Anyone who SHOULD have been in the NWO

[hobo]

I know, I know, one of the biggest complaints about the nWo was that it got too big and went from an elite core of invaders from the WWF to an overblown stable that included all sorts of midcarders who never worked for WWF. Personally I think the nWo should only have consisted of the original three (Hall, Nash, & Hogan), and maybe a few others:

Syxx - they needed a cruiserweight in the stable, he was ex-WWF, and in tight with Hall and Nash.
Dibiase - former WWF headliner, manager of the stable, provided the kayfabe reason why the nWo could afford to hire all the WWF guys. However, I would've drawn the line with bringing in Vincent/Virgil.
Bischoff - this one is tough. It was a pretty decent surprise at the time, and it gave the kayfabe explanation why the nWo were able to run wild. On the other hand, just typing this is bringing back bad memories of the loooong Bischoff-Hogan promos every week on Nitro, so I'll put him in the "maybe" category.

However, can you think of anyone who should've been in the nWo, but wasn't? Even though I think it should've been a smaller stable, I can think of two.

Jarrett - he was another former WWF employee, so he fit the pattern of the "invasion." The Horsemen gave him the boot, so unlike 99% of the other nWo members, he actually would've had a motivation for joining the nWo. Plus he ended up joining the other nWo in 2000.

DDP - the only WCW guy (except maybe Bischoff) that I would suggest. He had a history with Hall & Nash, so more than any of the other WCW guys who actually did join, he had the nWo attitude. (Yeah, I remember that they alluded to this a few times, and DDP attacked Hall & Nash when they tried to get him to join).

But what if DDP HAD accepted their offer? Compare him to say, the Giant, who I felt never really fit into the nWo. His role was redundant; they already had Nash as the big man. And if memory serves right, Giant & Hogan had been rivals up to that point, so storyline wise it made no sense for Giant to join. And all he ever really did while he was in the nWo was hold the U.S. title for a while. I think DDP would've fit into the stable much better, and would've been a better choice as the nWo's U.S. champ.

So what do you guys think? Is there anyone who should've been in the nWo that wasn't?

[Mr. Mediocre]

I'd argue that Jarrett was never as big in the WWF as Hall and Nash were. I don't think the fans would have cared. DDP is a maybe.

Realistically, I was of the opinion that the nWo should have been a group of Hogan, Nash, Hall, Bischoff, DiBiase, and Syxx. If anyone else should have been in the core group from the beginning (or just about the beginning) but wasn't, it would be Randy Savage, as he was the biggest remaining name that had come over from the WWF. Had he joined in 1996, that would have been all they needed.

Add to the maybe pile The Giant, since he would have added brute force and added muscle. But that's not technically necessary.

[hobo]

Completely forgot about Savage. I'm undecided on him. On the one hand he was a huge part of WWF, but on the other hand did he really add anything to the stable that Hogan didn't? I do agree that if Savage had to be nWo, they should've done that back in 1996. Having him join that much later was pretty lame, IMO.

You're right that Jarret wasn't as big back in WWF, but he got a decent push at first in WCW. I think it only would've worked if he had joined immediately after the Horsemen shunned him. At least it would've been better than dragging out his pointless feuds involving Mongo and Debra.

[THRJamesAngelo]

I always thought that NWO shouldve been Hogan, Nash, Hall, Savage, Syxx, Giant, Bishoff, and Dibiase. Everyone after that seems a bit too much.

[eDemento2099]

hobo said:

I know, I know, one of the biggest complaints about the nWo was that it got too big and went from an elite core of invaders from the WWF to an overblown stable that included all sorts of midcarders who never worked for WWF. Personally I think the nWo should only have consisted of the original three (Hall, Nash, & Hogan), and maybe a few others:

Syxx - they needed a cruiserweight in the stable, he was ex-WWF, and in tight with Hall and Nash.
Dibiase - former WWF headliner, manager of the stable, provided the kayfabe reason why the nWo could afford to hire all the WWF guys. However, I would've drawn the line with bringing in Vincent/Virgil.
Bischoff - this one is tough. It was a pretty decent surprise at the time, and it gave the kayfabe explanation why the nWo were able to run wild. On the other hand, just typing this is bringing back bad memories of the loooong Bischoff-Hogan promos every week on Nitro, so I'll put him in the "maybe" category.

However, can you think of anyone who should've been in the nWo, but wasn't? Even though I think it should've been a smaller stable, I can think of two.

Jarrett - he was another former WWF employee, so he fit the pattern of the "invasion." The Horsemen gave him the boot, so unlike 99% of the other nWo members, he actually would've had a motivation for joining the nWo. Plus he ended up joining the other nWo in 2000.

DDP - the only WCW guy (except maybe Bischoff) that I would suggest. He had a history with Hall & Nash, so more than any of the other WCW guys who actually did join, he had the nWo attitude. (Yeah, I remember that they alluded to this a few times, and DDP attacked Hall & Nash when they tried to get him to join).

But what if DDP HAD accepted their offer? Compare him to say, the Giant, who I felt never really fit into the nWo. His role was redundant; they already had Nash as the big man. And if memory serves right, Giant & Hogan had been rivals up to that point, so storyline wise it made no sense for Giant to join. And all he ever really did while he was in the nWo was hold the U.S. title for a while. I think DDP would've fit into the stable much better, and would've been a better choice as the nWo's U.S. champ.

So what do you guys think? Is there anyone who should've been in the nWo that wasn't?

Very interesting analysis.

Technically, Jarrett WAS in the nWo ... nWo 2000, that is. Take that for what its worth.

As far as DDP goes, I'd say he should've only joined the nWo if Sting stayed loyal to WCW. The reason why I want to stress Sting's uninvolvement with the nWo is because Sting was SUPPOSED to be WCW's savior ... and for a long time, he was. Then WCW threw all that great, prolonged booking in the garbage by having Sting join the nWo Wolfpac, and it was up to DDP to take on a leadership role, standing up for WCW against the nWo.

Although he was tied to the WWF, and later had to retire to get over a back injury, Shawn Michaels would've fit in great with Hall & Nash in the original incarnation of the nWo. He could've assumed the high-flying role you spoke of re: Syxx, and the nWo could've stayed trim, lean & mean at three members (with the possibility of Dibiase as a manager).

... But hey, while we're talking about pipe dreams, what about Rick Rude? Yes, he was a retired wrestler, but technically he WAS part of the nWo... just not as an active wrestler. Rude could've easily fit the bill as the 3rd man if it wasn't for his career-ending injury...

[cpbuff22]

Bret Hart either should of joined or shouldn't have joined. The whole "Whos side is he on" thing sucked.

[dsriggs]

cpbuff22 said:

Bret Hart either should of joined or shouldn't have joined. The whole "Whos side is he on" thing sucked.

Hart had no business being anywhere near the NWO anyway. I mean, after being burned so bad by Vince, wouldn't he want to do everything possible to make WCW succeed, in kayfabe terms at least?
A determined Hart leading WCW against the 'sportz-entertainment' NWO, the very ideal he hated with a PASSION would have drawn, imo.

[Mr. Mediocre]

dsriggs said:

cpbuff22 said:

Bret Hart either should of joined or shouldn't have joined. The whole "Whos side is he on" thing sucked.

Hart had no business being anywhere near the NWO anyway. I mean, after being burned so bad by Vince, wouldn't he want to do everything possible to make WCW succeed, in kayfabe terms at least?
A determined Hart leading WCW against the 'sportz-entertainment' NWO, the very ideal he hated with a PASSION would have drawn, imo.

Agreed. WCW totally dropped the ball on Hart's intro to the company and his career there never really recovered.

[ddt]

Total agreement with both posters' points about Bret Hart here. WCW really screwed up with the opportunity.

But as far as Syxx goes, I always just saw him as a hanger-on to Nash and Hall -- a boy trying to be a big man. I don't necessarily think that the nWo needed a cruiserweight -- it would have been more interesting for the nWo big men to show no mercy and let the cruiserweights be a part of the overall target of WCW.

[Mr. Mediocre]

ddt said:

Total agreement with both posters' points about Bret Hart here. WCW really screwed up with the opportunity.

But as far as Syxx goes, I always just saw him as a hanger-on to Nash and Hall -- a boy trying to be a big man. I don't necessarily think that the nWo needed a cruiserweight -- it would have been more interesting for the nWo big men to show no mercy and let the cruiserweights be a part of the overall target of WCW.

I think RD and Bryan Alvarez put it best in Death of WCW - Syxx was put into the nWo because Hogan, Hall, and Nash were all atrocious in the ring, and he could actually help them out and put on entertaining matches.

[Baixo Astral]

I think that Syxx in the nWo as a hanger on worked... it was essentially a giant squad of egos, and what do egos need? Ego massages.

[ddt]

explodinglimo said:

ddt said:

Total agreement with both posters' points about Bret Hart here. WCW really screwed up with the opportunity.

But as far as Syxx goes, I always just saw him as a hanger-on to Nash and Hall -- a boy trying to be a big man. I don't necessarily think that the nWo needed a cruiserweight -- it would have been more interesting for the nWo big men to show no mercy and let the cruiserweights be a part of the overall target of WCW.

I think RD and Bryan Alvarez put it best in Death of WCW - Syxx was put into the nWo because Hogan, Hall, and Nash were all atrocious in the ring, and he could actually help them out and put on entertaining matches.

Curt Hennig, when he came into WCW and eventually joined the nWo, could have played that role; instead, he was made into a glorified jobber to guys like DDP (huh???) and Lex Luger (huh??? again).

I'm sure a better talent than Syxx could have been found for that role in the meantime.

[Mr. Mediocre]

ddt said:

explodinglimo said:

I think RD and Bryan Alvarez put it best in Death of WCW - Syxx was put into the nWo because Hogan, Hall, and Nash were all atrocious in the ring, and he could actually help them out and put on entertaining matches.

Curt Hennig, when he came into WCW and eventually joined the nWo, could have played that role; instead, he was made into a glorified jobber to guys like DDP (huh???) and Lex Luger (huh??? again).

I'm sure a better talent than Syxx could have been found for that role in the meantime.

Hennig was still in the WWF when the nWo was formed, though. If I remember right, he didn't come in to WCW until 1997. While Hennig WOULD have definitely been great in that role, he wasn't available as the angle really started to pick up steam.

[Turd Ferguson]

They let Norton in because of his Japanese credibility. But why not Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho? Especially with the advent of nWo japan, it would've been great for business on both ends. They let balding no-knees Muta onto Nitro a few times.

They really should've pulled the trigger on DDP, though. The Diamond Mine could've been reunited!

[Mr. Mediocre]

lariatoooooooooooo said:

They let Norton in because of his Japanese credibility. But why not Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho? Especially with the advent of nWo japan, it would've been great for business on both ends. They let balding no-knees Muta onto Nitro a few times.

They really should've pulled the trigger on DDP, though. The Diamond Mine could've been reunited!

The answer is that Norton shouldn't have been in in the first place, and this is coming from someone who loved "Flash".

[samachine]

They should've used Chono more..

[Turd Ferguson]

explodinglimo said:

lariatoooooooooooo said:

They let Norton in because of his Japanese credibility. But why not Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho? Especially with the advent of nWo japan, it would've been great for business on both ends. They let balding no-knees Muta onto Nitro a few times.

They really should've pulled the trigger on DDP, though. The Diamond Mine could've been reunited!

The answer is that Norton shouldn't have been in in the first place, and this is coming from someone who loved "Flash".

I once stated that Norton was a hair away from becoming the seocnd coming of Vader and I stand by that.

He just didn't have the motivation or the charisma in the states that would've worked well. He also didn't work a good American style.

[GaTechGrad]

DDP

Yeah, I thought that the Wolfpac should have been a totaly separate faction from the nWo. The "nWo Red and Black Wolfpac" was just too much. Plus, it would have kept guys like Sting and Luger who fought the nWo for so long loyal (in a way) to WCW.

[Welfare Willis]

Yeah Norton was overkill. My memory is fuzzy but I seem to recall Horace Hogan and Virgil really shouldn't have been in it either. By the time they were nWo I thought Eric had ran through all the WWE big names and was looking for anybody who was even remotely associated with wrestling.

[JMA]

Why did DiBiase betray the nWo anyway?