Original Airdate: August 25, 1997
From Columbia, South Carolina; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (hour one) and with Bobby Heenan (hour two)
Gene Okerlund brings Eric Bischoff out to talk about the whole vulture this at the Clash of the Champions, and it's weird that a bird flying to the ring has now clarified for the announcers that Sting wants Hulk Hogan, as opposed to, you know, when he was holding up signs that read 'Sting v Hogan.' But maybe that's on me for assuming they can read. Eric tells Gene to shut up, so JJ Dillon phones in to clarify again that the bird is obviously a bonafide statement from Sting. Obviously. So Dillon books Hogan/Sting for the WCW World Title... at some point before the end of the year. It's August. How ineffective is this guy? So Bischoff rants and raves about the decision, so Sting shows up, and stuffs a Hollywood Hogan shirt down his throat. This wasn't a great segment, but at least we finally have some direction towards the match everyone wants to see (and what you'd think would be the endgame for the nWo angle)
Raven is in a dark room with more moody poetry. Well, la-di-da, Mr. Frenchman
The Nitro Girls are shiny
Glacier and Ernest Miller v Psychosis and La Parka: Parka tries a sneak attack on Glacier, but misses, and then accidentally kicks Psychosis. Glacier powerslams him, so Psychosis dives in to break up the pin, but ends up landing on Parka. Miller tags in, but falls prey to a double team, until the end up hitting each other again. That allows the tag to Glacier, and Psychosis is finished, but Parka whacks Glacier with a chair, and puts Psychosis on top for the pin at 2:01. This was all over the place, but short enough to avoid becoming a disaster. Afterwards, Ultimo Dragon shows up to protest the decision to the official (since he has beef with Sonny Onoo), but gets beat down by Psychosis and Parka after Silver King distracts him. ¼*
Ultimo Dragon v Silver King: Dragon is still down as the bell sounds, but King stays right on him with a dropkick, and a spinheel kick in the corner. Superkick connects, as does a flying dropkick, and a flying moonsault for two. Snapmare sets up a chinlock, but Dragon starts to fight, so King drills him with a DDT. Back to the top for a flying senton splash, but Dragon rolls out of the way, and he starts to recover, but King cuts him off with a clothesline. He works an abdominal stretch to wear him back down, and a bodyslam sets up a dive, but Dragon blocks it with a dropkick. That allows Dragon to make a comeback for real, and gets the better of a pinfall reversal sequence, but runs into a backelbow while charging. Reversal sequence in the corner ends in King getting crotched on the top, however, and Dragon brings him down with a rana to set up the Dragon Sleeper at 5:21. The crowd didn't really care about King enough to get properly into this, but they were telling a nice little story here. ** ¼
WCW World Tag Team Champion Scott Hall and Randy Savage come out to gloat about their win at the Clash of the Champions, especially since Diamond Dallas Page is apparently nWo now, since he cost Lex Luger the match and all. One of the things I really don't like about this era of Nitro is that they bring guys out just to talk all the time, even if they don't even have anything particularly important to say, or any real storyline advancement. And I can only imagine how bad that'll get once the show goes to three hours
Gene brings DDP out to find out if there's any truth to what Hall and Savage are saying, since apparently he's a complete moron too. Thankfully, Page straight up tells him how ridiculous it is instead of playing it defensively
Jeff Jarrett v Chris Benoit: Benoit takes him down first, but Jarrett takes him down better, and he gloats in the corner as Chris fumes. Criss cross sees Benoit block a monkeyflip with a boot to the face, and a big chop follows. Jeff tries an enzuigiri, but Benoit ducks, and a dropkick puts Jarrett on the outside. He stalls out there to break the momentum, but Chris nails him with a baseball slide, so Jeff uses a distraction from Debra McMichael to turn the tide. Inside, he slaps on the figure four, but Benoit is in the ropes before he can even finish. Chris with a side suplex to set up a flying headbutt drop, but Jeff dodges. That allows Jeff to get to the top, but Benoit superplexes him off - only for Jeff to cradle after hitting the mat at 2:53. This was going along really well, with both guys doing an especially good job of executing their stuff, but it was over before it could really develop. * ¾
Gene dances with the Nitro Girls to hype up a Nitro Party contest that will see the Girls join the winners in their home for a special Nitro Party. I sure hope they had lots of security with them for that gig
The Faces of Fear v Mortis and Wrath: Barbarian and Wrath start, and Barbarian immediately pounds him into the corner, but Wrath turns the tables. Wrath plants a bicycle kick on him to set up some mounted punches, and he lands a flying clothesline for two. He got some real distance on that one. Bodyslam sets up a 2nd rope elbowdrop, but Barbarian dodges, and delivers a bodyslam of his own. Tag to Meng for stereo dives off the middle, but Mortis breaks the pin at two. That earns him a powerbomb from Meng, but Wrath recovers, and clotheslines him. Corner whip works, but the charge in doesn't, and Meng unloads. Back to Barbarian for a forward Russian legsweep for two, but he loses a criss cross, and Mortis gets the tag. Wait, are Mortis and Wrath supposed to be the babyfaces here? No wonder the crowd isn't sure how to respond. Mortis runs wild, but Meng starts no-selling him, so Mortis throws a spinheel kick for two. Meng responds by trying another powerbomb, but Wrath helps him counter into a rocker dropper, and Roseanne Barr the door. Mortis tries a dive at Meng, but gets caught in the Tongan Death Grip, and pinned at 4:41. This was watchable enough. * ¼
Gene brings the Horsemen out to find out if Curt Hennig is ready to join the team or what, but Curt is still 'not ready to give an answer.' Geez, how much airtime did they spend on 'will they/won't they' angles with the Horsemen between 1996/97? It's got to literally be hours. So, since Curt still won't commit, Ric Flair brings Arn Anderson out to get this deal closed, in Arn's first appearance since April. So Anderson goes into a story about how his career is over (with Ric in tears in the background), and it's legitimately moving in that he clearly is very emotional about it, but in a manly way. But unlike modern versions of that speech, he doesn't milk it and linger, he says what he has to say, and then moves the story along. And so the story here is that he wants Curt to understand that what's being offered isn't just a 'spot' in the Horsemen, what's being offered is HIS spot. And Hennig can't say no to that, and he's officially the new enforcer of the group
WCW United States Title Match: Steve McMichael v Eddie Guerrero: Eddie attacks before the bell, dropkicking the leg, and blitzing the champ. Drop-toehold takes Mongo down, but a series of chops backfires when Steve no-sells. Eddie responds by going to the eyes, and a dropkick connects, followed by a tornado DDT for two. Rana gets two, as Eddie is quite literally carrying McMichael through this stuff. Steve fights off a charge with a hotshot, and starts making a comeback, but misses a three-point stance. That allows Guerrero a dive off the top, but Steve catches him in a tombstone at 3:06. McMichael looked really terrible and embarrassing here for a guy at this level, but Guerrero was busting his ass to try and carry him. ¾*
Gene brings Rey Mysterio Jr out to talk about his knee injury, and apparently he's on his way to see Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham Alabama, so hopefully he can get some of that Shawn Michaels magic. He'll have him doing moonsaults off the top in weeks! Rey was saying Andrews' name and location so many times here that I can only assume he was getting some sort of discount each time, like on the Jimmy Kimmel episode of Entourage. So Konnan comes out to taunt Tiny Tim, but Giant chases him away. Or, well, not 'chase,' as he kind of strolls down, really. Yeah, the guy who needs surgery is about to get his leg wrecked, but take your time, whatever
Bischoff comes out and shoos Tenay and Heenan away, since he wants to call the show with Tony, just the two of them. Date nights are an important part of keeping the magic alive
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Chris Jericho v Yuji Nagata: Reversal sequence ends in both guys throwing dropkicks to a stalemate, so they slug it out, won by Nagata. He takes Jericho down with a snapmare to set up a kick to the shoulder blades, and he works a cravat, but Chris quickly escapes. Jericho with a hanging vertical suplex for two, and a bodyslam sets up a slingshot splash for two. He works a chinlock, as the crowd loudly chants about something. Not sure what they were chanting, but it was loud and sustained. Jericho with a tree of woe, and he dumps Nagata to the apron to set up a springboard dropkick. That puts the challengers on the outside, and Chris is right on him with a plancha. Jericho with a flying axehandle on the way back in, but Nagata blocks, and suplexes him. Bodyslam sets up a koppou kick, but Jericho dodges, and uses a trio of corner clotheslines. Lionsault and a two-alarm no-release powerbomb set up the Liontamer at 6:34. This was fine, but the announcers completely ignoring it in favor of bickering and talking about the Hogan/Sting storyline didn't do them any favors. *
Lee Marshall is in Pensacola Florida with the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report
Gene brings Harlem Heat out to bitch about getting their title shot, since apparently the promotion still can't get this figured out. Like, didn't the Heat beat the Steiner Brothers for top contendership at some point? But in the meantime DDP and Luger are getting title shots, despite never even teaming before? So that draws the Steiner’s out, and they object, since the Heat "didn't beat nobody." Um, they beat you. That all draws Vicious & Delicious out, but they're also nWo, so I'm not even sure what they have to do with anything. And I don't think anyone really gets it any better either, since everyone just starts punching each other in lieu of an actual conclusion to the segment. Well, okay then!
Nitro Girls audition for Harlem Heat
WCW Television Title Match: Alex Wright v Dean Malenko: They feel each other out to start, dominated by the challenger. Wright bails to regroup, and manages to dominate Dean a little on the way in, as Bischoff finds new levels of annoying. Alex with a backbreaker, but Malenko counters a powerbomb with a backdrop. Malenko tries a superplex, but Wright blocks, only to have a dive land on Dean's boot. Malenko with a cradle for two, and a leg lariat gets one when Alex is in the ropes. Wright tries a dropkick, but Malenko dodges, only to have the Texas cloverleaf blocked on him. That allows Wright a side suplex for two, and a vertical suplex is worth two. German suplex, but Malenko counters to the cloverleaf - only for Jeff Jarrett and Eddie Guerrero to run in on him at 3:43. Another one tonight that was going along fine, but ended before it could get into third gear. Afterwards, all three beat down Malenko, so I guess Alex is part of their group now? Does he even still want to be? He really should angle to be the leader, frankly, considering the other two guys' track record over the last few weeks. * ½
Syxx t-shirt ad
Nitro Girls are wearing mom jeans
Lex Luger v Randy Savage: Bischoff isn't a bad heel, but definitely better in small doses. Him doing this act for an extended period of time is like a cancer on this show. Miss Elizabeth hooks Lex's ankle during the initial lockup to allow Savage to grab the advantage, and he goes to work. Lex bails, so Macho hops out to send him into the steps, then keeps blocking Luger from getting back into the ring for an extended period of time. Finally, Macho rolls him back in to hit with a flying axehandle for two, and he applies a sleeper, as Eric loses his mind on commentary. Luger escapes with a side suplex, and he starts making a comeback. Torture rack time, but Scott Hall shows up for the distraction, and Luger bumps heads with Macho, putting both men down. Dallas Page shows up to chase Hall away, but a dazed Luger puts him in the rack, and the whole thing is ruled a no-contest at 8:15. Boy, Savage was all about the character at this point, it's almost hard to believe this is even the same worker from ten years before. Everyone vilifies Vince McMahon for putting him out to pasture, but the man had a point. -¼*
BUExperience: The Horsemen segment was the definite high, and there was some hints of good wrestling – though most of the matches were way too short to deliver. And then there was the extended comedy styling’s of Eric Bischoff, which was not only the low, but one of the most annoying things I’ve ever heard.
A pretty neutral episode.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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