Original Airdate: September 30, 1996
From
Eric Bischoff comes out give an official response to the nWo takeover of last weeks show, going on a fiery rant about how the company's not going to take it anymore, and how bringing Hulk Hogan into WCW was the single biggest mistake he's ever made. They really shouldn't have messed with his hair
WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Public Enemy v Juventud Guerrera and El Technico: Technico is Billy Kidman, under a mask. I like how Bischoff went on an impassioned rant about how the history and heritage of WCW is going to be preserved, and then they immediately present Public Enemy as world tag champions two minutes later. Rocco Rock starts with Juvi, and Guerrera uses a wheelbarrow armdrag to take him down, then dives with a springboard headscissors to send Rock to the outside. Baseball slide, but Rocco dodges, and Juvi eats some guardrail. Back in, Rock corner whips him, so Guerrera tags out, but Technico runs into a sidewalk slam/2nd rope elbowdrop combo for two. That draws Guerrera back in without a tag, and Roseanne Barr the door. Juvi tries to powerbomb Johnny Grunge, but gets backdropped over the top, and the champs finish Technico with the Drive-By at 2:04. Barely a match. ¼*
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Mike Tenay is backstage with Chris Benoit and Steve McMichael, and Steve warns the nWo to stay out of trouble, because he's got a Super Bowl ring. Not sure what one has to do with the other, but never a bad time to show one of those off, I suppose
The nWo are hanging out in their hotel room, partying it up, along with Nick Hogan as their little mascot. The group is getting too big at this point, but Kevin Nash and Scott Hall continue to be effortlessly cool enough to carry everything
Dean Malenko v Alex Wright: Feeling out process to start, with Dean dominating on the mat, and trying to hold him down for a pin, but Wright able to stay in it. Wright tries to ground him in a chinlock, but Malenko uses a side suplex to escape, and he snapmares Alex down for some stomping. Criss cross goes Alex's way with an overhead armdrag, but Malenko dumps him to the outside when he tries an abdominal stretch, and Wright hurts his knee on the landing. Dean follows to whip him into the rail, so Alex tries to regroup with a slingshot sunset flip on the way back in, but Malenko blocks, and goes to the mat with a grapevine. He takes Alex into the corner for some abuse, but Wright turns the tables on him, and manages to string together a backdrop to turn the tide. Wright with a series of uppercuts and a leg lariat, but a corner charge misses. That allows Malenko to dive with a flying bodypress, but Wright ducks it, and an
This past weekend on WCW Saturday Night, Randy Savage was going crazy with elbowdrops on Big Bubba Rogers, so Nick Patrick came out to try and put a stop to it, only to get beat up by the Macho Man. Everyone knew what Nick Patrick was, in their hearts, but Savage was the only one crazy enough to act on it without official confirmation. Also, I'm surprised that they're still running angles with the big stars on Saturday Night. I thought that show was pretty much an afterthought by this period. This leads to Tenay bringing Savage out for an interview now, but he's a no-show. Maybe he was sharing a ride with Buddy Landel?
Halloween Havoc ad, featuring a sweepstakes for your chance to win a Slim Jim 'monster truck.' Which is basically just a stock Dodge pickup truck, with a Slim Jim logo on the side. I guess in the days before SUVs become more common than actual cars, yeah, maybe someone would have bought that as a monster truck. But even by 1996, I don't think that was fooling anyone. And, anyway, why does this company keep associating Halloween Havoc with large trucks, anyway? Was that a thing I missed out on in my childhood?
Eddie Guerrero v Jim Powers: Nick Patrick is sporting a neck brace here, to sell the beating from Savage over the weekend. Powers works a headlock at the bell, so Eddie tries to force a criss cross, but gets drilled with a shoulderblock. Guerrero does better on another go-around, and a bodyslam sets up a slingshot somersault senton splash for two. Suplex, but Powers blocks, so Eddie tries a waistlock, but gets put on his ass with a series of rights. Guerrero responds by charging with a spear, but he loses the resulting scuffle on the mat, and Jim overhead suplexes him for two. Pair of corner whips lead to a clothesline for two, and Powers works a chinlock, as the nWo's propaganda team walk around the arena with signs. Powers with a vertical suplex for two, and he goes back to the chinlock for a while, but Eddie slugs free. Jim cuts him off with a knee, and he unloads in the corner, but a charge ends badly. That allows Guerrero to drop him with a side suplex, but a trip to the top results in Powers following him up with a vertical superplex for two. Small package gets two, but Eddie counters a front-powerslam into a bridging German suplex for the pin at 6:23 - despite Jim quite clearly getting a shoulder up a two. And, in fact, Powers and Teddy Long argue with Patrick over the count, but the decision stands. Did they just wake up that morning and randomly decide to push Jim Powers, all of a sudden? Dude was getting A LOT in on Eddie here. * ¾
Back at the nWo's party suite, the Nasty Boys show up, ready to abandon WCW to join the gang. And to prove just how little they care about WCW, Jerry Sags hops up on the table, and does his Bischoff impression - via his talking butt cheeks
Tenay is backstage with Arn Anderson, Woman, and Miss Elizabeth, and poor Woman looks like she has nothing to do with her hands now that Gene Okerlund isn't around. Anyway, she and Arn chew Liz out over her absence from Horsemen business as of late, and no wonder the nWo was walking all over this promotion. All their top guys can't stop in-fighting! Of note: Liz calls Woman 'Nancy' while responding, in a nice touch to add realism
Hugh Morrus v Brad Armstrong: Armstrong is cautious at the bell, frustrating Morrus as he tries avoiding him in the corners, but his luck eventually runs out. Hugh unloads, but misses a charge, allowing Brad a hiptoss and a dropkick. Another dropkick, but Morrus dodges, and the match stops dead so they can set off the pyro at the top of the hour. Armstrong with another dropkick, but a criss cross ends badly when Morrus catches him with a powerslam, and Hugh adds a legdrop to the groin. Headbutt to the groin follows, and Morrus works a chinlock. Brad fights free, and throws a leg-feed enzuigiri, followed by a backslide for two. Small package gets two, but he gets dropped with a clothesline before he can add anything else. That allows Morrus a bodyslam, and a pair of flying moonsaults finish at 4:14. This aired opposite the start of the Austin/Roberts match on RAW, and let's call it a push so far. ½*
Backstage, Arn and Woman are still yelling at Liz
Arn Anderson v Chris Jericho: Bischoff walks out on the show before the match, and is replaced by Tony Schiavone, though they don't really make the reasoning clear. He just kind of says he needs to go, and then goes. Maybe he just had to take a wicked shit. And speaking of people leaving, Liz doesn't come out with Arn and Woman here. Feeling out process to start, dominated by the veteran, but with
nWo t-shirt ad. "It makes you look scary on TV," notes Giant. As much as I don't like him as an nWo member, it's great getting to see him cut loose, instead of just doing shouting promos all the time
Backstage, Miss Elizabeth leaves the building
Lex Luger v Michael Wallstreet: They trade hammerlocks to start, until Wallstreet hides in the ropes, and takes a cheap shot. He tries a whip into the ropes, but Luger reverses, and puts him down with a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop for two. Lex works a headlock, but Wallstreet quickly forces another criss cross, and dumps Luger to the outside this time. Back in, Wallstreet grabs an abdominal stretch, and they should maybe leave Nick Patrick alone and start questioning Randy Anderson's officiating a little bit, because how the fuck can he not see Wallstreet holding the ropes there? Lex tries a sunset flip for two, but Wallstreet cuts off the comeback with a bodyslam into an elbowdrop for two, and he grounds Lex in a chinlock. Luger fights free, so Wallstreet throws a knee to cut him off again, and a legdrop gets two. Back to the chinlock, and it's honestly unbelievable that WCW managed to find gear for this guy that somehow looks WORSE than wrestling in a shirt and tie. Wallstreet uses the ropes for leverage as he works the hold, but Luger starts making a comeback, so Wallstreet tries a snapmare for two. One more go at the chinlock, but Luger isn't having it, so Wallstreet tries to turnbuckle smash him. Charge misses, allowing Lex a schoolboy for two, so Wallstreet tries a slam, but Luger cradles for two. Lex with a jumping forearm for two, but he runs into a jumping clothesline as they criss cross, and Wallstreet tries a suplex from there, but gets countered to the Torture Rack at 7:16. Kind of slow in the middle with all the chinlocks, but generally solid enough. This aired opposite a Godwinns/Grimm Twins match that featured HHH and Mr. Perfect challenging each other to matches, as well as an expose on Jeff Jarrett's lip-synching, and let's call it a win for Nitro. *
As a peace offering to Sting, WCW unveils their new NASCAR, with Sting's image painted on it. Nothing says 'sorry we thought you were a traitor' like a fast car, I suppose
The Faces of Fear v The Rock 'n' Roll Express: Eww, really? Meng and Ricky Morton start, and Ricky tries sticking and moving, but Meng just no-sells all his shit anyway. Ricky tries a sleeper, so Meng snapmares him off with a handful of hair, but Ricky is a tenacious little monkey, and hops right back on. Meng gets rid of his again, but Morton hops back on a third time, and now Meng is getting pissed. He clobbers Morton in the corner before passing to Barbarian, so the Express try some tactics straight out of a midget match. Barbarian starts corner whipping Robert Gibson around, but misses a charge in the corner, and Gibson uses a sunset flip for two. Morton tries a slingshot sunset flip for two, and a schoolboy for two, until Barbarian just gets annoyed, and swats him away with a clothesline. Meng tags in to drill him with a piledriver for two, as the Faces go to work cutting the ring in half. Barbarian goes in for the kill with a flying headbutt, but Ricky rolls out of the way, and makes the tag. Robert comes in hot, but really, was anyone buying him trying to clean house on these two monsters? He eats a big boot from Barbarian at 11:24. Why THIS got almost twelve minutes with no background angle stuff, I don't know. Afterwards, the Faces continue the beating, so Public Enemy run out to make the save, for whatever reason. I suppose their love of music unites them with the Express? This aired opposite the 'Razor'/Vega match on RAW, along with an Undertaker vignette, and the start of the main event. Call it a win for RAW, as they had a terrible match/angle, but the shootish bickering between Ross and Monsoon was entertaining. ¾*
Over at the hotel suite, the Nasty Boys are bogarting a giant platter of food, while Hogan makes lewd remarks aimed at
Halloween Havoc ad
Rick Steiner v Chris Benoit: They size each other up a bit to start, and Chris tries pounding him into the corner, but that triggers a slugfest, which Rick controls. Rick sends him to the outside with a nasty German suplex, but gets suckered into a chase, and Benoit clobbers him from the high ground. Chris with a clothesline for two, but an attempt to chop Steiner into the corner doesn't go well, and Rick grounds him in a chinlock. Benoit escapes and throws a headbutt, followed by a snap suplex, so Rick tries his own suplex, but Chris is able to block. Rick responds with a Steinerline and a powerslam for two, so Debra distracts the referee, allowing Steve McMichael to come in and whack Rick with the briefcase! That drops Steiner, and Benoit falls on top of him for the pin at 4:17. This felt really disjointed, like they were just mashing spots together for four minutes until they got the go-home signal. The tag main on RAW was much better. ½*
We wrap up at the hotel suite, where Miss Elizabeth is now sitting between Hogan and Giant on the sofa, as everyone flexes on her. They get distracted by a package being delivered, so she walks out, where she finds Randy Savage charging down the hallway at her. But instead of going after the nWo - who are, like, five feet away - he just stands there screaming at her until the show goes off the air
BUExperience: Oh man, this must have been a rough one for the live crowd, as all the big stars only appeared on TV, and the matches weren’t very good at all. And unlike the similar go-home show for Fall Brawl episode (which also featured most of the action taking place backstage), this one wasn’t much better for the home audience either. You know it’s not good when a RAW heavily featuring the fake Razor/Diesel storyline is more entertaining. The fact that this dominated the ratings war by a full point just goes to show how much momentum they had built by this point, because there was nothing of note going on here, and very little star power.
Monday
Night Wars Rating Chart
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|
9/30/96
|
|
|
Show
|
RAW
|
Nitro
|
|
Rating
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2.3
|
3.3
|
|
Total Wins
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17
|
31
|
|
Win Streak
|
|
14
|
|
Better Show (as of 9/30)
|
12
|
34
|
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