Breaking Down The Myth: The NWO Saved The Wrestling Business

10. The Humble Beginnings

To start off on a positive note, the nWo was clearly a shot in the arm for the professional wrestling business.

While the New World Order wasn't responsible for saving the industry, that's not to say that it doesn't have a hugely pivotal part to play in wrestling history. In the early nWo days, and technically even in the pre-nWo days, this faction had everybody talking.

As soon as a double-denim-adorned Scott Hall climbed the ringside barricade on the 27 May 1996 episode of WCW Nitro - which was also the first ever two-hour Nitro - the fans of the day were in a confused state of intrigue.

Hall himself would famously proclaim, "You know who I am, but you don't know why I'm here" - and it was that why that had viewers invested in where this was going. Of course, Hall's medium-sized man was soon to be join by the big man figure of Kevin Nash, and these Outsiders were quickly on a collision course with WCW that was to come to a head at the 1996 Bash at the Beach PPV.

It was there that the unthinkable happened, with the baby-kissing, granny-hugging, forever-posing, perma-tanned, skullet-rocking Hulk Hogan turning his back on WCW to form the nWo with Hall and Nash. And man, it was absolutely glorious and undeniably shocking to see.