Approximately two years after his jump to World Championship Wrestling following the infamous Survivor Series Screwjob, Bret Hart worked his way into the Heavyweight Title picture by late 1999. Most (including Bret) found it rather confusing why he had to "work his way up" through the US Title picture before being elevated into the mainstream like the superstar he was, and was paid to be.

Hart finally achieved the pinnacle of his WCW reign by defeating Chris Benoit for a vacant WCW Championship in November of 1999 at WCW Mayhem before a hometown crowd in Toronto, Canada. Despite the occurrence of the infamous "Cheat Plate Spear" Goldberg put on Bret Hart on the March 29th Nitro, the feud between Hart and Goldberg only began to heat up significantly once Bret became World Champion. In a strange twist of fate, Hart and Goldberg were paired as a tag team to face Creative Control for the WCW Tag Team Championships on the December 9th edition of Thunder. They would emerge victorious to become new champions. The very next week on the December 13th edition of Monday Nitro Bret Hart admitted his respect for Goldberg, then suddenly decided to snidely guarantee victory over him at Starrcade. Goldberg did not take to it well, and so began the dissension between the team. Later on that night the Outsiders would challenge Goldberg and Hart to a Tag Team Championship match and take the straps from them.

One month later, Hart faced Bill Goldberg on December 19, 1999 in the main event of WCW's feature pay-per-view event, Starrcade.The match was scripted as expected with Bret pulling out his typical arsenal of maneuvers and submissions against Bill Goldberg's all power r'epertoire. However one of those power moves went terribly wrong as Goldberg whipped Bret into the ropes and connected with the right side of Bret's face with a stiff mule kick. This would be the kick that would ultimately end Bret's career. Hart of course finished the match, showing minimal ware. The match soon came to the finish with the referee being knocked out, two more referees would subsequently come replace the last, but each would get knocked out as well. Finally, Roddy Piper ran to the ring in wearing the referee stripes as the match's fourth official referee. Piper entered the ring and (referencing the Survivor Series Screwjob) Piper screwed Goldberg by calling for the bell, as Bret trapped Goldberg in the Sharpshooter. Goldberg made no intentions to tapping out. Piper took the World Title and walked up the ramp with it, leaving Bret Hart confused in the ring. Hart followed Piper, and turned him around. Roddy quickly and emotionlessly handed Bret the belt, and kept walking to the back.

Hart would face Goldberg the next night on Nitro for the title and come out victorious with the help of the nWo. However a month later, an injured Hart would have to relinquish the World Title for the last time as the effects of the Mule-kick induced concussion had finally set in. Hart's career would come to an end shortly thereafter.

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