Kevin Nash Reveals WCW Wrestlers He Wanted in nWo (Exclusive)

Originally posted on The Sportster | By Adam Barnard | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 3:02 PM ET

The nWo was, and still is, one of the most recognizable and popular stables in professional wresting history. Comprised initially of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Hulk Hogan, the trio terrorized WCW throughout much of the late 1990s, while taking on new members and expanding their ranks during their internal war, and while WCW went directly to war with Vince McMahon's WWE.

There were many WCW wrestlers at the time who never joined the popular faction, including Diamond Dallas Page and other popular stars of the era. In an exclusive conversation with TheSportster during Monster-Mania Convention in Cherry Hill, NJ, Kevin Nash told us who he wanted to see in the group, both during its initial run in WCW and their short-lived resurrection in WWE.

Kevin Nash Wanted Harlem Heat, But They Declined

One of the most dominant and formidable stables of the Monday Night Wars era, the nWo became a massive force inside WCW, both in terms of popularity and in rank. The group, initially earmarked to split between WCW Monday Nitro and WCW Thunder as nWo Hollywood and the nWo Wolfpac, brought in a significant amount of members, including Scott Steiner and The Great Muta in nWo Hollywood, and Sting and Lex Luger in nWo Wolfpac.

Nash tells us he had two legendary tag team members in mind, but they declined for one major reason.

While we were at WCW, I wanted Booker T. I wanted Booker T early, Booker T and Stevie [Ray], but they both said, 'You guys work too much', so they weren't interested in the spot.

But, God, it seems like looking back, the only guys that weren't in it were Stone Cold and Undertaker. We were not getting Triple H either.

Booker T and Stevie Ray, known as Harlem Heat in the WCW tag team division, are one of the most successful WCW tag teams of all time. Although Stevie Ray eventually landed in the nWo Hollywood faction, Booker T never entered the nWo ranks until the group was revived in WWE in 2002.

Our Take On Harlem Heat In The nWo

Perhaps one of the most impressive tag teams of their era, Harlem Heat were 10-time WCW Tag Team Champions, with Stevie Ray holding singles gold as a former WCW Television Champion, and Booker T holding multiple championships including the WCW and WWE World Heavyweight Championships. It's a fun thought experiment to imagine Booker T as part of the nWo at their peak, but the heel turn would have felt somewhat out of place with his character arc at the time due to the babyface popularity he received alongside Diamond Dallas Page and Sting during its initial incarnation.

While the nWo in WWE didn't last as long as we'd hoped, Booker T still found his way into the black and white colors alongside Big Show, X-Pac, and Shawn Michaels. There were many reasons for the nWo's disbandment in WWE were the cause shortly after its setup, but its lasting impact can be traced directly back to its first trio, and the magic they brought to WCW in the summer of 1996.

This article first appeared on The Sportster and was syndicated with permission.

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