WCW Monday Nitro (December 16, 1996)

Original Airdate: December 16, 1996

From Pensacola, Florida; Your Host is Tony Schiavone with Larry Zbyszko (hour one) and with Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan (hour two)

The nWo show up right away, and kick Tony and Larry out so Eric Bischoff and Ted DiBiase can take over. I love how the announcers keep acting so shocked that the nWo shows up. Like, they do this almost every week. Unfortunately Eric forgets to bring a microphone, so he literally cuts a promo into dead air. Larry puts up a fight since it's only Eric, Ted, and Vincent, but then ultimately walks away without a fight (like he always does). This aired opposite Bret Hart showing up to rant about what happened at In Your House, and I'll give RAW the edge there

WCW Television Title Match: Lord Steven Regal v Psychosis: Bischoff is so much more tolerable now that he's SUPPOSED to be annoying, rather than in the early days of Nitro when he was the babyface lead announcer. Feeling out process to start, with Psychosis getting a takedown, but then getting punished for it on the mat by Regal. Into the corner, Regal unloads, and a schoolboy gets him two. He tries a front-facelock, but Psychosis manages a takedown, and Regal oversells it like mad. But it works. Psychosis with a pair of spinheel kicks to send the champ to the outside, and he dives after him with a suicida. Meanwhile, Bischoff regales us with a tale of Hulk Hogan having meetings with Steven Spielberg in Hollywood. Psychosis with a flying sunset flip for two on the way back inside, and a running dropkick connects. The crowd is just totally buying Psychosis stealing the win here. Like, big time. Psychosis with a rana off the top for two, and a small package gets two. Bodyslam sets up a flying legdrop for two, and Psychosis doesn't know what to do next, allowing Regal to use a German suplex to buy time. Psychosis recovers with a koppou kick (which totally misses) for two, so Regal just starts wailing on him on the mat (hilariously popping himself with one of his own shots), but a submission goes nowhere. Not sure Psychosis even knew how to sell that shit, he just kind of sat there. Regal unloads in the corner again, and a butterfly suplex gets two. They need to wrap up, they're losing the crowd. Regal takes Psychosis up for a superplex, but Psychosis knocks him off to block, and he dives again with a flying splash for two. Regal tries a small package for two, so Psychosis uses a backslide for two. Psychosis adds a superkick, but an attempt at a rana gets countered with a facebuster, and the Regal Stretch finishes at 12:29. This was kind of a huge style clash, and the pacing especially was all over the place, but it wasn't horrible. Like, it kept feeling like it was going to fall apart at any second, but they managed to hold it together enough. This aired opposite the hot Austin/Vader match and the (decidedly less hot) 'Diesel/Razor Ramon' tag match against the Godwinns, and I'll give RAW the edge overall on the strength of the Austin/Vader segment that featured Bret attacking Steve in a hot angle. *

Big Bubba Rogers v Chavo Guerrero Jr: The announcers immediately speculate that Bubba may be nWo because he's wearing black. As opposed to his usual neon gear? Bubba attacks in the corner, but Chavo dodges a charge, and uses a drop-toehold. Dropkick knocks Bubba into the ropes for some abuse, and another dropkick sends him to the outside. Guerrero dives with a plancha, but Bubba catches him for a slam on the floor, and Rogers adds another one out there. Guerrero beats the count, so Bubba greets him with a right hand, and a shoulderblock puts Chavo on his ass. Bubba with another shoulderblock to set up a splash, but Guerrero dodges, and he makes a nice comeback. He has Bubba bumping, but runs into the scrapbuster while coming off the ropes, and Rogers hooks the leg for three at 2:52. Too short to really go anywhere, but fun while it lasted. This aired opposite Sid cutting a promo, and we'll give Nitro the easy edge there. *

Chris Jericho v Masahiro Chono: On the way to the ring, Sonny Onoo announcers that his charge Chono has signed a deal with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. But just as Sonny gloats, Chono opens his jacket to reveal that he's wearing an nWo shirt, and he dumps Sonny as a manager. Chono pounds Jericho and dumps him to the outside right away, and whoa, those ropes look super loose all of a sudden. Chris uses a series of kicks to take control on the way back inside, but an attempt to criss cross ends badly when Chono clobbers him with a big boot. Backdrop, but Jericho uses a sunset flip for two to block, so Chono rakes the eyes to cut him off. He dumps Chris to the outside again, but Jericho is fired up, and hangs in during a slugfest on the floor. Inside, Chris tries throwing chops, but Chono goes to the eyes again, and this thing is dragging. Chono with an inverted atomic drop, as Bischoff does a vaguely racist impression of Chono. The 90s were such a different time. Jericho comes back with a vertical superplex and a spinheel kick for two, but a flying backelbow misses. Jericho keeps coming, but Chono no-sells his stuff, and Chris ends up taking a spill to the outside. Chris tries climbing back in, but Chono pounds him, and Jericho gets tied in a tree of woe, hanging outside the ring. The referee wants to free him, but Chono keeps pounding away, and ends up getting disqualified at 5:51. This didn't really click. This aired opposite a Shawn Michaels promo and a Furnas and LaFon squash, and I'd call it a push. ¾*

We replay all of the shit involving Roddy Piper last week. All of it. This aired opposite the Karate Fighters segment on RAW, and I can't believe I'm typing this, but advantage WWF

Gene Okerlund brings the Horsemen out to talk the Benoit/Woman/Sullivan love triangle, and Arn Anderson is amazing as usual. Not feeling those glasses, though. This aired opposite the boring part of the Gunn/Gunn match (as in, the pre-stinger portion), so call it a slight win for WCW

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Dean Malenko v David Sammartino: Sammartino actually looks really good here, having shed all of the bloat he had in the 80s. Unfortunately, he's already 36 years old at this point, so it was too late to do much with him by that point. Though, to be fair, Diamond Dallas Page was over 40 at the time, and he was just about to become a big star. So you never know. Feeling out process to start, and the crowd is just totally dead for this. Like, pin drop quiet, and with people leaving to go to the concession stands. Malenko with a cross corner whip, but a corner clothesline misses, and Sammartino uses a schoolboy for two. Dean fires back with a small package for two, so David tries a backslide for two. David with a vertical suplex, but Malenko blocks, and a reversal sequence ends in Malenko hooking a cradle at 2:55. This was terrible. It wasn't technically horrible, but it completely failed to engage the audience, and the finish was so poorly executed that no one even realized it was the finish until suddenly the bell was ringing. Even Malenko looks like he didn't plan that as the finish. Give RAW the edge for their Billy Gunn injury angle. DUD

Ice Train v Jerry Flynn: Bischoff and DiBiase get sick of doing commentary, and turn it over to Schiavone, Tenay, and Heenan as we head into the second hour. Flynn is a weird looking dude. Flynn tries a sneak attack before the bell, but Train shrugs him off, and a clothesline sends Jerry to the outside. Back in, Train suplexes him, and a bodyslam sets up a splash. Avalanche connects, but Flynn uses a boot to block a second one, and he manages a clothesline. Jerry with a corner spinheel kick, and a leg-feed spinkick gets him two. More kicks, but Train starts no-selling, as Tony announces that the nWo will have their own pay per view this January called Souled Out. Train with an anklelock at 3:23. ¼*

Syxx brings WCW World Tag Team Champions The Outsiders out for an interview, and yeah, where has Syxx been the last few weeks? I almost forgot he'd already debuted. They don't have much to say, but announce that they will be facing the Faces of Fear later. Scott Hall gets a funny line telling the fans they should pop louder for them because they said the name of their city, which may be the first time I can remember a line like that on TV, which Mick Foley and Rock would later perfect

nWo t-shirt ad

Video package on Sting's behavior since Fall Brawl

Rey Mysterio Jr v Bobby Eaton: Mysterio sticks and moves, so Bobby just straight up decks him, and uses a pop-up flapjack. Eaton with a pop-up backbreaker for two, and a whip into the ropes sends Rey to the outside. Bobby tries a dive from the apron, but Mysterio dodges, and Eaton crashes into the guardrail. That allows Mysterio to dive with a tope, and he uses a nasty looking headscissors to bring Bobby in from the apron for two. Eaton tries a suplex, but Rey slips free, and throws a spinheel kick. Springboard flying dropkick and a slingshot moonsault for two, so Rey goes to an armbar, but Bobby reverses a whip into the ropes, and clobbers him with a clothesline for two. Eaton works a chinlock to wear Rey down, and a bodyslam sets up a flying kneedrop for two. Eaton goes up to the middle for another dive, but Rey springboards up after him, and uses a rana for the pin at 4:55. Eaton could still go, but he felt out of place in this era, especially in there with a state-of-the-art worker like Rey. Freshening up his gear and gimmick might have helped. ** 1/2

Lee Marshall calls in from Macon Georgia with the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report. This guy's such a doof

Chris Benoit sends in a romantic home video of he and Woman on vacation in Europe. "Doesn't life suck, Kevin?" Benoit quips. This is a solid angle, steeped in realism... but man, it's uncomfortable to watch today

Arn Anderson v Kevin Sullivan: Sullivan attacks in the aisle, and they brawl on the floor right away, trading rights. Sullivan grabs a chair to chuck at Arn's head, and inside, Sullivan works the head and body in the corner. Back to the outside again for a brawl into the crowd, and what kind of shitty officiating is this? First he rings the bell before either guy is even in the ring, and now he's allowing this shit to go on? Back into the ring, Arn manages to get control in the corner, so Kevin goes to the eyes, and a blinded Anderson DDTs the referee. That allows Kevin to hit a double-stomp, and he puts Arn in the tree of woe, but it backfires. DDT, but here comes the Dungeon of Doom to save. That allows Sullivan to whack Anderson with a chair, and the groggy referee counts the pin at 3:53. Not really much as a match, but fun as an angle. Worst officiating of all time on display here, though. ¼*

Both Sting and nWo Sting show up for the scheduled Sting/Rick Steiner match, and holy shit, looking at nWo Sting side-by-side with the real McCoy, how did this guy ever fool anyone? Anyway, nWo Sting thinks he's got a tag partner against the Steiner's, but real Sting drops him with the Scorpion Deathdrop, and Rick hands the bat back to him to show that they're cool now. No match, but it was a cool segment

Starrcade ad

WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan and the nWo show up to cut a promo on Roddy Piper. Man, Hogan made the easy money in those days, didn't he? He's barely even on the show, and when he is, he doesn't even wrestle. And he's world champion!

The Outsiders v The Faces of Fear: The Outsiders' WCW World Tag Team Title is not on the line tonight. Big brawl to start, in and out of the ring. Kevin Nash manages to send Barbarian into the steps on the outside, allowing the Outsiders to double up on Meng. Outsider's Edge, but Barbarian comes back in to save, so Nash blasts him with a big boot. That draws Big Bubba Rogers out, but he attacks his DOD pals, turning nWo for the DQ at 1:00. Man, they're wasting no time watering down the nWo, are they? I get the logic, but seeing guys like Bubba or Michael Wallstreet join the ranks is hardly exciting. So that draws the rest of the Dungeon and nWo out for a huge brawl, and even other WCW guys join in to help the DOD. And then Scott Norton turns to join the nWo as well, 'cause why not, I guess? Finally Sting comes out, and he doesn't go for anyone, leading to Arn Anderson putting his hands on him, and Sting drops him. That results in the other WCW guys taking that as a sign of Sting turning nWo, and they all gang up on him, but Sting fights them off, and walks out - though not with the nWo guys, either. Nothing as a match, fun enough as an end of show angle... though, they need to find a new trick already. DUD

BUExperience: Nitro dominated the ratings, but RAW was the better show this week. Is wasn’t a great show, mind you, but they were at least trying new stuff, and they had the hot Hart/Austin angle. Nitro just felt like they were treading the same water, and felt completely skippable.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	12/16/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.3	3.2
Total Wins	17	42
Win Streak		25
Better Show (as of 12/16)	19	38