WCW Monday Nitro (April 14, 1997)

Original Airdate: April 14, 1997

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; 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, as apparently Lex Luger has been challenging WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan for tonight, but if he wants Hogan, he has to get through Kevin Nash first. Um, so what was the point of Lex winning the #1 Contender's match at Spring Stampede? And it's one thing for the nWo to just say stuff, but that WCW officials just go along with it is one of the most annoying things about this angle

Barbarian v Chris Benoit: The ECW faithful are all in the house tonight, so this should be a fun show. Barbarian tries a sneak attack, but Benoit dodges him, and unloads in the corner. Barbarian gets to a vertical base and tries a powerbomb, but Chris fights him off with a sunset flip, and uses a bridging northern lights suplex for two. Jimmy Hart decides to trip him up, and Chris takes the bait, allowing Barbarian to slam into him with a big boot on the outside. Barbarian then tries to press him back in, but does so carelessly, and Benoit ends up hitting the ropes instead of going through them. That looked un-fun. Inside, Barbarian tries a clothesline, but Benoit ducks, and hits a suplex. That allows Chris to go up, but Barbarian follows, and chucks him across the ring with a release overhead superplex. I've seen that spot a bunch of times, but that was an epic version of it. I mean, he just launched him. Barbarian with the flying headbutt drop to finish, but Chris dodges, and dives with one of his own at 2:37. Barbarian came to play tonight. Really short, but fun. Afterwards, the Dungeon of Doom immediately run in on Benoit, until the Four Horsemen save. Gene Okerlund then joins us so Benoit can cut a promo on Kevin Sullivan, since apparently that feud needs to go on forever. ** ¾

WCW United States Title Match: Dean Malenko v Hector Guerrero: Dean tries for a takedown early, but Guerrero manages to keep it vertical, and he works a wristlock. Dean reverses, and they trade off a bit until it turns into a criss cross - Guerrero dominating him. Dean manages a hiptoss and a drop-toehold to take him down for an STF, however, and a cross corner whip is followed in with a clothesline. Great execution there. Another charge, but Guerrero fights him off with a dropkick this time, and he tries going back to the wristlock, but Malenko is in the ropes. They spill to the outside, where Hector dives off the middle, and a slingshot sunset flip follows on the way back in, triggering a pinfall reversal sequence. Dean gets the better of it, and a butterfly powerbomb sets up the Texas Cloverleaf at 2:52. Dean won't release the hold afterwards, leading to Eddie Guerrero marching down despite his arm being in a sling, but Dean lets off without incident. Another one that was fun, but too short. ** ¼

Rey Mysterio Jr v Juventud Guerrera: Such a weird dynamic going on in the first couple of rows, as you've got the ECW superfans mingling with some folks who are obviously some sort of VIPs that got comped seats and barely care about the action. They trade wristlocks to start, won by Guerrera with a spinkick. Another one, but Rey ducks this time, and gets him in a rack, but Guerrera quickly escapes. Suplex, but Rey escapes, and a reversal sequence ends in both men going over the top. Rey tries sending him into the post out there, but Guerrera reverses, and unloads with chops. Guerrera with a sunsetbomb on the floor, and a springboard kneesmash follows on the way back in. Powerbomb, but Rey slips free, and they reverses each other again - ending in Rey blocking a springboard dive with a dropkick. Rey then dives with a springboard rana into a cradle at 3:24. They were working, but it felt like a collection of spots more than a proper story. * ¼

Okerlund brings Luna Vachon out to establish that she is not, in fact, a beauty queen

WCW Television Title Match: Ultimo Dragon v Lane Carlson: It's like a combination of Lenny and Carl! Carlson is the future Lenny Lane, in his WCW debut. Not sure how that translates to a title shot already, but then this is the same promotion that just had Lex Luger win a top contender's match that apparently means nothing because Kevin Nash says so, so let's not overthink it. Lots of criss crossing to start, until Dragon puts him down with a series of kicks. Dropkick gets him two, so he works a chinlock, but a reversal sequence ends in Lane hitting a rocker dropper for two. Cross corner whip sets up a bulldog on the rebound for two, and a running dropkick leads to Lane clotheslining him over the top. Lane dives after him with a scary looking flying somersault senton on the floor, but an attempt at a springboard ends badly when Dragon drops him across the apron. Dragon then dives with a plancha before leaving him for Sonny Onoo to fuck up a bit, and the champ uses a rana off the top on the way back in, before finishing with a bridging tiger suplex at 3:46. Carlson didn't really look ready for prime time yet, but the match was short enough to not fall apart. * ¼

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Syxx v Prince Iaukea: Nice to see Syxx actually defending the belt. The ECW faithful give Iaukea nothing, but you know if he showed up at the Arena and cut a promo about how WCW made him dance around, they'd all give him a standing ovation. Syxx works a standing side-headlock to start, but Iaukea forces a criss cross, and takes him down with a headscissors. Dropkick puts the champ on the outside, where he stalls to frustrate Iaukea. Back in, Syxx hammers him on the ropes, but telegraphs a backdrop, and Iaukea puts him down. Syxx quickly fights him off with a spinkick, however, and a snapmare sets up a legdrop. Elbowdrop follows for two, so Syxx works a chinlock, but Iaukea slugs free. He tries a springboard bodypress, but Syxx ducks, and unloads some chops in the corner, followed by the lightning kicks. Well, less 'lightning' than an incandescent bulb. Bronco buster and a vertical suplex set up a flying somersault senton splash, but Iaukea rolls out of the way. Iaukea makes the comeback, and a springboard flying clothesline gets him two. Flying sunset flip gets two, but a whip into the ropes gets countered with the Buzz Killer (a crossface chickenwing) at 5:43 to retain. Submission finishers were not a good fit for Syxx, sorry. * ¼

Okerlund brings Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, and Kevin Greene out to talk Slamboree, and it's the usual Mad Libs 1997 Flair and Piper promos

Philadelphia Street Fight: Public Enemy v High Voltage: The Enemy bring some weapons out with them, and it's a brawl from the get-go. Everyone trades shots with various objects, until Kenny Kaos starts getting all hyped up, and slamming everyone around. Voltage go for the kill on Rocco Rock with an electric chair/flying clothesline combo, but Rock swats Robbie Rage away with a trashcan lid, and the Enemy stack a pair of tables up on the outside. Rage ends up on top of the tower, and the Drive-By finishes him at 4:35. Not my thing, but if you're going to do this type of match, Philly is definitely the place to do it. ¼*

Giant v Big Al: Speaking of things that only really make sense in Philly. Also, wasn't he Tombstone the last time we saw him? Gimmick changes are common in wrestling, but why keep the exact same gimmick, but just change the name? Seems weird. Anyway, Al makes the mistake of slapping Giant at the bell, and gets absolutely demolished, then killed with the Chokeslam at 1:01. DUD

Konnan v Diamond Dallas Page: Konnan makes lewd gestures at Kimberly as we get started, and you can guess how that goes over for him. Page with a side suplex, so Konnan goes to the eyes, but the follow-up is countered with the Diamond Cutter at 2:08. Just a quickie here. And speaking of 'quickies,' Randy Savage appears in the crowd after the bell, telling Page to stop his woman from fantasizing about the Macho Man, he's not into it. DDP responds by chasing him into the crowd, which is a pretty poor way to respond to harassment claims, Dallas. DUD

Lee Marshall is in Saginaw Michigan with the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report

Harlem Heat v Jeff Jarrett and Steve McMichael: Booker T starts with Jeff, and Jarrett gets the better of a criss cross with a dropkick. Another criss cross ends the same way, as some dork smarks in the crowd work with all their might to hold up Undertaker and Shawn Michaels signs as if they're crazy rebels. Tags all around, and Steve slams Stevie Ray around, but Jeff runs into a cheap shot once he's in, and the Heat go to work. Booker misses a leg-feed enzuigiri to allow Jeff the Figure Four, but Stevie breaks it up. That draws McMichael in, and Roseanne Barr the door! Steve grabs his briefcase, but Sister Sherri pulls it away, and that draws Debra in for a catfight. Give it to them, they're booking for this crowd. Somehow this all ends in the Horsemen getting disqualified at 10:09. Afterwards, Mongo calls out fellow football player Reggie White (in the crowd), and Reggie hops the rail to get into Steve's face before getting pulled apart. ½*

Kevin Nash v Lex Luger: The fact that Luger just goes along with the nWo's random demands that he go through Nash to get to Hogan, and with a smile on his face no less, makes him look like even more of a loser. Nash pounds him into the corner, but misses a charge, and Luger unloads. Cue a distraction from the nWo to allow Nash a big boot, and he adds a sidewalk slam for two. Snake-eyes and a short-clothesline floor Luger, as the announcers clarify that they're no fools - they know that the guy at ringside with the nWo is not the real Sting. They sound so proud. Straddling ropechoke and an elbowdrop get two, so Nash works a bootchoke in the corner next. Clothesline, but Luger ducks, and rebounds with one of his own. Comeback time, but the nWo immediately run in for the DQ at 4:00. Well, at least they got right to it. So it's beat down time in Philadelphia, drawing Diamond Dallas Page out, but he gets wrecked too. Giant is next, but by the time he staggers his way to ringside, all of his pals are out of harm's way anyway. Cue Sting with baseball bats for everyone, and the babyfaces chase the nWo off, actually getting to stand tall for once. ½*

BUExperience: The second hour dragged, and there were no real angle developments of note, but a fun first hour, and definitely better than RAW. Not exactly a high bar this week, though.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	4/14/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.2	3.5
Total Wins	17	58
Win Streak		41
Better Show (as of 4/14)	29	44