Bischoff said he was not surprised that NWO merchandise was still popular today, admitting that he was flattered by it. The former “Raw” General Manager pointed out that the NWO – who received the honor of being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2020 – “changed the entire industry for the better.” He went on to say that there was no other storyline that had such a huge impact on the wrestling business. 

Bischoff also discussed NWO merchandise currently being created by WWE. The Stamford-based promotion became owners of the NWO trademark after Vince McMahon purchased WCW in 2001. 

“WWE’s doing a great job of redesigning new NWO merchandise without taking away from the original brand,” Bischoff said. “They’re coming out with some cool stuff, quality merch. So it doesn’t surprise me that it’s a top seller. It’s a powerful brand that represents an amazing period of time during professional wrestling history. I would call it the peak of professional wrestling history. 

“I think Vince McMahon going national, walking right over the graves of the territory system, that was probably the biggest movement in professional wrestling in the last 40 years or so. 50 years. But NWO in the Monday Night Wars that resulted from it [is] probably right behind that.”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “83 Weeks”, with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.