1998 may be the Year of Attitude and the rise of WWE back to the top of the wrestling world but it was also the year that Goldberg exploded into the mainstream and captured the attention of wrestling fans around the globe. A quiet assassin, a man hell bent on tearing through the competition with his explosive spear and bone-rattling Jackhammer finisher, Goldberg earned the adulation of fans who loved watching him dismantle opponent after opponent. By the time July arrived, his popularity was at its peak and WCW made the decision, right or wrong, to book his World Championship match against Hulk Hogan on a live edition of Nitro. It was an effort to regain momentum in the Monday Night Wars, and one that actually worked. Millions tuned in to see Goldberg defeat Hogan and capture the title. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, he took a backseat to Hogan's ego and his title reign featured pay-per-view matches against Curt Hennig and an appearance in a meaningless battle royal at Road Wild. Sure, he wrestled a fantastic match against Diamond Dallas Page at Halloween Havoc event but even that match happened off-air as WCW messed up the timing of the show. By the time December's Starrcade hit the airwaves, Goldberg limped into Washington's Verizon Center for a showdown against the hotter Kevin Nash and was booed by the WCW faithful. His title reign would end that night and the genie was released from the bottle, never to be forced back in. Goldberg would never be as hot as he was, nor was he able to regain the momentum he had prior to his battle with Nash. His title reign was a disappointment and the end of his undefeated streak at 173-1 was yet another nail in the coffin for the company.
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.
