Having been absent from WWF programming for years; the nWo members needed to be re-established on TV with the new generation of fans, as a force to be reckoned with. Instead they were buried at WM X8 & the night after on RAW. Austin defeating Hall (in what was essentially a handicap bout due to the involvement of Nash) & Rock defeating Hogan in their WWF PPV comeback matches was a complete burial of the nWo. If that wasn't bad enough after the 'Icon vs. Icon' match, Hogan turned babyface to unite with Rock to beat up The Outsiders & send them packing. The next night on RAW, Hall & Nash got their asses kicked AGAIN by Hogan & Rock.

Hot-shotting Hogan's babyface turn instead of milking it was short-sighted as he was the anchor of the group & it effectively killed the angle. That said if McMahon was hell bent on turning Hogan face, his other two big money acquisitions NEEDED to beat Austin to retain at least some credibility. One reason why the nWo was successful in WCW is because they were an overpowering heel group that were booked to get heat on the faces for months. In WWF the faces decisively beat the heels after ONLY 5 WEEKS therefore fans had no reason to believe the nWo were a legitimate threat.

Knowledgeable fans know McMahon prefers to push his own creations & is notorious for tweaking gimmicks he didn't to claim his own. McMahon has proven time & time again that he has little interest in investing in anything WCW related where it could be perceived as being equal or greater than the brand of WWE. Already facing a uphill battle being a WCW creation, the nWo had NO CHANCE IN HELL of getting over at the expense of WWF's elite especially once WWF's top face complained about the huge face-pops the nWo were receiving.

Wrestling Observer [2/28/02]
Sources claim Austin was outspoken backstage for his dislike of face-pops the nWo received when making their entrances, bringing out spray paint, & "Rocky Sucks" chants returning loud & clear in the arena's during the Rock/Hogan promo.

Off The Record with Michael Landsberg [12/26/02]
“Vince had a problem with people cheering me, & that doesn't have to be a problem because they're going to start cheering Nash & Hall even though we're the bad guys, guys like Rock & Austin have to be able handle that, sometimes that gets out of perspective, they can't handle it.” - Hulk Hogan

Hall & Nash returned with the intention to have another run & draw money. They were given a plan & based on that, they returned. The plan was then changed, they were over-worked & Hall predictably went off the rails. Hall had his demons but he still has an undeniable charisma that made him ooze with star power. Had Hall not been overworked, it doesn’t necessarily mean he wouldn’t have fell of the wagon at some point but it does mean he likely would've been able to contribute as a major role player longer than he did.

Wrestling Observer [3/6/02]
Hall takes a anti-alcohol abuse drug which causes him to feel sick & throw up whenever he is close to alcohol. Hall threw up on the Feb 19 episode of SmackDown!, when Austin poured beer all over Hall. The question was raised backstage whether Hall should discontinue using the drug during events so he avoids any problems in alcohol-related angles.

On a minor note, one complaint I have regarding Hall & Nash is part of their appeal in WCW was their promos had an element of danger. The WWF forced them to play true heels & cut scripted promos, thus eliminating a major element of what made them so successful; The Outsiders just weren’t as fun without the witty (shoot) comments they were known for in WCW.

IGN [3/26/04]
“We came in, the house show revenue went up, the PPV that we came in at (No Way Out) was the highest "B" level PPV they done that year by a huge amount of buys. We did what we were supposed to do; we came in & popped the place. Then in 5 weeks they chopped the head off it. They turned Hogan babyface, they had one babyface beating me & Scott up. I wasn't allowed to talk. I wasn't allowed to be sarcastic. I wasn't allowed to be the persona that I was. I was this person that screamed & was angry all the time, & I did, like, wrestling promos. I never did wrestling promos. I just used to speak. I used to have conversations.” - Kevin Nash

1Wrestling.com [2/21/02]
Now that the nWo has finally made its mark in the WWF, merchandise featuring the heel faction is selling like hot cakes. The nWo t-shirt is the #1 selling item now on WWF Shopzone & sold out at all the live events this week.

Those who point to Hall's conduct on the 'Plane Ride From Hell' (contrary to popular belief Hall was never fired - his release from the company was a mutual agreement) & Nash's quad injury (a direct result of management pushing Nash to return to the ring before he was ready to boost ratings after Stone Cold "took his ball & went home") as the reason why the nWo flopped need to comprehend those events occurred AFTER the nWo had ALREADY been buried & bastardized.

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