Former WWE Writer Reveals Scrapped Plans For A New NWO During ThunderDome Era

WWE reportedly came very close to reviving one of the most iconic factions in wrestling history during the pandemic era.

Former WWE writer Chris Dunn recently revealed that the company seriously discussed launching a modern version of the New World Order while WWE programming was being produced inside the ThunderDome and Performance Center during COVID-19 restrictions.

Speaking on Public Enemies Podcast HQ, Dunn explained that WWE creative was constantly throwing around ideas at the time due to the unusual atmosphere and challenges of producing television without live crowds.

“Really tough to do TV in there,” Dunn said about the ThunderDome era. “A lot of ideas were thrown against the wall.”

According to Dunn, one of those ideas was “NWO 2020,” a reboot of the legendary faction that originally changed the wrestling business during WCW’s peak in the 1990s.

The proposed lineup reportedly included Sheamus, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, and former WWE talent Lars Sullivan. Dunn claimed the idea was actually much closer to becoming reality than many fans may expect.

“It was really close to happening,” he said.

The plan reportedly called for a legendary member of the original NWO to appear and introduce the new version of the group on WWE television. However, the storyline was ultimately scrapped after that Hall of Fame star allegedly failed a COVID test upon arriving in Orlando.

Dunn did not reveal which NWO member was involved, although he clarified it was neither X-Pac nor Big Show.

At the time, WWE was regularly adjusting creative plans on short notice due to pandemic-related complications, making long-term storytelling difficult. Dunn noted that the new faction would likely have evolved over time had it officially debuted.

Looking back now, the proposed lineup is especially interesting given where those performers ended up. Lars Sullivan was released by WWE in 2021 following multiple controversies and later stepped away from wrestling entirely. Cesaro eventually exited WWE and signed with AEW, where he now competes as Claudio Castagnoli. Meanwhile, both Sheamus and Nakamura remain with WWE, though neither has been consistently featured in major storylines recently.

While the NWO reboot never materialized, the original faction still received a major spotlight that same year when Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as the Class of 2020’s NWO representatives.

Given WWE’s history of revisiting classic factions, it’s not surprising the company at least explored the idea. Still, hearing how close “NWO 2020” reportedly came to happening adds another fascinating “what if?” to the ThunderDome era of WWE history.