloud of deceit
that surrounded his belt. Fans and wrestlers wondered if Nash had set up the
interference was Big Sexy scared of facing Goldberg in an even contest? Nash
couldn't deal with rumors and implications. On January 4, 1999, Nash told Nitro
fans that he wasn't happy with the conclusion of his match with Goldberg. If the
phenom was willing, Nash would be willing to give Goldberg a rematch that very
evening. Goldberg arrived at the Georgia Dome, only to be arrested by local
police. Elizabeth had claimed the phenom had been stalking her for the past few
months and demanded justice. Although infuriated, Goldberg went to the station
willingly. Nash ran into the parking lot to stop the injustice, only to find
Hollywood Hogan waiting for him. Hogan had been gone for a few months and was
obviously behind the deception. Infuriated, Nash took the opportunity to
challenge the only other man he'd never beaten
cleanly.
Hogan and Nash was set for later in the evening. The World Championship would be
on the line. While Goldberg tried to reason his way out of the Atlanta police
department, tension built between the former nWo founders. The main event
arrived. Nash surprised the world by arriving to the ring with Scott Hall. Fans
cheered and jeered they'd wanted to see the Outsiders reunite, but also realized
that Nash had purposely cheated in his Starrcade match. Hogan made his entrance
to a chorus of hatred and boos. Finally, Nash and Hogan were no longer
side-by-side they were face-to-face and ready to find out which man truly
deserved the moniker of nWo leader. Elizabeth's story crumbled, and Goldberg had
been released from custody. A police car with flashing lights and a roaring
siren rushed the phenom to the Georgia Dome. The main event had already started.
Hogan and Nash circled each other. Hogan touched Nash's shoulder, and Nash was
knocked unconscious. Hogan had beaten Nash and earned his championship once
again. The entire Goldberg arrest, Hogan's retirement, Scott Hall's appearance
were all a brilliant plan to defeat Goldberg and return the belt to Hogan. Fans
across the globe were outraged by the deception. But no one felt Goldberg's
rage. The phenom rushed the ring and started wailing on all the players. That's
when Lex Luger revealed his part in the plan. While Wolfpac members Savage and
Konnan fought for the cause, Luger and Nash had been plotting to dump their
partners and form a new, more powerful union. The nWo had been reborn. They had
compiled an even more impressive cast of players. They had the World Title and
had rediscovered their original focus complete control of WCW. It appeared to be
the perfect plan. except for one minor complication. Bischoff had lost control
of WCW to Flair a week earlier, and The Nature Boy was about to lose his mind.
Not to mention Nash was nearing a breakdown of his own. Once again, he'd
surrendered to the will of Hollywood Hogan. Once again, he was the second man
despite never truly losing a match. A whole slew of new problems faced the nWo.
But it was old tensions that promised to bring the group's demise.
The
nWo was not operating until the Fall of
2000.
The
nWo is reformed in the fall of 2000 and consists of Bret Hart, Scott Steiner,
Jeff Jarrett, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. Bret Hart is injured in December and
is forced into retirement. Scott Hall also leaves because of personal problems.
Ron Harris and Don Harris are brought into the nWo in January and Scott Steiner
and Kevin Nash also leave nWo during this time leaving Jeff Jarrett and the
Harris Brothers. Jarrett stops using the nWo name and the nWo is never seen in
WCW again.
In Febuary 2002, one year after WWF bought WCW, the nWo are brought into the WWF
by Vince McMahon. The group consists of original members Hollywood Hogan, Kevin
Nash, and Scott Hall. In March, Hall and Nash attack Hogan after he loses at
WrestleMania and then one week later X-Pac joins Hall and Nash in the
nWo.
In May
of 2002, the Big Show turns on Steve Austin in a Tag Team Match against Scott
Hall & X-Pac and joins the nWo. About two weeks later, Scott Hall gets
released by the WWE (WWF). A week later, Ric Flair turns on Steve Austin and
becomes a semi-member of the nWo. Booker T also later joins the group after
winning a guantlet
match.
On
June 3rd of 2002, Kevin Nash made a special announcement on RAW saying that
"HBK" Shawn Michaels is now the newest member of the
nWo.
On June
10th of 2002, Shawn Michaels addresses each member in the nWo group (Kevin Nash,
X-Pac and Booker T). Shawn ends up kicking out Booker T of the
group.
On July 8th of 2002, Kevin Nash took part in a big Six Man Tag Team Match
involving himself Big Show, X-Pac, Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero vs. Booker
T, Goldust, Bubba Ray Dudley, Spike Dudley & Rob Van Dam. During the match,
Kevin Nash suffered a quad injury. A week later, Vince McMahon came out on RAW
and announced that the nWo was dead. The reason why I kept the nWo wolfpac Alive
is that the name should be kept alive, today and for ever, the nWo was the first
group to last in the wcw to the wwe in history.
.