Goldberg screwed at Starrcade
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM!
Wrestling
Bret Hart and Goldberg tangle at Starrcade.
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In wrestling circles it has become known as the "Bret Hart finish"
based on Vince McMahon's real-life betrayal of Hart in his final WWF match
before heading to WCW. The WWF has unimaginatively used it a bazillion
times since. Last night at Starrcade '99, broadcast from the M.C.I. Center
in Washington, D.C., it was WCW's turn to ruin a half-decent title bout.
This time it wasn't Hart but Bill Goldberg who got messed over.
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the main event match, heaps of
praise are in order to Chris Benoit and Jeff Jarrett for their stellar
impromptu ladder match. Scott Hall, Benoit's original opponent, couldn't
compete due to a legit knee injury. Breaking with their scripted support of
The Outsiders, the Powers That Be declared a forfeit awarding the U.S.
title to Benoit. Not wanting to win the belt that way, Benoit issued the
challenge and Jarrett accepted. The outcome was a match that alone was
worth the cost of ordering the pay-per-view. The eminently talented Benoit
and Jarrett worked hard and bumped hard substantiating that their push by
WCW is well deserved.
A true measure of a professional wrestler is whether he or she can "carry"
a less capable colleague through a match. That attribute has been a
trademark of Bret Hart's career. Working with Hart, Goldberg put on his
best effort to date at Starrcade. Like him or not, Goldberg has
unquestionably come a long way from the kick - punch - stomp machine he
once was.
The beginning of the WCW World Heavyweight Title bout was as strange as the
conclusion with champion Hart coming out first and Goldberg second. Both
competitors shook hands before getting down to business in a display of
good sportsmanship. The Hit Man was shoved off at his first two attempts at
a lock-up. The third found Goldberg on the mat in a headlock. Goldberg got
to his feet, slingshot Hart to the ropes bowling him over with a shoulder
block. Goldberg turned a Power Press into a Power Slam driving Hart to the
canvass. Two clotheslines had the same result on the WCW Champion.
Goldberg smartly rolled Bret into an Ankle Lock. The Hit Man turned the
submission move into a Sharpshooter but Goldberg powered his way out. A
kick to the gut had Hit Man scrambling for a breather outside the ring.
Bret and Goldberg brawled on the outside taking out referee Billy
Silverman. Scratch referee Number One. Goldberg stepped up his attack
ramming Hart into the steel security fence and the announce table. Referee
Charles Robinson took over the officiating duties. The poor sucker wouldn't
last long. Goldberg's side-suplex on Hart brained Robinson. Scratch referee
Number Two. The Hit Man dodged a Spear by Goldberg sending the former
football played into the turnbuckle. Referee Number Three hit the
ring.
Chris Benoit after his punishing title defence against Jeff Jarrett.
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Hart worked on Goldberg's leg then set him up for his Figure
Four-around-the steel post move. Hart didn't get it cinched in quite right
so the announcers covered for him by saying Goldberg has the presence of
mind to partially block it. Inside the ring, Hart continued inflicting pain
on Goldberg's weakened leg punctuating his attack with a Figure Four. Again
relying on the strength in his legs Goldberg broke the hold. Champion and
challenger traded blows in the corner. Drawing back his arm to deliver a
punch, Hart clocked the new ref. Down went official Number Three. Goldberg
hit a standing side kick and a Spear. With a dejected look on his face,
Roddy Piper assumed control of the match. Distracted by Piper's arrival
Goldberg left himself open to a shot block to his knee. Hart barely wrapped
Goldberg into the Sharp Shooter when Piper called for the belt and left the
ring looking even more depressed than he was before.
Piper left with the WCW World Title belt. A furious Hit Man chased after Piper looking for answers. Piper handed him the belt back without saying a word.
The next WCW pay-per-view is Souled Out on January 16.
Starrcade '99 Results
Disco Inferno, Lash Leroux Vs Big Vito, Johnny The Bull
A positively enjoyable bout highlighting Big Vito's skills which were
underused in ECW. He sure does do a mean DDT. Dazed, Disco drops Leroux
with the Last Dance. Vito lands a DDT for the win. Maranara, Johnny and
Vito chloroform Disco and put him in a body bag. Johnny carries Disco
through the curtain where they remove him from the bag. Ummmm, that was
worth the effort stuffing Disco into the bag, wasn't it? Disco is dumped
into the trunk of a car. Maranara shifts the car into reverse by accident,
corrects his mistake and drives off.
Winners: Big Vito, Johnny The Bull at 9 minutes and 40 seconds
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Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Benoit cuts a promo in the ring. He reiterates the disappointing
decision by the Powers That Be to give him the title via forfeit. Benoit
lays down a challenge to anyone in the back to face him later in the evening.
Madusa (challenger) Vs Evan Karagias (champion) (Cruiserweight Title
Match)
Karagias is accompanied by former Nitro Girl, Spice. Karagias has to
get his own entrance music...fast! The WCW Hotline theme doesn't cut it.
Really sloppy match that brings on the "boring!" chants. Spice jumps up on
the apron and distracts Karagias with some gratuitous chest rubbing. Spice
low blows him. Madusa rolls him up for the victory. Spice and Madusa leave
together. Spice is licking her lips while looking at Madusa from behind.
Can you say lesbian-love angle coming up? The announcers hype the fact that
Madusa is the first woman to hold a MAJOR title in WCW. I guess the Women's
Heavyweight Title was nothing, right?
Winner: ...and new WCW Cruiserweight Champion...Madusa at 3 minutes
and 32 seconds.
Match Rating: 1 / 10.
Meng (challenger) Vs Norman Smiley (champion) (WCW Hardcore Title
Match)
Norman's in football gear. They quickly brawl into the back. Norman
dives like a NFL linebacker through a curtain. From out of nowhere, Brian
Knobbs and Fit Finley Pearl Harbor Meng. Finley cracks Meng with a steel
pipe in the back of the head. Smiley, who has been hiding under a table the
whole time, climbs out and pins Meng.
Winner: ...and still WCW Hardcore Champion, Norman Smiley at 4
minutes and 29 seconds.
Match Rating: 2 / 10.
David Flair gets a special delivery package in his locker room. It's a
gold crow bar. Who was the sender? Hmmmm. The mystery deepens.
The Misfits have locked Oklahoma inside a small steel cage to
transport him to the ring.
The Revolution Vs Hacksaw Jim Duggan and The Varsity
Club
Duggan's mystery partners are the reformed Varsity Club - Mike
Rotundo, Rick Steiner and Kevin Sullivan. SLAM! Wrestling marks out Big
Time! The Varsity Club is led to the ring by former ECW valet, Kimona
Wannalaya dressed as a cheerleader shaking her pompoms. So psyched in
defending the honour of the USA is Duggan that he wrestles the whole match
himself refusing to tag in the Varsity Club. Fed up, the Varsity Club hit
the ring. Sullivan does the Tree Of Woe on Aysa. The Varsity Club attacks
the selfish Duggan. Shane Douglas says from his announce position..."I see
an opening and I'm going to take it!". Douglas covers a beaten Duggan.
Douglas tells Duggan that he must now renounce his citizenship on Nitro.
Winners: The Revolution at 4 minutes and 53 seconds.
Match Rating: 4 / 10.
Steve Williams Vs Vampiro
How long will it take Williams to re-join his mates in the Varsity
Club. Does anyone have a stop watch handy? The Misfits roll down the cage
containing Oklahoma to the ring. Oklahoma calls the match from the cage.
Williams swats the ref and gets DQ'd. Vampiro and The Misfits take turns
beating the stuffing out of Oklahoma as Williams is escorted to the back by
security.
Winner: Vampiro via DQ at 5 minutes and 32 seconds.
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
The Powers That Be wish Curt Hennig and Creative Control good luck in their
match.
Harlem Heat disagree about Midnight's usefulness. Stevie Ray wants
Midnight gone and withdrawals his support of Booker T. Stevie Ray walks off in a
huff.
Creative Control, Curt Hennig Vs Booker T., Midnight
Midnight does well in her WCW wrestling debut taking some good shots.
Stevie Ray finally comes to the ring. He argues with Booker T. and
Midnight. Hennig punches Booker with brass knuckles to enable Patrick or
Gerald (Who can tell the difference?) to score the pinfall. Creative
Control are the number one contenders for the WCW Tag Team Titles.
Winners: Creative Control, Curt Hennig at 7 minutes and 11
seconds.
Match Rating: 5 / 10.
Dustin Rhodes Vs Jeff Jarrett (Bunkhouse Match)
Vets Rhodes and Jarrett put on a satisfying match mixing wrestling
with brawling. Since there are no rules, Dustin duct tapes the referee to a
corner. Hennig interferes releasing the official and attacking Dustin.
Dustin and Jarrett battle back to the entrance way. Rhodes bulldogs Hennig
on the concrete floor. Jarrett dives off a ladder breaking a guitar over
Rhodes' head. Jarrett is your winner.
Winner: Jeff Jarrett at 11 minutes and 18 seconds
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Match Rating: 7.5 / 10.
Psycho boy, Flair, is beating up a defenseless teddy bear in his
locker room. Impressive.
DDP Vs David Flair (Crow Bar On A Pole Match)
Wow! David Flair's has really brushed up on his skills! Amazing Grace,
he's got some moves and executes them admirably too! Flair gains possession
of the crow bar though DDP nails him with the Diamond Cutter off the ropes
before he has time to use it. DDP is about to pummel Flair with the crow
bar. Flair's crazed fan (winner of the Nitro Girl House Party) falls over
Flair protecting him. DDP drops the crow bar, almost Diamond Cuts the ref,
thinks twice about it and splits.
Winner: At 3 minutes and 53 seconds, DDP.
Match Rating: 4 / 10.
Sting Vs Lex Luger
Sting suggests Liz bring his bottle of mace to the ring instead of the
one she's carrying. He claims it's more potent. Liz turns on Sting during
the match and tries to spray the mace in his face. All that comes out is
that silly string stuff. Sting chuckles. He didn't ever trust her. Liz
leaves returning minutes later with a baseball bat. She swats Sting in the
head knocking him out! In what will go down as a great "beating" of '99,
Liz places Sting's wrist in a steel chair. Luger stomps on the chair and
hits it numerous times with the baseball bat. Sting is off to the local
emergency ward.
Winner: Sting via DQ at 5 minutes and 31 seconds.
Match Rating: 7 / 10.
Kevin Nash Vs Sid (Master Of The Powerbomb Match)
The ref is out cold. Sid Powerbombs Nash so it doesn't count. Jarrett
guitar-shots Sid. Nash wakes up the official and...get this...convinces him
that the reason Sid is unconscious is because he Powerbombed him. Nash is
declared the winner. Official Kevin Nash move count equals three. Sid's
equals four for a grand total of seven moves in this match. Ain't that
special? Johnny Diamond hangs his head in shame.
Winner: Kevin Nash at seven minutes even.
Match Rating: 2 / 10.
Chris Benoit (champion) Vs Jeff Jarrett (challenger) (U.S. Title -
Ladder Match)
Benoit is bleeding badly but soldiers on. A Swan Dive Head Butt is
enough to keep Jarrett down while he snags the belt.
Winner: ...and still WCW United States Champion, Chris Benoit at 10
minutes and 15 seconds.
Match Rating: 10 / 10.
Bret Hart (champion) Vs Goldberg (challenger) (WCW World Heavyweight
Title Match)
Winner: ...and still WCW World Heavyweight Champion...Bret Hart at
12 minutes and 8 seconds.
Match Rating: 6 / 10.
Total Event Time: 2 hours and 50 minutes.
Overall Event Rating: 7 / 10.
