The New World Order (nWo) is one of the most iconic and popular professional wrestling factions of all-time. Similar to D-Generation X in WWE, the WCW anti-establishment faction broke through to the mainstream and was a major reason for the promotion's success during the 1990s. WCW had success with prior factions like The Four Horseman and The Dangerous Alliance, but the nWo took the company to new heights and helped it overcome the WWE as the No. 1 professional wrestling promotion in the US.
The genesis behind the popular faction has been well documented from the role Eric Bischoff played in its creation to the involvement of "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, who was revealed as the third member following one of the most shocking heel turns of all-time. Before settling on Hogan, Bischoff considered Sting for the role as the group's third member. Below are 13 other things wrestling fans might not know or remember about the nWo:
13 Stable Idea Stolen From Japan
Following the success of the nWo in WCW, a version of the stable was created in New Japan with founding members Hiro Saito, Hioyoshi Tenzan, and Masahiro Chono. However, the original nWo can even be traced back to Japan as Bischoff apparently stole the idea from a Japanese promotion that ran a similar invasion angle with wrestlers who previously worked for another company.
12 Had 62 Members
It's not a question as to who was in nWo. The better question is who wasn't in the faction? While it started off - and was most effective - as a trio comprised of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, it grew exponentially throughout the years. In total, 62 wrestlers - and even non-wrestlers - were in the nWo at one point or another.
11 Sean Waltman Wasn't The Fourth Member
Sean Waltman, better known as X-Pac and Syxx in WWE and WCW, respectively, was to be inducted along with Hall, Nash, and Hogan, into the WWE Hall of Fame as the fourth member of the nWo this year. Yet, Syxx was not the fourth member of the group. That distinction belongs to Ted DiBiase. The Giant and nWo Sting followed soon after. Syxx was actually the seventh wrestler to join the group.
10 Shawn Michaels Was A Member
Of all 62 members in the nWo during its WCW and brief WWE run, perhaps the most bizarre is Shawn Michaels. It makes sense when you consider how close he was with Hall, Nash, and X-Pac, but it's hard to remember or even picture The Heartbreak Kid in nWo colors. He joined nWo upon returning to WWE in 2002 but the angle went absolutely nowhere and is barely remembered.
9 Five Different Iterations
While the nWo helped elevate WCW to new heights, it also stunted creativity and hindered other wrestlers from getting over. Rather than let the faction die once it ran its course, the company stuck to it in hopes of recreating its initial success. That led to the creation of the Wolfpac, which was at least somewhat over. Other variations included nWo Hollywood, nWo Elite, and nWo 2000.
8 Spraying Paint
The nWo was known for spray painting its logo onto everything it could, including the backs of the opponents it left laid out in the ring. Unfortunately, it was also involved in a legal matter related to spraying paint - not to be confused with spray paint. The particular case involved Syxx using a squirt gun to spray paint at fans, one of whom settled with WCW out of court after he was hit in the face.
7 Lashing Out
It's not exactly a secret that members of the nWo - Hall, Nash, and Hogan, in particular - used their power to exploit others both in the ring and backstage. One particular incident, however, created some tension with Ric Flair. This was after a match on an episode of Nitro in which Hogan was to lash David Flair with his weight belt a couple of times. Rather than striking him the agreed-upon amount of times, Hogan went too far and hit The Nature Boy's son a dozen times.
6 Disrupting The Locker Room
Before the arrival of Hall and Nash, the WCW locker room, by all accounts, was relatively calm and peaceful without much tension. Everyone got along and did their part to make the product successful. That wasn't the case once the nWo was formed. The amount of power they wielded combined with their creative control really disrupted locker room unity and power.
5 Skimming Merchandise Money
Chris Jericho was never a fan of the nWo, but he's also not one to make things up for attention. That's why it's hard to ignore his claims that Hogan - and potentially other nWo members - were skimming money for other wrestlers' merchandise profits. Jericho shared the story on an episode of Talk Is Jericho, recalling an instance where he purchased one of his action figures and the receipt showed that it was a Hulk Hogan figure.
4 Spawned Multiple Parody Factions
In addition to the multiple iterations of the nWo in WCW, the popular faction also spawned parody factions within and outside of the company. Eddie Guerrero created the Latino World Order, which consisted of all the Latino cruiserweights on the roster, and The Ultimate Warrior coined the term oWn for One Warrior Nation. Perhaps the most memorable parody, however, is ECW's Blue World Order, which consisted of The Blue Meanie, Super Nova, and Stevie Richards.
3 NASCAR Sponsor
The nWo's influence outside of wrestling wasn't just limited to late-night talk shows and kids wearing T-shirts to school. At one point, nWo even sponsored a NASCAR car driven by Kyle Petty, who also appeared in an nWo paid announcement vignette and was even made a member of the group. Petty didn't win any races with nWo sponsorship.
2 Stunted Babyface Popularity
Several former WCW wrestlers have spoken out against the nWo in recent years. One of its most vocal critics has been Booker T. On an episode of the Sam Roberts Wrestling Podcast, the five-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion referred to the nWo as a heel faction that didn't want heat. Their desire to be seen as cool among fans ultimately hurt babyfaces who were attempting to get over: "That nWo, singlehandedly, almost ruined the business in terms of good guys, bad guys..."
1 Responsible For Big Show Leaving
Big Show, who wrestled in WCW as The Giant, is another former WCW star who doesn't exactly have fond memories of the nWo. He dropped the WCW World Heavyweight Championship to Hogan at Hog Wild 1996 following interference from Nash and Hall and, rather than exacting revenge, joined nWo later that month. Big Show told Steve Austin on Broken Skull Sessions that the nWo exploited how green he was in the business and took advantage of him rather than putting him over. He added he knew it was time to leave WCW when nWo became out of control.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGifnqqVqHq4tMCtZKano6l6uK%2FWZp2apqNisaqwza1kpKafrHqirs6uq2asmJp6r8POaA%3D%3D