WCW Monday Nitro - Monday, June 17th, 1996
- Before I start with Nitro, I have created a board that I figure to promote here briefly. DDT Digest is the resting place for WCW with an unbelievable amount of information. I have created a board for what some people consider WCW 2.0 (TNA) Reviews, video of matches and live event results will be posted. http://chroniclesoftna.proboards.com/index.cgi
- Nitro opening video.
- We are LIVE from Richmond, VA. Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko are on commentary for the first hour.
- Schiavone puts over the Great American Bash. Schiavone says that we will see the attack by "those two guys you know" on Eric Bischoff last night.
- Zbyszko tells those "two guys" that they aren't welcome in WCW.
- Schiavone goes over some matches while showing STILLS from the pay-per-view.
- Schiavone announces that Rey Misterio Jr. will face Dean Malenko in a rematch later tonight.
- Schiavone hypes up the actions of Mongo McMichael who turned on his friend Kevin Greene, to join the Four Horsemen and the money that came with it.
- Well, we see footage of Bischoff interviewing the "two guys" but they cut it off right before the power bomb through the table.
- That was about six minutes of going over the Great American Bash and that killed the crowd a bit.
- Stevie Ray versus Rick Steiner
- Ray with the early offense taking Rick off his feet with a clothesline and scoop slam.
- Rick battles back with a overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Rick even connects with a top rope bulldog but only gets a near fall.
- Ray powers Rick down with a power slam and misses a forearm smash off the middle rope.
- Rick with a clothesline and picks up the win.
- Your Winner: Rick Steiner via pinfall
- After the match, Booker T storms the ring and nails Rick with a standing side kick. Ray with a power bomb and Booker goes for the Harlem Hangover. However, Scott Steiner runs down and protects Rick from the move and gets hit with a double axe handle.
- Commercials
- Disco Inferno versus Joe Gomez
- Inferno asks the fans if they want him to dance. He goes to dance but is cut off by Joe Gomez.
- This is Gomez's debut.
- Schiavone hyping up that Gomez has been very vocal over Mongo's actions last night.
- Gomez misses a cross body and ends up getting caught in the ropes.
- Inferno stops Gomez's rather simple offense with a swinging neck breaker but plays to the crowd.
- Inferno goes for a lazy cover, and is rolled up by Gomez who gets the three.
- Inferno doesn't care since his hair is still in place.
- Your Winner: Joe Gomez via pinfall
- Commercials
- Gene is backstage with Ric Flair, Elizabeth, Woman and Debra.
- Debra says she "did it for the money".
- Flair tells Savage he will find out why Flair is "on top of the world".
- Arn Anderson/Chris Benoit versus American Males
- American Males need to be heels. They get good female reception, but that's only like 3% of WCW's audience, and that estimate might even be too high.
- Anderson gets attacked by Bagwell on the floor and is nearly beaten by Riggs in the ring with a rollup.
- Riggs backdrops Anderson to avoid a piledriver for a near fall. Bagwell enters and works on the left arm of Anderson.
- Bagwell reverses a power bomb by Benoit into an arm drag. The crowd loves anything the Horsemen do.
- Bagwell with a fisherman suplex on Anderson which gets a near fall.
- Benoit with a flying head butt, but Riggs breaks up the count.
- Anderson nails Bagwell with a clothesline behind the referee's back, but Bagwell manages to tag Riggs.
- Double dropkick on Benoit for a near fall. Anderson clubs Riggs on the neck and Benoit drops Riggs gut first across the top rope to pick up the win.
- Your Winners: Arn Anderson/Chris Benoit via pinfall
- Gene is in the ring with Anderson and Benoit.
- Anderson says that everyone is in a state of shock at what Mongo did.
- Anderson says that he had a business deal with Sullivan, but it was going south and someone had to suffer for it. So, Sullivan had to suffer the consequences.
- Benoit puts down Sullivan's efforts to break up the Horsemen.
- Commercials
- Big Bubba w/Jimmy Hart versus John Tenta
- I've got to watch this, again?
- Tenta showcases a dropkick that sends Bubba to the floor.
- Bubba rams Tenta groin first into the ring post, though he clearly wasn't able to drag Tenta all the way to the post.
- Tenta with a couple of body splashes. Jimmy Hart enters and nails Tenta with the megaphone but that has zero effect.
- Tenta turns around and slams Bubba down. Tenta with another slam, and this time uses the ropes for leverage to pick up the win.
- Your Winner: John Tenta via pinfall
- After the match, Bubba nails Tenta several times with a loaded SOCK.
- Bubba reveals that there are quarters in the sock.
- Gene is standing with Big Bubba and Jimmy Hart.
- Hart says that they will take out anyone that turns their back on the DoD.
- Bubba says he has kicked Tenta's butt every time they have met.
- Buy the replay if you don't believe him.
- Commercials
- Gene is standing with the newly reinstated Randy Savage.
- Savage is going to take his time in beating Flair up. Savage says there isn't a man in WCW that can take him out of WCW.
- Savage is quite happy with what he is about to do to Ric Flair.
- Randy Savage versus Ric Flair w/Elizabeth, Woman and Debra
- Savage goes over to the announcers table and stalks after Bobby Heenan who jolts from the ring and runs back to the announcers table.
- Flair grabs a microphone and tells Savage that every man needs to experience the pain of agony, defeat and divorce. All of which Savage is going through right now!
- Savage goes after Flair on the floor and rams Flair head first into the guard railing. They manage to get in the ring fairly quickly.
- Savage clotheslines Flair over the top to the floor.
- Commercials
- Flair sends Savage over the top back to the floor. Elizabeth slaps Savage on the floor!
- Savage rams Flair's face into his personal food table by the entrance ramp. Savage pours some champagne on Flair as well.
- Savage clotheslines Flair off the apron after a flip in the corner.
- Flair avoids a double axe handle on the floor and Savage crashes against the guard railing.
- Another commercial
- Flair leaps off the top but Savage charges the corner and Flair leaps off crashing to the mat. Savage continues to no-sell chops.
- Double axe handle by Savage. Flair nails Savage with an illegal object but only gets a near fall.
- Savage with a high knee and Flair runs into the referee. Savage leaps off the top and connects with a elbow drop.
- The ladies enter the ring trying to stop Savage, but he does the elbow drop again.
- Chris Benoit enters, and is dropped with a pile driver. Savage sends Anderson to the floor.
- Mongo slides in and nails Savage twice with the briefcase.
- Flair is on top of Savage and the referee enters to count the three!
- Your Winner: Ric Flair via pinfall
- Gene is backstage with WCW World Heavyweight Champion The Giant, Kevin Sullivan and Jimmy Hart.
- Hart mentions how he tried to tell Sullivan he couldn't trust a Horseman.
- Sullivan says that war has been declared. Sullivan is none too happy about being screwed over by Arn Anderson.
- Giant says that the Horsemen are jealous that he is the best. Giant says that the DoD is better than any Horsemen.
- Commercials
- A video package promoting the new wrestler "Glacier" is shown. He will be coming in July.
- Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan show STILLS of Bischoff being attacked last night.
- Odd, considering they showed the video version in the first hour, minus the attack portion.
- Schiavone also goes over the Mongo turn and the wild brawl between Sullivan and Benoit.
- We will find out which three WCW guys will take on the invaders in a six man tag team match at Bash at the Beach.
- Gene is with Rey Misterio Jr.
- Gene puts over Rey as a great athlete. Misterio doesn't like that Malenko cheated during their match last night. Misterio wants the strap.
- For the WCW Cruiserweight Championship: © Dean Malenko versus Rey Misterio Jr.
- Rey with a springboard moonsault early on. Rey with an impressive rollup and nearly wins the title.
- Malenko with a clothesline to stop Rey's offense. Malenko with a backbreaker and he wrenches down on the back of Rey.
- Malenko with a brain buster but only gets a two count. Rey crotches Malenko on the top turnbuckle.
- Rey flips off but is dropped with an electric chair slam which gets Malenko a near fall.
- Malenko with a sick power bomb but Rey is able to kick out. Malenko sends Rey to the floor.
- Rey sends Malenko into the guard railing. Rey with a springboard hurricanrana on the floor!
- Rey with a sunset flip power bomb off the top for a near fall. Rey with another impressive roll up but Malenko kicks out.
- Malenko drops Rey with a reverse DDT to pick up the win. Schiavone incorrectly calls it an "inverted bulldog".
- Your Winner: And STILL WCW Cruiserweight Champion, Dean Malenko via pinfall
- Commercials
- For the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: © The Giant w/Jimmy Hart versus Scott Steiner
- Scott Steiner has taped up ribs from when he protected his brother earlier in the evening.
- Steiner continues to try to scoop slam Giant, but Giant is too big and lands right on the ribs of Steiner.
- Giant goes to work on the ribs of Steiner. Giant works on Steiner on the floor.
- Commercials
- Giant has been in complete control, as he slams Steiner down with a vertical suplex. Steiner is clotheslined over the top to the floor.
- Giant grabs a wooden chair. Steiner with a low blow and chop blocks the knee of Giant.
- Steiner with a sleeper hold but Giant rams Steiner back first into the corner.
- Steiner avoids a splash in the corner, and manages to suplex Giant! Looked like an exploder suplex, and gets a near fall.
- Steiner hits Giant with the chair, but the referee doesn't call for the bell?
- Giant choke slams Steiner and retains the belt.
- Your Winner: And STILL WCW World Heavyweight Champion, The Giant via pinfall
- Commercials
- Gene is getting ready to reveal the huge announcement. WCW's six top men are in consideration to be involved in the six man tag team match at Bash at the Beach.
- Hogan, Giant, Flair, Luger, Sting and Savage are the six men in consideration.
- Gene announces that Lex Luger, Randy Savage and Sting will represent WCW against the three men of the "outside".
- Schiavone and Heenan go over the announcement.
- That's a wrap!
- The Good: Misterio/Malenko was a fun contest. Savage/Flair was good as well, but it was just like their other matches for the most part. Elizabeth looked really cute tonight.
- The Bad: Some of the booking. Disco Inferno not caring if he loses is something I will never understand. Why Bubba/Tenta continue to feud is another mystery. But, the biggest question of all is how in the world does Ric Flair not represent WCW against the invading wrestlers? Ric Flair is WCW. Randy Savage has been in WCW for not even two years and he is considered a "WCW guy"? Give me a break. Hell, I wouldn't even have Luger in the match either. Flair, Anderson and Sting. Those are three guys that ARE WCW. If not Anderson, then how about WCW's own top champion, the Giant? Working with all those guys would greatly help out the young champion. Oh well. Also, why would Scott Steiner use the chair in a title match? He is the baby face, you would think he wouldn't want to ruin his chance at winning the strap, especially right in front of the referee. Scott Steiner was made to look really dumb on this show.
- The Ugly: Joe Gomez can't wrestle. John Tenta not shaving his head completely.