Just days after suffering the cleanest loss of his WCW career to Lex Luger on Monday Nitro, the New World Order's leader set out to regain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (and all the power that came with it). He did just that, leaning heavily on the other members of the nWo to help him regain the title. Over the next 141 days, he would rule over the wrestling world as the face of wrestling's most dangerous faction and WCW Champion. With one eye on challengers the likes of Roddy Piper and Randy Savage, and the other on the mysterious and enigmatic Sting lurking in the rafters, Hogan was constantly grasping onto his title as if it were his baby and he was navigating the electronic aisle on Black Friday. Finally, despite any number of underhanded tactics in the week prior to and even at the event, Starrcade 1997 was the end of the line for ol' Hollywood as he was defeated by Sting in what should have been the grand happy ending fans had been waiting for. Not quite, though, as Hogan would have countless other title reigns and the nWo would dominate WCW TV for another year and a half. Therein lies a much bigger issue within WCW than any David Arquette title win. But that's another argument for another time.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
