Hulk Hogan: 5 Best And 5 Worst WCW Moments

1. New World Order

WWE.comWWE.comBash at the Beach 1996 was billed as the €œHostile Takeover€. Only about a month and a half earlier, Scott Hall had invaded WCW€™s flagship program, Monday Nitro, telling fans that even though they didn€™t know why he was there, they knew who he was. Shortly thereafter, Kevin Nash joined suit, and the so-called Outsiders ran rampant in WCW. After implying that another man would join their crusade, a match was signed between Nash, Hall, and their mystery partner against Sting, Lex Luger, and Randy Savage. When the time came for the main event in Daytona Beach, FL, the mystery partner was nowhere to be seen. The Outsiders told €œMean€ Gene Okerlund that the third man was in the building, but was not needed at the moment. So, the bout began as a handicapped match. Early on in the contest, however, Luger was inadvertently knocked unconscious by Sting and was ushered out of the arena on a stretcher. The match was now even for the time being, although the thought of who the third man could be still lingered in the minds of the fans and commentators. The contest continued in a back-and-forth manner until the Outsiders gained the upper hand. World Championship Wrestling was on the cusp of defeat, gasping its last breath, as the Hostile Takeover was nearly complete. But then, the cavalry arrived as Hulk Hogan -- eternal good guy and protector of all that is right -- stormed the ring. Hall and Nash fled to the outside and looked on as Hogan protected his WCW brethren -- Sting and Savage. Then, it happened. Suddenly, in front of all his Hulkamaniacs, the Immortal One leapt into the air and came crashing down onto the Macho Man with his trademark leg drop. After tossing the referee from the ring and dropping the big leg twice more, turncoat Hogan covered Savage as Hall counted the symbolic three. WCW was defeated, and Hulkamania was dead. From its ashes rose arguably the greatest faction of all time -- the New World Order. As €œMean€ Gene attempted to find out why the unthinkable had just occurred, the fans in Daytona Beach hurled various pieces of garbage into the ring. The soon-to-be Hollywood Hogan told Okerlund that €œall of crap in the ring represents fans." The formation of the New World Order was simply one of the most shocking moments in all of professional wrestling history. Hulk Hogan had done the unthinkable and turned his back on the fans. Now, he stood with two young, braggadocios invaders at his side, poised to take over not just WCW but the world.
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Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.