Speaking of the New World Order... In 1998, WCW was on the losing end of the Monday Night Wars for the first time, the nWo act that had fueled their rise to the top of the industry growing stale and uninteresting when compared to WWE's "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Instead of going all-in on Goldberg, who was as hot as any star in the business, the decision was made to split the nWo in half. One side would continue under the black and white banner, their leader the egotistical "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. The other would sport the black and red of the Wolfpac, operating under Kevin Nash. Hogan and Nash's struggle for power in front of the cameras was an extension of the political power plays that unfolded behind the scenes. With the established stars unwilling to put anyone over, the groups waged war without any real stakes to speak of. No matter what happened, neither Nash or Hogan, or the likes of Lex Luger, Randy Savage or Sting would see their star power weakened. It was always going to be the same crew of guys dominating the top of the card. Fans had no reason to pledge their allegiance to one team or the other, if for no other reason than the fact that both factions were heels in the grand scheme of things. Egos proved the demise of the group on screen and egos ultimately proved fatal to WCW.
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.
