Enjoy.

WCW Monday Night Nitro - Monday, September 4^th, 1995

By Bob

• This is the very first episode of WCW Nitro, in an attempt to overtake the struggling WWF product. These initial versions of Nitro were all live, one-hour shows.
• Eric Bischoff/Mongo/Bobby Heenan are doing commentary, with Heenan and Mongo not liking each other.

• Live from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mall of America.

• “Flyin'” Brian Pillman Vs Jushin “Thunder” Liger
• Arm lock by Pillman, reversed by Liger into an arm wrench and soon into a headlock.
• A nice wheelbarrow kick in the corner by Pillman, and he follows up with some chops.
• Pillman with a very slow moonsault off the top, sleeper hold, and chops in the corner again.
• Head scissors by Pillman and he follows up with chops.
• Liger runs into a big boot by Pillman. Pillman follows up with a sloppy hurricanrana. Pillman gets a 2 count.
• Sitting abdominal stretch by Pillman. Rolls into a cover for a 2 count.
• Liger with a drop toe hold and places Pillman into a reverse surfboard, and reverses into a face lock.
• Pillman fights back with another flying head scissors.
• Pillman runs towards Liger and misses a cross body, and falls to the floor.
• Liger with a somersault moonsault onto Pillman on the floor.
• That was a damn good move.
• Pillman with a suplex on the floor.
• Bischoff: “This is where the best live.”
• Pillman goes up top but Liger wiggles the ropes and Pillman falls groin first.
• Liger with a nice superplex... 2 count
• Liger tries for a top rope double axe handle but Pillman connects with a dropkick... 2 count
• Liger fights back and connects with the LIGER BOMB... 2 Count
• Liger connects with a nice top rope hurricanrana... 2 Count
• Pillman hits a middle rope tornado DDT…  2 Count
• Liger attempts a German suplex but Pillman reverses into a rollup… 1-2-3
• Your Winner: Brian Pillman via pinfall with a rollup.
• That was a good match

• A promo of Sting saying that Flair basically has no chance tonight in beating him.
• Commercials.
• Come back to Eric Bischoff interviewing Hulk Hogan with all of his “Pasta Maniacs” in the food area earlier today.
• Hogan asks the people. “Who is the greatest wrestler in the world?”
• I could name a few.
• Hogan tells Big Bubba that as long that he and his “Pasta Maniacs” are here that Rogers has no chance in beating him here tonight in Minnesota’s Mall of America.

• Ric Flair Vs United States Champion Sting
• Lex Luger walks down to aisle way before the match starts
• Luger is under contract with WWF… but is/was technically working on a verbal contract.  Thus he jumped shipped to WCW.
• At least two minutes of stalling to start off. Begin with a shoulder block by Flair and both begin the leapfrog and jump over their opponent a few times.
• Sting with a gorilla press slam.
• Another gorilla press slam.
• Sting with a hip toss, and a dropkick which sends Flair to the outside.
• Finger poke by Flair, and a few hard chops and right hands.
• Sting no-sells chops and punches to the gut.
• Sting with his THIRD gorilla press slam.
• Flair cross body blocks Sting to the outside, where Sting continues to no sell chops and right hands.
• Sting with… ANOTHER gorilla press slam from outside of the ring back to the inside.
• Flair begs off in the corner, Sting charges and misses a Stinger Splash, no sells and connects with a running bulldog on Flair.
• Commercials.
• Sting press slams Flair off the top rope.
• Sting with ANOTHER gorilla press slam... 2 count… Arn Anderson comes down to the ring.
• Sting misses a top rope splash. Allows Flair to follow up with a stalling vertical suplex. Sting no sells, and Sting connects with a few clotheslines.
• Flair flips in the corner, runs the apron, and gets met with a clothesline from Sting.
• Sting with ten punches in the corner and a hip toss for good measure.
• Sting places Flair on the top turnbuckle and Flair rakes Sting in the eyes. Flair then shoves Sting off the middle rope.
• After trying to back slide each other, Sting finally manages to get Flair in the back slide for a 2 count.
• Sting places Flair on the top turnbuckle and connects with a superplex.
• Flair manages to get up after the distraction of Anderson and chop blocks Sting.
• Flair places Sting in the Figure Four leg lock and Sting is trying to turn over, Flair has the ropes, and has to break the hold, but wait… he won’t.
• Your Winner: WCW United States Champion Sting via disqualification because Flair would not break the hold while in the ropes.
• Afterwards, Anderson begins to brawl with Flair on the outside.

• Scott Norton makes his debut by coming to the commentary area and yelling at Bischoff for what reason I don’t know… Savage comes from behind and challenges Norton to a fight next week. Norton accepts.

• Clips of what Sabu has done in WCW is shown… he will be making his TV debut next week.
•  Commercials

• For the WCW World Heavyweight Title: (champion) Hulk Hogan w/ Jimmy Hart Vs Big Bubba Rogers
• Hogan shoves Rogers into a corner. Rogers with a headlock but Hogan comes back with a shoulder block.
• Rogers with a boot to the gut and right hands to the gut.
• Rogers backs Hogan into a corner and connects with a big splash in the corner.
• Hogan blocks another attempt with a boot and sends Rogers head first into the turnbuckle
• Hogan with hard rights, sends the referee down, and walks into a poke by Rogers.
• Rogers with a back breaker and begins to punch Hogan’s rib section.
• Rogers sends Hogan into a corner and charges, but Hogan gets a boot up.
• Which totally missed Rogers so they did it again.
• Hogan then simply pushes the dazed Rogers down and mounts Rogers with a few hard right hands.
• Uppercuts by Rogers, and Hogan falls in between the top and middle rope. Rogers charges and leaps onto the back of Hogan.
• Rogers slides to the outside and begins to stalk Jimmy Hart.
• Hogan comes out and begins to deliver hard rights, sends Rogers back into the ring and chokes Rogers with a t-shirt.
• 10 punches by Hogan in the corner and Hogan takes Rogers down with a running clothesline.
• Hogan with a scoop slam, 2 elbow drops and a boot scrape.
• Man I’m getting sleepy from watching this match.
• Rogers with an uppercut and a few knee lifts. Rogers with a scoop slam.
• Rogers misses a running big splash in the corner. Hogan with more right hands.
• Rogers catches Hogan coming off the ropes and hits a side slam.
• Hogan begins to “Hulk Up”
• I begin to throw up as Hogan looks to win.
• Hogan with right hands, big boot, and leg drop, 1-2-3.
• Your Winner: WCW World Heavyweight Chamption Hulk Hogan via pinfall following the Leg Drop Of Doom

• Luger comes out and helps out Sting/Savage/Hogan in beating the Dungeon of Doom out of the ring.
• Luger is “sick and tired of playing with little boys... I want to play with the big boys”.
• Savage is immediately suspicious of Luger. Luger wants the World Title.
• Luger shakes hands with Hogan and they agree to a World Title Match next week live on Nitro.

Next week—Sabu debuts, Michael Wall Street debuts and Hogan/Luger World Title Match.

The Good: Brian Pillman Vs Jushin Liger was the best match by far on this edition of Nitro. And, of course, Bobby Heenan’s commentary.

The Bad: Sting/Flair, Hogan/Rogers… how many gorilla press slams can Sting do next week? A dozen? Two dozen?

The Ugly: Mongo's commentary skills.