10 DUMB WWE Signings (We Didn't Want To Admit Were GENIUS!)
5. New World Order (2002)
People backstage thought signing nWo members Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash would blow up in everyone's faces. Internally, those inside the company thought Vince McMahon was bringing unnecessary trouble to his door and potentially wrecking a fairly harmonious locker room. Externally, those outside thought the nWo was coming too late.
The invasion angle had finished. Did nobody tell Vince?
McMahon didn't care. He was finally able to snag top WCW stars because their hefty AOL/Time Warner guarantees had expired, and he was keen to add a wealth of recognisable star power to shows. Nash and Hall didn't work out as planned, but Hogan sure did. 'Let me tell you something, brother'.
Hogan back in the WWF/WWE for the first time in almost a decade proved to be a nostalgic treat nobody knew they needed. He brought back the red and yellow after a few months of Hollywood, and ended up having a rather excellent revival run as a result.
That poison Vince's character spoke of? It didn't exist. Hulk was main event tonic, at least for a while.