The following year, a suspiciously similar issue arose. For around eighteen months, Goldberg had been built up as an unstoppable tank of a man, running through 173 (kayfabed) victories in a row in one of the most celebrated pro wrestling winning streaks in history. Hed won the WCW world championship from Hogan during this time (incredibly, on Nitro rather than on pay-per-view), and was heading into Starrcade 1998 on a massive high to defend the title against Kevin Nash. Nash, whod recently been appointed booker, and begun to write himself back into the main event. The result was a foregone conclusion, but it smarted nonetheless: Nash would beat Goldberg, take the title and end the monsters undefeated streak after some teeth-clenchingly bad interference (Scott Hall tasered the big man to take him down before Nash delivered the powerbomb to end the match). Clearly the streak had to end sometime, but was Nash the right person to do it? Fans smelled a rat, as did the boys backstage. Nash was still over to a degree as a babyface, but certainly no more than Goldberg. Everyone knew hed booked himself to slay the dragon because he could. A week later was the infamous Worst Nitro In History, January 4th 1999. The Fingerpoke Of Doom saw Nash turn heel again, lying down for Hogan to return, casually take back his title and reunite the NWO to a chorus of dismay and anger. It was the beginning of the end for WCW.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
