WCW Monday Nitro (September 15, 1997)

Original Airdate: September 15, 1997

 

From Charlotte, North Carolina; Your Hosts are Mike Tenay and Larry Zbyszko (hour one) and with Bobby Heenan joining for hour two. We open with a still photo of a badly beat up Ric Flair on a doctor's table following Fall Brawl, and Tony Schiavone is all verklempt over it. He gives an emotional speech about how Flair gave him his start in the business back in 1983, and how things have gone so far that he doesn't feel like he can call the show tonight, and walks off to leave us with Mike and Larry. Come on, man, we've suffered enough! Jokes aside, Schiavone was wonderful here, really doing a great job of getting the emotion over. So the mood is that last night was the death of the Horsemen, and tonight is basically the wake

 

Dean Malenko v Disco Inferno: Disco stalls on the outside after the bell, but actually manages an armdrag out of the initial lockup. The celebration is short lived, however, as Dean pops up, and clobbers him with a clothesline, then goes to town in the corner. Malenko with a leg lariat and the Texas cloverleaf, but Disco goes to the eyes to block. He tries a 2^nd rope axehandle, but Dean gut-punches him to block, as Mike and Larry struggle to handle commentary without Tony there to do the heavy lifting. Dean with a powerslam for two, and a vertical suplex is worth two. To the top, but Disco goes after the taped up knee to knock him off, and Disco works the part. Hiptoss, but Malenko counters to a butterfly powerbomb, and the cloverleaf finishes at 4:11. Not much going on here, but it was competent. *

 

Harlem Heat v The Faces of Fear: Stevie Ray starts with Meng, and they start throwing hands immediately. One guess who wins that one. Barbarian comes in for a double team, but Stevie manages to fight both off, and the referee restores order. Booker T tags in with a jumping forearm on Meng for two, and it's back to Stevie for a series of jabs, as Tenay robotically reads off pay per view companies like he's doing his usual bit to hype replays, as opposed to working it in while also doing play-by-play. The Faces work Stevie over in front of a dead crowd, until he manages to dodge their dives, and get the hot tag off - Roseanne Barr the door! This ring looks way too small for guys of this size, especially all at once. Booker has Barbarian pinned, but the referee refuses to count because Barbarian is not the legal man, and the distraction allows Meng to sneak up on Booker with the Tongan Death Grip at 6:27. This was pretty boring. ½*

 

Nitro Girls work hard for the money

 

Gene Okerlund brings Diamond Dallas Page out, and he randomly restarts his feud with Randy Savage, ahead of their signed match at Halloween Havoc. I like that each guy can have more than one issue at a time (like Page with Savage, Curt Hennig, and Lex Luger), but the Savage one felt especially played out at this point, even if not illogical, since Randy won their last match (Great American Bash) through cheating. Couple that with Roddy Piper randomly getting another match with Hulk Hogan at the show, and it's really a baffling card

 

Rey Mysterio Jr v Juventud Guerrera: They trade off to start, as Tenay continues to hype other shit up, as if there's not even a show going on right here right now. And I know that's not unique to just him (or even just this promotion), but it just feels like he doesn't even want to modify his style even a little bit despite Tony being gone, and it's infuriating. Guerrera gets control and powerbombs Rey off of the apron to the floor, but Rey beats the count, so Guerrera gives him a brainbuster. Slingshot legdrop gets Juvi two, and a pop-up flapjack follows, as Larry goes on an extended rant about Hennig, filled with just about every non-curse word you can say on TV. Rey fights off another powerbomb with a seated senton, and a sitout spinebuster is worth two. Rana off the top gets two, but Guerrera blocks a powerbomb with a series of chops, and gives Rey a power-facebuster. Corner dropkick misses, sending Guerrera to the outside, and Rey dives after him with a somersault plancha! Powerbomb on the way back in sets up a springboard flying rana into a cradle at 6:40. They were moving like we joined this one in progress at the twenty five minute mark, or something. *

 

WCW Television Title Match: Alex Wright v Lord Steven Regal: If only these two had some sort of, I dunno, European title they could compete for. What the hell does the 'DRS' monogrammed on Regal's tights stand for? Wright gets an armdrag on him to start, but quickly ends up trapped in a wristlock on the mat, and Regal works him. Wright comes back with rights, as Larry starts going on another pseudo profanity laced rant about the nWo. Regal dropkicks the champion to the outside, but Wright comes back in with a slingshot splash, and they knock heads for a double knockout spot. They get vertical for a slugfest, and Wright tries for the German suplex, but Regal takes him down to the STF - Alex in the ropes. Pinfall reversal sequence ends in Wright landing a dropkick, so Regal goes to the eyes, but Wright still manages to reverse a corner whip, and hook a bridging German suplex at 4:31. They were all over the map for the first few minutes, but it got pretty good in the last stretch. *

 

Gene brings Ray Traylor out, and he's also all worked up about 'Mr. Perfect' this week. Who dat?

 

Giant v Konnan: This wouldn't have meant shit in 1997, but I do like how Konnan is basically the love child of Walter White and Tuco in this gimmick. Giant knocks him around to start, and apparently Hennig is all Konnan can think of tonight either, based on his selling. Meanwhile, poor Raven is still sitting out in that crowd, looking miserable as the goober fans mob him. Konnan finally distances himself long enough to sucker Giant into giving up the high ground, but a dive off the top gets caught in the chokeslam at 3:02. DUD

 

Nitro Girls are all about that bass

 

Diamond Dallas Page v Stevie Richards: The crowd is on fire for Page. Meanwhile, the announcers tell the story of Flair coming back from the plane crash in the 70s for, like, the third time tonight. Dallas dominates him and generally treats him like a complete joke in the early going, until Richards manages to poke him in the eyes, and snap Page's throat across the top rope. Richards with a side suplex for two, and a hip attack in the corner follows, as the crowd just twiddles their thumbs, waiting for the comeback. And, luckily, Page makes with that right away, delivering a pancake piledriver, and finishing with the Diamond Cutter 3:35. Afterwards, Raven comes in to slap Stevie around, as their angle continues to go nowhere in epic fashion. DUD

 

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Outsiders v Mortis and Wrath: Scott Hall starts with Mortis, as Larry goes on a rant about how Hall is an 'overrated' wrestler. I get that they're building a program, but does he have to be so dismissive of one of their top stars? Scott wins a slugfest in the early going, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and eats a rocker dropper. Mortis unloads in the corner, but Hall catches a bodypress in a fallaway slam. He stops to punch Wrath, however, allowing Mortis to recover with a spinheel kick, before tagging Wrath in. Hall spits in his face, but then passes to Kevin Nash before Wrath can engage. Nash throws a knee and unloads in the corner, but Wrath reverses a cross corner whip, and unloads some himself. Wrath with a bicycle kick for two (drawing a nice pop), and Mortis tags back in to deliver a Russian legsweep. Mortis adds a 2^nd rope legdrop for two, so Hall takes a cheap shot from the apron, allowing Kevin to level Mortis with a big boot. Powerbomb finishes at 5:57, as Hall takes Wrath out. I guess Larry isn't the only one who likes burying talent. * ¾

 

The nWo join us, and we get the full group this week, since they want to officially welcome Curt Hennig into the group. Lots of shots at Flair and the Horsemen, of course, and Curt then presents Hogan with Flair's robe as a trophy. Hopefully he didn't lose that one, because something tells me they won't be doing another Ric episode of WWE's Most Wanted Treasures anytime soon

 

Hogan/Piper video package. In case you too kind of forgot about that program

 

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Ultimo Dragon: Eddie with a well executed snapmare takedown for two at the bell, and he works a wristlock, but Dragon is quick to escape with an armdrag. Eddie backs off before taking him down for a fujiwara armbar, and he dropkicks the arm for good measure. Guerrero works the part, but Dragon gets the better of a criss cross, and delivers a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to turn the tide. Chops in the corner, but Eddie turns the tables, only for Dragon to reverse a cross corner whip on him. The challenger with a series of strikes, and a running sitout powerbomb is worth two. Dragon with a giant swing, but the arm gives out on him, and Guerrero kicks at the bad part. Powerbomb, but Dragon blocks, and uses a sloppy rana for two. Dragon Sleeper, but Eddie strikes at the arm to escape. Dragon tries a springboard moonsault press, but Guerrero catches him in a shoulderbreaker, and dives with the flying frogsplash at 6:07. A few botches, but generally good execution, and psychologically sound action. ** ¼

 

Nitro Girls are sparkly

 

WCW United States Title Match: Steve McMichael v Curt Hennig: McMichael charges in, but Hennig has the high ground, and puts the boots to him. Mongo no-sells, however, and chucks Curt across the ring. Axehandle, but Curt manages to sweep the leg, and he bashes Mongo's ankle into the post to slow the champion way down. Curt works the part, until McMichael tries raking the eyes, but the leg gives out on a bodyslam attempt, allowing Hennig to topple for two. He stays on the leg with a spinning-toehold, and keeps taking shots at it, as McMichael works hard to sell. This seems like such an odd booking choice, since Hennig pinballing around for Steve pretty much books itself, and would be effective. McMichael makes a comeback, and finally we get Curt bumping around to make Steve's basic offense look good. Three-point stance, but Curt dodges, and the bridging fisherman suplex crowns a new champion at 6:32. I wouldn't call this a 'good' match by any stretch, but this is probably the most effort Curt has put in thus far in the promotion, and McMichael did an admirable job of selling the leg throughout. ¾*

 

BUExperience: The wrestling was mostly uninteresting this week, and there were some real head scratchers as far as the direction for Halloween Havoc, so I’d give RAW the edge this time around.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	9/15/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.6	3.9
Total Wins	17	77
Win Streak		60
Better Show (as of 9/15)	40	51