WCW Monday Nitro (April 21, 1997)

Original Airdate: April 21, 1997

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

JJ Dillon arrives outside the building, which has Tony really fucking excited

WCW United States Title Match: Dean Malenko v Yuji Nagata: They put Nagata over as a 'top cruiserweight,' which is weird, since this isn't a Cruiserweight title match. Feeling out process to start, dominated by the champion. He takes Nagata down for an STF, but Nagata gets to a vertical base, so Dean dominates a reversal sequence to take him down again. Nagata escapes and throws an enzuigiri... which misses by a foot, though Malenko sells it anyway, so it must have caused a hell of a breeze. Nagata works a headlock, as the crowd chants 'USA,' inspiring Dean to escape with a side suplex. Malenko with a cross corner whip to set up a clothesline in, and a hanging vertical suplex is worth two. Dean takes it back to the mat with a headscissors, but Nagata counters to toehold, and he puts the boots to the champion. Snapmare sets up a chinlock, as the announcers talk about Reggie White like his impending match with Steve McMichael is the second coming of Hulk/Andre. Dean with a dropkick for two, so Nagata starts throwing kicks, but Malenko catches the leg for a corkscrew legwhip. That looked great. Nagata throws a superkick and a suplex for two, and an overhead suplex is worth two. Leg-feed enzuigiri, but Dean ducks, and drops an elbow on the knee. Texas Cloverleaf time, and we're out at 6:02. Nothing special, but the crowd was hot for everything, which was great. * ½

Glacier v Ciclope: They're still putting Nagata over as a 'great cruiserweight' even here, but that's at least better than hearing them recap the Glacier/Mortis feud. They stole his helmet! It has sentimental value! Ciclope tries a sneak attack, but misses, and the Cryonic Kick finishes at 0:33. Crowd responds by chanting 'Glacier sucks.' Afterwards, Wrath (still unnamed) shows up, and give it to them, his entrance is suitably creepy. That distraction allows Mortis to appear from behind, and he blasts Glacier with a superkick - getting a face pop from the crowd. Ha. And then they steal the helmet again, though no one cares. DUD

Nick Patrick comes out to make his case for reinstatement. Wearing a WCW polo is a nice touch, Kenny Powers. This is actually a good segment, as Patrick makes a good case for how he told us that Randy Savage and Eric Bischoff were garbage from the start, but no one believed him. Though, to be fair, it doesn't exactly take a rocket surgeon to spot Savage as crazy and Bischoff as power hungry

WCW Television Title Match: Ultimo Dragon v Bobby Eaton: Eaton pounds him at the bell, and whips him into the ropes for a backelbow. Bodyslam follows, allowing Eaton to drop a trio of knees, so Dragon tries to criss cross, but Bobby throws a clothesline. Backdrop, but Dragon lands on his feet, and puts the challenger down with a series of strikes. He puts the boots to Bobby, and a dropkick knocks him to the outside, where Sonny Onoo is waiting with some kicks of his own. Back in, Dragon uses a rana off the top, and the Dragon Sleeper finishes at 2:48. "Almost like a submission hold," notes Tony. ¾*

Gene Okerlund brings Lord Steven Regal out to talk about his dating life, race relations... you know, wrestling show stuff

Chris Jericho v Meng: Well, at least putting over Meng as a tough guy isn't ridiculous sounding. Meng hammers him to start, but Chris wins a criss cross with a dropkick to the leg. Meng responds by blasting him with a chop, and a cross corner whip follows. Charge misses, allowing Jericho to try a 2^nd rope dropkick, but Meng dodges. Meng with a side suplex, but a whip into the ropes backfires when Jericho uses a dropkick. Chris starts making a comeback, but the Lionsault just bounces off of Meng. Meng tries a snake-eyes, but Chris escapes, and uses a bridging German suplex for two. Dive off the top, but Meng catches him, and drops him across the top rope before finishing with the Tongan Death Grip at 3:20. Oof, this was rough. And the crowd was distracted by something going on in the stands, so it was heatless, too. Afterwards, Kevin Sullivan and Jacqueline join us to talk about Chris Benoit. Poor Gene trying to control himself around Jackie's cleavage is more entertaining than anything on this show thus far. DUD

Chris Benoit music video

Backstage, the Steiner Brothers get into a brawl with Konnan and Hugh Morrus while getting ready for their match

The Steiner Brothers v Public Enemy: The Steiner's have got a bunch of friends and family in the house here in Michigan. Rick Steiner starts with Johnny Grunge, and hits a powerslam right away, sending Grunge scurrying away for the tag to Rocco Rock. Rock tries grabbing a headlock, but Rick powers into his corner to tag, and Scott Steiner press-slams him into an incoming Grunge to clean house. Dust settles on Rick and Grunge again, and the Enemy use a double team to gain control. Stereo backelbows allow Rock a bodyslam to set up a flying somersault senton splash, but Rick rolls out of the way. He heads over for the tag, but here come Konnan and Hugh Morrus again, and we've got a no-contest at 3:13. Funny bit, as this unites the Steiner's and the Enemy, and they work together to beat the piss out of the intruders. This was barely a match, as they were just kind of posturing before the non-finish. ½*

Okerlund brings JJ Dillon out, fresh off of being named the new Chairman of the WCW Executive Committee. He's still not sure about reinstating Nick Patrick, but he does have news about Eric Bischoff. Apparently his contract is valid, but he has no power anymore. But all the decisions he made prior to his suspension cannot be changed. This brings Bischoff himself out, and he wants Dillon to bite him. Kinky. Dillon concedes that Bischoff made WCW #1 (even noting that, until two years ago, the 'standard' was Stamford Connecticut), but Eric still just wants him to bite him. Good segment, establishing Dillon in his new role, and clarifying Bischoff's status

Jeff Jarrett v Scotty Riggs: Riggs picked up a win over Jarrett over the weekend on WCW Saturday Night to set this up. Riggs charges in, but Jeff puts the boots to him, and uses a reverse Russian legsweep. Backdrop, but Riggs counters with a matslam, and uses an inverted atomic drop. He whips Jeff into the ropes for a backelbow, and a bodyslam cues Debra McMichael up onto the apron for a distraction, allowing Jeff to dump Riggs over the top rope while the referee is looking away. Jeff follows to send Scotty into the steps out there, but a flying axehandle gets blocked on the way back in, and Riggs hits a backdrop. Pair of clotheslines lead to a flying bodypress for two, and a jumping forearm gets two when Debra puts Jeff's foot on the ropes. Cue Steve McMichael with the briefcase, but Reggie White jumps the rail to prevent him from getting involved. That allows Riggs a hanging vertical suplex, but another trip to the top ends badly when Jeff shakes the ropes, and the Figure Four finishes at 3:55. Short, but competent. *

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Syxx v Rey Mysterio Jr: Syxx grabs a standing headlock at the bell, and shifts to a standing hammerlock, but Rey shakes him off. Rey with a drop-toehold to set up a mat-based headlock, but Syxx powers to a vertical base, so Rey paintbrushes him. So weird seeing Syxx tower anyone. Rey with a headscissors takedown, but a charge ends badly when Syxx uses a pop-up flapjack. Snapmare sets up the lighting legdrop, and Syxx adds an elbowdrop for good measure. Into the corner for the lightning kicks, setting up the bronco buster. Syxx works an abdominal stretch, but gets caught using the ropes, allowing Rey to reverse. Cue a distraction from Kevin Nash to allow Syxx to dump him over the top, just as we saw happen during the last match. It's one thing to repeat yourself, but at least don't book the matches back to back. Nash goes after the challenger on the outside, but Rey manages to get inside, and he dodges another bronco buster. Rey with a rana for two, and a flying rana sends Syxx to the outside. Rey is right on him with a somersault senton on the floor, so Nash comes in to hit him with the powerbomb, and Syxx finishes with the Buzz Killer at 5:54. The referee somehow missing Nash's interference there was pretty laughable, and requires significant suspension of disbelief. Afterwards, JJ Dillon shows up to prevent a post-match beat down, and Rey does a stretcher job to sell Nash's powerbomb. * ¾

Lex Luger music video

Lee Marshall phones in from Norfolk Virginia with the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report

WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan is on the set of McCinsey's Island, which is apparently a real movie that exists, and Ed Leslie plays a jet skier in it

The nWo is here to tell Ric Flair and Roddy Piper where they can shove their 'respect.' Syxx trying to cut a promo while still sucking wind from his match is pretty funny. This was all sorts of worked shoot stuff that's fun for fans like me to watch, but couldn't possibly draw money. Also, Nash is cutting his promo like a total babyface (complete with referencing himself as a hometown boy), which is weird, and a big flaw of the nWo angle in general at this point

Diamond Dallas Page v Psychosis: Page throws a knee and whips him into the ropes, but Psychosis uses a dropkick. He heads upstairs, but Page shakes the ropes to crotch him, and the Diamond Cutter finishes quickly at 0:49. Afterwards, Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth appear in the crowd so Savage can talk about how he's fucked Kimberly again, but Page won't take the bait again. Instead of chasing him, he wants Macho to come into the ring and face him, but Randy is on crutches, so nothing comes of it. I like the feud, but WCW was really annoying about giving feuds airtime without ever actually advancing anything. ¼*

Okerlund brings Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, and Kevin Greene out to respond to the nWo's ranting earlier, and say what you will about these guys, but at least they're actually trying to draw money, not just shooting about backstage gripes. This draws the nWo back out, and Scott Hall is back from rehab to stand with them, which is apparently huge news. Most of us barely even noticed he was gone

BUExperience: I know I’m in the minority on this one, but this was a much better episode than the opposing RAW. Sure, Steve Austin popping out of the ambulance was a great moment, but have you seen the rest of that show? Nitro all the way.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	4/21/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.8	3.4
Total Wins	17	59
Win Streak		42
Better Show (as of 4/21)	29	45