WCW Monday Nitro (June 16, 1997)

 Original Airdate: June 16, 1997

 

From Chicago, Illinois; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (hour one) and Bobby Heenan (hour two)

 

The nWo arrive, and Dennis Rodman is in the house tonight. Or 'Denise Rodman,' according to the Network's closed captioning. We get a cool POV camera angle following them from the limousine all the way through the entrance, and it sounds like no big deal, but it's pretty rare to see things from that angle. Not much here, as they just hype up Rodman's scheduled appearance at Bash at the Beach. Rodman is, of course, over pretty huge as a babyface in Chicago. Which makes booking him here all the weirder from an angle sense, considering they're supposed to be the heels. But the Monday Night Wars were a really weird time for that sort of thing in general

 

Glacier v Mortis: They get into it on the outside before even making it into the ring, and the idiot referee actually rings the bell to start the match. What is this, ECW? Mortis tries a rocker dropper on the steps, but ends up getting crotched, in a great looking spot. Inside, Mortis manages to use a distraction to take control, and he pounds Glacier into the corner. He managers the rocker dropper off the middle for two, so he calls Wrath onto the apron for an assist, but it backfires. That allows Glacier the Cryonic Kick at 2:15. And, of course, Glacier immediately gets beat down after scoring the victory, like every other time. He really needs to get in the habit of just sprinting out of the ring as soon as the fall is counted. The heels have bad ideas for him, but luckily Ernest Miller jumps out of the crowd to make the save, looking like a total dork in the process. And this is in the same segment with Glacier and Mortis, so you can imagine how big of a geek he must look like to stand out in that group. ¼*

 

Gene Okerlund brings Madusa out to sum up her career, though she's dressed like she's auditioning to manage Harlem Heat. She gives a tearful goodbye speech, and luckily Gene manages not to make her cry this time. I mean, she DOES cry, but it's not specifically Gene's fault this time. So, progress

 

Dean Malenko v Chavo Guerrero Jr: Why the hell were they running Moline for the pay per view when they have a crowd like THIS primed for one night later? Dean calls out Eddie Guerrero, but gets Chavo instead - also dressed like he's trying to team with Harlem Heat. Are we sure Vince Russo isn't booking this show, too? Because that's a SWERVE, BABY! Dean pounds him down at the bell, but Guerrero wins a criss cross with a hiptoss, and he adds a dropkick. Guerrero with a crisp headscissors takedown, but a dropkick misses, and Dean hits a corner clothesline. To the outside, Dean continues punishing him, but Guerrero manages a sunset flip for two on the way back in. Dean cuts him off with a clothesline, and a hanging vertical suplex follows for two. It's weird, since it's a packed house, but they've got tons of empty seats right at eye level on the camera side. One thing about the WWF, Vince would have solved that problem immediately. Dean with a flapjack piledriver, and the Texas Cloverleaf finishes at 3:38, as Eddie shows up to watch from the entrance. This was solid, though too short to really kick into gear. * ¾

 

Earlier tonight, Gene and Mark Madden got an interview with Ric Flair, available exclusively on the WCW website. Madden looks like a physical manifestation of the internet in 1997

 

La Parka v Super Calo: La Parka, which is, of course, Spanish for 'the parka.' Parka tries a running dropkick at the bell, but Calo sidesteps. Calo tries a cross corner whip, but Parka rebounds with a lariat, and a kneelift connects for two. Calo wins a pair of criss crosses, and a springboard armdrag leads to a headscissor armdrag. Parka bails, so Calo dives with a tope - again overshooting, and landing in the first row. He nearly killed a kid doing that a few weeks ago, and again tonight. Is that not enough of a hint to stop trying that stupid shit? Seriously, I love the sport, but keep it safe, there are kids. Inside, Parka takes control, as WCW's crew tries to smooth thing over with the understandably angry parent. Parka with a whiplash for two, but a flying legdrop misses, and Calo takes him up for a headscissors off at 3:42. This was okay. It was fast paced, but didn't really tell a story, and I really hate unsafe workers. And speaking of 'unsafe workers,' Parka attacks him after the bell, and absolutely cracks his skull with a chair before the referee can intervene. * ¼

 

Okerlund brings Giant and Lex Luger out for Lex to do his best impression of a cool substitute teacher, and Giant to do his of a guy trying to force out a massive shit. I hope that was an impression, anyway. He did take three big steps away from the other guys after making that noise, so who knows

 

Harlem Heat v The Amazing French Canadians: They announce that Hogan and Rodman will wrestle Giant and Luger here tonight, and even if you've never seen an episode of Nitro, you probably already know that shit isn't happening. The Canadians attack while singing their anthem, and go to work on Booker T. They dump Booker to the outside a bump right into the same section of the guardrail that poor kid from the last match is seated at, since trauma is fun, I guess? Some idiot in the crowd proudly holds up a Confederate flag to taunt the Heat, which 1) fuck you, 2) in Chicago, really? Booker makes the hot tag to Stevie Ray, and Roseanne Barr the door. Jacques Rougeau looks like he's completely out of fucks to give at this point in his career, and it's sad. The Heat with a powerbomb/flying elbowdrop combo, but the referee is distracted, allowing Jacques to nail Booker with his boot for two. The fact that it wasn't a pin should tell you all you need to know about the French Canadians' standing at this point. Booker with the Harlem Sidekick on Jacques at 3:47. Nothing going on as a match, but I like the Heat's music, and they won, so I got to hear it twice. So, there's that. ¼*

 

Gene brings JJ Dillon out to discuss the Hogan/Rodman v Giant/Luger tag, and apparently now it's not a done deal? They keep changing things so fast I'm liable to get whiplash. But then the Heat interrupt, demanding that Dillon sign their match with the Outsiders for the tag title, since they won last night, doesn't matter how. But Dillon instead orders a rematch against the Steiner Brothers for next week to settle things. That draws Vincent out, and why exactly are the nWo sending Vincent out to deal with the Heat? They've given him exactly zero jobs other than dealing with the other black guys so far, what a bunch of racists! I'll bet that guy with the Confederate flag was wearing an nWo shirt, too. Anyway, he gets beat down

 

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Syxx v Rey Mysterio Jr: Syxx boots him down and hits a pop-up flapjack, as we take a break to set off a bunch of pyro to kick off the second hour. Boy, that first hour flew by. Syxx with a snapmare to set up a pair of lighting legdrops, and he uses an inverted bronco buster on him. I think that's the first time I've seen that version. Syxx with a sitout brainbuster to set up a flying somersault senton splash, but Rey rolls out of the way. Rey stages a comeback, and a headscissors sends the champion to the outside. Rey dives after him with a flying somersault seated senton, and he even manages not to maim any fans in the process. Back in, Rey dives with a flying rana, so WCW World Tag Team Champions The Outsiders run in. Rey actually manages to fight them off (in a great sequence), but the distraction allows Syxx to recover with a spinkick. Buzz Killer finishes at 5:46. It felt a little unfocused, but this was generally solid. Afterwards, Randy Savage joins them in the ring to celebrate the win, which draws Diamond Dallas Page out in the crowd to issue a challenge to Savage and Hall to face him and Sting at the Bash. Okay, first, why Hall and Savage? What is Kevin Nash, chopped liver? Second, why was he basically promising Sting when they had a totally different mystery partner in mind? But then, this show changes directions multiple times per segment sometimes, so who knows what they had in mind at this point. * ¾

 

Ultimo Dragon v Chris Jericho: Sonny Onoo tries to offer his services to Chris during the entrances, but gets violently rebuffed. Reversal sequence into a criss cross ends in Chris using a legdrop for two, and he adds a hanging vertical suplex for two. Snapmare sets up a bow-and-arrow, as Heenan talks about God knows what. The guy became so unfocused and uninteresting in his later career. Dragon takes him down for a series of strikes, and a dropkick puts Chris on the ropes. Charge ends badly when Jericho backdrops him onto the apron, however, and he knocks him to the outside for an awkward missile dropkick on the floor. That one didn't really work right. Chris tries a suplex back in, but Dragon blocks, so Jericho just clotheslines him down for two instead. Monkeyflip, but Dragon blocks, and takes Chris upstairs for a gourdbuster off the middle. That sets up a magistral cradle for two, and a rolling rana is worth two. That was a neat little variation. Another rana, but Jericho counters with a two-alarm no-release powerbomb for two, as Heenan continues to sound like he's on another planet, with the others treating him like he's Art Donovan. Another reversal sequence ends in Dragon hooking a bridging tiger suplex to put it away at 4:37. This has some awkward exchanges, but it was generally fine for what it was. * ½

 

Lee Marshall is in Macon Georgia with the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report

 

Gene welcomes Roddy Piper, and he wants to know where the hell Ric Flair disappeared to last night. That draws the Nature Boy himself out to respond, and/or give Piper a blowjob. It's not clear. Anyway, it's squashed, and they're still pals. And that's the end of that story

 

Jeff Jarrett and Steve McMichael v Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton: They're still pretending we're getting that big main event, bless them. Steve starts with Scott, and that could actually be a fun power match if they're game. Norton cracks him with some chops, and uses a corner whip to set up an avalanche. Norton unloads in the corner, but Steve reverses another cross corner whip, and uses a bulldog. Three-point stance connects, and Jeff tags in, but eats a shoulderblock on a criss cross. Front-powerslam, but Jeff slips free, and dropkicks him to set up a side suplex. He tries a 2^nd rope axehandle, but Norton catches him, and railroads him into the heel corner. Tag to Buff for a backelbow, as the nWo cuts the ring in half. Jeff fights Bagwell off with an inverted atomic drop and a swinging neckbreaker, followed by a straddling ropechoke. Bodyslam sets up a 2^nd rope fistdrop, but a whip into the ropes gets reversed, and Buff throws a clothesline. The nWo double team in the corner, and Norton tags in to hit a backbreaker. Back to Bagwell with a frogsplash for two, though it needs Dusty on commentary for the full effect. Backdrop, but Jarrett blocks, and here comes Mongo, sans tag. They put Bagwell down, and Jeff wants to celebrate with a strut, but Steve promptly turns on him as payback for what happened at the Bash last night. Bagwell is, of course, all too glad to take that pin at 7:00. This was solid, and it was nice to see something go over five minutes tonight. * ¾

 

nWo 4 Life t-shirt ad

 

Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman v Giant and Lex Luger: The nWo cut a lengthy promo before the WCW team even comes out, as I guess maybe they were running ahead of schedule. But, hey, if you need someone to go out there and vamp, you could do worse than Hollywood Hogan. The nWo try charging at the bell, but Rodman gets caught in a Chokeslam from Giant before Hogan saves him. That gets Hulk into trouble in the corner, so Rodman nails Giant with the title belt, and he's over as a total babyface here. And then the entire nWo run in for the DQ at 0:52. This wasn't really a match, just an angle to hype up the pay per view while they had Rodman in the building. And that's fine, that's what TV is for. Oddly, despite the fact that they're getting cheered like crazy, the crowd showers them in trash, as poor building security looks absolutely overwhelmed. DUD

 

BUExperience: RAW had some good stuff with Steve Austin (as usual), but without Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, the rest of the show was often a chore. Nitro wasn't perfect, but it felt a lot more focused and exciting, and that's enough for the win this week.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	6/16/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.4	3.3
Total Wins	17	67
Win Streak		50
Better Show (as of 6/16)	34	47