Great-ing Gimmicks of the Past: the Latino World Order — WCW, 1998
History
The New World Order was running rampant over WCW, and Eddy Guerrero had had enough. Damian was set to take on Hector Garza on the October 5th Nitro when Eddy came out and interrupted their match. As Nick Patrick threw the match out, Eddy talked to both of them how unfair WCW treated its luchadors. He brought up the fact that the only people who had any of the money were Hollywood Hogan and his buddies. He then offered them shirts with the red, white, and green Latino World Order logo.
On Thunder, El Dandy defeated Tokyo Magnum (AKA Toryumon/Dragon Gate’s Magnum Tokyo). After the match, Eddy, Damian, and Garza hit the ring and invited El Dandy to join them. Tokyo tried to talk to Eddy, only to be ignored because he was Japanese. Dandy accepted the shirt and joined the LWO.
The following Nitro saw La Parka, Ciclope, and Villano V tagging to take on Chavo Guerrero Jr., Psicosis, and Super Calo. Chavo scored the win as Eddy made his way out. He made the same offer to the winning team with mixed results. Psicosis was quick to accept a shirt, but Chavo simply took Pepe and left.
A week later we had Damien, Psicosis, Dandy, and Garza taking on Chavo, Parka, Ciclope, and Lizmark Jr. Psicosis wound up getting the win after Parka took out his teammates with a chair. Eddy entered and hugged the LWO, then awarded Parka membership as well.
Thunder opened with Rey Misterio Jr. taking on Super Calo. Rey won, and that brought the LWO out. Eddie offered Rey a shirt as Chavo watched from the ramp. Rey ignored the shirt and said that he was on his own.
On Saturday Night, Psicosis was defeated by the TV champion Chris Jericho. When Jericho didn’t release the Liontamer, the rest of the LWO hit the ring and ran Jericho off.
Nitro had Eddy taking on Saturn. Eddie was going down when Garza and Damien hit the ring for the rescue. Saturn moved and threw the LWO members out of the ring. That brought the rest of the LWO out, including its newest member — Art Flores (AKA Spyder). Spyder hit a brainbuster and Saturn, then Eddy finished it off with a frog splash.
Eddy had Malenko on Thunder. Malenko had seized full control of the match when the LWO hit the ring to save Eddy. That brought Chris Benoit and Mongo McMichael out to save Malenko.
Later that night, Billy Kidman defended his cruiserweight belt against Chavo. Kidman wound up winning, and the LWO hit the ring. Eddy told Chavo he wasn’t good enough, so Chavo shoved him and got attacked by the LWO for his trouble. Eddy stopped the assault and told Chavo he’d have to earn his LWO colors.
Steve Armstrong opened Saturday Night taking on La Parka. Parka won, then the LWO hit the ring to celebrate. Eddy seized a microphone and challenged Jericho to a match later that night.
That happened in the main event. Jericho finally decided he’d had enough and tried to clear out — only to discover the LWO preventing his escape. They attacked and threw Jericho back into the ring, although Eddy had already won by countout. Eddy hit a frog splash and covered anyway, then Garza counted the pinfall.
Saturn had a rematch against Eddy on the following Nitro. Saturn was again set to win when the LWO interfered. That brought Konnan out, who compared Eddy and the LWO to Raven and the Flock. Eddy fired back that Konnan’s opinion didn’t count because he was hanging out with the Wolfpac all the time.
Later that night, Psicosis defeated Rey Misterio Jr.
Eddy decided to take care of business on Thunder. He set a stipulation — if Eddy won, then Rey would have to join the LWO. The match ended in a time limit draw, and an LWO beatdown for Rey if Eddy hadn’t held them back.
El Dandy had Rey on Saturday Night. Rey gained the advantage, then the LWO hit the ring for the DQ. Eddy again tried to get Rey to join, only for Rey to walk away.
Eddy and Rey met up again on Nitro. Rey again refused to join the LWO and the match was on. Eddy finally locked Rey in a submission, only for Chavo to sneak out and steal an LWO shirt. As Eddy was distracted by that, Rey easily stole a victory. The LWO attacked Chavo only for Rey to save him.
The next night, WCW ran a Nitro Extra. El Dandy was set to take on Rey. Rey gained control and Garza and Damien attacked for the DQ. That brought out Kidman for the save — until he accidentally nailed Rey with a dropkick. Rey and Kidman were arguing as La Parka tried to sneak attack Kidman. However, Kidman caught him and ran Parka off, then kept arguing with Rey. Kidman finally walked away.
On Thunder Kidman was defending the cruiserweight belt against Chavo. Kidman was ready to win the match when Psicosis and Dandy attacked, only to be fought off by both Chavo and Kidman. That brought out the rest of the LWO, and Rey, who joined the fight (after accidentally hitting Kidman with a dropkick).
Saturday Night’s main event saw Raven taking on Eddy. Raven was quickly DQ’d due to Kanyon’s interference, and that brought out the LWO. The show ended with an LWO — Raven/Kanyon staredown.
On Nitro, Eddy was taking on Rey yet again. Eddy wound up getting a pin, but Juventud Guerrera tried to break it up with a legdrop. Unfortunately, Juvi hit Rey. Eddy pitched Juvi, got the win, and then the LWO put a shirt on Rey.
On Thunder, Rey was with the LWO as he took on Kidman. Eddy was quick to sacrifice himself for the team, so Rey was pulled out of the ring by the LWO. As Rey pulled his LWO shirt off in disgust, the match was underway. Kidman was gaining control and Spyder tried to stop him, only to be intercepted by Rey. Eddie got the pin (with his feet on the ropes) and then argued with Rey to the back.
Rey took on Kidman on Saturday Night. Kidman was going for the pin when the LWO hit the ring and attacked Kidman. Eddie told Rey to do better and pitched him out of the ring.
Kidman had a match against new cruiserweight champ Juvi at World War III, but first Eddy proudly announced that Juvi had joined the LWO. Rey was upset that he didn’t get the shot, and Eddy explained that he had to put the needs of the team above his own. The match was going according to plan until Rey saved Kidman from a hurricanrana which would cost Juvi the match and the belt. After the match, Eddy demanded to know if Rey was in or out. Rey responded by throwing his shirt at Eddy and clearing out barely ahead of the rest of the LWO.
The next night on Nitro, Kidman offered Rey a shot at the belt. Rey accepted, and then Spyder and Eddy showed up. Eddy said that Rey was still part of the LWO, and showed him a signed contract that confirmed it before giving him another shirt.
Rey came out in the LWO shirt for his match later. In the end, Eddy and Juvi came out. Kidman took off after Eddy, and Juventud hit a Juvi Driver on Rey to give the win to Kidman.
Juvi had a match against Prince Iaukea on the next night’s Nitro Extra. The prince won after Rey interfered.
On Saturday Night, Eddy took on Kidman in a non-title match. Eddy won with a little help from Hector Garza, and then the LWO attacked Kidman. Rey again came out to make the save.
Eddy had a title match against Kidman on Nitro. With Rey’s help, Kidman retained. Rey and Kidman shook hands then cleared out before the LWO could arrive.
Thunder saw Eddy taking on Ciclope. Eddy wound up calling off the match and offering Ciclope an LWO shirt. Ciclope accepted.
Rey had Villano #5 later in the night. He came out once again wearing the LWO colors and won easily. After the match, Eddy told Rey he was too focused on the cruiserweight title and that he’d chosen Juvi to challenge Kidman. Eddy hit the roof when Tony Schiavone announced that a match was set for the next week between Rey and Juvi, and the winner got a title shot at Starrcade.
On Saturday Night, Silver King wound up defeated by Disco Inferno. The LWO came out and Disco cleared out. Eddie offered Silver King a shirt and he accepted.
Rey took on Silver King on Nitro. The idea was that King would beat Rey back in line for the LWO. Rey wound up winning.
The Rey-Juvi match happened on Thunder. The LWO hit the ring as Rey went for the pin. That brought Kidman out for the save.
Eddy and Juvi were set to tag against Kidman and Super Calo on Saturday Night, but Calo was down with an injury which made this a handicap match. Finally Rey took the spot in Kidman’s corner. Rey hit a dropkick and that brought the LWO out to attack.
Nitro saw Eddy taking on Villano V. Eddy wound up breaking his own pin at the two count, and that brought out the LWO. Eddy offered the Villano a shirt, and he joined. Rey, however, didn’t join the celebration and just walked to the back.
Kidman challenged Rey later in the night with one stipulation — no LWO. Rey agreed and the match was on. Rey had the match won when Damien and Ciclope hit the ring. Rey and Kidman dropkicked them both out of the ring and then dove on top of them. That brought out La Parka and Psicosis. Kidman left and the rest of the LWO attacked Rey. Kidman tried for the save but was overwhelmed.
Rey was scheduled to take on Prince Iaukea on Thunder. However, as Prince started out, the LWO intervened and told him he wasn’t going to the ring. Iaukea decided that sounded fine to him and headed to the back. Eddie then sent Juvi to the ring. Juvi wound up getting the win after Eddy hit a frog splash on Rey. However, Iaukea came out and told the ref what had happened, so the decision was reversed. Iaukea and Rey started fighting off the LWO but left when they were outnumbered.
On Nitro, Eddy was furious. He had a match against Rey. He opened by accusing Rey of not being a team player and he would teach Rey a lesson just like he had Kidman. In the end Kidman came out and accidentally decked Rey, which gave Eddy the win.
That brought us to Starrcade. The show opened with a three-way match for the cruiserweight belt: Kidman defending against Rey and Juvi. Kidman won and a furious Eddy stormed out. After berating Juvi and Rey, Eddy challenged Kidman to an immediate title match. Kidman accepted and won.
Eddy and Juvi teamed up against Kidman and Rey the next night. Eddy wound up getting the win after a frog splash on Kidman.
The following Nitro saw a video of the LWO having a house party. Following that, we got Psicosis and Juvi teaming against Kidman and Rey in a tornado match. After a misfiring dropkick from Kidman, Psicosis and Juvi picked up the win.
Psicosis and Kidman had a match on Thunder for the belt that Psicosis lost due to Juvi’s interference. Then everybody got beaten up by the nWo Wolfpac.
Later, La Parka was beaten by Booker T.
La Parka and Silver King tagged in the main event on Saturday Night against Bobby Eaton and Kenny Kaos in a Tag Team Tournament match. Eaton and Kaos got the win and advanced.
The next night on Nitro President Ric Flair called out the LWO. He told them that they would be successful if they deserted the LWO and rejoined WCW. All of them but Rey removed their shirts and acquiesced.
Although Rey would find himself in a brief feud with Kevin Nash over his refusal to remove his shirt, the LWO was dead.
Analysis
The LWO happened during a time that not only was WCW overrun with stables, they were all NWO-related somehow. You had the NWO Hollywood (black & white), NWO Wolfpac, OWN (One Warrior Nation), and now the LWO.
Despite this, the angle was actually entertaining, and actually resulted in some cruiserweight wins. Still, a Konnan-Eddy feud would have been interesting, as would more members wrestling other than what simply seemed like Rey, Eddy, and Juvi. At least the Mexican wrestlers were being used as something other than squash match fodder (for once).
Where Are They Now?
Eddy Guerrero jumped from WCW to the WWF in early 2000 along with Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn. Sadly, Guerrero passed away on November 13, 2005.
Rey Misterio Jr. remained with WCW until the company’s closure, and won the WCW Cruiserweight tag team titles with Billy Kidman on the final Nitro. In 2002, Rey signed with the WWE where he remains today on the Smackdown side of the brand extension.
Juventud Guerrera was released from WCW later that year. He returned to Mexico and made brief appearances in TNA. Juventud signed with the WWE in 2005 and was paired with Psicosis and Super Crazy as Smackdown’s Mexicools. Juventud was released the following January and he promptly returned to Mexico’s AAA promotion.
Psicosis departed WCW in 2000 as well. He returned to ECW, where he remained until November. Following that run, he returned to Mexico, where copyrights held by AAA forced him to change his name to Nicho el Millionario. In 2005 Nicho returned to AAA and feuded with the new Psicosis over the name. Later that year, he signed with the WWE as part of the Mexicools. Today he remains on the Smackdown brand.
Silver King remained with WCW almost until the company was closed. Following his release he headed to Mexico’s CMLL promotion where he began competing as Black Tiger. In 2005, he was replaced by Rocky Romero as Black Tiger and King was repackaged as El Bronco (a luchador in a horse costume). As might be expected, El Bronco flopped and King soon returned to wrestling as Black Tiger on the independent scene. In 2005 King lost his Black Tiger mask to LA Park and returned to wrestling as Silver King. King also appeared in the film Nacho Libre as Ramses.
Hector Garza was released from WCW in 1999 and returned to AAA. Garza returned to the US in 2004 when he competed for TNA as part of Team Mexico. In June of 2004, Garza claimed that he was owed money for his TNA work and jumped to CMLL. Today Garza remains with CMLL as part of the Perros del Mal.
El Dandy left WCW and returned to AAA, but soon returned to the Mexican independent scene where he remains today.
Damien returned to the Tijuana area. He wound up in XPW where he became a part of the La Familia stable with Konnan, Nicho el Millionario, Juventud Guerrera, and Halloween. Today he is part of CMLL’s Perros del Mal as Damien 666. He and Halloween have also become a well-respected tag team.
Ciclope began wrestling as Halloween after his WCW release. Today he is part of the Perros del Mal. Currently Halloween is out after taking a tombstone piledriver (real reason: having knee surgery). However, Halloween has returned to action in the Tijuana area and is expected back in CMLL shortly.
Spyder was also released from WCW soon thereafter.
Villano V also returned to Mexico after his release. He was ringside for his brother Villano III’s mask vs. mask match against Atlantis in March of 2000. Today, all of the Villanos have left CMLL and compete on the independent scene.
Next week
Greenberg meets his greatest foe.
