[1998-03-19-WCW-Thunder] Goldberg and the NWO

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[soup23]

I really despise the WCW/NWO partnership. WCW won at Starrcade remember. Steiner and Hennig are facing off. Rude comes in to interfere and DiBiase cuts him off. Vincent, Adams, and Norton hit the ring. Ray Traylor makes a run at them but the numbers are too much. Rude is really hammering Traylor on the outside. This was the main event? Jesus. This is the Thunder I know and love. DiBiase beating up Vincent does always make me smile. This beatdown goes a long time and feels really flat with NWO C-team doing the damage. Goldberg comes out with pyro and gets a Sting like buzz. The double spear has people coming unglued. Norton gets one as well. Why the show didn't end with that I don't know as Traylor and Rick cleaning house of Hennig gets no where near the same reaction. Goldberg was looking like a big star here.

[Loss]

Last few minutes of Rick Steiner vs Curt Hennig, which is every bit as inspired as you'd expect it to be by this time. Rude and Hennig are attacking Steiner after Rude runs in. All the bit NWO players run in to attack Rick (and DiBiase) and this just goes and goes. Finally, Goldberg makes the save to an enormous pop. Hennig and Adams eat a double spear and then Norton does too. That was Goldberg's first interaction with the NWO but it wasn't followed up on until Hogan at the Georgia Dome because ... WCW.

[PeteF3]

Goldberg coming to the aid of WCW should be a monumental event and the freshest development in the main event scene in months, but even though he gets a monster pop for the double spear, the execution and timing is way off--just way too long of a beatdown both before his appearance and after he leaves. The only other interesting thing was seeing DiBiase in at least 3 separate mini-"dream matches"--taking on Rude, taking on Hennig, and as a babyface taking on a heel Vincent.

[TravJ1979]

Should have done this on Nitro with bigger nWo players than Hennig, Adams, etc. Of course it's not followed up on. I imagine hell being forced to watch this match in its entirety Clockwork Orange style.