The Complete History Of The New World Order | Wrestling Timelines
August 26, 1996 - The Presentation
Again, the date is not typed incorrectly: WCW is so on fire that every week is stacked with jaw-dropping developments.
In another heavy heat angle, the nWo, wearing the black and white tees, attacks WCW representatives on Nitro. It’s staggering, just how instantly distinct and iconic the faction is. Hogan begs off Steve McMichael. The endearing wrestler, who is not good technically but still believable, is attacked by Hall and Nash, who spray-paint the nWo initials over his back. Sting is also beaten down before Ric Flair and Arn Anderson make the save and inspire hope. That might not be the correct term, in a new landscape in which the language is evolving as quickly as everything else. Do the fans “hope” to see the nWo receive their comeuppance?
It’s an amazing scene, all the same, as Hogan spray-paints and in effect dyes Ric Flair’s signature bleached hair black - symbolising that a new era is here. The use of dark colours is inspired.
The context is so important to consider here. Before the nWo arrived, mainstream pro wrestling in the United States remained a 1980s hangover. Detached completely from the wider cultural zeitgeist, the WWF (and WCW) is a garish, multi-coloured relic of a more naive time. A lot of hand-slapping babyfaces do not resemble the hip celebrities of the day as grunge and nu-metal battle for genre dominance, wearing instead luminous, hyper-patterned attire. Order member Hall, who credits himself with masterminding Sting's look, refers to this look as “happy guy tights”.
Bischoff will later state that this was a conscious exercise in contrast. The WWF was too colourful; to enhance the mystique of the nWo, he wanted “an underground vibe”. This new idea is plastered everywhere.
Hogan’s new look - he grows in thick black stubble - is a genius choice. He looks unrecognisable and iconic, all at the same time, in this new, scary world of contradictions in which the heels get cheered. It’s a surreal, unsettling effect.
This extends to the paid announcement videos shot and financed by the nWo, to credibly allow them screentime. Produced in black and white with a grain effect, they’re great, even if Hogan’s performances are a bit over-the-top. They are also sold to perfection by Tony Schiavone, who expresses confusion over which promo segment to throw to next.
The sense of disorder is beautifully done. The WCW wrestlers question the allegiance of the production truck, demanding this “garbage” doesn’t make it to air.
The world quite literally becomes a darker, more hostile place.