WCW Monday Nitro (May 13, 1996)

Original Airdate: May 13, 1996  

From Nashville, Tennessee; Your Hosts are Eric Bischoff, Steve McMichael, and Bobby Heenan

Lex Luger - armed with a newspaper, cooler, and fly swatter - camped out in front of the arena last night to ensure he can't possibly miss his title shot tonight

The Steiner Brothers v Public Enemy: Scott Steiner and Rocco Rock start us off, and Scott is quick to go for a tilt-a-whirl, but Rock counters with a rollup - only for Scott to counter with a press-slam. That brings Johnny Grunge in, but Rick Steiner cuts him off, and the Brothers clean house. The dust settles on Rick and Johnny, and a criss cross ends in Steiner powerslamming him for two. Back to Scott for an overhead suplex for two, but Rock gets involved to break up the pin, and all four men spill to the outside for a brawl. The Enemy gang up on Rick, and Rock drops him with a kneelift, followed by a bodyslam. Rocco goes up, but Rick falls into the ropes to crotch him, then vertical suplexes him down before tagging to Scott for a tilt-a-whirl slam. Scott takes him upstairs for a superplex, but Grunge comes in to electric chair Scotty down, allowing Rock a flying headbutt. The Enemy cut the ring in half on Scott, but Rock misses a flying somersault senton, and Rick gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! The Enemy gang up on Rick, but Rock misses a somersault plancha, and ends up hitting Grunge with it. That allows Scott to deliver a Frankensteiner on Rocco, and we're done at 6:51. Public Enemy were not great wrestlers, but what they lacked in traditional skill they made up for with hard work most of the time, and that was certainly the case here. Lots of interesting combinations and no resting make for a good opener. ** ¼

Chris Benoit v Squire David Taylor: Benoit's hair is really weird here, like it can't decide if it's a mullet or not. Feeling out process to start, with Benoit dominating. Taylor throws some European uppercuts to get his attention, and a criss cross sees Dave block a monkeyflip by stomping on Benoit's face. Well, that is one way. Another criss cross, but this time Benoit stops short while Taylor is trying a leapfrog, and simply drills him in the face when he lands. Again, simple, but it works. Chris with a catapult into the corner, and a turnbuckle smash, but a charge misses, and Chris ends up on the outside. Taylor dives after him with a flying axehandle off of the apron, then knocks Chris into the post for good measure, but the Crippler beats the count in. Taylor sends him into the corner with a whip, and drops him on his head with an electric chair, followed by a blockbuster for two. 2^nd rope twisting bodypress, but Benoit dodges, and delivers a bridging dragon suplex at 4:18. This was all action here, and so much more interesting than the sleepy matches the WWF was doing on their undercard that night. ** ½

Gene Okerlund is outside the arena, where Randy Savage has been barred from entering due to his recent behavior. Savage is none too pleased with that, but here's Steve McMichael to try and cool him down, telling Randy not to worry because Mongo's got a plan to deal with their common enemy Ric Flair. Savage's trademark intensity is on full display here. He notes that he saw a psychiatrist the other day, who diagnosed him as "OCD: One Cool Dude.” I’m assuming that psychiatrist’s ‘office’ was the back seat of a Cadillac, and he didn’t really bother with written prescriptions

And speaking of 'cool dudes,' here's another Glacier teaser

Ric Flair v VK Wallstreet: Boy, Ric sure loved that green tights/yellow boots combo in 1996, didn't he? Wallstreet dominates a feeling out process, so Flair tries to unload with chops in the corner, but Wallstreet turns the tide. Wallstreet with a hiptoss and a backdrop, and Flair is begging off and bailing. Back in, Wallstreet keeps dominating him on the mat, and a cross corner whip flips Flair back to the floor. VK follows him this time for a beating against the guardrail until Flair flops, and they head back in, where Wallstreet slams him off the top. Why is the arena so super smoky here? Wallstreet with another backdrop, followed by a Samoan drop, but Woman helps Ric into the ropes at two. That allows Flair to dump him, but Wallstreet comes back at him with a slingshot sunset flip for two, and a backslide gets two. Wallstreet clotheslines him over the top, and Ric is really getting his cardio in tonight. He manages to dodge a high knee against the post, and he (quite gently) bashes Wallstreet's leg against the steel to set up the Figure Four at 7:52. Very basic, but lots of energy, with Flair going a hundred miles an hour to bump all over the place for Wallstreet. Afterwards, Ric camps out at his catered dinner table, where Okerlund is waiting to ogle the women. Flair cuts a great promo here on everything from Dolly Parton (he made her ride Space Mountain) to Randy Savage (he's buying a new tuxedo with his money) to Steve McMichael (he'll flirt with Debra whenever he feels like it because Ric's the real quarterback, and Liz and Woman are his wide receivers). This was great stuff, as you can really tell that Flair is getting his groove back now that he's not Hulk Hogan's personal job boy every week. ** ½

WCW World Title Match: Giant v Lex Luger: Lex's WCW Television Title is not on the line here. Luger tries to go toe-to-toe with the big man at the bell, but just keeps bouncing off of him. He tries a bodyslam, but gets bounced right out of the ring on that one. Giant tries to vertical suplex him back in from the apron, but Lex slips free, and starts throwing clotheslines. That goes nowhere, so Luger tries a 2^nd rope flying axehandle, but Giant catches him, and powerslams him into the turnbuckles a few times. Giant with a bootchoke in the corner, but Lex manages a forearm smash during a criss cross, but Giant just absorbs it. Eric is quick to note that it's the same move he knocked Yokozuna out with, since of course. Giant tosses him back to the outside just so he can have the pleasure of press-slamming him back in, but Luger slugs at him as the champ starts climbing in himself. A flurry of offense manages to knock Giant off the apron, but the champ pulls Lex out after him, and decides to Chokeslam him through Ric's table, as the referee counts both men out at 4:05. Flair's protests as Giant ruins his dinner plans is tremendous stuff. Jimmy Hart objects as Giant continues to go for Luger, but that doesn't slow the champion down, so Sting runs out to back his buddy up. Sting in full gear and face paint, but wearing sneakers is a weird look. Okerlund tries to come out and get some words, but Sting angrily blows him off, since he's so concerned about Lex. Nice touch there. Motivated Luger is a lot of fun, and this was a great angle to cap off an energetic (if short) main event. *

BUExperience: Still outside of their normal time slot, WCW delivers another strong, Hogan-free episode this week, as they go-home on the Slamboree build.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	5/13/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	3.5	2.3
Total Wins	16	14
Win Streak	6
Better Show (as of 5/13)	8	21