WCW Monday Nitro (April 7, 1997)

 Original Airdate: April 7, 1997

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

Konnan and Hugh Morrus v Alex Wright and Psychosis: The announcers have spent literally six straight minutes talking about the Spring Stampede main event, and they still can't stop even as the match starts. Morrus and Wright start, and Alex gets the best of him. Over to Psychosis, but Hugh quickly fights off a wristlock, and tags Konnan for a rolling clothesline. Konnan wastes time taunting Wright, allowing Psychosis a superkick, and he adds a headscissors takedown. Psychosis with a flying spinheel kick (or 'body attack,' per Tony), and he decides to dive after Morrus on the outside for good measure. He hurts himself on the landing, however, allowing Konnan to clobber him on the way back in. Powerbomb gets two, as we get footage of a battered Diamond Dallas Page arriving at the arena earlier in the way. Morrus with a powerslam to set up a 2^nd rope elbowdrop, but Psychosis dodges, and makes the tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Wright goes for the kill on Morrus with a flying bodypress, but it only gets one, and Hugh fights him off with a swinging neckbreaker to set up the No Laughing Matter at 5:03. *

Lord Steven Regal v Rey Mysterio Jr: Regal drills him with an uppercut to take control at the bell, and he puts the boots to Rey. Irish whip sets up a pop-up flapjack, and a release snapmare sends Mysterio to the outside. Regal follows to drop him across the guardrail out there, and he throws another uppercut on the way back in, as we abandon the match to watch the nWo arrive. Between the cut aways and the announcing, God forbid we actually focus on a match for ten seconds. Rey makes a comeback, and he knocks Regal to the outside with a cross corner whip, then uses a headscissors on the way back in. Springboard flying rana into a cradle gets two, so Regal cuts him off with an inverted vertical suplex, and the Regal Stretch is on, but Rey makes the ropes. Regal won't release the hold, however, and that's a DQ at 4:32. That draws out WCW Television Champion Prince Iaukea to make the save, but Regal quickly fights him off, and punishes him with the Stretch as well for sticking his nose in. ¾*

Outside, the rest of the nWo arrive

Ice Train v Chris Benoit: Train with a press-slam early on, and he barrels into Benoit with a clothesline. Cross corner whip sets up an avalanche, but Benoit blocks, and unloads in the corner. Train no-sells the chops, however, and responds in kind. Irish whip allows Train to blast Chris with a clothesline, and he works a nervehold, as we split screen to the back, when WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan is trying to keep the peace within the nWo. I get that it's still the hottest angle in wrestling, but I miss the early days, when it felt outlaw. Like, why are they allowing the cameras into their dressing room to observe this meeting? The 1996 version of the group would have never let that happen. Train keeps working Chris over, but a distraction from Woman allows Benoit to attack from behind, and a DDT finishes at 3:08. *

Last week, Hollywood Hogan joined Dennis Rodman for the premiere of his film (Double Team), where Hulk calls a black woman his 'sister.' Interesting, in the last segment he told the nWo that he doesn't "care what color you are."

Kevin Sullivan v Hector Guerrero: Sullivan with a pop-up flapjack right away, and a whip into the ropes sets up a backelbow. Hector ends up on the outside for Jacqueline to abuse, and Kevin works some backrakes on the way back in - complete with girlish screams from Guerrero. More abuse from Jackie, and Sullivan uses the tree of woe and a double stomp to finish at 2:47. ¼*

Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash lead their factions of the nWo out so Ted DiBiase can try and make peace. Why this rebel group would need to do that in the ring with everyone watching, I don't know, but okay. So Hogan thinks Nash has a problem with Hulk taking last week off to go to Rodman's movie premiere, but Nash says it's all good. Hogan's got a problem with Scott Hall disappearing, but Nash puts that fire out right away - he'll be back. Hulk feels Nash's glare, so he challenges Nash to settle it in the ring right now, but Kevin explains that while he may not like Hulk, he does respect him, and that's enough. Okay, so beef squashed, but now we've got Randy Savage trying to attack Eric Bischoff over what happened at Spring Stampede. Hogan and Nash force them to bury the hatchet, however, and everything is cool... for now

Gene Okerlund brings Ric Flair out, since, sure, let's follow a lengthy promo segment with another lengthy promo segment. So it's the usual dancy dancy whoo whoo thing, leading to Flair announcing that he's been medically cleared. He then brings Roddy Piper so they can talk shit about the nWo for a while, which leads to Kevin Greene joining them, and apparently the three of them are challenging the nWo to a match. I could see the nWo watching this in the back and laughing their heads off

WCW United States Title Match: Dean Malenko v Chris Jericho: I like that they turned the US Title into a workers belt during this period, but considering the workers in question, I wish they went with a smaller design. Big criss cross to start, ending in Jericho hitting a leg-feed enzuigiri, and a spinheel kick to knock the champ to the outside. Chris with a springboard shoulderblock to knock a recovering Malenko off of the apron, and Jericho adds a missile dropkick on the way back in. Backslide gets two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Dean powerbombs him. Texas Cloverleaf time, but it's in the ropes right away. Dean goes upstairs, but Jericho brings him down with a vertical superplex. Turnbuckle smash, but Malenko reverses, and Jericho collides with the steel. That allows Dean to boot him in the face for the pin at 3:01. Too short to be anything, but fun while it lasted. The finish came off poorly. * ¾

Public Enemy v High Voltage: Voltage try attacking, but get whipped in one another, and the Enemy clean house. Dust settles on Rocco Rock and Kenny Kaos, but Robbie Rage quickly pulls down the top rope during a criss cross, causing Rock to take a spill over the top. Voltage go to work on him, but Kaos telegraphs a backdrop, and Johnny Grunge gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door. The Enemy clean house again, and Kaos ends up on a table on the outside, but Grunge misses a dive - putting himself through it. Well, that's what he gets for not having an alliterative name. The miss allows Rage to give Rock a suplex, Robbie pinning him at 2:58. It was short. Afterwards, Gene comes out to rub salt in the Enemy's wounds, but apparently it's 'all good.' I think. These two need closed captioning worse than Ahmed Johnson. ¼*

Backstage, Prince Iaukea is having his ribs taped after the altercation with Regal earlier

Harlem Heat v Jeff Jarrett and Steve McMichael: McMichael is nowhere to be found, but Jarrett is good to go it alone. Sure, that's smart. The guys are only seven time former tag team champions. He starts against Booker T, and gets knocked around. Criss cross allows Jeff an overhead armdrag, and he gets a little in on Booker before getting forced into the Heat corner. Jeff manages to slip out before getting into trouble, so Stevie Ray tags in to pound him all legal like. Jeff fights him off with a dropkick, drawing Booker in, but Jeff dropkicks him as well. Cue a distraction from Sister Sherri, and that allows the Heat to savate kick this punk down. Stevie adds a legdrop for two, and they go to work, as Debra McMichael makes excuses for her husband. Heenan is so annoying at this point, barely even trying anymore. Jarrett keeps finding hope spots, but there's no one to tag out to, allowing the Heat to get control again each time. Debra is also totally useless - even when Sherri is beating on him, she does nothing. Finally, Steve shows up, tags in, and destroys the Heat, but declines to finish the job - instead forcing a battered Jarrett back in. He staggers, but Booker is ready with the Harlem Sidekick at 9:03. Felt like it went on forever, and made the Heat look like goofs. Afterwards, Jarrett calls Steve out, but apparently Steve is into S&M, and that's his excuse. Fair. ¾*

Lee Marshall is in Philadelphia Pennsylvania for the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report, apparently at a whore house. Fair

WCW Television Title Match: Prince Iaukea v Ultimo Dragon: The champ is sporting taped ribs, so you know where this is going. Prince works a standing headlock, but Dragon whips him into the ropes, so Prince uses a shoulderblock. Bodyslam, but the ribs act up, so he goes with a small package for two instead. Backslide gets two, so Dragon clobbers him with a clothesline, and unloads a series of strikes. Bodyslam sets up a flying splash, but Prince lifts his foot to block, and throws a couple of chops. Irish whip sets up a knife-edge chop, and now Prince throws his own set of strikes. Backdrop, but Dragon blocks, and starts going for the ribs - punting Prince in the ribs for the win at 2:03. After months of build, they couldn't end Iaukea's reign on a better note? I get that he wasn't considered a very successful champion, but why kill him off like that? ¼*

Giant v Scott Steiner: The Dungeon of Doom attack Scott while he makes his entrance, so Giant makes the save, and they chase the heels off. And then they decide to walk off too, since delivering advertised matches is for dorks, apparently. But, hey, at least it wasn’t an nWo run-in for once.

Okay, so we have no main event, but here comes Diamond Dallas Page to talk instead. And here begins a great, long tradition of Page showing up with very odd looking bandages to sell beatings. So he wants Randy Savage again, and despite being on crutches, the Macho Man is coming. Hulk Hogan shows up to talk sense into him, and offers to handle Page on Randy's behalf, but here's Sting - dropping from the rafters to block his path. He tosses the ball bat to Page, and we get a big stare down between the two sides to end the episode. Hot finish to the show, at least

BUExperience: Neither side delivered good TV this week, but I’d give Nitro the edge over RAW’s boring, roster-lite outing.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	4/7/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.2	3.7
Total Wins	17	57
Win Streak		40
Better Show (as of 4/7)	29	43