5 big WWE storylines that backfired
Over the years there have been many storylines in WWE that have really captured the imagination of its worldwide audience. McMahon vs Austin, the summer of Punk, the Undertaker's streak and Austin vs the Rock are just a few examples of memorable stories that have stood the test of time.
However not every angle lives up to the hype and there have been many down the years that have been underwhelming. The ones that work the best are able to elicit an audience reaction and the ones that don't often fail to connect to the viewer on an emotional level.
Storylines can fail for a number of different reason; an injury, poor booking decisions, a superstar failing to get over or confusing character development. Sometimes angles were destined to fail and other times they begin in a promising manner but fall apart.
Here are five WWE storylines that failed.
#5 nWo - 2002
In February of 2002, Vince McMahon stated that he would inject the WWE "with a lethal dose of poison" in order to "kill" the WWE so that McMahon would not have to share power with Ric Flair. This led to the hiring of Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash as thugs who would run roughshod over everyone just as they did when they debuted in WCW.
However, the group was tame in comparison to what they were in WCW and only stayed together as a trio for a month. At WrestleMania, X8 Hogan lost to the Rock and Scott Hall lost to Steve Austin, Hogan left the group after his match whilst Nash and Hall teamed up with X-Pac in the subsequent period.
Only briefly when Shawn Michaels was announced as leader of the group did the faction re-emerge as a serious team, but it was short-lived as Nash would tear his quadriceps and the group disbanded shortly after.
The group certainly didn't dominate in the WWE as they did in WCW, they were not involved prominently in the McMahon-Flair ownership feud as expected and their losses at WrestleMania were clearly very damaging, as was Hogan's departure. If the nWo had terrorised all within their path, including the owners McMahon and Flair, they could have reached the heights they once did in 1996.