The creative success of WCW during the Monday Night Wars was often undermined by a chaotic backstage environment defined by political maneuvering and what author Marc Raimondi calls a necessary “selfish” culture. On “Wrestling Observer Radio,” Raimondi, promoting his new book on the nWo, detailed the backstage dynamics he uncovered during his research, particularly surrounding Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Bret Hart.
Raimondi stated that a key issue was Eric Bischoff’s unwavering loyalty to Hulk Hogan, which created significant tension with other top stars. “It was pretty clear to a lot of people… behind the scenes folks all said that, Bischoff was… Team Hogan, basically,” Raimondi said. This allegiance led to major creative issues, including the company never booking a definitive program between Hogan and nWo Wolfpac leader Kevin Nash. “Hogan just wanted to face the guys from the 80s or the early 90s,” Raimondi explained. “He didn’t want to face Bret Hart. He didn’t want to face Kevin Nash”.
This political climate was especially difficult for Bret Hart when he arrived in WCW in late 1997, as he found himself isolated among the company’s top stars. “He was going to a place where Shawn Michaels’ best friends were two of the top guys in the company, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and the other top guy was Hulk Hogan, who also didn’t like Bret Hart,” Raimondi detailed. Citing his interview with Hart for the book, Raimondi stated, “He said he’s been told numerous times since then, that every booking meeting, Hogan was there, Nash was there. They would undercut him, you know, they would make sure that he was not getting anything”.
Dave Meltzer added that this environment was a product of a “selfish generation,” which he contrasted with the more team-oriented locker rooms of today. He noted that stars like Hogan and Flair “made it on their own” and thus had the ego and confidence that came with that. Raimondi agreed, arguing that the culture of the time necessitated that attitude.
“You had to be selfish in that era if you’re going to make it, because everyone else was going to… backstab you. Everyone else was looking for themselves, so you had to be,” Raimondi said. “So it’s like the culture has changed, not so much like the actual human beings have changed, but the culture has changed, and that was necessary, because if you weren’t selfish back then, then you were dead in the water.”
Raimondi also revealed just how unprepared WCW was for the massive success of the nWo angle, describing the internal reaction as chaotic and completely reactive.
“How really organic the NWO was in the sense that the, like, the inner workings of WCW… had no idea this was going to happen. Like they really had no clue,” he stated. “Marketing, merchandise, you know, they were not ready for that angle of Bash at the Beach. And then it was like, ‘Oh, shit. We have to start putting stuff together, because we’re gonna make a lot of money on this.’ And they had nothing.”
This seat-of-your-pants reality extended to the creation of the iconic nWo logo, which Raimondi learned was a last-minute rush job. “[The designer] was told, like, you have, like, an hour to do this logo. There’s no color available. Just do something,” he recounted. This contrasted sharply with modern WWE, where merchandise for a new angle is often ready for sale during the same show.
This chaotic creative process eventually caught up with the company. Raimondi argued that by mid-1998, the quality of the programming had dropped off significantly, even while the business was still hot. He pointed to the decision to book a poorly-received rematch between Hogan and The Ultimate Warrior as a prime example of frustrating creative.
“There’s so many things that was a very frustrating thing for me, as I’m watching in ’98 and it’s like, why are we going, why are we doing Hogan-Warrior again, when there’s so many interesting things… and so much talent that’s not getting the kind of run and time that they deserved,” Raimondi said.
Marc Raimondi’s new book, “Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How professional wrestling’s New World Order changed America,” will be released this coming Tuesday, June 24. It is currently available for pre-order on Amazon. He will also be holding a book signing and Q&A at the Barnes and Noble in Huntington Beach, California, on Tuesday night, and another event at Acapella Books in Atlanta on Saturday, June 28. Full details at the link below.
Available for pre-order now https://t.co/Kwv6Z64wpV pic.twitter.com/2ScGK5zI1p
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) April 4, 2025
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit F4WOnline.com with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
