10 Best Spinoff Factions In Wrestling History
7. BWO
Parody is an important part of wrestling and has been for a long time. Typically though, it’s short-lived or better yet a one-night-only affair as overexposure shows the relative shallowness that comes with just poking fun at pre-existing characters and groups. ECW’s Blue World Order may just be the sole exception to the rule.
For months Steven Richards and the Blue Meanie had been doing parodies and imitations for the entertainment of ECW’s audiences including musical acts and wrestlers from WWF and WCW. At November to Remember 1996, the two, at the advice of Bubba Ray Dudley, formed the Blue World Order - a parody of the nWo stable that was steering the ship of WCW.
Mocking the characters and their member turnover rate, the bWo only seemed to get more and more popular as time went on. It evolved beyond parody, adding it’s own stories such as bWo Japan until, at Barely Legal, Richards was even elevated to the main event scene as he (unsuccessfully) fought for #1 contendership for the ECW Title.
The bWo was even revered enough to make a return in the WWE in the 2000s as a nostalgic throwback to ECW’s past.
Joey Styles said it best when he called: “If any gimmick never deserved to make a dime and made a boatload of cash, this is it”.