5 things that killed WCW

Modified May 24, 2017 16:21 GMT

#2 Fingerpoke of doom

The most controversial finish to any title match, ever

If there was ever a single moment in time in which professional wrestling deliberately gave fans the middle finger, it happened during the main event of Monday Nitro, on January 4, 1999.

Kevin Nash was set to defend his WCW World Heavyweight title against Hollywood Hogan at the Georgia Dome for this particular edition of Nitro. As the two competitors stared each other down, the tension was felt all throughout the venue. By this point, fans were bursting at the seams to see which of the two original nWo patriarchs would make the first move.

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That first... and only “move” would belong to Hogan as he put his right index finger on the chest of Nash, which was subsequently followed by a ridiculous, theatrical sale. Nash sold the finger poke as if Hogan had decked him with the steel stairs. Hogan followed by pinning Nash for the 1-2-3.

One thing that still sticks out in my mind is how during this contest, WCW lead commentator Tony Shiovane had already told the viewing audience that Mankind was set to win the WWE Championship over on RAW is WAR. WCW did this commonly in hopes that fans would stick with Nitro, considering they would be told the RAW results there.

Unfortunately for WCW, over 600,000 wrestling fans switched from Nitro to RAW, thanks to the infamous Fingerpoke of Doom.

About the author

Jonathan Carpenter is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda. After obtaining a degree in political science from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he started writing WWE articles in 2016. Jonathan believes integrity is vital in journalism and ensures his work is high on accuracy. He conducts in-depth research and verifies information from various sources before curating a feature.

Jonathan has engaged in many meaningful conversations with prominent pro wrestling personalities like Drew McIntyre and DDP. He grew up in Memphis, admiring Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan during WWE’s Golden Era in the ‘80s. He has attended many pro wrestling events and credits The Hulkster for making his childhood memorable.

Jonathan, a big fan of Bray Wyatt, would like to see the latter's brother, Bo Dallas, continue his legacy as Uncle Howdy. If he were to work on the storyline, Jonathan would book the return of Erick Rowan as Howdy’s muscle. He thinks it would be a great way to honor the former Universal Champion.

When not writing pro wrestling features, Jonathan likes to collect sports memorabilia and has amassed a large collection of event-used and autographed relics over the years.

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Edited by Staff Editor