The hype of the pending return of the NWO has had a negligible effect on TV ratings thus far. The Jan. 28 Raw, the first show after Vince McMahon had revealed on Smackdown the previous week that the NWO was returning, drew a 4.5 rating, down a notch from the post-Royal Rumble edition of Raw the week before. The Jan. 31 Smackdown featuring Ric Flair revealing his intentions for his share of ownership of the WWF drew a mere 3.9 rating, a notch below the recent average. The Feb. 4 Raw drew another 4.5 rating, the same as the previous week. The Feb. 7 Smackdown drew a 4.1 rating, which is solid up against strong network competition during sweeps, yet an early indication that the return of the NWO may not result in the ratings jump that Vince McMahon was hoping for. The intent was to milk the return of the NWO as long as possible before actually delivering full-fledged live appearances by the trio at the PPV. It could still be the best move in the long-run, but as of now it appears most fringe viewers are content to wait until they actually appear before becoming regular viewers.
All doubts about the long-term effectiveness of the NWO have not been erased. Many of the short-term doubts have. The Feb. 18 Raw did what the No Way Out PPV failed to do the night before – energize the WWF in a way that it hasn’t been in years.
Although the Rock-NWO parking lot angle is what stands out from the show, there were several outstanding segments of the show, from Steve Austin’s in-ring sitdown strike, to Kurt Angle’s attempt to talk him out of it, to the in-ring verbal sparring between Rock and Hogan, to the final match with Triple H regaining his WrestleMania title shot from Curt Angle. There were other strong segment mixed in, also.
As lackluster as the PPV was, it did set the stage well for an outstanding edition of Raw, one of the five most memorable ever. Whether it translates into a huge boost in business will be proven over the next month or so. The immediate impact will become clear over the next two weeks as TV ratings for Smackdown and next week’s Raw are tallied.
It is going to be tough for any match to seem like the main attraction other than Rock vs. Hogan. The build-up to that match on Raw was outstanding. The WWF drew upon the history of Hogan, and the generation-separated parallels between Hogan and Rock. Their chemistry in the ring was strong from the get-go.
The WWF has not gone outside the arena for a hard-hitting angle in a while. They’ve done comedy skits at a church and a grocery store, but the semi ramming the ambulance had a different tone to it. The intensity of the angle, and how the angle was sold by the announcers afterward, was on a level different from anything the WWF has offered over the past two years.
The NWO’s WWF debut didn’t get off to a strong start, though. At the PPV, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Hogan walked to the ring before the first match. Nash talked first. He said he was there to set the record straight. He said he couldn’t believe the looks wrestlers gave them in the back. He said they have a ton of heat “with the boys.” He said the NWO has been referred to as “poison” and “cancer” and “self-serving.” Fans chanted “What?” and Nash wisely ignored it. Nash said some even called them “company-killing bastards.” Nash looking hurt, then indignantly asked, “What is it we’ve done?” What did we do? All we want is a fair chance, a clean slate. We want to prove to you great fans not only can we do it, but nobody does it quite like us.”
Hall then said, “Hey, yo!” A muffled cheer came from the crowd. Hall said, “We’re not the bad guys, we’re a bunch of marks. We’re fans. We just want the opportunity to work with some of the great WWF superstars. Hall reiterated Nash’s plea for “a chance.” He said he wants the fans and the boys in the back to give them a chance. He said maybe they’d even have a chance to have a few beers with the wrestlers. Nash and Hogan scolded Hall, saying no drinking at work.
A choked up Hogan then agreed with what Hall and Nash said. He added that Vince McMahon is responsible for giving them another chance. He thanked Vince for having faith in them.
Ross said he isn’t convinced and warned people against buying into what they said. Lawler was willing to buy into their claims, of course. Ross said they have their own agenda. “They built up one company, then destroyed it, the old WCW,” Ross added. Lawler said, “Maybe they’ve changed for the better.”
Ross wasn’t the only one not buying the NWO’s line. Later on the PPV, the NWO ran into Steve Austin backstage. Hall offered Austin a six pack of beer. Hall said it was a gift. Austin said, “What? That’s for me? You heard I liked to drink beer? Well, I ain’t thirsty.” Hall told him to save the beer for later. Austin took the beer, then threw it over his shoulder. Hall, Nash, and Hogan stepped back and let Austin walk through. They seemed disappointed that Austin “wasn’t giving them a chance.”
Even later the NWO approached Rock backstage as he applied an icepack to his neck. Rock agreed to pose with Hogan for a photo. Hall snapped it. Hogan said, “So much for The People’s Taste.” Rock stopped Hogan and asked him what he said. He interrupted before Hogan could answer and mocked all three, making references to Razor Ramon and Diesel. He told Hogan to stick the camera up his candy ass. The NWO just stood and grimaced. Rock’s quick promo may have been the high point of the entire PPV.
The NWO showed their true intent by the end of the PPV. Austin hit Jericho with a Stunner later in their match, but then the NWO ran to the ring and attacked Austin. Hall dropped Austin on the back of his head. Jericho covered Austin and the groggy ref, who missed the NWO attack, made the three count.
The NWO returned to the ring to further attack Austin. Austin took Hall down and threw some punches, but the NWO soon overwhelmed him. Hall gave Austin a Stunner. Hogan got a spray can and painted “NWO” on Austin’s back.
It was perhaps too close to Nitro for comfort. It seemed as if the NWO was going to be just a rerun of what they did in WCW. What the PPV angle didn’t show off was one big difference that would exist now versus the NWO’s work in WCW. The NWO’s PPV run-in could have been on anyone. Austin didn’t get a chance to interact with them. He was KO’d and painted. The reason the NWO may work in the WWF and not seem like just a rerun is the fresh chemistry with the WWF’s top stars, something that became clear on Raw. Rock’s interaction with Hogan was the highlight, but Austin’s reaction on Raw to the PPV beating the night before also showed that having fresh opponents will make the NWO itself seem fresh again.
The WWF has a strong cast of babyfaces to work with the NWO than WCW offered. In WCW, Sting was the top opponent, and he didn’t talk or wrestle during the peak period of ratings. The NWO dominated WCW. The fan perception now will be “the NWO gang has met its match.” Now the key for the NWO is to deliver in the ring. Doing run-ins and spraying painting backs is one thing, delivering a quality match in the ring is another. The NWO probably won’t wrestle between now and WrestleMania, which means their weaknesses won’t be exposed, but it also means WM will be their first matches back.
The Invasion angle last summer drew one good buyrate. The WWF needs more than one good buyrate at WrestleMania to justify the NWO acquisition. The matches have to deliver. With Rock and Austin involved, though, the odds are strong the WrestleMania matches will not live down to people’s worst fears.
