Background: Bret Hart and Goldberg made for a very incredible team, winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship while it was already announced that at WCW’s biggest event of the year they’d wrestle each other for Hart’s WCW World Heavyweight Championship. They would lose the Tag title due to an attack at the hands of eventual title winners Kevin Nash & Scott Hall.
Starrcade
Washington, D.C.
December 19, 1999
Bret Hart vs. Goldberg
A pair of stern collar & elbow tie-ups showed just how much of a strength advantage the challenger had over his opposition. Smartly, Hart took Goldberg down via the side headlock. Goldberg eventually muscled his way off the mat, whipping Hart into the ropes for a gorilla press power slam. Rather than go for the pin, Goldberg waited for the champion to get up before clotheslining him not once, but twice before sweeping Hart into a heel hook. This proved detrimental for Goldberg as Hart blocked the submission and took advantage of the position by going for the Sharpshooter. But Goldberg was still too strong and was able to get free by kicking Hart into the ropes. The referee got stuck between the action as the grapplers spilled to the floor and was knocked out. As another referee entered the ring, Goldberg pitched Hart into the ring for a leg-based series of attacks. The fans seemed to be turning on the challenger when Goldberg’s errant suplex knocked out the second ref. Goldberg ignored the result of his actions, looking to Spear a rising Hart.
Instead, Goldberg hit nothing but the turnbuckles when Bret moved. The champion quickly pulled Goldberg underneath the ropes to lock in the figure four around the ring post. The pro-challenger fans were drowning out the anti-Goldberg chanters, trying to rally their guy to his feet so he could stop Hart from working over the former World champion’s leg. Hart pulled the fighting the now bleeding-from-the-forehead Goldberg to the ring’s middle to put him in the figure four leg lock. Goldberg refused to submit, though his body was ready to give up. Goldberg countered the submission just as a “Goldberg sucks!” chant started. Hart was still in control, stomping and kicking Goldberg to his heart’s content. A haymaker from Hart dropped the third referee prior to the champion whipping Goldberg into the ropes. Goldberg reversed the Irish whip, kicking Bret on the ear as he rebounded. Spear connected for Goldberg to a big ovation. But there was no referee to make the count. Suddenly, Roddy Piper came out with a referee’s shirt on. As Goldberg urged Piper to pick up the speed, Hart clipped him from behind. Hart put Goldberg in the Sharpshooter as Piper entered the ring and suddenly rang the bell. It was the Starrcade screw job! Piper took the belt as Hart gave chase and the crowd rightfully booed.
Winner: Bret Hart (12:07)
Is It A Classic: Hart tried incredibly hard to put Goldberg over as nothing short of a monster that could only be chopped down through sheer technical aptitude. But with the terrible finish and a lack of time, this match had no chance of reaching the figurative heights of greatness.
