The Complete History Of The New World Order | Wrestling Timelines
July 6, 1998 - Goldberg
Sting had won the title back at Superbrawl, having been stripped of it as a result of the controversial Starrcade finish, on February 22, 1998. While the event draws an impressive 415,000 buys, it’s too late. The idea of Sting as the saviour has faded away, which might explain the meagre 275,000 drawn for his second and final PPV title defence against Randy Savage at Spring Stampede on April 19.
That, and the resurgent WWF ramping up in popularity.
WCW, though, has an awesome new weapon in the war: Goldberg, one of wrestling’s most unbelievable physical specimens ever, who had not made his professional debut when the nWo first formed.
There’s no grand, 15-month plan to build Goldberg. He simply explodes in popularity, and even WCW, which is in near-constant systemic disarray by this point, isn’t stupid enough to stop him. At least, not for a while.
(On that: in WCW, in 1998, the detailed, long-term planning that really only barely existed is no more. Of the few plans that are made, many are rubbished by the top wrestlers who hold too much creative influence. In the March 16, ‘98 Observer, Meltzer reports that Hall and Nash are locked in a backstage feud with Hogan and Bischoff. The firing of Hall and Nash’s close friend Syxx is particularly contentious. Hall and Nash make noises about leaving; they are reminded by Bischoff that they’re tied to WCW until 2001. Nash doesn’t want to perform a spot in which the Giant gives him a powerbomb; Hogan purportedly makes it happen. With his power diminishing, until he gets a stint with the booking pencil in late 1998/early 1999, Nash’s response is to stop caring.)
Bill Goldberg is a former defensive NFL tackle who pioneers one of the very best and certainly the most imitated moves in wrestling history: the spear. He looks like he’s trying to bend his opponents in half backwards at the hip. He is reckless, but so intense and believable that he elicits an almost involuntary, animalistic response from the crowd.
In ultra-short matches - “massacre” is a more appropriate word - Goldberg gets over to a mega-star level.
In a stunt move that should make pay-per-view, Goldberg defeats Hogan on Nitro in part because Nitro had been annihilated by Raw in the ratings the week prior. A fortune of potential PPV buys is burned. Only when you actually picture the stack of cash, ablaze, do you get a sense of how short-sighted the decision is.
In front of the fourth-biggest crowd in pro wrestling history to this point (41,412), after pinning Scott Hall to get the match, Goldberg dethrones Hogan, who naturally has his belt back.
Goldberg sets the Georgia Dome alight. The pop is deafening, an all-timer. Hogan, rarely praised for his selflessness, actually sells his ass off and lays his stuff in. Entering one of his best and most motivated individual performances, Hogan could not do more to establish Goldberg as the authentic article. WCW has a new top babyface.
Steve Austin is outdrawing Hulk Hogan’s peak over in the WWF - but the war isn’t over yet.