Eric Bischoff Rebuts Larry Zbyszko's Claims on Origin of WCW's New World Order

In the pivotal summer of 1996, WCW unveiled the groundbreaking New World Order storyline, featuring Hulk Hogan teaming up with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash at Bash at the Beach. Before becoming an integral part of this influential angle, Eric Bischoff was known as a WCW announcer who had even taken a powerbomb from Kevin Nash through a table.

Eric Bischoff, who later stepped into the role of NWO's on-screen leader, was in reality the Vice President and eventually the President of WCW. Bischoff insists that the concept for the NWO storyline originated with him.

Recently, WWE Hall of Famer Larry Zbyszko asserted that he was the brainchild behind many of the NWO ideas. However, on his "83 Weeks" podcast, Bischoff vehemently denied Zbyszko's allegations, stating Larry was never part of the creative process and labeling his claims as "silly."

“It’s just silly. I hope Larry was high as fu** when he did it, because that’s at least understandable, but he didn’t sound high to me and he just sounded like a lot of other people who take credit for other people’s work, and I think in Larry’s mind, you know, part of what Larry said was true. You know, Larry did refer to, not the New World Order as we came to know it, but Larry did make a comment in commentary at one point about the New World Order and it did stick in my head and it came out in my preparation with Hulk Hogan right before Hulk went out to cut the promo.”

“You know, the phrase, the New World Order of professional wrestling, just kind of rolled off my tongue and I went, ‘Wow, that’s pretty freakin cool.’ That part is absolutely true, by the way, but as far as programming anything, Larry didn’t know anything about what was going on.”

“I kept all of it a secret. I didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t tell my wife. I didn’t tell anybody. I didn’t want the word to get out. I certainly wouldn’t have consulted with Larry and the idea that there was a big meeting in the back and I was asking for ideas. Come on now, Larry. There’s a lot of people that worked in that environment all at the same time that know that’s just silly. So, whatever.”

Continuing his discussion, Eric Bischoff acknowledged that Larry Zbyszko did indeed coin the term "New World Order." However, Bischoff felt compelled to challenge Larry on his assertions.

“This is interesting because there are people that I really am close to that I’ve heard tell stories and I’m thinking, ‘Wait a minute. That never happened, or certainly didn’t happen the way you’re laying it out’, and these are people that are really good friends of mine. In some cases, some of my best friends that are still some of my best friends, and I hear them and I’m going, ugh.”

“But I’m not going to call them out on it because I think to some degree, they’ve started to believe it. They’ve had enough interviews and they’ve talked to enough people and they’re asked enough questions that they start repeating variations of the truth and build upon, as Larry did here by the fact that, you know, he did come out and use the term New World Order, and a week later, whatever it was and I used it.”

“That part is true, but to take that kernel of truth and then build a castle on it, I think people do that just because it makes them feel good about themselves and I don’t want to take that away from anybody, but I can’t sit here and listen to it and not call him on it.”