WWE apparently came very close to bringing back the nWo during the ThunderDome era, and the proposed lineup was definitely unexpected.
While speaking on Public Enemies Podcast HQ, former WWE writer Chris Dunn revealed that WWE seriously discussed reviving the legendary faction in 2020. Dunn explained that the ThunderDome era forced creative to throw out a lot of unusual ideas because producing television in that setting was difficult.
“So, speaking about dog food ideas… do you guys remember that Thunderdome? Really tough to do TV in there. So, a lot of ideas were thrown against the wall. Um uh… So, it was discussed at one point…bringing back the nWo uh 2020… again. Yeah, new version.”
When Chris Dunn was asked who would have been part of the new version, he revealed that the pitched lineup included Sheamus, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Lars Sullivan.
“So, the pitch was Sheamus, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Lars Sullivan… We were really… It was really close to happening.”
Dunn then explained that the plan fell apart because a legendary former nWo member was supposed to fly to Orlando and introduce the new group, but that person did not clear COVID testing, leading to the entire thing getting scrapped.
“So, I forget which legendary nWo member was supposed to fly to Orlando to introduce this new nWo… but they essentially landed and they didn’t pass the COVID test.”
That failed COVID test appears to have stopped the idea before it could make television. The timing also makes sense, since the ThunderDome era forced WWE to work around strict production limits, travel issues, and constant changes behind the scenes.
Sheamus, Cesaro, Nakamura, and Sullivan would have made for a very different version of the group, especially during a period when WWE was trying to keep television fresh without live crowds. In the end, the pitch never happened, but Dunn’s story shows just how close WWE came to reviving one of wrestling’s most iconic stables under very unusual circumstances.
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