WCW Monday Nitro - Monday, 01/04/99

• Yes, it is I, your intrepid WCW Monday Nitro reporter. Remember me?

  I'm semi-recovered from my surgery last week. I spent my New Year's with two suction tubes coming out of my neck and a cut running from my earlobe to my adam's apple. How was yours? :-)

  Thanks to Aldo for a kick-ass Nitro report while I was preparing to get cut last week.

• I ordered Starrcade, and was thoroughly disgusted with it. The Cruiserweight matches were incredible, and Giant/DDP and Goldberg/Nash were decent matches, but everything else blew. I like Norman Smiley as much as the next guy, but what the hell was Smiley/Iaukea doing on my PPV. And REALLY what was Finlay-Flynn/Adams-Norton doing on there? That PPV was up to the level of a good Nitro show, not the granddaddy of them all.

  And, apparently WCW hasn't learned from last year's debacle that killed Sting's heat - it's usually not a good idea to job your face in your biggest feud on your biggest PPV. It ruined Sting's credibility last year, and you've got to wonder what it'll do for Flair this year.

  Yeah, I know, Flair got his revenge the next night, and it WAS sweet, but you've got to wonder about WCW's business strategy - using the PPVs to build up the Nitros, rather than the opposite.

  Oh well. Last time WCW gets my money again until they prove that they know what to do with it.

• I find it absolutely hilarious that the leader of the stable that is the focus of the promotion, the nWo, carries around the incredibly prestigious World Television title. If there's any doubt that the nWo has fallen on hard times, this is it. Hopefully, this will be the final blow for the stable, and WCW can move in a new creative direction.

  As an aside, the only lamer title that Steiner could hold as leader of the nWo is the "Western States Heritage Championship." Anybody remember that belt? I think the only guys to hold it were Barry Windham and Larry Zbyszko.

• Speaking of Windham, it's so sad to watch him now. Back in the 80s, I was a HUGE Barry Windham mark. And the guy had the skills to back it up. But now he's fat, injured, and slow. A shell of his former self. He came in for that one "turn on Flair" angle, and is going nowhere. It's just sad to watch.

• Chastity. Scott Putski. Sandman. Brian Adams. Barry Windham. Mikey Whipwreck. Bobby Duncum Jr. Bam Bam Bigelow. Bret Hart. Jim Neidhart. Davey Boy Smith. The list goes on and on. WCW's roster seems to expand every week - and already carries a ton of wrestlers. But does this help the company, or hurt it?

  Fans like surprises - and the easiest surprise to give them is to trot out a new wrestler. But new wrestlers need angles to be put in, lest they just show up for a few weeks and then vanish, wasting time. Duncum is a good example of this. And with a glut of established stars getting a large share of angle time, and the up-and-coming stars (Jericho, Giant, Benoit, Guerrero, etc.) wanting to make their move into the spotlight as well, it's a logistical nightmare to try to fit these bodies into interesting angles week after week.

  Now, contrast this situation with the WWF. Their roster is thin almost to the breaking point - their stars either get hurt (Michaels, 'Taker, etc.) or lured away (Hart Foundation). As a result, they were forced to elevate midcarders like Maivia, Foley, Shamrock, etc. up to the front of the card. And guess what? It's worked. With less "dead weight" up at the top of the card, they've been able to put something fresh together. I'm certainly not saying it's BETTER (boobs and cussing ceased to be the end-all and be-all of humor sometime during high school), but to their fans, it's something different than what they'd been doing for the previous couple of years. And, with that change, has come a dominance of the TV ratings that the WWF hadn't seen since before the first can of spray paint put down the letters "N-W-O."

  I don't think it's a coincidence.

  WCW is in the same position now. They're stuck giving their allegiance to an nWo angle that is dead and gone. They seem to believe that the "faction wars" that were such a disaster in the WWF (remember Los Boriquas vs. DOA vs. NOD?) will work with them (Wolfpac vs. LWO vs. nWo). The World title has been stagnant for the past few months, with things only starting to heat up now. The once-mighty tag belts are beyond a joke ("Check yourself before you wreck yourself"). Who has the US belt now, anyway? See above for my comments on the TV title. And the Cruiserweight division, while far and away the best thing going in wrestling today, needs a few more contenders (Chavo, Kaz, Psychosis). The Ric Flair angle has the potential to be a showstopper, but I fear that Bischoff's ego is going to ruin it. And let's not forget that there is still the possibility of the Hogan Revolution coming again, bringing us more Hogan vs. Savage, Hogan vs. Piper, Hogan vs. Warrior, and Hogan with the World belt as his permanent air guitar. Perish the though.

  WCW has gotten old. There isn't the spark of mystery anymore. Like a struggling business, they need some changes to get competitive again. Here are my suggestions.

  • Downsize. The roster is way too big. The first people to go are the old deadweight or the guys who are just taking up space. This is your Brian Adams, your Scott Nortons, your Vincents, your Prince Iaukeas, Van Hammers, and Scott Putskis. If you really want to get extreme - axe Luger, Page, Savage, all of Hogan's Heroes. Trim the midcard - get rid of the guys who are never going to perform, and push or retool the guys who will. Make Raven and Saturn relevant. Give Kanyon an angle. Make Smiley a legit Cruiser threat. That type of thing.

  • Resist the temptation to add for the sake of adding. WCW's opinion seems to be "Hey - we've got the money. If any wrestler comes available, we'll get them just so the WWF can't." Guess what - it hasn't helped. So what if Sandman is available - is he really going to add anything to the promotion, aside from the second coming of Public Enemy? Has Brian Adams does ANYTHING to justify his salary? How about Bobby Duncum Jr.? Why give him a TV title feud when there are Chavos, Kanyons, Smileys, etc. already there in need of a feud. Sure, Bam Bam Bieglow is getting a monster push in the World title arena, but wasn't there someone who had already paid their dues who could have used that push? Again, the easy surprise to give fans is a new wrestler, but it only hurts in the long run.

  • Hold onto the young talent - it's the future. In 5-10 years, people aren't going to be going to the arena to see Flair. They won't be looking for Savage, Hogan, and Piper. DDP won't have the bang. Who they WILL be going to see are the Jerichos, Guerreros, Benoits, and Giants. It'll be Chavo Jr. contending for the TV belt, not Scott Steiner. Booker T will be the World champion, not Hogan. So, like any organization, you have to protect your investment in the future, lest someone else profit from your find. Paul "Giant" Wight, in his 20s, is allegedly a lock to head to the WWF within the month. Chris Jericho, also in his 20s, is considering a WWF move. Benoit, Guerrero, and Malenko are all constantly rumored to be unhappy. If I was the WCW executives, these would be two of the FIRST guys I'd have in long-term contracts. You've got a 500-pound guy who can throw a missile dropkick and possibly one of the most charismatic wrestlers of the last 10 years, a guy who was able to carry a feud with Goldberg WITHOUT GOLDBERG EVEN BEING AROUND for goodness sakes! So, you bring in Sandman, Bigelow, etc. and give them angles, but you let those two get away. Riiiiight.

  • Kill the nWo. Seriously. This angle is doing nobody any good right now. And, while you're at it, kill the Wolfpac and LWO. Stables are good - aimless stables that exist just for the purpose of exisiting aren't. They've gone from the best, freshest, and most original angle in a long time to a heat sink that could chill fusion.

  • Build off the Flair situation. If all parties can work together, you've got a unparalleled opportunity to start a great angle here. I don't profess to know what the proper direction to go with this is. All I know is that an angle with this much pre-built heat doesn't come along all the time. Use sense, not political considerations, and this could turn into something special.

  That's my view on what's going on as we enter 1999. WCW is still the best WRESTLING promotion in the US, but is shooting itself in the foot time and time again. I think that they can make it back to the top without resorting to "Bra & Panty matches," South Park references, dick jokes, and silicone, but it'll take changes in the way they do business.

• Remember, this new year, let's not forget about Brad Armstrong, OK?

• We take a "special look" at Nash/Goldberg from Starrcade.

• And we're LIVE from the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA where 40,000 fans are on hand for WCW Monday Nitro!
  • The Nitro Girls do a little dance.
  • Tonight: World Champion Nash vs. Goldberg.
  • The announcers look forward to the "Flair Regieme."
  • Hogan is here tonight. Damnit.
  • Balloons and confetti fall from the ceiling.
  • The Nitro Party grand prize winner has a luxury suite at the Georgia Dome.
  • The people in the suite grunt like monkeys doing a math problem.

• Match 1: Glacier vs. Hugh Morrus (w/Jimmy Hart)
  • We start off the BIGGEST NITRO IN HISTORY with....Glacier?
  • Downsize.
  • His opponent - The returning Hugh Morrus.
  • Downsize.
  • Jimmy Hart is apparently still alive.
  • Tony is still pronouncing Morrus's name is "Humerus."
  • Morrus is sporting a bald look and a goatee.
  • Morrus has a heavy brace on his left knee.
  • Morrus with armdrags to start, and mocks Glacier's kata.
  • Glacier comes back with kicks.
  • Morrus ducks too soon for a backdrop, and eats boot.
  • Glacier works Morrus over in the corner, as Tony goes into rapture over Hogan.
  • Morrus powerslams Glacier coming out of the corner.
  • Morrus no-sells a punch, but Glacier hits a legsweep.
  • Glacier signals for the Cryonic Kick, but gets distracted with Jimmy Hart.
  • Morrus goes to attack Glacier from behind, but Glacier moves, and Hart eats his Hugh.
  • Morrus clotheslines Glacier, gets him into position, and hits the No Laughing Matter for the win.

• The talking heads talk more about Hogan, and say that Flair will be here.
  • We see footage from Bischoff celebrating after Starrcade, and we see the Flair/Bischoff confrontations from last week, as well as shots from the match.

• We get the normal Nitro opener, then commercials.

• Arn, Flair, and the Flair family make their way into the building.
  • Mean Gene is in the ring, and calls the new President of WCW, Ric Flair, down.
  • We see Dean Malenko on crutches, along with Benoit and Mongo, who join Flair on his way down.
  • Apparently, Malenko hurt his knee at a house show this weekend.
  • I swear to God I saw Brad Armstrong in the back as Flair made his way to the ring.
  • Tenay says that Malenko suffered an ankle injury in Columbus, GA.
  • Flair is subdued.
  • Flair says that this is a proud moment for him, and he's happy to be surrounded by the people who have supported him.
  • Flair: "WCW is the greatest wrestling organization on the face of the Earth, but for five years, a tyrant named Eric Bischoff has run over people."
  • President Flair says that Bischoff is in the building, and says that unless Bischoff wants to go to work for someone else tomorrow, he'll come out.
  • Bischoff slowly walks down.
  • Flair: "Mister Bischoff.....would you say that tonight, the shoes are on the other set of feet?"
  • Flair says that Bischoff has taken pains to make Flair feel small over the past five years.
  • Flair says it would be easy to fire Bischoff, but that's not it.
  • As of right now, Bischoff is working for Tony Schiavone in the announce booth.
  • Mongo offers Bischoff a little cash to help him out.
  • Bischoff goes over to the booth.
  • Flair says that when Randy Anderson came down with cancer, Bischoff fired him.
  • We take a look at Bischoff firing Anderson.
  • Flair calls Pee Wee out from the back.
  • Pee Wee comes out, sans goatee.
  • Arn and Mongo hold the ropes open for Anderson.
  • Flair re-hires Anderson as a referee at double the salary.
  • Flair thanks the people who came down to help him during the match, including Randy Savage.
  • Flair books himself in a handicap match with Curt Hennig and Barry Windham! Hennig and Windham vs. Flair at Souled Out!
  • David Flair gets the mic, and says that he wants to be his dad's partner at Souled Out against Windham and Hennig.
  • Flair says David's not ready.
  • Arn stops Flair and says "He knows what he's doing."
  • Flair accepts David as his partner, and the segment ends.
  • As we go to commercial, we see Tony, Zbyszko, and Bischoff in the announce booth. Bischoff doesn't look happy.

• In yet another sign of the End Times, Konnan has his own T-Shirt.

• Match 2: Booker T vs. Emery Hale
  • Yes yes yes....No no no.....
  • Booker T makes his way down.
  • His opponent, Emery Hale, is already in the ring.
  • Hale attacks before the bell, and takes Booker down, but Booker quickly comes back.
  • Hale powers Booker into the corner, but blows a corner whip.
  • Booker manages to turn it into a standing spinebuster.
  • Booker with the breakdance, and the Harlem Sidekick.
  • Booker connects with the Missile Dropkick, and gets the win in about a minute.
  • Booker says that it ain't stoppin' 'till he's the number one contender around this sucka'. That would rule, actually.

• More Nitro Girls
  • Mmmm.....Spicealicious.
  • I've been seeing ads for a new movie while I've been recovering, and all I've got to say is Mmmmm....Mira Sorvino.....

• Bischoff is refusing to play with the other announcers.
  • Larry tells Tony to fire Bischoff.

• Match 3: Norman Smiley vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/Pepe)
  • Norman Smiley makes his way down.
  • His opponent - CHAVO!
  • A rematch from last week's show! This should rule.
  • Tony tries to get Bischoff to give some background on Smiley.
  • Smiley talks some smack to Chavito.
  • Chavo starts off early, flips out of a tilt-a-whirl, and clotheslines Smiley.
  • Chavo dropkicks Smiley out of the ring, and takes a ride on Pepe.
  • Smiley snaps Chavo's neck across the rope.
  • Smiley with some slaps, and a little dance.
  • Smiley hits the spinning bodyslam.
  • Smiley lands a standing powerslam, and applies a leglock.
  • Chavo turns a kneelift into a rollup for two.
  • Chavo with another rollup for two, but Norman hits a back-elbow.
  • Smiley with a fall-back dropkick..
  • Smiley does the SMBU dance, but eats a nice missile dropkick.
  • Smiley goes to the eyes, starts the SMBU, but falls backward.
  • Chavo blows his rope-bounce bulldog, and turns it into a rollup for two.
  • Smiley tries the Conquest, but Chavo escapes, rolls Smiley up with a sunset flip, and gets the WIN!!!!
  • Chavo wins!
  • Smiley isn't happy.
  • Smiley attacks after the match, suplexes and slams Chavo, and throws Pepe at him.
  • Might have the start of a feud here.

• Match 4: Chris Benoit vs. Horace Hogan
  • Chris Benoit is in the ring, awaiting freakin' Horace.
  • Benoit with the early advantage. Benoit gets no entracne?
  • Horace with an avalanche clothesline, and a biel.
  • Benoit ducks a clothesline, and hits two of the three German suplexes.
  • Horace blocks the third, but Benoit drops Horace gut-first over the top.
  • Benoit tries to suplex Horace into the ring, but Horace reverses it, sending Benoit to the floor.
  • Horace dives between the ropes onto Benoit.
  • Horace with a short-arm clothesline, and an elbowdrop.
  • Randy Anderson is the referee.
  • Horace with a pendulum backbreaker, and goes up top.
  • Benoit catches him up top, and hits a top-rope superplex!
  • Thumb across the throat!!!
  • Benoit hits it!
  • I love the way Benoit sells his own moves.
  • Horace sends Benoit into the buckles, and hits a shoulderbreaker for two.
  • Horace sets up for the Brainbuster, but Benoit quickly reverses it into the Crossface, and Horace taps!! BENOIT WINS!!!!

• Something is going on in the back
  • The cops are stopping Goldberg, saying that they have a warrant for his arrest.
  • Goldberg says he's innocent, and says that nobody can take him downtown for something he didn't do. Of course, they've never said what he's accused of.
  • The cop says that Goldberg is still going to have to go downtown.
  • Goldberg says he stands for good in the community.
  • So, resisting arrest is standing for good in the community.
  • The cop that apparently knows Goldberg convinces him to get cuffed and taken downtown.
  • This whole episode gets the big "WTF" award.
  • Commercial.
  • The cops are taking Goldberg outside.
  • Nash comes out, and yells at the cops that he has a match with Goldberg.
  • Goldberg gets driven away.
  • Hogan is outside, laughing, and says that he's a law-and-order politican. Hogan says that Goldberg is guilty.
  • As we pan back inside, we see Miss Elizabeth talking to detectives.
  • Hmmmm....Liz swears a warrant on Goldberg for sexual harrasment?

• Match 5: Perry Saturn vs. Chris Jericho (w/Ralphus)
  • Ambiguously Gay Saturn makes his way out.
  • His opponent - Chris Jericho!
  • They lock up, and Jericho gets slapped.
  • Saturn clotheslines Jericho.
  • Jericho with a headlock.
  • Saturn kicks Jericho down in the corner.
  • Saturn hits a back elbow, but Jericho dumps him over the top.
  • Jeircho nearly hits his run-up-the-corner dropkick, but Saturn sells it for him anyway.
  • Commercial as Jericho suplexes Saturn on the floor.
  • As we come back, Saturn is applying a sleeper. Jericho gets out of it with a belly-to-back suplex.
  • The announcers still wonder what Goldberg was arrested for.
  • Jericho with a suplex and the "C'Mon Baby" pin.
  • Jericho slaps Saturn, but runs right into a Spectacular Move® suplex.
  • Jericho misses a spinwheel kick, and escapes the Spicolli Driver.
  • Saturn hits another suplex for two.
  • Jericho pulls the ref in front of a charging Saturn, and then kicks him in the 'nads.
  • Jericho hits the Lionsault, and applies the Liontamer, and Scott Dickinson calls for the bell before Jericho even applies the move.
  • Dickinson raises Jericho's hand, as Saturn screams that he didn't give up.

• WCW cameras followed Goldberg to the police station. As if.
  • Goldberg will be in room 3, if anybody needs them.
  • The camera follows them.
  • Goldberg is under arrest for aggravated stalking.
  • Elizabeth Lebetski filed the charges.
  • Goldberg says that he doesn't know any Elizabeth Lebetski.
  • The cops say that it's Miss Elizabeth.
  • The cops say they're talking to Miss Liz to find out what happened.

• Larry, on Miss Elizabeth: "This is the fifth time she's tried to be a 'miss.'"

• Back in the back, the detectives are talking to Liz.
  • Liz says Goldberg accosted her by the water cooler.
  • Liz says she's filed three reports.
  • She says that Goldberg follows her everywhere.
  • Apparently, Goldberg is at all the arenas, gyms, and hotels with her.

• We see a special look at Eddy Guerrero with the LWO and some low-riders
  • The LWO is partying with some Latin honies.
  • La Parka does the La Parka Polka. Silver King is cutting a mean rug.
  • Eddy sits with the ladies on one couch, while the LWO sits together on the other.
  • We then see an LWO card game. Eddy tells the LWO that they owe him for what they have, and Damien and Dandy should leave the card game to go get everyone some sodas.
  • El Patron makes a rousing speech at the end.
  • This whole segment may have been set up by the rumored serious, but not life-threatening, car accident that Eddie Guerrero was supposedly in on Thursday night.

• Match 6: Tornado Match: WCW World Cruiserweight Champion Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psychosis and Juventud Guerrera
  • Cruiser champ Billy Kidman makes his way out, with Rey Mysterio Jr. following behind.
  • LWO music brings out Psychosis and Juventud Guerrera.
  • This is a Tornado match, all the men in the ring at once.
    • Brain: "Has Ernest Miller, The Cat, been out here yet?"
    • Tony: "No...."
    • Brain: "Then who's got Bischoff's tongue?"
  • Even though this is a tornado match, it starts off as a regular tag match. Sigh.
  • Can't we get on the same page here, folks?
  • Psy and Kidman start off.
  • Psychosis hits a split-legged gourdbuster.
  • Psychosis tags a reluctant Juventud in.
  • Kidman dropkicks Juvi twice, but misses the third.
  • Rey tags in, and hits a flying headscissors on Juvi.
  • Rey vaults Juvi into Kidman's Rydeen Bomb.
  • Rey headscissors Juvi over the top rope.
  • Juventud with a springboard dropkick to Rey's back.
  • Psychosis hits a slingshot Guillotine Legdrop onto Rey on the floor.
  • This match just isn't getting started.
  • Rey hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Psychosis keeps him from tagging.
  • Rey dropkicks Psychosis as he comes off the top.
  • Rey tags Kidman, who takes on both LWO members.
  • Kidman and Rey clothesline both heels over the top, and both dive from the post to the floor.
  • Rey and Kidman team up to hit a springboard version of the Doomsday Device. Nice!
  • Some misdirecton, and Kidman accidentally dropkicks Rey in the back.
  • Juvi disposes of Kidman, and Psychosis hits the Guillotine Legdrop on Rey for the win!

• We go back to G.O.L.D.N.E.T.
  • Goldberg says that they're booked in the same arenas, the office puts them up in the same hotels, and he OWNS the gym that Miss Liz goes to.

• We get a scary closeup of Mean Gene as he calls out Kevin Nash
  • Nash has asked for time to respond.
  • Nash says Goldberg got screwed at Starrcade.
  • Nash says it doesn't take Clouseau to figure out who's behind this - Hogan.
  • Nash says that since Flair is righting all the wrongs, and asks Flair to give him Hogan tonight.
  • President Flair comes down.
  • Flair makes the match for tonight.

• Another look back at Nash/Goldberg.

• The cops talk to Liz again, asking for where it happened.
  • Liz says she was at the Coke machine, getting herself a Diet Pepsi.
  • Goldberg was allegedly wearing red tights.
  • Liz says that Goldberg calls her and hangs up on her.
  • Liz: "I'm the vicitim here."
  • The cops tell Liz to chill.

• Mean Gene calls out Hollywood Hulk Hogan
  • Voodoo Chili brings out The Saggy Orange Menace, dressed in black.
  • Gene asks about the political aspirations.
  • Hogan says that the world of pro wrestling still revolves around Hogan.
  • Hogan said that he was going to take this time to say goodbye to the fans, and to announce his VP candidate.
  • However, when Hogan came here and saw the sexual deviant Goldberg, it made him sick.
  • Hogan says that Nash has been starting rumors that Hogan is scared of him.
  • Hogan says he owes his fans one last retirement match.
  • Tony: "Fans, don't even think about changing the channel, because we've learned that at our competition, Mick Foley, who used to wrestle here as Cactus Jack, is going to win their world title! Heh, talk about putting asses in the seats." That was wrong. However, I'd think it was a lot more wrong if the WWF hadn't spoiled the result on their own webpage.

• We see Chris Jericho in the back, praising Scott Dickinson, and saying that the next time Saturn lays hands on him, Dickinson should DQ saturn.

• Match 7: WCW World Television Champion Scott Steiner (w/Buff Bagwell) vs. Konnan
  • Scott wants Buff to tell him what a freak he is. Um.....
  • Big Poppa Poop has the mic.
  • Scott actually gets a decent response to his "Holler if you hear me" line.
  • Buff mocks Dan Reeves and the Atlanta Falcons dance.
  • Steiner says that Konnan wants to get beat up one more time.
  • Wolfpac music brings out Gonnad.
  • Let's see. Hate Steiner, hate Konnan. Go Buff go!
  • Konnan's graphic says HE'S the TV champion, too.
  • Steiner gets in Konnan's face.
  • Konnan tries the carpetmuncher on Buff, but Scott stops him.
  • Scott takes Konnan down.
  • Konnan mounts the corner to beat on Scott, and no-sells an inverted atomic drop.
  • Tony reiterates that RAW is taped, and spoils their World Title match. That's lame, Tony.
  • Tony makes fun of Foley. Foley's got more talent than most wrestlers, dude. You're digging yourself a hole.
  • Tony mocks RAW's live/taped schedule.
  • Buff and Scott beat on Konnan on the outside.
  • Steiner hits a Steinerline.
  • Steiner puts Konnan up top, but Konnan blocks the belly-to-belly.
  • Konnan hits the shittiest Tornado DDT I've ever seen.
  • Konnan completely blows the carpetmuncher, and locks on the Tequila Sunrise.
  • Buff tries to interfere, and the ref calls for the bell. Konnan by DQ. Bah.
  • Buff and Scott beat on Konnan.
  • Scott throws the referee over the top rope.
  • nWo Referee runs down as Steiner puts Konnan in the Steiner Recliner.
  • Scott gets a chair, and beats down on Konnan.
  • Of course, on RAW, they're teasing a miscarriage with Terri Runnells' baby, so I guess you're damned either way you go.

• Match 8: Wrath vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
  • Wrath makes his way down.
  • Wrath gets the mic?
  • Wrath: "For the last six months, I've been plowing through the competition like a runaway freight train."
  • Wrath: "I know you people paid your money to see Wrath drop the thermonuclear meltdown."
  • Wrath challenges anyone from the back who wants to be a man.
  • Bam Bam Bigelow comes down.
  • They go nose-to-nose.
  • Wrath blocks punches, but they have a stalemate with shoulderblocks.
  • Bigelow opens up, but Wrath LEVELS him with a clothesline.
  • Bigelow pulls the top rope down, and Wrath goes to the floor.
  • Bischoff finally starts to talk, talking trash about Goldberg.
  • Bigelow dominates Wrath on the floor.
  • Wrath comes back with knees to the gut.
  • Back on the outside, Bigelow again takes it to Wrath.
  • Wrath finally mounts a comeback as the crowd goes mild.
  • Bigelow brings a chair into the ring as Wrath favors his right arm.
  • Bigelow tries a powerbomb, but Wrath backdrops out of it.
  • Wrath clotheslines Bigelow over the top.
  • Wrath ducks a chairshot.
  • Bigelow bumps the ref.
  • The bell rings. No-contest, I'm guessing.
  • The two brawl back to the dressing rooms.

• The detectives continue to talk to Miss Liz.
  • This time, Liz says she was at the Coke machine.
  • The detectives catch Liz in her lies.
  • The detectives say that perjury is a serious crime, and falsifying reports is a serious crime. Liz is going to get charged.
  • Liz starts to change her story, and says she feels that she's cost Bill Goldberg his title shot, and apologizes for wasting their time.

• Nitro Girls.

• Former Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville is in the crowd.

• Match 9: Brian Adams (w/Vincent) vs. Diamond Dallas Page
  • nWo music brings out Brian Adams and Vincent.
  • He'll be facing DDP.
  • Randy Anderson the referee.
  • Adams with the early advantage.
  • Page tries to attack, but Adams goes to the safety of the ropes.
  • DDP gets some offense, and Adams slides to the floor.
  • DDP tries to vault onto the nWo members, but they keep moving. DDP finally gets their attention, moves them into position, and hits the move.
  • Vincent keeps DDP from re-entering the ring, allowing Adams to take the advantage.
  • Commercial.
  • Back in the ring, DDP is hitting a discus clothesline.
  • DDP with a shoulderblock and swinging neckbreaker.
  • Adams shrugs away from the Diamond Cutter.
  • Vincent distracts the ref, allowing Adams to hit a low blow.
  • Adams with a shitty piledriver for two.
  • DDP fights back, but Adams goes to the eyes.
  • Adams locks on a bearhug.
  • DDP, of course, Hulks out of it.
  • Adams hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. He only gets two.
  • DDP turns a hiptoss into a DDT.
  • Tony: "DDP is spent!" Spent? Hell, he's overdrawn.
  • Page blocks an Adams punch, and hits his usual punch/lariat series.
  • Page jumps into an inverted atomic drop.
  • Page hops up to the second rope.
  • Vincent tries to grab him, but DDP shoves him away.
  • DDP then hits kind of a Tornado Diamond Cutter on Adams for the win.

• "Downtown" Goldberg is banging his head against the wall
  • The "good cop" tells Goldberg that Liz admitted her lies, and he's free to go.
  • The cops uncuff Goldberg, and he tells them to take him to the dome.

• Match 10: Hollywood Hulk Hogan (w/Scott Steiner) vs. WCW World Heavyweight Champion Kevin Nash
  • Michael Buffer is out to do the introductions.
  • Hogan is escorted by the "leader" of the nWo.
  • Steiner holds the ropes open for Hogan.
  • Wolfpac music brings out the champ.
  • Nash comes out solo.
  • Nash stares at Hogan.
  • Nash points to the back, and out comes Scott Hall in a Wolfpac shirt!
  • Hogan hits the arena floor to stall.
  • There goes the bell! Billy Silverman the referee.
  • Nash mocks Hulk Hogan by pulling his Wolfpac shirt off.
  • After a while of stalling, Nash shoves Hogan into the corner.
  • Hogan fakes a punch at Nash, then gives him a little tap.
  • Nash falls down unconscious.
  • Hogan makes the cover....one...two....three! Hogan wins the World title again.
  • Nash pops right back up, and he, Hall, Steiner, and Hogan celebrate in the ring.
  • Goldberg takes out the nWo members, then spears Hogan!
  • I guess this might be a title match too.
  • Lex Luger runs in, and prevents Hall from coming in.
  • Goldberg sets Hogan up for the Jackhammer.
  • Luger attacks Goldberg and racks him!
  • The new nWo members (Hall, Nash, Hogan, Steiner, and Luger) attack Goldberg, and handcuff him to the bottom rope.
  • Hall has the tazer again, and shocks Goldberg.
  • The nWo members spray-paint Goldberg.
  • Hogan spray-paints the belt again.
  • Buff Bagwell and Miss Liz have joined the celebration at some point, too.
  • The nWo stands victorious in the ring as we fade to black....

Hal W. sends the following arena report:

I and my friend Mark ventured to tha' Dome for my first live Nitro. We got there around 6:45. The place wasn't so packed, but that was to change quickly. Around 7:30, Dave Penzer comes out and starts talking to the crowd. He introduces some DJ from one of the local stations, 99X, who comes out and starts talking. While he's talking, our favorite steroid poster child comes out for some cheap heat. He talks about how Atlanta sucks, etc. and proceeds to beat up the guy. Kinda humorous.

Before they go live, Wildcat Willie came out to NO heat. He was filler, and boring filler was he.

By the way, our seats were close to the top of one of the lower sections, and they were piping in TNT into the monitors hanging from the next level. There was a 15-20 second delay between what was happening live and what was on TV.

The crowd was into it at times, but WCW could've put on a much more hype show for them to be in their own back yard. Most of the time, the crowd was quiet. The best moments:

• Benoit's chops were LOUD and could be heard where we were (we were behind the cameras, up 30 rows, which with the floor seats added, equaled about row 60).
• The place was dead during DDP's match, until he hit the Diamond Cutter. The place went nuts. He did receive one of the biggest pops coming in.
• Ric Flair coming in is one of the loudest things I've ever heard.
• Surprisingly enough, Konnan got a big pop as well, but the best pop of the night in my biased opinion, was the fact that everyone went nuts for NORMAN SMILEY! YESSSSS!!!
• I begged for Kidman. They gave me Kidman. Probably one of the best matches (Kidman and Rey).
• I think the second loudest pop occured when they told Liz she could go to jail for filing false charges! Everyone started cheering. It was hilarious.
• Believe it or not, Hogan got a lot of cheers, mixed with a lot of boos.
• Anytime Goldberg came on, the roof popped off the place.
• When Scott Hall came out with Nash, people lost their minds...me included!
• Buff doing the "Dirty Bird." That was a riot.

Worst:

• Wrath = NO MIC SKILLS
• During commercials, Jericho and Saturn exchanged sleepers over and over. Bryan Adams just had DDP in side headlocks, with some other forgettable action.
• There were many missed spots that were probably obvious even to those in the nosebleed seats.
• Glacier first? People were bored from the outset.

Despite the fact that I had read ahead of time that the original Wolfpac would be reformed, it was interesting to see the reactions of the 30,000+ marks in attendance. I hate to say it, but it was awesome seeing Goldberg get punked. And even from where we were sitting, you could HEAR the crackle of the cattle prod that Scott Hall was using. After they went off the air, Goldberg got loose. As the nWo made their way to the back, about 12 of the Falcons came out. Why they didn't come out earlier, I don't know. There was a lot of hyping of things going on in the ring, talk of the Falcons, hugging, etc. Too little, too late.

All in all, it was a fun time, but whether or not I'll go again is up in the air.

Brian E. hailing from Rome, Georgia (Arn Anderson's hometown) sends the following arena report:

Probably the biggest pop for a wrestler was, surprise, Ric Flair. Goldberg, when he came in at the end, received a huge one also. Hogan and Bischoff drew the most heat. Hall and Nash received a huge pop and a lot of booing after their turn.

I didn't notice the ending of the Saturn-Jericho match from where I was sitting. It was one of the better matches of the evening. Jericho received a fairly high level of praise from the audience.

I don't know if you could hear it on TV or not, but when Steiner was wrestling and afterward the crowd was chanting, "Steroid."

At the end, the reformed nWo got pettled with trash from the audience all the way to the entrance/exit. I think that Nitro has already gone off by then, based on the monitors, which we saw the whole Goldberg incident on. When Goldberg finally got up he challenged Nash to come back and wrestle him if Nash has the balls for it. A good number of the Atlanta Falcons football team came down to the ring to be with Goldberg. He challenged Nash to fight another time if he didn't want to fight tonight.

After the final match, the two friends who I went with and I started chanting "We got screwed!" We hoped to get the whole audience to do it with us, but to no evail. I said, "Where do we get a refund?" What I really hated was what happened after NITRO. It is extremely cold in Atlanta right now. We had to stand outside with a huge crowd waiting for MARTA (a rail system in Atlanta). I mean, we paid about $30 apeice to see what is one of the worst NITROs that I have seen. Then, we had to stand in the cold waiting for the train while the people who ripped us off (Bischoff primarily) were no doubt in a nice warm area.

Just a personal thought. Why is it that a guy that hasn't wrestled in months and has cost WCW money on pay per views and announces that he is retiring, is allowed to come back after this long absence and win the belt without any pretense of wrestling. Is Eric Bischoff that stupid? Needless to say there were not a lot of happy people there tonight after the show.