WCW Monday Nitro (October 7, 1996)

Original Airdate: October 7, 1996  

From Savannah, Georgia; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko (hour one); Eric Bischoff, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan (hour two)

Harlem Heat v Public Enemy: The Heat cheated to win the tag title back from the Enemy over the weekend on WCW Saturday Night, but this rematch is non-title. Booker T starts with Johnny Grunge, and Grunge dominates a few sloppy criss cross sequences. Over to Rocco Rock for a drop-toehold/elbowdrop combo, but Booker tags out before Rocco can follow up, and Stevie Ray puts the boots to him. Rock responds by trying to beat up Sister Sherri, which should tell you everything you need to know about Public Enemy. And they're the BABYFACES! Meanwhile, Miss Elizabeth is hanging out outside Randy Savage's dressing room, so let's cut to the back to watch that. Normally I'd complain, but fuck both of these teams. Anyway, the Heat work Rocco over, and now the nWo shows up in the arena, watching from the crowd. Double knockout spot with Booker allows Rock to make the tag, and Grunge comes in hot - Roseanne Barr the door. Rock goes for the kill on Booker, so Colonel Robert Parker shakes the ropes, and causes him to fall to the floor. That allows the Heat to bash Grunge in the leg with a chair, and a sidewalk slam/flying kneedrop combo finish at 12:27. If you were wondering how the referee possibly could have missed all of that cheating, that's because it was Nick Patrick, and he was conveniently distracted by Sherri. DUD

Jeff Jarrett pulls up to the building in a black limousine, making his WCW debut appearance

Over the weekend on Saturday Night, Nick Patrick announced a $1 million fine against Randy Savage for putting him in a neck brace. Man, between this and the Elizabeth/Flair alimony angle earlier in the year, poor Macho is going to be eating cat food by the time 1997 rolls around

Diamond Dallas Page v Jim Powers: Powers powers him around to start, but Page takes control in the corner, as we get a split screen promo from Dallas on Eddie Guerrero. Or 'Burrito Boy,' as DDP calls him. Criss cross is won by Powers with a bodypress for two, but Page ducks a clothesline, and drops him with the Diamond Cutter at 2:37. Just a quickie. ¼*

Mike Tenay brings Randy Savage out for an interview, but he seems less concerned with the nWo than with promoting Slim Jim's NASCAR. Well, that makes sense. I mean, those million dollar fines aren't gonna pay for themselves. And then Liz comes out to try and talk to him, but Savage won't have it, and storms off

The Faces of Fear v High Voltage: The Faces attack as High Energy get their pose on, and they're so dismissive of these goofs that Meng beats on Kenny Kaos with chops in Kaos' OWN HOME CORNER! And they don't even tag! Fuckin' losers. Meanwhile, Chris Benoit and Steve McMichael come out to observe, but unlike the nWo earlier, it's corporate approved observing because they do it from the aisle and not the crowd. Every heel in the promotion really got their legs cut off by the nWo angle, and no better example than the Horsemen. They were really hitting their stride earlier in the year (especially after Hogan left), and now they're just, like, guys. Anyway, the Faces squash the shit out of Voltage, and finish with a catapult/big boot combo at 3:45. ½*

Glacier v Mike Wenner: This dude's name apparently bounces back and forth from 'Wenner' to 'Winner,' but we'll go with 'Wenner' since that's what they're using tonight, and also because I don't really give a shit about the guy. Glacier destroys him with martial arts stuff at the bell, before using a drop-toehold into a hammerlock. Wenner throws an elbow to escape, and tries to corner Glacier, but global warming acts up, and Glacier breaks a piece off. Mike ends up getting knocked to the outside, and Glacier dives after him with a plancha, then back in to kill finish a spinkick at 2:24. Man, this show's been a whole lot of nothing for the first hour. I get that they try to save the good stuff for when they're head to head with RAW, but spread it around a little. ¼*

Hugh Morrus v Jeff Jarrett: Jarrett dominates him with basic stuff to start, and it's not clear if he's supposed to be working as a heel or a babyface. I think heel, but then they've got him in there with established heel Morrus, so who really knows. Jeff wastes time strutting around and gets clobbered, but Hugh off with an inverted atomic drop, followed by a straddling ropechoke. Jeff with a swinging neckbreaker for two, and a dropkick is worth two. Morrus fights back with a powerslam, but he misses a flying legdrop, and Jeff slaps on the Figure Four at 4:04. As far as debuts go, this was really weak. They just sent him out there to work with no introduction whatsoever, like it's an Alex Wright match, or whatever. Afterwards, Jarrett cuts an impassioned promo on Hollywood Hulk Hogan's claim that he built the wrestling business single handedly, establishing himself as a babyface. This aired opposite the Mero/'Diesel' match on RAW, and I'll give Nitro the edge, even if the WWF's match was technically better. ½*

nWo t-shirt ad

Arn Anderson v Renegade: Arn bails after getting slammed around to start, and he suckers Renegade into following so that the Enforcer can snag the high ground. That allows Arn to take control, and a snapmare sets up a kneedrop. Backdrop, so Renegade tries a sunset flip, but Arn blocks with a right hand for two, and he grabs a chinlock. Over to an armbar, followed by a hammerlock, as Anderson works the arm for a while. Bodyslam sets up a 2^nd rope pump-splash, but Renegade lifts his knees to block, and starts making a comeback. He hits a handspring backelbow, but decides to go to the well again, and Arn clobbers him this time. DDT and done at 7:08. Arn was in the mood to phone it in here, and Renegade isn't exactly the guy to pull a better performance out of him. Afterwards, Arn wants to keep it going, but Lex Luger makes the save before Anderson can end Renegade's career. This should turn Luger into the biggest heel in the building, but somehow does not. This aired opposite the equally dull Smoking Gunns/New Rockers match on RAW, so we'll call it a push. ½*

Lex Luger v Squire David Taylor: The announcers spend the entrances talking about what celebrities are known fans of Nitro, and I've never heard of any of these people. And I'm a pop culture nut. Luger knocks Taylor around to start, as we get a split screen promo from him to hype up the match with Arn Anderson at Halloween Havoc. Lex misses a charge to allow Taylor to unload in the corner, but a cross corner whip is reversed, and Lex follows in with a clothesline. He throws a forearm, but misses a corner charge, and Taylor goes up to the middle - only to miss his dive. That leads to the Torture Rack, and Taylor is done at 2:36. Another nothing match in a series of them tonight. Where are all the cruiserweights this week? Afterwards, Anderson runs out to attack with a chair, which was pretty telegraphed by the fact that Luger was going around trying to high five every fan in the front row. If Lex freakin' Luger is going out of his way to greet fans, you know something is up. This aired opposite the 'real Double J' segment on RAW, and as much as I dislike the sheer desperation of that angle, at least they were trying something, so let's give RAW the edge. ¼*

Chris Benoit v Rick Steiner: Steiner is distracted by Steve McMichael at the bell, allowing Benoit a sneak attack. Chris hammers him, but gets caught with a powerslam during a criss cross, and Rick hammers him with mounted punches. Clothesline sets up more mounted blows, but Chris starts slugging back, so Rick belly-to-belly suplexes him for two. Rick grabs a chinlock from there, using it to wear Benoit down for two, so Chris tries a short-clothesline, but gets countered with a German suplex for two. Chris fights back with chops in the corner, and a backelbow puts Steiner down for two. Snap suplex gets two, but a charge in the corner misses, as we get a shot of the nWo a limo pulling into the building (helpfully labeled with 'nWo' where the license plate should be), and Hogan and Giant getting out. Meanwhile, Benoit works a chinlock, and uses a side suplex for two. Back to the chinlock, but Rick dodges a clothesline attempt, and throws a jumping clothesline as they criss cross. Benoit dumps him into the corner to try and keep control, and a snapmare sets up yet another chinlock - probably the greatest amount of chinlocks I've ever seen in a Benoit match. Chris with a bodyslam to set up the flying headbutt for two, so he tries another dive, but gets caught in a release overhead suplex this time. Rick adds a DDT for two, and a bodyslam leads to a flying bulldog for two. They collide for a double knockout spot, and that's Mongo's signal to try and pass Benoit the briefcase, but Scott Steiner steps in. That allows Rick to grab the weapon, and he bashes Benoit for the pin at 12:28. I thought the time crunch messed up their match last week, but these two just don't have any chemistry together whatsoever. This aired opposite a Vader interview and Sultan/Montoya match on RAW, and we'll give WCW the edge. ¾*

Halloween Havoc ad

Backstage, Hollywood Hogan enlists the Nasty Boys to watch his back. We then cut over to another part of the backstage area, where the nWo are beating down WCW United States Champion Ric Flair, right before he's supposed to come out to defend against Randy Savage. Kevin Nash has his bandana on like Tupac, and even yells 'thug life' at one point, which is some weird shit. This segues into Giant chasing Liz out into the arena (where Savage already is, waiting for Flair), but it's a trap to let Hogan sneak attack! He beats Macho with a chair, but Liz objects, so Hogan threatens to slap her around. We get a nasty bit next, as Giant tries to carry Savage into the ring, but loses his balance on the steps, and nearly kills the both of them on the landing. Ouch, that could have ended very, very badly. Luckily it didn't, so they get back to beating Savage, and Hogan forces Liz to watch. This feels like a go-home segment for Halloween Havoc, but there's still weeks to go. Also, where's the rest of WCW? They all talk tough, but Hogan and Giant have been beating on Savage for a solid five minutes, and no one has even bothered to try and help him. Hogan then cuts a promo about how he owns Liz's 'body and soul,' which must have an interesting title document to it, at least. And then to cap it off, Syxx rides out in an nWo monster truck to close the show, because... trucks... I guess? This aired opposite the Sid/Goldust match on RAW, and I’ll give WCW the edge, but the babyfaces really need to get some licks in on the nWo once in a while, because these endless one-sided beat downs are getting old

BUExperience:  Neither show was good this week, but RAW was a much easier watch, so give them the win.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	10/7/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.1	3.5
Total Wins	17	32
Win Streak		15
Better Show (as of 10/7)	13	34