Recently, the WWE began airing episodes of The Monday Night War on the WWE Network, documenting some of the biggest battles between WWF and WCW in the mid-to-late 1990s. During the war, two major factions would rise and serve as the face of their respective companies: D-Generation X and the New World Order. They were both anti-establishment groups full of renegades who redefined what it meant to be a heel in the wrestling business. It suddenly became cool to be bad. Led by Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, the nWo blurred the lines between what was real and what was scripted in professional wrestling. For months, fans actually thought the nWo were seriously invading from the WWF, so much so that Vince McMahon filed a lawsuit. From 1996 until 1999, they were absolutely unstoppable. Effectively, WCW was split in half. Originally formed by Shawn Michaels and Triple H, DX wasn't as big as the nWo, but they were just as important. DX played a huge role in the departure of Bret Hart from the company, and were the catalysts for the shift in "Attitude" for the WWF. But which group was better? This article will look at 12 reasons why D-Generation X was better than the New World Order.
12. They Were Younger
Wrestling became a young mans game in the 1990s. When the WWF pushed the New Generation in 1994, they made a point of emphasis that youth and excitement was better than steady experience. While the nWo had the bigger names in Hogan and Savage, their combined ages alone at the time of joining the nWo were close to 90. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were already on the downswing of their career, both nearing 40. The youngest member of the group was The Giant (Big Show), who was 24 when he joined, but he was the exception, not the rule. Meanwhile, in 1998, when the second amalgamation of DX formed, they were led by a 29-year-old Triple H (seconded by a 28-year old Chyna), and featured a 25-year-old (!!) X-Pac and a 29-year-old Road Dogg. At 34 years old, Billy Gunn was the elder statesman of the group. By being closer in age to the vaunted 18-25 demographic that both companies were chasing, DX was able to identify with the audience better than the nWo.
