Nation of Domination

Last updated
Nation of Domination
Da Nation.jpg
The late 1997/early 1998 incarnation of the Nation, from left to right: Kama Mustafa, Faarooq, The Rock, and D'Lo Brown.
Motto: " By Any Means Necessary "
Stable
MembersLeaders:
Faarooq (leader, 1996–1998) [1]
Rocky Maivia/The Rock (leader, co-leader, early 1998)
Owen Hart (co-leader, 1998)
Clarence Mason (Manager) [1]
Members:
J. C. Ice
Wolfie D [1]
D'Lo Brown [1]
Kama Mustafa/The Godfather [1]
Crush [1]
Savio Vega [1]
Mark Henry [1]
Ahmed Johnson [1]
Name(s)The Nation
Billed from"Streets of the Hood"
DebutNovember 17, 1996
Years active1996–1998

The Nation of Domination (NOD) was an American-Canadian professional wrestling heel faction that competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from November 17, 1996 to November 28, 1998.

Contents

The group was formed by newcomer Faarooq in 1996 and remained an influencing faction in the company during the Attitude Era. While in the group The Rock was a one-time Intercontinental Champion [2] and D'Lo Brown was a two-time European Champion. [3] Towards the end of its existence, the team was joined by Canadian Owen Hart.

Concept

Being billed as from the "Streets of the Hood", the group was modelled after the Black power movement and based loosely on groups such as the Nation of Islam, with some members adopting Islamic names and headgear, the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. The group's radical pro-Black theme including the "Nation Salute" and Faarooq's angry tirades on the microphone often garnered them an excessive amount of heat from fans in arenas and Faarooq was calling himself the "Dictator of the Nation" [4]

History

United States Wrestling Association (1996)

The original Nation of Domination was formed in 1996 in the United States Wrestling Association (USWA). The group was led by PG-13, (a tag team consisting of J. C. Ice and Wolfie D). Additional members included Kareem Olajuwon, Sir Mohammad, Elijah, Brakkus, Shaquille Ali, Randy X, and Queen Moisha.

World Wrestling Federation

First NOD in WWF (1996–1997)

A separate group named Nation of Domination was the heel faction formed in the WWF when wrestler Faarooq was joined by manager Clarence Mason. On the October 28, 1996 edition of Monday Night Raw, announcer Jim Ross revealed that Faarooq had taken Mason as his new manager after Ross recommended Mason's services for a lawsuit against Ahmed Johnson. Ross noted the duo would appear on WWF Livewire that Saturday with "big changes" in store for Faarooq, meaning the dropping of his "Roman gladiator" gimmick in Favor of a Nation dictator. The two men were also accompanied by three actors, Albert Armstrong, Charles Hines, and Richard Beach, whose names were unacknowledged on screen and were supposed to represent other members of the Nation. Many wrestlers joined the heel stable over time including PG-13 (J. C. Ice and Wolfie D), Crush, D'Lo Brown, and Savio Vega. Their first feud was with Ahmed Johnson, who had a rivalry with Faarooq since SummerSlam. At the Royal Rumble, the Nation assisted Faarooq during his match against Johnson. Faarooq lost by disqualification after Crush interfered and attacked Johnson. [4] [5]

Faarooq, Crush, and Vega were the members of Nation of Domination who wrestled while others supported them during their matches. These three men often teamed up together in six-man tag team matches such as one at In Your House 13: Final Four against Bart Gunn, Goldust, and Flash Funk [6] and most notably in a Chicago Street Fight at WrestleMania 13 against the Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) and Ahmed Johnson. [1] [7] At A Cold Day In Hell, the Nation faced Johnson in a Gauntlet match. Johnson defeated Crush and Vega in the Gauntlet before losing to Faarooq. [1] [8]

JC Ice and Wolfie D were removed from the Nation after a loss to the Legion of Doom, the Nation effectively abandoning them to their fate. Faarooq became angry with the rest of the group and fired the entire Nation with the exception of Brown [1] after Faarooq's loss to The Undertaker at King of the Ring, where Faarooq lost the match partly because of the distraction caused when Vega and Crush were arguing at ringside. [9] According to Clarence Mason, he requested to be removed from the group because backstage he was uncomfortable with Faarooq doing racist remarks in promos and also Vince McMahon wanted managers to start taking more bumps and participate in matches.[ citation needed ]

Black Supremacy and The Gang Warz (1997–1998)

On the June 16 episode of Raw Is War , Faarooq promised that he would deliver a "Bigger, Badder, Better and Blacker" version of the Nation, after "firing" Crush, Mason, and Savio Vega, retaining only Brown. [10] This led to the induction of Kama Mustafa and Ahmed Johnson into the group after Johnson turned on then WWF Champion The Undertaker during a tag team match against Faarooq and Kama. [10] Johnson would be forced out of the group due to a legit injury. He was replaced by Rocky Maivia. [1] Meanwhile, former Nation members Vega and Crush formed their own rival factions, Los Boricuas (made up entirely of Puerto Rican wrestlers), and The Disciples of Apocalypse (made up entirely of white biker wrestlers) respectively. This led to a WWF style "gang war". [1]

In the following months, the Nation feuded with Los Boricuas and the Disciples of Apocalypse. This feud culminated in a triple threat match between Faarooq, Vega, and Crush who were the leaders of Nation, Los Boricuas, and DOA respectively at Ground Zero, which Vega won. [11] They restarted their feud with the Legion of Doom, whom the Nation defeated at Badd Blood: In Your House in a 3-on-2 handicap match. [12] As part of his heel turn, Rocky Maivia shortened and changed his ring name to The Rock. Around this time, Ahmed Johnson restarted the feud with the Nation as well and joined the Legion of Doom and Ken Shamrock. This led to a Survivor Series match at Survivor Series, which the Nation lost to the Legion of Doom, Johnson, and Shamrock. [13] At D-Generation X: In Your House, The Rock got a shot at the Intercontinental Championship against Stone Cold Steve Austin. In the closing minutes of the match, Austin performed a Stone Cold Stunner on the referee. A second referee came down to count a pin for Austin, although the first referee intended to disqualify Austin. [14]

As a result of this controversy, [14] Austin was forced to defend the title against The Rock the next night on Raw Is War. Rock was awarded the Intercontinental Championship, however, after Austin forfeited him the title instead of defending the title in a rematch, delivering a stunner on Rock and took the championship belt back afterward. Austin appeared the next week on Raw is War, taunting Rock and eventually throwing the Intercontinental Championship belt over a bridge, into a river. [15] [16] Ken Shamrock, who was already a rival of the Nation, began feuding with The Rock for the Intercontinental Championship. On the January 12, 1998 episode of Raw Is War, Mark Henry turned heel and joined the Nation, by assaulting his tag team partner, Ken Shamrock, in a tag team match against The Rock and D'Lo Brown. [17]

Leadership of The Rock (1998)

On the March 30, 1998 episode of Raw Is War, the night after WrestleMania XIV, The Rock went on to usurp leadership of the Nation from Faarooq, at which point the group permanently dropped "of Domination" from its name and its militant focus. [1] [18] Instead, The Rock's gimmick spread throughout the faction with Nation members taking on considerably more hip characters, the most notable being Kama Mustafa's transformation into The Godfather, D'Lo Brown's "bobble-head" and strut, and a new hip version of the group's entrance theme, that would become associated with The Rock's character and be remixed over and over during the years to become his current theme. The Nation's primary focus by now was that The Rock retained the Intercontinental title "by any means necessary", which was the group's motto. They mainly feuded with Faarooq, who had just been kicked out of the stable. At Mayhem in Manchester, The Rock and D'Lo Brown lost to Ken Shamrock and Owen Hart. [19] At Unforgiven: In Your House, The Nation lost to Shamrock, Faarooq, and Steve Blackman in a six-man tag team match. [20] On the April 27 episode of Raw Is War, The Rock and Mark Henry faced Shamrock and Hart in a tag team match that saw Hart attacking Shamrock and joining the Nation. [21]

The group then engaged in a rivalry with D-Generation X (DX), which saw the infamous parody DX performed in which they spoofed Nation members; Rock thoroughly humiliating Chyna by alluding to a possible romantic encounter between the two while the rest of DX were held at bay in their locker room by a forklift; a street fight between the two groups that wound up in Triple H being, in particular, singled out by the rest of the group and being beaten down with a ladder after Southern Justice interfered with the match on the Nation's behalf; the ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship between the two at SummerSlam; and X-Pac and Brown trading back and forth the European Championship. [22] [23] The Nation and DX also wrestled in a six-man tag team match at Over the Edge: In Your House, which the Nation won. [24]

Fall of Nation (1998)

Toward the end of the year, the group showed signs of dissension as Rock's mannerisms and swagger began to catch on with fans. This would lead the WWF to turn The Rock face. Hart left the group when he "injured" Dan Severn following a botched reverse piledriver on Raw Is War the night after Breakdown. The incident was a mimicry of the legit incident in which Hart injured Stone Cold Steve Austin using the same move a year earlier. The guilt from the injury to Severn led Hart to "retire", but then re-surface as The Blue Blazer, effectively ending his affiliation with the Nation. The Godfather would venture out on his own as a fan favorite, bringing with him a bevy of beauties to the ring before his match with any wrestler. Rock would later be assaulted by Brown and Henry in October 1998 which would ultimately be the end of the Nation as a faction. After kicking Godfather out of the group on the Sunday Night Heat episode before Judgment Day: In Your House, Brown and Henry briefly continued using the Nation name, a modified Titantron, and music until dropping all three by year's end as they moved on to the tag team division without the Nation moniker.

Aftermath

Shortly after the Nation was disbanded, The Rock decided to run solo, riding his immense rise in popularity. He won the WWF Championship at Survivor Series [25] and turned heel again by joining Mr. McMahon's Corporation faction. [26] He would subsequently enjoy several years of success, not just in the world of wrestling, but also in Hollywood. He retired from professional wrestling in 2019. [27] Owen Hart would go on to form a successful tag team with Jeff Jarrett, and later revive his Blue Blazer character before his death in May 1999. [28]

D'Lo Brown and Mark Henry would remain a tag team following the dissolution of the Nation, enjoying moderate success. After Brown attempted to help Henry lose weight, Henry turned on Brown in the summer of 1999, ending the final remnants of the Nation of Domination. Brown would eventually hold both the Intercontinental and European titles at the height of his popularity. Henry would form his "Sexual Chocolate" character and would later be awarded the European Championship by Jeff Jarrett later that year. Henry would also go onto win the ECW World Heavyweight Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship later in his career before retiring in 2017. The Nation had something of a reunion in late 1999 when D'Lo realigned himself with The Godfather, imitating his pimp gimmick. This alliance lasted all the way into early 2000, when D'Lo turned on The Godfather, thus ending the tag team. The Godfather would later win the Intercontinental and World Tag Team Championships in the following years.

Former leader Faarooq would also find success after the group's dissolution, going on to form the highly popular tag team the Acolytes Protection Agency (APA) with Bradshaw. The APA would later win the World Tag Team Championship three times before disbanding in 2004.

As of now, The Rock, Faarooq, and Godfather are the only former members still employed by the WWE while Henry is employed by All Elite Wrestling. Rock is signed on a part-time basis, while also being one of the highest paid movie stars in the world, Faarooq makes occasional appearances under his real name of Ron Simmons since his 2004 retirement, and Godfather was released in 2002 and retired to manage a gentleman's club; he still occasionally makes guest appearances in WWE. Brown was released by WWE in 2003, but was rehired in 2008; he was let go once again the following year. Henry is currently part of AEW Rampage broadcast team as a backstage interviewer. Faarooq, Godfather and Henry were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012, 2016, and 2018 respectively.

Reunion

Qatar Pro Wrestling announced on April 26, 2021 that Henry, Brown, Godfather and Faarooq had reprised their roles as the Nation of Domination. They appeared at the QPW SuperSlam 3 in Doha on February 26, 2022. [29]

Members

USWA

WWF

Incarnations

Nation of Domination

Championships and accomplishments

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Godfather (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (born 1961)

Charles Wright, better known under his ring name The Godfather, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, and underwent several gimmick changes; the most notable were Papa Shango, Kama, Kama Mustafa, The Godfather and The Goodfather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D'Lo Brown</span> American professional wrestler

Accie Julius Connor, better known by his ring name D'Lo Brown, is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling and WWE. Brown is also known for his appearances in Ring of Honor, All Japan Pro Wrestling, and Pro Wrestling Noah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Test (wrestler)</span> Canadian-American professional wrestler and actor (1975 – 2009)

Andrew James Robert Patrick Martin was a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He was best known for his time with the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE) under the ring name Test.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acolytes Protection Agency</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The Acolytes Protection Agency (APA) was an American professional wrestling tag team who consisted of Bradshaw and Faarooq. They wrestled in the World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/E) between October 1998 and March 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Simmons</span> American football player and professional wrestler (born 1958)

Ronald Simmons is an American retired professional football player and professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, Simmons played football as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL) and United States Football League (USFL) for four seasons during the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 13</span> 1997 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania 13 was the 13th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. The event was presented by PlayStation and held on March 23, 1997, at the Rosemont Horizon in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. Eight matches were held at the event, including one on the Free for All pre-show.

Steve Blackman is an American martial arts instructor, bail bondsman, and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation from 1997 to 2002, where he was a frequent challenger for the promotion's mid-card titles. He held the WWF Hardcore Championship six times and holds the record for most combined days as champion, a total of 172 days.

Anthony Norris is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He is best known for his appearances with the professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1995 to 1998, under the ring name Ahmed Johnson. He was one of the most prominent stars in the WWF in the early Attitude Era. In the WWF, he held the WWF Intercontinental Championship. He also headlined the In Your House 9: International Incident pay-per-view event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleMania 2000</span> World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

WrestleMania 16 was the 16th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). It took place on April 2, 2000, at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. A total of nine matches were contested on the event's card.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Hart</span> Canadian wrestler (1965–1999)

Owen James Hart was a Canadian professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He received most of his success in the WWF, where he wrestled under both his own name and the ring name The Blue Blazer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (1998)</span> World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

The 1998 Royal Rumble was the 11th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on January 18, 1998, at the San Jose Arena in San Jose, California. Six matches were contested on the event's card. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 1998 event, the winner received a match for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania XIV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Rumble (1997)</span> World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

The 1997 Royal Rumble was the 10th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on January 19, 1997, from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 1997 event, the winner received a match for the WWF Championship at WrestleMania 13. The main event saw Shawn Michaels defeat Sycho Sid to win the WWF Championship. The main match on the undercard was the 1997 Royal Rumble match, which Stone Cold Steve Austin won after last eliminating Bret Hart. Additionally, Vader defeated The Undertaker, and Hunter Hearst Helmsley defeated Goldust to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Survivor Series (1999)</span> World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

The 1999 Survivor Series was the 13th annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on November 14, 1999, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. It was the second Survivor Series held at the Joe Louis Arena after the 1991 event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over the Edge: In Your House</span> 1998 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

Over the Edge: In Your House was the 22nd In Your House and inaugural Over the Edge professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. The event took place on May 31, 1998, at the Wisconsin Center Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eight matches were contested at the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of the Ring (1997)</span> World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

The 1997 King of the Ring was the fifth annual King of the Ring professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation that featured the 11th King of the Ring tournament. It took place on June 8, 1997, at the Providence Civic Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker</span> 1997 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker was the 14th In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. The event took place on April 20, 1997, at the Rochester Community War Memorial in Rochester, New York. Five matches were shown on the PPV portion of the event. There were also two dark matches and one match for the Free for All pre-show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Way Out of Texas: In Your House</span> 1998 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

No Way Out of Texas: In Your House was the 20th In Your House and inaugural No Way Out professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on February 15, 1998, at the Compaq Center in Houston, Texas and was presented by Western Union. Seven matches were contested at the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fully Loaded: In Your House</span> 1998 World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

Fully Loaded: In Your House was the 23rd In Your House and inaugural Fully Loaded professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on July 26, 1998, at the Selland Arena in Fresno, California. Nine matches were contested at the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unforgiven (1999)</span> World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

The 1999 Unforgiven was the second annual Unforgiven professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on September 26, 1999, at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although the event was the second Unforgiven PPV held, it was the first Unforgiven not held under the In Your House series, which had been discontinued in February 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armageddon (1999)</span> World Wrestling Federation pay-per-view event

The 1999 Armageddon was the inaugural Armageddon professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It took place on December 12, 1999, at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 "Nation of Domination (N.O.D.) Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "WWE Intercontinental Championship official title history". WWE. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  3. 1 2 "WWE European Championship official title history". WWE. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  4. 1 2 "Royal Rumble 1997". PWWEW.net. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  5. "Royal Rumble 1997 official results". WWE. Retrieved May 11, 2008.
  6. "In Your House 13: Final Four". PWWEW.net. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  7. "WrestleMania 13 official results". WWE. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  8. "In Your House XV: A Cold Day In Hell". PWWEW.net. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  9. "King of the Ring 1997". PWWEW.net. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  10. 1 2 Petrie, John (June 16, 1997). "Raw is War: June 16, 1997". The Other Arena. Archived from the original on May 21, 2001. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  11. "In Your House: Ground Zero". PWWEW.net. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  12. "In Your House: Badd Blood". PWWEW.net. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  13. "Survivor Series 1997 official results". WWE. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  14. 1 2 "In Your House Degeneration X". PWWEW.net. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  15. Petrie, John (December 8, 1997). "Raw is War: December 08, 1997". The Other Arena. Archived from the original on October 26, 2006. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  16. 1 2 "The Rock's second Intercontinental Championship reign". WWE. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  17. Petrie, John (January 12, 1998). "Raw is War: January 12, 1998". The Other Arena. Archived from the original on May 21, 2001. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  18. Petrie, John (March 30, 1998). "Raw is War: March 30, 1998". The Other Arena. Archived from the original on February 9, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  19. "Mayhem in Manchester results". The Other Arena. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  20. "Unforgiven 1998 official results". WWE. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  21. Christopher Robin Zimmerman (April 27, 1998). "Raw is War: April 27, 1998". The Other Arena. Archived from the original on May 21, 2001. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  22. 1 2 "D'Lo Brown's first European Championship reign". WWE. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  23. 1 2 "D'Lo Brown's second European Championship reign". WWE. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  24. "In Your House: Over the Edge". PWWEW.net. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  25. "Survivor Series 1998 official results". WWE. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  26. "Corporation Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  27. "The Rock's Bio". WWE. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  28. "Owen Hart & Jeff Jarrett Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved May 15, 2008.
  29. Flavius, Lou (2021-04-26). "Nation Of Domination Set To Reunite After 22 Years". Thesportster.com. Retrieved 2022-05-09.