WCW Monday Nitro (November 20, 1995)

Original Airdate: November 20, 1995

From Macon, Georgia; Your Hosts are Eric Bischoff, Steve McMichael, and Bobby Heenan

Shark v Scott Norton: At the top of the broadcast, Bischoff told us not to dare leave for even 'one second,' because this would be the most exciting broadcast in wrestling history. And now I can see he isn't exaggerating. Shark attacks from behind in the aisle, hitting Norton with a clothesline that would look more at home in a play wrestling match between two fourth graders at recess. He sends Scott into the post next, and into the ring for a bearhug. Most exciting episode in history, fans - literally the first move is a resthold! Shark with a belly-to-belly suplex and an avalanche, but Norton starts no-selling him, and dodges a second avalanche. Scott with a powerslam, and we're out at 1:44. Hey, at least it was quick. This was opposite RAW doing highlights from Survivor Series, and I'd probably give the WWF the edge there, since they were coming off a major pay per view, and this match was heatless anyway. DUD

Kevin Sullivan and Jimmy Hart are out for an interview with Gene Okerlund, with Okerlund telling Hart that he's "got to be the original Benedict Arnold" for betraying Hulk Hogan. What would that make the actual Benedict Arnold, then? This was opposite the Kid/Hakushi match on RAW, and I'd give the WWF the edge again, since no one over there was calling Hakushi the 'original Hirohito,' or something

Eddie Guerrero v Brian Pillman: Disco Inferno comes out to dance, but gets scared off by Eddie in the aisle. Ric Flair is scheduled to be Guerrero's opponent here, but the Nature Boy comes out in street clothes, and says that this match is beneath him, so Pillman is going to fill in. Ha, what a dick! And, speaking of being a dick, Pillman waves his red jacket in Guerrero's face like a matador as the bell sounds. Eddie responds with a headscissors and a dropkick, followed by a saito suplex. Flying bodypress, but Brian dropkicks him out of the air for two, and uses a Greco-Roman bite to the face to put Eddie down for some choking. Eddie comes back with a rollup for two, and he cracks Brian with some chops, but runs into a backdrop for two. Pillman with a vertical suplex for two, and a snapmare grounds Guerrero for a headlock, but Eddie quickly escapes, so Brian powerslams him for two. He makes the mistake of spitting in Eddie's face, and nearly takes a suplex, but reverses Guerrero over the top - only to miss a dive after him, and crash into the rail! Guerrero fires off a great looking flying bodypress deep into the aisle, so Pillman tries a dragon suplex on the way back in, but gets drilled with a brainbuster! Guerrero goes for the flying frogsplash, but gets crotched up top in the process, and Pillman tries to superplex him down - only to get shoved off, and hit with the frogsplash at 6:26! Fun match, and I'd give it the edge over the rest of the Kid/Hakushi match (including the extracurricular activities), as well as the In Your House report over on RAW. ** ½

We take a look back at last week, as the Dungeon of Doom attack Randy Savage, and injure his arm. This was airing opposite the Vega/Skip match on RAW, and I'd call it a push

Road Warrior Hawk v Big Bubba Rogers: There's a dude in the crowd with the most serious mullet I think I've ever seen on a civilian. He has to be a local indy wrestler. There's no way he has a regular job with that hair. Hawk blitzes him, and hits a bodyslam, but misses a flying splash. That allows Bubba to unload with rights, and they have something of a miscommunication on an avalanche, with Rogers looking like he was supposed to hit it, with Hawk thinking he was supposed to block. Hawk has looked terrible on this entire run thus far. Bubba hits a spinebuster for two, and a straddling ropechoke follows, but Hawk fights off the follow-up. He goes up for a flying clothesline, but Bubba dodges, and loads his fist with a roll of coins - only to have Jim Duggan trip him before he can use it, and Hawk gets the pin at 3:28. This sucked, and it didn't help their cause that it was airing opposite the big Diesel segment over on RAW, no matter how much the announcers pretended it was great. DUD

Hulk Hogan v Sting: If you’re thinking this was a pretty big dream match to simply give away on free TV, welcome to the Monday Night Wars. Hulk is still in his all black phase here, and sneaks in through the crowd, but doesn't actually attack the Stinger, just taps him on the shoulder. Well that was a big wet fart. Sting unloads with rights, but Hulk reverses a cross corner whip, and follows in with a clothesline. Sting fights off some offense with a pair of dropkicks, and they spill to the outside, where Hogan vertical suplexes him on the floor. Back in, Hogan hits a clothesline (kinda), then backrakes him (also kinda, since Hulk is wearing gloves). Axe bomber, but Sting counters with a bodypress for two, and they trade hammerlocks. They trade armbars next, and Hogan tries a full-nelson, then a side-headlock, so Sting tries rolling it into a few cradles for two. Who the fuck laid this match out? Why are we going into the feeling out process in the middle of the thing? Sting escapes the headlock by kicking at the leg, but the Stinger Splash gets countered with a bearhug! Nice spot there. Hulk lets off and hits the axe bomber for two, followed by a side suplex for two. I get that the character was all about 'going to the dark side of Hulkamania' during this period, but Hogan working heel and not wearing yellow and red is killing my boner for this. Hulk with a vertical suplex for two, so Sting starts striking at the leg again, and he puts Hulk down for a leglock. Scorpion Deathlock looks to finish, but Hogan powers out, and starts HULKING UP!! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Legdrop - but Sting moves! Back to the Deathlock, and Hulk looks ready to submit, but the Dungeon of Doom runs in to attack both guys for a no-contest at 9:31. Hogan and Sting pretty easily fight the flunkies off, but Giant grabs them both in a choke, and it's up to Randy Savage to save with a chair. He eats a chokeslam for his trouble, but now Hogan and Sting have the chair, and they're able to knock Giant over the top with it. This didn't quite live up to the hype, as it was a pretty weak match, that also felt very poorly booked. Felt like they were just calling it in the ring, instead of building up an epic showdown ahead of time, like you can bet would have happened if the WWF ran the match. The RAW main event with Michaels/Hart was a much better wrestling match, though this was the bigger draw in terms of name value. I'd still give the edge to RAW for the segment based on the post match stuff though, since that was a major angle for the time, and is still talked about today, while no one even remembers this one anymore. * ¼

BUExperience: How did this beat RAW in the ratings this week? Despite the repeated assurances of the announcers, this was far from the ‘most exciting broadcast in wrestling history,’ and in fact was easily beaten by RAW both when comparing in-ring action, and angles. Add into the mix that RAW was coming off of a major pay per view, and I have no idea how Nitro got the drop on them.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	11/20/95
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.3	2.5
Total Wins	5	4
Win Streak		1
Better Show (as of 11/20)	3	7