10 Worst Payoffs To WWE Storylines

WWE’s acquisition of WCW threw up so many potential dream storylines—one of which was the arrival of the New World Order in WWE.

That arrival eventually came in February 2002, almost a full year after the WCW purchase, but the faction would disband after less than five short months in the company. This disappointing payoff was slightly more drawn-out in that they didn’t make or break it with any one move. Instead, it was a combination of bad luck and bad decisions over that five-month period that put paid to the WWE reboot of the faction.

First off, the group returned as heels. That might’ve sounded good in theory, but given their popularity during their heyday, plus the fact that this was Hulk Hogan’s return to the company after almost eight years away, it was always unlikely that audiences would boo these guys.

Within a few weeks, Hogan turned face after an overwhelmingly positive crowd reaction at WrestleMania X8, and the group was watered down with the likes of X-Pac, Big Show, and Booker T coming in.

Add in Nash’s torn quadriceps, plus Hall’s release from the company in May, and the angle soon petered out into nothing.