The NWO may have been a concept whose origin was in Japan but Eric Bischoff built off the foundation laid there to craft a storyline that captured the imagination of fans across the country. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, fresh off successful stints in WWF, invaded the company and promised that there would be more of them. Eventually Hulk Hogan turned heel and changed wrestling forever. Ted DiBiase, Syxx, Buff Bagwell, Michael Wallstreet, Scott Norton, Vincent and others joined the group as the hostile takeover of WCW continued. When the organization persuaded The Giant to join, it appeared as though they were unstoppable. Then Bischoff joined, giving them an authority figure capable of making business decisions in their best interest. With the cocky, arrogant prick of a boss on their side, the New World Order dominated WCW, all the while carrying the company to heights it had never before seen. Fans tuned in to see what the rebellious group would do next. Who would they beatdown as they continued their question to reign over the wrestling world? Lex Luger, Roddy Piper, the Four Horsemen and the Steiner Brothers were regular victims of the group. Diamond Dallas Page became a huge star simply by standing up to them. No matter who tried to mount an offensive, though, the NWO always came out on top. The group became so popular that it became its own worst enemy. The introduction of too many wrestlers severely watered down the group and a lack of coherency and direction further hampered it. Splitting the NWO into two factions hurt it even more. That the company saw it as a cash cow that it would continue milking until it ran dry did not help matters. Eventually, the NWO became so overexposed that it grew stale and tiresome. Fans stopped caring about the group and the letters that had once revolutionized the industry turned into damning evidence that the company was out of ideas. While it existed and was running at its hottest, however, the New World Order was a faction that led the renaissance of World Championship Wrestling helped all involve achieve success no one could have ever imagined.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
