Every Member of The nWo, Ranked
On May 27, 1996, Scott Hall, the man made famous for the WWF character “Razor Ramon,” emerged from the stands during a live broadcast of WCW Monday Nitro, and delivered his now-famous “You Want a War” speech. This ushered in the creation of the heel faction that would later become known as the New World Order, aka the nWo.
The nWo was the most ‘over’ act in professional wrestling in the mid to late ’90s, thanks largely to its founding members, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hollywood Hogan. Over time however, the group got watered down by adding too many members, and going through too many incarnations.
With Scott Hall’s passing in March 2022, it felt appropriately nostalgic to go back in time to rank the most meaningful members in the history of the nWo. You’ll likely be surprised by how many people you’d completely forgotten were once a part of the faction…
#43 – Shawn Michaels
“The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels was a household name in the mid to late ’90s, and as a member of the Kliq he was always rooting for his buddies down south on the other TV channel. After getting injured at the 1998 Royal Rumble, Michaels took four years off from professional wrestling, until he returned to join the WWE-version of the nWo in the summer of 2002.
Michaels’ entry into the group came after Scott Hall was fired, and WWE management wanted to surround Kevin Nash with more big-name talent. Michaels would end up being the only member of the nWo who never worked for WCW, and his tenure in the faction proved to be short-lived. Suffice to say, his time in the nWo served mainly as a springboard for his eventual return to in-ring competition.
#42 – Midajah
Melinda McCullum was one of the several fitness models that Terry Taylor recruited to work as a valet for the nWo. McCullum would join WCW in December of 1999, and would maker her professional wrestling debut in the year 2000 under the rain name Midajah.
She would first debut just like the other models that were hired as nWo Girls, such as Tylene Buck, April Hunter, and Pamela Paulshock. She would soon transition to become one of Scott Steiner’s valets. She would be in Steiner’s corner on the final episode of Monday Night Nitro when Steiner would be defeated by Booker T.
#41 – David Flair
David Flair is best known for being the son of wrestling icon Ric Flair. He initially wasn’t going to follow in his father’s footsteps, but in 1998, he could be seen getting involved in scrums with Eric Bischoff and the nWo while he was sitting in the front row.
Eventually, he joined his father at WCW/nWO Souled Out in January 1999, defeating Curt Hennig and Barry Windham. But in February of that year, the nWo recruited David’s girlfriend Samantha to help seduce David to betray his father and joined the nWo Elite. David memorably tasered Ric to help Hollywood Hogan win the WCW World Title.
#40 – April Hunter
April Hunter was first and foremost a model, having posed for Playboy, as well as other magazines. Before she was hired by WCW, she had no wrestling experience. Along with other models Tylene Buck, Midajah, and Pamela Paulshock, she was utilized as a valet for members of the nWo, accompanying them to ringside matches.
While Hunter was not an official member of the nWo, her appearance certainly made an impression on audiences. After her WCW days, she would eventually move on to train to become a professional wrestler in her own right. She would later start working on the independent circuit before working for actress Carmen Electra.
#39 – Pamela Paulshock
Pamela Paulshock was another one of the fitness models hired by WCW for nWO to contrast the Nitro girls in 1999. She would be recruited as an nWo girl along with April Hunter, Tylene Buck and Midajah. Some may even forget that she was in that role initially, as she would become a backstage interviewer primarily.
While she would evolve into interviewing more and more, but had a stint in the ring when she would be roped into a tag team with Chris Kanyon against Buff Bagwell and his mother Judy Bagwell on WCW Nitro in 2000. She would later claim the crown, winning the WCW Bikini Contest.
#38 – Tylene Buck
Tylene Buck didn’t have the longest stint in the wrestling world. She was first brought in as one of the several “hoochies” to celebrate nWo member Scott Steiner’s birthday. Primarily working as a model and actress, she would come ringside with the nWo along with Pamela Paulshock, April Hunter and Mdajah.
She would leave the nWo after a short while, attempting to become a backstage interviewer. She would then develop the persona “Major Gunns,” joining the Misfits In Action, before turning heel on the stable leader General Rection, costing him the WCW U.S. title.
#37 – Bret Hart
Bret Hart was a huge name and longtime veteran in wrestling. He was a star in WWF and WCW. Hart was mostly a face and a fan-favorite which should have kept him as part of the resistance against the nWo. Unfortunately, he instead became an “associate” of the group before officially joining.
Hart was frequently assisted by members of the nWo in his matches, making him a heel. Hart feuded with enemies of the nWo culminating in him teaming up with Hogan in an official match against Sting and The Ultimate Warrior. Hart disappeared from the nWo for a while until it was reformed years later, and he briefly acted as their leader.
#36 – Samantha (Torrie Wilson)
Samantha began her wrestling career when she attended a match and while backstage, was asked to walk to the ring with Scott Steiner. Samantha then was recruited by the nWo for her beauty to use as a weapon against the Flairs, who the group was feuding with. She next appeared at a match against Ric and his son, David.
Samantha seduced David, causing him to turn and tase Ric, effectively helping the nWo achieve their goal. She appeared again sometime later and betrayed Kidman to help Hogan win a match. While her stint with the nWo was short, she demonstrated some of the not-so-clean tactics the nWo was willing to employ to win.
#35 – Miss Elizabeth
Miss Elizabeth was best known for being in Macho Man Randy Savage’s corner. She had a lot of previous experience in WWF, was a well-known face, and even spent some time as a commentator. She had been both a face and heel in the past but never part of anything like the nWo.
Miss Elizabeth didn’t really say much and wasn’t a significant player in the nWo. She went back and forth between the original group and the Wolfpac but never really fit in. She never seemed quite aggressive or bad enough to pull off being a legitimate member of the nWo.
#34 – Michael Wallstreet
The nWo were known as “bad boys.” They wore black clothing, sunglasses indoors, and had long hair. They wanted to flaunt their glamorous side, so they included financial backers like Ted Dibiase and Michael Wallstreet early on. Wallstreet joined the group towards its beginning but seemed redundant alongside his friend DiBiase.
Formerly known as I.R.S., he mostly wrestled on lower-card matches and never really had any standout moments in his six months as part of nWo. His biggest match was at a pay-per-view event against Jeff Jarrett, on behalf of the nWo. While he was one of the early members of the nWo, he wasn’t particularly popular within the nWo.
#33 – The Harris Brothers
Ron and Don Harris were twin brothers and were a well-established tag-team active in WWE (WWF at the time) and ECW. They had many names and gimmick changes but always put on a good show. They each stood at a pretty commanding 6’5″, making the pair an intimidating-looking force, which was why they were brought into the nWo.
Their stint came towards the end of the nWo reign as “nWo 2000” was already beginning to fade out. Members were scarce, and the big names had mostly jumped ship from the group. Jeff Jarrett hired the Harris brothers to be bodyguards for himself, and the three ended up as the final members of the group.
#32 – Big Bubba Rogers
Rogers was much more well known as “The Big Boss Man” in WWF. There he played a good guy corrections officer angle and was well-liked by the fans. When he came to WCW, he’d eventually become Big Bubba Rogers, turned heel, and joined the “Dungeon of Doom.”
During a feud between the “Dungeon” and the nWo, Rogers betrayed the group and became an official nWo member. He was only with the nWo for a short time as he didn’t fit in with the other guys or the group’s persona. He eventually was fired from the group and would go on to feud with them.
#31 – Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes was a major player in wrestling, as part of WWF and was a former heavyweight champion. By the time he joined WCW, he was well past his prime and wasn’t wrestling nearly as much. He was still a well-known and respected face when it came time to join the nWo.
Although Rhodes didn’t really wrestle anymore, he was still a force in the WCW. When he turned on them, it was just another example of the good guys losing to the new coolness of the bad guys. Rhodes became a manager for the group and often accompanied Hall and Nash in their tag matches.
# 30 – Disco Inferno
Disco Inferno had a persona that was always something of a joke. It’s hard to be a wrestler whose gimmick is being kind of out of touch and geeky while pulling off bad dance moves. Disco kind of just floated around the lower tier of WCW getting laughs. That was why it was quite a shock when he made it into the nWo.
Disco had to prove himself to the nWo for a few matches before he officially got in the group. Once Hall and Nash let him in, they never kicked him out. He became a lower level member that kind of followed the big dogs around. Disco rode the nWo until his time ended, but never really got anywhere while part of the group.
#29 – Louie Spicolli
Louie Spicolli had been around wrestling for years participating in WWF and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW). He had multiple gimmicks and names but never really became a big star. He always had a bit of a bad boy persona in and out of the ring, so being part of the nWo made sense.
He became a “lackey” of founding nWo member Scott Hall and fulfilled the group’s pledge-type role. This angle demonstrated the group’s constant recruiting and gang-like organization. Spicolli was scheduled to face Larry Zynsko in a pay-per-view match on behalf of the nWo as part of a feud. Unfortunately, he passed away before the event took place in 1998.
#28 – Stevie Ray
Stevie Ray was a part of the “Harlem Heat” tag-team with his brother Booker T. They were mainstays in WCW, participating in many high profile matches and winning the Tag-Team Championship multiple times. Ray split with his brother so both could compete as singles.
Stevie Ray joined nWo as part of Hogan’s heel, “black and white” group after the Wolfpac split off. Booker T continued as a face while Stevie Ray gained popularity as a dirty fighter and weapon-using heel. He was made leader of the “nWo B-Team” and mostly participated in lower-level matches.
#27 – Brian Adams
Brian Adams had been known as Crush for years before joining WCW. He mainly had found success participating in high-profile tag matches. He joined WCW as a new member of nWo and made his debut by attacking fan-favorite Bret Hart. This was one of his biggest moments with the group.
Adams participated in mid and lower-level matches and primarily was just an extra body for the nWo. Though he was a big man, he didn’t stand out too much, as he was not as large as Nash and had a similar look with long hair and black pants. He eventually became part of the “nWo B-Team.”
#26 – Horace Hogan
Horace Hogan had been in the WCW as Horace Boulder, mostly wrestling in lower-card matches. In an awkward moment, Hollywood Hogan and members of the nWo appeared in the ring to make a big announcement. Hollywood revealed that Horace was his nephew and invited him to join the nWo.
Unfortunately for Horace, Hollywood suddenly turned and gave his nephew a beat down as an example to “The Warrior” with whom he was feuding. Horace later did join the group but never really shined in any capacity, although he did team up with his uncle on occasion. He was eventually relegated to the “nWo B-Team.”
#25 – The Great Muta
The Great Muta was a skilled wrestler and an international competitor. He bounced back and forth between Japan and the United States, and feuded with big names in WCW. As Muta, he would wear a mask or face paint, but also often wrestled separately as himself.
He joined the nWo and even led their version of the group in Japan. He changed his face paint to white and black with “NWO” written across his face for the group. His involvement along with that of his tag partner, Masahiro Chono, made the nWo a global superpower. Muta was decently well-known in the U.S, but he was almost a mythical figure in Japan.
#24 – Jeff Jarrett
Jeff Jarrett would have a brief stint as a “free agent” in the rivalry between the Four Horsemen and the nWo in the group’s early days, before being inducted into the Four Horsemen. However, his big moment was when he returned to WCW in 2000 and became a founding member of “nWo 2000.”
The nWo 2000 roster included the original nWo members “The Outsiders,” the legendary Bret Hart, and Jarrett. The group was a surprise resurgence of the dead nWo. Jarrett remained with the group while all the others eventually left, leaving him as the leader for a short time. While he didn’t have much impact, he was one of the nWo’s final members.
#23 – Kyle Petty
One of the many crossovers that the wrestling world saw in the ’90s was having stock NASCAR driver Kyle Petty join the nWo. With WCW having a promotional tie-in between them and NASCAR, there arose a real need for an adversary car to go against the WCW car.
This helped make the rivalry between WCW and the nWo even stronger by bringing it to the racetrack as well. Petty has said that he was chosen to be the natural fit to drive the nWo car because his look of having long hair and earrings fit well with the brand. Petty actually earned the title of “Best Gimmick” in 1996.
#22 – The Giant
At a towering 7’0″ The Giant was the largest wrestler in WCW, and was initially even billed as “the son of Andre the Giant.” He won the Heavyweight Title from Hulk Hogan in his debut match. A year later, The Giant joined up with Hollywood Hogan as a part of the nWo.
Kevin Nash was the original “big man” for the nWo, but he lost that role to the larger Giant. The Giant acted as an enforcer for the group and helped them battle faces like Sting and Lex Luger. Hogan eventually declared there could only be one giant in the NWO. This led to the Giant facing Nash with the former losing and subsequently leaving the group.
#21 – The Disciple
The Disciple was a mystery man who showed up during the height of the nWo. He appeared out of nowhere assisting Hollywood Hogan and played the angle of being his disciple. The Disciple fit in with the nWo as he looked like a biker with long hair, sunglasses, and beard.
It turns out that he was actually Brutus the Barber Beefcake going deep for the new role. He acted as a bodyguard for Hogan and often helped the nWo by ganging up on members. He eventually was brainwashed by “The Warrior” and turned against Hogan. After this successful angle, he faded away and eventually left the group and WCW altogether.
#20 – Nick Patrick
The nWo was such a powerful group in WCW that they had their own referee. Referees are supposed to be impartial, but Nick Patrick was clearly on the nWo’s side and helped them cheat their way to wins in plain sight. It seemed like the nWo had their hands in everything.
Patrick had been a referee before the nWo, but he turned to the group like so many others. He eventually wrestled Chris Jericho as punishment for his evil doings with the group and was handily defeated. Patrick was the referee, sporting a nWo shirt, for every match in the 1997 nWo Souled Out pay-per-view.
#19 – Masahiro Chono
Masahiro Chono was a hardworking star in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) for years before becoming a part of the nWo. He won the NWA Heavyweight Championship and wrestled some big names like Steve Austin in the early ’90s. After the nWo was formed in the U.S., Chono changed his persona and started “nWo Japan” as a sister stable to the group.
Chono’s turn was drastic as he adopted a trench coat and sunglasses that looked like something out of The Matrix. Chono was intimidating, and his inclusion in the nWo solidified the group’s hold over a more worldwide audience. He made appearances in the U.S. version, often teaming up with The Great Muta or recruiting other international members.
#18 – Scott Norton
Scott Norton was a big mean-looking guy, and he fit the classic persona of a professional wrestler. Norton mainly would up finding success as part of a variety of tag teams over the years. He joined nWo to try and get some direction as his career seemed a bit unfocused.
In the nWo, Norton was the “Vicious” in the ”Vicious and Delicious” tag team with Buff Bagwell. He acted as the muscle and straight man to Bagwell’s flexing and taunting buffoon. The pair faced off with The Steiner Brothers but never won the tag championship. Norton eventually ended up on the lesser nWo “B-Team” and faded away from bigger matches.
#17 – Fake Sting (nWo Sting)
Sting was a considerable threat to the nWo and often got the best of the group’s members. The nWo created a fake Sting to retaliate by impersonating the star and targeting his friends. A phony Sting sounds a little gimmicky, but it worked wonders every time he was revealed to be an impostor.
The fake Sting would commit devious acts to ruin Sting’s reputation and relationships. He often helped the nWo get the better of Sting’s allies by fooling them into thinking he was the genuine article before turning on them. A wrestler was actually hired to impersonate Sting during this storyline, but that’s all he ever did for WCW.
#16 – Rick Rude
Rick Rude had been an established wrestler and member of WWF until he joined WCW. Famously, he is the only person to be on both a WWF and WCW broadcast on the same day due to pre-recording of WWF. He joined WCW as a member of the nWo and trash-talked WWF the same night.
Rude was a close friend of Curt Hennig, who was already in the nWo. Due to injuries, Rude never wrestled with WCW but appeared as a manager for the group and Hennig. Rude and Hennig stuck together and briefly joined the Wolfpac when the nWo split. They turned on their teammates shortly after and rejoined the “Hollywood” squad.
#15 – Lex Luger
Lex Luger was a reasonably big name when he joined the nWo. He was known for his impressive bodybuilder’s physique and often teamed up with fan-favorite Sting. His defection to the group was similar to Hogan’s as he was a big-time face in WCW and even had distinctive blonde hair.
Luger joined the Wolfpac faction of the nWo, so it wasn’t a 100% complete heel turn. Although he added muscle to the group, he never quite fit in. He didn’t really look right standing next to Scott Hall or Konnan, and didn’t pull off the edgy turn quite as well as Hollywood.
#14 – Vincent
Vincent came from a long career backing Ted Dibiase in WWF under the name Virgil. He didn’t have a lot of big matches, but he made plenty of appearances. Vincent was a character named after the owner of WCW’s competition, Vince McMahon, who joined WCW as part of the nWo.
Vincent basically did the same thing he did for the nWo as he did for Dibiase. He was a groupie and an extra buddy to show up to make the group look more intimidating. He did participate in some lesser matches but was more often a valet for the heavy hitters. He wasn’t the star of the nWo, but he always seemed to be around.
#13 – Curt Hennig
Curt Hennig wrestled in WWF and was well established before entering WCW. He was a talented wrestler and opposed the nWo before becoming part of the legendary “Four Horsemen” stable. Hennig mainly was a face, and the Horsemen were well-liked, so the union made sense, but everything changed when they faced the nWo.
Hennig betrayed the Horsemen mid-match, handcuffing them to the cage and slamming Ric Flair’s head in the door. Hennig had officially earned his spot as a member of the nWo. He never found a real role in the group, though, as there were too many members on the roster at that point. Hennig ended up on the B-team of the nWo until he eventually was kicked out.
#12 – Buff Bagwell
Marcus Bagwell found success as the member of multiple championship tag teams in WCW. He eventually joined up with Scotty Riggs to form “The American Males.” Bagwell betrayed Riggs and joined the nWo with a new “Buff” persona that included flexing, and looking at himself in the camera.
Bagwell formed a tag-team with fellow nWo member Scott Norton called “Vicious and Delicious.” Buff later joined Scott Steiner in an attack on his brother, Rick, in which Bagwell’s neck was broken. Bagwell was injured for months, but returned to aid Steiner again before the two eventually joined the Wolfpac.
#11 – Dennis Rodman
Basketball player Dennis Rodman was brought into WCW just like other celebrities over the years to boost ratings. Rodman was different, though, as he was hot off three straight NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and was the perfect match for the wildly popular nWo. Rodman wrestled as himself and began as a tag-team partner with Hollywood Hogan.
Rodman only wrestled in a few matches, but they were all very high profile. Most of the time, he appeared alongside Hogan and even faced off against fellow NBA star Karl Malone. Rodman made the nWo even cooler and extended its reach to other major sports fans.
#10 – Sting
Sting was a fan favorite in WCW. He had already changed his persona, once going from bright to dark and brooding while still staying a face of the organization. He was one of the main WCW staples to regularly stand up and oppose the nWo. The nWo asked him to join the dark side, and he refused initially, until one day, he finally accepted.
Sting became one of the prominent members of the Wolfpac faction of the nWo. He changed his face paint to red and black, became more personable, and teamed up with the small but powerful group as rivals to the original nWo. Sting was one of the biggest names in the nWo and gave the Wolfpac real legitimacy.
#9 – Konnan
Konnan wasn’t the biggest star in WCW, but he had recently began to rise in popularity around the time the nWo arrived. He could get crowds going and had an edgy but fun hip-hop act that younger audiences could get behind. Konnan was a “bad boy”, but played well to the crowd.
Konnan fit right in as a member of the nWo. He represented them in many smaller matches and was active more than some of the bigger names of the group. Konnan brought some coolness to the group and made them seem a little younger despite many members being older. Konnan sided with the Wolfpac when the nWo split and feuded with Hogan’s “Hollywood” faction.
#8 – Macho Man Randy Savage
Macho Man was a huge star from WWF when he joined WCW. He was beloved by fans and successful as both a face and a heel. Savage was one of the bigger names to stand and try to fight against the nWo invasion when it hit. He and others battled against the nWo, but were frequently overwhelmed.
Macho Man disappeared for a while and returned to join the nWo. For over a year, he feuded with Diamond Dallas Page, a face that opposed the group. Savage won the title belt while in the nWo before leaving to join the Wolfpac and rival Hogan’s group. He was one of the group’s more prominent names and certainly brought attention from older fans.
#7 – Scott Steiner
Scott Steiner was a part of the popular and successful tag-team, The Steiner Brothers, along with his brother Rick. They won multiple championships and were usually the “good guys.” Steiner went through a transformation and used the new look and act as part of his transition into the nWo.
Steiner broke out on his own and betrayed his brother to join the nWo. He was drastically more muscular than he had been, had bleached blond hair, and went by “Big Poppa Pump.” Steiner was an enforcer for the nWo and grew his popularity while playing the heel. He eventually became the leader of the group after Hogan’s departure.
#6 – “Trillionaire” Ted Dibiase
Ted DiBiase was a WWF veteran, first as a wrestler and then manager. He wasn’t too old to wrestle, but injuries kept him from putting the tights on again. He came in early to the nWo, joining WCW as the group’s fourth member, announcing he would be the nWo’s financial backer and spokesperson.
He had played the role of the “Million Dollar Man” before, but he was jokingly referred to as “Trillionaire Ted” in the nWo. He lasted a few months managing the original core group. Once Eric Bischoff joined the nWo, he took on a similar role, leaving Dibiase without a purpose, causing him to quit.
#5 – Syxx
Syxx wrestled under the name 1-2-3 Kid in WWF. During the competition between the two companies of WWF and WCW, he left to join his buddies “The Outsiders” in the nWo. He was called Syxx because he was essentially the sixth member to join the group, with the perfect edgy look to compliment the group’s persona.
Syxx represented the nWo in many tag-team matches, as well as some minor matches, being often seen alongside Hall and Nash. Syxx was exciting as one of the nWo’s few high0flying wrestlers but was fired somewhat suddenly from WCW by President Eric Bischoff. His firing led to some bad blood between Bischoff and “The Outsiders.”
#4 – Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff was basically the Vince McMahon of WCW before bad guy Vince was a hit in WWF. Bischoff was a commentator, a financial backer, and eventually the President of WCW. He played the role of boss you love to hate, but still stood by WCW against the nWo invasion.
Shortly after the nWo began, Bischoff decided to join the group though. He didn’t often get involved in the ring but instead became their spokesman and manager. He was there for some high-profile celebrity matches and often appeared alongside Hollywood Hogan. Bischoff was a significant part of the original nWo and brought something corporate to the group.
#3 – Hollywood Hogan
Hulk Hogan was a massive star and the face of wrestling for many years. The nWo started with “The Outsiders” teaming up with Hogan, a hero to millions, and turning him into a heel. They suddenly became the most powerful force in wrestling and kicked off a lasting cultural phenomenon.
Hogan had not been a heel before, and the turn was shocking at first and became one of the most iconic moments in wrestling. Eventually, thanks to the nWo and Hogan, it became cool to be bad. Hogan went on to be the leader of the nWo and was easily its most famous member. He was a constant in the original group and remained a heel when the group split until he eventually joined the popular Wolfpac.
#2 – Kevin Nash
Kevin Nash was a big name in WCW and made a very public jump to it from WWF. Nash joined WCW intending to take on everyone in it as a part of “The Outsiders” with Scott Hall. He was always a bad guy and was one of the three founding members of the nWo.
Kevin Nash eventually became known as “Big Sexy” and was the big man in the nWo. At 6’10”, he stood taller than everyone else and brought an intimidation factor with him. Nash eventually broke away from the original nWo and created the nWo Wolfpac to oppose it. Nash was not only one of the founding members of the nWo, but once he left, the nWo dissolved.
#1 – Scott Hall
Scott Hall was known as “Razor Ramon” before joining WCW and the nWo. He came into WCW as a rebellious outsider waging war upon it from the beginning. He debuted with his tag partner Kevin Nash and the new “Hollywood” Hogan on Nitro to form the original New World Order.
The new group shocked the wrestling world and started a trend that made bad guys cool and much more visible. Hall set the look for the group appearing unshaven with long hair and often wearing a banana on his head. He was a classic heel, and although he may not have been the most physical member, he certainly had the most attitude.