WCW Monday Nitro (August 26, 1996)

Original Airdate: August 26, 1996  

From Palmetto, Florida; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko (hour one); Eric Bischoff and Bobby Heenan (hour two)

Billy Kidman v Juventud Guerrera: Right down to action this week, with both guys already in the ring as the show opens. This is Guerrera's TV debut, though he'd already taped some matches for WCW Pro over the weekend prior. They quickly spill over the top when Kidman charges with a bodypress, and then fight up to the apron, where Guerrera sunsetbombs him on the floor. He adds a legdrop plancha before rolling Kidman back in with a springboard corkscrew splash for two, but a springboard seated senton is countered with a powerbomb for two. Kidman bodyslams him to set up a slingshot legdrop for two, and a vertical suplex is worth two. Slam sets up the flying shooting star press, but Guerrera kicks out at two, so Billy goes back up - only this time Guerrera follows, and uses a rana off at 3:43. Just four minutes of wall to wall spots, but that's a good way to get a crowd into things. These spots, spread out over about five more minutes and with a bit more storytelling, would have been fantastic though. Afterwards, Gene Okerlund comes in so he can tower over Juvi. PUT THE TITLE ON MEAN GENE! **

Glacier teaser

Last week, Lex Luger and Sting formed a shaky alliance with Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to battle the nWo at Fall Brawl

Kevin Sullivan and Big Bubba Rogers v Marcus Alexander Bagwell and Jim Powers: Kevin attacks Jim before the bell, and dumps him to the outside, but Powers gets control when Sullivan follows, and Kevin eats guardrail. Jim with a backdrop and a dropkick on the way back in, so Bubba charges, but Bagwell cuts him off with a dropkick. The babyfaces clean house from there, and the dust settles on Sullivan and Bagwell. Kevin immediately railroads him into the heel corner, but Bagwell fights off the double team, and hits Bubba with some mounted punches for two. Again, but Bubba is ready with a powerbomb this time, and Sullivan tags in for a tree of woe spot. Back to Bubba for a splash, but Bagwell dodges, and gets the tag to Powers - Roseanne Barr the door! Powers dominates everyone (including even manager Jimmy Hart), and a bodypress on Bubba gets the pin... only referee Nick Patrick decides it was only two after actually counting the fall. He doesn't bother to alert Powers and Bagwell to this, however, allowing Bubba to nail Powers with the scrapbuster at 4:26. Nothing to it, but as a vessel for the continuing Nick Patrick angle, it was fine. Afterwards, Okerlund comes out to get some words from the winners, and they want to be in the main events! You beat Marcus Bagwell and Jim Powers, calm down. ¾*

Backstage, Lex Luger and Sting have opinions on things

Chavo Guerrero Jr v Mike Enos: During the entrances, the commentators announce that Randy Savage will get the first title shot against Hollywood Hulk Hogan, which will take place at the end of October at Halloween Havoc. Kind of shocking how infrequently Hogan actually defended the belt, isn't it? Especially compared to the WWF Title during the same period. Chavo comes hot at the bell, and uses a dropkick to rattle Mike for a schoolboy for two. Another dropkick sends Enos to the outside, and Guerrero dives with a plancha, but Enos catches him with a fallaway slam on the floor. Man, really tossed him there. Enos then carries him up to the apron to slam him back into the ring, and a backbreaker is held into a backbreaker submission, as we spot Konnan in the crowd, dressed like an extra from Breaking Bad. Enos with a overhead backbreaker rack and a powerslam for two, followed by a bridging fisherman suplex for two. Powerbomb, but Chavo shifts his weight on the way down, and topples onto Mike's knee. That allows him to slap on a figure four, so Enos pokes the referee in the eye to buy time. That allows Dick Slater to run in and break up the hold, and he switches places with Enos so he can polish Guerrero off. He hits a swinging neckbreaker to set up his own figure four, but Chavo counters with a cradle at 4:37. I get what they were going for here, but Enos and Slater look nothing alike. It still worked, though. Afterwards, Guerrero cuts a promo on Diamond Dallas Page ahead of their Fall Brawl match. * ½

WCW Monday Nitro t-shirt ad. Only $20! See, that's interesting, as they're pushing you to buy a shirt with the name of the show on it, rather than one supporting a specific worker. That's not the first time something like that had been done, but usually it was a commemorative item tied to a specific event, not just a general show. Interesting branding approach, much more along the lines of what you see from the WWE today

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr v JL: They measure each other some to start, and trade wristlocks as they feel each other out. Hopefully that means this one is getting some time, then. Ah, but unfortunately it looks like it's doomed to be background noise, as we cut to the back (cut, not even split screen), where the nWo are spray painting their logo all over the production trucks. Back to the ring, where Rey is holding a camel clutch, but JL escapes, and works an abdominal stretch. He gets busted using the ropes, thus allowing Rey to escape, and Mysterio blitzes him with a fast combo that ends in JL eating a somersault plancha on the outside - as Dean Malenko watches from the aisle. Back in, JL wants to go to the mat and see how Mysterio does there, but Rey actually dominates that as well, and JL needs the ropes to get away from him. He suckers Mysterio into taking a turn in referees position, but then stomps him when Rey obliges, and unloads a pair of backbreakers. JL with a sitout powerbomb for two, but Rey counters another powerbomb with a sunset flip for two, so JL stomps him. JL with a bodyslam to set up a Boston crab, but Rey inches towards the ropes, so JL hooks the arm into it as well. JL with a side suplex for two, but a criss cross ends in Rey uses a sunset flip for two, as JL scrambles to keep control. JL with a brainbuster for two, as we interrupt the flow of this AGAIN so they can kick off the second hour of the show. Why not do this shit during a Duggan match? JL keeps coming, but Rey manages to send him over the top during an exchange. Baseball slide, but JL dodges, and sends Mysterio into the post. Steps, but Rey hops onto them to block, and then dives back at him with a flying headscissors into the aisle. Back in with a springboard flying rana into a cradle to retain at 13:03. This was okay, but there was too much extracurricular bullshit going on, and it felt like an afterthought. THIS made the cut for the Very Best of Nitro DVD?! * ¾

Backstage, Chris Benoit and Steve McMichael also have opinions on things. And those opinions differ from Luger and Sting's opinions. The quiet intensity of Benoit's promo style was really a perfect fit for the Horsemen

Also backstage, Randy Savage is ready for Halloween Havoc. Dude, it's still, like, two months away. That's like putting up your Christmas decorations in October

Giant v Jim Duggan: Duggan tries to scare Giant back with his 2x4, but the big man barely even flinches. Even still, Jimmy Hart goes after Duggan to cause a distraction, but Giant screws up his sneak attack, and Duggan takes the high ground. He knocks Giant off the apron as Giant tries climbing back in, and then follows to whip him into the post, but Giant reverses. Back in, Giant grabs a bearhug, but gets into trouble in the corner. Duggan stupidly goes for a bodyslam, but that doesn't work out very well, allowing Giant to slap the bearhug back on... as Ted DiBiase makes his way through the crowd! Meanwhile, Duggan escapes the hold, and starts unloading with taped fists, but Giant absorbs the shots, and hits the Chokeslam at 4:35. Shit match, but hey, Ted DiBiase! And speaking of which, he apparently bought a ticket, because he's got a seat. And when the camera pans over, he counts off four fingers, and then mouths "next week" as he counts off a fifth! The dude seated next to him is marking out so fucking hard right now, it's crazy. DUD

Fall Brawl ad

The Rock 'n' Roll Express v Ric Flair and Arn Anderson: 'Cause 'why not,' I guess? The idiots are talking about DiBiase, and wonder what he meant by the five fingers, thinking that maybe that he's coming out of retirement, and will be the fifth Horsemen. Oh, come on now. There's building suspense, and then there's just insulting our intelligence. Also, I totally forgot that Flair is still US champion at this point. Ricky Morton starts with Arn, and the Express quickly work in a double team. That brings Flair in without a tag, but the Express send him to the outside with stereo dropkicks, and the Horsemen regroup out there. Dust settles on Robert Gibson and Flair, and Ric quickly gets him into the corner for some chops. He dumps Gibson to the outside for Woman to abuse, then back in for a backelbow, before passing to Arn. The Horsemen cut the ring in half on Gibson, as I guess ol' Robert finally drew the short straw for once. The announcers note that "everyone across the country is calling their friends, and telling them that Ted DiBiase is on Nitro!" Well, I'd certainly have appreciated the call. He could be the fifth Horsemen, you guys! Also, how would they even know that? Is Turner tapping phone lines now? Anyway, Gibson gets the hot tag to Morton, but Ricky quickly eats a DDT from Arn, and Flair pins him at 4:08. Afterwards, Okerlund comes out to chat, but doesn't even bother to ask them if DiBiase's presence has anything to do with Horsemen business. Probably because it's a stupid fucking question. ¼*

Glacier teaser

Alex Wright v Chris Jericho: This is Jericho's TV debut, but like Guerrera, he'd already taped matches for other shows that hadn't aired yet. Big criss cross to start, with both guys trading off, and eventually ending in a stalemate when each tries a dropkick at the same time. They trade hammerlocks next, with Jericho dominating, and he uses a northern lights suplex into another wristlock. Wright reverses, and uses his own northern lights suplex into an armbar, but Jericho whips him into the ropes, and throws a spinheel kick that sends Alex out to the apron. Chris is on him with a springboard dropkick, and he uses a hanging vertical suplex back in from the apron for two. Chris goes up for a dive, but Wright is ready with a dropkick to block, and a leg lariat follows. Alex with a springboard bodypress for two, but a cross corner charge misses, and Chris uses chops. Jericho with a corner clothesline, but a stinger splash misses, and Chris takes a spill to the outside. Alex capitalizes with a dive off the top, but Jericho dodges, and Wright eats rail! He's done, and the referee is ready to count him out, but Jericho doesn't want to win it that way, and makes the referee declare a no-contest at 4:52. Heenan has a field day with that one, of course. The match was going along just fine, but man, what a terrible finish. Okerlund comes out afterwards, and he thinks that was a 'breath of fresh air.' I get why they'd peg someone with Jericho's look and style as this type of wholesome babyface, but it's really weird when looking back at it now. ** ¾

The Steiner Brothers v The Blue Bloods: The Blue Bloods have trouble deciding who is going to start, so Rick Steiner helps them decide by bashing their heads together. The dust settles on Rick and Earl Robert Eaton, and Rick takes him down with a hiptoss. Eaton goes to the eyes to try and turn things around, but runs into a slam as they criss cross, so Squire David Taylor tries running in to help. Rick cleans house all by himself, leaving the Bloods to argue again, until things settle on Rick and Taylor. Taylor tries popping him with some forearms, and the Bloods go for an electric chair/flying bodypress combo, but Rick rolls through at 3:16. Shit, just a hair off on that landing and Steiner would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Afterwards, the Bloods come to blows as they argue, and it looks like we have an official breakup, kids. But who gets custody of Lord Steven?! Funny bit during the Steiner's post match interview, as Rick hypes up Halloween Havoc, and Scott has to remind him that he means Fall Brawl. You know it's bad when SCOTT STEINER has to correct your mistakes. To be fair though, they've been hyping up Hogan/Savage at Havoc all night, so it's understandable why he might be confused. ¼*

Lex Luger and Sting v Chris Benoit and Steve McMichael: Luger's TV belt is still missing, but at least now he sort of has an excuse, since he actually lost in back on the 20^th, thought it hasn't aired yet. He and Sting charge in to brawl right away, but Lex gets into trouble, and things settle into the Horsemen cutting the ring in half on him. Double knockout spot with Benoit allows the tag to Sting, and he comes in hot on the Crippler. Scorpion Deathlock looks to finish, so McMichael runs in to break it up, but gets dumped. That allows Sting to press-slam Benoit, but a flying splash hits knees. Chris goes up with a flying headbutt, but THAT misses, and here's Hollywood Hulk Hogan with a can of spray paint! He goes after McMichael on the outside, but it's just a distraction to allow the Outsiders to attack, and we have a no-contest at 5:39. The nWo beat everyone down and spray their logo on them to add insult to injury, so Flair and Anderson run in to save, but that goes badly. Funny bit, as Hogan paints a black skunk stripe in Flair's blond hair, as the ring fills with trash. Not much of a match, but what a hot way to end the show. And then they're not even satisfied with that carnage, as they take over the announce desk as well to do their own wrap-up. ½*

BUExperience: Good show this week. They had no competition from the WWF, and used the advantage to throw a lot of different stuff at the wall, with several notable debuts, and lots of angles.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	8/26/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	n/a	4.2
Total Wins	17	27
Win Streak		10
Better Show (as of 8/26)	11	32