WCW Monday Nitro
Date: 18th September 1995
Venue: Jacksonville, Tennessee
Commentators: Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, Steve McMichael
We are just past the Fall Brawl PPV and, surprise surprise, Hogan’s team beat the Dungeon of Doom in War Games. Oh and The Giant attacked Hogan after the match, setting up the eventual main event between those two at Halloween Havoc the next month. I hope to review the Fall Brawl PPV eventually but, yeah, apart from that I don’t know that much about WCW in this period of Nitro. Let’s do this.
They apparently brought back the dog, Pepe, by popular demand. Ok then.
Emergency in the back, as we see an ambulance…. oh it’s only the Giant, who wants Hogan in an ambulance again. He calls himself the one true Immortal. Sure.
American Males v The Bluebloods
American Males is Scotty Rigs and Marcus Bagwell and the Bluebloods are Steven Regal…. ignore that as Harlem Heat attack them. Looks like they want the American Males instead. For the Tag Team Titles! Hell yeah!
WCW Tag Team Titles: Harlem Heat (c) v American Males
Harlem Heat is Stevie Ray and Booker T. They start brawling before the bell and they manage to keep themselves under control eventually. Double dropkick takes down Booker and the Males take control. It doesn’t last as Booker power slams Bagwell and Riggs takes a scissors kick. Pretty basic stuff here with the commentators overreacting half the time. They’re basic moves guys don’t annoy me with crap announcing!
Hot tag to Bagwell, to a minimal pop, as he cleans house. The Colonel is out here now for Sherri… who gets carried away by him! Riggs counters and rolls up Booker for the three at 4:45. New Champions 24 hours after Heat won the titles.
Rating: D Boring and short match but an unexpected title defence is always welcome. I remember now this is the time that Sherri had banged her head and fell in love with Colonel Parker and married him. Yeah it’s as dumb as it sounds.
Ric Flair makes his presence felt, who talks about Anderson breaking the Horseman code by bringing in Pillman to help him at Fall Brawl. Pillman v Flair later tonight. He promises to kick Pillman’s ass. Standard Flair, crazy as ever.
Sting v Steven Regal on WCW Saturday Night, plus update on Hogan!
“Mr Wonderful” Paul Orndorff v Johnny B Badd
New music for Orndorff apparently and Oh Dear God it’s awful! It screams vanity so much it makes me vomit! Anyway, we have a match here… oh come I now know the lyrics! Why? Anyway, on with the match, as Orndorff kicks Badd around the ring to start. He beats him in the corner and the referee has to drag him off. Oh just DQ him already!
Back from break and a knee to the guts gives Orndorff the advantage. Badd comesback but Orndorff ends up outside and gets taken out when looking in the mirror. Idiot! Back in and a piledriver attempt by Orndorff is countered into a backdrop and vice versa for Badd. Orndorff rolls up Badd as a result for the pin at 3:44. Oh joy we have to hear that music again! Too short too rate but it was another basic match. I don’t understand the booking of putting Orndorff over Badd, as Orndorff would retire in a few months anyway.
Footage of Randy Savage benchpressing on a beach before Taskmaster takes him out… with sand! Are you kidding me??
Savage in the ring for an interview and denounces Flair helping him against the Taskmaster. Charming! He calls Hogan a poor judge of character after Luger had his own agenda. This draws out Luger who confronts Savage about being WCW World Champion. Savage is still pissed about Luger low blowing him at Fall Brawl. He wants to fight now but it’s not happening here.
We’re back from break and we see footage from Fall Brawl. Hogan arrives but a monster truck arrives… and destroys Hogan’s bole! Holy crap that was cool! The Giant is driving the truck and is laughing manically! After the main event, Giant comes down and destroys Hogan. Scary agility by the way by Giant.
Ric Flair v Brian Pillman
Back from break and Flair looks pissed. Hard hitting to start and Flair is so funny when he styles and profiles. Flair goes up and chops Pillman down on the outside. Pillman takes over before Flair clothesline’s him down. Flair goes up again but a dropkick by Pillman gets a two count. Commentator’s talk about how Pillman has more of an edge in recent weeks. See how easy it is to build a wrestler’s character so simply.
Pillman’s selling is a mirror image of Flair’s. Sunset flip by Pillman fails and Flair beats down on Pillman again. Flair goes up for a THIRD time but gets thrown off by Pillman, who then fails with his own high flying move. Figure four by Flair…. roll up by Pillman, but only gets two! Hard chops by both men but Flair gets the figure four on Pillman and that’s all she wrote at 5:25.
Rating: C Certainly watchable between these two but not the greatest match. It was weird seeing Pillman use the same moves and selling as Flair throughout the match but it was entertaining to see. It shows how good Pillman is but ultimately, he would never get very far in WCW.
Flair wants Anderson right now. He want’s Anderson next week on Nitro.
Bischoff recaps Nitro and plugs WCW Saturday Night to close the show. Disco Inferno to debut next week on Nitro, oh joy!
Overall: D+ The reason? Nothing of note happened, except new tag team champions unexpectedly but that’s something that would be normal in WCW, especially over the next few years. No Hogan and no Sting hurt this show in a way, but that’s mainly because you can barely fit anything on a one hour show. That would change eventually to two hours but as for tonight, it was a throwaway episode in the end.
The Wrestling Ministry (TWM) 