Eric Bischoff believes the New World Order would never have reached the heights it did without Hulk Hogan, arguing that no other wrestler could have carried the storyline in the same way.
Speaking on 83 Weeks, Bischoff discussed the famous “third man” reveal at Bash at the Beach 1996 and explained why Hogan was the only choice capable of transforming the angle into one of the biggest storylines in wrestling history.
Bischoff said fans often speculate about whether another top star, such as Sting, Lex Luger or Randy Savage, could have filled the role, but he doesn’t believe any of them would have had the same impact.
“Hulk Hogan was the key. Without Hulk Hogan, there is no nWo as we know it.”
Bischoff explained that Hogan’s larger-than-life image made his shocking heel turn resonate unlike anything fans had seen before.
“Nobody else could have had that kind of impact. Nobody.”
According to Bischoff, Hogan represented everything fans associated with the traditional babyface hero, making his decision to side with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash completely change the industry’s landscape.
“The audience had invested so much in Hulk Hogan as the ultimate good guy. When he turned, it changed everything.”
Bischoff added that the success of the nWo wasn’t simply about introducing a new faction, but about choosing the one person fans never expected to betray WCW.
“That’s why it worked. It wasn’t just another heel turn. It was Hulk Hogan.”
The nWo would go on to become one of the most successful factions in wrestling history, helping WCW dominate the Monday Night Wars for 83 consecutive weeks and forever changing how major wrestling storylines were presented.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit 83 Weeks, with a h/t to Wrestling Headlines for the transcription.
