WCW Monday Nitro (December 25, 1995)

Original Airdate: December 25, 1995 (taped December 18)

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

Lex Luger v Scotty Riggs: The booking is kind of backwards here, as Luger beats Riggs' partner Marcus Bagwell clean as a whistle last week (aka earlier in the taping), so why is he fighting Scotty now? See, the WWF would have known to book Lex getting a screwy win on the earlier show to set this up. Luger as a cocky jock heel is such a perfect fit that it's no wonder he couldn't get over as the All American babyface hero the WWF wanted him to be. Riggs knocks him to the outside early, and Luger stalls. Back in, Lex unloads in the corner, but misses a charge, and Riggs armdrags him into an armbar. It's too bad WCW didn't acknowledge their past history in the WWF, where Scotty was Lex's flag boy. Talk about leaving money on the table. Riggs keeps working that armbar, and hits a bodypress for two, but Luger counters a suplex by dropping him front-first across the top rope, then clotheslining him down to the floor. Lex with a vertical suplex back in for two, but Riggs fights back with a backdrop, and a small package is wroth two. He wipes out while trying a flying dropkick, however, and Luger powerslams him, before finishing with the Torture Rack at 7:07 - beating both half of the American Males, on back to back episodes. But it took him twice as long to beat Scotty, so clearly he's the star of the team. ¾*

Gene Okerlund brings Sting out for an interview, and the Stinger is sick of talking about his relationship with Lex Luger. Not as sick as I am of hearing about it, I assure you. It's a good angle, but it's literally been months, and things never seems to advance

Sting v Big Bubba Rogers: Bubba slugs him down to start, but Sting no-sells him, so Rogers tries a leg-feed enzuigiri. That works a little better, allowing Rogers a backbreaker, but Sting fights back with a one-handed bulldog, and Bubba bails. Sting follows to bulldog him again on the floor, but Bubba goes to the eyes on the way back in, and he hits an avalanche. Chinlock follows, but Sting fights free, so Bubba pounds him before executing an atomic drop, and dumping him to the outside. Rogers follows, but loses a slugfest out there, and Sting goes to the top - only to get slammed down, but hanging on with a cradle for three at 5:14. I actually liked this better than either of their pay per view matches in 1995. It wasn't great, but it didn't beat around the bush, either. * ½

Gene Okerlund brings Lex Luger back out for an interview, since apparently tonight's episode is just a revolving door of Sting and Luger segments. He yaps about the same 'Sting and I are friends, but there are no friends when it comes to the title' shit they've been saying for weeks. Again, nothing wrong with any of it, but if you're going to make the same point over and over again, at least come up with new ways of making it. They're interrupted when Sgt. Craig Pittman comes out, trying to recruit Jimmy Hart as a manager, but Hart laughs in his face. Well, no wonder. Pittman came out and immediately said he had no problem with Luger, or Lex's claims of being the 'uncrowned champion of WCW.' If that's your attitude about a competitor, I wouldn't be tripping over myself to manage you either

Dean Malenko v Mr. JL: Dean's rocking a Miami Vice beard here. He jumps JL with a corner dropkick at the bell, and quickly hits a leg-hook suplex for two. Pop-up flapjack follows, but JL blocks a suplex, and a reversal sequence ends in JL hooking a rollup for one. Malenko tries a tilt-a-whirl, but JL sends him to the outside with a headscissors, and dives off the apron with a flying somersault senton! JL vertical suplexes him back in for two, but a monkey flip gets blocked, and Dean uses a somersault cradle for two. JL bridges out into a sitout powerbomb for two, but a trip to the top rope backfires when Malenko brings him down with an exploding gutbuster! Grapevine, and JL is submitting before the referee even has time to drop down and do a proper check at 3:41. Not much time, but they didn't waste what little they were given. ** ¼

Gene Okerlund brings Ric Flair out to talk about his shot at Randy Savage's title tonight, but Jimmy Hart is quick to interrupt, offering an apology for Kevin Sullivan's disrespect of the Horsemen last week. And, as a cherry on top, Hart offers to manage him tonight. Poor Pittman, right in his face. Also, stupid of Ric to accept, considering Hart was just out with Lex Luger a few minutes ago, going on and on about how Lex is the uncrowned champion. That seems like more than a minor conflict of interest

WCW World Title Match: Randy Savage v Ric Flair: And, to my point, Hart is still wearing his Lex Luger graphic jacket here. There's also a little kid at ringside who looks like he may legitimately be the spawn of Satan. Seriously, look into his eyes and try and sleep tonight. I won't tell you where he is, but believe me, you'll know. Savage's outfits are getting more outlandish every week. It was a sad day when he joined the nWo, and started wearing the same thing every week. Macho goes to town right away, bashing Ric's leg into the post a few times, then slapping on a figure four, all within the opening minute! Ric escapes, so Savage tries a ten-punch count, but the challenger counters with an inverted atomic drop. Figure Four, but Savage counters with a cradle for two, and he unloads in the corner, but Flair dumps him to the outside, where Jimmy Hart gets some abuse in. Flair beats him into the aisle, using the guardrail to work on Macho's bad arm, then back in for a backelbow. Flair works a hammerlock, but Macho fights through a few leveraged pin attempts to stay in the game. Randy throws a clothesline, and hooks a backslide for two, then slugs Flair down for two. Ric buys time with a mulekick, and that's enough to allow him a hanging vertical suplex for two. Ric unloads in the corner, but Randy returns fire, and delivers a backdrop for two. Corner whip flips Flair to the outside (with the poor cameraman nearly eating it in the process), but Ric manages to gutpunch the champion when Randy tries diving after him with a flying axehandle. Back in, Savage fights off a flurry of shoulderblocks with a sleeper, but Ric escapes with a kneebreaker. He goes to work on the leg ahead of applying the Figure Four, but Macho makes the ropes. Flair snapmares him and goes up, but Savage slams him off, and starts making a comeback! Ric goes to the eyes to stop that effort, and tries a sleeper, but Savage drops him into the turnbuckle to escape, and hooks a small package for two. Flair tries a piledriver, but Randy backdrops him for two, and dives with a flying axehandle for two. That leads to Hart getting involved, but Savage fights him off, which leads Lex Luger to run in to avenge his manager's honor, and we have a DQ at 19:45. Told ya, Ric. Savage fights Luger off, and starts choking him down on the mat, which draws Sting out to save his pal, but he gets sidetracked with Flair. He manages to clear Ric out, as Savage does with Lex, and we go off the air with Sting and Savage nose to nose, the referee desperately trying to prevent a fight! ** ¼

BUExperience: With this episode running unopposed, WCW focused on hard selling Starrcade, with the majority of the hour focused on the world title situation ahead of the pay per view. Nothing mind blowing here, but a good, focused hour of pro-wrestling.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	12/25/95
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	n/a	2.5
Total Wins	6	7
Win Streak		2
Better Show (as of 12/25)	3	11