Raw vs Nitro "Reliving The War": Episode 167 - January 4th 1999

[@WrestlingBios]

Hey everyone! Another episode of RTW gets released this Sunday. It covers WCW Thunder after the "Fingerpoke of Doom". Quite a lot happens on Thunder and I thought it would be best to cover the whole show on it's own (rather than refer back to it every 5 minutes in next week's regular RTW episode). So see ya' on Sunday for more WCW nonsense!

[@deathsnitemaresinfullust2269]

Awesome! Great idea. Thank You Ryan for all the effort you put into this channel, it brings more joy to people than some realize and I look forward to many more years of Great booking.... I mean planned video releases.. 😅👍

[@victoryusmc]

Ohhhhh hell yeah!!! Glass breaks, Dum da da dum

[@phillipmorgan4627]

Is the cold as ice sample for steve blackmen from the original song or from the M.O.P. song?

[@phillipmorgan4627]

It's hilarious how much European dudes shade american football.......considering how prominent it is in soooooooo many wrestlers backstories

[@legionofwarriors]

thank you... cant wait for sunday

[@DrBeauHightower]

That cold open was amazing

[@kakekikoku9492]

Ikr

[@jackcarraway4707]

"Mankind did! Mick Foley did it! He has achieved the dream of everyone who has been told 'you can't do it!'" One of Cole's best calls.

[@zlinedavid]

Cole’s best call, IMO.

[@namikstudios]

Cole doesn't have good calls. He really isn't up to calling for a flagship show. Letting JR go was one of the dumbest things WWE have ever done. Almost as dumb as TNA getting rid of Mike Tenay.

[@vinccool96]

@namikstudios Bait used to be believable.

[@bigungibson7105]

King: "No, you can't do it."

[@napoleon32]

Cole was always at his best when Vince was at ringside or in the ring instead of in his ear

[@aperson5215]

Yeah this episode will put butts in seats!

[@RudeBoyKyle94]

HA

[@jerichohaze691]

20+ years later and I still get emotional every time I see mankind win the title regardless how many times i watch it 😂

[@hazardtriplezero]

Yeah... I seem to be allergic to it. That and Cody/Dustin at Double Or Nothing.

[@johnmcnamara8741]

I told him that when I met him. Easily one of the best wrestling moments ever

[@fearless1024]

I'll never forget the euphoria of Mick winning the title...arguably the best title win ever.

[@leonardoantonini4464]

And then next week Mick's going to get his ass handed to him by Kane and almost lose the title if not for Rock's involvement. For whatever reason. Just after the most emotional title win ever, way to make your champion look like a chump. The attitude era really was a mixed bag at times. Thankfully almost nobody remembers that Kane match.

[@mattyg4186]

Daddy O did it !!!

[@kongmengyang1098]

It was. The pure joy of the win was awesome.

[@michaelflood1225]

Seeing him holding that belt and remembering sitting at home with my old man watching this at home gave me goosebumps… good memories.

[@kurtbrowning9765]

My favourite pop of all time for Austin too

[@lightninglj]

If you binge watch the whole series you can see how the tone of wrestling changes over the years. It's really cool to see

[@louisvelez40]

The Fingerpoke that destroyed WCW for good. The pop that Austin got and nailing the Rock with that chair, for Mick to get the championship was so awesome. I didn’t think Mick would get the strap put on him but he did. One of the happiest moments as wrestling fan.

[@rdrouynriv]

I generally laugh at Bischoff saying the fingerpoke of doom didn't matter. It was totally stupid and it took the live audience a good minute or two to grasp what happened.

[@Dr-Alexander-The-Great]

Bischoff will always defend hogan. Wether it was starcade 97, or the fingerpoke of dome

[@kurtpaulsen6579]

I had been in attendance at the Raw taping, and I played it cool with my friends who hadn't been there... they all glared at me when it aired, telling me I should have told them... I fired back, since we were watching both shows simultaneously on two TV's side by side, that Schiavonne had already done the work for me...

[@jojobeware4873]

April 5th 1999 was the day that WCW was destroyed for good.

[@chuytristan9717]

Was this only time he won the wwf championship??

[@usamazahid3882]

Arguably the best Rocky Balboa style victory for Mick Foley on that day. Kudos to you WB for telling that tale.

[@LRock617]

Arguably the most important week of the War for each respective promotion. Thank you for doing this, WB.

[@AcidBombYT]

This is the end. After this night the war ended, nobody watched wcw and they never had a chance.

[@kennethhernandez9243]

I have been waiting for this very episode since this began. That stone cold pop is the stuff of legends.

[@JSR_]

agreed 100% :D

[@PhillipCummingsUSA]

​@@AcidBombYTnonsense, just because WWF was so much better doesn't mean people didn't watch WCW.

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

This is the foreshadowing, not the fall.

[@bassvillain]

Cheers to all the work you put in to have gotten us here. You've fingerpoked all our hearts, or something.

[@namikstudios]

WB's hard work is real, while "The Finger Poke of Doom" is nothing more than a WWE myth.

[@CurlyFromTheSwirly]

​@namikstudios No, it really happened. It's not a myth so much as a misnomer. Had the lay down just been a standard heel plot it would have been fine. But it was the representation of the company choosing Hogan over doing new things. WCW threw away all the things that put them in the lead.

[@LuisHGarcia]

Truly the biggest night in the history of our great sport. Also, fun fact: 11 years later on January 4th, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff would show up in TNA Wrestling and WWE would respond with Bret Hart showing up on RAW that very same night.

[@LuisHGarcia]

@willbarkluff7245 You're welcome! When I looked this up, I found out in 2007 on Jan 4th, NJPW staged the first event that would go on to be named Wrestle Kingdom. Jan 4th is almost as wild of a day in pro wrestling history as May 19th.

[@Squirtketchupallovermyhotdog]

And tna just very recently uploaded that very episode to yt in full 😆 the day tna and everything that made it different died 😢 still had some gems in there but man it got bleak quick 😆

[@malikevans2615]

​@moffattman93 when they got rid of the six sides they got rid of everything that made them unique

[@uc95nu51]

I've been coming for Glacier ever since episode 1

[@Squirtketchupallovermyhotdog]

​@malikevans2615 hogan givin out to the audience for hating the 4 sides was petty asf xD man just chose to ignore the room 😂 then we got nasty boys and bare random wash ups 🤣

[@Leloup6760]

DUDE!!! Your cold open for this episode. as legendary as this week is, your opening is just spot on EPIC!!! This comes off like a major movie trailer! I LOVE IT!!! Thank you for putting so much work into this. If you haven't already done it; this review series you've been doing should be on your resume, bc entertainment angle aside, your work is becoming a work of art all on its own!

[@DR.64A9]

Hogan looks at the NWO wolfpac merch numbers Hogan to Bischoff: "Hey brother, I got an idea"

[@HarmonySword]

This is the episode we all have been waiting for since this series first started. The most important night in the entire Monday Night War.

[@alreyes8393]

This Was the Peak night, as far both Companies as a whole

[@nisargkasturiwale3877]

It's over-exaggerated.. WCW actually gained viewers for the finish.. Yes, it's still true that 600k viewers tuned in for Mankind victory but not at the expense of wcw viewers.. Plus, wcw ratings didn't drop significantly up until April of 1999 where wwf also added additional audience..

[@ShaunInce123]

​@@nisargkasturiwale3877 Yeah, Wrestling Bios has made a video detailing the Finger Poke of Doom & that it didn't kill WCW.

[@namikstudios]

It's not even close to being "the most important night in the the entire MNW". This Nitro got a rating of 5.0. The next Nitro got the exact same rating of 5.0. There was no mass swapping from WCW to WWE, nothing of the sort. That's just a WWE myth.

[@HarmonySword]

@@namikstudios It was the most important noticeable blow to WCW's reputation (noticeable because while WCW was slowly declining, it wasn't noticeable until now). Not saying the FPoD killed the company obviously, but there is a reason so many people look back to this night in particular as the "turning point" Can't really say this episode wasn't anything special when the effects wouldn't be seen until later.

[@tomclark362]

Little known fact: The finger poke of doom was originally going to be steve blackmans finish but he accidentially hurt someone practicing the move.

[@TheSerpentsEye]

*slowclap* 😂

[@tomclark362]

@@teo_heel You can think its a joke but the entire wwe locker room knew it's the truth.

[@barrybaird1243]

Golden my friend, just golden👏👏👏

[@Mister_RAW]

The guy he hurt…… Chuck Norris.

[@Qwertyfied18]

Almost feel the community energy watching this one. This series is something very special.

[@richardarmstrong6513]

You have no idea how much we all appreciate the effort you put into this mate. Thank you for not only this episode but for the channel!

[@mrdude88]

Don’t forget the guys who helps edit these shows. Wrestling Bio isn’t 1 person, it’s a team effort.

[@je4962]

My personal comfort channel.

[@JohnDaubSuperfan369]

They're literally doing it for money so no need to be thanking anyone

[@SykoSkot]

@@JohnDaubSuperfan369 what's crawled up your ass making rude comments on everyone's post? We're all here to enjoy or you're welcome to not visit the channel.

[@KingKidGoku32794]

Its time for in my opinion the most craziest year in Wrestling History 1999

[@num1Jaysta]

The year where major wrestling deaths started happening unfortunately

[@coreyhall1150]

1999 was INSANE. Probably the BEST year for WWF.. Paul Wight coming up out of the ring and interfering in Austin/McMahon's cage match was AWESOME. It was how Big Show was SUPPOSED to be used. Just a big burly mean fuckin giant.

[@DeathRobotKailozo]

It’s incredible the dichotomy between these two shows. The highest highs and the lowest lows all on one night. Watching this live as a 15 year old brat was amazing.

[@namikstudios]

Not even close to highest of highs or the lowest of lows. Foley's win was very meh while the "Finger Poke of Doom" was a great heel swerve that still has marks losing their minds to this very day. There was no mass swapping from WCW to WWE after this night, nothing of the sort. This Nitro got a rating of 5.0. The next Nitro on the 11th got the exact same rating of 5.0. No change whatsoever. The people who tuned into Nitro and saw the "Finger Poke of Doom" came back for more Nitro the week after.

[@DeathRobotKailozo]

@@namikstudios to each their own, friend. For me, it was what I said it was.

[@ayevince8857]

​​@@namikstudios"not even close"🤓🤓

[@namikstudios]

@@ayevince8857 not even remotely. The lowest of lows in terms of wrestling angles would be Katie Vick and absolute garbage of that nature, not this.

[@robdurfee6861]

@@namikstudiosyou just copy pasted your reply from another comment except to throw shade at a wrestling legend that doesn’t deserve it. Jfc, you’re a weird person.

[@T-Bag13]

Near an hour of BIO'S, OH' HELL YEAH!

[@jamesgaston2745]

I rewatched the Mankind match and one of the underrated moments is Steve Austin looking back from the ramp and genuinely smiling at Mick celebrating. Great moment that no amount of spoiling could ruin

[@labbaby189]

Austin throwing his hat at Vince while Vince angrily shouts in the air does it for me.

[@FUGP72]

I do wish Austin had been the one to rip the belt away from the Corporation and hand it to Mankind, similar to when he handed it to Dude Love when they won the tag team titles.

[@zlinedavid]

Steve and Mick rode the same miles, stayed in the same shitbox motels and endured the same physical tolls together as they came up in the business. He’d been to that peak, and he was happy to see a friend and quite possibly the nicest guy in the business have his moment.

[@Chuck_EL]

​@@zlinedavid Yup a genuine smile from Steve One of my favorite moments in pro wrestling history

[@mephosto]

god, this was apocalyptic. that both aired on the same day just makes them so huge. like each on their own would be a big talking point, but that they are forever linked just expands things exponentially.

[@GameingGooses]

I remember when you posted the first video from this series years ago and considered ditching the week-by-week format to skip straight to major events like these from the Monday night war. Looking back now, I think we can all be glad that this series turned out the way it did. Moments like the fingerpoke and Mankind's victory stand out with so much more detail because we've seen everything that leads up to them. I spend most of my time lurking rather than leaving comments, but I watch this show every single week and it's my favorite thing on KZbin. Thank-you very much for the time and effort you put in. I know it's hard work running a channel with such consistent quality uploads, and I want you to know that it's very much appreciated.

[@brandonfields613]

My grandpa took me and my cousin this WCW show. Man, this one took me back. Thanks for reliving the war and reliving some good memories!

[@brandonfields613]

Funny side note: we actually showed up to GA Dome December 4, 1998 because grandpa had misread the tickets. We definitely came back a month later for the show haha. I just remember my grandpa being pissed about the ending. I didn't really get it, I was only 8.

[@WingsOfAgeOfConsent]

Not welcome

[@TiVo67]

Starrcade 97 was the jump the shark moment. Announcing Mankind’s world title win combined with the Finger Poke of Doom was the death knell.

[@msm1876]

Well put.

[@namikstudios]

Truth is that it was nothing of the sort. Great heel swerve that had everyone who saw it tuning in next week for more Nitro and still has marks losing their minds to this very day.

[@CurlyFromTheSwirly]

The finger poke itself could have been recovered from (the same way Starcade 97 was recovered from). The reason WCW didn't recover is cause instead of moving forward like WWF was, they reverted to being about Hogan. Hogan getting 2 world titles and returning to Hulkamania wasn't good for the company. 1998 had 30 million in profit. 1999 had 9 million in loses.

[@TiVo67]

@@CurlyFromTheSwirly there were several different ways they coulda made the FPoD work & they chose none of them. Goldberg getting his heat back by running through the B team, then getting his win back from Nash, and ultimately getting a PPV win over Hogan for the belt. Nash feeling the only way to take down Hollywood is from within. Trim the fat, drop the B team, and just be a small dominant faction.

[@CurlyFromTheSwirly]

@TiVo67 exactly 👏 💯 👏 1 of the big mistakes WCW made was not giving Goldberg another title. Giving it to DDP was right, but done wrong. The nWo united just didn't make any sense, so the DPOD just looked stupid.

[@twig8523]

Chills at that intro! Yes, yes I was just like everyone else who changed channels immediately. One of my cherished memories of my brother, who died 5 years ago, was turning to each other so excited to hear Mankind would win the title when we tuned in for the 1st hour of nitro to see the cruiserweights. We would always flip over to prioritize Raw anyways, but this was magical.

[@zacharythomason7359]

Sorry for your loss.😭😭😭😭😭😭🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@brettrossi034]

Yeah Vince was such a great filter for this angle with Terri, that he tried it like 6 years later with Lita, Kane and Snitsky 😅 Also, happy new year everyone! 1999 is gonna be a wild year!

[@ArtLeeThree]

I can give a little thought to this. They used it to debut a big threat, Snitsky. Whereas the Terri one was to…..? What’s the point?

[@michaelbreen7865]

@@ArtLeeThree There was no point to Terri's "pregnancy."

[@talkingben5190]

Here we are now people. Arguably the biggest night of the Monday night wars. 55 minutes long. Let's strap in for the most anticipated episode of this series

[@dhosea101]

Finally! on this sad day of WWE cuts, we have reliving the war to make us feel better. Thanks WrestlingBios

[@RKStrikerJK5]

I remember watching this live. Little me didn't think Mick was gonna win. I _wanted_ him to win, but I didn't think he was gonna. Him getting the win was a spirit-lifter for me like you wouldn't believe. Thank you SO much, WB, for doing this one.

[@lexkanyima2195]

But is there a significance why Mick Foley deserve to win The WWF ? it is not just Survivor Series 1998.

[@HamSandwich-xk3om]

People like to ignore the way HHH organically rose to the top, and act like it was only due to him marrying the bosses daughter, which definitely extended his run, but 98 and 99, HHH was the equivalent of today's "internet darlings". Even without marrying Steph, HHH deserved his main event spot in 2000

[@rustyshackleford7265]

Don't forget his top-notch, droning, 20-minute promos (if you're into verbal masterbation)

[@HamSandwich-xk3om]

@@rustyshackleford7265 that was afterwards. 98-99 is the era I'm referring to. Way before that version, which I am not that fond of, but he earned that right to be in that spot, not saying he didn't botch it when he got there, which he did, but that was partly due to Vince making sure WCWs stars looked weak too.

[@azapro911]

If anything, Triple H was a top guy taking a huge risk by fooling around with the boss' daughter when many of those around Vince didn't approve.

[@HamSandwich-xk3om]

@@azapro911 you are correct. At that time, Vince didn't want his daughter fooling around with "the boys". HHH had to know if it ended any other way besides marriage, his career was over.

[@kdizzle901]

But he didn’t deserve 14 world championships

[@mattpatrick]

Perhaps the most anticipated episodes of Reliving The War. So stoked to watch!!!

[@mrdude88]

The second most anticipated episode is the March 26, 2001 episode.

[@8BitChad]

probably #2 for me, but I'm immature. The most anticipated episode for me was "I choppy choppy your pp"

[@CurlyFromTheSwirly]

​@@mrdude88😢

[@jussimattsen4583]

One of the biggest nights in wrestling history. Where one company decided to give the fans what they want and the other decided to kill it's credibility.

[@Am71919]

Their credibility was killed a year ago at this point

[@L1am21]

People slow down and look at car crashes

[@CurlyFromTheSwirly]

WCW,spent most of 1998 not giving fans what they wanted. Half the fans didn't want Goldberg. All the fans wanted DDP.

[@camerondalton1495]

Judging by the reception Goldberg got when he won the belt I don't think that is entirely true.

[@Am71919]

@@CurlyFromTheSwirly I think you're talking about 99

[@mrmoose6619]

The night that made WWF (now WWE) win the War and made WCW lose it. This is the one night that deserves a nearly full hour. Thank you for getting us here.

[@eastsidereviews727]

1999 is the most Vince Russo year as man had influence and creative in both companies. Really looking forward to hiw batshit insane this series is about to get!!

[@namikstudios]

Russo doesn't arrive in WCW until the end of 1999, so 2000 is more his year. Just checked, he was signed to WCW on Oct 3rd 99, so yeah most of 1999 in WCW is Russo-free.

[@vincentprice9156]

Going back, I kinda wish I had watched 2000 WcW instead of 1999...At least 2000 was chaotic but interesting vs 1999 which was just a cheap rehash of 1996 @@namikstudios

[@namikstudios]

@@vincentprice9156 the Ric Flair as WCW pres angle in 1999 was awesome. He and Roddy Piper were hilarious working together. And Little Naitch as vice pres! So good.

[@markjones5647]

Nearly an hour long well I best order a takeaway for this one wrestling bios u bring so much joy to us retro wrestling fans a massive THANK U from us all we salute u

[@JayRasheed718]

Pat Patterson offering Kane a condom is crazy as hell 😂😂

[@wweminehead5458]

Ladies and Gentlemen we are now into the year 1999

[@num1Jaysta]

Here we go!

[@rmcdudmk212]

The end is nigh! 😮

[@num1Jaysta]

@@rmcdudmk212 WWF Armageddon theme plays

[@kurtpaulsen6579]

Yep... the fire is lit, and is about to burn uncontrollably... that poor Dumpster(tm)...

[@rmcdudmk212]

@@num1Jaysta at least I'm not the only one who hears it. 😁

[@elec8101]

Steve Blackman is so underrated. Always appreciate some martial arts background in wrestlers.

[@nicholasokeefe3632]

Ive watched this series since nearly the beginning and Im mind blown how big your channel has become and how great your content became. This is the day I've been waiting for for over 2 years now. Thank you for everything you've brought to your fans. We're now on the road to some of the greatest WCW/WWF moments of all time

[@mentalphilanthropist35]

This guy, at some point has to revisit some of his old episodes. His style and his comedy have evolved.

[@nicholasokeefe3632]

@mentalphilanthropist35 I love revisiting his old episodes. The humor and inside jokes have expanded so much. it's awesome

[@namikstudios]

You've been waiting for two years to see the myth busted? This Nitro got a rating of 5.0. The next Nitro on the 11th gets the exact same rating of 5.0. No change whatsoever. But don't let the facts get in the way of the WWE myth that this was somehow a disaster for WCW. It was nothing of the sort.

[@nicholasokeefe3632]

@namikstudios ummm, no, actually, I'm just too lazy to watch both episodes at the same time. I wanted to see how they went head to head and what happened when. I don't care about ratings all that stuff. I just wanted to see the single most important moment in WWE and WCW simultaneously

[@namikstudios]

@@nicholasokeefe3632 this is a very long way from being "the single most important moment in WWE and WCW". Wouldn't even be in the top 100 moments of either. It didn't move the needle one bit. Well, unless you count Raw losing viewers over the fortnight, because that's the only thing that changed.

[@Worriedshoess]

I started watching this late. I think there was already 100 plus episodes. I was determined to catch up. I spent nearly a month in the hospital this summer, a month more laid in bed. This was one of the main things that got me through it. I caught up yesterday. Love that the first episode I have to wait for is this episode! Kismet. Thanks!

[@XKTwentyFive]

I think we all remember this night. Austin's pop and the pop Mankind got when he won the title are legendary.

[@lexkanyima2195]

Austin made the ratings up, not Foley

[@lexkanyima2195]

Austin made the ratings up, not Foley

[@mikeharless4596]

This was THE most pivotal night of the war and you covered it masterfully 😊 I love this series and I still remember the literal electricity running through my body when Mick Foley won. A moment of amazement that I'll never forget

[@namikstudios]

No, not even close. This Nitro got a rating of 5.0. The next Nitro on the 11th gets the exact same rating of 5.0. The idea that there was some mass swapping from WCW to WWE after this episode is pure nonsense. Nothing more than a WWE myth.

[@mulldrifterz6469]

Ah yes, one of the most infamous Nitro, hell, WCW moment of all time.

[@Kromatt]

they lost so many viewers , cause of their mishaps, i know myself and many others, didn't care about the promotion, after what happened . It was such a joke . I was a WCW fan, but become a WWF newcomer on this day, and followed them on the next Raw, and loved watching Jericho debut in August :D Also, the debut of Smackdown, and seeing the Corporate Ministry form, was such a treat to watch .

[@fortunax22]

Wrestling moments of all time**

[@icchampion5]

@@Kromatt Damn, I wonder how much Tony felt the sting afterwards. That has to be the worst moment in his career.

[@jackcarraway4707]

​@@KromattWCW's rating were finger after the FOP, but thr difference the main event results sums up the direction both companies were headed.

[@namikstudios]

Ahhh yes, so infamous that Nitro next week (11th Jan 99) got the exact same rating as this one - 5.0! But don't let the facts get in the way of the WWE myth that this was somehow a disaster. Truth is that it was nothing of the sort. Great heel swerve that had everyone who saw it tuning in next week for more Nitro and still has marks losing their minds to this very day.

[@StillWeRide]

The rock doing socko before dropping the elbow always makes me crack up

[@elliotelectricity]

I know this series is called Reliving The War as in people who experienced the Monday night wars get to relive it. However for me who was not alive until WWE were fully into Ruthless Aggression this series for me is giving me the chance to live the Monday night wars as if I was around during this time period. Thanks Wrestling Bios for giving me the chance to live this war in probably the best way possible and I cannot wait to see this series continue and get to see some more Jam up moments. :)

[@mangrove]

Mick's shouting "Daddy did it!" was a callback to the ending of Rocky II, with Rocky shouting "Adrian, I did It!"

[@wilhelmvillagracia9670]

I was there live for Raw in Jan 4 1999, and I confirm that it was at loud when Steve Austin came out to help Mick and when Mick won the belt.

[@perfectblindguy]

You were not there live on Jan 4, because Raw was taped.

[@lexkanyima2195]

​@@perfectblindguybut it was thanks to Austin

[@shizzlewhizzle3861]

Annnnnd this was the final nail in the coffin for myself and family. From here on, we watched WWF lol forever.

[@markbuensuceso2396]

We’re peaking with the Monday Night Wars here, amazing content as always 👏🏽

[@venomsnekko]

There's no better encapsulation of the latter stages of the Monday Night War than this night. Raw with one of the most beautiful, feel-good endings to a wrestling show, and Nitro with... The Fingerpoke of Doom.

[@theirishhammer5986]

Here we go the most important and long awaited episode of Reliving the War let’s Freakin Go! Wrestling Bios rocks!

[@Wondering1995]

Not just any garden variety touchdown celebration…that was called the “Dirty Bird”!! He’s an animal!

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

1999/2000 was the peak of the Attitude Era for me

[@KingKidGoku32794]

It is peak Attitude Era

[@LuchaGangsta]

Same. Its when i was old enough to remember watching wwf and occasionally wcw with my grandparents on monday nights during dinner time

[@GDon047]

This is it. This is what the whole series has been leading to. Been looking forward to this one since episode 1!

[@AmazingGuy13]

Now this is truly the beginning of the end for WCW

[@TheDukeofMadness]

I rewatched both the Raw and Nitro episodes before watching this. The explosion of cheers when Austin's broken glass hit shook my tv. I've not heard something that loud since seeing Andre the Giant walk into the Sydney Entertainment Centre back in 1986.

[@VaderPopsVicodin10]

The biggest turning point of "The War". It's finally here.. January 4th 1999.

[@kylereece1979]

That intro. Like a movie. Dramatic, Pivitol, Vital. Well done with this one. This is the episode that people couldnt wait to see and have been anticipating all along. You've delivered better than Special Delivery Jones here. EPIC episode.

[@kjag23]

For this entire series, this is the episode I've been waiting for. This is the beginning of the end.

[@denniswilliams6519]

WCW was already on a decline by now but this is where the wheels fall off and the descent really begins. Meanwhile WWF spikes ahead and never looks back.

[@CurlyFromTheSwirly]

It was only a flat tire. They could have pulled and fixed it... instead they kept driving in the wrong direction. 1 mistake doesn't end a company. The direction they took was not appropriates by the fans. Instead of pushing new stars they went back to revolving around Hogan. Other than DDP, there wasn't any new stars pushed to be champion (and he only spent a month as champion). Hogan even won the title twice in 99.

[@chibipoe]

Oh man, here we go. The real benefit for this is just, how *well* executed the Raw episode was. I know it was recorded, but it really showed how well their scripting game was. The whole episode is so carefully paced and plotted. Meanwhile... the FPoD.

[@CrunchetySmack]

Yet Again. It never ceases to amaze me that watching RTW brings back all of the memories of watching all of this in Real Time all those years ago. Your Humorous Commentary and Dedication to the Running Jokes make it All the Better. The Diligence of Detail is Excellently Executed. Great Work and Thank You.

[@idcwhatuthink4985]

When I first found your channel, i thought this day would take forever to get to, well im here for it now ❤And no one could understand the shock of this night unless you saw it live.

[@spiderboiplays5049]

We're years into this series and I still look forward to every single video from this channel. Great work as always Ryan!

[@RudeBoyKyle94]

Absolutely love the intro, it's so epic and very deserving for the episode

[@DoctorFriday81]

1999 was one of the best years of my life and a lot of it had to do with the Monday night wars keep up the kick ass work

[@tripleh327]

3 years of reliving the war build up to this night The night that literally everyone thinks up to when they remember the Monday night war Truly a gargantuan job wrestling bios You are my hero

[@RoyHodgsonBurner]

I’m trying to find the right words to describe how important your channel & YOU are. How much you mean to us as a person WB, I can’t put it into words, partly because I just left a sesh with The ultimate warrior & the NWO’s booty man.. Just know you’re a legend in the community 🍻

[@thisisnotachannel]

What a night this was to be a wrestling fan... Mick Foley's title win is probably my favorite WWF RAW moment of all time... even if WCW spoiled it earlier. Mick deserved it, for sure. And the finger poke speaks for itself... Thanks for reliving the whole thing with us, Ryan... and uh, ya know... for doing all the work and dealing with KZbin's atrocious copywrong system. You deserve a championship too, my friend!

[@lexkanyima2195]

Blame Bisschoff started it

[@namikstudios]

The "Finger Poke of Doom" was a great heel swerve that had everyone who saw it tuning in next week for more Nitro and still has marks losing their minds to this very day. That doesn't fit the WWE myth that this was somehow a disaster though, does it.

[@thisisnotachannel]

@@namikstudios I'm sorry, what? The "WWE MYTH"? It's a FACT... the angle was lazy and uninspired, and Nitro's ratings TANKED almost as soon as they announced Mick winning the title. And the ONLY reason anyone saw the "fingerpoke" was because WCW aired for 5 minutes AFTER RAW went off the air. I was alive for this... I witnessed both moments LIVE (or pre-recorded, on the WWF side, but my point stands... it was live for me), and the fingerpoke is exactly what I said it is... I could see that even all the way back when I was 18 in 1999. Lazy and uninspired.... with a hint of Hogan's creative control clause. Mick Foley's title win, on the other hand? RAW's feel good moment of the year... perfectly executed, despite Bitch-off trying to ruin it for us.

[@namikstudios]

@@thisisnotachannel here's the real facts for you. The "Fingerpoke" Nitro on the 4th got a rating of 5.0. The next Nitro on the 11th gets exactly the same rating - 5.0. There was no change whatsoever. No disaster. No mass swapping from WCW to WWE. Like you, I was also lucky enough to be watching Nitro live at the time. This episode on the 4th was a long way from being the disaster that WWE have made it out to be, which is backed up by the ratings over the fortnight. WCW did not lose any ground whatsoever as a result of this episode.

[@GlobalWarmingSkeptic]

Most iconic night in the history of the monday night wars. Wouldn't miss this one for the world. Thanks for uploading this and all of these.

[@michaelrobinson2811]

Damn! That opening!!!! I’ve loved watching the progression of this channel ! “Good, better, best. Never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is best.”

[@keithmadeit]

Imagine having the heads up about such a major moment, then not only giving your competition free advertising but disrespecting your own fans with an equally major letdown. Although it wasn’t the death blow, from a tactical view this HAS to be considered the single worst WCW Nitro fumble in their effort against Raw

[@CurlyFromTheSwirly]

Well said. To me, it was WCW deciding to go backwards while WWF moved forward. WCW crowed ancient Hogan again, while WWF crowned a new champion. To make matters worse, Hogan got the title a 2nd time in 99. The 2 main things that WCW had going in 98 (Goldberg & nWo) were thrown away.

[@rulerofall015]

It's Thursday and we are in for a ride in 1999. Really this year changed wrestling HISTORY as we know it.

[@wrightr]

WOW i had no idea this episode was going to be filled with such iconic moments, this is kind of wild

[@WackyDude-lj8fr]

Well, here we are. After over 3 years. We’re here to this moment.

[@phreakzilla8514]

Even after all these years, that glass shatter on 1/4/99 is the loudest pop I’ve ever heard on a wrestling show.

[@michaelkeller5927]

That joke from the first wcw match had me dying 😂😂😂😂😂

[@bryansansone3301]

I'll never forget watching this M.N.R. at 13 and it being one of the only times I cried with joy from a performance. Watching Mick FINALLY win the championship after the Stone Cold assist was incredibly satisfying. One of the best moments in wrestling history in my opinion.

[@victoryusmc]

We've made it! Now time to really enjoy WCW lmao!!!

[@SykoSkot]

This is the most underrated channel on KZbin. I've watched the new videos every day ones posted and working through the backlog on off days. It's crazy how far he's come narrating and editing! Like a legit studio cranking out fun videos.

[@Robert-gs2mx]

Content at a ridiculous consistently high level. I've been here since about episode 30 or 40 and you deserve everything you get for being the best Wrestling content creator on KZbin. And that is despite a host of strong competition.

[@ArmandtheWise]

Most epic intro with Goldberg, Nash, Hogan, Mcmahon, Foley, and Schiavone.

[@DudleyLuckie]

Most iconic WCW moment

[@Cycopace]

for the wrong reason sadly

[@dontreldontrel416]

​@@Cycopaceright WCW started to suck

[@jojobeware4873]

@@dontreldontrel416 spring of 1999 was when WCW started to suck

[@HoustonHardHitters01]

Oh how much do I miss 1999. I loved this year in the world at the time and how WWE never looked back after this win

[@retepoteil]

To me this was peek attitude era and the most amazing raw I ever saw

[@azapro911]

Nearly an hour long and I'm not surprised, this is definitely going to be the most infamous episode.. 😂

[@userjoereuscher]

Just want to say thanks for all that you guys do. I've been a Hugh wrestling fan for over 40 yrs an you have rekindled my fan dome lol. It really takes me back to the war years of my buddies an I going to the one bar that carried the station that WCW aired on (weird cable company in the town I'm from) an watching both raw an nitro on 2 pull down screens with usually just raw sound on. Inlets a promo came on. Anyway thanks again an I will be getting a shirts soon

[@stoozdee]

The music on this channel is always of the highest tier.

[@Justplayinggames1986]

Omg 😱 I forgot it’s Thursday reliving the war 😅 made my day better thank you 🙏

[@JSR_]

I can't speak for all WCW fans, but this killed WCW for me. WCW built up Goldberg for a year. He beat everyone: Hogan, Giant, DDP, Bigelow, you name em. Then Hall and Hash screwed him out of the belt at Starcade. Then Hogan screwed him out of his rematch. Then Hall Nash and Hogan reunited in the FPoD. It was a slap in the face of all those people that WCW made into Goldberg fans, who hated the nWo, who wanted a payoff, or at least to see Goldberg get his chance at redemption. I threw up. I vividly remember ripping my nWo Wolfpac shirt into shreds that night. I never watched Nitro live again. I would tape it for a few more weeks before I realized just how much better WWF was, and how I was missing so much good action. By March '99, I was done with WCW.

[@henrikschmidt3964]

I was glad to hear Michael Cole get a little love for his commentating at Mankind's title win. That may very well be his best call ever. And no, you don't get like if I don't get a 'shut up' from Bret to Road Dogg.

[@Dashawn2007SigmaBlood]

28:32 - I watch Raw from start to finish. And I remember recording for the (very 1st time) of monday night raw episode on the VHS Tape.

[@LoneLeeGH]

The funny thing is, originally, I didn't hear the Tony Schiavone comments. Mankind's victory came as a surprise to me. I was already jaded with WCW after Goldberg lost the belt so I wasn't in the mood for Nitro that night. I switched over for the replay later in the night and seen the Fingerpoke. I barely watched any WCW after that for several months.

[@brianshields7485]

So many DQ finishes lazy booking

[@Stooboot]

absolutely love the opening of this. so well edited. i was too young to understand why mick foley winning was so incredible. oddly enough the most memorable thing from this for me was that piledriver in the snow

[@roninmarketing4048]

Was waiting for his one and you didn't disappoint. HES AN ANIMAL! AN ANIMAL!!!!

[@tomneff7102]

The way Schiavone says "Ha.....Ha" the second time around tells you he knew what was about to happen on Nitro, and didn't like it one bit. Despite all the prior mistakes, the War was still winnable going into this night. Unfortunately, this is one of many "Crossing the Rubicon" moments that sunk WCW.

[@hazardtriplezero]

Also, thank you for this. The fingerpoke, terri's miscarriage and mankind's win are looked at so often in isolation as their own events that it gets forgotten (at least by me) that it was all the same night.

[@theamericanwordsmith2670]

Been waiting for this one since Day 1, and you knocked it out of the PARK! Thank you for keeping this (and us!) going!