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Pre-Show Stalwart
The full story about Hollywood Hogan and Kevin Nash's real-life behind the scenes feud goes back to Sean Waltman being fired from WCW and Eric Bischoff via FedEx to show Scott Hall and Kevin Nash who's boss. Bischoff shouldn't have to just plain outright tell Hall & Nash who's boss if it becomes public knowledge. Hall was real upset around this time, given that his pal Louie Spicolli just passed away, his real-life friend Sean Waltman got fired and returned to the WWF not long after, and his wife Dana divorced him because she has no real understanding on how to deal with alcoholic sufferers. When someone has an alcohol problem, you're not supposed to just outright drive them away because it'll make the sufferer even worse than they already are. That's exactly what Dana did because she wasn't properly educated about how to deal with them.
Anyway, back on topic, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash initially wanted to quit WCW and go back to the WWF with Sean Waltman and Triple H, but Bischoff wouldn't let them out of their contracts. Vince may have been more than happy to bring them back into the WWF landscape with Austin, Rock, Foley, HHH, Undertaker, Kane, Sable and Mr. McMahon in the fold. But then, Bischoff (under Hogan's influence and control) threatened both Outsiders with the 'breach of contract' warning, and given what happened to Ric Flair when he was fired from WCW for no-showing a WCW Thunder taping (where he was to reform The Four Horsemen for the zillionth time) to watch Reid Flair's wrestling tournament, Hall and Nash probably quit giving suggestions and ideas to Bischoff because EB listened to Hogan more, given Hogan's creative control clause that he can threaten at any time if Bischoff doesn't give him what he wanted, Hogan would go to Ted Turner and the higher ups and get Bischoff out of a job.
Therefore, Bischoff was real intent on breaking up The Outsiders because he and Hogan were jealous that Hall and Nash were the cool heels of the nWo while Bischoff and Hogan were hated as old school heels. Mind you, Savage, Konnan, Hennig and Rude were cool heels in their own right too, nWo or no nWo. Unlike Harlem Heat and The Steiner Brothers, The Outsiders had no reason to break up and feud with each other. Harlem Heat broke up because Stevie Ray spent the remainder of 1997 with an ankle injury and it was time for Booker T to kickstart his singles career as a face because Harlem Heat had been a team since their WCW debut in 1993, and The Steiners had been a team for almost a decade since the formation of The Steiner Brothers in 1988-89 and weren't quite the same team as they were in their primes, and WCW had been wanting to push Scott Steiner as a singles star for years now, he was almost close to having a heel turn in 1992 while still in WCW and one in 1994 while in the WWF.
Harlem Heat and The Steiner Brothers had no value left as far as tag teams are concerned, but The Outsiders still were the hottest popular act in WCW other than Crow Sting. If Nash got his way, maybe Scott Hall would've been free to be a Wolfpac nWo member than Hogan taking Hall away from Nash and having Hall jump ship to nWo Hollywood. It is just unfortunate that Hollywood Hogan had to get his way without anyone questioning him.
Hall just had a lengthy stint in rehab, and in his absence, the demise of the Original nWo were brewing around Spring Stampede 1998. Around the buildup of Slamboree '98, Hall returned as a member of nWo Wolfpac. BAM! Hall turns heel at Slamboree and basically forfeits the WCW Tag Team Championships to Sting and The Giant (a recent nWo Hollywood addition), and in the process, jumps ship to Hogan's version of the nWo. Hall's heel turn in 1998 was needless because he just got out of rehab shortly after Spring Stampede '98 was over and the Original NWO finally ran its course with nWo vs nWo now underway. Not to mention, Bret Hart and The Giant had both already turned heels and joined nWo Hollywood which makes sense to me. Hall's heel turn at Slamboree was Hogan's idea, just because Hogan wants a cool guy sidekick for his nWo.
Furthermore, Hogan realized that if Kevin Nash's nWo Wolfpac were composed of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Dusty Rhodes, Randy Savage, Konnan, Scott Steiner, Buff Bagwell, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Lex Luger, Sting, Booker T, Rick Steiner, Diamond Dallas Page and Miss Elizabeth, while Hogan's nWo would've turned out like the Dungeon of Doom all over again with Hogan, The Giant, Bret Hart, Dennis Rodman, Brian Adams, Stevie Ray, Scott Norton, Mike Jones (Vincent), Horace Hogan, Brutus Beefcake and Eric Bischoff. Except for Hogan, Giant and Bischoff, the rest of Hogan's crew would be absolutely no match for Nash, Hall, Savage, Konnan, Steiner, Bagwell, Hennig, Rude, Luger, Sting and Elizabeth on the mic because we already know Nash's personal Wolfpac lineup would've trounced and roasted Hogan constantly, and Hogan had to get Bischoff to emasculate the Wolfpac by making them the whipping boys/punching bags for nWo Hollywood, with not a single Wolfpac member coming to the aid of a Wolfpac member on the receiving end of an nWo Hollywood beatdown.
Yeah, I probably felt that Nash (in addition to wanting Hall, Elizabeth, Hennig , Rude and Bagwell for his team) would've wanted Bagwell and Steiner on his nWo team as well. If only Hogan hadn't coerced Hall, Hennig, Rude, Elizabeth, Steiner and Bagwell to defect nWo Wolfpac to jump back to nWo Hollywood to keep Hogan's ego satisfied, maybe Wolfpac would've been made to look strong rather than being whipping boys of Hogan via beatdowns courtesy of nWo Hollywood and Bret Hart.
For those who bemoan Bret's heel turn one night after Spring Stampede '98, I think he needed the heel turn and semi-nWo Hollywood membership because nWo were seen as mostly full of WWF legends and in kayfabe had two members who were associated with Shawn Michaels, and Bret Hart although he was screwed by WWF, Vinnie Mac and HBK,... was not WCW either, because Sting, Goldberg, Luger, DDP, Flair, Rick Steiner, Piper, and JJ Dillon were WCW's top faces. Fans weren't hating on Hall, Nash, Hennig, Rude and Savage anymore so those three were more genuinely loved as most of the boos were intended for Hogan, Bret and Bischoff anyways. And I don't think Hogan's outrageous demands in 1998 would've had to do with him requesting to put Macho Man in the Wolfpac. I think when the Wolfpac were using the Freebird loophole when Nash and Sting were WCW Tag Team Champions, it would've been a fresh sight to see Hall and Hennig being on the same side as Sting. And it was also fun to see Disco Inferno and Alex Wright get squashed by Nash, Luger, Konnan and Sting. Would've been even better if Hall, Savage, Hennig, Rude, Rick, Scott, Bagwell, DDP and Booker T took part in squashing Dancin' Fools.
Hogan should've taken Chris Jericho, Chavo Guerrero, Meng, Barbarian, Hugh Morrus and Jimmy Hart for additional members of nWo Hollywood instead. That way, it rightfully wouldn't be about making Hogan and his ego happy, and it also would've made Nash and Hall happy too.
Hollywood Hogan's nWo Hollywood should've been composed of Hollywood Hogan, The Giant, Brian Adams, Bret Hart, Scott Norton, Chris Jericho, Eric Bischoff, Meng, Barbarian, Jimmy Hart, Chavo Guerrero, Disco Inferno, Alex Wright, Tokyo Magnum, Hugh Morrus, Stevie Ray, Horace Hogan, Brutus Beefcake, Dennis Rodman and Mike Jones instead. What's wrong with being seen as an nWo full of monster heels than wanting to be the cool heels mixed with mostly monster heels?
Kevin Nash's nWo Wolfpac also would've been composed of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Randy Savage, Konnan, Miss Elizabeth, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Dusty Rhodes, Lex Luger, Sting, Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, Rick Steiner, Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner. That way, when Savage, Sting, Luger, Hennig and Rude eventually went to the sidelines to nurse injuries, Wolfpac wouldn't be as severely weakened as they did thanks to Hogan's ridiculously outrageous booking demands in 1998.
Anyway, back on topic, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash initially wanted to quit WCW and go back to the WWF with Sean Waltman and Triple H, but Bischoff wouldn't let them out of their contracts. Vince may have been more than happy to bring them back into the WWF landscape with Austin, Rock, Foley, HHH, Undertaker, Kane, Sable and Mr. McMahon in the fold. But then, Bischoff (under Hogan's influence and control) threatened both Outsiders with the 'breach of contract' warning, and given what happened to Ric Flair when he was fired from WCW for no-showing a WCW Thunder taping (where he was to reform The Four Horsemen for the zillionth time) to watch Reid Flair's wrestling tournament, Hall and Nash probably quit giving suggestions and ideas to Bischoff because EB listened to Hogan more, given Hogan's creative control clause that he can threaten at any time if Bischoff doesn't give him what he wanted, Hogan would go to Ted Turner and the higher ups and get Bischoff out of a job.
Therefore, Bischoff was real intent on breaking up The Outsiders because he and Hogan were jealous that Hall and Nash were the cool heels of the nWo while Bischoff and Hogan were hated as old school heels. Mind you, Savage, Konnan, Hennig and Rude were cool heels in their own right too, nWo or no nWo. Unlike Harlem Heat and The Steiner Brothers, The Outsiders had no reason to break up and feud with each other. Harlem Heat broke up because Stevie Ray spent the remainder of 1997 with an ankle injury and it was time for Booker T to kickstart his singles career as a face because Harlem Heat had been a team since their WCW debut in 1993, and The Steiners had been a team for almost a decade since the formation of The Steiner Brothers in 1988-89 and weren't quite the same team as they were in their primes, and WCW had been wanting to push Scott Steiner as a singles star for years now, he was almost close to having a heel turn in 1992 while still in WCW and one in 1994 while in the WWF.
Harlem Heat and The Steiner Brothers had no value left as far as tag teams are concerned, but The Outsiders still were the hottest popular act in WCW other than Crow Sting. If Nash got his way, maybe Scott Hall would've been free to be a Wolfpac nWo member than Hogan taking Hall away from Nash and having Hall jump ship to nWo Hollywood. It is just unfortunate that Hollywood Hogan had to get his way without anyone questioning him.
Hall just had a lengthy stint in rehab, and in his absence, the demise of the Original nWo were brewing around Spring Stampede 1998. Around the buildup of Slamboree '98, Hall returned as a member of nWo Wolfpac. BAM! Hall turns heel at Slamboree and basically forfeits the WCW Tag Team Championships to Sting and The Giant (a recent nWo Hollywood addition), and in the process, jumps ship to Hogan's version of the nWo. Hall's heel turn in 1998 was needless because he just got out of rehab shortly after Spring Stampede '98 was over and the Original NWO finally ran its course with nWo vs nWo now underway. Not to mention, Bret Hart and The Giant had both already turned heels and joined nWo Hollywood which makes sense to me. Hall's heel turn at Slamboree was Hogan's idea, just because Hogan wants a cool guy sidekick for his nWo.
Furthermore, Hogan realized that if Kevin Nash's nWo Wolfpac were composed of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Dusty Rhodes, Randy Savage, Konnan, Scott Steiner, Buff Bagwell, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Lex Luger, Sting, Booker T, Rick Steiner, Diamond Dallas Page and Miss Elizabeth, while Hogan's nWo would've turned out like the Dungeon of Doom all over again with Hogan, The Giant, Bret Hart, Dennis Rodman, Brian Adams, Stevie Ray, Scott Norton, Mike Jones (Vincent), Horace Hogan, Brutus Beefcake and Eric Bischoff. Except for Hogan, Giant and Bischoff, the rest of Hogan's crew would be absolutely no match for Nash, Hall, Savage, Konnan, Steiner, Bagwell, Hennig, Rude, Luger, Sting and Elizabeth on the mic because we already know Nash's personal Wolfpac lineup would've trounced and roasted Hogan constantly, and Hogan had to get Bischoff to emasculate the Wolfpac by making them the whipping boys/punching bags for nWo Hollywood, with not a single Wolfpac member coming to the aid of a Wolfpac member on the receiving end of an nWo Hollywood beatdown.
Yeah, I probably felt that Nash (in addition to wanting Hall, Elizabeth, Hennig , Rude and Bagwell for his team) would've wanted Bagwell and Steiner on his nWo team as well. If only Hogan hadn't coerced Hall, Hennig, Rude, Elizabeth, Steiner and Bagwell to defect nWo Wolfpac to jump back to nWo Hollywood to keep Hogan's ego satisfied, maybe Wolfpac would've been made to look strong rather than being whipping boys of Hogan via beatdowns courtesy of nWo Hollywood and Bret Hart.
For those who bemoan Bret's heel turn one night after Spring Stampede '98, I think he needed the heel turn and semi-nWo Hollywood membership because nWo were seen as mostly full of WWF legends and in kayfabe had two members who were associated with Shawn Michaels, and Bret Hart although he was screwed by WWF, Vinnie Mac and HBK,... was not WCW either, because Sting, Goldberg, Luger, DDP, Flair, Rick Steiner, Piper, and JJ Dillon were WCW's top faces. Fans weren't hating on Hall, Nash, Hennig, Rude and Savage anymore so those three were more genuinely loved as most of the boos were intended for Hogan, Bret and Bischoff anyways. And I don't think Hogan's outrageous demands in 1998 would've had to do with him requesting to put Macho Man in the Wolfpac. I think when the Wolfpac were using the Freebird loophole when Nash and Sting were WCW Tag Team Champions, it would've been a fresh sight to see Hall and Hennig being on the same side as Sting. And it was also fun to see Disco Inferno and Alex Wright get squashed by Nash, Luger, Konnan and Sting. Would've been even better if Hall, Savage, Hennig, Rude, Rick, Scott, Bagwell, DDP and Booker T took part in squashing Dancin' Fools.
Hogan should've taken Chris Jericho, Chavo Guerrero, Meng, Barbarian, Hugh Morrus and Jimmy Hart for additional members of nWo Hollywood instead. That way, it rightfully wouldn't be about making Hogan and his ego happy, and it also would've made Nash and Hall happy too.
Hollywood Hogan's nWo Hollywood should've been composed of Hollywood Hogan, The Giant, Brian Adams, Bret Hart, Scott Norton, Chris Jericho, Eric Bischoff, Meng, Barbarian, Jimmy Hart, Chavo Guerrero, Disco Inferno, Alex Wright, Tokyo Magnum, Hugh Morrus, Stevie Ray, Horace Hogan, Brutus Beefcake, Dennis Rodman and Mike Jones instead. What's wrong with being seen as an nWo full of monster heels than wanting to be the cool heels mixed with mostly monster heels?
Kevin Nash's nWo Wolfpac also would've been composed of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Randy Savage, Konnan, Miss Elizabeth, Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Dusty Rhodes, Lex Luger, Sting, Booker T, Diamond Dallas Page, Rick Steiner, Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner. That way, when Savage, Sting, Luger, Hennig and Rude eventually went to the sidelines to nurse injuries, Wolfpac wouldn't be as severely weakened as they did thanks to Hogan's ridiculously outrageous booking demands in 1998.
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