New World Order Celebrates Anniversary

Nearly three decades after its formation, the NWO continues to impact professional wrestling

Twenty-nine years ago today, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan forever changed professional wrestling.

Those three detailed the moment for a Sports Illustrated feature in 2021. Sadly, it was one of Hall’s final interviews before he passed away eight months later.

“It was a different time,” explained Hall. “The internet was not as prominent as today. People thought it was real. Other WCW wrestlers thought it was real. We sold the story that Vince sent me and Kev to join Hulk and cancel WCW.”

An iconic photo of Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff in WCW / WWE

Hogan, Hall, Nash, Eric Bischoff, Paul Wight, and Tony Schiavone all touched on the enduring, unrelenting impact of the NWO–and what made the moment of Hogan’s shocking heel turn at the Bash at the Beach pay-per-view so unexpected.

“I immediately worried it was going to be an angle alert,” recalled Hogan. “I was thinking that as soon as I was headed to the ring, telling myself I was an idiot for doing it. Those boots were really slippery, too, and I think you’ll see me grab the rope before I take a step and hit those leg drops on Randy. Had I been wearing my wrestling boots, it would have been a much bigger production. It was such a rookie move on my part.”

During the summer of 2021, I also spoke with Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Shawn Michaels about the NWO influenced DX.

“Kevin and Scott were the beginning of it all, and bringing Hogan into it was the icing on top,” says Michaels, who is currently one of the top coaches at WWE Performance Center. “Now I know people complain and say they went too far down the road with too many members, but it was still so cool. That’s a monumental time in the wrestling business, and those guys were a big part of it.”

On top of that, a highlight–one that further cemented the NWO’s seismic impact–occurred when I connected with Kevin Durant, who also considers himself a part of the NWO for life.

Is Kevin Durant the leader of the NBA's version of the NWO?

He doesn’t think so, but that didn’t stop Eric Bischoff from welcoming the Slim Reaper with open arms 🤗@JustinBarrasso with more: https://t.co/AzzKZ2ve26 pic.twitter.com/ArsMedF0Bu

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 14, 2021

“I definitely appreciate the group and what they brought to the entertainment space,” said Durant. “I was a huge fan as a kid.”

As the NWO approaches its 30th anniversary, it is remarkable how the group has continued to stay relevant.