WCW Monday Nitro (April 28, 1997)

Original Airdate: April 28, 1997

From Norfolk, Virginia; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, and Bobby Heenan

We open with clips of Ric Flair beating Vader at Starrcade '93, which is some random shade. This segues into Flair and Roddy Piper coming out to cut a promo on the nWo. More of the usual from them, as they can cut energetic promos that rile up a crowd in their sleep, but they rarely have anything of real substance to work with. But, at least this week there's a point, as they challenge the nWo to a match tonight. The announcers going on about how the nWo are 'shaking in their boots' is pretty hilarious, since they were probably sitting in the back laughing until they pissed

WCW United States Title Match: Dean Malenko v Prince Iaukea: Jeff Jarrett split screens in as they feel each other out, since apparently he's facing Dean for the US Title at Slamboree. Nice criss cross ends in Prince using a drop-toehold into an armbar, but Dean powers to a vertical base in the corner, and throws a chop. Cross corner whip works, but the charge in doesn't, and Iaukea superkicks him for two. Might be more effective with a boot on, buddy. Iaukea with a backdrop for two, so Dean comes back with a vicious powerbomb into a somersault cradle, but Iaukea reverses the pin, and they're in the ropes. Dean unloads in the corner, and uses a well executed powerslam to set up the Texas Cloverleaf at 3:01. *

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Syxx v Juventud Guerrera: Guerrera sends him to the outside with a headscissors early on, and Guerrera adds a spinkick as the champ comes back inside. Guerrera with chops in the corner, but Syxx blocks a dive, and uses his own spinkick for two. Nice one, too. Syxx with the lightning kicks in the corner to set up the bronco buster, and a hanging vertical suplex is worth two. Lightning legdrop connects, as does a flying axehandle. Syxx looks so sleepy out there. Syxx goes upstairs again, but this time Guerrera crotches him, and brings him down with a rana for two. Springboard flying somersault dropkick gets two, but a springboard moonsault press misses, and the Buzz Killer retains at 4:37. Syxx looked so tired and generally lethargic out there again this week, and Guerrera was sloppy on his end. Heenan also (I'm assuming accidentally) started cheering Syxx at one point, which led to the other announcers jumping on him, and Bobby hastily clarifying that he likes Syxx, his main problem is with Hulk Hogan. Well, at least he's consistent. *

Lee Marshall is in Lakeland Florida with the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report

WCW World Tag Team Champions The Outsiders and WCW Cruiserweight Champion Syxx join us to address the challenge from Flair and Piper, and I think this is the first usage of 'hey yo' from Scott Hall, and first reference to them as the 'Wolfpac.' They'll accept the challenge for a match tonight... if they can have 75% of the gate. The Hulkster has taught them well, I see. Larry says to give them 100% of the gate, since it's 'only money.' And he was accusing HEENAN of being a closet nWo guy?

Lord Steven Regal v Chris Benoit: That mid-90s Horsemen music is fantastic. Feeling out process to start, with Regal dominating him on the mat. Sloppy reversal sequence ends in Benoit hitting a clothesline, as we go to a super wide angle for some reason. Is someone bleeding? Chris with a suplex, and he sets up a superplex, but Kevin Sullivan runs in to attack Benoit for the DQ at 2:22. DUD

Randy Savage is on the road to disaster. But he's on it with Liz, so really, is it that horrible?

The Amazing French Canadians v Giant and Lex Luger: Carl Ouellet starts with Luger, and gets through around. That brings Jacques Rougeau in without a tag to help, and Lex quickly gets into trouble, and dumped to the outside for a trip into the guardrail. Back in, the heels cut the ring in half on Lex, but they do kind of a sucky job of it, and he's able to tag out to Giant pretty soon. Giant comes in hot, and the Chokeslam finishes Jacques at 3:00. The matches are nothing, but boy, this team is over huge. It's a shame the Outsiders basically put the tag title in a deep freeze because Giant and Luger fighting off all comers for six months would have been pretty great. ½*

Barbarian v Steve McMichael: Barbarian attacks before the bell, but Steve slugs him off, and throws a clothesline. Barbarian tries a piledriver, but Steve counters with a backdrop, and he unloads in the corner. Cross corner whip works, but he wastes time gloating, and Barbarian big boots him. He dumps Steve to the outside for a whip into the rail, and McMichael eats post as well. Back in, Barbarian goes for the piledriver again, hitting it this time for two. Headbutt follows, as Tony has to literally tell Larry and Bobby to shut up and stop jabbering. Yeah, they're not a great combo. Barbarian beats him into the corner, so Debra passes Steve the briefcase, and he knocks Barbarian silly for the pin at 3:03. ¼*

Flair and Piper are back to call out the nWo, gate or no gate. Flair noting that he can take Syxx because he's been world champion more times than he's 'had a piece of ass' is pretty funny. But instead of the nWo in person, a bunch of flyers rain down from the ceiling reading 'tradition bites, nWo 4 life.' Heenan gets a funny line in while Piper stares at the paper, noting that he probably can't read. So finally the Outsiders and Syxx show up, and Flair stupidly charges all three of them in the aisle, while Piper still tries reading the flyer. Ric trying a Figure Four in the middle of a brawl against three guys is all the proof I'll ever need not to ask him to back me up in a fight. So, obviously, the nWo destroy him, until Piper finally finishes reading the flyer, and gets off his ass to make the save. He's like Joey on Friends trying to read Monica's poem

BUExperience: This was a one hour version of the show (done in order to accommodate the NBA playoffs), and even with the shorter show and the earlier start time they still managed to destroy RAW in the ratings. I liked RAW better, but cutting back to one hour was a welcome change of pace, making for a much more focused, breezy telecast.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	4/28/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.7	3.4
Total Wins	17	60
Win Streak		43
Better Show (as of 4/28)	30	45