Former WWE writer Chris Dunn has revealed that WWE seriously discussed reviving the legendary New World Order during the COVID-19 pandemic era, with a completely new lineup planned for the WWE ThunderDome period.
Speaking on the Public Enemies Podcast, Dunn explained that WWE creative was aggressively throwing ideas around at the wall during the empty-arena era in an effort to generate energy for television.
“Do you guys remember the Thunderdome? It was really tough to do TV in there, so a lot of ideas were thrown against the wall. So, it was discussed at one point bringing back the nWo in 2020 again. A new version.”
According to Dunn, the proposed lineup for the rebooted faction would have included:
Sheamus
Cesaro
Shinsuke Nakamura
Lars Sullivan
Dunn claimed the idea came surprisingly close to becoming reality. “So, the pitch was Sheamus, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Lars Sullivan. We were really close to it happening.”
He also noted that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon remained interested in using Sullivan on television despite uncertainty surrounding the wrestler’s status at the time. “I think there was a period where they were trying to figure out whether he [Sullivan] was coming back or not. Vince was always trying to get him on TV.”
Dunn added that WWE had even planned for a legendary nWo member to appear in Orlando to introduce the new group, but the idea reportedly fell apart after the individual failed COVID testing protocols. “I forget which legendary nWo member was supposed to fly to Orlando to introduce this new nWo. It wasn’t X-Pac. But essentially they landed and didn’t pass the COVID test.”
Following the interview, Kevin Nash publicly responded on X, distancing himself from the story and stating he had never heard about the concept. “Never heard anything about it. Scott [Hall] and @TheRealXPac and myself were out almost every weekend together. So it definitely wasn’t one of us.”
The original nWo remains one of the most influential factions in wrestling history, initially formed in World Championship Wrestling in 1996 by Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Nash.
