WCW Monday Nitro (December 23, 1996)

Original Airdate: December 23, 1996

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

WCW United States Title Tournament Semifinal Match: Eddie Guerrero v Chris Benoit: They measure each other to start, with lots of stiff exchanges, and Benoit looking very aggressive. Guerrero fights him off with chops in the corner, and a reversal sequence ends in Eddie grounding him in a headlock, as Kevin Sullivan pops up on split screen to cut a promo on Chris. Another reversal sequence follows, as Diamond Dallas Page shows up to do guest commentary since he'll be facing the winner for the title at Starrcade. Eddie with a sunset flip for two, and he goes back to the headlock, sinking his teeth in as Benoit fights for a counter. Chris finally gets frustrated and uses a handful of hair to turn the tide, but Eddie fights him off again with a victory cradle for two. He adds a shoulderblock, but Benoit counters a charge with an eye-popping pop-up hotshot, and that's enough to turn the tide for real. Chris with a side suplex for two, and a powerbomb is worth two. Short-clothesline gets two, so Benoit works a chinlock, but Guerrero escapes with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Eddie goes up for a dive, but Benoit recovers quickly, and brings him off with a vertical superplex for two. Eddie tries a sunset flip again, but Chris blocks, so Eddie uses a small package instead for two - reversed by Benoit for two. Benoit with chops in the corner, but Guerrero responds in kind, so Chris drops him front-first across the top rope. He cradles, but the referee busts him using the ropes, so no pin. Chris tales him up for another superplex, but the referee objects for some weird reason, and while Benoit is arguing with the moron official, Guerrero is able to shove him off the top. That allows Eddie to dive with a flying twisting frogsplash to advance at 11:53. Like their match from last month, this could be a little bit slow at times, but the execution was flawless. This aired opposite the Helmsley/Mero match, which while slightly less good, had more interesting angles surrounding it. So, let's call it a push. ** ¾

Gene Okerlund brings the Four Horsemen out for an interview, and this angle with Woman is just great stuff, with really nuanced delivery. So, I'll just note the funny parts, like when Benoit tells Debra McMichael to 'talk to the hand because the man don't want to hear anymore,' which prompts Steve McMichael to tell him to 'shut his mouth when talking to his wife.' And even with that goofiness, it's still all fantastic. Ric Flair, meanwhile, is the only one not giving Benoit any shit. He's not getting involved, but has this look on his face like, 'yeah, it's an affair, whatever, can we get burgers, or something?' I mean, this would probably qualify as a slow night for him in the 80s. This aired opposite the boring Rocky/Sincere match on RAW, so give the point to WCW

WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan and the nWo come out to cut a promo, and it's weird how we have these groupings within the nWo. Like the Outsiders almost never come out with Hogan, or Miss Elizabeth never comes out with the Outsiders. Not a hard and fast rule, but a trend. Anyway, it's the go home promo for the Starrcade main event, and nothing special here, basically the same promo as last week. Thus aired opposite an equally unimportant promo from Sid over on RAW, so we'll call it a push

Lex Luger v Tombstone: This feels like one of those late 80s Clash shows with Luger booked against some random JTTS like the Terrorist or the Hunter, or whatever they came up with that month. And if you're going to use the former 911, why not do it in a town where they might actually have an idea who he is? Like, did ECW even have an audience in Georgia? Tombstone lumbers around while no-selling some basic stuff, so Lex clotheslines him over the top, and hits an axehandle from the apron. Lex with a turnbuckle smash on the way back in, so Tombstone throws a clothesline, and uses a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop for two. Cross corner whip works, but a charge doesn't, and Lex mounts a comeback - finishing with the Torture Rack at 3:35. Wow, Tombstone looked ridiculously bad, like a first year guy on the indie scene. Afterwards, Giant (who will be facing Luger at Starrcade) shows up for a sneak attack, but Lex fights him off, and puts him in the Rack until the Outsiders chase him off. This was terrible, but I'd still give Nitro the edge over the AAA crossover match taking place on RAW. But that's not a high bar to clear. Honestly, Luger could have held a lighter while Tombstone bent over and cut farts for three minutes, and it still would have been more interesting than that AAA segment. DUD

Last week, Sting beat up nWo Sting to show he's not nWo. But then got into a fight with WCW guys to show... something? Sure, the angle is super confusing, but it's still pretty great, let's not pretend otherwise. And, anyway, a lot of it made sense in retrospect, and I prefer layered stuff instead of just simple surface angles like they almost exclusively run today

Rey Mysterio Jr v JL: I still don't get why they didn't just let him work as Jerry Lynn, sans mask. Maybe they had some racist theory that no one would buy him in the role because he's a white? But then, Dean Malenko is Cruiserweight champion, so that can't be it. Anyway, why waste time trying to analyze literally anything WCW did? They trade off to start, until JL knocks him to the outside, but misses a plancha out there. That allows Rey to dive off the apron with a headscissors takedown on the floor, but JL beats the count to the apron, so Rey uses a flying guillotine legdrop for two on the way back in. Rana, but JL counters with a sitout powerbomb for two, and he drills Rey with a well executed backbreaker. Powerbomb, but Mysterio slips free, and uses a springboard moonsault press for two. JL returns fire with a side suplex for two, and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker connects. Corner whip sets up a corner clothesline, but another charge misses, and Rey uses a flying headscissors to send JL to the outside. JL tries to hide in the corner to avoid a dive, but Mysterio pulls off a tope anyway, brilliantly threading the needle there. Mysterio with a springboard flying sunset flip on the way back in, but JL dodges, and hits a pop-up flapjack. Magistral cradle gets two, so JL uses a bodyslam to set up a dive, but Rey follows him to the top for a rana at 6:01. Fun little match here. Afterwards, Rey stops by the announce position, and makes a passionate case for Sting, saying that he's not nWo, and only reacted as anyone would when all the WCW guys went after him at the end of the show last week. Rey did a really great job of selling this. This aired opposite the Hart/'Ramon' match and Shawn Michaels 'interview' on RAW, and this was better than all of that. ***

Sting video package

Glacier v Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker: Parker tries a sneak attack during the elaborate entrance, but Glacier quickly fights him off. Wait, Parker switched to a military gimmick now? Mighty nice of them to let him keep his rank, and everything. Glacier destroys him with kicks, and... not much else, really. Just so many kicks. And a dead crowd. The big spinkick somehow only gets two, so Glacier just does it a second time at 2:30. This was so bad that Parker should be charged with stolen valor. Not sure what the fuck this was supposed to be, but it looked like they were having major communication issues throughout, and the match was a wreck. This would have easily veered into negative stars with a few more minutes. DUD

Outsiders t-shirt ad

Public Enemy v The Amazing French Canadians: The Enemy try attacking during the singing of the national anthem, but the Canadians actually expect it, and block. Well, they were due. Enemy retaliate by blinding them with their ski caps, and that just feels like overkill in the case of Carl Ouellet. The Enemy clean house, but fail to pull off the Drive By in time, and Robert Parker aids his team in turning the tide. The referee still hasn't established order here. The Canadians isolate Johnny Grunge with some combos, but Rocco Rock returns in time to save him from the Tower of Quebec. They decide to grab a table to attack with, but the referee has had enough, and disqualifies them at 3:37. This was another one that was a complete mess, but at least the Canadians worked a couple of cool combos in. ¼*

Big Bubba Rogers v Konnan: Nick Patrick is back as a referee here, which seems like a bad idea. Konnan attacks before the bell, but Bubba quickly fights him off. He goes after Jimmy Hart on the outside, but Konnan saves with a tope, and he sends Bubba into the steps out there. Konnan adds a seated dropkick into the steps, and he takes the high ground, but Patrick gives Bubba a very relaxed count. Konnan complains, allowing Bubba to attack, and he chokes Konnan with a bandana as Patrick is conveniently distracted. Bubba with a clothesline, and more choking, as the match started really dragging. More aimless pounding from Bubba, until Hart trips him up while running the ropes, and Patrick ejects him. Konnan loses his shit and finally starts making something of a comeback, but he dumps Bubba over the top, and that's a DQ at 5:39. Wow, really putting Bubba over strong there. The work was atrocious here, but at least the Patrick stuff kept it from being a total waste of time. –½*

Lee Marshall is in Knoxville Tennessee with the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report

WCW Television Title Match: Lord Steven Regal v Dean Malenko: Dean's WCW Cruiserweight title is not on the line here. Feeling out process to start, as Sonny Onoo observes, and the announcers discuss Starrcade '95. God, hard to believe that was only a year prior - so much has changed since. Regal takes control on the mat and stretches him, but Malenko fights him off in the corner, and uses a side suplex to buy recovery time. Regal is still up first, however, and he beats Dean into the ropes, then down for a modified abdominal stretch. Dean escapes and throws a dropkick, but he's still too battered to follow up, and Regal applies a full-nelson. Dean makes the ropes, so Regal throws a headbutt to the midsection, but Malenko manages to block a Boston crab. Texas Cloverleaf time, but Regal is in the ropes right away. Dean responds by unloading in the corner, so Regal goes to the eyes, and turns the tables. Regal with a dropkick to the back of the head, and a butterfly suplex gets him two. Cross corner whip, but\Dean blocks, and uses a German suplex. Malenko adds a vertical suplex, but the ten minute time limit expires on them at 9:27. This was dull stuff, as it took them a long time to kick it into gear, and even then it was a low gear. Not bad, and certainly not poorly worked, but just boring. * ½

Starrcade ad

Jeff Jarrett v Rick Steiner: Jeff gets the first takedown, but makes the mistake of gloating about it, and Rick just mauls him on the mat after that. Steiner with a corner powerslam, and he pounds Jeff with rights, before snapmarring him over to set up an elbowdrop. Cross corner whip works, but a charge doesn't, and Jarrett dives with a 2^nd rope clothesline. Rick returns fire with a release overhead suplex from there, as nWo Sting shows up. He tries to attack Jarrett, but Rick saves with a Steinerline, and Jeff covers and 'pins' the nWo Sting (complete with the idiot official actually counting it) at 2:31. Not sure what the hell that's supposed to mean, but I assume it's a no-contest. The announcers still pretending it's not entirely obvious that this isn't the real Sting is just stupid, and negates all the good stuff with this angle. DUD

WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan is back, and this time he wants Roddy Piper right here and right now. And so we get Eric Bischoff coming out dressed as Piper and doing an impression, in a lame rehash of the King of the Ring build from 1994. At least that one was mildly amusing. So Hogan pins him with one foot (complete with Nick Patrick showing up to make the count), and Bischoff is practically ready to blow Hulk mid-ring, when the real Piper shows up - complete with a crew of bagpipe players. He goes at Hogan, but the rest of the nWo run in to quickly save, as Sting stoically watches from the rafters. This wasn't a great segment, but the confrontation bit was great, and chaotic, and made for a good final push for Starrcade

BUExperience: This wasn't a particularly great episode, but there were a few good matches on it. There were also a few terrible matches, to be fair. But the opposing RAW was such a tire fire that this still easily wins the week, even if it wasn't an especially effective go-home show for Starrcade before the final segment.

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	12/23/96
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	1.5	3.1
Total Wins	17	43
Win Streak		26
Better Show (as of 12/23)	19	39