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The Kliq (sometimes spelled as Clique) was a backstage group in the World Wrestling Federation during the mid-1990s, which some claim held virtually all booking power and were accused of refusing to be fair anyone outside of the group. The Kliq was the primary catalyst for the two most controversial stables in wrestling history: D-Generation X in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and the New World Order in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Shawn Michaels and Triple H founded DX, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash founded the nWo. Shawn Michaels and Sean Waltman were members of both. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... In professional wrestling, a stable is a group of wrestlers within a promotion who have a common element -- friendships, either real or storyline, a manager who manages all of them, or a common storyline, which puts them together as a unit (recent examples include Evolution, La Résistance, The Cabinet... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... Professional wrestling has accrued a considerable amount of slang, in-references and jargon. ... This article is about the stable in WWE. For the Pay-Per-View event, see In Your House 19: D-Generation X D-Generation X (commonly known as DX) is an on and off professional wrestling tag team (formerly a stable) wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... The New World Order was a stable of wrestlers, originally in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). ... For the Australian professional wrestling promotion, see World Championship Wrestling (Australia). ... Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Shawn Michaels. ... Paul Michael Levesque[4] (born July 27, 1969)[4] is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of his former Hunter Hearst Helmsley moniker. ... This article is about the professional wrestler. ... Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959[2] in Detroit, Michigan) is an American professional wrestler and actor. ... Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Shawn Michaels. ... Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American professional wrestler. ...

Members

• Michael Hickenbottom (Shawn Michaels)
• Kevin Nash (Diesel/Oz/Vinnie Vegas)
• Scott Hall (Razor Ramon)
• Sean Waltman (1-2-3 Kid/Syxx/X-Pac/Syxx-Pac)
• Paul Levesque (Triple H/Hunter Hearst Helmsley)

There was also one associate member who is sometimes included but did not hold the power of the main members. Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965) is an American professional wrestler, better known by the ring name Shawn Michaels. ... Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959[2] in Detroit, Michigan) is an American professional wrestler and actor. ... This article is about the professional wrestler. ... Sean Michael Waltman (born July 13, 1972) is an American professional wrestler. ... Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969 in Nashua, New Hampshire) is an American professional wrestler, best known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley or Triple H. He is a 10-time World Champion: 4-time WWE Champion, 1-time Undisputed Champion and 5-time World Heavyweight Champion. ...

• Peter Polaco (Aldo Montoya/Justin Credible)

Some fans use the terms Clique and Kliq interchangeably. "Kliq" was originally used on-air by the WWF to describe Shawn Michaels' fanbase at the height of his popularity in 1996. It is widely believed that the name "Kliq" was a nod to "smart marks" who knew of the existence of the backstage or "real" Clique. Peter Joseph (P.J.) Polaco (born October 16, 1973) is an American professional wrestler. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Bret Hart claims in his autobiography, Hitman, that he was actually asked if he wanted to be part of the group, as his relationship with Michaels was far less adversarial back then: "The thing I remember most about that tour was Shawn, Razor, and Nash talking to me in Hamburg about the idea of forming a clique of top guys who strictly took care of their own." Hart declined the offer.^[1] Bret Sergeant Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a retired Canadian professional wrestler and actor, and is a member of the Hart wrestling family. ...

Curtain Call: The MSG Incident

The MSG Incident.

One of the more talked-about actions involving the Clique was the Madison Square Garden Incident (MSG) , which took place on May 19, 1996 and involved all of the Clique except for Waltman (who was in a nursing home at the time). At the time of the incident, Hall and Nash were about to leave the WWF for WCW. At a major WWF house show in Madison Square Garden, Michaels and Levesque (as Helmsley) worked separate singles matches with Hall and Nash. Earlier in the card, Levesque worked a match, as a heel, with Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) in which the departing Hall jobbed to Levesque to put him over. Later, in the main event, Michaels, as a face, worked a steel cage match with Nash (as the heel Diesel), in which the departing Nash would job to Michaels to put him over. Immediately after the match, Hall walked towards the ring, entered it, and hugged Michaels. This was not seen as a problem, since both Hall and Michaels were faces in the storylines. But after Hall and Michaels hugged, Levesque walked towards the ring, got in, and also hugged Hall, despite working a match earlier in which Hall was a face and Levesque was a heel. Then, Nash stood up after being defeated by Michaels and all four shared a prolonged group hug. Image File history File links Hug_MSG_Incident. ... Image File history File links Hug_MSG_Incident. ... is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... WWE RAW Brand house show from the Continental Airlines Arena on December 28, 2006 A house show is a professional wrestling show run by a major promotion (such as WWE or TNA), that is not televised or taped. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. ... In professional wrestling, the card is the lineup of the matches that will be staged at a given venue for a given perfomance. ... In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. ... A job is professional wrestling slang referring to a performer who loses a match. ... In professional wrestling, a face or babyface is a character who is portrayed as heroic relative to the heel wrestlers, who are analagous to villains. ... A bloodied Kane inside a current style WWE cage. ...

Their actions in the "Curtain Call" scandalized WWF management, who at the time wanted to maintain the illusion that the supposed antipathy between faces and heels was real, and that they were not friends outside the ring. It is reported in Michaels' book, Heartbreak and Triumph, that Vince McMahon was initially okay with the incident, but did not expect them to take it so far, nor did he expect a fan in the audience to sneak a camcorder into the event and capture the entire incident on tape (the tape was later procured by the WWF and aired on the October 6, 1997 episode of RAW is WAR by (kayfabe) Michaels and Levesque who used the footage to irritate Vince McMahon, who was commentating at ringside). It is alleged (according to Kevin Kelly's commentary on the October 20, 1997 edition of RAW is WAR) that the incident created a furor behind the scenes in the locker room, and that several superstars (said to have included Davey Boy Smith) had to be restrained from engaging in physical interaction with the Clique superstars. In professional wrestling, kayfabe (pronounced KAY-fayb) refers to the portrayal of events within the industry as real, that is, the portrayal of professional wrestling as unstaged or not worked. ... Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 25, 1945) is an American wrestling promoter, occasional professional wrestler, on-screen personality, former play-by-play announcer, and film producer. ... Sony DV Handycam A camcorder is a portable electronic device for recording video images and audio onto an internal storage device. ... is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Kevin Foote [3] [4] (born May 9, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, pundit, sportscaster and ring announcer, better known by his ring name, Kevin Kelly. ... is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... David Boy (Davey Boy) Smith (November 28, 1962 – May 18, 2002) was an English professional wrestler. ...

Because Michaels was the WWF Champion at the time and was one of the promotion's biggest drawing cards, the WWF feared that punishing him would hurt its business. Hall and Nash were soon to leave for WCW (Hall arrived just over one week later, Nash three weeks later), so they escaped punishment. The punishment fell solely on Levesque, who was demoted from championship contender to a jobber, although he did win the WWF Intercontinental Championship five months later. The Undertaker stated in "HHH: The Game" DVD that when HHH first arrived in the WWF, he saw him as an arrogant person he only saw out for himself, but when HHH took his punishment and didn't complain one bit, he earned his respect. The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Championship is a professional wrestling world championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship in World Wrestling Entertainment. ... A classic high-elevation leg drop by the Undertaker to Heidenreich Mark Calaway (also spelled [incorrectly] as either Callaway or Calloway; born March 24, 1962 in Houston, Texas), better known by his stage name of The Undertaker, is an American professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment. ...

This punishment turned out to have a major impact on the WWF's future. Before the MSG Incident, Levesque had been booked to win the King of the Ring 1996 tournament late that spring, but instead was booked to job to Jake Roberts (a finalist in the King of the Ring that year). The winner of this title traditionally received a large push toward stardom. However, the incident led the WWF to change the booking for the tournament. The King of the Ring title instead went to Stone Cold Steve Austin. His win (and subsequent "Austin 3:16" speech) started his rise toward mainstream superstardom and helped the WWF defeat WCW in their business wars. Levesque's punishment only delayed his rise to prominence in the business, as he would go on to win the following year's King of the Ring and later went on to become an eleven time world champion, beginning with his WWF Championship victory over Mick Foley the night after SummerSlam 1999. King of the Ring is an annual World Wrestling Entertainment tournament held from 1985 to 2002. ... Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. ... In professional wrestling, a push is an attempt by the booker to make the wrestler win more matches and become more popular with the fans. ... Steven James Williams (born Steven Anderson on December 18, 1964)[2] better known by his ring name Stone Cold Steve Austin, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. ... Steven James Williams (born Steven Anderson on December 18, 1964)[2] better known by his ring name Stone Cold Steve Austin, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. ... Michael Francis Mick Foley, Sr. ... SummerSlam 1999 was the twelfth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). ...

The Clique, the nWo, and D-Generation X

When Hall and Nash went to WCW, they formed the New World Order stable, or nWo, along with Hulk Hogan. When Waltman later jumped to WCW, he also joined the nWo. Many fans often criticized Kevin Nash for his booking tenure in WCW since it displayed the same self-promoting behavior associated with the Clique on an even larger scale. Fans often pointed to Nash booking for himself to win the WCW Championship from the then-undefeated Goldberg and the subsequent Fingerpoke of Doom as the most grievous of his "offenses." However in his RF Video interview Nash says he did not have booking power at the time of the incident. The New World Order was a stable of wrestlers, originally in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). ... Terrence Gene Bollea (born on August 11, 1953) is an American actor and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan. ... For other persons named Bill Goldberg, see Bill Goldberg (disambiguation). ... The Fingerpoke of Doom is the common nickname for a pivotal storyline in American professional wrestling history that happened on January 4, 1999 on WCW Monday Nitro, the flagship show of World Championship Wrestling. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Meanwhile, Levesque and Michaels went on to align together in the faction D-Generation X alongside Chyna and Rick Rude. DX eventually became as influential to the Monday Night Wars as the nWo. DX's antics also went on to help spark the WWF Attitude Era. This article is about the stable in WWE. For the Pay-Per-View event, see In Your House 19: D-Generation X D-Generation X (commonly known as DX) is an on and off professional wrestling tag team (formerly a stable) wrestling for World Wrestling Entertainment. ... Chyna[1] (born Joanie Marie Laurer (born December 27, 1969) is an American actress and retired professional wrestler. ... This article is about the wrestler. ... The term Monday Night Wars pertains to the period of American professional wrestling from September 4, 1995, to March 26, 2001. ...

The nWo's hand sign, often referred to as the "Wolf Head", was originally used by the Clique members in the WWF. Shawn Michaels was often seen flashing the sign, most notably at the Royal Rumble 1995, where he had "TK" (standing for "The Kliq") written on his taped hands. At In Your House: Good Friends, Better Enemies, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash both flashed the hand sign before the match, signifying their friendship. Earlier in the evening,during the Free for All, both Sean Waltman and Levesque threw up the signal. In the nWo, Hall and Nash brought the hand sign with them, and it became widely used by the nWo members and fans worldwide. Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Sean Waltman often gave "shout-outs" to their friends - Shawn Michaels & Triple-H - using the hand gesture on live television. Royal Rumble 1995 was the eighth annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view event from the World Wrestling Federation. ... For the song In Your House by The Cure, see Seventeen Seconds In Your House Logo In Your House was a pay-per-view series created by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). ...

During a brief period in 1998, after Waltman's return to the WWF as X-Pac, D-Generation X made numerous references to their friends in the WCW (though not by name) in their non-match and pre-match appearances and speeches. They even went so far as to stage a protest/paramilitary take-over of the WCW office in Atlanta. Triple H, riding in a Humvee, chanted "Let our people go!" through a megaphone during the incident. Sean Waltman also called out "we just wanted to say hey to our buddies Hall & Nash" during the WCW invasion segment. But any hope of Nash and Hall jumping ship to the WWF did not materialize until WCW eventually folded.

In 2002, after WCW had gone out of business, the nWo was reformed in the WWF with Hall, Nash, and Hollywood Hogan, the group's initial members. Hogan soon left the group after being attacked by Nash and Hall as a result of his turning face at WrestleMania X8. Other former members, including Big Show and Waltman, joined as did Booker T against his will. When the brand extension took place, the nWo became affiliated with RAW. Then, Shawn Michaels, after years away from the ring, was introduced by Kevin Nash as the newest member of the nWo. He literally kicked Booker T out of the group (using his "Sweet Chin Music" superkick on him) soon afterward, and promised the rest of the group that he would soon deliver Triple H. Shortly thereafter, Nash suffered a torn quadriceps (after returning the same night after time off due to a biceps injury) during a ten-man tag-team match, and the following week Vince McMahon disbanded the nWo. Eric Bischoff (acting as the RAW brand GM) later tried to make Michaels Triple H's manager. This led to a short-lived reformation of DX, as Triple H turned on him the same night, setting off a long and heated feud that took approximately a year to resolve. The year after, Nash returned from injury as a face and sided with Michaels against Evolution (Hunter, Ric Flair, and Randy Orton). Terrence Gene Bollea (born on August 11, 1953) is an American actor and semi-retired professional wrestler better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan. ... This article is about the professional wrestling pay-per-view event. ... Paul Randall Wight, Jr. ... Robert Booker Tio Huffman[2] (born March 1, 1965)[2], better known by his wrestling personas Booker T and King Booker, is an American professional wrestler. ... The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Draft Lottery, also known as the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Draft, is a device used to provide new brand competition and to refreshen the promotions rosters. ... WWE Raw is the Monday night professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and is the primary broadcast of the RAW brand. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27, 1955[1]), is a former professional wrestling booker and on-screen personality, most known for serving as President of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and later General Manager of World Wrestling Entertainments RAW brand. ... WWE Raw is the Monday night professional wrestling television program for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and is the primary broadcast of the RAW brand. ... A professional wrestling feud is a staged disagreement between two wrestlers or factions of wrestlers over a purported slight or insult. ... Evolution was a heel stable on World Wrestling Entertainments RAW brand consisting of Triple H, Ric Flair, Batista, and Randy Orton, officially founded on February 3, 2003. ... Richard Morgan Fliehr[2] (born on February 25, 1949 in Minneapolis, Minnesota[2]) better known by his ring name Ric Flair , is a legendary American professional wrestler of iconic staus signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its SmackDown! brand. ... Randal Randy Keith Orton[1] (born on April 1, 1980), nicknamed The Legend Killer, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment wrestling on its RAW brand. ...

Currently, Triple H and Shawn Michaels are still with WWE. Coincidentally, they are the only members of the reunited D-Generation X. Kevin Nash is currently in TNA, and Sean Waltman is currently wrestling in Asistencia Asesoría y Administración . While in TNA and at the beginning of his second WWE run, in 2002, Hall wore wrestling tights that had KLIQ stamped on the back of them. Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) is an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and his father Jerry Jarrett in May 2002. ... Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) is a Lucha Libre Professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico. ...

On November 5, 2007, D-Generation X had a reunion night, with both Triple H and Shawn Michaels reforming the stable for apparently "one night only". On November 8, 2007, The Outsiders reunited that same week, with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash appearing on TV going over their history in wrestling. The following week, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall appeared on TNA iMPACT to announce their return to the ring as a tag team with Samoa Joe to take on the Angle Alliance at TNA Turning Point. Scott Hall subsequently no-showed the event. is the 309th day of the year (310th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

References