WCW Monday Nitro - Monday, 11/24/97

By Bill

Trivia Question: Which two current WCW stars used to comprise the tag team Men At Work?
Our scores for WWIII predicting the final ten: Creed and Steve Raymond called 6 out of 10, Cubs Fan and Alex S. got 5 out of 10, and yours truly got 2 out of 10. Doh! None of us got the winner correct, but Steve Raymond wins an award for best correct longshot prediction, Booker T. Now, if anyone had guessed Vincent, I'd let them manage my stock portfolio with those prediction capabilities!
- Putting on my Monday Morning Quarterback hat, the win by Scott Hall does make a little sense. He's been jobbing to everyone on the planet of late: Luger at house shows, and Hector Garza and Chris Jericho on Nitro. This win may be the payback for all those jobs.
- I think this means the nWo is going to take a big beating at Starrcade.
The mailbag:
- From Mike Mayes:
  Did you notice at the end of the 11/17 Nitro when all the WCW "second teamers" stormed the ring to save the Giant from the nWo and, supposedly beat up the nWo, that Mongo found Alex Wright and was beating him up? I thought it was funny and in character for a dude the "toughguy" division was made for. (Oh-oh, scary thought: Hacksaw Duggan used to end all his interviews by saying "Toughguy!" Don't think they'll have a picture of his goofy mug on the belt, do you?)
  Funny "sign" from the 11/10 RAW: Fellow about 20 rows back has a metal garbage can wrapped in paper with "Whoop-A--" written on it.
- From Joe Sauber at Dr. Z's Death Drop:
  Hey, Bill--
  Nitro Quote of the week (11-17-97):
  "Where's Heenan? Is he back getting an early start on the cocktail bar?" - Kevin Nash during the Hall-Giant match.
- From Chan of Chan and Charlie:
  I wanted to tell you that I recently wrote a Religious Studies paper and quoted AA Arn Anderson. It was on the Joseph story in Genesis and to illustrate that he grew up a lot when troubled times came I quoted Double A as saying, "Adversity introduces a man to himself." I got a B+. I thought successfully integrating wrestling into a religious paper deserved an A.
- Jeremy's Thoughts on WWIII:
  When I was a kid, I remember one time when Kevin Sullivan kidnapped a girl and brainwashed her, and Blackjack Mulligan and Dusty Rhodes had to rescue her. I flashed back to that when I saw them carrying Scotty Riggs away. Can you imagine Disco Inferno rescuing Riggs from Raven?
I don't usually post individual requests, but this one was so unusual, I couldn't resist helping the guy out. Someone had bunch of wrestling cards ruined by water damage. If you could help put a value on 1991 WCW (2 sets), 1995 WCW (2 sets), 1991 WWF (1 set), and 1997 WWF (1 set), please contact Pat B.
OK, now I'm going to do something else I don't usually do. I don't usually publish unsolicited submissions; however, I was sent something very well written and very well timed. Anthony Capriolo sent me a fictional story about the merger of the WCW and WWF. I think it's great. It's about a year old, hence, in the story, the Giant is nWo, Savage is not nWo, Eddie Guerrero is a face, and Arn Anderson is still wrestling. Download rumble.zip.
Andy P. from Kent State University sent me an e-mail letting me know that The Giant was in a sketch on Conan O'Brien this week in a sketch about wrestlers as babysitters. Andy says that the Giant's acting was just like the way he talks in the ring.
Are you reading this page from the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin? If so, please drop me a line. I'm getting an obscene number of hits on my site from there and I'm curious if I'm really that popular.
Word on the street has it that the upcoming Thursday Nitro show may mean that Main Event and {Pro} get canceled.
Does anyone else think this WCW/WWF war has gotten out of hand? I wonder how much they're paying Rude all for the chance to embarass a taped Rude appearance on RAW with a live appearance on Nitro. Yes, he was a great wrestler, but he doesn't wrestle anymore. It's the equivalent of the WWF stealing Larry Zbyszko. I dunno, it seems like an awful lot to spend for a one-night surprise.
I watched WCWSN on Saturday. Maybe you all have figured this out, but I didn't realize it until Schiavone kind of pointed it out. The name "Hugh Morrus" is a play on the word "humorous".
Pro Wrestling Illustrated noted that in the upcoming Year In Review issue, Arn Anderson will be receiving a lifetime achievement award. Pretty damn cool.
Speaking of Double A, I got an e-mail from someone saying that a new book on Arn and the business is due out early next year.
And, now, on to the show...

Show opens with the nWo coming to the ring. Once in the ring, Hogan holds up a fan's sign that says "Bischoff owns Vince". As Bischoff is talking, Buff holds up a fan's sign "Buff, want a beer?" Hogan challenges anybody with guts enough to face him to challenge him for the title tonight. Giant comes out to accept the challenge. Dillon says Giant can't wrestle without a doctor's clearance. Dillon will draft a document to indemnify WCW in case Giant is further injured. Please. How much is Dillon paid for this?
- Tenay calls the nWo stunt last night a "swerve". Wow, carny lingo.
- Gee, will this be like the Robin Hood premiere again? :-(
The Steiner Brothers defeated Disorderly Conduct when Rick Steiner pinned the one with shorter hair in the back following a Steiner Bulldog.
- Mr. DiBiase? Jenny Craig's on the phone for you.
- Tenay mentions that the Steiners have had five WCW title reigns. I didn't know it was that many.
- Zbyszko calls Rick Steiner "Rob" by mistake. I think that's his real name.
- The finish was absolutely laughable. It took Scott three tries to get the opponent on his shoulders for the bulldog. Imagine how long it would have taken if the guy was trying to block it instead of trying to help.
Nitro Girls. The tall blonde, Amy, does two moonsaults off the top rope. I daresay I'd rather have her landing on me than Hugh Morrus.
In an upset, Booker T. pinned Meng with a rollup by flipping over the top of Meng on an attempted powerbomb by Meng.
- Schiavone mentions that Hogan's match tonight is special because Hogan doesn't wrestle very much on this program. This program? Try this planet.
- Announcers discussing when the Giant winning the title tonight would mean to Starrcade. Puh-lease.
- After the match, Meng puts the Goozle on Booker T. Stevie Ray makes the save by taking a page out of La Parka's handbook and crowning Meng with a chair. Barbarian blindsides Stevie Ray. The Faces of Fear lay out Harlem Heat.
Hmmm, a (local?) commercial for the Mt. Fuji Buckwheat Pillow. That's not very good marketing. On a wrestling show, it should be a Mr. Fuji Buckwheat Pillow. Imagine a commercial with Mr. Fuji in his tuxedo and derby relaxing on the pillow. I'd buy it!
Review of J.J. Dillon's ultimatum to Raven. Cut back to live. Dillon and Okerlund go over to Raven. Riggs jumps over the railing in a bad outfit to join the Flock. The Flock now includes a guy that can only be described as Billy Idol on steroids. Raven says he has signed the contract but won't conform. Whatever.
"Crippler" Chris Benoit made Sick Boy submit to the Crippler Crossface.
- Raven was announced as Benoit's opponent, but Raven grabbed Sick Boy by the hair and threw him into the ring instead.
- During the match, Sick Boy is slumped in the corner and Benoit invites Raven into the ring. He took a raincheck, I guess.
- Before the finish, Benoit cleaned house of the Flock attempting to interfere. After the finish, Benoit continued cleaning house until Saturn clocked him with the TV Belt. Benoit was put in the Rings of Saturn for his trouble.
- This match was not the squash I'd hoped it would be.
A taped nWo announcement is played to taunt Zbyszko. Cut back to the live show, and Zbyszko is incensed. He storms to the ring and challenges Hall. Leaflets fall from the ceiling, all being a picture with Zbyszko laid out with Hall's foot on his chest at Halloween Havoc. Finally, Bischoff saunters out. The two of them start jawing. The crowd was dead silent. Bischoff says something about the Outsiders being busy defending their (bogus) belts. Bischoff says that even he could beat Zbyszko. Bischoff starts toward the ring and makes a verbal agreement to fight Zbyszko. Bischoff starts to go to the ring but backs off. Looks like this will happen at Starrcade.
Another local commercial. Two girls in bikinis for a loan company. Now that's targeted marketing to pro wrestling fans.
Nitro Girls. Spice had a tube top on underneath her halter. No more Nipples On Nitro, I guess. :-(
Prince Iaukea pinned Alex Wright with a flying cross-body block from the top turnbuckle.
- Prince Iaukea just came back from a tour with New Japan.
- An otherwise well-worked match ruined by Debra on the apron distracting Alex, unable to get down because her dress was caught on the turnbuckle.
- Debra's distraction allows Iaukea to score the win.
- After the match, Alex grabs the microphone and fires Debra. They argue all the way back to the dressing room.
Randy "Macho Man" Savage pinned Disco Inferno following not one, but two flying elbowsmashes from the top rope.
- Billy Idol On Steriods has a sign "This is my spot".
- Sign in the crowd: "Will Wrestle For Food"
- Liz continues to push the envelope. Tonight, she actually pushed Disco Inferno into a header on the ringpost.
- After the match, Savage delivered another flying elbowsmash. When referee Mickey J. attempted to stop a fourth, Savage clocked him and threw him out.
- Savage did a little spraypainting, did a three-count with Liz's foot on Disco's chest, and did one last flying elbow to complete the thrashing.
- The match itself was extremely short.
"The Iceman" Dean Malenko made "Rougher Tougher" "Fundamentally Sound" "Candyman" Brad Armstrong submit to the Texas Cloverleaf.
- Maybe we should just call Brad the "Man Of Many Nicknames".
- "Boring" chants started early in this match.
- Brad's getting a belly.
- Sign: "Eat Beef"
- Well, I had that finish typed in before the match started. I just had to add Schiavone's nicknames. Well, except for "Candyman"...Schiavone didn't use that one.
Okerlund attempts to interview Mongo. Debra comes out to attempt to reconcile. Schiavone: "Get the hook!" Debra says she'll do anything to get back together with "Stevie". Mongo says "Why don't you just turn around and go back up that ramp and get the hell out of here!
Nitro Girls.
"Successful Return From Injury" Buff Bagwell pinned "Aggressive" Chris Jericho following a missed Buff Blockbuster.
- On the way out, when Jericho's fireworks go off, in a Sanford & Son reference, Jericho grabs his heart and says "It's the big one!"
- Heenan compares Raven's Flock to the waiting room in the movie One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
- Heenan on Hogan: "His mouth is so big you could put your head in it with a hat on."
Ray Traylor defeated WCW U.S. Champion Curt Hennig via disqualification when the nWo rushed the ring. Hennig retains the title on the DQ.
- Match starts outside the ring due to Hennig's stall tactics. Hennig's head goes right into the ring steps.
- Billy Idol On Steroids is in the front row punching the air encouraging the wrestlers. He must be Stevie Richards' replacement.
- Heenan talking about how great Hennig is and how he didn't go on the disabled list like some wrestlers (Ray Traylor). Kind of ironic statement since Hennig didn't wrestle for years due to a back injury.
- Traylor working on Hennig's bad knee.
- Match goes back and forth.
- Traylor rams Hennig's head into the turnbuckles ten times. Tonight's new twist? Four on the top turnbuckle, three on the middle, three on the bottom.
- Traylor hits the Traylor Park. nWo rushes the ring. You know the drill. Gets spraypainted. Heean: "This guy uses turpentine for cologne!"
- Scott Hall tries writing on Traylor's forehead with a magic marker. Too sweaty (or is that sweety? :) ) Should have used a grease pencil.
- nWo music after the beating. Shouldn't it be Traylor's music since he won?
The Giant defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hollywood Hogan via disqualification when the nWo rushed the ring.
- The Giant comes out to no music, as usual. Cast on his right hand, the chokeslam hand.
- Kimberly 6:9 sign. Nice.
- Hogan comes out with Vincent. Vincent? Ugh.
- Hogan immediately goes to work on the bad arm.
- Bischoff and Rude come out and take over the announcers' booth after the match starts.
- Meanwhile, Hogan clotheslines the Giant out of the ring over the top rope. Impressive. Hogan continues to work on the Giant's right hand outside the ring.
- Hogan uses the LDOD as a regular maneuver rather than a big finisher during the match.
- Giant pulls the top of the singlet down and gives the chokeslam symbol. He nails it, but is too hurt to make a cover.
- As they are laying there, an obviously fake Sting comes to ringside, pulls on the Giant's arm, and hits it with a bat...hard.
- "Sting" pulls the mask off to reveal Kevin Nash.
- Nash pulls Giant's cast off as the rest of the nWo moseys on into the ring.
- "Sting" is lower from the ceiling and when "he" hits it, he goes through it. It's a mannequin. Haven't we seen this before?
- Nash beats on the dummy with a bat. Oddly enough, the guy from room service who just dropped off my food freaked out because he thought it was a dog (only the hair was showing through the hole in the canvas).
- Fade to black.

Trivia Answer: Chris Canyon (Mortis) and Mark Starr.
See you for Nitro again next week.

WCW Monday Nitro - Monday, 11/24/97

By Bill

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