A lot of us didn't like how the infamous streak ended but reasons differed.
Some people have a problem with NASH (meaning WHO broke it) breaking the streak.
Some people have a problem with HOW the streak was broken.
Some people only have a problem with what happened afterwards.
I'm one of the people that has a problem with WHO broke it. In my opinion Nash should have been used to put Goldberg over, he shouldn't have ended it. My personal choice for ending the streak would have been DDP.
I choose DDP because the Diamond Cutter was such a versatile move he could have hit it in a flash and got a quick 3 count afterwards. It makes sense that Goldberg could take his eye off him for a second, maybe after a spear and turn around into a diamond cutter.
But I know some people have other choices, so a poll is needed.
It should have been either DDP or Sting. Goldberg should have met Sting at Starcade 1998 if the proposed Sting/Bret WCW title match at Starcade wasn't going to happen. Hogan and Nash should have stayed clear away from Goldberg and had a legit feud within the nWo with Hogan vs. Nash. Winner leads the nWo/dictates nWo's future.
DDP and Goldberg could have had a great upper midcard feud that could dictate who wins the WCW World title from Sting/Bret by 1999. That way, Starcade 1998 would have had Sting/Bret for the WCW title, Goldberg/DDP for contendership, and Hogan/Nash for the future of the nWo. That would have been a kickass card/
Before I give my answer, I'd like to offer my take on some of the names suggested thus far and why they would've been poor choices.
DDP - Too old. DDP was 42 years old in 1998. Ending Goldberg's streak could have made an instant main eventer - which Nash already was - and even though DDP was over as hell, there wasn't much of a future with him (this is of course working under the assumption that if you were booking WCW in 1998 you didn't have a time machine to predict the company would be dead in three years).
Jericho - Should he have had a feud with Goldberg? Absolutely. The months of segments of Jericho mocking Goldberg on his own were television gold; it's sad to think about how much entertainment we were deprived by the Goldberg/Jericho feud never happening in WCW. But, end the streak? No way. He could have never won clean in any believable fashion. And even though a chickenshit heel victory would've been great for Jericho - and certainly a better alternative to what they did with Nash - I'd still consider a waste of what they'd built with Goldberg.
Sting - Sting shouldn't have beaten Goldberg for the same reason that Triple H shouldn't have (and didn't) end Undertaker's streak: he just didn't need it. Sting couldn't have been any bigger of a star than he already was in 1998. Hell, he was on the decline at that point; 1997 was his career apex, which is amusing considering he only had one match all year. There was no long term, or really even short term, upside to Sting beating Goldberg.
Benoit - Of all the names I'm listing here, I'd consider Benoit to have been the best choice of the lot, even though I wouldn't have had him end the streak either. The guy who beat Goldberg needed to be someone who could be a top star, and Benoit just wasn't that guy. He lacked the charisma and the presence to be a main eventer in 1998, and even though I think he's the greatest technical wrestler ever, I feel that was true of his entire career.
Bret Hart - See Sting.
So, who would I have had end it?
It almost shocks myself that I'm saying this, because I was never really a fan of the guy at all - well, except for making fun of his oftentimes incomprehensible promos - but I think it's the best possible conclusion:
Scott Steiner.
He had everything WCW needed at that point. He already had the name recognition from all the success of the Steiner Brothers. He had the talent. He had the charisma. God knows he had the look. A competently booked WCW moving into the 21st century with Goldberg as the top babyface and Steiner as the top heel would have had a lot of potential going up against all the zaniness of the WWF. There is no one else in WCW at that time who was a better choice to beat Goldberg than Steiner, and I was never even a fan of the guy.
Before I give my answer, I'd like to offer my take on some of the names suggested thus far and why they would've been poor choices.
DDP - Too old. DDP was 42 years old in 1998. Ending Goldberg's streak could have made an instant main eventer - which Nash already was - and even though DDP was over as hell, there wasn't much of a future with him (this is of course working under the assumption that if you were booking WCW in 1998 you didn't have a time machine to predict the company would be dead in three years).
Jericho - Should he have had a feud with Goldberg? Absolutely. The months of segments of Jericho mocking Goldberg on his own were television gold; it's sad to think about how much entertainment we were deprived by the Goldberg/Jericho feud never happening in WCW. But, end the streak? No way. He could have never won clean in any believable fashion. And even though a chickenshit heel victory would've been great for Jericho - and certainly a better alternative to what they did with Nash - I'd still consider a waste of what they'd built with Goldberg.
Sting - Sting shouldn't have beaten Goldberg for the same reason that Triple H shouldn't have (and didn't) end Undertaker's streak: he just didn't need it. Sting couldn't have been any bigger of a star than he already was in 1998. Hell, he was on the decline at that point; 1997 was his career apex, which is amusing considering he only had one match all year. There was no long term, or really even short term, upside to Sting beating Goldberg.
Benoit - Of all the names I'm listing here, I'd consider Benoit to have been the best choice of the lot, even though I wouldn't have had him end the streak either. The guy who beat Goldberg needed to be someone who could be a top star, and Benoit just wasn't that guy. He lacked the charisma and the presence to be a main eventer in 1998, and even though I think he's the greatest technical wrestler ever, I feel that was true of his entire career.
Bret Hart - See Sting.
So, who would I have had end it?
It almost shocks myself that I'm saying this, because I was never really a fan of the guy at all - well, except for making fun of his oftentimes incomprehensible promos - but I think it's the best possible conclusion:
Scott Steiner.
He had everything WCW needed at that point. He already had the name recognition from all the success of the Steiner Brothers. He had the talent. He had the charisma. God knows he had the look. A competently booked WCW moving into the 21st century with Goldberg as the top babyface and Steiner as the top heel would have had a lot of potential going up against all the zaniness of the WWF. There is no one else in WCW at that time who was a better choice to beat Goldberg than Steiner, and I was never even a fan of the guy.
I really hadn't considered DDP's age until you mentioned it. He just didn't seem that old so I think they could gotten away with it but Steiner is a great choice. He had the size, presence, look and ability to do it, he could carry the promos and it would have been somewhat believeable. So I can't really argue against Steiner. Its a great choice.
i think if they pushed him sooner steiner would've been a good foe for goldberg.....i also wouldn't of minded my boy ddp ending it either....certainly shouldn't of been nash....and definitely not the way it DID end
DDP, have the feeling his career could of been something special. He still had a respectable career but I feel he may have become a huge name in wrestling at the time.
DDP, have the feeling his career could of been something special. He still had a respectable career but I feel he may have become a huge name in wrestling at the time.
No one should have ever ended the streak, haha. I like Nash and I wouldn't of had a problem with him ending the streak clean (as you said, it was the HOW that was the problem). DDP would also have been a good choice.
LOL Booker T. I love WCW Booker/2001-2005 Booker but nobody would have bought Booker beating Goldberg. Booker was TV title/midcard level by 1998 and wouldn't be seen as a legit threat until late 99/2000 when WCW NEEDED new guys in the main event scene.
It should have been DDP clean at Halloween Havoc with the Diamond Cutter. Thankfully it didn't happen due to the PPV problems and the show blacking out, but that was WCW's fault for trying to go long on PPV anyway.
Booker is an interesting choice. I don't think he was over enough but '98 should have been a time to get him in the mix. Goldberg had plowed through main eventers already, so he basically had to lose to somebody below the main event at the time.
me being a ddp fan it would come as a surprise that i think it shouldnt have been ddp. goldberg should not have been beat clean and ddp winning through a screwy finish would have ruined the match.
me being a ddp fan it would come as a surprise that i think it shouldnt have been ddp. goldberg should not have been beat clean and ddp winning through a screwy finish would have ruined the match.
I often tussled with that angle too in my head and I came to the conclusion that Goldberg had to be beaten CLEAN. It was just time for the streak to end and it was a waste that some future big player missed the chance to capitalize off that.
I think any heel tactic would have cheapened the streak and Goldberg himself (as Nash's taser thing did), but losing clean would have made the guy who beat him and given the Goldberg character a chance to show some resiliency.
Ultimately though Goldberg was one dimensional and after losing the streak he didn't have anything so I don't know.
Its hard to book a dude amassing over 100 victories straight to lose clean or to lose by cheating.
Nash was hot as hell when he broke the streak, the Wolfpac were huge, as big as Goldberg's fanbase. Goldberg was of course the bigger mainstream star and it wasn't the right time, but if Nash beat Goldberg, then going to a Goldberg/Hogan/Nash program for the belt? would have been huge. DDP was already at his peak in the Malone/Rodman angle, he was a big star, one of the biggest of the MNW and over big but not on the level to sacrifice Goldberg for him. They had the perfect match at HH 1998.
LOL Booker T. I love WCW Booker/2001-2005 Booker but nobody would have bought Booker beating Goldberg. Booker was TV title/midcard level by 1998 and wouldn't be seen as a legit threat until late 99/2000 when WCW NEEDED new guys in the main event scene.
Booker T has held EVERY SINGLE undercard/midcard title MULTIPLE times, even if he wasnt that good it would make sense for him to be champion before he finally got it because it would prove that winning those belts leads to the world title, you see long term prestige "All roads lead to Rome" and all that
Nash was hot as hell when he broke the streak, the Wolfpac were huge, as big as Goldberg's fanbase. Goldberg was of course the bigger mainstream star and it wasn't the right time, but if Nash beat Goldberg, then going to a Goldberg/Hogan/Nash program for the belt? would have been huge. DDP was already at his peak in the Malone/Rodman angle, he was a big star, one of the biggest of the MNW and over big but not on the level to sacrifice Goldberg for him. They had the perfect match at HH 1998.
The Wolfpac was getting tiresome considering wcw's position in the monday night war at this point. it was a just a rehash of NWO vs WCW anyway, not that i would have complained about a goldberg vs Nash or a Nash vs hogan main event but come on man
Bret Hart. He needed a fresh rub after WCW basically kept him dormant for a year and wasted all the momentum from his switch to WCW. He needed and should have looked and been used as legit threat to anyone. Instead they made him out to be mid carder.
Eventually Bret did get a bit of a rub by beating Goldberg a lot during their eventual feud but Hart ending the streak with that steel vest under his shirt would have been an epic mark out moment - and i was a massive Goldberg fan.
Bret Hart. He needed a fresh rub after WCW basically kept him dormant for a year and wasted all the momentum from his switch to WCW. He needed and should have looked and been used as legit threat to anyone. Instead they made him out to be mid carder.
Eventually Bret did get a bit of a rub by beating Goldberg a lot during their eventual feud but Hart ending the streak with that steel vest under his shirt would have been an epic mark out moment - and i was a massive Goldberg fan.
Eh I'm totally against Bret ending the streak. I think Bret coming in fresh off being WWF's champion and doing what Hogan, Sting, Giant etc couldn't do would have made WCW look second rate.
I agree that Bret wasn't used properly but I don't believe he should have ended the streak. I have no doubt that with a performer like Bret you could have booked Bret to simply out wrestle the brawler and Bret had the credibility to beat him but it would have made WCW the minor leagues if they had done that and I always prefer giving rubs to in-house talent first.
Nash, Hogan, or any nWo member had no right to beat Goldberg for that streak because the nWo were getting stale and almost over (so we thought) at that point. It should have been someone we could have bought able to beat Goldberg who the fans can get behind. Fuck Nash and the Wolfpac. Fuck Hogan and nWo Hollywood. It should have been a scrappy underdog who never gave up in DDP or the veteran star who was at the tail end of his career but still had some left in the tank in Sting. That's it. Nash beating Goldberg was just typical nWo bullshit and everybody knows it.
Nash, Hogan, or any nWo member had no right to beat Goldberg for that streak because the nWo were getting stale and almost over (so we thought) at that point. It should have been someone we could have bought able to beat Goldberg who the fans can get behind. Fuck Nash and the Wolfpac. Fuck Hogan and nWo Hollywood. It should have been a scrappy underdog who never gave up in DDP or the veteran star who was at the tail end of his career but still had some left in the tank in Sting. That's it. Nash beating Goldberg was just typical nWo bullshit and everybody knows it.
me being a ddp fan it would come as a surprise that i think it shouldnt have been ddp. goldberg should not have been beat clean and ddp winning through a screwy finish would have ruined the match.
that leaves us with the heels. hogan hart steiner hall nash (heel ddp) bam bam savage. out of those nash wasnt a bad choice the way it was done on the night. steiner wasnt pushed aggressively up till that point. hart would have been the best choice if the company was to move on or they could have let the streak continue on for a bit longer and then hit the button.
me being a ddp fan it would come as a surprise that i think it shouldnt have been ddp. goldberg should not have been beat clean and ddp winning through a screwy finish would have ruined the match.
that leaves us with the heels. hogan hart steiner hall nash (heel ddp) bam bam savage. out of those nash wasnt a bad choice the way it was done on the night. steiner wasnt pushed aggressively up till that point. hart would have been the best choice if the company was to move on or they could have let the streak continue on for a bit longer and then hit the button.
Nash was a bad a choice. I don't like the idea of the nWo ending the streak. The nWo was dominant and had finally been dethroned so it was time to sit them down for awhile (especially Hogan).
In a perfect world I would have done this:
After Goldberg beat Hogan, I would have Hogan threaten to quit/retire if he didn't get an immediate rematch. Set up the rematch and had the nWo throw everything at Goldberg and Hogan loses again.
Afterwards you have Hogan cut a promo on Nitro about retiring because he can't cut it anymore. Then have Hogan leave for about 6 months to a year and have him return under the yellow & red.
The ultimate challenge: Goldberg vs "The Immortal" Hulk Hogan, the streak vs hulkamania for heavyweight title at Starrcade 1999-2000. Would have done huge business.
But that would mean Goldberg treading water for at least another year until the big payoff. I don't think that character had enough in the tank to make it.
DDP came close at Halloween Havoc, I have no doubt seeing him beat him in a great rematch would have been nice. Certainly better than Nash booking himself to win.
I don't think so at all (Bret ending the streak making WCW look like lower leagues) but we all have opinions. If anything it would have added to the whole 'WCW - where the big boys come to play'
What i don't think people in the US understand is just how huge Bret Hart was in Canada, Europe and Australia - and i believe WCW needed Bret Hart to take some WWF's market share in those markets. But they blew it and the fact that even at their worst WWF was more legit and popular overseas then WCW was at it's peak is part of the reason WCW died.
Didn't mean to go off on a tangent there - but there are plenty of reasons why Hart should have ended the streak, much more so than anyone IMO if we are talking business.
I don't think so at all (Bret ending the streak making WCW look like lower leagues) but we all have opinions. If anything it would have added to the whole 'WCW - where the big boys come to play'
What i don't think people in the US understand is just how huge Bret Hart was in Canada, Europe and Australia - and i believe WCW needed Bret Hart to take some WWF's market share in those markets. But they blew it and the fact that even at their worst WWF was more legit and popular overseas then WCW was at it's peak is part of the reason WCW died.
Didn't mean to go off on a tangent there - but there are plenty of reasons why Hart should have ended the streak, much more so than anyone IMO if we are talking business.
That's interesting. I was watching the old WCW that the E released on DVD and often saw them in weird places like Wyoming & South Dakota. It never made sense for them to be Wyoming to me, fucking nobody does a show from Wyoming or S. Dakota, especially not a wrestling show.
I would love seeing Bret beat Goldberg with a screwjob, but not his first loss. The first one is what counts the most. Any loss after that isn't half as hard to book.
Raven was a victim of the glass ceiling and I agree that he should have been a bigger star but Goldberg had already went through Raven (and Raven's Flock) to get the US strap so having him end the streak would have confused the hell out of people. Plus that would have meant Raven being WCW's world champion and I'm sure Bischoff would rather piss on an electrical fence than make a Paul Heyman guy his world champion.
Nah, Raven wasn't there yet but his feud with Benoit should have been loads better and should have been at Starcade 1998 as well. Those two would have had a killer match with a great build to it.
Raven was a huge star, but not really main event material. But for what it's worth, Raven was the guy who put over Goldberg for the U.S. title and it was an important step toward his ascent to the top. But Raven beating him makes no sense.
I've personally always thought Goldberg's streak should have been used to make someone else. So I would have went with Scott Steiner, with a clean victory. Then you have the old monster in Goldberg now appearing vulnerable, and have made a new monster in Steiner. Which would have ultimately humanized Goldberg.
Hogan should have been the one to end the streak, but at least 6 months later than when Nash broke it (which was too soon IMO).
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