NBC to air WCW cards

By GLENN COLE -- Toronto Sun World Championship Wrestling has fired a major salvo in its ongoing war with the World Wrestling Federation.

Word is that the WCW has a deal with NBC to show four WCW events during 1999, giving the Atlanta-based organization a major shot in the arm at a time when it is getting pounded by WWF in the Monday night ratings wars.

WCW, which once won 82 consecutive Monday nights, is 3-for-25 in the last half of 1998 and while many of the older fans are sticking with WCW, the younger fans are flocking to WWF, which is getting more bizarre by the week.

Don't be surprised if you see Hollywood Hogan come out of retirement just before the first NBC show, which is scheduled for February. Understandably, NBC wants the name players on its first show and Hogan, love him or loathe him, still is the biggest name in the game.

Will this move prompt the WWF to seek out Fox as a possible partner?

GOLDBERG'S REIGN OVER? WCW's traditional post-Christmas show goes tomorrow night as Kevin Nash faces Goldberg at Starrcade from Washington's MCI Center. Goldberg allegedly is 173-0, but during his reign as WCW champion, the WCW TV ratings have fallen dramatically and apparently WCW officials feel they would be better off with a new champion.

Nash, whose defection to WCW with Scott Hall set off the successful New World Order angle, has become a fan favourite again and with Hogan in his brief retirement, has gained significant influence in developing WCW plot lines.

So watch for Nash to wrest the belt away from Goldberg, who was booed on Nitro this past Monday night.

In the other feature match on the card, Ric Flair, who did not suffer a heart attack a couple of weeks back despite portrayals to the contrary, battles the evil Eric Bischoff. Hey, how many people get to beat up their boss? Viewer's Choice has it all starting at 8 p.m.

HERE AND THERE: Stone Cold Steve Austin, who suffered a torn back muscle Dec. 13 in Vancouver, may be back on Raw tomorrow night ... CWA has a card Monday night at the Mediaeval Times at Exhibition place featuring ECW stars Rob van Dam and Sabu as well as Joey War Eagle, Bruiser Bedlam and Ricky (Soul Man) Johnson. Bell time is 7 p.m. ... If the WWF does get The Giant as expected , does it place him with De-Generation X? ... Is there a reason that Chris Jericho's web site no longer has a link from the WCW main web site? ... Sable has posed for a Playboy shoot. The issue is supposed to appear in April ... In case you care, Sting will be back in WCW next month. Anybody miss him?