Before they became the NWO, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash were simply known as the Outsiders, and were working in WCW under the guise of WWF Superstars invading WCW. They were running roughshod over Monday Nitro, and were talking about how they had a third man joining them sometime soon in the future. At Bash at the Beach 1996, in a Hostile Takeover 6-Man Tag Team Match, Hall and Nash appeared alone, leaving speculation as to who the third man was. As Sting, Lex Luger and Randy Savage fought the Outsiders, out came Hulk Hogan, still a longtime babyface and still beloved by the audience. Fans assumed that Hogan was coming to help team WCW, only for Hogan to deliver his patented Leg Drop on Randy Savage, shocking the entire wrestling world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hILCw66sLU In an instant, Hulk Hogan as the beloved hero of wrestling fans worldwide was destroyed, and the New World Order of wrestling was born. The fans were so shocked and outraged that some began throwing garbage at Hogan and the Outsiders, with one throwing a beer can at Mean Gene Okerlund, and one fan almost getting in the ring, before being taken away by security. The passionate anger fans felt towards this historic moment speaks volume of just how shocking it was to see Hogan turn after so many years as a hero. This in turn led WCW to dominate in the Monday Night Wars for a very long time. The NWO was the hottest thing in wrestling at the time, and it couldnt have gotten so popular without Hogan taking part in one of the most shocking revelations in wrestling history.
Alexander Podgorski is a writer for WhatCulture that has been a fan of professional wrestling since he was 8 years old. He loves all kinds of wrestling, from WWE and sports entertainment, to puroresu in Japan.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in Political Studies and French, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. He speaks English, French, Polish, a bit of German, and knows some odd words and phrases in half a dozen other languages.
