PART 11
nWo History – Part 11
Kevin Nash pinned Goldberg to capture the WCW Hvt. Title and end Goldberg’s winning streak at 173. The match, which was declared a no-DQ match mid-way through Starrcade, ended with interference by Disco Inferno, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Scott Hall. It was one of the more “tainted wins” ever in a WCW Title change. After Goldberg took time to dispatch of Disco and Bigelow, Hall zapped him with an electric “stun gun.” Nash, who was unaware of the interference, jackknifed Goldberg for the win. Nash looked at Goldberg as he struggled to regain his equilibrium with a curious look, as if he couldn’t believe he was able to pin him so easily.
On Nitro the next day Nash, accompanied by Konnan and Lex Luger, said he couldn’t celebrate his victory with everyone else. He said he got into pro wrestling for money, power, and respect. He said Starrcade wasn’t about money or power, it was about respect. He said the way he won didn’t sit well with him. He said there isn’t another human being on the planet he has more love for than Scott Hall, but he made a mistake last night in his attempt to help him. He said he has a lot of respect for Goldberg and for the WCW Title, so to make things right, he offered a rematch to Goldberg next week on Nitro. He said he thinks he can kick Goldberg’s ass without any help from others and he wants a chance to prove it.
The most controversial finish at Starrcade was Eric Bischoff pinning Ric Flair. Originally Flair was booked to win the match, but as has become par for the course in wrestling these days, plans were changed the PPV would help set up a ratings-drawing rematch on Nitro the next day. While Flair lost under less than fair circumstances, it still seemed disgraceful for someone of Flair’s status over the last 25 years in wrestling get pinned under any circumstances by his non-wrestling boss.
The most remarkable story coming out of Starrcade and Nitro was how the WCW Title change was handled on television. While Flair vs. Bischoff was the third from final match and Goldberg vs. Nash was the final match, the announcers on Nitro barely addressed the WCW Title change. Instead, in a jaw-dropping display of playing to the boss’s ego, they talked almost exclusively about Bischoff’s pin on Flair.
Nitro began with a limousine celebration scene – not of Nash celebrating his title victory, but of Bischoff, Hennig, Scott Steiner, and Buff Bagwell celebrating and Bischoff saying, “Hollywood would be proud.” The announcers then recapped the circumstances of Bischoff’s win for just over one minute before Schiavone broke in with the news that Nash beat Goldberg. Just 20 seconds later, the announcers went right back to talking about Bischoff and Flair. The four minute Bischoff highlight package then aired yet again. The announcers then talked more about Bischoff and Flair. It wasn’t until 15 minutes into the show that they got into specifics of how Goldberg lost, and that was simply during ring introductions of the first match.
Granted, Vince McMahon has succeeded at making himself the centerpiece of Raw, giving Steve Austin the luxury of not having to carry the show every week. Bischoff seems determined to push himself into that position also so he can receive the acclaim that McMahon has, but unlike McMahon, he’s been doing it at the expense of the top storyline as opposed to be part of it and his performances aren’t considered to be anywhere nearly as entertaining as McMahon’s.
The only defense or the approach is that since the Flair-Bischoff rematch was the TV main event, they wanted to make that seem like a huge deal, but it’s not as if Nash’s first interview as champion couldn’t have been built up also throughout the show to also help the ratings. Instead, his first interview was barely an afterthought to the Flair-Bischoff hype. Goldberg didn’t appear on the show at all.
WCW has a lot to look forward to in 1999. Randy Savage made his return on Nitro with a new look (a ‘roided-up looking physique, slicked back hair, and Konnan-like loose-fitting jeans). Sting is set to return within six weeks. Hulk Hogan may return as soon as next week. Roddy Piper is still waiting in the wings for a fresh angle in which to get involved. With that star power, WCW hopes their NBC specials will be a ratings success. The WWF, during their days in the late-’80s running Saturday Night’s Main Event specials, drew very good ratings (including one that beat any Saturday Night Live broadcast). In those days, NBC paid the WWF $450,000 per 90 minute show. It was considered a bargain for NBC considering the price they paid for other programming that drew similar ratings. For prime time rather than late night programming, chances are WCW received substantially more than that for each special. That extra money, not to mention the added exposure and intangible reputation that comes from being on network prime time television, should help WCW regain a lot of lost momentum.
There is pressure on Bischoff and Hogan, though. If they can’t turn Nitro’s ratings around despite their loaded star-powered roster and the rub from NBC, then what would it take? Starrcade was so void of attention to detail, especially in the middle of the card, that it was obvious WCW was looking past the PPV toward trying to regain ratings momentum on Nitro and set the stage for the NBC specials.
Other questions loom for WCW in 1999. Can 49 year old Flair sustain his current momentum when he gets in the ring with real wrestlers? Will Nash give WCW much needed booking leadership and authority as he begins working in the front office full time next week? Will the big egos with power in WCW sabotage Goldberg when, thanks to NBC, he has a chance to become a true crossover superstar and end all fears that he’s just a flash in the pan? Can Hogan reinvigorate his limp and stale persona or will he drag down everyone else while clinging to his fleeting career?
