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The following Keller's Take was originally published on PWTorch.com one year ago, Feb. 6, 2002...

Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Hulk Hogan were backstage yesterday before the Smackdown tapings. It was the first time they were around the locker room since signing with the WWF last month. Everyone is on edge waiting to see whether they are going to live up to their past reputations or rise above them.

What is their "past," exactly? Each of them have a different reputation. Although Shawn Michaels tried to redirect the term "Clique" into an on-air term for "his fans" (spelling it "Kliq"), in reality, the term "Clique" was created behind the scenes by other wrestlers to describe the close-knit group of top tier wrestlers who played by a different set of rules in the WWF in the mid-'90s.

Hall, Nash, Sean Waltman (X-Pac), Shawn Michaels, and later Triple H were seen as a group of guys who hung out together, partied together, and wielded tremendous power backstage, especially flaunting their tight relationship with Vince McMahon. Most of them had keys to Titan Towers, Vince McMahon's equivalent jesture of someone giving the person they're dating a spare set of keys to their house. It means you're "in" with him.

Other wrestlers resented the power that they had. They called them "The Clique" because they were the equivalent of the popular kids at school that immaturely flaunted their power, messed with authority, and picked on other kids at lunch time and at recess. In an interview at WWF.com this week, Waltman admits they deserved their bad reputation.

"Looking back, I can see what (people) mean," Waltman said. "I'm trying to look back on it objectively. I think it was just that we were getting away with stuff that other people might not have gotten away with. Like being late. That's the main thing that I can remember. We were late quite a bit and we got talked to a couple of times about it."

They were also seen as having private, behind-closed-door meetings with Vince McMahon where they buried their enemies and got pushes for their friends. The other side of that rep, and it's got legitimacy, is that they just happened to be passionate about fixing what was wrong with the WWF at the time. They put in overtime in booking meetings, something Bret Hart didn't want any part of. Political agendas may have influenced their opinions, but their defenders argue that they just were trying to steer Vince away from making mistakes pushing talent that wasn't ready.

Waltman said he was addicted to drugs at the time and that made him hard to deal with. He says that was the case with the others, too. "Shawn - he's my friend and he always will be - he can be a (jerk) to be around sometimes, and I think he'd say the same. And so can Scott. And he'll admit it," Waltman said. "As friends, you accept people for who they are. That doesn't mean everybody else in the locker room is going to though. Nor should they be obligated necessarily to do so. Everybody doesn't always see eye to eye."

Years later, Hall, Nash, Waltman, and Triple H are still close friends. But the circumstances in the WWF are different today than they were back then. Nash and Michaels were main eventers, Hall wasn't far behind, and only Bret Hart was considered at their level. Now they are entering the WWF at a time when Steve Austin, Undertaker, and The Rock have better resumes, higher fan recognition, and as much clout with McMahon if not more.

So where do each of them stand today compared to their previous WWF tenures?

-Kevin Nash: Nash is smart enough to realize the climate has changed. He is the type of person who is going to assess the circumstances, figure out where he stands in relation to the regular main eventers and the mid-carders who may resent his presence, and improvise from there in his own best interests. I doubt he has any kind of master plan to disrupt or mess around with locker room morale. As a part-timer, he won't be working every house show, which he did back in the Clique days, so he won't have the same clout now that he did back then nor the ability to control things as much. "People can say what they want about Kevin because of the last days of WCW," Waltman said. "A person can become a product of their environment. When you're in a place that's (screwed up), it's everybody for themselves."

-Scott Hall: Hall was on everyone's death watch a couple of years ago, so even though today he is far from a role model for recovering addicts, everyone says how much he has improved. Sure, he's got custody of his children, and that's important to him, but he needs to prove to the locker room that he is a professional. If he doesn't do that, and if Nash and the others stand by him, resentment will grow quickly toward the entire Clique. Vince McMahon needs Hall as part of the equation initially, but don't look for Vince to invest any PPV singles main events in Hall until Hall shows he can handle the pressure and be reliable over the long run.

-Hulk Hogan: Hogan adds a different element to the mix. He's been gone longer, but at one time he was The Man. Is he up to speed with reality? Does he realize that Steve Austin is now every bit the star that Hogan ever was? Does he realize that The Rock is on the cusp of starring in a $100 million movie, something Hogan never even approached? Does he realize that Triple H not only gets huge babyfaces pops, but he has a work ethic once the bell rings that Hogan never approached with his part-time schedule and light working style? If Hogan doesn't concede those points and accept being a role player, there could be trouble. I think he will, because really, what other choice does he have? Hogan has a chance to prove to his colleagues that he "knows his role" and become a respected senior member of the locker room. He also has a chance to become a butt of jokes if he is as delusional as some fear.

-Shawn Michaels: Michaels is a wildcard. If the WWF brings him into the picture in a few months, he's the one most likely to try to relive the past and offend everyone in his path. His maturity level hasn't increased as he's aged. He's still an immature, insecure jerk around the locker room, offending not just strangers, but even his friends. His value is what he can do in the ring, not his mic work or star presence. If he can't deliver in the ring, there's not much point to introducing him into the volatile mix. I'd expect the decision on whether to bring Michaels in to rest on Vince McMahon's assessment of how well the others are integrating.

-Sean Waltman: He may be a more important cog in this equation than anyone is giving him credit for. His interview at WWF.com shows a level of maturity that none of the others have exhibited in a public forum. He seems to have a grasp on reality and an ability to look back objectively at what went wrong last time, but also why it isn't as likely to occur this time. He may tug at his friends if they get out of line.

"I don't foresee that being a problem this time," Waltman concludes. "I mean, personality is going to come through. But we're all a lot more mature. I know I've changed. I mean, I still have a temper on me sometimes when I think something's right as far as the product. I'm very outspoken. But I don't think you have to give that up. We've got The Rock, We've got (Stone Cold Steve) Austin. We've got Hunter (Triple H). The stroke is spread a lot thinner, if you know what I mean, and I think it's better that way...

"A lot of people were really miserable at that time in the company's history, because things were really bad. You don't know anything about business being bad until you've done Monday Night Raw at Liberty High School in front of 800 people. You could tell what time it was because there was a clock on the wall opposite the hard camera."

Waltman makes a good point, and it's one many don't want to admit. The NWO may not be hindering the advancement of the careers of others. They may help. Remember what the series of matches Randy Savage had with Dallas Page in WCW did for Page's career. He was seen as a rising star on par with Steve Austin's rise in the WWF at the time. Just being in the ring with headliners who were part of so many monumental angles in the past can help the Edges and Chris Jerichos and Booker Ts of the WWF.

Waltman admits "some of them have a gripe, but adds that "other guys need to shut up and be happy that they've got a job. I waited close to 10 years to get a break, to where I was making good money and stuff... If (the other wrestlers) are lucky, they'll get to work with guys like Scott, Kev, myself - I don't mean to put myself over at this point, but I will - and Hunter. We're some of the guys who can show people what to do and when do to it. One thing you can't deny is the passion that we all share for wrestling."

-Triple H: Triple H and Waltman have the most to lose if things go bad with Nash, Hall, Hogan, and Michaels. They each have a decade or more left in their in-ring full time careers if they stay healthy. The others can't say that. Triple H and Waltman are highly respected in the WWF for their ability to "show people what to do and when to do it" in the ring. They also have better reps than Nash, Hall, and Michaels. Triple H was never part of the disruptive partying and political games that the others were. He didn't smoke, do drugs, or drink when he got accepted into The Clique. But he shared enough in common in other ways to become their friend. He isn't going to let Hall or Nash destroy what he's worked so hard to build the last few years. I believe between the leadership of Triple H and Waltman, and because Hall and Nash respect those two, that the NWO won't be the nightmare that many fear.

Everyone, though, would admit that there is potential for things to explode. If business is "too good" after their debuts, they may get big heads. If business isn't good, there could be finger pointing. If egos clash because there aren't enough main event slots for everyone, friendships could be broken. If Hall or Michaels show up bombed for TV tapings or PPVs, and if McMahon doesn't step in immediately and make sure they play by the same rules as everyone else, the rest of the locker room could rebel.

It's a good thing everyone's antennas are up. That say nobody is going to be blindsided by anything that happens as a result of introducing volatile wrestlers into the mix. The potential is there for the NWO to be a huge boon to business, which makes it worth the calculated risk. Vince McMahon likes to live dangerously, and gets bored with the status quo. He won't be bored for the next year, that's for sure.

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