WCW Nitro - 1/18/99

• I had a lot of good stuff for the mailbag this week, but unfortunately, storms that went through Delaware knocked out my ISP, so I couldn't get to my mail before the show started. Thus, no mailbag.

• From what I've read, I'm glad I've instituted a "No More WCW PPVs Until They Earn My Money" policy - it appears that yet again, there was no "spark." Oh well. Maybe it'll make for a good Nitro.

• We start off with stills from Flair/Flair vs. Hennig/Windham, with the nWo beatdown on Dizzity Dave.
  • We see the Horsemen getting mad earlier in the night. Mongo, conspicuously absent last night, is with them.
  • Malenko's not on crutches anymore.

• And we're LIVE from Columbus, OH, and a limo is arriving.
  • The camera is in the limo, and we see Wolfpac members gloating over beating up Flair's kid.
  • They're also mocking the Horsemen.
  • Hogan starts to get out of the limo, but the irate Horsemen charge the limo.
  • Hogan quickly ducks back into the limo, but Flair busts the window open with a tire iron.
  • The Wolfpac limo quickly speeds away.
  • Flair powerwalks to the ring with Mean Gene in tow.
  • Flair's going crazy in the ring.
  • Flair rants about Hogan, and says as President of WCW, he told Hogan that he wouldn't be able to do what he wanted to do while champ.
  • Flair makes his first real shot at running the company: At Superbrawl, Hogan will wrestle "my ass" for the World Title.
  • Flair says he's not challenging Hogan, he's telling him.
  • Flair says Hogan will have to kill him to keep him from killing Hogan.
  • Flair wants to be the man who killed Hulk Hogan dead.
  • Flair: "Hollywood this, pal."
  • Flair: "Hogan, you've got kids, nobody knows that. You've got family outside of wrestling, but you don't have the guts to do one thing by yourself."
  • Great, WCW. Let's job Flair to Hogan one more time.
  • Flair hasn't forgotten about Bischoff and the wrench last week.
  • Flair tells Bischoff to get his ass out there right now.
  • Bischoff slowly makes his way out. He also has a mic.
  • Bischoff plays innocent about what happened last night.
  • Tonight, Flair is telling Bischoff that Bischoff is wresling Flair again.
  • Bischoff says that while he may have to put up the ring, etc., for the next 90 days, there's nothing in his contract that says he has to wrestle anyone. So, no thanks.
  • Flair says that for 25 years, promoters have been saying "Ric Flair, if someone beats you, will you shave your head?" Flair says that if Bischoff beats him, Flair will let Bischoff shave Flair's head.
  • Bischoff still isn't interested.
  • Flair offers to give Bischoff back control of WCW if Bischoff can beat him.
  • This, Bischoff is interested in.
  • David Flair storms down the aisle, shoves Bischoff out of the way, and enters the ring.
  • David is livid, and demands to wrestle Bischoff.
  • Flair tries to stop him, but Bischoff accepts a match with the following stipulations: If Bischoff beats David, Bischoff gets WCW back, and Ric must shave his head.
  • Flair says that if David wins, they shave Bischoff's head, and his ass. Um...woah!
  • So, apparently we have a match.

• More stills from the Dave beatdown, and some shots of the Tazer match
  • Apparently, the rules of the Tazer match was you just had to zap your opponent to win the match. Does that seem odd to anyone else?

• The Nitro Girls do their thing.

• Yet MORE stills form the Tazer match. Tony has the gall to say it was a classic ladder match, when all reports have seemed to agree that it wasn't much.

• Match 1: Chris Jericho (w/Ralphus) vs. Booker T
  • Chris Jericho and Ralphus come out laughing.
  • The Evil Ref ANGLE OF DOOM continues....
  • Yes! Booker T! I have a feeling this match is going to rule.
  • Sign: "Can you dig it, G.I. Bro?"
  • Apparently, Jericho challenged Booker to this match while Booker was doing an internet spot at the PPV.
  • Jericho and Ralphus confer on the outside.
  • Mickey Jay is the referee.
  • Booker starts a "Jericho Sucks" chant in the crowd.
  • Jericho doesn't like the chant, obviously.
  • Booker has a big height advantage.
  • Booker with a big clothesline.
  • Jericho with a shoulderblock, but he gets met with a spinning kick after ducking a clothesline.
  • Apparently, there will be a tag tourney match tonight.
  • Booker with a catapult into the buckles, and a belly-to-back for two.
  • Booker locks on Hold #645 (ARM-bar).
  • Booker ducks a clothesline, and hits the flying forearm.
  • Jericho ducks a Harlem Sidekick, causing Booker to hit the floor.
  • Jericho springs off the turnbuckles with a cross-bodyblock to the floor.
  • Jericho delivers a Gourdbuster on the floor.
  • Jericho, back in the ring, delivers a delayed vertical suplex.
  • The "C'mon Baby" cover only gets one.
  • Jericho actually gets a boot choke on Booker in the corner.
  • Booker does his rollup in the corner for two.
  • Jericho applies a chinlock.
  • Booker fights out, hits the ropes, but then gets a knee to the gut. Booker falls to the floor.
  • Jericho chokes Booker with a cable on the outside.
  • Jericho with a springboard elbow, followed by a senton.
  • Jericho lands a pendulum backbreaker, and bends Booker over his knee.
  • Jericho with a bodyslam, hi-fives Ralphus, and makes a cover for two.
  • Jericho eats boot charging the corner, and Booker hits a NICE flying clothesline.
  • Jericho slams Booker, and goes up top.
  • Jericho gets a boot to the jaw as he comes down.
  • Booker lands the Axe Kick.
  • Jericho tries a leapfrog, but Booker catches him and plants him with the standing spinebuster.
  • Jericho flapjacks Booker, does his goosestep, doesn't see Booker breakdance up, and gets met with a Harlem Sidekick.
  • Booker goes up top, and lands the Missile Dropkick. Booker covers, and gets the pin!
    

• Mean Gene has JJ Dillon at the ramp with him
  • Dillon says that he's always demanded that wrestlers show officials respect, but it has to go both ways. Dillon has suspended Scott Dickenson for 30 days.
  • Dillon says that Scott Hall has arrived, and he's going to try to set up a Goldberg/Bigelow/Hall triangle match tonight.
  • Dillon makes the Dave Flair/Eric Bischoff match official.
  • Dillon says his sick father would love to see David Flair win, and have a bald Eric Bischoff in the ring.

• Why do they even have WCW/nWo Magazine when the cover story is Hogan retiring to go to Washington? If you're that far behind, don't even bother.

• In case anyone forgot from 30 minutes ago, we see the Horsemen attack on the nWo limo again. These little things really bug me - if you HAVE to show these little things, at least have the decency to show something older than 30 minutes ago. This is just wasting time.

• Mean Gene is in the back with Rey Mysterio Jr.
  • Gene wonders why Rey didn't give up his LWO shirt.
  • Rey says that red, white, and green are his colors, and he has brown pride.
  • Gene wonders if the mask still means the same to Rey.
  • Rey says the mask is part of his life, and he will never take it off.
  • Rey wonders why Lex tried to take his colors off. Rey says he won't be intimidated by anyone, no matter how big they are.
  • Rey challenges Luger.

• I get to see a local commercial with The Headbangers and The NAO promoting WWF Night with the local pro lacrosse team, the Philadelphia Wings.

• More stills from the Flair match last night. The exact same stills as they showed to start the show. Sheesh.

• Match 2: David Flair vs. Eric Bischoff
  • Horsemen music brings out....
  • David Flair? We're doing this now?
  • David is wearing a Horsemen shirt, shorts, black boots, and red kneepads.
  • Eric Bischoff makes his way down next.
  • This is really odd placement for this match. It's 8:50pm on my clock, so if they're using this to keep people from switching to RAW, it seems they'd start it a little later.
  • Bischoff slowly makes his way down.
  • Bischoff boxes and kicks to the camera as he slowly strolls. Maybe this IS supposed to time with the RAW opener. Either that or Bischoff took downers.
  • One of the missing features from my mailbag this week was a little table comparing David Flair and Erik Watts.
  • Randy Anderson checks Bischoff for foreign objects. He does the same to David.
  • David has "DF" on his boots.
  • Bischoff continues to stall by making Anderson check David thrice.
  • There goes the bell. Anga.
  • Bischoff dances around, and lands a kick to the ribs.
  • Bischoff with a legsweep taking David down.
  • David is just standing there getting hit.
  • Bischoff with a weak Superkick. David goes to the ropes.
  • Bischoff pounds away on David.
  • Bischoff walks on David's back.
  • Randy Anderson encourages David in the corner, then goes and spins the celebrating Bischoff around.
  • David with a roundhouse punch to Bischoff's head. Bischoff goes down like a shot.
  • David covers . . . one...two....three!
  • David opens his fist, and reveals that he has a roll of quarters with him!
  • Anderson must have slipped Flair some quarters.
  • The Horsemen come down. Mongo puts two quarters on Bischoff's eyelids.
  • Benoit gives Flair some clippers.
  • As Flair shaves Bischoff, we see that it's completely grey under the dye.
  • Bischoff is getting a grey crew-cut.
  • Flair "whoos" as he shaves.
  • Tony, as they shave a stripe down Bischoff's head: "He looks like a skunk now!" Tony, that was actually funny! Bischoff really did look like a skunk, with his dyed black hair and the grey shaved streak.
  • Bischoff wakes up, sees his hair on the mat, and freaks out.
  • We hear Flair cackle over the PA system.
  • Bischoff blames Anderson, who plays innocent.
  • Bischoff tries to hold his hair clippings on top of his head.
  • Tony: "He really is black and white. He's got those nWo colors on his head, too."
  • Tenay: "Ric Flair just got to the root of the problem."
  • On the replay, we clearly see Anderson slip David the quarters.

• Tony tells us that JJ Dillon has been cornered in the back by Chris Jericho
  • Jericho is kissing ass. Dillon cuts to the chase.
  • Jericho finds the contract that says that Saturn must wear the dress at all times in the arena, not just last night.
  • Saturn comes up, and Dillon informs him of the sad news. Saturn says that he'll wear the dress, and leaves. Dillon isn't happy about the stipulation.

• Oh God no, Konnan is coming out to his rap song now
  • Gonnad makes his way out to a decent pop.
  • Some hot little number is in the crowd grooving to the beat.
    
  • [CATCHPHRASES], only it's the WOLFPAC talking about being 4-life.
  • Konnan calls Nash and Luger some punk mark busters.
  • Konnan talks about wanting to put gang hits on Hogan, but Nash putting a stop to them.
  • Konnan rambles on some more, and says that the Wolfpac helped him when he was in lockdown. Sure.
  • Konnan continues the face interview by praising the fans.
  • Konnan: "I'm gonna be up your behinds like a pair of tight jeans."
  • Konnan threatens gang hits on Luger and Nash.
  • Konnan also makes gay sex references to the Wolfpac.
  • Konnan's music starts up, and he stops it, saying that he didn't give the cue.
  • Konnan then says "If you ain't the lead wolf, the view never changes."
  • We see stills from Luger/Konnan last night.
  • Miss Elizabeth and her new boobs interfered, costing Konnan the match.

• Still MORE stills from the Flair match and Tazer match.

• Another look back at Bischoff's haircut.

• Match 3: Mike Enos and Bobby Duncum Jr. vs. Meng and Barbarian (w/Jimmy Hart)
  • What? ANOTHER match? Haven't we had our two for the night?
  • Mike Enos and Bobby Duncum Jr. come out, presumably for a tag tournament match.
  • Their opponents: The Faces of Fear.
  • I guess we're having a rematch from the match the nWo interrupted on Thunder.
  • The FoF attack before the bell.
  • Meng with a headbutt on Duncum.
  • Tenay says that the First Family may be adding members.
  • Meng misses an elbowdrop on Duncum.
  • Duncum dives over the top onto Barbarian.
  • Enos and Barbarian enter the ring.
  • Enos with a powerslam.
  • Enos and Duncum spike-piledrive Barbarian.
  • Meng superkicks Duncum, who falls on Barbarian.
  • Duncum only gets two.
  • Duncum tags Enos.
  • Enos for some reason valuts to the the apron, where he gets kicked by Meng.
  • Barbarian with a chokehold on Enos.
  • This match has so little heat that the people's beers in the arena are probably freezing.
  • The FoF dispose of Duncum, and hit double-flying-headbutts on Enos.
  • Meng tags back in with a double headbutt.
  • I've come to the conclusion that the FoF are only interesting when they're squashing someone.
  • Enos gets a kick to the gut, and Meng tries a backslide?
  • All four men are in the ring.
  • Meng floors Enos with chops.
  • Basic boring brawling.
  • There's good brawling, and there's sucky brawling. This is, obviously, the latter.
  • Hart chokes Enos.
  • Meng with a clothesline in the ring.
  • Meng with a piledriver. Tony incorrectly calls it a tombstone.
  • We see a black limo pull up in the back. It's the nWo.
  • Stevie Ray and the nWo B-Team show Hogan Eric's haircut.
  • More boring brawling in the ring.
  • The nWo goes toward the ring, presumably to break up this match for the second time.
  • The nWo comes down the aisle.
  • The nWo hits the ring, and beats on the two tag teams. The match will be thrown out. Again.
  • Hall comes down with his Tazer. He zaps Meng, and crotch-chops him.
  • Bischoff makes his way down, wearing a hat.
  • Nash remembers to turn up the cheap heat machine to warm the crowd up.
  • Nash again says that there's going to be no tag tournament, and quotes REM.
  • Hogan: "I hope all you former N...WCW fans in the house."
  • Hogan says this is the armageddon for WCW.
  • Hogan accepts Flair's challenge for SuperBrawl.
  • Hogan promises that the nWo and Wolfpac will make Flair's life a living hell.
  • Hogan makes more references to Hell's Angels.
  • [rolls eyes]
  • Hogan still looks like he's been going through Konnan's closet. In the dark.

• We take an over-MTV'd-look at Goldberg/Hall/Bigelow.
  • Tony tells us the triangle match is on.

• Match 4: Disco Inferno vs. Wrath
  • Disco comes out wearing a Wolfpac shirt, and red and black bellbottoms.
  • We hear a wolf howl during his disco music.
  • His opponent - Wrath.
  • Hm. This is interesting. Disco, in a bit of the nWo angle. Wrath, losing to Bigelow last night. Whose push wins out?
  • Wrath doesn't seem to have his usual energy coming to the ring.
  • Disco doesn't want to lock up, but they finally do. Wrath bulls him into the corner.
  • Tony says that Alex Wright was supposed to be here tonight, and didn't show up.
  • Wrath unloads with chops.
  • Disco retreats to the floor.
  • They lock up again, and we see Scott Hall coming down the aisle.
  • Wrath with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
  • Wrath with knees in the corner.
  • Wrath whips Disco into the corner.
  • Disco avoids a corner charge, and hits the swinging neckbreaker.
  • Disco with two clotheslines, taking Wrath down with the second one.
  • Disco with the diving forearm from the second buckle.
  • Wrath gets a belly-to-back suplex.
  • Disco gets Wrath into the corner, and whips him across the ring.
  • Disco sweeps Wrath's legs.
  • Disco goes to work on the knee.
  • Disco tries the piledriver, but Wrath backdrops him out of it.
  • Wrath runs over Disco with the shoulder.
  • Wrath PLANTS Disco with a standing dropkick!
  • Wrath with a slingshot back-elbow. Nice.
  • Crowd: "Razor! Razor!"
  • Wrath blocks a clothesline with the Death Penalty.
  • Hall tries to come in with the Tazer, but gets hung up in the ropes. Wrath kicks Hall out of the ring.
  • When Wrath turns around, Disco kicks him in the gut, and hits the Chartbuster!
  • Disco covers.....one....two....three!!!! DISCO WINS!!! DISCO BEAT WRATH!
  • Wrath sold the Chartbuster! WOW!
  • Disco and Hall hug, and do Hall's "Elvis point" at each other.

• More Nitro Girls
  • Scott Steiner comes out and interrupts.
  • Scott says that Big Poppa Pump is looking for romancing.
  • Kimberly interrupts Scott's ranting. This leads to Scott trashing DDP.
  • Scott rhymes a bit more, and we go to commercial.
  • That was, well, pointless.

• Tony talks about the Nitro Girls doing some sort of bikini thing on the "Bruise Cruise"

• Match 5: Scott Steiner (w/Buff Bagwell) vs. Perry Saturn
  • Buff Bagwell, in some sort of bizarre hat, leads out Scott Steiner.
    
  • Steiner isn't wearing the TV belt.
  • Steiner has a mic, and runs down the crowd.
  • Steiner is looking for a "freak of the week."
  • Steiner makes some garden-variety sexual references.
  • Blah blah blah holler if you hear me.
  • Steiner talks about seeing someone in a dress who had ugly tattoos, ugly legs, and an ugly face in the back.
  • Steiner calls Perry Saturn down, and says he'll show him what it's like to wrestle a real man.
  • The siren song brings out Saturn.
  • Saturn is wearing a leopard-print dress.
  • Oh MAN Saturn looks pissed.
    
  • Buff: "That's almost as ridiculous as this hat."
  • Steiner does his "Steers and queers," with the censors attempting to bleep out "queers," and says that Saturn must be a little funny.
  • Saturn nails Steiner and Buff, sending them both to the floor.
  • Steiner goes around the guardrail taunting fans.
  • Scott re-enters the ring, and flexes at Saturn.
  • Steiner gets shoulderblocked down, inverted atomic dropped, clotheslined, and hit with a springboard legdrop.
  • Scott with a low-blow.
  • Steiner hits a belly-to-belly.
  • Buff: "I thought it was Tarzan, but it's Jane!"
  • Steiner beats Saturn down in the corner, and Buff gets a chokehold in, too.
  • Steiner lands a Steinerline and elbowdrop.
  • Steiner sends Saturn to the floor, and whips Saturn into the guardrail.
  • Steiner gets a Michigan cap from a fan, and puts it on.
  • Steiner flips off the Buckeye fans.
  • Crowd: "Michigan sucks"
  • Steiner eats boot on a corner charge, and gets superkicked.
  • Saturn fights back with punches, and mounts the corner, puts the dress over Scott's head, and hits more punches.
  • Saturn dropkicks Steiner to the floor.
  • Saturn then hits a tope on Steiner.
  • Saturn nails a top-rope splash, but breaks the pin to hit Buff on the apron.
  • Saturn goes for the Spicolli Driver, but Buff holds Scott's legs, preventing the hold.
  • Overhead belly-to-belly from Scott.
  • Scott locks on the Steiner Recliner, and Saturn passes out in the hold. Steiner wins.

• We see Luger vs. Mysterio, aka nWo vs. Konnan, from last week.

• Wolfpac music brings out Nash, Luger, and Miss Elizabeth
  • Liz seems to have gotten a boob job recently. I'm surprised she can still stand upright.
    
  • Nash monotones: "Yo yo yo let me speak on this. Oil of Olay!"
  • Nash says that he saw what Konnan said, but says that Konnan knows that if it wasn't for Kevin Nash, Konnan would still be in the curtain jerker.
  • Nash says the Wolfpac thinks Konnan has no heart, endurance, or soul.
  • Nash says that Konnan can talk about salads and potatoes, and Nash agrees that if you're not the lead wolf, the view never changes, so he wonders how Konnan's view was for the last two and a half years? Nash pats his rear.
  • The Pac praises Elizabeth.
  • Luger: "Rey Mysterio, you're no bigger than my.......leg."
  • Luger talks about Rey's mask, and threatens to take Rey's mask if Rey gets in the ring with Luger tonight.
  • Luger says that if Rey hands his mask over to the Wolfpac in the back, they'll call off the match. If he shows up, they'll beat him up and take the mask, too.

• We see Scott Steiner following Kimberly into the Nitro Girl dressing room
  • Steiner continues to trash DDP.
  • Steiner says the Nitro Girls are next, but Kimberly is first.

• We see stills from the Four Corners match, which Kidman won.

• Match 6: Psychosis vs. Juventud Guerrera
  • Psychosis makes his way out, to his own music. I'd missed Psychosis' old music - I really like it for some reason.
  • His opponent - his former LWO teammate, Juventud Guerrera.
  • A shoving match to start.
  • Psychosis with a swinging neckbreaker.
  • Juvi ducks clotheslines, and hits a flying headscissors.
  • Of course, we take a commercial break.
  • We're back, and Psychosis delivers a modified spinebuster.
  • The talking heads talk about Psychosis having the tools to win the Cruiser belt.
  • Psychosis floors Juvi by the hair.
  • Psychosis sends Juvi to the floor, then brings him back in with a suplex.
  • Psychosis slams Juvi, and goes up top.
  • Psychosis misses a twisting Senton.
  • Psychosis dropkicks Juvi as Juvi comes off the top.
  • Psychosis tries an inverted powerbomb, but Juvi turns it into a bulldog for two.
  • Juvi puts Psychosis up top, punches him in the head, but Psychosis crotches him on the top.
  • Psychosis lands a dive to the floor.
  • Psychosis with a missile dropkick to the back of Juvi's head.
  • Juvi, of course, flips out of the German Suplex attempt.
  • Juvi tries the JuviDriver, but Psychosis turns it into an inverted suplex, which TONY CALL CORRECTLY!
  • Psychosis sets up for a powerbomb, which Juvi almost turns into the JuviDDT.
  • Juvi misses a corner dive, but gets his boots up when Psychosis tries one of his own.
  • Juvi signals for the 450, but Psychosis crotches him up top.
  • Psychosis goes up top himself, and HE gets crotched.
  • Psychosis blocks a superplex, and turns it into a split-legged gourdbuster from the top.
  • Psychosis goes up top again, and lands the Guillotine Legdrop!
  • One....two....three! Psychosis wins!!!
  • Im-pressive!

• Wolfpac T-shirt commercials still feature Sting, and face Luger and Nash. No Konnan or Savage.

• Match 7: Lex Luger vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
  • Wolfpac music brings out Lex Luger.
  • The re-launch of WCW.com will be tomorrow.
  • We go to commercial, and see a Zelda-like promo for SuperBrawl.
  • His opponent, accepting the challenge, Rey Mysterio Jr.
  • Rey is still wearing the LWO shirt.
  • Luger applauds Rey's entrance, and has a mic.
  • The bell rings.
  • Luger says they tried to let him off easy, but Rey had to come out with both the shirt and the mask.
  • Luger will give him one last chance. Hand over the shirt and the mask, and Luger will let him walk.
  • Rey, of course, refuses.
  • Luger kicks him in the gut, and floors him.
  • Luger throws Rey into the corner by the throat.
  • Luger biels Rey across the ring.
  • Luger rips the LWO shirt off.
  • Rey avoids a corner charge, and attacks with forearms and kicks.
  • Rey lands a springboard Rocker Dropper, and dropkicks Luger.
  • Rey lands a bronco buster.
  • Rey with a split-legged moonsault on Luger.
  • Rey continues on the offensive.
  • Luger catches Rey with a powerslam.
  • Nash makes his way down.
  • Luger with a big vertical suplex.
  • Luger press-slams the smaller man.
  • Luger asks if the crowd wants the mask.
  • Rey starts to fight back, but gets met with a kneelift.
  • Rey dropkicks Luger's knees.
  • Rey punches Luger in the corner, but Luger lands an inverted atomic drop.
  • Luger hits the loaded forearm.
  • Rey fights back again as Luger goes for the mask.
  • Nash enters the ring and delivers a big side suplex.
  • Rey will win by DQ.
  • Rey fights back against both men, and dropkicks both of them.
  • Nash jackknifes Rey.
  • Luger then racks Rey.
  • Gonnad runs down with a chair, and makes the save for Rey's mask.
  • Luger and Nash head to the back without Rey's mask.

• Promo for the Nitro Grill in Las Vegas.

• We see Scott Steiner cornering Kimberly in some bathroom.
  • He's talking more of the same smack.
  • Security tries to get Sexual Steroid away from Kim, and he finally leaves.

• Match 8: Triangle Match: Scott Hall (w/Disco Inferno) vs. Bill Goldberg vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
  • Main event time!
  • Hall gets the first entrance. Disco is with him.
  • Goldberg gets the second entrance. I figured he'd get the third.
  • Hall vacates the ring as Goldberg enters.
  • Bigelow comes from behind and nails Hall and Disco.
  • In the ring, Bigelow and Goldberg work on Hall.
  • They both kick him down in the corner.
  • Goldberg hits a legsweep.
  • Both men continue to concentrate on Hall.
  • They dump Hall, and Bigelow and Goldberg fight each other.
  • Goldberg with a Yakuza kick for two. Hall makes the save.
  • Goldberg no-sells both opponent's offense in the corner.
  • Goldberg whips Hall into Bigelow, and spears both men.
  • Goldberg goes to Jackhammer Bigelow, but Hall breaks it up.
  • Hall goes for a vertical suplex, but Goldberg turns it into the Jackhammer.
  • Brian Adams and the nWo B-Team come out, and Goldberg fights them off.
  • The Wolfpac arrives, and Goldberg is finally subdued.
  • The Horsemen hit the ring. The Wolfpac hightails it out. Flair catches Hall, and chops him down.
  • Flair runs through the back, but Hogan's limo gets away.
  • With that, we fade to black.....
  • Quite a bit better show than they've been putting on recently. Good work!

Brian F. from Ohio State University sends the following arena report:

Coming back from my first Nitro, and I definitely enjoyed myself. I had incredible seats that I didn't have to pay for. The Jericho/Booker T match stole the show in my opinion. I thought it was amazing, even though Jericho lost. Juvi and Psychosis entertained, but I wish I could have seen the 450 splash.

The crowd seemed pretty hot, but it calmed down a little toward the middle. I thought Konnan had a relatively good interview, but maybe that's because I don't expect much. The Saturn/Steiner match wasn't that bad, and it looked like Steiner took an extremely hard shot from Saturn's foot.

I'd say overall the crowd went home satisfied, they got to see a double spear and jackhammer, and that's all the marks wanted. I'm not sure when Nitro went off the air, but nothing special really happened at the end. The Horsemen and Goldberg controlled the ring while the Wolfpac left. Goldberg walked out to a huge pop, and it got bigger when he turned around at the entrance-way. I felt I got my 20 bucks worth, and I even got to meet Ralphus.

Holtpac from the Westside Wrestling Connection writes the following.......

• First of all, I didn't plan on going to the show, but good tickets fell in my lap, so I decided to go. I just happened to go with a bunch of "marks", which made it interesting, since I got to see a different view on things for once.
• The crowd was apathetic from the start, and ready for a big letdown. WCW was going to have to work to keep this crowd into it. Lots of marks and people there only to see the Woplfpac and/or Goldberg. Flair got a huge pop in the begining, and was pretty over with the crowd, but the down point came when the Flair v Bishoff match was at 9:00. It let the crowd down, cuz all of the build up in the first hour was over at 9:00. WCW never got the crowd back.
• Everyone near me noticed the lack of matches. It was pathetic. A couple of faint "We want Raw" chants were started, and Penzer really started to get on everyone's nerves hyping the new NWO boxer shorts.
• Compared to the WWF show in November, the crowd wasn't as into it. At the WWF show there were lots of OSU and anti-MiSH*Tgan chants, which were not present here. In fact, a couple of "O-H, I-O" chants were stopped by Penzer. A few people tried some "Screw the Blue" chants when einSteiner came out, but nothing big took off. Either a bigtime mark crowd, or no one cared anymore. I say it was a litle of both. WCW lost a chance to capitalize on a young college crowd.
• Wrestlers who were way over with the crowd........Booker T, Jericho, Horsemen, Nash, Goldberg, Sting, and Disco Inferno. People the crowd hated.....Cruiserweights, Bischoff. The biggest pops of the night were for Goldberg, Flair, and Jericho. Lots of "We want Sting" chants all night. A lot of anti-WCW signs too.
• As for merchandise, Horsemen, Konnan, and Jericho shirts were moving fast. So were Goldberg coffee mugs and banners. Tons of nWo merchandise was around, but people weren't that interested to the extent they were a year ago.
• It was hard to get a good chant started at this show. People seemed only willing to be lemmings and chant "Goldberg" and other things. Compared to the Heatwave '98 show from last summer, this crowd was very uncreative, and lackluster. A lot of comments went around about people not being able to wrestle, like Psychosis, Rey Jr., and Konnan. I just don't get it. I guess the marks really do like mic skills more than mat wrestling these days.
• On a side note, I dropped the Capitol City Wrestling StreetFight Title in a laddermatch to Cage over the weekend. Want some info on our shows, then email me.

  Peace out from Columbus. Go Bucks.