Hearing the NWO music in 2011 on Monday night raw is akin to Eric Bischoff walking out becoming a new general manager, Ric flair becoming co-owner, Hollywood Hogan, and every other instance of WCW intellectual property being used inside the WWE universe. it’s not shocking because you know it’s possible, but based on how we’ve seen these things get treated in the past you don’t particularly think of it is probable. I posted that quote from Vince McMahon from 2002, and I wanted to post the retort from Nash but I couldn’t find. I remember there was this interview with Nash after the NWO was disbanded and somebody asked him like if he thought it was the last time the NWO music would be played and he said “We’ll see.”
It’s funny how you sort of instinctively go back to that “for life” idea for the NWO. It seems that no matter how much time has passed, no matter how few members are still around, the idea itself can still be sprung on us, and he can still affect our nostalgia.
Last night, the resurgence of that music was a direct nod to the old audience. The current fan wasn”t around when the NWO mattered. Because WWE is so good teaching you their history, even most of the kids know about the attitude era, about WCW, and about how the NWO was this thing that threatened the WWE for some time. But being told a story isn’t nearly as effective as experiencing it. And the kids might recognize the music, but they don’t feel what we feel. You can calculate 83 weeks, but unless you were actually sitting there watching it happen, you don’t get the full force. The NWO music taps a very specific wound. It takes us back to the last time the ship was about to go down.