TheNew World Orderis one of the most recognizable and sustained brands in professional wrestling, widely recognized asone of the greatest factionsin the history of the business. When Hulk Hogan shocked the wrestling world by turning heel and aligning with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall at WCW’sBash at the Beach, the nWo took WCW, and professional wrestling, to new popularity.
WWEacquired the IP of WCW in 2001 after it went out of business, and it seemed like only a matter of time before the nWo appeared in WWE. Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash returned to WWE with the potential to reignite some of the nWo magic in WCW, but it never took off or captured the same energy or mystique it once had.While no one specific moment caused its failure, a combination of injuries, releases, and storyline pivotscaused the nWo to fall apart less than six months after debuting, ending a promising addition to the post-Invasion WWE landscape.
Hollywood Hogan’s Babyface Response Changed the Dynamic
Hulk Hogan is an iconic name in professional wrestling, despitethe endless controversies surrounding him today, and his return to WWE after an eight-year absence was welcomed by the WWE Universe, even as his nWo heel persona,Hollywood Hogan. Slated to work a program with The Rock atWrestleMania X8,Hogan was greeted to a hero’s welcome homeby the Toronto crowd, which set in motion a pivot to the classic red and yellow fan-favorite version of Hogan the WWE Universe had been clamoring for.
Hogan’s baby face turn left Kevin Nash and Scott Hall as a duo in the nWo and directionless after the faction’s leader was removed. Hall and Nash brought in former nWo members X-Pac and Big Show to revive the stable, but these additions proved to be temporary solutions to a permanent problem.
Scott Hall’s Release and Kevin Nash’s Injury Ended the nWo
Not Even Shawn Michaels Could Save the Faction
While Scott Hall and Kevin Nash grew the ranks of the nWo by adding X-Pac and Big Show, the faction lost its steam when Hogan parted ways with them post-Mania. WhenHall was released from the companyin May 2002, the nWo again added to their ranks with the inclusion of Ric Flair, Booker T, and Shawn Michaels, but these additions added little to a storyline without two of its core components. It also made no sense in the context of the stable’s previous story in WCW, which fans knew really well.
Eric Bischoff’s 10 Best Moments
Eric Bischoff has recently made an appearance in NXT, which makes this the perfect time to reflect on his best moments from WWE & WCW.
Adding an actual injury to an already suffered insult, Kevin Nash suffered a quadriceps tear on the July 8th, 2002 episode ofMonday Night Raw. With all three of the nWo’s principal players no longer involved in the faction,Nash’s injury was the final death blowin a string of unfortunate circumstances that led to its demise, and Vince McMahon officially disbanded the nWo on the July 15th, 2002 episode ofRaw.
Original Members of the nWo
End of Tenure in WWE’s nWo
Kevin Nash
July 21, 2025
Ultimately, the WWE version of the nWo was always destined to fail. The group had already exhausted its drive a long time before in the WCW, and its endless recycling during the sunset years of the promotion made it look like a less valuable product in the eyes of fans. When the original trio reformed in WWE, it seemed briefly that they could be able to recapture the magic of their 1996 run, but the circumstances were ultimately too different, and that spark could never be caught again.
Shawn Michaels was the only member of the WWE version of the nWo that did not wrestle for WCW.
The return of Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash toWWEafter a successful and game-changing run in WCW was supposed to be triumphant, allowing the nWo to flourish in a new creative space. Hogan’s baby-face turn immediately followingWrestleMania X8, coupled with Hall’s release and Nash’s injury, causedthe nWoto be quickly shelved, marking the end of the popular, dominant, and consequential faction.
WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is a global entertainment company primarily known for professional wrestling. Founded in 1953, it produces live events, television programs, and streaming content. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, WWE operates multiple brands, including Raw, SmackDown, and NXT.
