WCW Monday Nitro (September 23, 1996)

Original Airdate: September 23, 1996

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

Kevin Sullivan and Konnan v Juventud Guerrera and Brad Armstrong: Konnan and Guerrera start, and Konnan immediately drops him on his head with a straightjacket suplex, then armdrags him into a cradle for two. Guerrera fires back with a headscissors takedown to put Konnan on the outside, and he dives after him with a plancha. Juvi with a springboard somersault senton splash on the way back in, but he gets caught with a cradle DDT, and Konnan adds a muscle buster. Guerrera tags out, and Brad comes in all fired up, but quickly gets killed, and Sullivan tags in to finish with the double stomp at 2:37 - as the nWo's propaganda team marches around the building with signs. This was too short to really go anywhere. And then afterwards, Sullivan and Big Bubba Rogers beat Konnan down, as some form of initiation into the group. ¾*

Mike Tenay is backstage with Randy Savage to talk Halloween Havoc. I guess the absence of Gene Okerlund in recent weeks is because he was in the midst of contract renegotiations. Tenay is a suitable enough replacement in the short term, but he's no Gene Okerlund

Chris Jericho v Mike Enos: Enos slaps him across the face after a handshake, but runs into a spinheel kick during a criss cross, and Jericho returns the favor with a slap of his own. Mike bails to the apron, and hits Chris with a slingshot shoulderblock when Jericho goes after him, allowing Enos a pair of headbutts. Corner whip works, but a charge in doesn't, and Chris takes him down for an armbar. Enos powers to a vertical base and drops Jericho across the top rope, but another charge into the corner ends badly, and Mike scrambles for a belly-to-belly to recover. He dumps Chris to the outside and follows with a clothesline off of the apron, followed by some choking with electrical cable. He drops Chris across the guardrail for good measure, then into the post for gooder measure. He suplexes Chris onto the steps before finally taking him back in, where Mike drills him with a pair of headbutts, then slaps on a bearhug. Chris fights free, so Enos powerslams him for two, and works a Boston crab for a bit. He holds an overhead backbreaker next, but Jericho uses a sunset flip for two to escape, and manages to add a pair of superkicks. Clothesline puts Enos down, and Jericho quickly follows up with a butterfly suplex to set up a missile dropkick. Chris tries a rana off the top, but Enos counters with a powerbomb for two. He tries another powerslam from there, but Jericho counters to a cradle on the way down, and holds on for the pin at 7:40. This was actually a lot better than I expected it to be. ** ¾

Glacier v Pat Tanaka: They do a martial arts showdown to start, which Glacier gets the better of. I'm surprised Bischoff didn't insist on this match taking place during the second hour, because he would have been in all of his glory calling it. Tanaka catches him with a powerbomb coming out of the ropes, but Glacier no-sells, and cracks him with a spinkick at 1:11. The entrance took longer than the match. DUD

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Harlem Heat v Public Enemy: I get that they're the sponsor, but I hate the way they keep saying 'Slim Jim's Halloween Havoc' over and over again. At least slip a 'WCW' in there somewhere. The Heat attack before the bell, and try dumping Johnny Grunge to the outside so they can isolate Rocco Rock, but that backfires when Grunge comes off the top with a double flying clothesline. The challengers get control of Booker T with some double teams, but Booker manages to poke Grunge in the eyes to allow the tag to Stevie Ray. He pounds Grunge in the corner, but misses a charge, and gets schoolboyed for two. Tag to Rock, but he gets choked out on the ropes, and Booker comes in with the Harlem sidekick, but Rock ducks, and Booker crotches himself on the top rope. Back to Grunge for a ten-punch on Booker in the corner, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and eats a clothesline. Tag to Stevie, and man, this match is just a total mess so far. It's moving - which is good - but it's got no flow at all. The Heat finally get some traction on Grunge, and as they cut the ring in half, we shoot over to a split screen of the nWo arriving in their limousines. Again, why are they still keeping the Sting impostor around? His job is done! Johnny manages to catch Booker with a swinging neckbreaker to allow the tag to Rock, and Rocco comes in hot on the Heat. They fight him off before he can get too far, and the champs go for the kill with a sidewalk slam/Harlem Hangover combo, but Rock dodges, and Roseanne Barr the door. Weird finish, as Rock falls on top of Booker for what looks like the pin, but referee Nick Patrick spots a foot on the ropes at the last second, and then we get the real finish right after, where Booker hooks a small package, but Rock reverses at 10:48. And I guess the controversy here is that Booker didn't realize the move had been reversed, and Patrick may have counted the wrong shoulder down, though that doesn't come off clearly at all. This whole thing was kind of a mess. ½*

Randy Savage v Greg Valentine: Valentine gets in his face during the entrances, but that backfires when Macho destroys him with rights, and ropechokes him. Greg manages to return fire with a backelbow, and he adds a headbutt to the groin, before dumping Randy to the outside. Macho beats the count in, so Valentine tosses him to the outside again, and this time follows to drop him across the rail to take some pep out of his step. Savage returns the favor, and adds a chair shot for good measure, but then comes off the top with another chair shot, and the referee disqualifies him at 2:59. This was barely a match. Afterwards, Savage decides to beat up the referee as well, but the nWo run in to put a stop to it, and give Randy a beat down of their own. That brings Miss Elizabeth out to watch with concern from the entrance set like it's 1988, probably because she heard Randy was wrestling Greg Valentine, and figured it actually was 1988. But, unfortunately, there's no Hulk Hogan to run to now. There's only Hollywood Hogan, and he's the ringleader of this beat down. I like how the whole crew comes out to beat on Macho, but Hogan doesn't come out until after the job is done, like a true boss. Once he's out there, Hogan takes a can of spray-paint to Savage's head to cover up his bald spot, as the line between this and a Billionaire Ted skit becomes increasingly fuzzy. With Savage good and destroyed, Hogan sends the goons to take over the announce position next. They chase Heenan and Tenay off, but manage to hold Bischoff hostage at the desk, and it's they're the captain now. Once they have control of the position, they introduce their newest member: Vincent. I get it, but this is probably the point where it started going off the rails a little bit with the membership. I mean, yeah, he's a former WWF guy, and he's got the association with Ted DiBiase, but when was the last time he was even ON WWF TV? 1994? They might as well let Valentine in too, while they're at it. This whole thing aired against the Mero/Faarooq title tournament final over on RAW, and I'd call it a push. The RAW match was pretty good, but the nWo's mayhem was hard to turn away from as well. DUD

nWo paid announcement spot, pushing their merchandise. Unfortunately, they don't actually give you a phone number or website or address to go and buy anything

The nWo roll out their new nWo brand NASCAR, which was... a real thing?

Jim Powers v Giant: This is scheduled as Powers against Michael Wallstreet, but the nWo still has control of the show, and they let Giant handle ring announcing duties. And then they just beat up Powers before the match even happens, so the referee bails out of fear, and it's left to senior official Nick Patrick to try and restore order. I love how Powers and Wallstreet just come out and makes their usual entrance, like everything is supposed to be totally normal. Also love how Wallstreet just calmly walks off while they're beating up Powers. AND how referee Randy Anderson tears off his bowtie as he bails, to really sell his indignation. This angle is just so awesome. So, now the nWo decide that Giant will wrestle the already battered Powers, and of course it's a total comedy squash at 0:52. This whole segment aired opposite the WWF promising the return of Razor and Diesel later in their broadcast, a look back at Shawn Michaels beating Jeff Jarrett in July '95, a Marc Mero victory celebration, and an expose on Jarrett's singing abilities. Easy win for Nitro. Easy. DUD

Hollywood Hogan is backstage, gleefully parading around and spray painting the hallways in the arena like the worlds tannest Droog, when he comes upon the Nasty Boys. He immediately tries to recruit them, and tells them to go hang out in his hotel suite so they can talk business later. And then even gives them the WCW World title belt to show how serious he is about the negotiations

Jim Duggan v Syxx: This is supposed to be Duggan versus Ron Studd, but the nWo take Studd out before the bell. I thought it was weird that the guys came out to wrestle in the last match, but after what happened there, these two must be legitimately stupid to do so. But then, it is Duggan, so, yeah, it's not really a stretch. Duggan flips out with the 2x4, so Giant helps Syxx jump him, but Duggan no-sells. A few turnbuckle smashes put Syxx on his ass, and Jim hits a hiptoss, followed by a front-facelock. He clubs on Syxx with forearm blows, and man, this hasn't exactly been an impressive debut for Syxx thus far. Duggan with a bodyslam, and he hits the 3-point stance, but Giant pulls him out at two, and chokeslams him on the floor. He rolls Jim back in, and Syxx covers at 2:20. This aired opposite a pretty decent tag title match on RAW, one that also had an ECW invasion angle mixed in, and I'd actually give RAW the advantage. ¼*

nWo Sting v Bo LeDuc: Unlike the other matches, Sting isn't a replacement for some dude they beat up, but rather LeDuc is someone the nWo brought in. Sting with a one-handed bulldog early on, but he wastes time beating on his chest, and LeDuc pounds him into the corner. Sting fights him off by dropping him across the top rope, and the Stinger Splash sets up the Scorpion Deathlock at 1:36. It's a pretty good Sting impression though, give him that. This aired opposite an Undertaker graveyard segment and more hype for the Razor/Diesel reveal, and honestly, both sides kind of sucked. Call it a push. DUD

High Voltage v The Outsiders: The Amazing French Canadians get chased off to give the Outsiders the match instead. Nice bit of counterprogramming from WCW here, as RAW was building up to the big Razor/Diesel reveal for the end of their show, and here are they are wrestling live on TNT. Kenny Kaos starts with Scott Hall, and gets destroyed like a full-on jobber, with Hall barely looking even interested in him. Over to Kevin Nash, and he casually steps over the top rope to take his turn squashing Kaos. The Outsiders work Kaos over without much difficulty, until they get as bored of it as I am, and decide to bring Robbie Rage in to beat up on instead. This thing is just dragging on and on here. I mean, we're some seven minutes in, and High Voltage haven't even gotten an offensive move in. Powerbomb puts the lights out for High Voltage at 10:10. This was ridiculously long for what it was. Afterwards, the nWo reconvene over at the announce position to close the show/gloat. This aired opposite a decent HHH/Stalker match, plus the Razor/Diesel reveal over on RAW. And, yeah, that was a terrible moment, but the Jim Ross promo that led up to it was actually pretty awesome, and I'll halfheartedly give RAW the edge. –½*

BUExperience: Well, that was certainly an interesting way to get the nWo guys wrestling on TV. Tough call this week. RAW was actually pretty decent when it wasn’t veering into embarrassing desperation territory, while Nitro wasn’t so good, but it was unique and innovative and creative.  Let’s actually call it a push this week, though the TV ratings certainly didn't. 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	9/23/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.0	3.4
Total Wins	17	30
Win Streak		13
Better Show (as of 9/23)	11	34