Hulk Hogan's Heel Turn And The Birth Of The nWo At WCW Bash At The Beach 1996 | Behind The Match

[@tamzidmohsinkhan3333]

Hulk Hogan's heel turn is still iconic even today

[@vampirascoffin870]

And the last

[@areasevenpro]

You have to admit that Hogan's nWo turn was the greatest thing that ever happened in his career.

[@samdustinchris]

I can think of a few watershed moments before this one.

[@foxfireinferno197]

@@samdustinchris Yeah, but even I have to admit, none of them really compare to this one. Most of Hogan's other big moments were expected, or at least not unusual. Like, of course Hogan was going to slam Andre. And losing clean to the Warrior was out of the ordinary, but not something you could never see happening. This ... this, nobody ever saw happening.

[@CoryTheRaven]

Hulkamania was the greatest thing that happened in Hulk's career. The nWo was second.

[@TraumaER]

Him bodyslamming Andre the Giant has entered the chat.

[@jpbart1390]

@@skynyrdjesus i used to think nwo was a bad career move for hogan, yet a good one for hall & nash, but when i look back, i do see how good it actually was. if it weren't for hogan turning bad, the nwo would not have made the impact it did. after many years of people wanting hogan to beat the top heel, he became the top heel that everybody wanted to see get beat. as much as some wrestlers bitched about the hulkster, he did do a good job of putting arses on seats & that's why he became the industry's most valuable wrestler.

[@t-bro9529]

Tremendous moment for these 3. Hogan turning heel was greatness.

[@stingerfan30]

Hogan turning heel was the best thing that ever happened to WCW and pro wrestling as a whole. As much of a Sting fan that I am a heel turn would have only worked for a little while especially in WCW. RIP Scott Hall you'll be missed

[@DJDoubleCee]

I still crack up when Tony Schiavone said that Hulk Hogan can go to hell at the end of Bash At The Beach 😆

[@jerryjanik480]

Don't forget what Bobby Heenan said what side is he on

[@southwestclown1314]

Strait to hell

[@drums4lyfe0987]

@@jerryjanik480 if it was anyone else, it owudk be spoiled everything. But with boing it was like the. Bot who cried wolf, he had been attacking the credibility of hogan longer than almost anybody in the business to that point.

[@mrfitz2727]

Hulk Hogan..you can go to hell.

[@seymourglass26]

He was right then and decades later, it only got more true.

[@mt_baldwin]

Anyone that thinks Bobby Heenan gave away the heel turn has never watched a Hogan match commentated by Heenan. Going all the way back to WWF Heenan on commentary always made the argument that Hogan was in fact a heel. Heenan did it so much that him not saying anything would make people say he gave away the heel turn.

[@wizzerwiser2056]

No he made the mistake of giving it away but everyone knew as soon as Hogan came out he was the third man.

[@johanfokkinga7061]

@@wizzerwiser2056 im glad you didnt read baldwins comment.

[@wizzerwiser2056]

@@johanfokkinga7061 No I did and still believe Heenan gave it away but everyone already knew anyways

[@ironman2326]

Agreed. It was classic Heenan to talk bad about Hogan

[@michiganpride389]

Oh totally agreed.. he could've said on the mic that Hogan personally told him he was the third man and no one would believe him... part of the true greatness of the Bobby "The Brain" Heenan Character

[@TheThird1977]

Heenan questioning Hogan was COMPLETELY within character based on their histories.

[@pauldixon6118]

Yes, he never did like Hogan, whether Hogan was a face or heel

[@attiepollard7847]

@@pauldixon6118 maybe Eric bischoff should have told heena to shut the hell up and don't reveal anything or was it because he did not like Hogan personally somewhere?

[@ironman2326]

Yep

[@Drummer8282]

Yes but when watching live it made you think of a possibility that you never would have.

[@patrickperalta59]

@@pauldixon6118 when Hogan turned heel...Heenan in character still hated Hogan. that was the biggest suprise of the night.. Heenan always cheered when a Babyface turned heel and the babyface he used to boo and make fun of...........when Heenan didn't cheer for Hogan's heel turn that was the big suprise of the night.

[@GetOnTheFloor82]

Heel Hollywood Hogan was one the best ideas ever. Absolutely amazing.

[@marvelsProtege]

Not one of but the most important heel turn ever

[@MrMadvibez]

RIP Scott Hall. He was what made thw NWO cool. Nash was the muscle and Hogan was the mouth

[@MrDeengels]

Greatest heel turns EVER, and ushered in the greatest era of pro wrestling

[@kyledamron]

I was 9 years old and still thought wrestling was real. I was shocked the Hulk Hogan turned on WCW. I know 1996 wasn't the best year for wrestling but it was the year that I became truly obsessed with wrestling. I watched wcw and wwf and as often as I could. For sentimental reasons it my favorite year

[@ThePatrioticTurtle]

Definitely one of the greatest heel turns of all time.

[@brookswilliams5239]

THE greatest heel turn of all time

[@FUGP72]

One of? It was by far THE greatest. Certainly biggest.

[@jvstice56]

Simply put: Without Hogan, the nWo would NOT have taken off like it did. Hogan needed the nWo more than he realized at the time. He went from a has-been face to the Top Heel of the biggest boom period of WCW. People tuned in in droves to see who could topple this then-unprecedented event. Had Hogan grown cold feet, I doubt even Sting's would've been as monumental, esp. since Hall and Nash teased someone from New York was joining them. It is the best Heel Turn in WCW History, and no fan saw it coming.

[@sheets75]

If the third man had been anyone besides Hogan, the angle ends a few months later with Hogan giving all three guys the leg drop and then the NWO is just the new Dungeon of Doom.

[@andrewdrennan9436]

@@sheets75 …and WCDubs couldn’t deal with another disaster like that.

[@shoeplayisbad1]

he wasn't really a has been been he was getting stale. At that point I wanted him to change in a way. he was a bad guy when he first started but I didn't expect this

[@NYGiantsfan1029]

Sting wouldve had people talking and it wouldve been a hot angle for a while Not nearly as big or as long lasting as it was. ESP with a baby face Hogan who you know wouldve been the one to slay them.

[@Thor-Orion]

There’s one other person who could have made the NWO successful as the third man, and I truly believe he had been the original plan; Bret Hart.

[@tourguideplays5477]

A moment that truly shocked the wrestling world!

[@Zigzagalltheway]

The best heel turn ever

[@brocklanders3616]

That and the Montreal screwjob, arguably the 2 biggest moments that left fans in shock.

[@tourguideplays5477]

@@brocklanders3616 Owen Hart's tragic fall is another moment

[@LembeckIsStaying]

The American Males breakup is right up there too.

[@Britton_Thompson]

It's why he's the Immortal One. Hulk Hogan was the biggest face and biggest heel in pro wrestling history. You can argue Stone Cold was it's face and Mr. McMahon it's heel, but man, Hogan was right there with them.

[@KenDAKL4ever]

I loved the formation of the nWo. From Scott Hall's 1st appearance to Bash at the Beach. And how they wrecked over WCW. Then... It got bloated and took over booking and well, we know the rest. Fun while it lasted

[@bengym21_]

Still to this day, the most famous/greatest heel turn and, IMO, the greatest promo in wrestling history

[@Zigzagalltheway]

Greatest heel turn: agreed Greatest promo: pipebomb

[@pauldixon6118]

@@Zigzagalltheway Greatest promo, Austin 3:16 KotR 1996, pipe bomb not in the top 3

[@wizzerwiser2056]

@@Zigzagalltheway Shoot promos are the worst promos. They're just cheap heat.

[@seymourglass26]

@@pauldixon6118 Glad you bothered to name 2 and 3 to really prove your point and show your range of wrestling knowledge. It took a lot of extra effort to prove that Punk's promo was just great and not the greatest ever.

[@Zigzagalltheway]

@@seymourglass26 yep. The pipebomb is the best

[@charliechaz1982]

I have to say Hogan's performance in this deserves huge props. I couldn't even imagine Hulk Hogan as a heel yet he was perfect. His rage and delivery of the speech was perfect as was his whole aura and body language. He made himself look like the biggest turncoat ever. Brave stuff and his greatest moment in my opinion.

[@cowscrazy]

This was only the 2nd WCW PPV I ever saw and I’m so glad I went out of my way to watch that night.

[@pjabrony8280]

"Kevin Sullivan, the presiding booker man." I see what you did there.

[@InfectedChris]

The delivery in this video is just so perfect.

[@pharaohwrestlingyt]

One of the most pivotal moments in wrestling history.

[@donnelladams8362]

Hogan made a brilliant move and reinvented himself.

[@kelly2708]

I was not even watching wrestling at this time,and i remember this being on the actual news. It was a huge deal!

[@Gabenfinn]

Absolutely love this series. Keep it up fellas.

[@DBXander00]

I do not remember The Outsiders coming out to basically Crazy by Seal. I love these videos for nuggets like that

[@LembeckIsStaying]

WcW loved their ripoff themes lol

[@mikelitoris9610]

I didn’t remember that either

[@abigailblackwood3686]

Best heel in wrestling history,forming the greatest faction in history,pure iconic moment

[@sp4604]

the most significant moment in professional wrestling when Hulk turned heel and the NWO was born

[@gregroeper2976]

One of the most iconic wrestling moments. It served notice to WWE that if they wanted to prevail in the Monday Night Wars they would have to severely up their game. It took some time but they did. They won lock, stock, and barrel.

[@samchristian37]

This was pure genius by Eric Bischoff. The way he explained it to Hogan and kept him on board all the way until the event. The crowning of the name, the rollout, keeping Nash and Hall astray so they don’t ruin the reveal. Everything worked out so perfectly. This heel turn was the greatest thing to ever happen in wrestling and pushed WWE to ignite the Attitude era

[@TheQuest145]

1996 bash at the beach was like the beginning of a great Monday night war .showed how WCW was gonna take over ratings and ect. Fast forwarding to 2000 bash at the beach was the big sign of WCW down fall . Started at bash at the beach and ended with bash at the beach

[@Lazbotable]

Fun fact hogan's 1st ppv for wcw was bash at the beach 1994, his last ppv and last appearance for wcw was bash at the beach 2000.

[@Joshua-uw7wm]

I love tell Bobby Heenan was able to say he'd been right all along all those years of claiming Hulk Hogan was secretly the villain. Bobby was a great heel voice guy

[@treyhelms5282]

Best wrestling commentator ever.

[@kevinchandler179]

Gorilla Monsoon as well!!!

[@marcus813]

I remember watching this on the PPV replay right after it aired live (I was working at the family business while it aired live). The second I saw Hogan drop the leg on Savage, I had to make sure I really watched what I watched. I was that shocked. This was a change that Hogan needed to make more than Sting IMO. Even with WWE audiences, his previous act wasn't as successful as it had been in prior years.

[@dr.snakes]

I just realized nWo shirts came in one of two varieties: - Classic Logo - Picture of nWo Member Wearing Classic Logo

[@fatguyinlittlecoat86]

I don't care what anybody says, the commentators all going "Oooooooohhhh" when Macho Man got low blowed is by far the most legendary part of that night

[@skizzit]

Been waiting for this one since this series started. Does not disappoint!

[@mr.ultimatebluemarvel9565]

The birth of the nwo the greatest gang in all of wrestling, rest in power to Scott hall aka razor Ramon the bad guy.

[@prestonbroadus3978]

The greatest face became the greatest heel. Hulk is undeniably the goat

[@mrfitz2727]

This is the New World Organization of wrestling brother.

[@kevinchandler179]

This was the best damn thing and story ever in wrestling!!! Scott Hall walking through the crowd and grabbing the microphone 🎤 and eventually bringing Nash, and Bash at the Beach, Hogan heel turn!!!

[@Am0ment0fB]

Hogan quote to Bischoff was actually: "That doesn't work for me, brother!" Ha.

[@sonroof89]

These are way cooler than more top 10 lists

[@TheSBleeder]

Hogan: "Eric, I've gotta tell you something." Eric Bischoff: "I know, I know. This d..." Hogan: "This works for me, brother." Bischoff: "Wait, what?"

[@erikbunty2016]

And thus began "the future of wrestling".

[@mikebardo3403]

I watch it over and over again , bravo Bishoff

[@HyperActive7]

I remember being so pissed off that this happened, I threw all of my Hulkamania stuff in the spare room and didn't look at it for years until I realized years later how important this heel turn was for wrestling and the rest of Hulk's in ring career. As it turned out, the NWO is one of the most popular stables to ever come into existence and I'm not talking about the incarnations either, just the original NWO who spurred the Bullet Club in NJPW.

[@edalder2000]

The shock was so real. All-American Hulk Hogan had turned heel. Nuclear Heat! Hulk's promo directly after the turn is his best. Letting out the frustration and anger that was truly in Hulk's psyche. Before then, heels would see their merch sales tank. But The NWO is the best selling gimmick/merch line in wrestling history.

[@SheriffOutlaw]

This night will always send shivers down my spine! Yes I was once a Hogan fan until I found out the toxicity of the man behind the character but this was history making!

[@LembeckIsStaying]

Did you just use "toxicity" in an unironic way as a straight man? And not on Twitter? 🤦🏾‍♂️🤣🤣🤣

[@SheriffOutlaw]

@@LembeckIsStaying yes I said that. Not sure what unironic means but yeah I said it

[@kevinchandler179]

The absolute best promo ever 🙌 in wrestling was when my favorite ever Scott Hall walking through the crowd and made the best damn speech ever!!!!

[@seanmahoney7117]

Sam’s passion sells these for me

[@alanhedrick4448]

I just remembered him telling the muppets he was a bad guy now. Lol

[@johnepants]

What’s crazy is that the WWF were already beginning to provide a more mature show in early 96, but then WCW just shot like a cannon forward and sped up the process with Hall and Nash. You can’t tell me though that Hall vs Goldust and Nash vs Michael’s weren’t two radically different story lines for the Fed at the time, followed by the Michael’s and Hart affair allegations during the Bulldog feud.

[@attiepollard7847]

They were flirting with it but I don't think they were going to pull the trigger on more mature and edge content

[@hdtripp6218]

Surprised Hogan didn't respond to the idea with: "Brother, what you are talking about is gonna cost me money" His merch sales must have been in the toilet at that point

[@1971400]

Nope hi stil sold lots off merch Even then

[@johnlennon5143]

tbh i think it revived the sales , he was always steady but not like at his peak

[@nousetosay]

Great work, Sam!

[@six3reggie]

Hogan turning heel was the greatest moment in wrestling history.

[@jpbart1390]

according to an interview hogan did with steve austin, he wanted to do the heel turn in '90 after losing to the ultimate warrior, but mcmahon said no because he thought it'd kill the ratings. 6 years later, mcmahon was proven wrong. hogan's star power obviously never waned like many younger wresting fans think it did. remember, hogan took the wwf's ratings with him when he jumped ship & moved on to the wcw. i think hogan wanted to do the heel turn & opportunity knocked & he still remained a ratings machine, even as a bad guy. love him or hate him, hulk hogan will remain the biggest name in the wrestling industry & even became bigger than said industry & it'll never be as big as it was back in the '80s-'90s.

[@SB-jn8cw]

There were a few reasons why I believe Hulk was kept as a face post WM6. The then WWF had built up Hulk as the ultimate role model and by having Hulk gracefully losing and passing the torch cemented that Keeping him as a face ensured that if things didn't work out with the Warrior, there was a ready made option. Hulk was still as popular as ever as shown by how he got a louder ovation than the Warrior upon the WM6 entrances so it would have hurt merchandise sales.

[@jpbart1390]

@@SB-jn8cw i definitely see your point. sounds like vince was iffy about making warrior champion because he didn't know warrior as well as he knew hulk. hulk would do pretty much whatever vince said, where warrior was a loose cannon. this is why i call jim hellwig the ultimate disappointment, as well as the ultimate diva.

[@FUGP72]

That doesn't prove Vince wrong. Just because it worked under the circumstances in 1996 doesn't mean it would have worked in 1990.

[@jpbart1390]

@@FUGP72 you're probably right. hogan did attempt a heel turn in royal rumble '92, which could've worked, but vince just loved keeping the hulkster as a superhero. wrestling is a funny business. isn't it?

[@FUGP72]

@@jpbart1390 I think the fans were the issue. In 1992, they were still keeping kayfabe as much as possible, and fans were still buying into it. So it would have been a disaster for Hogan's merchandise sales for him to turn heel at that point. By 1996 the tide had already started to turn and the early internet had made fans much smarter. Not quite as much as just a year later when it was literally impossible to have any surprise on a show without it being known already. Wrestling fans were some of the biggest early adopters of the internet. (Hence Sunny being "the most downloaded celebrity on the internet.") So they really couldn't keep the kayfabe going even if they tried.

[@MichaelMiller-tm2os]

The best parts about that night were: 1. Heenan going into business for himself by yelling, "Whose side is he on?" 2. Hogan forgeting if it was New World Order or New World Organization. 3. The idea that there was a drawing to get the top babyfaces in the ring. Why not just have some authority figure say "we chose three guys we felt could work together to defend WCW.

[@drewhaueter2131]

Imo it meant so much more that Hogan leg dropped Savage instead of Luger or Sting

[@flyingferron]

Look at the adjective!

[@5stringking]

Santa with muscles was indeed a cinematic masterpiece

[@coolbro5038]

I wasn't even a fan of wcw but this one still gives me the chills. It was and still is the greatest heel in modern wrestling era

[@jacobklunder8552]

Probably my favorite Cultaholic series

[@christopherjones7379]

Say what you want about Bischof and Hogan but that was very well done.

[@erikriojas284]

Always great work

[@bigpasty1582]

Brett Hart as the 3rd man would've been just as big! Probably would've been the final nail in hogan's career coffin lol

[@johnhotchkiss9842]

He was never considered. The only 2 they actually considered was Hogan and Sting.

[@bigpasty1582]

@@johnhotchkiss9842 I was just talking about what they said in the video🤣

[@vita1ogy.]

I have a weird fascination with Hogan. I hate him as a person and I'm not really a fan of red and yellow Hogan, but I love Hollywood Hogan. I think he was excellent as a heel

[@LembeckIsStaying]

Well if you go back as an adult, as I have, you'll realize he was always a heel. Even his moveset is heelish.

[@fredflux2738]

Greatest moment since he picked up Andre

[@TraumaER]

Agree 1000%

[@willthecollector3213]

I would NOT have worked without Hulk. Love me some Sting, but it'd wouldn't have felt the same without the Hulkster turning.

[@brackabrack]

Heenan "IVE BEEN SAYING IT FOR YEARS!"

[@erikbunty2016]

"YOU HUMANOIDS!"

[@erikbunty2016]

And later, "Well, I told you so."

[@thegrizzlygentleman9443]

Sam could narrate the ingredients on a soup can and I'd be hooked.

[@taylorknippa6044]

Hogan as the 3rd man was good but if it was Mable, we'd still be watching Nitro today

[@jamessaliturewizard5694]

Too sweet 4 life brother

[@austinsimmons4393]

“Oscar masterpiece Santa with Muscles.” I almost fell on the floor laughing my %#$ off hearing that one! LMAO 😆

[@martindubreuil7751]

Hulk greatest promo…

[@seanm2600]

Nwo 4 life

[@ananyaraizada7657]

I have always been a red and yellow hogan fan but still that heel turn was great. Fans even attacked him in the ring

[@regularstan6212]

This was EPIC

[@Jrh-rp7np]

Man can we call Eric B. a one hit wonder or what cause the dude drove the coolest thing in wrestling the NWO into a bloated parody of itself… and then even when it was obvious it was over they still did the finger poke of doom and got the band back together to the delight of no one…

[@max__p1765]

In reality, he just took an angle from Japan. But he hit the nerve of a generation, when supporting and wearing merch of a heel faction suddenly became the coolest thing on earth.

[@rosannaburt3048]

He rocked the black and white maaaan

[@robertshay9235]

Another fabulous episode. Sam is a great narrator

[@paulpj]

Cultaholic’s video essays are the best thing on wresting KZbin. And it’s not close

[@Clock_70]

I remember when i heard this i was like NOOOO WAAAY!!!

[@anoopraghunath2471]

Haaahh…the 90s…seinfeld, friends, married with children, mad about you, wwf, wcw…was really the pinnacle of everything on TV

[@ManahManah77]

I’ve never cared for the red and yellow Hulk. I was always pulling for the person going against him for the title. He’s like the Gene Simmons of pro wrestling. But, Hollywood Hogan was better, he made a very satisfying villain to see defeated.

[@melvinbagby4221]

As far as I'm concerned, Hollywood Hulk Hogan is the 'real' Hulk Hogan. LOL

[@victorysaber1608]

Looking back, sting or bret hart are about the only ones who could even come close to hogan turning nwo

[@gripstrength]

Sorry to do this but savage was supine, not prone. Great video, as always.

[@JohnnyLouis1145]

Wow. Wow. I...uh, that...that was beautiful.

[@jeremyfincham1422]

I love it when Sam does these videos. 🙌

[@obietricenogimmicks]

Literally the greatest moment in wrestling history "If it wasn't for me, Eric bischoff would still be selling meat out of a truck in Minneapolis"

[@dreadkalibur1613]

Hogan biggest matches happen mostly at Bash at the Beach! WCW First World Title, NWO Debut and Departure!

[@umerfayyazsod]

Great video, NWO was a great idea and unforunately bischoff missed the idea how to end it. It should have been four three or four member group with a heel manager which was ideal in Ted or bischoff himself.

[@Aryan-dc8kr]

I wonder if wrestling can become famous like in the mid 90's someday

[@vagamer522]

close I can think of is Punk jumping ship to AEW, however I may be wrong

[@max__p1765]

Short answer - nope, I am afraid. 80ies/90ies - these were total different times. Also: TV-station are much more concerned and aware, what you do and what you say, in their programs. I never heard that Ted Turner had anything to say about something WCW aired on his TNT-network. "Controversy creates cash" is too much of a thin ice today, I am afraid.

[@max__p1765]

@@vagamer522 With all the love and admiration to CM Punk. He is no Hogan or Undertaker. I think, every wrestling fan loves CM Punk, but I am afraid, he is no common name for the Mainstream. To be honest, a run of the Rock in AEW would draw probably more people back to wrestling.

[@cliffjumper1984]

I listened to this match. Didn't pay for the PPV ( I was 14) on scrambled TV haha

[@jesusrebolledo1116]

My favorite group of all time favorite of mine and I have nwo theme song for the first one nwo theme song on my cellphone 📱

[@vancewoodruff6472]

This event helped little brother kicking and screaming in a corner be heard for a short while.

[@ABGMASSAKADAGOD]

Three most high paid wrestlers in the 80s Hogan ultimate warrior an macho man

[@CoachWhite1975]

I was so hype when Hulk Hogan turn heel .Nwo was a brilliant ideal. It actually was the birth of having no bad or good guys just fan favorites.

[@primusvsunicron1]

A Powerful Wrestling Organization Up North!