WCW Monday Nitro (December 18, 1995)

Original Airdate: December 18, 1995

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

Before we even get properly underway, Medusa shows up at the broadcast position, and throws the WWF Women's Title belt in the trash to kick things off, telling us not to call her 'Alundra Blayze' anymore. Bischoff can barely mask his giddiness here. McMichael then announces that he's sick of these interruptions, and brings up former NFL player William Perry over to stand guard. Good thing he just happened to be hanging out just off screen that whole time. Thankfully, he doesn't throw his WrestleMania 2 check in the trash. Obviously, this was a lot more interesting than watching Jeff Jarrett make his entrance over on RAW

Ric Flair v Eddie Guerrero: Unlike a few weeks back, Flair doesn't send out a last minute replacement this time. Weird outfit choice for Ric tonight, wearing black kneepads with purple trunks/boots. Feeling out process to start, with Ric initially dominating, but getting sent to the outside by Guerrero. Back in, Eddie throws dropkicks until Ric dodges one, and Flair goes for the Figure Four. Guerrero is able to block, and a backslide gets him two, so Flair chops in the corner. Kneedrop connects, but Eddie fights him off again, and hits a tornado DDT for two. Ropewalk rana gets two, but Flair shakes the ropes as Eddie climbs, and Guerrero takes a pretty major bump all the way down to the floor. He bangs up his knee in the process, and you know Flair is right on that. Figure Four, but Eddie won't quit - holding on until he passes out at 7:37. Afterwards, Gene Okerlund comes out for an in-ring interview with Flair and Arn Anderson, to discuss last weeks assault on Paul Orndorff. That leads to Kevin Sullivan coming out to complain about Brian Pillman's recent wild behavior, dubbing Pillman a 'loose cannon.' The match aired opposite the shitty Jarrett/Fatu match on RAW, and the post match stuff opposite some brief announcements about the Royal Rumble, and Goldust's flirtations with Razor Ramon. Call the match an easy win for WCW, and the post match a push, since the Goldust angle was pretty interesting, and Kevin Sullivan ain't. * ½

Sgt. Craig Pittman comes out to the announce position to ask Bobby Heenan to be his manager. Heenan declines, noting that he's a broadcaster now, but promises to help him find someone, causing Pittman to note that if he doesn't "get help soon," he'll "take no prisoners." This guy must be a joy on job interviews. Also, where the hell is William Perry? Wasn't he supposed to be there preventing any more interruptions? He literally had one job to do! This aired opposite a short clip of the Diesel/Undertaker confrontation from In Your House, Dok Hendrix shilling video games, and the start of the Bob Holly/Buddy Landel match. Call it a win for WCW

Lex Luger v Marcus Alexander Bagwell: Luger hiptosses him right away, but runs into a monkeyflip, and Bagwell sends him to the outside following a dropkick and an armdrag. Marcus then dropkicks him off of the apron to send Luger crashing into the guardrail, and Lex is not a happy camper. He unloads on Bagwell as he heads back in, but Marcus reverses a turnbuckle smash, as Scotty Riggs goes wild cheerleading on the outside. That's a low blow, using Luger's own former flag boy against him like that. Bagwell hits a backdrop and a pair of clotheslines, followed by a jumping forearm. Splash, but Luger lifts his knees to block, and hits a powerslam to set up the Torture Rack at 3:08. Afterwards, Luger and Jimmy Hart stop over at the entrance area to do a post-match interview with Gene Okerlund to hype Starrcade. Not much to this, but still better than the sinfully dull Holly/Landel match on RAW. ¾*

Sting v Earl Robert Eaton: It would have blown my little mind if I'd known back then that Jeeves was the same guy who played Wild Cat Willie. Sting is dressed for Halloween Havoc tonight. He dominates Bobb... er... Robert to start, and boy, this crowd is hot for the Stinger. Eaton goes to the eyes to take control, and a snapmare gets him two. He grounds Sting in an armbar, and uses a uranage backbreaker to set up a flying kneedrop, but Sting moves. Stinger Splash, and the Scorpion Deathlock wraps up at 3:59. Okerlund then comes back for an in-ring interview to give Sting his chance to hype Starrcade as well. Again, not much to this, but compared to the Brother Love shit over on RAW, it's a winner. ½*

WCW World Title Match: Randy Savage v Giant: Macho sticks and moves to start, and tries tying his challenger up in a sleeper, but Giant maintains a vertical base, and snapmares him off. Savage responds with a high knee, but stupidly goes for a bodyslam, and gets thumped. Giant with his own bodyslam, and he puts Macho in a bearhug. Savage won't quit, so Giant bodyslams him a second time, but Randy manages to block the Chokeslam by going to the eyes! That's enough to allow him a flurry of clotheslines, but he walks into a backbreaker before he can get Giant down. Giant dumps the champion to the outside, then press-slams him back in from the floor, following with a flying splash - only for Savage to dodge! Wild! That's enough to set up the Flying Elbowdrop, but it only gets two! Giant keeps going crazy by busting out a dropkick to send Savage back to the outside, and he pulls up the mats out there to suplex Macho on the exposed floor, but Randy ends up getting himself into the ropes to block. That was unique. It only serves to annoy the challenger, however, and he plants Savage with the Chokeslam - only for Hulk Hogan to run in with a chair to break the pin, and cause a DQ at 10:20. Weak finish to a match that otherwise delivered well beyond my expectations. Afterwards, Hulk keeps going crazy with the chair, even beating on several officials, until McMichael and Perry step in to try and cool him down. Okerlund then comes out for an in-ring interview with Savage and Hogan, with Hulk again openly telling his supposed best friend that he's not really the champion, because it's 'his belt.' What a jerk. This all aired opposite the Razor/Yokozuna main event on RAW, as well as the Tell Me A Lie music video, and I'd call this another win for Nitro. **

BUExperience: This wasn’t even a particularly good episode, but it was still far and away better than RAW was this week.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	12/18/95
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.3	2.7
Total Wins	6	7
Win Streak		2
Better Show (as of 12/18)	3	11