The Complete History Of The New World Order | Wrestling Timelines
June 1, 1998 - The Unthinkable
Sting officially joins the nWo on Nitro.
It’s not quite the sort of terrible, desperate plot twist that defines dying, idealess entertainment properties - he joins the Wolfpac and the stated mission to take down Hollywood Hogan, so it’s somewhat consistent with his character - but it does beg the question: what else you got?
Does everything have to in some way involve the New World Order, the original aim of which is now totally lost?
August 6, 1998 - Desperation Sets In
In what is becoming typical of a promotion so slipshod that it will earn the nickname ‘LOLWCW’ posthumously, WCW actually solves the nWo problem, but doesn’t really do it. The Wolfpac Vs. Hollywood programme barely happens.
Instead, the respective leaders (of the sub-factions that still exist) are preoccupied with other matters. Hogan embarks on a disastrous odyssey with celebrities. WCW has done this before - Chicago Bulls bad boy Dennis Rodman joined the nWo in March ‘97, and headlined Bash At The Beach that year - but it’s much, much worse a year later. Rodman teams with Hogan at the Bash again, against DDP and Karl Malone, but falls asleep mid-match. Then, with Bischoff desperate to gain ground on the runaway WWF, Hogan teams with Bischoff and sells for DDP’s tag partner: anti-athlete and very, very famous late night talk show host Jay Leno. The main event of Road Wild is a farce. The idea is to draw more casual fans to WCW. WCW consequently becomes a very lame laughing stock.
Compounded by just how over and fashionable Steve Austin is, WCW formally dies, R.I.P., as the cool U.S. major.