The Complete History Of The New World Order | Wrestling Timelines
Look at the wrestling landscape: the nWo truly was 4 life.
Today’s pro wrestling landscape is unrecognisable without the New World Order: the most influential stable in the history of the form. The WWE Attitude Era does not happen if WCW Senior Vice President Eric Bischoff didn’t derive inspiration from New Japan Pro Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling. In doing so, he popularised new archetypes: the cool heel and the antihero babyface. Steve Austin played both roles to perfection across 1997 and 1998, all but saving the World Wrestling Federation.
The extent to which the New World Order - stylised as the nWo - radically changed WWE is drastic. The nWo formed in July 1996. That same month, on WWF Superstars, Vince McMahon introduced TL Hopper, a wrestling plumber, to his audience. Hopper defeated Duke Droese, a garbage man, and gagged him with what was purported to be a dirty plunger in the post-match. Vince’s philosophy was either rubbish, or it was in the toilet. Both metaphors apply.
Then, consider All Elite Wrestling.
AEW’s origin story is based on an offshoot of an offshoot of the nWo: the Bullet Club Elite.
Kenny Omega fronted the third iteration of the BC group, or a splinter version of it. The Elite’s self-penned brand of melodrama and irreverent comedy was a gigantic hit that drew record business for Ring Of Honor - and the attention of billionaire Tony Khan. The nWo’s tendrils are twined around wrestling to such a degree that very few new ideas have sprouted since.
The New World Order changed everything - but how exactly did the story unfold, and was it really that amazing in and of itself…?
July 17, 1994 - Hulk Hogan Wins LOL
Hulk Hogan, the man who sparked the 1980s pro wrestling boom, has officially signed with World Championship Wrestling.
Hogan, in his very first match, dethrones World Heavyweight champion and soul of the promotion Ric Flair at Bash At The Beach. The result, and how quickly WCW arrives at it, is bitterly symbolic. This is Hogan’s promotion now. WCW, in a bid to go big, has abandoned what its core audience gravitates towards.
Hogan’s presence is fascinating and momentous; even the fans of the rugged southern style cannot deny that. Hogan breaks WCW’s pay-per-view record and more than doubles the preceding Slamboree number, drawing 225,000 buys compared to its 105,000. He doesn’t shatter the record, however; the 1990 Great American Bash had drawn 200,000.
The question is asked: does Hogan’s star power truly justify a complete philosophical reset of WCW?