WCW Monday Nitro - November 6, 2000

I read an article the other day that mentioned a PPV program from Germany on the 16^th of this month. The climax of this PPV involves Sting defending the European Cup he won against Vader all those years ago. To think WCW remembers this, yet couldn't figure out if the Humvee of 1999 was black or white. But, I'm rambling.

Anyway, there are two qualifying matches that determine who faces Sting for the Cup in the main event.

The first match is a Battle Royale featuring both members of Kronik, Mark Jindrak, Sean O'Haire, The Cat, Mike Awesome, Lance Storm, Alex Wright, Disqo, Rey Mysterio, Jr., Konnan, The Franchise, "Primetime" Elix Skipper, "Above Average" Mike Sanders, Hugh Morrus, Kwee-Wee, Fit Finlay and Norman Smiley.

The second match has the winner of the aforementioned Battle Royale facing Kevin Nash and Jeff Jarrett. Whoever wins this match goes on to face Sting in the finals.

If that doesn't define "glass ceiling" nowadays, I don't know what does.

Just thought I'd share something. Onto the report!

• Stuff to note: Luger's video footage has him racking Sid Vicious.
• Luger walks towards the announcers' booth with a magazine in hand.
• Luger asks Madden to stand up.
• Luger rambles for a bit and scolds Madden when he speaks.
• Luger calls Madden an endomorph.
• Luger calls himself mesomorphic magnificence.
• Basic gist: Luger reams out Madden for his comments last week.
• Luger gets a big pop in the ring.
• Luger says he made a statement by bashing Buff's brains in.
• As the crowd turns on Luger, he comments on how Chicago loves him.
• Luger namedrops some of the veterans of WCW, including Hogan, Savage and the Road Warriors.
• Luger tells Goldberg that his streak won't happen again.
• Now we get "Goldberg" chants.
• Luger appears to have dyed his hair to be more blonde than it was before.
• Luger points out the WCW Magazine in his hand that printed a full chapter of Goldberg's forthcoming book.
• Luger calls Ross Forman (a "crew member" at ringside who worked on the article) into the ring.
• Luger asks Forman if he finds an article of Goldberg or him more important.
• Forman notes there's a story on Goldberg but not of Luger.
• Luger gets pissed off, rambles a bit more and puts Forman into the Torture Rack, in case the WCW Sledgehammer of Plot hasn't hammered home the fact that Luger is a heel.
• Some guys in stripes enter the ring, and Luger finally lets go after thirty seconds or so.
• Hudson refers to Luger's antics as "narcissism."

• In the ring, Storm has some advice on voting.
• Apparently, we all are going to lose no matter what on Election Day.
• We should all immigrate to Calgary (dramatic pause), Alberta, Canada.
• Instead of the Canadian Anthem, we get Kwee-Wee.
• Duggan and Elix Pearl Harbor Kwee after the Kiss Of Doom and bring him into the ring.
• Kwee gets a quick rollup as Schiavone almost slips and calls the promotion the WWF.
• Outside the ring, Kwee gets sent to the rail.
• Punches follow, and they both go back inside.
• Paisley refers to Kwee-Wee as "Angry Allan" as he gets two.
• Kwee with a flying bodypress for two.
• Storm counters with a jawbreaker and sidekick for two.
• With Kwee on the apron, Storm tries an suplex but Kwee gets out.
• Some reversals lead to a sunset flip for two.
• Kwee with a tilt-a-whirl reverse powerbomb (aka Glitter Bomb) for two.
• Storm whips Kwee to the corner.
• Kwee-Wee tries a floatover but Storm grabs him, drops him to the mat and delivers the Mapleleaf for the win.
• YOUR WINNER: Lance Storm via Canadian Mapleleaf in 2:17.
• Post-match, Duggan holds the referee at bay as Storm continues the hold.
• Meanwhile, Paisley delivers the WORST "valet acting scared" commentary as Kwee-Wee writhes in pain.
• And who makes the save but MENG. The heels scatter, but Meng gets a shot on Elix.
  
• Too short, but they put a lot of stuff in there.
      

• For what it's worth, our own Cubs Fan told me that Midajah is married to one of the BattleDome Warriors.

• Stasiak gets the fake-Mr. Perfect music, whereas Reno gets the standard Thriller theme.
• Reno doesn't show up, and the music stops.
• The crowd boos, and the music starts up again.
• On the TurnerTron, we see Reno get laid out on a busted table. Before the camera panned to him, Kronik was seeing walking away from the scene.
• Referee Jamie Tucker awards the match to Shawn Stasiak on a forfeit. Despite the fact that Hardcore matches in WCW are falls-count-anywhere and occasionally begin backstage.
• YOUR WINNER: "PerfectShawn" Stasiak via forfeit.
• That was the very definition of a nothing match.
  

• Madden points out the irony that Ric Flair cheated his entire career, yet plans to enforce rules to the current crop of WCW wrestlers. Can't fault him for logic there, folks.
• Ric namedrops some Chicago sports teams for the easy pop.
• Ric says he's running WCW.
• Ric gets bleeped when mentioning "Hugh G. Rection."
• Ric predicts that Mayhem on the 26^th will be the best WCW PPV in a long time.
• Ric says that the Rection/Storm match will be for the last time.
• Ric announces that Luger will face Goldberg.
• Ric says the world title match will be in a cage.
• Ric says the winner of the match at Mayhem will be the flagship.
• Ric namedrops Scott Steiner and says his conduct is unacceptable.
• Ric says he respects Steiner but his conduct will not be tolerated.
• The sirens bring out Steiner, and Madden begins to mark out.
• Steiner gets in Ric's face and actually pushes him into the corner while ranting.
• Booker T makes the save and runs Steiner out.
• Ric (to Booker T): "Now I know why I'm retired, man."
• Due to the attack, Ric plans to put a straightjacket 12 feet above the ring inside the cage for the wrestlers' use.
• Ric says if Steiner touches him or any other non-wrestling employee, he won't be working for WCW anymore.

• We see a clip from last Thunder where Evan gets fired from 3 Count.
• 2 Count refers to their backs not being sore because they're not carrying Evan anymore.
• Coming out next are the downsized Dragons.
• The Dragons get dumped from the ring as the tag champs enter.
• The champs with control of the action.
• Nice gorilla press into a bodyslam piledriver by O'Haire.
• The Dragons make the comeback and go for covers but 2 Count make the save.
• 2 Count stomp on the tag champs.
• The Dragons shove 2 Count then all four beat up the tag champs.
• Moore with a Famasser on Jindrak.
• The tag champs block double suplexes and reverse into their own.
• The champs whip Yang, who hits the Eyepoke of Death!
• Everyone without a belt dumps the champs from the ring.
• 2 Count rolls up each Dragon for two.
• Stereo frankensteiners by the Dragons.
• The Dragons try planchas but get caught and dropped on the rail by the champs.
• Super-biel into the ring for one of the Dragons.
• Moore with an Asai Moonsault to the outside.
• Helms with a variation on an inverted DDT on Yang, but Evan Karagias runs in for the save.
• This leads to the Sean-Ton Bomb for the win.
• YOUR WINNERS: Mark Jindrak and Sean O'Haire via Sean-Ton Bomb in 4:01.
• Post-match, Kaz Hayashi sends Evan into the ring.
• As the losing wrestlers beat on Evan, the tag champs have words with the Battledome Warriors.
• A maskless Jami-san (Jamie Howard) makes the save with a chair.
    

• Hudson completely oversells DDP's return.
• Madden makes a wink-wink reference to the smarts by mentioning DDP's benefactor.
• DDP says he tried to get out but they pulled him back in.
• DDP says he's going to have as much fun as possible.
• DDP says "this is a shoot." * sigh *
• DDP talks about a non-televised match with Booker T in Amarillo, TX.
• DDP says before the match he was bummed out.
• DDP says when he came through the curtain he heard a pop that blew the roof off the building, much like the pop he got here.
• DDP: "Cheap pop, that's a shoot." What-ever.
• DDP says he's got the biggest heart.
• DDP says he's living the American dream. As long as he's not living in "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, I guess that's okay.
• DDP says Ric Flair wanted him back in WCW.
• DDP gets another "cheap pop" by mentioning Chicago.
• DDP says he's back and he's jacked to the biggest pop of the night thus far.
• Some of the Battledome guys have words from ringside.
• DDP mentions the BD Warriors.
• DDP asks the Warriors if they want to get it on.
• DDP calls out Buff Bagwell (I thought they were enemies), The Cat and Rick Steiner.
• Cat tells the Warriors to jump the rail.
• Buff says something that gets bleeped.
• Rick Steiner runs through his catchphrase and the Warriors jump the rail.
• Buff has the gall to say "WCW: 1, BattleDome: nothing."

If I were a new WCW viewer, why would I watch their programming if I saw some guys from the stands beat the tar out of WCW wrestlers (which has to happen sometime to move the feud)? I would think that WCW guys suck if they can't win fights against their audience, wouldn't you?

And let's say the WCW contingent wins the blowoff, who cares, they beat a bunch of athletes not trained to wrestle, big deal. I appreciate that they're giving DDP, Cat, Buff and Rick Steiner something to do, but why not just feud DDP with Rick and Cat with Buff (after a heel turn, of course). It accomplishes the same goal of giving four guys feuds with each other (not involving any "unknowns") and filling thirty minutes of PPV time, and the fans can actually react accordingly because they know all four wrestlers.

While we're on the subject, let's also talk about Jimmy Hart and his challenge to radio deejays everywhere. I'll channel Gorilla Monsoon referring to "Shawn Michaels has left the building" from WM VIII — who cares! Jimmy Hart lost his heat when he was stripped from the megaphone. He managed some big names in the past, great for him. But unless you do these things at house shows or before a television taping so the local fans can pop, it's a waste. Why should I, a resident of Florida, care about Opie & Anthony from New York City getting in the ring on Nitro in front of a national audience (which is the current plan)? Someone outside of the Opie & Anthony network cannot follow the full storyline, and thus loses out on what the match could offer. If WCW wants Jimmy Hart to be useful, give him back his megaphone and let him manage some up-and-comers. It may not help, but it can't hurt, either. And the heat stays within WCW, which is always a bonus.

In conclusion, I think these crossovers are losing situations for everyone in WCW because the heat ends up going to the wrong people for a short-term gain that won't benefit the promotion a year from now. WCW would be wise to avoid such crossovers and focus on getting the wrestlers over other WRESTLERS for long-term growth. Sorry for interrupting the report with this, but it had to be said.

• In another wink-wink reference, Hudson brings up Stasiak "causing problems backstage."
• Jarrett and Steiner will team up in this tag match against...
• Buff Bagwell and Sting.
• Well, I see two possible outcomes. Buff either eats the loss for his team or Sting gets the pinfall.
• Buff and Jarrett start us off.
• Jarrett gets the first attack.
• Jarrett whips Buff, who ducks a clothesline and gets in his swinging neckbreaker.
• Tag to Sting.
• Sting with a Splash in the corner.
• Steiner interferes and gets a clothesline in the other corner for his trouble.
• Punches in the corner, and Sting delivers a crossbody to Jarrett as he closes in.
• Steiner with a belly-to-belly suplex.
• Steiner with a clothesline for two.
• Steiner with a backbreaker.
• Tag to Jarrett.
• Steiner holds Sting for a blow to the back from the middle turnbuckle.
• Jarrett whips Sting to the corner but misses the elbow.
• Tag to Steiner.
• The ref is distracted by Buff, allowing the Heel Beatdown.
• Steiner with an exploder for two.
• Steiner bullies Mark Johnson after the pin attempts.
• Steiner puts Sting in a surfboard.
• Sting breaks free, and they go into the corner.
• Sting with some headsmashes into the turnbuckle but Steiner hits a mule kick.
• Clothesline levels Sting.
• Tag to Jarrett.
• After a whip, Sting tries a sunset flip but Jarrett fights out.
• That is, until Buff clotheslines Jarrett to the mat for two.
• Tag to Steiner.
• Steiner levels his former teammate on the apron.
• Sting with a DDT.
• Tags to Buff and Jarrett.
• Buff with clotheslines. Pretty bad ones, I might add.
• Jarrett gets dumped from the ring.
• Steiner stops Buff's momentum but takes Buff's double-armed DDT for two.
• Sting ends up outside the ring, too.
• Buff Blockbuster on Steiner barely connects, but Jarrett hits Buff flush with the guitar.
• Jarrett and Sting battle outside the ring.
• Steiner puts the Recliner, and Mark Johnson gives the match to the heels, despite shards of Jarrett's guitar laying all over the ring.
• YOUR WINNERS: Jeff Jarrett and Scott Steiner via Steiner Recliner in 6:10.
• I'm wondering if that (and last week's 90-second job to Luger) was punishment for an arrogant interview Buff did with the Observer before Havoc.
    

• Alex Wright needs his old techno music back.
• In the pre-match interview, Disqo translates Alex Wright's German.
• Disqo claims Wright says Chicago is the greatest city in America.
• Disqo claims Wright says that he will remain the U. S. Title for his home country of Germany.
• The funny thing is that Wright could speak competent English under his "Dancing Fool" gimmick years ago.
• The champ and his eye candy come out.
• Lock-up.
• Robinson breaks the two up in the corner, and Wright gets some offense.
• Corner whip followed by a running elbowsmash.
• Morrus with a corner whip but he runs into a double-boot.
• Wright runs into a powerslam for two.
• Morrus gorilla-press slams Wright off the ropes.
• Morrus with a pair of elbowdrops.
• Morrus with a delayed legdrop for two, because as Madden says, a legdrop never wins anymore.
• Wright does a reverse somersault as Morrus ducks and hits a spinning heel kick.
• Wright with some stomps.
• Wright clamps onto Morrus' shoulder.
• Off the ropes, Morrus avoids a dropkick and gives his opponent a clothesline for two.
• Weak chops by Morrus in the corner.
• Wright with a corner whip, but Morrus floats over.
• Wright with a kick to the gut.
• European Uppercuts by the European.
• Wright slams the 300 lb. plus Morrus.
• Wright with a Vader splash for two.
• Wright goes up top and hits a flying stomp for two.
• We see Disqo walking to the apron with a chair, but the Misfits make the save.
• Wright with a suplex.
• Wright goes up top but comes down the hard way.
• Morrus goes up top and hits the moonsault for the win.
• YOUR WINNER: Hugh Morrus via moonsault in 4:52.
• Not bad. Not bad at all.
    

• Bigelow gets some generic rock music coming out.
• And, Goldberg... well you know his music.
• Goldberg charges the ring and actually sells Bigelow's offense.
• Big splash in the corner.
• They go outside, where one can see Goldberg's right leg is taped.
• Never understood why they keep the tape on during the match. It's basically a target that says "Hit me!"
• Back inside, Bigelow continues the abuse.
• Lex Luger is standing on the entryway.
• Goldberg decks Bigelow and turns his attention to Luger.
• Bigelow with a backdrop suplex.
• Bigelow goes up top and hits the diving headbutt for two. One could debate that one of Bigelow's finishing moves was just killed, but you have to remember that Lawrence Taylor kicked out of this very same move at WrestleMania XI.
• Goldberg fights back but Bigelow goes for the Greetings.
• Goldberg slips out and finishes Bigelow off with the usual.
• YOUR WINNER: Goldberg via Jackhammer in 2:42.
  ¼

• "Blah blah, Ric Flair go to hell blah blah kiss my ass."
• Steiner rants at Booker T., using more friendly words.
• Steiner and Midajah take a seat at the announcing booth as we go to commercial.
• That was quite pointless.

• Steiner rants about how he owned Booker at Havoc, which according to reports was true, despite Steiner losing by DQ.
• Nash pretty much dwarfs the 6' 3" Booker T.
• Lock-up, Nash pushes Booker into the corner as the crowd chants "We Want Pump!"
• Booker gets a headlock, but Nash hits a clothesline as Booker comes off the ropes.
• Lockup. High knee by Nash.
• Nash punches Booker out of the ring.
• Nash sends Booker to the apron.
• And to the table.
• Nash with an elbow to the back of the neck.
• Nash tries a chairshot but Booker counters and gets a chairshot of his own.
• Back inside, Booker hits a flying fist for two.
• Nash with a whip and the big boot.
• Nash with a side slam for two.
• Nash applies a surfboard.
• Booker tries to power out to no avail.
• Booker hits some forearms and a sidekick for two.
• Booker blocks a whip and hits a kneelift.
• Axe kick. Spinerooni. Harlem Sidekick... on the ref.
• Booker goes to finish but Stasiak runs in and clubs Booker with some brass knuckles.
• Nash pulls down the straps and goes for the powerbomb...
• But Stasiak decks NASH and puts Booker on top.
• Stasiak revives the ref for the pinfall.
• YOUR WINNER: Booker T. via pinfall in 4:59.
• Post-match, Stasiak gives Nash the Crotch Chops of Utter Annoyance!
• Steiner grabs Booker outside the ring as we fade.
• Okay, idea. Get the belt off Booker at the PPV. I like him as a wrestler, but he is made to look weak in every match he wrestles and was already shitkicked TWICE by Scott Steiner in their past two matches. If WCW wants to make Steiner a monster, more power to 'em, but they may as well give him the belt at Mayhem because Booker is losing credibility by the bucketload while Steiner is showing resurgence.