WWE refers to the match as "one of the most scandalous title changes of all time" and states that "shocking does not even adequately describe this moment". According to wrestling writers Brian Fritz and Christopher Murray, the event insulted fans, upset viewers, and alerted other wrestlers in the company of problems. They draw a direct link between the title change and the drop in ratings that took place in its aftermath. In "The Death of WCW", Reynolds and Alvarez expand on this link, stating that the January 4 incident "more than any other, started the ball rolling towards the company's inevitable doom". They believe that the "now-legendary" event made the episode "the single most destructive "Nitro" in the history of the company" and call it a "disaster of epic proportions". The "New York Daily News" stated that the match "is widely considered the beginning of the end for WCW".