Pro Wrestling Chronicle

Match # 109: Goldberg vs. Sting (Nitro 9/14/98)

This has the potential to be one of those great surprising Nitro main events, in the same vain of the earlier DDP vs Sting match that didn’t go over ten minutes, but had a solid story and work ethic. Goldberg really did have a great run, be simply never progressed past the gimmick and/or formula of his matches.

This is a championship match with a great crowd atmosphere (same night as the Flair return), but neither guy seems interested in selling for the other. I know that was part of Goldberg’s charm for some, but at least shake a move off or reaction before you no sell it. More interesting might be the way Sting meanders through the match. When there’s movement it’s good because they’re both athletic, but they certainly aren’t on the same page through some of this. They do a lot of power moves, but nothing registers as far as damage. Sting completely ignores an ankle submission put on him. Sting’s no sell of moves and lack of projecting when he does sell led to a sense of them just doing moves and having an interesting moment, as opposed to a compelling match. Again, the crowd really helps the perception so it seems a tad better than it is.

It does get more exciting and have somewhat of a flow roughly six minutes in, when Sting gets a pile driver and a few Stinger Splashes in. Sting looks lazy as he supposedly struggles to get the Scorpion Death Lock on Goldberg. It ends up looking like crap. Hogan comes in, right in front of the ref, kicks Sting in the head, and we’re supposed to believe Ref Silverman didn’t see it. Ugh. Crowd almost turns on Goldberg when he hits the spear/jackhammer combo for the win in under ten minutes. The Hogan interference killed the reaction. Bret Hart, who you never know throughout is face or heel, saves Sting or Goldberg from a weak Hogan attack. Boy, you take out the crowd reaction and this was pretty weak stuff. 2 ¼ and 5/10.