Original subtitles

THROUGHOUT THE 1990S, MONDAY

NIGHT SERVED AS A PRIME TIME

BATTLEFIELD THAT TRANSFORMED

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING INTO

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.

TED TURNER'S WCW TOOK ON VINCE

MCMAHON'S WWE FOR RATING

SUPREMACY AT THE RISK OF

EXTINCTION, AS INNOVATION AND

EVOLUTION PAVED THE WAY FOR A

KING TO BE CROWNED.

1996 BROUGHT A CHANGE TO WCW.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON

HERE?

YOU CAN CALL THIS THE NEW

WORLD ORDER OF WRESTLING,

BROTHER!

SPARKED BY THIS REBELLIOUS

FACTION, MONDAY NITRO ADOPTED AN

EDGE, AS IT CLIMBED TO THE TOP

OF THE RATINGS.

THE NWO IS THE ONLY WAY TO

GO!

AND WOULD REVOLUTIONIZE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT FOREVER.

HERE'S THE NWO!

THIS IS THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR.

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW!

WHAT IN THE HELL IS HE DOING

HERE?

WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW!

MONDAY NITRO!

GOD AS MY WITNESS, HE JUST

BROKE HIM IN HALF.

AUSTIN 3:16 SAYS I JUST

WHIPPED YOUR --.

[ CROWD CHANTING: GOLDBERG!

GOLDBERG! ]

BRET SCREWED BRET.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER, BROTHER!

THEY CAN JUST SUCK IT!

WE ARE AT WAR.

HULK HOGAN, THE WCW

HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION.

THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE

LEGEND.

IN THE EARLY 1990S, WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING EMERGED

AS A NATIONAL POWERHOUSE, THANKS

IN LARGE PART TO THE SIGNING OF

WWE'S MAIN EVENT TALENT.

THEY WERE JUST BRINGING IN

THESE SUPERSTARS THAT MADE THEIR

NAME IN WWE.

IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THEY WERE

CHEATING.

MR. MCMAHON WASN'T ENTITLED

TO A MONOPOLY POSITION IN THIS

WRESTLING GAME.

WHEN CONTRACTS WERE UP, PEOPLE

WERE FREE AGENTS.

IN SEPTEMBER OF 1995, MEDIA

MOGUL TED TURNER SUCCESSFULLY

LAUNCHED MONDAY NITRO IN DIRECT

COMPETITION WITH THE INDUSTRY

STANDARD, VINCE MCMAHON'S MONDAY

NIGHT RAW.

LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN MIAMI, THE

KNIGHT CENTER, WCW MONDAY NITRO

ONLY ON TNT.

IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN

LIVE.

WOW!

AIDED BY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

ERIC BISCHOFF, MONDAY NITRO WAS

TRADING VICTORIES WITH MONDAY

NIGHT RAW IN HOPES OF BECOMING

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT'S NO. 1

BRAND.

TED WANTED TO BE NO. 1,

AND HE WANTED ANYTHING THAT

HE DID, WHETHER IT WAS CNN, OR

WCW, OR THE BRAVES OR ANYTHING

ELSE, HE WANTED TO BE NO. 1.

HE WAS A VERY COMPETITIVE GUY.

HERE HE COMES NOW, THE HITMAN

BRET HART!

AFTER LOSING MANY OF HIS TOP

PERFORMERS, VINCE MCMAHON WOULD

NEED TO FOCUS ON A NEW

GENERATION OF SUPERSTARS IN

ORDER TO KEEP PACE WITH HIS

COMPETITION.

NO ONE WAS THINKING ABOUT,

"OH, MY GOODNESS.

WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN?"

EVERYBODY WAS MORE EXCITED ABOUT

THE FACT THAT THEY WERE GETTING

THEIR OPPORTUNITY AND IT WAS

ANYBODY'S BALL GAME ABOUT WHO

WAS GONNA BE THOSE TOP GUYS.

WITHIN THIS NEW CROP OF

TALENT, TWO RISING STARS WOULD

FIND CHAMPIONSHIP SUCCESS.

OH, THERE YOU SEE IT.

BIG DADDY COOL DIESEL.

DIESEL WAS A MULTI-TIME WORLD

CHAMPION.

RAZOR RAMON!

BAD GUY!

RAZOR RAMON WAS SUPER

POPULAR.

CAME AND CALLED HIMSELF THE BAD

GUY.

HE JUST HAD THIS PRESENCE, THIS

AURA ABOUT HIM, AND HE WAS A BIG

GUY THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY GOOD

IN THE RING.

THE RAZOR'S EDGE APPLIED.

A COVER BY THE BAD GUY.

KICK OUT!

WE HAVE ONE, TWO.

KICK OUT!

YES!

[ BELL RINGING ]

AND A DECISIVE VICTORY FOR

THE BAD GUY RAZOR RAMON, THE

ONLY FOUR-TIME INTERCONTINENTAL

CHAMPION.

THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD TIMES.

YOU CAN RUN, CHICO, BUT YOU

CANNOT HIDE.

AND THAT WHOLE RAZOR GIMMICK

GOT OVER, AND IT ALL FELL IN

PLACE.

SCOTT AND I, WE WERE DOING

SOME PRETTY SPECTACULAR THINGS.

HOW SWEET IT IS, BECAUSE BIG

DADDY HAS GOT THAT GOLD.

I WAS HAPPY.

DIESEL AND RAZOR KEPT WWE

GOING, ESPECIALLY AFTER HOGAN

AND SAVAGE LEFT.

PORTRAYING THE CHARACTERS OF

RAZOR RAMON AND DIESEL, SCOTT

HALL AND KEVIN NASH BECAME TWO

OF WWE'S BIGGEST STARS.

THE WWE CHAMPION, BIG DADDY

COOL!

THE TWO MAIN EVENTERS HELPED

RAW MAINTAIN ITS MOMENTUM

OPPOSITE THE RECENTLY LAUNCHED

MONDAY NITRO IN THE PRIME TIME

RATINGS.

BUT WHILE SOME OF THE NEW

GENERATION HAD RESONATED WITH

WWE'S FAN BASE ...

YEAH.

TIME TO GET UP.

EVERYBODY GET UP.

YO!

THE MAJORITY OF VINCE

MCMAHON'S CREATIONS WERE FAILING

TO FIND SUCCESS WITH RAW'S PRIME

TIME DEMOGRAPHIC.

IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS A

POINT WHERE WE WERE INSULTING

PEOPLE'S INTELLIGENCE AND GIVING

THEM A PRODUCT THAT WAS PASSé,

LIKE THE ERA OF A WRESTLER THAT

IS A CLOWN WAS OVER.

WAIT A MINUTE.

WHAT ...

DINK HAS A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS,

PRESENTING IT, YES, TO LOUISE.

HOW ABOUT THAT?

MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS

DISAPPOINTING THEIR AUDIENCE,

BUT IN WCW, TED TURNER'S ROSTER

HAD ITS OWN FLAWS.

IN WCW, IT ALWAYS JUST FELT

LIKE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE I

WATCHED IN THE '80S.

THIS MAN'S BEEN DOING IT FOR

YOU DON'T WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

HE HAS WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT

YOU'RE DOING IN THERE.

FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING TO PULL AWAY FROM WWE,

ERIC BISCHOFF WOULD NEED A

CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION OF

SUPERSTARS.

NITRO, AT THE TIME, WAS

BEGINNING TO GET SOME TRACTION.

THE NUMBERS WERE GROWING,

REVENUE WAS GROWING, THE COMPANY

WAS GROWING.

YOU KNOW, WE NEEDED SOME FRESH

FACES.

SO I CONTACTED SCOTT HALL AND

KEVIN NASH.

NO STRANGERS TO ATLANTA, HALL

AND NASH HAD PREVIOUSLY

EXPERIENCED UNSUCCESSFUL TENURES

WITH WCW.

I MET KEVIN WHEN HE HAD THE

BIG MOHAWK AND STUFF.

MAN, KEV HAD A COUPLE GIMMICKS

HERE.

I HAD PROBABLY THE WORST

THREE YEARS OF MY LIFE IN THE

WCW.

THE VIN MAN, TOTALLY LIVE,

TONIGHT ON THE SHOW!

ANOTHER WIN!

YEAH!

I HAD HAD SO MANY, YOU KNOW,

FLOP CHARACTERS.

I MEAN, IT WAS JUST LIKE ONE

THING AFTER ANOTHER.

THIS IS AN AWESOME, AWESOME,

AWESOME DISPLAY.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING IS

BRINGING IT TO YOU, BABY.

WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT OZ.

OZ.

GEEZ.

THAT THING WORKED FOR ABOUT A

WEEK.

OH, BABY.

LOOK AT THIS.

LOOK AT THIS.

NOW, BLACK AND CHROME, ALONG

WITH A LITTLE GOLD.

NOW, THAT'S A MAN'S COLORS.

I WAS HAPPY WHERE I WAS, AND

HAD NO, YOU KNOW, NO DESIRE TO

LEAVE.

BUT FOR TWO RISING STARS

LOOKING TO CASH IN ON THEIR

RECENT SUCCESS, THE PASTURES OF

TED TURNER'S WCW WERE TOO GREEN

TO PASS UP.

SCOTT'S CONTRACT WAS COMING

UP, AND ERIC BISCHOFF WAS, YOU

KNOW, STARTING TO THROW A LOT OF

MONEY AROUND.

I WAS ALL ABOUT MONEY THEN.

THE FIRST YEAR WAS 1.2.

PRETTY BIG MONEY, $1.2 MILLION

FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR ...

AND YOU GOT TO REMEMBER, IT WAS,

LIKE, 120 DAYS.

AT THAT POINT, GUYS WERE MAKING

THAT MONEY, MAYBE, FOR VINCE,

BUT YOU WERE WORKING 300 DAYS

FOR IT.

SCOTT WAS APPROACHED FIRST.

HE SAID, "I GOT AN OFFER TO GO,

YOU KNOW, WORK FOR TURNER."

AND I SAID, "HOW MUCH?"

AND HE TOLD ME.

I SAID, "FOR HOW MANY DAYS?"

AND IT WAS, LIKE, 150 DAYS, AND

I WENT, "WHAT?"

WHEN WE WERE WITH THE WWE, WE

WORKED 300 DAYS A YEAR.

THAT'S GOT TO TAKE A TOLL ON

A HUMAN BEING.

I MEAN, WHAT ABOUT TRAINING?

WHAT ABOUT KEEPING YOUR MARRIAGE

TOGETHER?

I MEAN, IS THERE ANY TIME FOR

YOU TO DO ANYTHING?

NO.

I TALKED TO VINCE AND I SAID,

"THIS IS THE OFFER THEY GAVE

ME," AND I SAID, "I WANT TO STAY

IF YOU CAN MATCH THE OFFER.

I'LL STAY."

AND WE HAD A LONG TALK, AND HE

JUST LOOKED ME AND HE JUST, YOU

KNOW, HE SAID POINT BLANK, HE

SAID, YOU KNOW, "I CAN'T.

I DO THAT FOR YOU, I'M GONNA DO

THAT FOR," YOU KNOW, AND HE JUST

NAMED, YOU KNOW, SOME GREAT

GUYS.

THEY REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO

LEAVE.

THEY WERE OFFERED SOME SORT OF

GUARANTEED CONTRACT BY TURNER'S

ORGANIZATION.

YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T GUARANTEE A

CONTRACT IN THOSE DAYS, AND FROM

A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, THEY HAD

NO, YOU KNOW, NO -- REALLY NO

ALTERNATIVE BUT TO GO.

IF I HAD BEEN THEM, I THINK I

WOULD'VE TAKEN THE MONEY.

I FELT A LOYALTY TO HIM.

WE WERE LIKE A FAMILY.

BUT AT THE SAME POINT, I

REMEMBER COMING HOME AND I

REMEMBER TELLING MY WIFE THAT I

WASN'T GONNA LEAVE.

MY WIFE, AT THIS POINT, IS SIX

MONTHS PREGNANT.

MY WIFE LOOKED AT ME AND SHE,

YOU KNOW, TOUCHED HER STOMACH.

SHE SAID, "THIS IS YOUR FAMILY."

I KIND OF, LIKE, "I GUESS YOU'RE

RIGHT."

AND I SAID, "I'M GONE."

I FELT LIKE I SOLD OUT.

I WANTED THAT GUARANTEED MONEY

TO SECURE MY KID'S FUTURE.

NOW I'M GONNA GO TO WCW TO SEE

WHAT'S WAITING FOR ME THERE.

NOT TOO EXCITED ABOUT THE

PROSPECTS.

WELCOME BACK LIVE TO THE

FIRST HOUR OF THIS EDITION OF

WCW MONDAY NITRO ON TNT.

I ARRIVE IN MACON, GEORGIA.

I WENT THROUGH THE CROWD.

THERE'S SOME GUYS ACTUALLY

HAVING A MATCH.

WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT THE

MAULER COMPLETELY MAUL HIS

OPPONENT, STEVE DOLL.

WELL, YOU KNOW, STEVE --

STEVE DOLL IS TRYING TO GET AN

OFFENSIVE GOING.

WAIT A MINUTE.

BUT, BUT ...

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON

HERE?

WELL, WHAT THE HELL ...

JUST GET ME A MIC.

AND INSTEAD OF HITTING THE

RING AND, LIKE, BEATING THESE

GUYS UP, I JUST WENT RIGHT TO

THE MICROPHONE, AND THEY STOPPED

WRESTLING, AND IT WAS -- AND IT

BECAME REAL.

WHEN SCOTT FIRST SHOWED UP ON

NITRO, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE,

"WAIT, WHAT'S THIS GUY DOING ON

THIS SHOW?

HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE ON WWE, AND

ALL OF A SUDDEN HE'S ON NITRO."

HEY.

SCOTT CAME IN AND MADE A

PRETTY BIG IMPACT.

AND I WILL NEVER FORGET THAT

HE SAID, "YOU KNOW WHO I AM."

YOU KNOW WHO I AM, BUT YOU

DON'T KNOW WHY I'M HERE.

AND WHEN HE CAME OUT AND CUT

THAT PROMO, LIKE, WHOA.

OKAY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY ON NOW.

FANS WERE UNAWARE THAT ERIC

BISCHOFF HAD SIGNED SCOTT HALL

TO A WCW CONTRACT, AND ASSUMED

HE WAS THERE ON BEHALF OF WWE TO

TAKE THE WAR TO TED TURNER'S

DOORSTEP.

THERE WASN'T REALLY BIG TIME

INTERNET BACK THEN, SO YOU COULD

MAKE ANYONE BELIEVE ANYTHING,

AND THEY DID.

I BELIEVED IT.

THE UNVEILING OF SCOTT HALL

WAS A SUCCESSFUL SURPRISE ON

MONDAY NITRO, AND WCW'S

ADDITIONAL ACQUISITION WOULD

SOON BE REVEALED.

WE ...

WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE?

WE ARE TAKING OVER.

YOU WANT A WAR?

YOU GOT ONE.

FANS DIDN'T HAVE THE ACCESS

TO WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON

BEHIND THE SCENES.

AT THE TIME, NOBODY KNEW THEIR

CONTRACTS WERE UP.

SOUNDS TO ME LIKE, BOBBY

HEENAN, YOU ARE BACKPEDALING.

YOU ARE REALLY BACKPEDALING NOW.

WAIT A MINUTE.

WAIT A MINUTE.

YOU CAME OUT HERE LAST WEEK.

WHERE IS IT?

THE BIG SURPRISE?

I MEAN, I HEARD A LOT OF TALK,

BUT WHERE'S THE WALK?

IN JUNE OF 1996, THE

UNSUSPECTING NITRO AUDIENCE

LEARNED THAT SCOTT HALL WAS NOT

ALONE.

THE PERCEIVED CHARACTERS OF

DIESEL AND RAZOR RAMON HAD

STUNNED SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

FANS BY SEEMINGLY TAKING OVER A

LIVE EPISODE OF MONDAY NITRO.

RAZOR RAMON WAS ONE OF MY

FAVORITES GROWING UP, AND HIM

AND DIESEL BOTH.

AND SO WHEN THEY SHOW UP ON WCW

NITRO, WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?

THIS IS WHERE THE BIG BOYS

PLAY, HUH?

WE AIN'T HERE TO PLAY.

THE OUTSIDERS DEBUT IN WCW

WAS PROBABLY THE MOST MEMORABLE

IN OUR INDUSTRY'S HISTORY.

THE MEASURING STICK JUST

CHANGED AROUND HERE, BUDDY.

YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT.

WHAT A COOL MOMENT.

STILL KIND OF SENDS SHIVERS,

BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME

THAT A SHOT HAD COME FROM THE

OTHER SIDE, AND THEN YOU KNEW

THIS IS A WRESTLING WAR.

IN REALITY, SCOTT HALL AND

KEVIN NASH HAD SIGNED WITH WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING, BUT THE

ON-SCREEN HOSTILITY OF THE

SUPPOSED WWE SUPERSTARS INVADING

WCW PERSONIFIED THE PRIME TIME

BATTLE BETWEEN THE TWO

COMPANIES.

THE ONLY REASON IT WORKED WAS

BECAUSE I'M A WWE GUY.

SO NOW I'M ON WCW, AND YOU GOT

TO REMEMBER AT THAT TIME THEY

HAD THIS REALLY LAME PROGRAM.

"WHERE THE BIG BOYS PLAY."

WAIT A MINUTE.

GET SECURITY OUT HERE AND GET

THEM OUT OF HERE!

AND WHEN I CAME IN, AND KEVIN

NASH CAME IN, THAT ALL BLEW UP

INTO, LIKE, A WHOLE 'NOTHER

STORY.

IT IS LIVE.

IT IS NITRO.

IF YOU'VE BEEN WITH US SINCE MAY

27TH, YOU'VE COME TO EXPECT THIS

KIND OF INTERRUPTION.

SCOTT HALL AND KEVIN NASH'S

CONTRACTS WERE SIX DAYS APART.

THE STARS WERE LINED UP

PERFECTLY.

THEY'RE NOT SCARING ANYBODY

HERE, SAVE MY PARTNER, BOBBY THE

BRAIN HEENAN.

BOBBY, SIT DOWN, MAN.

AND THE PERCEPTION WAS THAT

WE WERE SENT BECAUSE SO MANY

GUYS HAD JUMPED THAT WE WERE

EXTRAS SENT BY VINCE.

IT WAS, YOU KNOW, TWO WWE GUYS

COMING IN, TAKING OVER THEIR

COMPANY.

NOBODY IN THAT ERA KNEW

ANYTHING ABOUT CONTRACTS.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, PEOPLE ARE

GOING BACK AND FORTH, AND YOU

DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS REAL.

LIKE, "WHOA, THIS IS CRAZY!"

WE'VE COME TO SEE THE BIG

BOYS!

THEY CAN'T ...

THEY BOUGHT TICKETS!

YOU CAN'T GET RID OF THEM,

THEN.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG

HEY.

BUT YOU KNOW SOMETHING'S

GONNA HAPPEN.

A STRATEGIC AVOIDANCE OF

THEIR CHARACTER NAMES, SCOTT

HALL AND KEVIN NASH WERE DUBBED

THE OUTSIDERS, IN A CLEAR

REFERENCE TO THE REAL LIFE

OPPONENTS OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

THESE TWO ROGUES WHO THINK

THEY'RE GONNA COME IN AND TAKE

OVER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING.

I WANT YOU TWO CLOWNS TO REALIZE

YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE, AND

YOU'RE NOT WANTED HERE.

WHEN SCOTT HALL AND KEVIN

NASH CAME OVER TO WCW, IT GAVE

FANS A MORE RUGGED OUTLOOK ON

THEIR FAVORITE SUPERSTARS.

I LOVED IT.

HEY, YOU GUYS.

HOW ABOUT I BUY YOU ALL A DONUT,

HUH?

[ LAUGHING ]

IT WAS REALISTIC, YOU KNOW?

AND IT WAS COOL, AND EXCITING,

AND REFRESHING TO WATCH.

THE MORE TRUE-TO-LIFE

PERSONAS OF THE UNNAMED

OUTSIDERS WERE PART OF ERIC

BISCHOFF'S VISION TO SET WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING APART

FROM WWE.

I LITERALLY DID EVERYTHING

THAT I COULD DO TO BE DIFFERENT

FROM THE WWE.

WWE AT THE TIME WAS NO.

1 IN FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT.

THE CHARACTERS WERE ALL VERY

CARTOONISH, VERY ANIMATED.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAD CLOWNS AND

GARBAGE MEN AND HILLBILLIES, AND

YOU HAD CARICATURES.

ISAAC YANKEM ON HIS WAY, THE

PERSONAL DENTIST.

THERE THEY ARE, THE

OUTSIDERS.

WWE STORY LINES ARE VERY

ANIMATED AND CARTOONISH.

MY STORY LINES ARE GONNA BE

REALITY BASED.

THE COMPELLING OUTSIDERS

INVASION STORY LINE GARNERED

INCREASED ATTENTION, AND WWE

VIEWERS WERE JUMPING OVER TO

MONDAY NITRO, FOLLOWING IN THE

FOOTSTEPS OF THEIR FAVORITE

SUPERSTARS.

NOBODY IS SAFE HERE.

NOBODY IS SAFE HERE AT WCW.

THE OUTSIDERS IN THE RING,

AND THEY ARE HAMMERING AWAY!

THERE WERE PEOPLE CHEERING

HALL AND NASH WHEN THEY FIRST

CAME OVER, BECAUSE THESE WERE

WWE FANS.

THEY WERE GLAD TO SEE WCW GUYS

GET THEIR -- KICKED.

IT WAS LIKE THEY WERE SAYING,

"AH, I TOLD YOU WWE'S BETTER

THAN WCW."

HERE THEY COME!

THROUGH THE STANDS, THROUGH

THE PEOPLE.

WE NEED TO GET THEM OUT OF

HERE RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT NOW.

THEY JUST CAME FROM OUTSIDE.

THEY'VE GOT BASEBALL BATS IN

THEIR HANDS.

AND WE'VE GOT SECURITY

EVERYWHERE.

[ BELL RINGING ]

WE ARE AT WAR, SCHIAVONE.

THOSE TWO MEN STANDING THERE

MEAN BUSINESS.

WE ARE AT WAR.

I REMEMBER BISCHOFF SITTING

THERE WITH THAT GRIN ON HIS

FACE.

HE'S GOING ON AND ON ABOUT THE

WCW, AND I JUST LOOKED AT HIM

AND I SAID, "YOU DON'T GET IT,

DO YOU?"

I SAID, "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND

HOW PATHETIC THE WCW IS."

I SAID, "TWO GUYS FROM THE WWE

HELD OFF YOUR ENTIRE ROSTER WITH

BASEBALL BATS TODAY, AND AN

ENTIRE ARENA BOUGHT IT.

THAT'S THE PERCEPTION OF WCW

AGAINST THE WWE."

I SAID, "TWO OF US CAN TAKE OFF

YOUR WHOLE COMPANY."

FANS' RECOGNITION OF WWE AS A

SUPERIOR BRAND PROPELLED THE

OUTSIDERS' SUCCESS.

ONCE AGAIN, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING WAS PROSPERING FROM

VINCE MCMAHON'S CREATIONS.

IT WAS PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT

THE WCW WAS NOT REVEALING THOSE

GUYS' NAMES BY SAYING, "WELL,

Y'ALL KNOW WHO THEY ARE."

LIKE, "YEAH, IT'S DIESEL AND

RAZOR."

THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE, I

KNOW THEY'RE HERE.

COME ON OUT, GUYS.

I WAS REALLY UPSET WITH THE

WAY THEY DEBUTED, BECAUSE IT

WAS, IN ESSENCE, "YOU KNOW WHO

WE ARE," YOU KNOW, MEANING WWE,

"AND IN ESSENCE, WE'RE INVADING

WCW."

SO THAT WAS, I FELT, TRADING AND

INFRINGING, YOU KNOW, ON OUR

TRADEMARKS, AND DIDN'T LIKE IT.

SUBSEQUENTLY SUED TURNER.

AS THE MONDAY NIGHT BATTLE

SPILLED OVER INTO THE COURTROOM,

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WOULD BE FORCED TO REVEAL SOME

TRUTHS ABOUT THEIR NEWEST

ACQUISITIONS.

LET'S CLEAR ONE THING UP.

DO YOU WORK FOR THE WWE?

NO.

HOW ABOUT IT?

NO.

DESPITE THEIR ADMITTED FREE

AGENCY, HALL AND NASH STILL

DISPLAYED SOME VERY FAMILIAR

CHARACTERISTICS.

BECAUSE THE BIG MAN AND THE

MEDIUM SIZE MAN ...

HALL TALKED LIKE RAZOR RAMON.

ARE GONNA CARVE THEM UP.

I'M GOING TO CARVE YOU UP.

HE DID TALK WITH THE

TOOTHPICK.

IT CAME ACROSS AS RAZOR RAMON.

OH, FOR CRY ...

WHOA!

WHAT ARE THEY DOING?

NASH CAME ACROSS AS BIG

DIESEL.

OH!

SOMEBODY KICK HIM OUT!

GET SECURITY UP THERE!

I KNEW THEN THAT IT WAS

WORKING.

I MEAN, I KNEW IF VINCE WAS

PISSED OFF ENOUGH THAT HE'S

GONNA SUE, THAT IT'S WORKING,

AND THEY ENDED UP SETTLING.

YOU AIN'T GONNA OUT-MONEY

TURNER.

WE WERE ACCUSED OF STEALING

THEIR CHARACTERS, BUT I DON'T

THINK WE STOLE ANYBODY'S

CHARACTER.

AS LONG AS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE

INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE A

FOLLOWING, I DON'T THINK IT

REALLY MATTERS WHETHER YOU

CHANGE THEIR NAME OR ANYTHING

ELSE.

IT'S THE PERSON THAT GETS THE

FOLLOWING.

THE OUTSIDERS' IMPACT WAS

IMMEDIATELY FELT ON MONDAY

NITRO, AS WCW SURGED AHEAD OF

WWE IN THE NATIONAL TV RATINGS.

ERIC BISCHOFF'S UNPREDICTABLE

STORY LINE WOULD CONTINUE TO

INNOVATE, WITH MORE REALISM

BEING ADDED INTO HIS PROGRAM.

THE ESTABLISHED WRESTLING

LOGIC AT THE TIME, EVEN WITHIN

WCW, THEY USED, AS WE SAY IN THE

INDUSTRY, GIMMICK NAMES FOR THE

CHARACTERS.

THE SHARK!

I'M GONNA HAVE MY GUYS USING

THEIR REAL NAMES.

HALL AND NASH.

THOSE NAMES ARE COOL.

YOU KNOW, THEY WORK.

THAT'S WHO THEY REALLY ARE.

THIS IS A REALITY-BASED ANGLE

THAT'S SO STRONG, AND IT WAS SO

PERFECT TIMING.

ALL RIGHT, WE ARE BACK.

WCW NITRO ON TNT.

WE ARE LIVE.

WE ARE ON THE AIR.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT

WRESTLING FANS LIKED THE MOST

WAS UNPREDICTABILITY.

YOU CAN'T CREATE THAT FEELING

THAT ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN AT ANY

MOMENT IN A TAPED ENVIRONMENT.

TOO MANY PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT.

THE WORD'S OUT.

WITH NITRO, WE WANTED IT TO FEEL

SPONTANEOUS.

STOP TAPE.

GET SECURITY.

IS THIS ON?

WHAT NOW?

GET THE -- OFF.

HEY, HEY!

EASY, EASY!

YOU HAD TO TUNE IN TO NITRO

TO SEE WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO,

BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T READ ABOUT

IT IN THE TV GUIDE.

THAT IS THE WAY THAT WE CREATED

MUST-SEE TV.

THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE CAN

NEVER BE SHORT-CHANGED IN MY

MIND.

IF YOU CAN'T GUESS WHAT'S GONNA

HAPPEN, IF IT MAKES YOU WONDER

AND YOU HAVE TO TUNE IN,

SOMEBODY'S DOING THEIR JOB

RIGHT.

THE ONGOING ATTEMPT BY THE

PERCEIVED OUTSIDERS TO TAKE OVER

AND DESTROY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING KEPT FANS TUNING IN TO

MONDAY NITRO.

WAIT A MINUTE.

WAIT A MINUTE!

ERIC BISCHOFF'S COMPELLING

PLOT WAS ENHANCED WITH THE TEASE

OF A THIRD MEMBER FROM THE RIVAL

WWE.

I KNOW I'M STILL LOOKING FOR

THAT THIRD GUY.

THERE'S STILL JUST TWO OF THEM.

IN CONTRAST TO THE INCREASED

POPULARITY OF THE VILLAINOUS DUO

OF SCOTT HALL AND KEVIN NASH,

MONDAY NITRO'S BIGGEST NAME WAS

FAILING TO DRAW A SIMILAR

REACTION.

NASH AND HALL, OR DIESEL AND

RAMON, HAD COME OVER, AND THEY

WERE COOL.

WELCOME BACK TO WCW MONDAY

NITRO AS WE WELCOME ...

NOW, HULK GOES OUT ...

HULK HOGAN!

AND THE PEOPLE WERE BOOING

HIM!

[ CROWD CHANTING: HOGAN SUCKS!

HOGAN SUCKS! ]

AFTER SO MANY YEARS AS THE

FORCE OF SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

...

[ LYRICS ]

WHEN IT COMES CRASHIN' DOWN AND

IT HURTS INSIDE

HULK HOGAN'S SQUEAKY CLEAN

HULKAMANIA PERSONA HAD RUN HIS

COURSE.

THIS GUY THAT, EVERY NIGHT,

WOULD POSE AND PUT HIS HAND UP

TO HIS EAR AND ALL THE PEOPLE

WOULD GO WILD AND CRAZY, ALL OF

A SUDDEN THE ACT WAS GETTING A

LITTLE STALE.

AND WITH PASTAMANIA RUNNING

THROUGH MY BRAIN, WHO'S GONNA

BEAT BIG BUBBA TONIGHT,

HULKAMANIACS?

[ CROWD: HULK HOGAN! ]

IT WAS REALLY KIND OF CHEESY,

YOU KNOW?

PEOPLE WEREN'T BUYING WHAT HE

WAS SELLING ANYMORE AS, UH, YOU

KNOW, "SAY YOUR PRAYERS AND EAT

YOUR VITAMINS."

THE IMMORTALITY THAT'S

TRAINING AND PRAYERS AND

VITAMINS ETCHED IN STONE

FOREVER.

I SAID, "HULK MAN, IT'S TIME.

YOU GOT TO TURN."

I NEVER FORGET.

I WENT TO HIS HOUSE, AND HE

LOOKED ME RIGHT IN THE EYE AND

HE SAID, "ERIC, UNTIL YOU WALK A

MILE IN MY RED AND YELLOW BOOTS,

YOU'LL JUST REALLY NEVER

UNDERSTAND."

AND HE SHOWED ME TO HIS DOOR.

I HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH ERIC

BISCHOFF, HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH

TED TURNER ABOUT ME TURNING INTO

A BAD GUY.

AND I SAID, "I'M NOT GONNA PULL

IT OFF, AND I'LL BE DONE.

IT'LL BE OVER."

I WENT TO HIM AND I SAID,

"YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A

LOOK AT VINCE'S SHOW, THE DAY OF

THE BABY-FACE IS OVER.

IT'S THE ANTI-HERO."

UNBELIEVABLE AMBIENCE HERE!

THE UNDERTAKER!

A GUY THAT'S DEAD IS A

BABY-FACE?

[ BELL RINGING ]

COME ON.

IT'S TIME TO MAKE THAT SWITCH.

WITH THE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT

LANDSCAPE EVOLVING, HULK HOGAN

WOULD FINALLY AGREE TO GIVE

HULKAMANIA A FACE-LIFT, AS ERIC

BISCHOFF WAS READY TO REVEAL THE

IDENTITY OF THE THIRD OUTSIDER.

IT WAS GONNA BE STING.

STING WAS GOING TO BE THE THIRD

GUY.

HULK WAS FILMING A MOVIE OUT IN

CALIFORNIA.

HE CALLED ME UP AND HE SAID,

"WHO'S THE THIRD GUY?"

I SAID, "I CAN'T TELL YOU."

HE SAID, "IT'S ME."

I SAID, "REALLY?"

I HAD SEEN SCOTT COME IN, I'D

SEEN KEVIN COME IN AND I SEEN

THE EDGE THEY PUT ON THE BAD

GUY.

I SAID, "IF I CAN -- IF I CANNOT

BE HULK HOGAN, BUT IF I CAN DO

THIS THING AS HOLLYWOOD HULK

HOGAN, YOU KNOW, AND COME IN

WITH A REALLY NASTY EDGE ON,

I'LL DO IT."

HULK WAS LIKE, "WHOA,

BROTHER.

THAT MONEY TRAIN AIN'T LEAVING

WITHOUT ME ON IT."

AFTER SIX WEEKS, NASH AND

HALL'S INVASION CULMINATED AT

WCW BASH AT THE BEACH WITH THE

HIGHLY ANTICIPATED REVEAL OF THE

DUO'S UNDISCLOSED PARTNER.

WE WERE IN DAYTONA BEACH.

I WOULD SAY PROBABLY 12 PEOPLE

PROBABLY KNEW THE THIRD PERSON.

BOY, HAVE I GOT BUTTERFLIES.

THEY HAVE SAID THE THIRD MAN

IS HERE, BUT HE IS NOT IN THE

RING.

I DON'T SEE THREE MEN HERE

TONIGHT.

WHERE IS YOUR PARTNER?

CHICO, YOU KNOW TOO MUCH

ALREADY.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW, LITTLE

MAN, IS HE'S HERE AND HE'S

READY.

VIEWERS TUNED IN TO WATCH LEX

LUGER, STING AND THE MACHO MAN

RANDY SAVAGE TEAM UP IN AN

EFFORT TO STOP THE ONSLAUGHT OF

THE OUTSIDERS.

THE MACHO MAN IS UP!

THE MACHO MAN'S GOT HIM.

NASH IS DOWN.

HE'S GOT NASH DOWN!

OOH, NO!

SAVAGE WAS BLOWING THE

COMEBACK.

WE'D CUT HIM OFF, AND OF COURSE,

HULK CAME DOWN.

HULKAMANIA!

HULK HOGAN!

HULK HOGAN IS HERE!

HULK HOGAN'S HERE!

HULK HOGAN IS IN THE

BUILDING!

YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT HE IS!

GO GET 'EM, HULKSTER!

PLACE POPPED, YOU KNOW,

'CAUSE EVERYBODY KNEW THAT HULK

WAS THERE TO SAVE THE DAY.

GO GET 'EM, BABY!

WHEN I WENT OUT, YOU KNOW, IT

LOOKED LIKE I WAS COMING OUT TO

SAVE MACHO MAN.

AS I WAS ON MY WAY OUT TO THAT

RING, I WAS THINKING, "OH, MY

GOSH.

ARE WE GONNA GET OUT OF THIS

ARENA ALIVE?

OH, MY GOSH.

HOW MUCH STUFF ARE THEY GONNA

THROW?

OH, MY GOSH.

ARE THEY GONNA HAVE A RIOT?"

COME ON AND GET SOME OF THIS

NOW!

WHO'S BAD NOW, BOYS?

HULK HOGAN ARRIVED.

HULK -- HULK -- HULK ...

WHAT IS HE DOING?

OH, MY GOD.

IS HE THE THIRD MAN?

HE'S THE THIRD MAN!

DID -- DID HE JUST DO THAT?

HULK HOGAN HAS BETRAYED WCW!

HE IS THE THIRD MAN IN THIS

PICTURE!

LOOK AT THIS!

OH, MY GOD.

YOU NEVER IMAGINED THAT THAT

COULD EVER HAPPEN.

IT WAS CRAZY TO WATCH THAT.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

HULK HOGAN FLIPPED THE

SCRIPT.

YOU SAW A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

HULK HOGAN.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

OH, MY GOD!

PROBABLY THE LOWEST SHOT EVER

GIVEN TO PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING.

PEOPLE WANTED TO HATE HULK

HOGAN.

NOW THEY HAD A LEGITIMATE

REASON.

HULK HOGAN, YOU CAN GO TO

HELL.

IT WAS BRILLIANT.

I MEAN, THE THIRD GUY IS NOT

ONLY HULK HOGAN, BUT HULK HOGAN

IS NOW TURNING TO THE DARK SIDE.

SO IT'S LIKE, WOW.

BANG.

HOME RUN.

INCREDIBLE.

WHAT A SHOW.

EVERYONE IS SHOCKED, TONY.

I DON'T KNOW WHOSE IDEA IT

WAS, BUT IT WAS PRETTY CLEVER,

QUITE FRANKLY.

IN ONE OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT'S MOST EPIC TURNS,

HOGAN HAD BETRAYED HIS FRIENDS,

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE FANS,

WHO WASTED NO TIME IN EXHIBITING

THEIR DISPLEASURE.

WHAT DO WE GOT HERE?

WE GOT A FAN COMING IN.

I HAD TO CLIP A GUY.

SOME FAT DRUNK CAME UNDERNEATH

THE BOTTOM ROPE.

I HAD TO CLIP HIM, AND I THINK

SCOTT KICKED HIM IN THE HEAD.

WELL, HE DIDN'T LAST LONG.

I'D NEVER BEEN IN A BUILDING

WHERE PEOPLE THREW STUFF IN THE

RING, AND THE FANS STARTED

SHOWERING THE RING WITH PAPER

CUPS, AND PLASTIC BOTTLES, AND

WHATEVER THEY GOT THEIR HANDS

ON, AND I REMEMBER THINKING,

"WOW."

I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SEE

PEOPLE THROWING DEBRIS ...

AT HULK HOGAN.

AT HULK HOGAN.

I KNEW IT SHOULD'VE BEEN DONE A

LONG TIME AGO.

I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE

RING THAT NIGHT.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, ALL THE GARBAGE

FROM THE STREETS OF DAYTONA

BEACH ENDED UP IN THE RING.

THIS HAS TO BE THE ABSOLUTE

WORST MOMENT IN MY BROADCASTING

CAREER.

LOOK AT OKERLUND.

HE LOOKS LIKE HE'S GONNA BREAK

UP.

HULK HOGAN, WHAT IN THE WORLD

ARE YOU THINKING?

MEAN GENE, THE FIRST THING

YOU NEED TO DO IS TO TELL THESE

PEOPLE TO SHUT UP IF YOU WANT TO

HEAR WHAT I GOT TO SAY.

IT WAS A SHOCKING MOMENT.

AMERICA'S MOST BELOVED CHARACTER

IN OUR INDUSTRY WENT OUT AND,

MORE OR LESS JUST SAID, "STICK

IT UP YOUR --."

THAT NIGHT, THE NEW WORLD ORDER

WAS FORMED.

THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE FUTURE

OF WRESTLING.

YOU CAN CALL THIS THE NEW WORLD

ORDER OF WRESTLING, BROTHER.

AND NOT ONLY ARE WE GONNA TAKE

OVER, WE WILL DESTROY EVERYTHING

IN OUR PATH, MEAN GENE.

LOOK AT ALL THIS CRAP IN THIS

RING.

THIS IS WHAT'S IN THE FUTURE FOR

YOU IF YOU WANT TO HANG AROUND

THE LIKES OF THIS MAN, HALL, AND

THIS MAN, NASH.

THE RING FILLED UP WITH SO

MUCH CRAP.

I SAID, "OH, MY GOD.

WE GOT SOME HEAT."

AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, ALL OF

THIS CRAP IN THE RING REPRESENTS

THESE FANS OUT HERE.

I KNEW FROM THAT MOMENT, THAT

WHOLE NWO THING WAS GONNA BE

HOT, AND I WAS SO GLAD I MADE

THE DECISION TO BE THE THIRD

MAN.

WE HAVE SEEN THE END OF

HULKAMANIA.

HOGAN, FOR SO LONG, WAS THIS

ICONIC FIGURE OF GOOD.

THERE'S ONE THING MORE

IMPORTANT THAN THIS WORLD

HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE BELT.

THAT'S THAT SEAT BELT IN YOUR

CAR, MAN.

THIS GUY WHO COULD NEVER BE A

BAD GUY.

NOT A BAD BONE IN HIM.

YOU FANS CAN STICK IT,

BROTHER!

AND THEN WHEN HE GOES TO THE

DARK SIDE, IT DEFINITELY CHANGED

THE FACE OF SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

UNBELIEVABLE SITUATION RIGHT

HERE AT BASH OF THE BEACH.

HULKAMANIA, THE THIRD GUY WITH

THE OUTSIDERS.

THE ADDITION OF THE

INDUSTRY'S BIGGEST NAME

SOLIDIFIED THE FORMATION OF THE

NEW WORLD ORDER.

NOW WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

WHEN IT STOPPED BEING JUST

THE OUTSIDERS AND BECAME THE

NWO, THAT WAS -- THAT WAS A

NIGHT EVERY WRESTLING FAN WILL

NEVER FORGET.

THE DAY HOGAN WENT DARK, THAT

WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS

ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN HIM IN

YEARS.

IT WAS SO UNREAL.

I WAS LIKE, "WHOA.

LIKE, THIS IS CRAZY."

THERE'S HOLLYWOOD HULK HOGAN!

THERE'S NO YELLOW, THERE'S NO

RED.

HE'S WEARING BLACK.

IN THE NWO, HE WAS THE

HOTTEST HEEL THAT THE SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT WORLD HAS EVER

SEEN, AND WHAT A RESURGENCE OF

HIS CAREER.

THE NWO IS THE ONLY WAY TO

GO, AND WHATCHA GONNA DO!

THANK YOU, BROTHER.

ERIC BISCHOFF'S EMPHASIS ON

UNPREDICTABILITY BROUGHT WITH IT

A SHOCKING TRANSFORMATION OF

HULK HOGAN, AND A NEW DIRECTION

FOR THE FUTURE OF WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING.

ALL DUE RESPECT TO STING, IT

WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED.

IT HAD TO BE A WWE GUY, AND HULK

IS THE ULTIMATE WWE GUY.

THERE'S A REASON WHY HULK HAS

BEEN OVER FOR 35 PLUS YEARS.

HE UNDERSTANDS THE BUSINESS, HE

SEES WHEN SOMETHING'S HOT AND HE

KNOWS HOW TO TAKE IT TO A

DIFFERENT LEVEL.

YEAH!

HULK GAVE US VALIDITY,

BECAUSE IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW ANY

NAME IN THE INDUSTRY, YOU KNEW

HULK'S.

WE HAD PICKED UP MOMENTUM TO THE

POINT WHERE IT'S ALMOST LIKE

ANYTHING ELSE.

THEY WANTED TO SEE US GET BEAT

UP, AND WE DIDN'T GIVE IT TO

'EM.

WE GAVE 'EM THE EXACT OPPOSITE.

LIKE, WE'D PUT ANOTHER LAYER ON

TOP OF IT.

DRIVEN BY THE POPULARITY OF

THE NWO, WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING WAS CONSISTENTLY

DEFEATING WWE IN THE TELEVISION

RATINGS BY SEPTEMBER OF 1996.

SEEING THE SUCCESS BROUGHT TO

MONDAY NITRO BY SCOTT HALL AND

KEVIN NASH, WWE ATTEMPTED TO

TURN THE TIDE BY REINTRODUCING

THE OUTSIDERS' FORMER CHARACTERS

ON MONDAY NIGHT RAW.

THE IDEA FROM CREATIVE WAS

THE MEN THAT PLAYED THOSE

CHARACTERS COULDN'T USE THOSE

NAMES.

DIESEL AND RAZOR RAMON.

SO WE'LL TEASE THAT WE'RE GONNA

BRING THEM BACK.

BIG DADDY COOL DIESEL AND THE

BAD GUY RAZOR RAMON ARE ON THEIR

WAY BACK TO THE WORLD WRESTLING

ENTERTAINMENT.

I HAVE THAT ON VERY GOOD

AUTHORITY FROM SOME VERY

RELIABLE SOURCES.

THE WWE LEAKED THAT THEY WERE

HAVING DIESEL AND RAZOR BACK.

WELL, OUR GUYS, OF COURSE, IN

THE INFINITE WISDOM OF THEM, YOU

KNOW, THOUGHT THE ONLY WAY THAT

YOU COULD BRING BACK DIESEL AND

RAZOR WAS TO HAVE SCOTT HALL AND

KEVIN NASH COME BACK, AND THE

CHARACTERS.

SO NOW THEY'RE UNDER THE

ASSUMPTION THAT SCOTT AND I ARE

SIGNED BY VINCE, AND THAT THEIR

CONTRACTS ARE NULL AND VOID

BECAUSE WE NEVER WEREN'T WORKING

FOR THE WWE.

BIG DADDY COOL DIESEL AND

RAZOR RAMON RETURNING TO THE

WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT.

I STAND BY MY SOURCES IN THIS

STORY, AND I CAN POSITIVELY TELL

YOU THIS: THAT THERE WERE

NEGOTIATIONS THIS WEEKEND

BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL

THE INVOLVED PARTIES.

JIM ROSS IS PLUGGING IT,

PLUGGING IT, PLUGGING IT, AND

THEY'RE, LIKE, YELLING AT US.

"JUST ADMIT IT!"

WE'RE LIKE, "ADMIT WHAT?

WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING."

THOSE ARE OUR BOYS, RIGHT

THERE.

NOW, THOSE ARE OUR BOYS.

AND THEY JUST PUT NEW

CONTRACTS IN FRONT OF US FOR

MORE MONEY, AND THEY SAID, "IS

THIS WHAT YOU WANT?"

WE JUST WENT, "ABSOLUTELY."

SCHEDULED TOMORROW NIGHT, THE

RETURN OF BIG DADDY COOL DIESEL

AND RAZOR RAMON.

THEY'LL BE LIVE ON RAW FROM

HERSHEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

WE'RE SITTING AT THE SIDE OF

THE TRUCK.

HERE'S THE MONITOR AT THE BACK

OF THE TRUCK.

THEY PLAY THE MUSIC.

[ MUSIC ]

[ BELL RINGING ]

THIS CONTEST IS SCHEDULED FOR

ONE FALL.

ABOUT TO COME DOWN THE AISLE,

FROM MIAMI, FLORIDA, WEIGHING

287 POUNDS ...

RAZOR RAMON!

I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE I AM

SAYING THAT WHEN I LOOKED AT

THIS MAN.

YEAH, TALK ABOUT MILLI

VANILLI.

WHAT'S THIS, JIM ROSS?

THEY'RE LOOKING AT THE THING,

AND THEY KIND OF JUST DO THIS.

THEY GO ...

WE JUST DID THE -- AND JUST

WALKED AWAY FROM THEM, LIKE,

LIKE, REALLY?

BUT IT IS NOT KEVIN NASH OR

SCOTT HALL, IS IT?

I NEVER SAID THAT SCOTT HALL

AND KEVIN NASH ARE GONNA BE

HERE!

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW

DIESEL AND THE NEW RAZOR WAS NOT

WELL RECEIVED, AND IT WAS LIKE A

FART IN CHURCH.

I HATED THEM.

I WAS LIKE, "THIS IS THE

STUPIDEST THING EVER."

I DIDN'T KNOW IF THEY THOUGHT,

LIKE, "OH, WE CAN JUST TAKE

ANYBODY AND PUT THEM INTO THESE

DEALS."

SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAKE BAD

DECISIONS, AND THAT WAS JUST A

REALLY BAD DECISION.

I'M NOT SURE THAT WHAT WE DID

WITH THE FAKE DIESEL AND SCOTT

HALL DIDN'T MAKE MORE PEOPLE

WANT TO WATCH THE REAL DIESEL

AND THE REAL SCOTT HALL.

THE IMPOSTOR VERSIONS OF

RAZOR RAMON AND DIESEL

EXEMPLIFIED WWE'S CONTINUED

RELIANCE ON OUTDATED

PROGRAMMING.

BUT WHILE WWE FEATURED A FORMULA

OF THE PAST, WCW'S NEW WORLD

ORDER WAS HELPING ERIC BISCHOFF

USHER IN SUCCESSFUL CHANGES TO

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT TRADITIONS.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER!

THEY GOT A PLAN, ERIC.

THEY GOT A BIG PLAN.

THE FORMING OF THE NWO WAS

PROBABLY ONE OF THE GREATEST,

YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT EVER

HAPPENED IN -- IN OUR SPORT.

THINGS REALLY STARTED TAKING

OFF.

THE NWO WAS JUST SOMETHING

THAT NOBODY'D EVER SEEN BEFORE.

A GANG OF GUYS THAT WERE KIND OF

JUST COMING IN.

THEY DIDN'T REALLY WORK THERE,

THEY JUST KIND OF TOOK OVER THE

SHOW, AND JUST, NOBODY COULD DO

ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

THEY ARE JUST BASICALLY

TAKING OVER THIS PROGRAM HERE.

LOOK AT ALL THE POPULAR

REALITY SHOWS NOW.

THEY'D PROBABLY REALLY ALMOST

SAY, PRECURSOR FOR HOW PERCEIVED

REALITY CAN REALLY CREATE A

TREMENDOUS INTEREST.

ATTACKING STING AS HE WAS

TRYING TO LOAD UP THE CAR.

THERE WERE ENOUGH UNIQUE

ELEMENTS WITHIN NITRO WHERE EVEN

THE MOST JADED FAN WENT, "YOU

KNOW, I KNOW THE REST OF THAT

STUFF'S ALL SCRIPTED, BUT THAT

WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN."

THEY HAD TO TUNE IN TO SEE

WHAT THESE GUYS WERE GONNA DO

NEXT, YOU KNOW.

THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, BRINGING

INTO THE AUDIO TRUCKS, AND THE

VIDEO TRUCK IN THE BACK.

EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE HAD

SEEN UP TO THAT POINT HAD PRETTY

MUCH BEEN INSIDE OF THE RING,

INSIDE OF THE ARENA.

SO BY TAKING THE FANS BACKSTAGE

IN AN ENVIRONMENT THEY'VE NEVER

SEEN BEFORE, I ACHIEVED THAT

SENSE OF, "WHOA, WAIT A MINUTE.

I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE,

THEREFORE IT MUST BE REAL."

IT SEEMED LIKE THIS WASN'T

SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, THESE GUYS

WERE REALLY COMING OUT THERE,

THROWING THEIR WEIGHT AROUND AND

IT WAS COOL.

THEY GOT BASEBALL BATS!

THE COWARD JOKES!

THAT'S MARCUS BAGWELL!

MARCUS!

THE NWO TORE UP THE BACKSTAGE

AREA, WHERE THEY WERE CHASING A

COUPLE GUYS.

ONE OF THEM WAS REY MYSTERIO,

JR.

THAT'S REY MYSTERIO.

HEY!

THAT'S REY MYS -- THERE'S THE

CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION REY

MYSTERIO.

HE LITERALLY PICKED REY

MYSTERIO UP AND LAWN DARTED HIM

INTO THE SIDE OF A PRODUCTION

TRUCK.

HEAD FIRST INTO THE TRAILER

IN THE BACK!

EVERYBODY WAS LAID OUT.

WE'D DROP THE BATS, AND THEN GOT

IN THE LIMO, AND OF COURSE,

RANDY JUMPED ON THE BACK OF THE

LIMO INTO THE MOONROOF.

THE MACHO MAN IS ON THE

LIMOUSINE!

TRYING TO GET IN THE SUNROOF!

OH, MY GOD.

WE BROUGHT SUCH A, AT THAT

POINT, A HIGH LEVEL OF VIOLENCE

TO THE TELEVISION SHOW THAT

PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, BELIEVED THAT

WHAT WE DID WAS REAL.

SO REAL THAT RESIDENTS IN THE

SURROUNDING ORLANDO AREA THAT

WERE WATCHING NITRO LIVE CALLED

911.

[ SIREN WAILING ]

THE SWITCH BOARD IN DISNEY

LIT UP, 'CAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT

WAS REAL.

I SAID, "WAIT A MINUTE, THESE

PEOPLE PRODUCE MOVIES.

THIS IS DISNEY?"

AND THEY'RE CALLING US AND

SAYING, "YOU GUYS HAD A REAL

WRESTLING MATCH AND PEOPLE GOT

HURT LAST NIGHT?"

WAIT A MINUTE, MAYBE WE GOT

SOMETHING HERE.

THAT'S WHEN I KNEW WE WERE DOING

OKAY.

THEY HAD THAT HOT HAND.

THERE WAS NO DENYING THAT THEY

HAD A BETTER, MORE EXCITING,

COOLER SHOW THAN WE DID.

THE NEW WORLD ORDER HAD

QUICKLY BECOME THE MOST

PREVALENT STORY ON MONDAY NITRO,

AS ERIC BISCHOFF HAD CREATED A

RIVAL BRAND WITHIN WCW BY USING

A TEMPLATE UNFAMILIAR TO

AMERICAN AUDIENCES.

ERIC BISCHOFF, A LOT OF

PEOPLE DON'T GIVE HIM THE

CREDIT.

HE'S VERY SHARP, AND HE HAD A

LOT OF DIFFERENT IDEAS.

ONE IDEA THAT HE BROUGHT WAS THE

NWO, WHICH WAS BASICALLY A

CONCEPT PUT OUT BY NEW JAPAN PRO

WRESTLING.

IT WAS AN INTERWORKING GROUP

WITHIN THE COMPANY THAT WAS A

RIVAL GROUP TO EVERYBODY ELSE IN

THEIR COMPANY, AND IT WAS VERY

SUCCESSFUL 'CAUSE IT WAS NEVER

DONE BEFORE.

WHEN I THOUGHT ABOUT THE NWO,

I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT A WRESTLING

STORY LINE.

I WANTED TO CREATE A WCW AND I

WANTED TO CREATE AN NWO, AND I

WANTED THERE TO BE A CONFLICT

BETWEEN THOSE TWO ORGANIZATIONS.

HE IS SPRAY PAINTING ON THE

VIDEO TRUCK!

CAN WE GET SECURITY OUT THERE?

I'M THE LEADER OF THE NWO,

AND THESE ARE MY GUYS THAT ARE

COMING IN, AND WE'RE GONNA TAKE

OVER THE WCW, AND THIS ISN'T

GONNA BE WCW ANYMORE.

THIS IS GONNA BE CALLED NWO FOR

LIFE.

WELL, YOU TALK ABOUT THE

MONEY, YOU TALK ABOUT BEATING

PEOPLE UP.

WELL, IT'S THE NEW WORLD ORDER,

AND I HOPE IT'S OKAY, BECAUSE

THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT

IT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

POWER, FAME, MONEY AND NOW, OUR

OWN CORPORATION.

I WANTED IT TO LOOK

DIFFERENT, I WANTED IT TO SOUND

DIFFERENT, I WANTED IT TO SMELL

DIFFERENT.

HEY, HULKSTER, WHAT DO YOU

WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?

HULK WANNA BEAT THE GIANT.

I WANT HIS TITLE.

IF YOU GO BACK AND YOU LOOK

AT SOME OF THE EARLIER VIGNETTES

THAT WE DID, THEY WERE DONE IN

BLACK AND WHITE, RATHER THAN

STANDARD ANNOUNCER, MICROPHONE,

BACK-AND-FORTH INTERVIEW.

WE KIND OF CREATED THE NWO

MESSAGE WITH MUSIC PLAYING IN

THE BACKGROUND.

QUICK CUTS, KIND OF A GRAINY

FILM KIND OF A FEEL.

THESE WCW GUYS, THIS STING

AND LEX, TAKE A LOOK AT US.

THEY KNEW THAT THAT WOULD

STAND OUT.

IT WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN

ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS BEING

DONE, EITHER IN WWE OR ON WCW AT

THE TIME.

AT WAR GAMES ...

WITH THE NWO PROMOS, THE

BLACK AND WHITE WAS SHOWING THAT

THEY WERE THEIR OWN SHOW.

THEY WERE DOING THEIR OWN THING,

THEY'RE ON THEIR OWN SCHEDULE,

THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PLATFORM.

NWO SEEMED LIKE A COMPLETELY

SEPARATE ENTITY, AND I WASN'T

REALLY SURE WHAT WAS GOING ON,

WHICH WAS WHAT MADE IT

INTERESTING TO ME.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY COOL

AND, LIKE, JUST EDGY FOR ITS

TIME.

THE RISING POPULARITY OF THE

NWO WAS DRIVEN BY A CHANGE

EMANATING ACROSS AMERICA.

SOCIETY WAS SHIFTING TO A MORE

REBELLIOUS NATURE, EMBRACING THE

EDGY CHARACTERS THAT BLURRED THE

LINE BETWEEN HERO AND VILLAIN.

THEY WERE THE COOL BAD GUYS

THAT YOU WANTED TO BE LIKE, AND

WHEN THE BAD GUYS START BECOMING

THE GOOD GUYS, IT REALLY CHANGES

THE LANDSCAPE.

IT KIND OF MATCHED WHAT WAS

REALLY GOING ON IN SOCIETY,

WHERE EVERYTHING HAD AN EDGE,

AND NWO FELL RIGHT IN THAT

POCKET WITH WHAT WAS COOL AND

ACCEPTABLE.

THEY WERE THE BAD GUYS

GETTING CHEERED, AND THEN THE

GOOD GUYS WOULD GET BOOED.

SO WE'LL JUST TURN THEM INTO

GOOD GUYS, THEN.

OUTSIDER OFFICIAL T-SHIRTS.

WEAR THE SHIRT BACKWARDS.

THE OUTSIDERS T-SHIRT FOR

JUST $20.

TWENTY BUCKS EACH, OR TWO FOR

40.

IF YOU BUY A MILLION OF THEM,

IT'S ONLY $20 MILLION.

I WOULDN'T SAY WE WERE THE

BEATLES, BUT I'D SAY WE WERE AT

LEAST ZEPPELIN.

I REMEMBER SEEING KIDS AT

SCHOOL WITH THEIR NWO SHIRTS ON,

AND JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, I

WAS SUCKED IN.

THE NWO HAD BECOME THE

BIGGEST PRESENCE IN THE

INDUSTRY, AND IT WAS ABOUT TO

GET EVEN BIGGER.

HERE COMES THE GIANT!

LOOK OUT, NWO!

ERIC BISCHOFF WANTED TO BE

PERCEIVED AS A SEPARATE COMPANY.

THANK GOD FOR THE GIANT!

BECAUSE WE WERE GETTING OVER

SO STRONG.

THE NWO WAS GETTING OVER SO

WELL.

AND WE STARTED TO GROW.

THE GIANT IS IN THE BUILDING!

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA,

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA,

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!

THE GIANT ...

WHAT IS THIS?

THE GIANT!

NO!

WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR YOU

DON'T, IT'S THE BEST THING GOING

TODAY.

IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED, A

FAMILIAR TREND CONTINUED TO

UNFOLD, AND MORE OUTSIDERS WERE

SHOWING UP IN WCW.

TED DIBIASE, A MAN KNOWN THE

WORLD OVER, AND HE IS HERE IN

WCW, WHERE THE BIG BOYS PLAY.

I SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO

THE OTHER COMPANY.

WHEN I GOT THERE, I THINK

EVERYBODY WAS PRETTY EXCITED

ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON, AND

HAPPY BECAUSE BUSINESS WAS GOING

THROUGH THE ROOF.

WE ARE BACK ON NITRO.

HERE YOU GO.

I RECOGNIZE HIM.

THE MAN YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT

NOW, HE WAS FORMERLY THE 1-2-3

KID WHEN HE WAS WITH THE WWE,

BUT WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE

DOING HERE?

SO ALL OF A SUDDEN, HERE'S

THIS GUY YOU'VE SEEN ON WWE TV

FOR YEARS, AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW

WHO ELSE COULD POSSIBLY BE GOING

OVER.

VIRGIL!

ANYBODY THAT HAD ANY

ALLEGIANCE, ALLIANCE, TIE, HAD

EVER WORKED BACKSTAGE WITH WWE,

WAS NOW PART OF THE ANGLE.

NWO IN NITRO!

WITH MORE FORMER WWE TALENT

JOINING THE NEW WORLD ORDER, THE

GROUP'S BATTLE AGAINST THE WORLD

CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

PARALLELED THE REAL LIFE WAR

BETWEEN SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT'S

TWO RIVAL COMPANIES.

THE AUDIENCE THOUGHT THEY

WERE FINALLY GETTING WHAT THEY

WANTED.

WHAT THEY ALWAYS WANTED WAS THIS

BIG WORLD SERIES.

WWE VERSUS WCW.

HAVE WE SEEN THE DEMISE,

THOUGH, OF WCW?

IF I TURNED IT ON, I'D SAY,

"HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

THE WWE'S WRESTLING THESE WCW

GUYS."

NOW IT'S STARTING TO REALLY LOOK

LIKE THERE'S A WAR.

THE EVER-EXPANDING NEW WORLD

ORDER PROPELS WCW TO WHAT WOULD

BECOME NEARLY A TWO-YEAR WINNING

STREAK IN THE PRIME TIME

RATINGS.

THE NWO STORY LINE CONTINUED TO

DEVELOP WHEN WCW'S EXECUTIVE

PRODUCER WAS REVEALED AS THE

LEADER OF THE REBELLIOUS

FACTION.

AND ME, WITH THE WORLD TAG

TEAM CHAMPIONS.

YOU GOT TO LOVE THIS.

WHEN THE STORY LINE HAD

EVOLVED AND IT WAS SUGGESTED

THAT I BECOME PART OF THE NWO,

THERE WAS SOME CONCERN, BUT I

FELT STRONGLY ENOUGH ABOUT THE

STORY LINE.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!

THE WHOLE NWO PLATFORM WAS TO

BASICALLY CREATE ANARCHY, AND

WHAT BETTER WAY TO CREATE

ANARCHY THAN HAVE THE GUY THAT'S

BASICALLY RUNNING THE COMPANY BE

THE BIGGEST -- HE COULD POSSIBLY

BE, YOU KNOW, WITH ONE OF THE

LARGEST, YOU KNOW, HEEL GROUPS,

PROBABLY IN HISTORY?

WE ARE GOING TO BUILD A DYNASTY.

YOU'RE EITHER WITH US OR YOU'RE

AGAINST US.

BUT AS POWERFUL AS THE NWO

HAD BECOME, THEIR SOARING

MOMENTUM AND UNTOUCHABLE STATUS

WAS BEGINNING TO CAUSE A RIFT

WITHIN THE WCW ROSTER.

HE'S HAVING A TANTRUM,

JERICHO.

HE'S FLIPPED!

THE GUY'S GOING NUTS!

I'M SICK OF THIS!

I'VE HAD ENOUGH!

YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH?

FANS, STING AND HOGAN STILL TO

COME LIVE HERE TONIGHT ON NITRO.

YOU WOULD DO A MATCH, AND ALL

THE ANNOUNCERS WOULD BE TALKING

ABOUT WAS NWO, NWO, NWO, NWO.

AND DURING THE PAY-PER-VIEWS,

NWO, NWO, NWO.

SO IT WAS REALLY BAD.

ANY TIME YOU HAD TO DO ANYTHING

WITH NWO, YOU KNEW IT WAS A

WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE YOU WERE

JUST GONNA GET MASSACRED.

THEY HATED US.

ABSOLUTELY HATED US.

THEY DIDN'T GET BEAT DOWN.

THEY KILLED EVERYBODY, TO A

POINT WHERE ALL THOSE GUYS THAT

WERE IN THAT SPOT WERE FEELING

LIKE RED-HEADED STEPCHILDREN.

LIKE, "THESE GUYS COME IN AND

JUST BURY EVERYBODY?"

IT WAS VERY DISRUPTIVE TO THE

LOCKER ROOM DOWN THERE.

LOOK OUT!

'CAUSE A LOT OF GUYS JUST

DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP GETTING BEAT

UP BY THE NWO.

SOMEBODY GET OUT HERE!

SO WHEN YOU GET YOUR --

KICKED, WHAT DO YOU DO?

YOU JOIN THE NWO.

I GUESS WE'RE GETTING THE

OFFICIAL CORONATION OF THE

NEWEST MEMBER OF THE NEW WORLD

ORDER.

SO THE NEXT TIME I TURNED

AROUND, FOUR LIMOS PULL UP AND

30 GUYS POP OUT.

THEY'RE PART OF THE NWO.

DESPITE THE GROUP'S

OVER-EXPANSION, THE NEW WORLD

ORDER AND MONDAY NITRO WOULD

BOTH MAINTAIN THEIR STATUS AS

THE LEADING FORCE IN SPORTS

ENTERTAINMENT.

NWO BACK THEN, MAN, WAS BAD

--.

I MEAN, THEY WERE TOP DOGS.

WE WERE PISSED OFF, BECAUSE

THEY WERE KICKING OUR -- EVERY

WEEK, AND IT WOULD -- IT GOT TO

A POINT WHERE IT GOT REALLY

LOPSIDED.

STILL TRAILING IN THE RATINGS

BY THE BEGINNING OF 1997, WWE

HAD BEGUN TO INCORPORATE EDGIER

CHARACTERS IN HOPES OF REGAINING

THEIR FOOTING, BUT MONDAY NIGHT

RAW WAS STILL STRUGGLING TO

MATCH THE POPULARITY OF THEIR

COMPETITION.

EVERYBODY HERE JUST CAN'T GET

ENOUGH OF THE NWO.

ERIC BISCHOFF'S VISION OF A

RENEGADE COALITION WITHIN WCW

HAD EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS.

ARE WE GOING TO CHANGE THE

WORLD AS YOU KNOW IT, OR WHAT?

THE NEW WORLD ORDER WAS

RECOGNIZED BY FANS AS A SEPARATE

ENTITY FROM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

WRESTLING, EVEN HOSTING THEIR

OWN LIVE EVENTS AND PRODUCTIONS.

THE NWO WAS SO STRONG.

NEW WORLD ORDER.

WE HAD SOULED OUT.

IT WAS AN NWO PAY-PER-VIEW.

I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY ...

NOW YOU'RE GONNA GET IT.

HUMBLED BY THE PREMIERE EVENT

THAT IS ABOUT TO TAKE PLACE.

OUR OWN PAY-PER-VIEW!

WCW CREATED A VERY HIP, COOL

BRAND THAT WAS ACTUALLY HIPPER

THAN EITHER WWE OR WCW.

THE NWO WAS THE HIT BRAND.

AND TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE

OFFERED YOURSELVES UP AS

OPPONENTS, WHAT THE HELL WERE

YOU THINKING?

ALL OF A SUDDEN, NOT ONLY IN

THE ARENAS WAS IT ALL BLACK AND

WHITE, NWO, ON THE STREET, IN

THE MALLS, YOU KNOW, I'D SEE

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL GAMES AND

HOCKEY GAMES AND BASEBALL GAMES.

THERE'D BE A PRETTY GOOD

PRESENCE OF NWO IN THE CROWD

WHEN IT WAS ONE OF OUR CITIES WE

WRESTLED AT.

SO, I MEAN, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE

YOU TOOK OFF, AND IT WAS

EVERYWHERE.

I WAS VERY AWARE OF HOW MUCH

IMPACT THE NWO STORY LINE HAD.

WCW HAD THE UPPER HAND WITH THE

NWO.

FOR LIFE!

I REMEMBER SEEING THAT THEY

HAD A SPARK, AND WAS JUST

WONDERING HOW WE COULD GET THAT

BACK.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

WAS ENJOYING THE FRUITS OF THEIR

LABOR, BUT A RESPONSE WAS

BUILDING WITHIN WWE.

THEY WERE CONSTANTLY TRYING

TO RAISE THEIR GAME TO US, AND

WE WERE CONSTANTLY HAVING TO

RESPOND TO WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

YOU CAN KISS MY --.

WOW!

OH, GOD!

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO MAKE

SOME REALLY SMART DECISION AT

THAT TIME.

THEY WERE MAKING A LOT OF NOISE,

AND IT MADE US COMPETE ALL THE

STRONGER, AND WE DID.

CHAINSAW IS DOWN IN THE

DUMPSTER, AND ...

OH, NO!

GOOD GRIEF!

VINCE MCMAHON EMBARKED ON A

COMPANY-WIDE CREATIVE SHIFT AS

THE CALENDAR TURNED TO 1998.

MONDAY NIGHT RAW'S PROGRAMMING

UNDERWENT AN EDGY,

ADULT-ORIENTED MAKEOVER IN WHAT

CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE ATTITUDE

ERA.

SUCK IT!

SUCK IT!

YOU GOT TO REMEMBER OUR

AUDIENCE.

IT WASN'T AS MUCH ABOUT KIDS

ANYMORE AS IT WAS ABOUT YOUNG

ADULTS WHO WE WERE TARGETING.

WHAT ARE THESE TWO

DEGENERATES UP TO NOW?

THE SOPHOMORIC WEDGIE, I

SUPPOSE.

YOU KNOW, THE NWO AND DX, THE

ATTITUDE ERA, IT ALL HAPPENED AT

THE SAME TIME.

THERE WAS A LOT OF EXCITING

THINGS GOING ON MONDAY NIGHTS.

WRESTLING EXPLODED BECAUSE OF

IT.

I THINK THE WWE PRODUCT GOT

BETTER BECAUSE OF WHAT WE WERE

DOING.

YOU KNOW ...

WE WERE IN A WAR.

SHAWN AND I BOTH GOT JUMBO

WEENIES.

AND WE'LL MAKE PEOPLE LOOK AT

US ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

I DON'T CARE WHAT WE GOT TO DO,

BUT SOMEHOW, EVEN IF IT'S

HORRIBLE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA LOOK

AT US AND GO, "JESUS, YOU GOT TO

WATCH THAT.

IT'S JUST CRAZY."

BUT CHYNA, SHOW US WHAT

YOU'RE BRINGING TO THE BARBECUE,

GIRL.

THAT IS THE BIG STICK.

VINCE DECIDED TO TAKE THE

GLOVES OFF AND RAMP THINGS UP

HIS OWN WAY.

AT THAT POINT, THE MAIN TRUCK

HAD A MONITOR OF BOTH OUR SHOW

AND THE WWE SHOW AT ALL TIMES.

DRIVEN BY THE ATTITUDE ERA,

MONDAY NIGHT RAW WAS BEGINNING

TO EVOLVE INTO A MORE

CONTEMPORARY FORM OF

ENTERTAINMENT, MATCHING THE

INNOVATIVE SUCCESS OF THE NEW

WORLD ORDER.

COME ON, YOU WANNA SEE

SOMETHING FUNNY?

COME ON.

UH OH, THEY'RE OUT IN THE

PARKING LOT RIGHT HERE.

WE BROUGHT OUR OWN CAMERA,

BUT AS LONG AS YOU'RE HERE, TAKE

A LOOK AT THIS.

OH, MY GOODNESS!

THE GIANT AND HALL, THEY'RE

DESTROYING HIS CAR!

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT HAD

BROKEN NEW GROUND, AND FANS OF

BOTH NITRO AND RAW WERE REAPING

THE BENEFITS.

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE

WATCHING WRESTLING, AND IT'S,

LIKE, THE BIGGEST THING.

EVERYBODY WAS FLIPPING AT THAT

POINT.

I THINK THAT WAS THE FUN OF IT.

HE'S POINTING AT ME!

HE'S POINTING AT ME!

HE'S POINTING AT ME!

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!

I'D ALWAYS TAPE NITRO FOR THE

THREE HOURS THEN I'D WATCH RAW

LIVE, AND GO BACK THEN, PUT THE

TAPE AND WATCH ALL OF NITRO

AFTERWARDS.

I'D BE UP 'TIL, YOU KNOW, 1, 2

IN THE MORNING.

I HAD SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY.

I WAS CHANNEL SURFING BACK

AND FORTH, AND THEN WOULD GET

YELLED AT FOR BEING ON THE

REMOTE TOO MUCH.

"PICK ONE STATION!"

I CAN'T!

THE NEW WORLD ORDER HAD

SUCCESSFULLY REVOLUTIONIZED THE

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

AS THE BAR WAS RAISED FOR BOTH

COMPANIES, WWE AND WCW CONTINUED

TO WAGE WAR IN THE YEARS THAT

FOLLOWED.

THEIR COLLECTIVE SUCCESS WOULD

LEAD TO EVEN GREATER

COMPETITION, BUT THIS WAS JUST

THE BEGINNING OF THE IMPACT THE

NWO WOULD HAVE ON THE FIGHT FOR

SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT SUPREMACY.

IT TOOK OUR INDUSTRY AND MADE

IT HOT AGAIN.

IT MADE IT COOL.

IT WAS SO DIFFERENT, BUT SO

FRESH, AND HONESTLY, I THOUGHT

IT WAS THE COOLEST THING IN

WRESTLING AT THE TIME.

THE NWO, THIS SQUAD IS JUST

TOO SWEET.

YOU CANNOT LIKE ERIC

BISCHOFF.

WE LOVE YOU, TOO!

YOU CANNOT LIKE THE PEOPLE

THAT WERE THERE THAT LEFT WWE,

YOU CAN HATE 'EM 'TIL THE DAY

YOU DIE, BUT YOU CANNOT DENY THE

SUCCESS AND THE ROLE THAT THEY

HAD FOR ALL OF US.

HOW ARE YOU DOING, COUNT

SCHIAVONE?

GOOD.

HEY, LARRY.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THAT'S A NICE OUTFIT YOU GOT ON,

THERE.

GET A CUP OF SOUP WITH THAT?

ANYWAY ...

THE NWO WAS SUCH A

REVOLUTIONARY FACTION, BECAUSE

THEY TURNED THE UNIVERSE UPSIDE

DOWN.

I'LL GET YOU, TOO!

THAT WAS THE INTENT, WAS TO

CREATE THIS SUPER COOL BRAND OF

BAD GUYS THAT CREATED HAVOC AND

DESTRUCTION, BUT STILL SOLD

MERCHANDISE, AND STILL WERE

COOL, AND STILL WERE THE HOT

TICKET, YOU KNOW?

ONCE THIS NWO THING KICKED IN, A

LOT OF PEOPLE THAT TURNED AWAY

FROM WRESTLING WHEN THEY THOUGHT

THE '80S ERA WAS OVER, THE GOOD

TIMES, A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE

TUNED BACK IN BECAUSE THE NWO

MADE IT REALLY, REALLY COOL AND

THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR MADE IT

REALLY, REALLY COOL TO WATCH

WRESTLING.

I MEAN, IT WAS JUST CRAZINESS.

IT WAS JUST -- IT WAS THE WILD,

WILD WEST BACK THEN.

IT WAS THE FASTEST GUN.

'CAUSE ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT

IT, IT'S NWO FOR LIFE.