WCW Monday Nitro - Monday, 03/16/98

Is it true that Big John Stud is joining Raven's flock I pretty sure I saw him in the Stuck Mojo video clip.

During the Jericho/Malenko match, as Jericho was heading back into the ring, Tony Schivione goofed and called the belt the TV belt. Also, when Malenko went for an off-the-turnbuckle atmoic drop, it looked as it he slipped, missed the move and hit his head on Jericho when landing.

Also, what was up with that s**t with Scheme Gene? True, Malenko's been jobbing a lot lately, but why would they script something as stupid as Gene going in and berading him? I was just ITCHING for a Texas Cloverleaf to be applied. Probably the only thing that explains this is what happened to Sting -- you wrestle enough matches, you get a little break. I just hope they don't do something stupid with Malenko like turn him into a whiner or a fan-hugger.

The Triple Jeopardy match also have some blown spots. Overall, it was a good match (save the finish), but Benoit decided to sell chair shots that didn't even hit his face. Also, I never knew a Diamond Cutter applied to the belly hurts as much as when the face hits the table. Raven ended up slumping onto the table and he sold it anyway.

However, it was nice to see Hogan and Savage blade, regardless of the finish that wcwwrestling.com will describe as mysterious. Hell, you could put in more intrigue having "Hardly Working" Bobby Walker run into the match and give Hogan, Savage, AND Leslie a beatdown.

• We see stills from Age in the Cage. Haven't gotten the footage back from the cleaners yet, eh?
• A couple of shots of Ed Frickin' Leslie.
• Zbysko says "I told you so" in reference to Savage turning on Sting.
• Tony says that the nWo is stronger than ever.

• Kevin Nash is wearing a loud floral beach shirt.
• Savage isn't with them.
• Tenay's still trying to make us think that there were "a lot of firsts" at Uncensored. Sure thing, hoss.
• Hall's got a pretty freaky shirt on, too.
• Bischoff says that Hogan saved the day for the nWo. By what? Blading? Not keeling over in the ring?
• Hogan says that Nash is the undisputed Giant of wrestling.
• Hogan says that Giant was cheating, but Nash beat him in the center of the ring.
• Hogan calls Nash "Allah," and tells the nWo to bow to him.
• Hogan says that he loves Savage more than anyone else, and says that he beat Savage within an inch of his life.
• Hogan's glad that Savage is back in the fold, even if he's stubborn.
• Blah, blah, blah, 4-life....
• Tonight, Bischoff has signed a tag match. It's going to be Hogan/Savage vs. Sting and Luger.
• Savage is going to have to prove he can carry his load one more time.
• Bischoff says that there are no rafters for Sting to drop from tonight. Foreshadowing???

• Mmmm.....Spice.....

• Lodi comes out wearing a snorkel, mask, and a little ducky thing around his waist.
• Lodi sign: "RF Video"
• The Flock have their own special seats poolside.
• Goldberg comes out for his weekly squash.
• Time for victim #55 in a row? Chase Tatum became #54 on WCWSN this week.
• Lodi sign: "Goldberg is a Meathead"
• Goldberg grabs Lodi by the throat, gorilla-presses him, and drops him.
• The diving spear. Ho-hum.
• Jackhammer. Splat. Win. Zzzzzz.
• Post match, the Flock tries to attack one-by-one, but Goldberg doesn't sell anything at all, and clears the ring.
• Saturn gets on the apron, but we cut to the replay.
• This is getting old fast. Actually, it's been old for a while. Though it could get better if they actually have the Flock give him a little competition.

• Fit Finley has blonde hair now.
• He still hasn't gotten the other half of his shoulderpads off of layaway.
• Don't see the Dragon around much anymore.
• Maybe they'll let Finley win to celebrate St. Paddy's Day.
• Finley pounds on the Dragon in the corner.
• Diving shoulder into Dragon's gut in the corner.
• Finley falls for Dragon's turnbuckle-headstand-dropkick. Duh.
• Dragon hits his Dragon Kicks.
• Finley with a trapezius hold on the Dragon.
• Finley hits a gorilla-press-Hotshot for two.
• Finley works on the Dragon on the apron.
• They trade European uppercuts and chops.
• Dragon flips out of a backdrop, and dropkicks Finley.
• Dragon misses a kip-up.
• Finley avoids a Dragon slingshot to the outside.
• Finley drops Dragon with a fireman-carry slam.
• Finley gets out of a Dragon Sleeper, and clotheslines the Dragon.
• Finley attempts a suplex, but Dragon flips out of it and slaps on the Dragon Sleeper again for the win.
• Ultimo asks Finley to hold off on his post-match attack, until he can talk to the camera for a bit.

• Scott Norton comes down, with Bagwell tagging along.
• Chris Adams comes out. He's not wearing his shiny pants tonight.
• Adams tries to shoulderblock Norton, but feels the brunt of it.
• Bagwell: "This ain't England."
• Adams hits his Superkick, but it doesn't knock Norton down.
• Adams charges Norton, but he moves out of the way, sending Adams over the ropes.
• Avalanche splash on Adams in the corner.
• Bagwell works Adams over on the outside.
• Norton. He's HUUUUGE!
• Norton floors Adams with a short-clothesline.
• Norton chokes Adams against the ropes.
• Larry Z. talks some smack about the nWo.
• Adams avoids another avalanche, and hiptosses Norton.
• Adams goes up top, but Norton swats him away.
• Norton then hits his shoulderbreaker, which is now named the "Flashback."
• Post-match, Bagwell throws Adams out of the ring and Norton spits as he's yelling into the camera.
  

• Scotty Riggs shows off his new tongue ring.
• Lots of product shots for "Cinnaburst" gum (see picture at the top).
• Disco gets to hug up with "Miss Nitro 1998."

• They show another shot of Miss Nitro at ringside.
• WAY too many Cinnaburst signs around the area.
• Wayne Bloom and Woody Harrelson, I mean Mike Enos, come out.
• Time to see the WWF Pension Plan in action, with Jim Neidhart and the British Bulldog!
• Neidhart is still showing his grasp of English. "Yeah, baby!" "Yeah, baby!" "Yeah, baby!"
• Tony talks about some family, with two young kids, driving 600 miles to be at Nitro tonight.
• Niedhart floors Enos with a shoulderblock, then executes a faceslam.
• Enos kicks the Bulldog, and delivers a reverse neckbreaker.
• Bulldog hiptosses Bloom, and suplexes him.
• Tony says that Bloom and Enos are moving up the tag ranks.
• Bloom and Enos execute a nice stuff-piledriver on Neidhart for one.
• Nice doubleteams by the former Destruction Crew.
• Enos tries a gutwrench suplex, but Neidhart backdrops him.
• More doubleteams on Neidhart.
• Bloom drops a leg on Neidhart for two.
• Enos bearhugs Neidhart, and slams him.
• Enos goes to the second turnbuckle, but Neidhart avoids the headbutt.
• Bulldog tags in, and starts cleaning Bloom's clock.
• Bulldog hits the weakest powerslam I've ever seen for two.
• Bloom starts getting the advantage, but the Bulldog hits his Running (Walking? Crawling?) Powerslam on Bloom for the win.

• Still not enough to get me to fork over money for some screen saver and bikini shots on the WCW webpage, though.

• Larry: "Beware the Ides of March." Wasn't that on Saturday? Yesterday? Not today, anyway.

• Bischoff's flying around like an airplane.
• Bischoff talks about the love he feels tonight.
• Bischoff talks about the truth in Hogan's words.
• Bischoff says that the Madness is back in the nWo.
• Bischoff says that Hogan had to beat Savage within an inch of his life to get Savage to see the light.
• Savage shoves Bischoff, and says he never left the nWo.
• Savage says that he didn't attack Sting for Bischoff, or Hogan, but for himself, and for the entire nWo.
• Savage says that he's going to beat Sting for the belt, control nWo, and the nWo will control the world.
• Then, Hogan will know what it feels like to be at the bottom of the pecking order.
• Savage leaves Bischoff dumbfounded in the ring.

• Raven comes down. The Flock is sitting in their special seats.
• Raven tells Benoit that he cost him "my United States title."
• Really Inventive Chant: "Raven sucks."
• Raven is blaming Benoit for the fact that DDP still has the belt.
• Raven compliments Benoit, and says that it's time for his feud with Benoit to end. Unfortunately, he says, Benoit must feel the "Pearl Jam" DDT.
• More "blah blah blah, DDP deserted me, blah blah blah."
• Raven mentions "The Snake." (his mentor was Jake "The Snake" Roberts)
• Zbysko: "Who's The Snake?"
• Benoit comes down for another battle.
• Benoit opens up early with kicks.
• Benoit stomps a mudhole in Raven in the corner.
• Benoit tries his German suplexes, Raven hangs on. Raven lets go, and gets suplexed again.
• They fight on the other side of the ring, down the ramp over the pool.
• The winner of this match gets to face DDP at Spring Stampede.
• Benoit throws Raven back in the ring.
• Benoit's slapping Raven around.
• Benoit with his double-arm clothesline for two.
• Raven pokes Benoit in the eye, but gets a boot to the face as he charges the corner.
• Commercial
• They're back on the edge of the pool, fighting toward the ring entrance.
• Benoit whips Raven into the WCW sign.
• Benoit throws Raven back in the ring, and gives several kneelifts to Raven's head.
• Raven's down and twitching.
• Benoit hits a Northern Lights suplex for two.
• Benoit rips Raven's shirt off, and throws it to the crowd.
• Huge chops to Raven's chest.
• Benoit's got the loudest chops I've heard in a while.
• Raven's got a lot of tattoos.
• Benoit hits a belly-to-back suplex, and slaps Raven in the face.
• Raven's pretty tubby.
• Benoit with a backdrop for two.
• Benoit hits three rolling snap-suplexes. Im-pressive!
• Benoit signals, and goes up top for the headbutt.
• Of course, he misses.
• Raven rolls outside, and gets a chair.
• Raven bulldogs Benoit into the open chair.
• Benoit goes for the Crippler Crossface, but hits his head on the chair.
• Raven gets up, and DDT's Benoit on the chair for the win.
• Well, maybe my grandkids will get to see a Benoit push.

• Yuji Nagata comes out to get his picture taken.
• Sonny Oono's pretty funny, in a twisted sort of way.
• The Cat's wearing his boxing gear tonight.
• I still think they should take a slap at Marc Mero and repackage The Cat as "Kitty B. Badd."
• My cat shows how impressed she is at The Cat by licking herself. Of course, she does that for cheese, the Smoot-Hawley Tarriff, and Vanilla Ice, so I guess that doesn't prove anything.
• The Cat hits a leaping side kick on Nagata.
• Tenay says that The Cat's using "Mui Tai." I think that's Spanish for "I have a lot of neckwear."
• The Cat bores me to tears.
• Let's get rid of the Karate Fighters: No more Cat, no more Glacier, and no more Jerry Flynn.
• Nagata suplexes The Cat, and kicks him.
• Nagata tries a half-crab, but gets kicked in the head.
• Loud "Boring" chant by the crord.
• Just your basic chop-and-kick-fest.
• This is bad. Not "nWo Nitro"-bad, but bad.
• Miller with a rope-bounce round kick.
• Nagata looks like he messes up a leapfrog.
• Miller slams Nagata, and hops up top.
• The Cat hits his Feliner for a merciful end.
• Did we really need that?

• Scott Steiner comes out.
• Tony talks about (his alma mater) James Madison University.
• Brain: "Don't they make doughnuts?" That's funny stuff.
• Ray Traylor's out to get his rear kicked again. Gotta love WCWSN rematches.
• Traylor throws a Nitro hat to the crowd.
• Traylor chases Steiner out of the ring.
• Traylor forces Steiner into the corner, but gives a clean break.
• Steiner with a thumb to the eye.
• Traylor sure salivates a lot.
• Steiner whips Traylor into the corner, and catches him in an overhead-release belly-to-belly as he comes out.
• Steiner bearhugs Big Bubba Bossman Ray Guardian Angel Rogers Traylor.
• Steiner clotheslines Traylor, and kicks him out of the ring.
• Commercial.
  
• Steiner eats boot as he charges the corner, and Traylor crotches him around the corner post.
• Trayolor clotheslines Steiner over the rail into the pool!
  
• Steiner's slipping around with his wet boots.
• Traylor does his slide-out-of-the-ring-uppercut-thingy.
• Traylor avalanches Steiner, and goes up top.
• Traylor connects with a cross-body off the top for two.
• Traylor hits the Big Boot, and goes up top again.
• Buff Bagwell runs down, and knocks Traylor to the turnbuckle.
• Steiner hits a Super Frankensteiner.
• Steiner then locks on the Steiner Recliner.
  
• Buff comes in with a belt, realizes that Traylor hasn't given up yet, and ducks back out of the ring.
• Finally, Traylor gives it up.
• Bagwell comes in, and he and Steiner whip Traylor with a belt.

• Chavo comes out, and Eddie's behind him.
• Eddie's gotten him a gift: A t-shirt that he wants Chavo to wear.
• Couldn't see what was on the shirt.
• Eddie's saying that since Chavo lost the match, he's got to wear the shirt.
• Shirt front:
  
• Shirt back:
  
• Booker T comes out to defend the TV belt.
• Booker's laughing at Chavo's shirt.
• Booker wants the ref to check Chavo.
• Chavo shoves Booker, but gets clotheslined.
• Booker hits a back elbow.
• Booker works Chavo over in the corner.
• Chavo gets his boot up as Booker charges the corner, but Booker powerslams Chavo as he comes out of the corner.
• Chavo hits a flying forearm as Booker's on the apron.
• Chavo's getting more agressive, choking Booker with his boot.
• Chavo whips Booker into the ringsteps.
• Chavo hits a dropkick, and kicks Booker in the back.
• Booker flips over Chavo with a rollup.
• Chavo dropkicks Booker in the knee. Just like Uncle Eddie.
• Chavo hits an avalanche elbow on Booker in the corner.
• Chavo with a chinlock.
• Booker hits the Harlem Sidekick, and floors Chavo with the Scissor Kick.
• Booker hits his spinebuster, and goes up top.
• Booker with his top-rope missile dropkick for the win.

• Ron "The Yeti/Big Ron Studd" Reiss comes down. They're calling him "Reese."
• Of course, he's going to job to Page. LOSE THE BELT!!!
• Reese is a big guy.
• Apparently, he's legit taller than Giant.
• Page starts punching Reese, but the big guy doesn't sell it.
• Reese starts working Page over in the corner.
• Reese picks Page up by the belt, and gives him a big backbreaker.
• Big chokeslam by Reese.
• Heenan: "Reese is no peanut-butter cup."
• Reese is stomping around the ring, yelling.
• Page comes off the ropes, swings around Reese, and nails the Diamond Cutter for the win.
• They plug DDP's appearance on MTV Wednesday with "Stuck Mojo."

• The "Bad Old West Movie" music brings out Juventud.
• Duh duh duh....Evenflow....duh duh duh....
• Jericho comes out, grinning like a fool and bouncing around.
• Jericho's throwing kisses to the crowd.
• Jericho's got a mic:
  • Jericho welcomes us to Monday Night Jericho.
  • Jericho goes over his trophies: Rey's knee, Juvi's mask, the Cruiserweight belt, and Malenko's dignity.
  • Jericho's future is so bright, he's got to wear shades. He is, actually.
  • Jericho says that he's going to take Malenko's Texas Cloverleaf, rename it the Jericho Maple Leaf, and make it hold 1,005.
• Jericho's a funny, funny, guy.
• Jericho offers his hand, but Juvi doesn't want to shake.
• Juvi opens up with clotheslines, and a spinwheel kick.
• Juvi avoids a Jericho corner charge, and clotheslines him for two.
• Juvi tries a springboard cross-body, but Jericho turns it into a modified piledriver.
• Jericho tries to get the ref to stop the fans from chanting "Jericho sucks."
• Jericho's wearing his "1,004" tights.
• Jericho suplexes Juvi back into the ring.
• Jericho hits Juvi with a reverse-suplex.
• Jericho hits two backbreakers, and bends Juvi over his knee.
• Juvi fights back in the corner, but gets elbowed down.
• Jericho slaps Juvi in the face.
• Juvi flips out of a German suplex, and hits a hurricanrana for two.
• Juvi hits his JuviDriver, and goes up top.
• Jericho catches him up top, but Juvi knocks him off the turnbuckle.
• Juvi connects with a spinwheel kick off the top for two.
• Juvi counters a Jericho powerbomb attempt with a DDT.
• Jericho grabs the belt, whacks Juvi, and the ref calls for the bell.
• Post-match, Jericho (pretty sloppily) puts the Jericho Maple Leaf on Juventud.
• Jericho says "No way, that's not going to be 1,005."

• Looks like we're going to forget that the tag titles ever existed.
• Hall looks drunk.
• So does Nash.
• Survey time! Bathroom time!!!
• Nash: "Make sure you're nice to the fat girls over Spring Break. They need a little lovin' too."
• Hall's doing his Frankengoof impression as Nash talks about beating on the Giant.
• Nash says he knocked Giant out, like Mark McGwire.
• Nash is calling out Giant, so he and Hall can give Giant a beating.
• Nash says that Giant's not going to show up.
• Giant walks through the entrance into the arena, with no neck brace.
  
• Tony just acknowledged the Outsiders as World Tag Team Champions.
• Hall and Nash leave the ring as Giant enters it.
• Nash does a cannonball into the pool to escape Giant.
• Giant backs Hall around the corner, and grabs him by the seat of his pants.
  
• Heenan: "The world's biggest wedgie!"
• Giant gorilla-presses Hall into the pool.
  
• Tony: "Well, I was wrong, it does float."

• Main event time!
• Somebody PLEASE throw Michael Buffer into the pool!!!
• Hogan and Bischoff lead the way, with Savage and Liz tagging behind.
• Hogan throws his shirt at Savage.
• Savage gets on the mic: "Ooooh yeah!"
• Hogan grabs the mic: "Oooh no."
• Bischoff is trying to make peace.
• Luger comes out alone, to Sting's music.
• Buffer's describing a tag team partner who isn't there.
• Bischoff says that Sting isn't coming, and Luger's going to be dinner for the nWo.
• A helicopter is hovering overhead, and Sting's in it.
• The helicopter is blowing stuff all around the ring.
• Sting rappels down from the helicopter, as Hogan blames Savage for not getting the job done.
  
• Bischoff is acting like an extra in "Twister"
• Hogan and Ed Leslie prevent Savage from leaving the ring area.
• Sting starts pounding on Savage.
• Sting drops a sloppy elbow on Savage, and goes up top.
• Sting hits a big splash off the top.
• Sting punches Savage down.
• Luger tags in.
• Luger starts whipping Savage from turnbuckle to turnbuckle.
• Luger suplexes Savage, and stares over at Bischoff/Hogan.
• Luger starts working on Savage's lower back.
• Savage crawls over to the wrong corner, and Sting chops him.
• Luger gorilla-press-slams Savage, and flexes at him.
• Sting tags in, and kicks Savage in the rear.
• Sting starts running Savage into the corners, and inverted-atomic-drops him.
• Luger comes in with an inverted atomic drop of his own, two clotheslines, and hits the loaded forearm.
• Savage starts to fight back, and slaps Hogan in the back.
• Luger rolls Savage up for two.
• Hogan goes to leave, but Savage gets him, and rolls him back in.
• Hogan works on Luger in the ring, as Leslie beats on Savage outside.
• Hogan slams Luger, but Luger avoids the LDoD.
• Luger tags Sting, and Sting gives Hogan the Stinger Splash.
• Sting hits another one, and knocks Bischoff off of the apron.
• Leslie rolls Savage into the ring, and all four are going at it.
• Luger racks Hogan, and Leslie comes in and breaks the hold.
• Leslie pulls Hogan out of the ring.
• Brian Adams comes in with the rest of the nWo, and Sting and Luger get rid of them.
• Hogan and Savage brawl, as the show ends.

• Please, no complaint mail
• This is the last warning

• The winner comes from an anonymous reader.
• She says that Matt and Charlie's ideal theme music should be supplied by Barry White.
  • Fitting since Barry and Matt do have the same voice.

• Who is the foxiest Nitro Girl?

• Jake (avatar@msmisp.com) let me know that the DX theme was done by Connecticut Yankee.
• nghtrngr@mail.microserve.net helped me find out who did the video with the flying skulls seen on Hogan's new shirt. The video was Grim Reaper's "Rock You to Hell"
• Speaking of music, if you're in a band and you're looking for new opportunities...
  • Go to http://user.icx.net/~ima
  • or email Frank at ima@icx.net
• Like me, HotSonoma@aol.com is a little pissed off at the lack of push Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit are receiving.
  • If you feel like us, send HotSonoma an "Aww Hell Yeah!"

• A friend of Chan's was in for Spring Break.
  • Why Chan didn't bring him along, I will never know.
• Matt had car trouble and was roaming the town looking for parts.

• You may remember Joe from a former Nitro report.
• Joe used to live next door to Kevin Sullivan.

• Joe ate about 30 wings, 20 for myself, and the other 50 were split between the remaining four guys.

• What would you rather watch, Nitro or Georgetown vs Georgia Tech?
• A section was roped off for those who wanted to see Nitro, but the section was full when we got there.
• I did make it home in time to see the last hour. I'll watch the first 2 hours tomorrow sometime.

• But who cares, she was the foxiest waitress there tonight.