10 Most Important Weeks In The Monday Night War
8. 26th October 1998 - Nitro's Last Win
The 26th October 1998 edition of WCW Monday Nitro looks like almost every other edition of the show that summer, but it spoke to just how rapidly WWE had taken control of the growing wrestling public at large that this specific show was the last to ever land a punch on Vince McMahon.
Only in abject failure could WCW somehow succeed. 24 hours earlier, the disastrous Halloween Havoc 1998 pay-per-view had gone off the air before the World Title clash between Goldberg and Diamond Dallas Page had concluded. Owning the embarrassment and quick to act, the company promised, promoted and delivered the contest bang in the middle of the broadcast.
It drew audiences and held them for the night, even if the likes of the Ultimate Warrior and the ongoing New World Order civil war couldn't convince viewers to return the following week. Nitro lost a full ratings point seven days later (at the time reflective of around 970,000 homes), with WWE's October drive towards the latest chapter of the Mr McMahon/Steve Austin story carrying the company through November and beyond.