The New World Order rocked the entire professional wrestling world during the summer of 1996. First, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash (the Outsiders) debuted on WCW Monday Nitro challenging the "big boys" of WCW. Then Hulk Hogan went Hollywood, turned heel and joined the Outsiders to form the nWo. In many ways, the New World Order Invasion storyline kicked off the legendary Monday Night Wars pitting WCW versus WWE. The New World Order would have heelish tactics but at times find themselves cheered by WCW fans.
RELATED: WCW: 10 harsh Realities About The nWo Fans Need To Realize
The nWo represented the cool heel and anti-hero characters that would rise in popularity during the mid and late 1990s. The New World Order had many members that were likable, no matter if they were heel or babyface. They also had some members that weren't likable no matter their characters.
12 Syxx
Before joining the New World Order, professional wrestling fans last knew the 1-2-3 Kid as a crybaby that was forced to wear a diaper and drink a bottle on WWE television. That whiny heel version of Kid followed him as he joined the nWo as Syxx.
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While the original 1-2-3 Kid was likable as an underdog, the new version of Syxx came across arrogant and demanding. Syxx wanted to be equal to Hogan, Nash and Hall and fans never looked at them in the same way. Syxx was getting X-Pac heat before he even became X-Pac!
11 Buff Bagwell
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Marcus Alexander Bagwell was a likeable tag team specialist in WCW before he joined the New World Order and became Buff. Buffdaddy strutted around the ring, posing and mostly interfering in matches on behalf of the nWo. While the star looked like a million bucks, he also came across as someone you would just want to punch in the face. Speaking of face, even when Buff Bagwell tried to be a babyface after his New World Order run, it just didn't work with fans. Buff was a natural heel, because he is naturally unlikable.
10 Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff was an average but respectable play-by-play announcer when Monday Nitro kicked off in the fall of 1995. Bischoff did a good job of advancing storylines through commentary. Yet, when Bischoff was revealed as one of the masterminds of the New World Order, any likability he had went out the window. Bischoff would become a smarmy heel mouthpiece behind the nWo. His arrogance and political stroke made him one of the easiest nWo members to dislike. Bischoff most definitely deserves credit for the success he helped develop in WCW, yet he always comes across as a guy that thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, and that isn't very likable (even if it's true sometimes).
9 Hollywood Hogan
The truth is Hulk Hogan was dropping in likability way before his 1996 heel turn. The Hulkster gimmick that made him a superstar in the 1980s had grown old and stale. Fans were tired of seeing Hogan "hulk" up and defeat his larger-than-life super villains. Yet, when the babyface turned completely on the fans, he made kids cry and adults groan. How could the personification of good become a bad guy? Hogan deserves credit for stepping out and changing his character. While Hollywood wasn't likable, it did put Hogan on top of professional wrestling yet again.
8 Lex Luger
The most genuinely likable Lex Luger ever was in wrestling occurred while he defended WCW from the nWo invasion. Yet, like most of the roster, Luger eventually joined the faction. Albeit, the nWo red and black, Wolfpac version. Once Luger became a member of the Wolfpac, he began to decline in likability again. Instead of being the last line of defense for WCW, he went back to his flexing and too cool to care, nonchalant attitude that followed him throughout his career.
7 Big Poppa Pump
White meat babyface Scott Steiner was a tag team specialist and a likable member of the great Steiner Brothers tag team. Granted, Rick was always more likable than Scott. Yet, in 1998, Scott would turn on his brother and join the New World Order. Initially, the heel turn made Big Poppa Pump a ridiculously hated member of the nWo. Yet, as time went by, the charismatic and volatile Steiner became a likable character. Seeing such stark difference from the tag team specialist version, made Steiner seem a little more genuine as an arrogant, conceited bad guy.
6 The Giant
As Paul Wight has gotten older, we have seen a very fun loving, likable personality come out of his gigantic frame. Yet, during his rookie years in the business as The Giant in WCW, we saw less personality. The Giant would dominate the competition and his Chokeslam was an absolute lights out finisher.
RELATED: 10 Things Fans Forget About The Giant In WCW
Yet, the Giant never really fit into the New World Order. He never came across as an anti-hero or cool heel. Mostly he was just the muscle of the group. The Giant was not liked or disliked in any varying degree within the New World Order.
5 Konnan
Konnan was dubbed the Mexican Heavyweight Champion in WCW and that title made him a great recruit for the New World Order. Konnan was a major superstar in Mexico and he would use the nWo to grow his star power in the United States. Yet, Konnan also gave the New World Order some street cred. K-Dawg was cool in the ring and on the microphone. His cool factor made Konnan one of the most likable members of the New World Order.
4 Macho Man Randy Savage
Randy Savage always seemed more like a loner than a member of a faction. Savage never really fit into the New World Order or the Wolfpac version. He was his own man, and he felt equal to the stardom of Hollywood Hogan. Due to that, he never felt like a legitimate nWo member, but he did always seem likable. Macho Man could go in the ring, and was a great in-ring storyteller. While his interviews could be incoherent, they felt passionate and come across as intense as the Macho Man. Randy Savage, whether a babyface or a heel, was a likable character.
3 Scott Hall
The original Outsider always gave off a coolest guy in the room vibe. Hall didn't have to pretend to be cool, it oozed off of him. Hall showed up and changed wrestling forever.
RELATED: Every Version Of Scott Hall, Ranked From Worst To Best
The Bad Guy was great in the ring and equally impressive on the microphone. While Hall would battle demons outside of the ring during his time in WCW, when he was available he was likable. Hall will always be remembered as a forefather of the New World Order and survey says... likable guy!
2 Kevin Nash
The only competition Scott Hall had for coolest guy in the room came from Outsiders brother, Kevin Nash. Nash would be the second member of the New World Order to show up on WCW Monday Nitro. Nash showed up as a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion and always came across as a legitimate threat in WCW. As a member of the nWo and as leader of the Wolfpac, Nash came across as a huge star. His witty banter and powerful move set made him likable to the fans of WCW.
1 Sting
While red-faced Sting may be the least cool version of the Stinger, his Wolfpac membership still made him likable. The franchise of WCW could have pulled off being likable in any situation. Even after battling the nWo, Sting joined the Wolfpac and was instantly the most likable New World Order member. Even when WCW's powers that be tried to turn Sting heel in the dying days of WCW, the fans found him too likable to boo the man called Sting.
