WCW Monday Nitro (October 14, 1996)

Original Airdate: October 14, 1996

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

Dean Malenko v Brad Armstrong: Armstrong beat Malenko in a match with a controversial finish on WCW Saturday Night to set this up Feeling out process to start, as the crowd gets so rowdy that even the announcers have to make note of it. Oooh, this should be a fun night. They're not necessarily hot for the match, but they're hot, and that's already a plus. Brad sends him to the outside with an armdrag and a dropkick, but Dean manages a short-dropkick on the way back in, and he adds a turnbuckle smash. Backelbow gets him a one count, so he wears Armstrong down with a mat-based abdominal stretch, followed by a kneedrop. Saito suplex connects, as does a cross corner clothesline, but Malenko goes to the well once too often with that one. That allows Armstrong a missile dropkick for two, and he dominates a pinfall reversal sequence. Dean tries a hiptoss, but Armstrong counters with a Russian legsweep for two, and a side suplex gets him two. They do a reversal sequence off of suplex attempts from there, with Dean able to shift to a half-nelson cradle for the pin at 5:24. Not really much to it, but solid. **

WCW is also pushing denim shirts. But theirs are $10 cheaper than the WWFs, and less embarrassing to wear in public, to boot. Were denim shirts a fashion trend I forgot about from 1995?

Outside, the nWo's limo arrives. And they've still got fucking fake Sting with them! I love how they all get out of the car and start hugging and kissing each other like they weren't all just riding around together for however long

Jim Duggan v Michael Wallstreet: Duggan pinned Wallstreet on Saturday Night in a match with a controversial reversed finish to set this up. I'm sensing a trend. Jim's all fired up, but walks right into a knee, and Wallstreet unloads in the corner. Hacksaw manages to reverse a cross corner whip, however, and a hiptoss leads to a clothesline to send Wallstreet to the outside. Back in, Jim hammers him with rights, but telegraphs a backdrop, and eats a clothesline for one. Snapmare puts Duggan down for a chinlock, but he slugs free, so Wallstreet throws a knee for two. Back to the hold, and Wallstreet is sweating an absolutely crazy amount for a guy who's less than three minutes into a match. And he doesn't even have the office attire to blame it on. Wallstreet works the hold for while, until Duggan starts making a comeback, and Hacksaw grabs the tape. Wallstreet knocks it away before he can use it, but the referee stops Michael from using it in turn, and Duggan sneaks up with a shoulderblock at 4:37. Great, maybe they'll have another rematch now. DUD

Hugh Morrus v Jim Powers: Crazy moment during the entrances, as the announcers thank Jerry Lawler ('Mr. Lawler') for helping to 'promote' tonight's show, resulting in what they're claiming is the biggest crowd ever at the Mid-South Coliseum. That's a pretty funny response to Lawler actively trying to torpedo the show in the weeks leading up to this. "We'll see him at the flea market this Thursday," snarks Schiavone. They measure each other a bit to start, and Morrus gets cocky, allowing Powers a bodyslam. Criss cross ends in Jim throwing a bodypress for two (Powers has the most consistently awkward bodypress in wrestling), and he uses a hiptoss and a clothesline to send Hugh to the outside. Back in, Morrus manages to take over when Jim telegraphs a backdrop, and he chokes him on the ropes for a bit, before hitting a vertical suplex for two. Hugh with a corner whip to set up a clothesline for one, and a bodyslam gets one. Morrus keeps teasing the moonsault, but then backing off, in a weird bit. Another bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Powers dodges, and starts making a comeback. Sunset flip gets two, and a kneelift is followed by a powerslam for one, when Nick Patrick slow counts it (blaming it on has bad neck). Powers stays focused with a small package, but Patrick's neck slows him down again on the count, and now Jim is ready to kill him. That allows Morrus to sneak up with a side suplex, and the flying moonsault finishes at 6:34. I get that they're anarchists, but even in kayfabe, was the best use of the nWo's crooked referee budget really screwing over the likes of Jim Powers? *

Lex Luger v Greg Valentine: Despite both men's long careers, this is one of only two times they ever wrestled each other, and both took place in Tennessee (the other one is coming up on another Nitro in December). Feeling out process to start, matching pretty evenly. Greg tries a backdrop, but Luger counters to a suplex, only for his back (injured by the nWo last week) to give out. That allows Valentine to take control by pounding on the part, and he hits a straddling ropechoke for two. Greg keeps hammering the back, as Ted DiBiase and Vincent show up in the crowd to watch from a distance. DiBiase's role seems to be getting less and less important by the minute. Valentine keeps hammering the back forever (like, no moves, just punch-kick stuff), until they collide during a criss cross, and Lex starts making a comeback. Inverted atomic drop and a pair of jumping forearms get two, but a charge in the corner ends badly, and Valentine uses a leveraged pin for two. He thinks it was three, and argues the count – allowing Luger to sneak up with the Torture Rack at 6:33. This was basically six minutes of Valentine hammering Luger's back with forearms and knees, and then Lex forgetting all about it for the finish. ½*

Tony Schiavone brings Nick Patrick out to let Nick know that the WCW board reduced his million dollar fine on Randy Savage down to only $500, which prompts a predictably incredulous response from the official. And then we get clips of nWo Saturday Night, where the nWo's referee (wearing a ski mask to conceal his identity) cheated profusely, but Patrick denies it was him, and points the finger at Randy Anderson instead. I'm loving all of this

Eric Bischoff brings Randy Savage out, and he wants to show him a video. Oh, nice! I hope it's Goodfellas. Unfortunately, WCW doesn't have a video wall of any sort, so he has to show it to him on a regular TV they roll out on a cart, like it's a half-day in elementary school. And the crowd can't see it either, so I guess Randy's just gonna watch Goodfellas alone, like an asshole. Oh, but it turns out that it's not Goodfellas, but the Notebook, starring Miss Elizabeth. She makes a tearful declaration of love for Savage, and poor Macho looks like he's moments away from crying vomit as Bischoff pesters him for a response, before finally just walking off without saying even a word. I love how he has a limo ready and waiting in the back, literally steps from the entrance area. Not even Uber gives you that kind of service! This aired opposite the Vader/Godwinn opener on RAW, and it's an easy win for WCW

nWo t-shirt ad

Eddie Guerrero v Cheetah Kid: Big criss cross off the bat, won by Guerrero with a rana. Dropkick follows, but a second one misses, allowing Kid to snapmare him down for a choke. Samoan drop gets Kid two, and Eddie's suddenly having trouble moving around, like maybe he took a bit of a bad bump. Kid with a powerbomb after giving Guerrero a little breather, but a second one is countered with an armdrag, only for Kid to duck Eddie's resulting charge, and Guerrero ending up on the outside. Kid with a springboard dropkick out there, and then back in for a dive off the top, but Guerrero crotches him. Eddie uses a rana off the top to set up the Flying Frogsplash, and we're done at 2:43. Too short to really go anywhere. This aired opposite Mr. Perfect doing an interview about his big return match the following week, so let's give the edge to RAW. ½*

Lee Marshal phones in with a road report from Minneapolis. I think this is the very first one. Certainly the first on Nitro, though I'm not sure if the segment was used on their other shows earlier. These are goofy, but definitely memorable, and effective at making WCW seem like a big time operation

Big Bubba Rogers v Jeff Jarrett: This Memphis crowd's been hot all night, and of course that continues for Jeff Jarrett. Bischoff gets a funny line in during the entrances, noting that, yes, Jarrett can't sing. But it's a wrestling promotion, so who cares. Bubba dominates to start, but Jeff out moves him during a criss cross, and uses a turnbuckle smash to take control. Jarrett with a pair of rights, so Jimmy Hart trips him up on the outside, and Jeff goes after him - only to run into a cheap shot from Bubba on the floor. Bubba adds a backbreaker out there to allow Jimmy to get his licks in, but Jeff beats the count, and dives at Bubba with a flying bodypress for two. Bubba slugs him down to retain control, and he grabs a chinlock to keep Double J grounded. Jeff fights free, so Bubba throws a big boot at him, and chokes his Memphis ass on the ropes. Jeff tries throwing a dropkick, but Bubba dodges, and uses a punch for two. Bubba grabs a standing front-facelock, but misses a cross corner charge, and Jarrett starts unloading on him with kicks. Inverted atomic drop sets up the Figure Four, but Hart interferes, and Bubba delivers a spinebuster. Jimmy passes him the megaphone, but Jarrett dropkicks it back in Bubba's face, and that gets three at 6:43. All in good fun here, and Jarrett looked like a star. Afterwards, Schiavone let's Jeff know that he'll be facing Giant at Halloween Havoc, but Jarrett notes that he's not worried because he's 'an impact player.' I'll say. This aired opposite Roberts/Lawler, a segment on the 'real Double J,' and HHH/Floyd over on RAW, and I'll call it a push. I mean, the Jesse James stuff was stupid, but I liked the payoff for the Roberts/Lawler feud, and there was some good buildup to the HHH/Perfect match. * ½

Harlem Heat v The Faces of Fear: Harlem Heat's WCW World Tag Team Title is not on the line here. Booker T and Meng start, and Meng pounds that mang into the corner, as Chris Benoit, Steve McMichael, and Debra show up to observe from the aisle. The Heat manage to get control of Meng, and Stevie Ray bodyslams him, but misses an elbowdrop. That allows the tag to Barbarian, and he unloads on Stevie in the corner, but misses a charge. That allows Stevie a bicycle kick, and Barbarian ends up on the outside for a bit. Back in, Stevie pounds him down, and Booker tags in with a savate kick for two. The Heat go to work on Barbarian, but Booker gets crotched on the top turnbuckle by Meng while trying a dive, and Barbarian overhead superplexes him off. That one looked like it could have gone south really easily. Meng tags in to hit Booker with a sitout powerbomb as the Faces take control, and Barbarian uses a backbreaker for two. They work Booker over with quick tags, so Stevie comes in to turn it into a brawl, but here come The Outsiders through the crowd! That distracts all four participants, and as they team up to confront the nWo, the match is thrown out at 7:17. That really should have been a simple double countout, but whatever. Also, this whole thing is made all the better by the fact that the crowd is super into it, and filled with marks who look like they're ready to jump into the fight at any moment. God bless Memphis. This aired opposite a bunch of stuff on RAW, but mostly a Faarooq squash, so give Nitro the edge. ½*

Halloween Havoc ad

WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan leads the nWo (including Miss Elizabeth) out to the ring to wrap up the show. He runs down Randy Savage for a while, before brining out the Nasty Boys to officially introduce them as members. And then, because of course, the Nasties immediately start bitching about their cut, and want Hogan to sign a new contract for them. Nothing says 'renegade street gang' like official membership contracts. That goes badly for them, however, and they get booted from the group in violent fashion, in the same segment as they get introduced. Well, they looked weird in the shirts anyway. Maybe next time they should pretend they're jumping to the WWF. That's usually a good way to get a better deal in WCW. That's gotta be a real blow to their egos. I mean, 'fake Sting' made the cut, but they don't? Ouch. Pretty nasty beating too, with Brian Knobbs bleeding hardway from the top of his head. And then, to wrap up this insanity, Hogan basically promises to rape Elizabeth at his leisure, since Savage isn't man enough to stop him. You'd think boasting about that on TV would be enough to trigger some sort of response from law enforcement, but I guess the 90s were a very different time. This aired opposite the Michaels/Austin match and big brawl that ended RAW, and we'll call it a push.

BUExperience: This is going to sound like a weird thing coming from a guy living in the era of three hour weekly TV shows and five hour pay per views, but Nitro is just too long at two hours. RAW may not be very good, but at least its hour feels very focused. Nitro feels like they’re stretching to fill time lately. And while their big angle is hot, and while they have some great workers on the roster, most of the shows feel too unfocused in recent weeks, with the first hour especially coming off like a whole lot of nothing. But then, I get why they wouldn’t want to mess with the formula, considering how badly they were destroying the WWF in the ratings – this episode beating RAW by over a full point. If it ain’t broke...

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	10/14/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	1.8	3.3
Total Wins	17	33
Win Streak		16
Better Show (as of 10/14)	14	34