WCW Monday Nitro (July 8, 1996)

Original Airdate: July 8, 1996

From Orlando, Florida; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko (hour one); Eric Bischoff and Bobby Heenan (hour two). They’re shooting this weeks episode outdoors at Disney-MGM Studios, and it’s a fun visual change of pace

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Dean Malenko v Rey Mysterio Jr: I really love this set, with guys literally dodging palm trees in the makeshift aisle. Though July may not have been the best time of year to book it, because Florida is hot enough in winter, let alone the dead middle of summer. They trade off on the mat a little bit to start, but Dean runs into a knee on a charge, and Rey dumps him to the outside. The crowd is pretty engaged here, considering they were all comps. Rey keeps control by flying around, and a springboard missile dropkick gets two, but an attempt at a wheelbarrow ends badly. Malenko goes for a powerbomb, but Mysterio slips free, so Dean tilt-a-whirl backbreakers him instead. Dean with a crisp hammerlock-suplex for two, and he stretches Mysterio with a bow-and-arrow. Pop-up flapjack connects, followed by a powerbomb for two. Dean wrenches on a camel clutch, but Rey hooks a schoolboy for two after being let out, so Malenko throws him front-first across the top rope, with Rey bumping to the outside off of it. That was such a great dick heel move. Rey beats the count, so Malenko snapmares his challenger into a chinlock, and Dean seems to be really feeling that Florida heat. To the outside, Malenko drops him with a brainbuster on the floor, and a bodyslam gets two on the way back in. Pumphandle-slam, but Rey topples him for two, and a criss cross sees Mysterio send him over the top with a rana. Rey follows with a springboard moonsault press, but misses his mark worse than Charlotte Flair, and both guys sell it. I appreciate that Rey at least sold it too, instead of just moving right along like the move found its mark, like most guys do. Back in, Mysterio dives with a flying rana for two, and a bodyslam sets up a slingshot moonsault for two. Back upstairs, but Malenko follows this time, and drops him with the exploding gutbuster - only to pull Rey up at two. Uh-oh. Overhead suplex follows, but Dean pulls him up at two again. Tilt-a-whirl, but this time Rey is ready with a counter into a rana, and he cradles for the title at 11:34. Below par for them, but still solid, and a good choice to open, because the eye-popping spots got this crowd of tourists into the right mood a lot better than a bunch of headlocks would have. ** ¾

Gene Okerlund is backstage with the Steiner Brothers and the Nasty Boys, and he looks about as confused trying to make heads or tails of what they're saying as I am

Glacier teaser

The Blue Bloods v Big Bubba Rogers and Hugh Morrus: The referee has a hard time getting them to settle down on two guys only in the ring, but eventually the dust settles on Squire David Taylor and Morrus to start. Taylor wins a criss cross with a dropkick, but Morrus fires back with a clothesline, and both guys tag. Bubba gets Lord Steven Regal in a headlock, but Regal gets the ropes, and the Blue Bloods double team Bubba against them. Regal with an elbowdrop for two, but he walks into the scrapbuster, and Taylor has to come in to save at two. Tags all around, and Taylor knocks Morrus around with uppercuts, as John Tenta shows up to attack Bubba on the outside. That allows the Bloods to tandem suplex Morrus, and Taylor hooks the leg at 3:00. Nothing to this one at all. DUD

Eddie Guerrero v Psychosis: Feeling out process to start, as Rey Mysterio Jr shows up on the split screen to talk about how disappointed he is that Hulk Hogan was the third man. Random. I mean, nothing wrong with getting Rey's opinion and all, but why shoehorn it into a match that has nothing to do with it? An extended reversal sequence ends in Psychosis taking a trip to the outside, but he quickly distances himself to prevent a dive from Eddie. Back in, Guerrero works a headlock, but Psychosis forces a criss cross, and dumps him. Psychosis follows with a flying corkscrew senton, and man, they picked the narrowest side of the ring to try that shit on. Inside, Psychosis works the arm, as the commentators announce that we will hear from Hulk Hogan next week. That seems so crazy to me now. Psychosis tries a pop-up, but Eddie is ready with a rana into a cradle for two, so Psychosis swipes at the arm. He goes up with a flying axehandle, but Guerrero blocks with an inverted atomic drop, only to miss a cross corner charge. That aggravates the arm, and Psychosis takes him up for a rana off the top for two. Back up, but Guerrero follows, so Psychosis sunsetbombs him off the turnbuckles for two. Psychosis goes up again, but this time Eddie is able to vertical superplex him down, and the flying frogsplash finishes at 8:32. Hmm, I thought for sure Psychosis would be going over, since this was his Nitro debut, and all. Felt like they had it on autopilot for this one, but good placement on the card to give the casuals more spots to get lost in. * ½

Jimmy Hart is at a loss for words regarding Hulk Hogan, while Kevin Sullivan is mostly pissed that Hogan ended Hulkamania on his own, since Sullivan wanted the pleasure of killing it himself

The Steiner Brothers v The Nasty Boys: Scott Steiner and Jerry Sags start, and Scott immediately goes for the takedown, so Sags starts throwing stiff looking elbows to put a stop to that. Man, looked like he was really teeing off with those. Over to Brian Knobbs for some double teaming in the corner, and the Boys hit stereo shoulderblocks for two. Scott manages to hit Jerry with a tigerbomb, so Brian runs in, but Rick Steiner is ready with a clothesline to cut him off. Dust settles on Rick and Brian, and Knobbs quickly gets control. Over to Sags with a cross corner clothesline, and back to Knobbs for a tandem avalanche for two. Criss cross ends in Rick hitting a powerslam, however, and a Steinerline gets two. Tag to Scott for a suplex, but Knobbs avoids the Frankensteiner, and passes to Sags. Scott ends up getting dumped, and Sags steals some little kids chair to beat on Scott with. That was great. Back in, Knobbs tries to keep it going, but runs into a boot on a charge, and Scott belly-to-belly suplexes him. Tag to Sags before Scott can fire up, but Jerry eats an overhead suplex, as Colonel Robert Parker and Sister Sherri show up. That leads to Parker hitting Sags with his cane, and Scott steals the pin at 6:09, just as Disney's evening firework show kicks off in the background. Afterwards, the Nasties say they have no issue with what Hogan did at Bash at the Beach, and mention admiring the nWo. ¼*

WCW United States Title Match: Ric Flair v Jim Powers: Flair coming down with the firework show still shooting off in the background is a perfectly timed entrance. The crowd of casuals seems to know Flair, and they're amused by him. Who wouldn't be? Powers dominates on the mat to start, but gets dumped to the outside, where Woman immediately pounces. Jim keeps it together with a slingshot sunset flip on the way back in, however, and he gets Ric in a headlock. Flair goes to the eyes to fight Jim off, and it's chop time from the champion. Powers responds in kind, and manages a backdrop, followed by a dropkick - leaving Flair begging off. Powers with a corner whip to send Flair flipping to the outside, where he quickly gets his mojo back by getting groovy. The champ goes to the eyes again on the way back in, but a trip to the top rope ends in Powers slamming him off, and the challenger starts throwing clotheslines for two. Dropkick, but Flair stops short to dodge it. He goes for the Figure Four, but Powers is ready with a cradle for two - only to miss a charge in the corner. That allows Flair to clip the leg, and the Figure Four finishes at 5:39. Never say Flair wasn't game to go out there and make literally anyone look like they could hang with him. Afterwards, the Horsemen join Ric to talk nWo, like everyone else this week. They're already on weird ground, because they're supposed to be hated heels, but they're talking about fighting for WCWs honor, and it feels awkward. One of the great things about this angle is that everyone (heel or face) united to fight the invaders, but a lot of great heel work got lost in the shuffle there, and the Horsemen were certainly a major casualty. I've always wondered what an alternate reality without the nWo would have looked like, with the Horsemen getting to properly shine with their rejuvenated lineup. This aired opposite the Warrior/Hart match, and the first portion of the Vega/Bradshaw match, as well as Michaels and Johnson teasing a mystery partner on RAW. Call it a push overall, though Nitro felt more alive. * ½

Chris Benoit v Sgt. Craig Pittman: Pittman wins a battle over a takedown to start, but Benoit gets the ropes before Craig can grab a hold. Pittman responds by snapping off a few suplexes, but Benoit fights him off in the corner, and starts unloading with knees to put Craig down. Chris ropechokes him before going to town in the corner, and a clothesline connects, but Pittman dumps him to the outside before the Crippler can climb to the top rope to finish him. Benoit goes after Teddy Long out there, so Pittman goes after him, but it backfires, and Chris gets the Crippler Crossface on - with Long submitting on Pittman's behalf after only a few second in the hold at 2:35. Weird finish. Also, you know it's crazy hot out when even the poor referee's shirt is soaked through after only a two minute match. This aired opposite more of the Vega/Bradshaw match, and I'll give the WWF a slight edge. ½*

Sting v Arn Anderson: Sting hasn't shaved, and makes a very subdued entrance here - both of which are nice touches. They spend time measuring each other to start, and it spills to the outside, where Arn tries to strike with a piledriver on the floor, but Sting backdrops him out there instead. Back in, Sting unloads in the corner, but runs into a spinebuster as they criss cross, and Arn chokes him down for a while. Arn works an abdominal stretch next, and the weather seems to be making everyone work at half speed tonight, which is getting really annoying. Anderson gets caught using the ropes to allow Sting an escape, but a splash hits knees, and Arn covers for two. Boston crab is applied, as we see that a long black limousine has pulled up just outside the arena. Arn tries a 2^nd rope flying axehandle, but Sting punches him out of the air, and starts making a comeback as we see Scott Hall and Kevin Nash getting out of the limo! They show up at ringside, but get blocked by security before they can hit the ring, and Randy Savage shows up to get in their faces as well! That distraction allows Arn to try and DDT Sting, but he gets countered to the Scorpion Deathlock at 11:45. Afterwards, Savage and security manage to edge the Outsiders out of the arena, allowing Okerlund to hit the ring to talk to Sting, and he gives a great, impassioned speech about how he should have known Hogan didn't care about WCW from the start because he was all about traveling in private limos, and taking time off to do movies, all while treating the established WCW guys like second rate wrestlers. This might actually be one of Sting's best promos, rooted in realism, and intense. Savage then joins in, but won't say what he wants to do to Hogan since we're at Disney, and there are kids in the crowd. Match was shit, angle was great. This aired opposite the conclusion of the Vega/Bradshaw match, a WWF live event recap, and the Godwinns/Camp Cornette main event, and WCW gets the win on the strength of the angle. ¼*

Okerlund ventures outside to talk to the Outsiders beside their limo, with Nash noting that he felt like "Mark Fuhrman at the Apollo" inside the arena earlier on. This aired opposite the conclusion of the RAW main event, and it's not even close in terms of how much more interesting Nitro was head-to-head

Bischoff and Heenan finish up by showing stills of the main event and Hogan heel turn from the night before (which they'd been hyping all night), and I'd give that the edge over the Sid reveal over on RAW. I mean, that was cool too, but nothing compared to one of the biggest angles in history - especially in the days before you could see pics or clips online

BUExperience: They finished strong, but considering what this was coming off of, you’d think this would be a much more exciting episode than it actually was. Still, the Cruiserweight title change, the stuff with the Outsiders, and the cool venue are enough to beat RAW, though Hulk Hogan not showing up was a big negative.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	7/8/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.5	3.5
Total Wins	17	21
Win Streak		4
Better Show (as of 7/8)	9	28