WCW Monday Nitro - Monday, 11/10/97

• As far as the Bret Hart thing goes, I still think it's all a work. Everyone keeps asking me why the WWF would do it. Does the amount of press they are getting on the Internet answer that question for you? I also think the ratings numbers for RAW tonight will tell you. Even the pages that usually have inside information are being duped by this thing. Either they are missing the obvious, or they're plants in the biggest work in wrestling history, or I'm gonna' look like a huge jerk.
  All the WWF is doing is upping the kayfabe ante. It's getting harder and harder to work the smarks, that's why we have planted fans rushing the ring, Shawn Michaels beating up planted cameramen, and wrestlers on both sides of the fence giving marginally legitimate shoot interviews. If what happened last night was legit, do you really think the WWF would have allowed a match where something like that might happen? They would have sent Bret Hart packing, just like Jeff Jarrett was unceremoniously dumped by WCW.
  Bret Hart's "goodbye" to the fans last night was no different than Arn Anderson's retirement speech. It was designed to bring up real emotion, something we don't often get watching professional wrestling. However, in Bret's case, it was a well-orchestrated work. Why would he spell "WCW" in the air instead of saying it out loud? Vince can't get sued for that.
  'Nuff said.
• Trivia Question: When Gorgeous George ran for President in 1952, who was his campaign manager?
• As Ben J. said, Benoit jobbing to Not-So-Fit Finlay a week ago Saturday was the scam of the century. One of my readers in England pointed out that Finlay only seems to work with people he knows well: Regal, Taylor, and Benoit, who he fought all over Europe.
• One of my readers who works in the business says that wrestlers generally used to hold onto their belts, but since Madusa's stunt of throwing the WWF Women's belt in the trash can, the road agent will take the belt from the champion at the end of a card.
• As far as Nitro goes, I watched a tape of last week and Rick Steiner was cut pretty bad, and Scott was not happy about it. That was the bloodiest scene of hardway juice I've ever seen in all my years of watching wrestling assuming it was, in fact, hardway. Of course, I can't imagine Public Enemy was all too happy about jobbing in Philly, especially in a Philadelphia Street Fight.
• Does anyone see history repeating itself in wrestling? Vince McMahon buys up all the talent in the 1980s and puts the other feds out of business. Now the same thing is being done to him by Ted Turner. Likewise, the nWo comes into the WCW and steals the limelight from the old timers without even wrestling, aided by injuries to Flair and Anderson. Now, with Nash out, Syxx hurt, and Hall ailing, Raven's Nest is now stealing the show from the nWo, barely even stepping into the ring. I dunno, I see a parallel.
• By the way, what was up with Hall wearing his old tag belt on Nitro? Seems pretty juvenile to me.
• The mailbag:
  
  
  • From J.D.:

    I was watching a tape of an old WCW Worldwide (you wouldn't believe how bored I was) and it got near the end of the first half-hour, in the middle of a Glacier/Miller match, when I was about to turn it off. As my finger neared the "power" button, I heard Tony yell, "Miller tags in Glacier! Glacier's a house of fire!"
    
    Needless to say, I watched the remainder of the match...just to see if Glacier melted.
    
    J.D.

  • From Alfie S. of the Dixie Mafia, on the subject of Paul Bearer:

    Did you know that Ray Moody (I think that's his real name) was really in the funeral business for a long time. He was a funeral director in the U.S. Air Force for a good while and he also I believe made this a civilian practice too, so that stuff in that long interview a long time ago about being an apprentice to the Undertaker's parents wasn't really true, but there was a little truth to it. As Percy Pringle, he was so hated in his hometown of Mobile, that they actually stopped saying he was from Mobile for a while.

• They are running a really cool contest on the official WCW home page. You pick the last ten men remaining in the WWIII Battle Royale and also pick the winner. The prize is only a Sony Playstation, but entering is free, and it's pretty cool voting.
• For those of you in the Washington, D.C. area, Starrcade tickets, Sunday, 12/28, go on sale this Saturday, 11/15, at 10:00 a.m. through Ticketmaster.
• And don't tune in at 10:00 p.m. looking for the Nitro replay...you'll be subjected to Assault On Devil's Island.
• And, now, on to the show...

• Show opens with nWo music playing and interrupting the announcers. Hogan and the nWo (sans Nash) come out carrying Canadian flags! What the...??!! Bagwell has got one sticking out of his back collar. Hah! I think everyone in the arena has a sign tonight. Not one, but TWO special announcements tonight from Bischoff. First, the "highly anticipated, long awaited, redebut" of none other than...the real Giant...Kevin Nash!! Decent, but not great pop. Half boos, half cheers. Nash comes out in a wheelchair with his legs covered by a Canadian flag pushed by Syxx, carrying a belt like Hall last week. Nash jumps out of the chair and imitates Gerhig's "luckiest man in the world" speech, complete with fake echo. Nash says that if the Giant still wants a piece of him, it will have to be in the Battle Royal at WWIII.
• Bischoff indirectly makes fun of the WWF, saying how he loves to hang out with guys who ride Harleys. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, it takes too long to explain...it references an interview that Cornette did.)
• Bischoff says that he has surprise for Bret Hart. (At this point, the nWo legitimately crack up, saying that Bischoff passed the initiation.) Bischoff and the rest of the nWo sing "Oh, Canada". Bischoff then welcomes Bret Hart to the nWo. Then the announcers started talking about Bret Hart..."great second generation wrestler"...yadda, yadda, yadda. And we fade to commercial
• By the way, I still say it's not going to be Bret Hart. WCW is just keeping us tuned in. Trust me on this.
• We come back, and the announcers are talking about Bret Hart. They keep saying he's "not a quitter", a direct reference to the finish of the Survivor Series last night.
• Cut to Mean Gene saying that "apparently" the nWo has signed Bret Hart. Bah! Oh wait, call Mean Gene's crappy 900-line for information on the backstage confrontation between Bret Hart and an "opposing promoter" backstage last night.
• In a BIG upset, "Lord" Steve Regal and "Squire" Dave Taylor cleanly defeated Harlem Heat when Dave Taylor pinned Stevie Ray after a double-underhook suplex.
  • Man, I really like Harlem Heat. I like their music, I like their moves, I like their attitude. No joke, they are my Windows background and their theme music is my startup WAV for Windows. At home, of course, not work. :-)
  • Big loogie out of Stevie Ray's mouth after a forearm shot from Dave Taylor in the corner early in the match. Ick!
  • Announcers are still talking about Bret Hart.
  • The match got really weird in the middle, a whole bunch of missed spots and a really odd, uncomfortable finish that didn't look planned.
  • Really, really weird finish. My theory is that this is part of a wave of "shoot-style" finishes that look totally unplanned that have been happening in the WWF (duh!) and the WCW of late. Makes me think that the hardway juice on Rick Steiner may have been a work last week. Remember Chris Benoit getting "knocked out" a few weeks ago? Hmmm...
    • Remember, you heard it here first.
• Nitro Girls! Hey, now! The African-American one got to do a solo at the end of the set.
• "Lionheart" Chris Jericho pinned Disco Inferno following a powerbomb into a backbreaker into a Liontamer.
  • Jericho is sporting a new beard. And he starts off fighting like a heel.
  • Hmmm, Disco's pretty over with the crowd tonight.
  • Here comes Raven and the Flock (as named by Tenay).
  • Jericho looks into the camera after the match and says "Disco is dead!" and winks. Someone's turning heel.
  • So, Disco's leaving and Kidman throws a beer in his face. Disco pulls Kidman over the railing and gives him a Chartbuster. Sick Boy then nails Disco. Sick Boy jumps over the railing and slips and almost falls due to the beer on the mat (whoopsie!). He starts to attack Disco, and Saturn attempts to join in the fun. Scotty Riggs (with the patch on the wrong eye...Doh!) makes the save on Disco. Scotty goes to hit Raven and Saturn and Sick Boy hold Scotty back. Raven gives the nod and they let Scotty go. Scotty and Raven stare each other down as we go to commercial.
• Glacier pinned the Barbarian after a Chronic Kick delivered as Barbarian came off the top turnbuckle.
  • Oh, no. It's Glacier. Man, the show was going along so well and seeing Glacier was like letting the air out of a balloon. Ffffsssss....
  • Glacier appeals to the crowd during the match. His reward? A chorus of boos.
  • Jimmy Hart powerwalks to the ring during the match. So, who's side is he on? Tenay said earlier that he talked to Glacier before the match and Glacier said he is going to turn it up a notch. Can anyone else see where this is going?
  • Belly-to-belly by Glacier drops Barbarian on his head, legit.
  • Glacier nails Jimmy Hart with a kick and knocks him off the apron. So much for that theory.
  • After the match, Meng interrupts Glacier's martial arts demo with the Goozle. Too bad he didn't do it during Glacier's entrance.
• They are really producing cool promos for World War III. I hope the PPV is as good.
• By the way, it seems that it's "Saturn" in WCW, not "Perry Saturn".
• Raven and Saturn come into the ring and Sick Boy and Kidman stand outside. Raven apologizes for Riggs' eye. He feels Riggs' pain. Who is this, Bill Clinton? Raven starts talking about how he was picked on, tormented, etc. as a kid. Schiavone says he can see why. Hah! And then, believe it or not, Van Hammer (ugh!) comes to the ring, looking like Exotic Adrian Street. Double ugh! And the "jobber formerly known as Van Hammer" has an earring through his right nipple. Triple Ugh! Blech! That's got to be a clasp rather than a pierced earring.
• Yuji Nagata w/Sonny Ono made "Das WunderBulgeEnMeinTights" Alex Wright w/Queen Debra submit to the standing reverse figure-four leglock (Nagatalock).
  • By the way, I think Mongo and Debra really are split. That does not seem to be a work.
  • Some dude with a cigar caught Debra's bouquet.
  • Ono passes the Queen some money during the match, gives her a big kiss, and gets slapped. This distracts Wright and that allows Nagata to Pearl Harbor (is that politically incorrect?) Wright and slap on the Nagatalock.
• Oh, no. Here comes Hollywood Hogan and Bischoff. And strangely enough, it's right when RAW is starting. Bischoff's pissed! He's got a movie poster with Sting on it that someone "snuck into his dressing room" and he's mad that Sting's encroaching on Hogan's Hollywood. Oh, come on! Who are you kidding? You're pushing Sting's movie. Puh-lease. Anyway, Hogan calls Sting out to fight him tonight. Bischoff and Hogan wait a bit, get bored, and leave. Too bad they didn't leave earlier, when we got bored.
• More talk about Bret Hart by Heenan.
• WCW World Television Champion Saturn defended his title by pinning "Crippler" Chris Benoit by sitting on Benoit's chest in the corner while hold the ropes for leverage.
  • Big pop for Benoit when he came out. Benoit, as usual, looks totally confused when listening to the cheers.
  • Saturn attacks Benoit before he even gets into the ring.
  • Tenay talks about the rumors of a possible Toughman division in WCW.
  • Serious reverse knife edges by Benoit on Saturn.
  • Another "shoot-finish". The announcers are asking why the bell rang, having missed the finish.
    • Remember, you heard it hear first...finishes that don't look planned. Watch for them.
  • After the match officially ended, Benoit got the Crippler Crossface on Saturn. Benoit then fended off Kidman and Sick Boy and was then attacked and tombstoned but Not-So-Fit Finlay. Then Kidman and Sick Boy start a mudhole stomp on Benoit. Raven sits in the corner. Exotic Adrian Hammer stands in another corner.
• Nitro Girls. How come none of the Nitro Girls ever lose their top whenever I'm watching? Hell, the only thing I ever see is Ric Flair losing his bottom.
• Okerlund interviews Flair. Flair says he is going to "dismantle Luger in 20 minutes", in case you had been planning on switching to RAW. Ric Flair starts going ab-so-lute-ly nuts talking about Hennig and the nWo. I swear, he's not going to ever retire. He's going to stroke out and keel over during one of his interviews. Flair says he's going to have an all-night party with the Nitro Girls after winning his 14th World Title.
• Eddie "El Caliente" Guerrero pinned Rey Misterio, Jr. after a frog splash to regain the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship.
  • Guerrero attacks before the bell. "Eddie Sucks!" loud and clear from the crowd.
  • Man, these guys are good. They are everywhere, right from the opening bell.
  • Eddie's got a rip in the back of his tights. Good thing he's wearing red underwear.
  • This match is a cruiserweight clinic. Flip off the top rope by Misterio into a DDT on Guerrero.
  • Wow, another unexpected finish set up by Misterio getting his throat dropped across the top rope...and here comes Malenko. He comes into the ring, stares down Guerrero, and leaves.
• Video of a Nitro Party Pack winner. A bunch of frat guys gathered around a TV yelling.
• Randy "Macho Man" Savage pinned Ray Traylor following his patented flying elbowsmash. The decision was reversed to presumably a DQ due to the post-match attack.
  • Savage gave Wildcat Willie a shove on the way to the ring.
  • Wow, Traylor comes out house-a-fire and gets the early advantage.
  • Hard to believe that Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty jobbed to Ray Traylor (Big Bossman) and One Man Gang (Akeem the African Dream) at Wrestlemania V, with Shawn Michaels eating the pin, no less.
  • Savage mounts a brief comeback with a thumb to the eye on Traylor, but Traylor comes back quickly with a spinebuster. Traylor takes it to Savage until Elizabeth shakes Traylor off the top turnbuckle.
  • Well, that was one result I typed in before the match that I didn't have to change. Well, I did have to add the decision reversal.
  • After the match, Elizabeth runs to the back for some spray paint while Savage delivers two more elbowsmashes from the top turnbuckle. Referee gets tossed by Savage and Elizabeth spray paints Traylor and Savage delivers a fourth elbow to a nice "Buh!" from the crowd.
  • Savage: "For life!" Heenan: "He should be doing life."
• I just switched to RAW during the commercial. Golddust is wearing blackface (with red lips), and he's got an "F" painted on his right cheek, and a "U" painted on his left cheek.
• Nitro Girls again. Zbyszko and Heenan will be signing autographs at the USAir Arena when the tickets for Starrcade go on sale.
• "Diamond" Dallas Page defeated WCW U.S. Heavyweight Champion Curt Hennig via DQ when Hennig clocked Page with the belt. Hennig retains the WCW U.S. Heavyweight Title on the DQ.
  • Big loogie from Page into Hennig's face. Good thing I wasn't already nauseous when the show started.
  • Slaps to the face traded.
  • One of DDP's rib pads fell out into the ring.
  • Kneelift and spinning neckbreaker from Page. Hennig slips out of the diamond cutter. Hennig takes the belt and tries to go back to the dressing room. Page drags him back. Hennig turns things around and starts working on the ribs.
  • Crowd chanting "DDP!"
  • Brief comeback by Page, but Hennig turns it around quickly and pulls the bandages off of Page's ribs.
  • Running missed kick to Page's ribs by Hennig, and Hennig does the missed kick where he flies into the air.
  • Hennig was in big trouble, so he resorted to the belt.
  • Hennig's mouth was bleeding after the match.
• "The Total Package" Lex Luger defeated "Nature Boy" Ric Flair via DQ, I guess, when Curt Hennig interfered when Luger was in control.
  • A really cute girl with a "Lex, will you marry me?" sign. I'd take her up on it.
  • I think Ric Flair fought Lex Luger in his first match back from the shoulder injury. It was the same card where Jacques Rougeau cleanly pinned Hollywood Hogan in the non-title match in Canada.
  • This match is a flashback to like ten years ago. Move for move.
  • Luger punishing Flair and no-selling Flair's chops. Thumb to the eye by Flair and a kick to the knee and the tables are turned.
  • Flair gets the figure-four on Luger in the center of the ring. Luger turns it over and Flair goes to the ropes.
  • Flair gets into a shoving match with referee Randy Anderson during the match.
  • Oh, no, Hogan has a statement after the match. Uncle Eric really doesn't want us to switch to RAW.
  • Flair attempts to suplex Luger from the ring into the crowd. Yeah, right.
  • Loud chops by Flair. Luger no-selling. Gorilla press slam by Luger on Flair. Does any of this sound familiar?
  • Another chop by Flair and Luger does the flex and the yell.
  • Flair thrown into the corner, Flair Flop, run along the apron, to the top turnbuckle. Bad idea.
  • Powerslam by Luger setting up for the rack, and here comes Hennig (with a bandage on his lip). Luger knocks Hennig aside, picks up Flair, and throws Flair into Hennig, and Flair and Hennig fight all the way back to the dressing room.
• Oh, no. Here comes Hogan and Bischoff. Hogan goes yakkity, yak, yak, yak. *Yawn* Sting drops from the ceiling and comes to the ring. Sting drops the bat and Hogan drops the belt. Savage sneaks up behind. Sting turns around to face Savage and Hogan attacks. The entire nWo rushes the ring and beats on Sting. Two LDODs from Hogan. Bischoff sits on the top turnbuckle and calls the action. Another LDOD from Hogan. Fade to black.
  • Hah! Before the match, in the crowd you can see an African-American guy wearing a Sting mask! It looks really funny. Maybe he's the Power Plant reject that was in the ring at Halloween Havoc. :-)
  • That guy's still got Debra's bouquet.
• I still think the Bret Hart thing is a work by the WWF that the WCW is going to attempt to use to their advantage.

• Trivia Answer: Chief Jay Strongbow
• See you for Nitro again next week. I should personally be covering Nitro every week without fail through the rest of 1997, but you know how that goes. I've signed up a guest reporter for World War III, as I will be on a plane when it's on, and none of my regulars can do it.

Okay, here's what I saw:

We open with the dark match. Villanos vs. Disorderly Conduct. Not a bad match. DC were the heels and they controlled most of the match until the Villanos pulled sort of Harlem Heat-like double team move for the win. It was a flying body press on Mean Mike while he was up in the air.

The ring announcer started explaining rules and things until the Nitro Girls came out and introduced themselves. Then Wildcat Willie was out to do his thing.

Lots of signs were there. I had four:

• DDT Digest Rules the Web
• Quiet E. went nWo
• Oilers need Goldberg
• I want to be like Greg!

Harlem Heat vs. BlueBloods. You know what happened in the match but let me say that NOBODY expected the ending and a healthy chant of "Bulls**t" rang throughout the building.

I think the Nitro Girls came back and really worked the crowd for a while. A sign said, "Next PPV: Me vs. The Nitro Girls"

Jericho vs. Disco Inferno. The only thing worth watching here was Raven's entrance. It happened right by me; but I don't think I got on TV. I didn't even notice the match was over. The fight after the match was cool from where I was, but you couldn't really see Raven and what he was doing.

Glacier vs. Barbarian. You never realized just how boring Glacier is until you see him live. Jimmy Hart came out and people started chanting. The best part involved the Death grip from Meng being put on.

Finally, the big Jumbo-tron-looking screen came on with a promo for WWIII. It wasn't too bad.

Raven gets up and starts talking the stuff but this huge guy enters the Coliseum from right about where I was (I didn't find out who until later; it was tough to see with all of the crowd.)

The next match was really boring and I chose to go price some merchandise. My friend told me what happened when I got back.

Ever since his entrance, Kidman had been really working the crowd. And you don't get to see it on TV. He was totally talking smack the entire time while standing on the rail. It was neat to see.

Hogan and Eric come out. And talk about something that I couldn't hear (I guess it was the movie) and then they challenge Sting. At this point, some guy above us who looked EXACTLY like Sting stands up and points a bat. Only a few people noticed this. Then the Sting guy left. We figured it was a little play-action.

After that, there was a commercial or something. And more Kidman. We didn't have the screen working except for the promo and when Raven was talking.

Benoit vs. Saturn. Okay, after Benoit's barrage in the corner, when he turns around to get crowd reaction, if you look just past his head, you'll see a sign go up. That's me. Not really worth seeing but...oh well. Benoit got the best crowd reaction so far. During the fight afterwards, I noticed that I hadn't seen Stevie.

Sign says, "Kimberly is my Smack-baby!"

Ric Flair comes out to a huge crowd pop. Talks some smack. I wasn't paying attention. I just wanted to hear him say "Whooo!" and watch him strut.

Commercial or something with more Kidman.

It's announced that WCW will be back on January 29. (I think for Clash of Champions)

Savage vs. Traylor. I wasn't entertained until Savage started dropping those elbows. The day before, Jimmy Hart and Savage were at Budget Rent-a Car giving autographs and taking photos. My friend won a free ticket. Savage is as tall as I am.

DDP vs. Hennig. DDP got bigger crowd reaction then anyone up to this point. However, Hennig is my all-time favorite wrestler. I don't why. DDP's rib pad was in the ring for most of the match.

Luger vs. Flair. Crowd was really split. But I got to see Flair walk the walk. So I didn't care who won. Although everyone was cheering win Flair got a hold of Hennig. Everyone but one person...

At the end, Hogan comes out and challenges Sting. I should note that you can't see any rafters at Mid-South Coliseum because it has tiles. So everyone is crowding the aisles. Next an entire team of security people walked by and blockaded one of the entranceways right next to me. Everyone is looking at this when Sting finally drops. I was totally caught off-guard. Poor Sting fans were crying at this ending. I guess he was about due to get beat up. This beating took a very long time. There were about six legdrops. Hall and Nash started to really work the crowd. Hogan, Buff, Vince, Norton, Macho, and Bischoff took group photos. Sting doesn't move. When everyone finally leaves, Sting is just lying there motionless in the ring. Finally, Dillinger and his crew help him out without a stretcher.

As I was leaving, we found out where everyone was parked. So we went over there and saw Kidman and Van Hammer walk out. Hammer was cool to us. But Kidman was still in character or something.

Jericho is next. He just ignores us.

Then security came out; including a dead ringer for Chyna.

They were followed by Scott Hall, Konan, and Syxx. Hall acknowledged us but security wouldn't let us get near them. I think Rey Mysterio was with them without the mask and had an nWo hood jacket on. He just looked like a roadie. And I was the only one who noticed. K-dog drove off in a Lexus carrying everyone.

Raven & Saturn are next. They totally ignore us.

Bischoff comes out and does his thing with all the "I love you guys!" And stuff.

Then Flair is out. By now, there's a crowd by us and Flair just has to ignore everyone and leave.

Then the bay doors open. Buff and Norton leave in a Jeep Cherokee. DDP and Kimberly with a Nitro Girl in a Cadillac.

We started to leave then.

It was a better crowd then I thought it would be. Lots of those "Buh!"s that everyone likes. Those chops really do sound that loud!! And that's about it.


David N. checks in with:

I don't know exactly when the cameras stopped last night, but I do know that this wasn't on the air. Nash takes the bat and acts like he is about to swing it at Sting's baseballs. Well, he decides not to, and looks at the crowd and puts the bat like a big penis. Also, Bischoff goes on this little tirade on Lawler, commenting on his 14 year old girlfriend, or sister as he called it. The announcer also announced that a live WCW event would be back in Memphis on Thursday, January 29th.


John A. checks in with:

• Dark match: Villanos IV & V defeated Disorderly Conduct in a decent match. It was probably longer than 80% of the televised matches. The Villanos were getting a decent response from the crowd, too.
• Raven's Nest sat about 20 feet away from us. The fans in our section were on Kidman's ass all night, and he played it like a pro. I mean, every break the fans tore into him. He kept standing up and looking over the crowd and would pick a heckler out and mess with him. One dude was trying to start something with Kidman and said, "Take 4 steps this way!" (I don't think that guy could count to 4, actually). Kidman, undaunted, said, "You take 4 steps this way." It was pretty damn funny....maybe you just had to be there.
• Memphis is definitely not nWo country. The nWo got very little crowd response and most of it was negative. The only nWo'er who got a good response was Randy Savage. BTW, Savage was on Memphis radio Monday morning and was great...very nice to the callers and very funny.
• Huge pops for Lex Luger, Ric Flair, and DDP.
• Rey and Eddie tried to do the springboard moonsault DDT again, but Eddie was in the wrong spot and they botched it up. But it was a really good match to see live.