"The Third Man"

[JayMiine]

So I was just watching WCW Bash At The Beach 96. At this event, as we all know, Hulk Hogan joined The Outsiders, Hall and Nash, and formed the NWO. It was the greatest heel turn in professional wrestling history, and changed the course of wrestling for years to come.

Now my question and topic is this: Would this moment have been what it was if the IWC was what is it today? Would this moment have been spoiled by insiders? Would we have known it was Hogan?

In addition to this, if the IWC was around, but Hogan was kept a PERFECT SECRET, who would you have thought it was?
Would you have thought this angle was REAL, and WWF had invaded WCW? Perhaps HHH or HBK or The Undertaker would have been "the third man" in that case. Could it have been Savage or Sting? Maybe Flair or The Giant? Who would have been your guesses?

I feel like this angle is so amazing and huge because I was, at the time 10 years old. I had no idea of the IWC(but know it wasn't as big as it is today). I didn't know of the outside world of wrestling. It was all fresh and mysterious. Nothing was spoiled.

If this moment was going down today, what would be the IWC's opinions?Who would we have thought it was??

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I remember exactly when that happened. I was out in NE visiting my dad. It was the first PPV I ever saw. And I actually remember sitting there thinking to myself that it would've been cool as hell if it was Hulk Hogan.

Anyways, to your question. No way it would've been the same in any case that you had mentioned. The internet today is so full of information, whether real or rumors, that you get your eyes on everything. I saw a thread on here labeled "Bret Hard WWE Champ?" Hell no that's not gonna happen, but if it does now I'd give credit to the thread starter for being right, be surprised a little, but in the end I'd heard it was gonna happen already so is it really that big of a deal? No.

Also, there's no way it would've been as big if it was ANYONE other than Hogan. You're talking about the first name people think of when they talk professional wrestling. You're talking about the ultimate good guy in people's eyes. At the time he was the one good guy that if you needed someone to wrestle a bad guy, he was it. It all came back to him, even if he wasn't champion, he was Hulk Hogan. And for a guy of that stature to turn his back on the wrestling community was just unheard of. No way any other wrestler could do that at that time. Of all the other wrestlers you mentioned every one expect Sting(I think) had been a heel at some point before that, so what's the big deal if they do it?

It's a shame though now. Between contracts and the IWC, nothing like that will ever happen again. I'm glad I was able to see it though.

 

[kobrad]

Around this time i was about 8 years old so my memory of this moment what....NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! i was officially pissed off and so angry at Hogan. but that is what htey wanted so they win.

anyways to answer your question i think i would liked to see Sting as the other man. I love Sting he was actually my favorite wrestler. and i think his heel turn would of been huge but again not as big as Hogan's but still big.

 

[mooseman]

I was like 12 years old when this happened. I'm trying to remember the build up. Was Hogan even being mentioned on TV what so ever? I know he wasn't wrestling but did the announcers act like he didn't even exist until he came running down the aisle?

 

[Big Ol' Buckta AIDS]

i think you need to relize that The IWC is a tiny tiny tiny part of wrestling fandom. would some more people have known? Sure, but it wouldn't be as though the surprise would have been totally wrecked if the internet had been as big back then as it was today. Plus you have to consider the amount of people on the IWC who don't read spoilers. I can't speak for the rest of the people who don't, but reading spoilers wrecks everything for me, which is why i don't do it.

 

[dead_man]

I was 10 at the time that this happened. I didn't see the ppv, and had no idea what happened and rememer waiting for nitro to come on. I remember bein at a friends house on that monday after bash at the beach. me and my friends were talking about who we thought the third man was. we all thought that it would've been cool if it was sting. and i remember looking at them and saying what if it was hulk hogan. we all laughed and said that there was no way that would happen. damn, we ended up being surprised. That was truly one of the classic holy shit moments in wrestling. i still think that bobby heenan's commentary kinda ruined it at the time, and if you notice on alot of highlights, his commentary about "but whose side is he on" is edited out.

I think the interntet would've ruined the shock and excitement of the moment. At least for all the fan's on this site, me definately.

 

[timdawg316]

Correct me if i am wrong but i do believe Sting was supposed to be the third man, but Hogan invoked his creative control and added himself to the NWO. He thought he would be a bigger shock then the Stinger.

 

[Davi323]

Well, credit to Hogan then...because he was right. His heel turn was a much bigger shock than any Sting heel turn could have been. There is no way Sting could have done what Hogan did with the nWo. The ultimate good guy became the ultimate bad guy.

 

[hogan4life]

From what i understand Eazy E wanted Hogan to be the third man but Hogan was afraid of what all the kids would think and was also concerned that his heel turn would would somehow negatively impact his own kids life. Once he saw the storyline building Hogan realized how big it was and stepped up to the plate. I also remember reading that Eazy E was unsure if Hogan was going to follow through with it all the way up until the time Hogan arrived at the arena. If Hogan haden't showed up Sting was the number 2 guy.

 

[justinept]

Yes. This would have been just as big a surprise with the IWC ...

I don't know if people think the IWC is so new that it couldn't have been around in 1996 ... or if people just think that 1996 was so long ago that the internet couldn't have been invented yet. But let me just say this - before the days of Wrestle Zone and the other sites, there were Pro Wrestling Chat rooms on Yahoo and AOL. On top of that, the IWC is just a spawn of the old wrestling hotlines that were still available back in 1996. Where do you think most of these writers worked before the internet?

For more information on the subject, read Eric Bischoff's book. No one but he and Hogan knew that Hogan was the 3rd man, and neither of those guys were telling anyone else.

Hogan joining the NWO was his idea, but he wasn't invoking creative control according to Bischoff. A few months earlier, Bischoff had asked Hogan to turn heel - in a separate storyling - and Hogan used his creative control to nix the idea, but that wasn't the same situation as the NWO turn.

A few posters have been correct to say that Sting was originally set to be the 3rd guy. I'm guessing Bischoff would have wanted Hogan originally - for all the same reasons he wanted Sting - but he probably assumed Hogan would say no since he had declined to turn heel just a few months earlier.

Bischoff also says that Sting was waiting in the back, just in case Hogan didn't show at the event.

Lastly - there was some minor buildup with Hogan before he joined the group. When the Outsiders "invaded" and challenged WCW to a six-man tag, the Nitro announce crew once mentioned that Hulk Hogan had thrown his name into the mix of potential wrestlers to fight for WCW. I think that was the only time he was mentioned until he showed up at Bash at the Beach.

 

[mooseman]

Yes. This would have been just as big a surprise with the IWC ...

I don't know if people think the IWC is so new that it couldn't have been around in 1996 ... or if people just think that 1996 was so long ago that the internet couldn't have been invented yet. But let me just say this - before the days of Wrestle Zone and the other sites, there were Pro Wrestling Chat rooms on Yahoo and AOL. On top of that, the IWC is just a spawn of the old wrestling hotlines that were still available back in 1996. Where do you think most of these writers worked before the internet?

For more information on the subject, read Eric Bischoff's book. No one but he and Hogan knew that Hogan was the 3rd man, and neither of those guys were telling anyone else.

Hogan joining the NWO was his idea, but he wasn't invoking creative control according to Bischoff. A few months earlier, Bischoff had asked Hogan to turn heel - in a separate storyling - and Hogan used his creative control to nix the idea, but that wasn't the same situation as the NWO turn.

A few posters have been correct to say that Sting was originally set to be the 3rd guy. I'm guessing Bischoff would have wanted Hogan originally - for all the same reasons he wanted Sting - but he probably assumed Hogan would say no since he had declined to turn heel just a few months earlier.

Bischoff also says that Sting was waiting in the back, just in case Hogan didn't show at the event.

Lastly - there was some minor buildup with Hogan before he joined the group. When the Outsiders "invaded" and challenged WCW to a six-man tag, the Nitro announce crew once mentioned that Hulk Hogan had thrown his name into the mix of potential wrestlers to fight for WCW. I think that was the only time he was mentioned until he showed up at Bash at the Beach.

Thank you. This is something I've always wondered. I think I have every Nitro from the night after BATB until like mid-98 (where i'm not sure at the moment) but none from before BATB. The only think I remember is he was off TV for a little bit.

 

[KaosTheori]

Great moment indeed. I remember the buildup simply because the first night I got cable in my room at 16 was the first night Scott Hall wallked down the aisle in May of 96. Hogans name was thrown into the mix maybe once or twice but I forgot why he was gone initially. Good tv. I dont think it could have been anyone but Hogan. At least not creating a heel pop like that. I dont think a promo about the fans turning on him would have sounded right coming out of Stings mouth. Only Hogan can cut a heel promo about taking your vitamins and saying your prayers.

 

[nick101181]

The only time I can recall in recent history that something was a surprise and didn't get spoiled on the internet was when Cena returned at the Royal Rumble 2 years ago. I usually visit this website and read spoilers but I don't remember reading anything about that and I actually applauded the fact that WWE did such a good job at keeping it a secret.

 

[Tastycles]

Wrestling is still capable of keeping secrets when it wants to. Nobody knew Cena would be at the Rumble in 2008, nobody knew Bischoff would be the Raw GM, nobody knows when the MITB cash ins are going to be. Bischoff didn't even tell the announcers who the third man was, so I don't think it would have got out, though someone may have guessed. I think most people expected it to be somebody who was in the match, and probably Sting, or even a third big WWF star that jumped ship, which would have made sense. It was Hogan's presence that made the programme so shocking and entertaining though, so anyone else may have been something of a let down.