House Show Results from Saturday Nitro, Great Western Forum LA, CA, 6/28/97
Mike Solko was at Saturday Nitro. He was kind enough to take the time and type up the results and send them to DDT Digest. Many thanks to Mike for helping out.

With the WWF and WCW both putting on cards in the Los Angeles area on 6/28, it's fairly safe to say that both federations would be pulling out all the stops to put on a good show and draw a big crowd. With a PPV caliber line-up to start with and a few surprises, WCW put on a show that has blown away most of the pay-per-views and Nitros from recent months.

• At the start of the show, we were introduced to the broadcast team of Tenay, Madden and Okerlund, with Mean Gene getting a big pop from the crowd. After the internet broadcast team took their positions at ringside, referee Nick Patrick made his way to ringside and got clobbered by a bucket of popcorn. The ring announcer made a point to inform the crowd anyone throwing things at the wrestlers would be escorted from the building.
• Juventud Guerrera, Damien, and Super Calo defeated Konnan, La Parka, and Villano IV.
  • Damien and Super Calo were filling in for Hector Garza and Lizmark Jr., although no reason was given.
  • The heels got most of the big pops during this one, especially Konnan who was unbelievably over with the LA crowd.
  • Many multi-wrestler spots during the match, including one where every wrestler missed a move from the top rope.
  • Guerrera gets the pin over Villano IV with a roll-up.
  • After the match, Konnan's team attacked the faces, and Konnan gets on the mic saying "arriba la raza" as well as a spanish phrase translated to "f**k the mothers of the border patrol." This got a big, big pop and I think the bookers would go back and change the ending on this one if they had any idea how over Konnan was going to be with the crowd.
• Ultimo Dragon defeated Psychosis.
  • After getting tossed out of the ring, Dragon took some vicious looking kicks from Sunny Ono.
  • Dragon won the match with the Dragon Sleeper, and afterwards was stomped on by Psychosis and Ono.
• Eddie Guerrero defeated Dean Malenko.
  • Eddie was very clearly a heel in this matchup, breaking the rules at every opportunity.
  • Eddie managed to get Malenko in a Texas Cloverleaf at one point in the match, with Malenko grabbing the ropes to get out.
  • After gaining the upper hand, Malenko tried to land a frog splash on Eddie but Guerrero managed to get his knees up in time.
  • The referee missed a rollup pin attempt by Malenko that would have been a certain victory. Then Eddie managed to get leverage on Malenko by placing his feet on the ropes to get the win.
  • Mean Gene interviewed Eddie after the match with Eddie claiming that the fans want rule breakers such as Sting who uses a bat, so he is only doing what he has to to win, and he only has to answer to himself and God.
• The Steiner Brothers defeated Buff Bagwell and Masa Hiro Chono.
  • Originally this match was scheduled to have the Steiners against Scott Norton and Chono, then was changed to Norton and Bagwell (Vicious and Delicious), but was apparently changed. Norton made no appearences at the show.
  • Bagwell got on the mic before the match and insulted the fans and Los Angeles.
  • Lots of crowd working with Bagwell posing, and the Steiners mocking him throughout the match.
  • Rick managed to get the pin on Bagwell after a belly-to-belly suplex while Scott and Chono were brawling outside of the ring.
• Syxx defeated Rey Misterio, Jr. to retain the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship.
  • Rather than the usual nWo music, Syxx entered to a rap song by the West Side Connection.
  • Before the match began, Chris Jericho came into the ring and said that he had made the trip at his own expense to be here, so that he could challenge the winner of this match to fight him for the title at the show. Rey willingly agreed to it, and Syxx rather cockily accepted the challenge as well.
  • Syxx dominated most of the match, with Misterio only managing to hit a few spots.
  • At one point, the referee was not allowing Rey to jump out onto Syxx while he was on the floor, so Rey jumped OVER the referee and dived onto Syxx.
  • Syxx managed to lock on the Buzzkiller, and get a clean victory over Misterio.
  • After releasing Misterio from the hold, Syxx yelled for them to get Misterio out of the ring, which led to...
• Chris Jericho defeated Syxx to win the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship.
  • As soon as Jericho came into the ring, Syxx started punching him and stomping him into the corner, then missed when going for his bronco riding move and crotched himself on the bottom turnbuckle. After moving out of the way of the move, Jericho hit a jumping wheel kick for the win over Syxx.
  • This match only lasted 2 minutes maximum, and Jericho's theme music was still playing for at least a third of the match before it was shut off.
  • I didn't catch too much of what happened after the match because I was too busy marking out over Jericho's victory, but after Jericho left Syxx was in the ring confused and upset.
• After intermission, the nWo hit the ring to the Hendrix-sounding NWO theme. Hogan, Bischoff, Hall, Nash, Syxx, Savage, Bagwell, and Chono were there, although DiBiase (who may have left WCW), Vincent and Norton were all not present. Lots of nWo Country talk, and trash talking about Sting. Hogan challenged Sting to a title match tonight and tried to call him out but no reply at all. Hogan then proceeded to pose (only for 45 seconds or so, thankfully) and the nWo headed to back.
• "Rowdy" Roddy Piper defeated Ric Flair.
  • Piper was accompanied to the rinside along with his bodyguard (aka his personal lackey) who was a part of his "family."
  • When going for a roll-up pin, Piper managed to pull the back of Flair's trunks down and we got to see a view of Flair's backside for about 45 seconds before he decided to pull them back up. Apparently he felt going for a move off the top rope would be more important than pulling up his trunks. :)
  • Flair pulled an international object out of his trunks when he was pulling them back up and managed to clobber Piper with it although he couldn't get the three count.
  • Piper eventually got a sleeper on Flair, and got the clean victory.
  • None of the Horseman appeared during the show other than Flair.
• "Diamond" Dallas Page defeated Randy "Macho Man" Savage.
  • Fairly short match that was a brawl for the most part.
  • Savage went for the big elbow drop off the top, but landed with a boot to the face from DDP. While Savage was stunned, DDP hit him with the Diamond Cutter.
  • After the match, DDP was going to work on Savage until Bagwell ran in to help Savage out.
  • Kimberly and Liz were both not present at all tonight.
• Lex Luger and the Giant defeated Hall and Nash by DQ.
  • The Outsiders came to ringside to the Fugees song "Ready or Not." (does anyone know if the Wolf Pack usually comes to ringside with rap songs as entry music or was it just for this show?)
  • Both the Outsiders and Luger/Giant were really really over with the crowd and got big pops for virtually every move.
  • There was a hilarious spot where Nash was kneeing and elbowing Luger in the corner, and Hall was mimicking the moves behind him.
  • Big "Diesel" and "Razor" chants started up at one point.
  • For most of the match, it was the Outsiders having their way with Luger until he finally made a hot tag to the Giant.
  • While the Giant and Nash were fighting outside the ring, Luger managed to get Hall into the Torture Rack, but Hogan snuck down to ringside and nailed Luger with the belt.
  • Sting came down from the rafters into the entryway behind Hogan, and snuck into the ring and after a staredown they actually started to fight. Sting got in several hits on Hogan and had him locked in the Scorpion Deathlock, but Syxx jumped onto the apron with some sort of pipe and Sting had to break the hold. Hogan managed to sneak out of the ring and to the back while Sting was laying waste to the Wolf Pack.
  • After Luger and the Giant had recovered, the Wolf Pack tried to retake the ring resulting in Hall getting the Death Drop, Nash getting racked and Syxx getting chokeslammed.
  • After Sting and Co. had headed to the back, the Wolf Pack got up as if nothing had happened and proclaimed Los Angeles nWo Country, as they were getting barraged with trash. Hall picked up a cup someone had thrown in at them and drank from it. After the Outsiders left ringside, the ring announcer thanked us and said if tonight was any indication, then the WCW would be back in LA very soon.

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