December 19 would see a great career beginning its end as Bret Hart would suffer a concussion off a mule kick by Bill Goldberg at Starrcade 1999. The injury would force Hart out of wrestling within a year.
Also, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn began the first phase of their epic rivalry, at Ring of Honour. Also, Edge and Christian continued to pile up tag team championship titles, capturing their fifth in a SmackDown taping from the formidable duo of The Undertaker and The Rock.
#1 The kick that ended Bret Hart’s career – December 19th, 1999
By the time WCW’s premier annual event Starrcade came about in 1999, the company had lost its momentum in the Monday Night Wars.
The acquisition of former WWE Champion Bret Hart two years ago was supposed to deliver a knockout blow to the WWE, but Hart wasn’t used properly in a packed roster dominated by stars like Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan and Scott Hall.
Starrcade ‘99 had Bret Hart coming in as the WCW Champion and he would defend his title against Bill Goldberg. Despite Goldberg being the only home-grown main eventer in the company, the super popular ‘Myth’ had won only a single WCW World Championship during his time there.
The event seemed to be the perfect opportunity for Hart to drop the title to the younger Goldberg – but that wasn’t what happened.
Eager to finish the main event on a headline-spinning finish, WCW decided to re-enact the Montreal Screwjob and guest referee Roddy Piper called for the bell while Hart had Goldberg in the sharpshooter, despite Goldberg not tapping out.
To make matters worse, a mule kick delivered by Goldberg to Hart during the match would result in Hart suffering a concussion which would force him to retire less than a year later.
The title was vacated the next day owing to the controversial finish, making the title match at WCW’s premier event pointless. Hart would regain the title the same day in a rematch with some help from the Outsiders.
Hart, Jeff Jarrett and those perennial spotlight seekers - Nash & Hall would reform another short-lived version of the nWo.
#2 Edge and Christian bring down the Big dogs – December 19th, 2000
Edge and Christian were on course to becoming the greatest tag team ever seen in the WWE and would win the title five times in nine months of the year 2000.
Shoddy booking may have played a part as well and it was evident when they challenged the Rock and the Undertaker on a Dec 19th, 2000 SmackDown taping for the tag titles which they had lost the same week on Raw.
E&C would recapture the title after WWE Champion Kurt Angle took the Rock out with an Olympic Slam and the Canadians became five-time tag champs, bringing out the question – why were they booked to lose the title on Raw in the first place?
E&C would have two more WWE tag team title reigns before their final run was ended by the Undertaker, this time partnering with Kane in 2001.
#3 Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn come to blows in ROH – December 19th, 2009
Ring of Honour’s premier show, Final Battle 2009 would see Kevin Steen and El Generico go up against the Young Bucks in the Manhattan Center in New York. The Bucks would pick up the victory and Steen would turn on Generico following the match.
In a swerve eerily similar to WWE NXT fans, Generico – the future Sami Zayn – would go on a quest to gain revenge on his former best friend Steen – the future Kevin Owens.
The feud would extend for three years, gaining the attention of the WWE management, prompting the company to eventually sign the duo from Ring of Honour.
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