Original Airdate: October 13, 1997
From Tampa, Florida; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (hour one) and with Bobby Heenan (hour two)
WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and Eric Bischoff join us to kick things off, and Hogan is so excited about promoting his new movie that he forgot the world title belt. You know, that old thing. Meanwhile, Savage is sporting a neck brace to sell the Diamond Cutter he took on the floor last week, since he’s still the man. Okay, apparently Roddy Piper has the title belt, so at least that’s better than simply ‘Hogan forgot.’ This might be the turning point from when we go from ‘some signs in the crowd’ to ‘sea of signs in the crowd’ that became a hallmark of the Attitude Era. And, of course, most of the signs are pointless in-jokes that probably weren’t really funny in 1997, and are completely unfunny now
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Psychosis: Psychosis misses a corner dropkick at the bell, allowing Eddie to plant him with a side suplex, and he unloads with a chop. Backdrop over the top, but Psychosis lands on the apron, and dives back with a flying spinheel kick to send the champ to the outside. Psychosis is on the man with a baseball slide, and he dives with a wild flying senton splash on the floor! Or ‘sentron,’ per Larry. Psychosis with a bodyslam on the way back in, but he’s still selling the impact of the senton, and it slows him down as he gets to the top for a flying splash - Guerrero able to roll out of the way. Psychosis still manages a victory cradle for two, but Eddie counters a spinheel kick with a stomachbreaker. Another side suplex, but Psychosis blocks, and a reversal sequence ends in Psychosis sticking another spinheel. Psychosis goes up with another flying version for two, but he goes to the top one time too many, and Guerrero crotches him. That allows the champion a vertical superplex, and the Frogsplash retains at 3:41. They were throwing some bombs at each other here, but it was mostly disjointed, and too short to tell a proper story. **
More clips of Mike Tenay’s journey to Mexico to learn more about the origins and history of lucha libre. I think my favorite part of this is that they actually found a woman who looks like a gentle librarian (who holds a doctorate in mask history, no less) to talk about this stuff
Gene Okerlund brings Roddy Piper out, and is it me, or does his title seem to change from week to week? This week, he’s ‘commissioner and chairman.’ Maybe next week they’ll tack on some sort of vice presidency, I don’t know. Anyway, he’s here to sell us insurance, apparently. He doesn’t bother bringing the title belt with him either, since it’s just that important of an item
Nitro Girls finally show up, a half hour into the broadcast. Was there some sort of glitter emergency backstage?
Steve McMichael v Lord Steven Regal: Oh man, this could be a train wreck coming. Crazy to think that Mongo had actually achieved a higher rank than Regal by this point in his short career. McMichael works a headlock to start, so Regal whips him into the ropes to criss cross, but eats a shoulderblock, and Steven stalls. Regal manages to grab a wristlock as they engage again, but Mongo reverses. Regal manages a takedown into a side-headlock, but McMichael fights back to a vertical base, and reverses a wristlock again. Regal goes to the eyes to shake him off, and a trio of uppercuts but McMichael on his back. Regal tries a corner whip, but McMichael reverses, and starts throwing forearms. Backdrop, but Regal blocks, and they have a miscommunication that results in Regal just flopping to the mat. That looked so bad that even the announcers didn’t know what to do with it. And then McMichael just drops him with the tombstone at 3:33. As predicted, this was a train wreck, though thankfully a quick one. -¼*
Okerlund brings Debra McMichael out, and with Jeff Jarrett out of WCW, she’s got nothing left to do. Mongo swings by so she can do some groveling, but she doesn’t want to come crawling back, and in fact, she has a new charge, and Steve will meet him at Halloween Havoc. I couldn't remember where this was going at all, so I did some quick Googling, and yeah, no wonder. But at least it was logical
Chris Jericho v Yuji Nagata: They trade wristlocks to start, and Jericho gets the upper hand with a spinkick. He adds a shoulderblock and a clothesline for two, then traps Nagata in an octopus hold. Headlock, but Nagata side suplexes free, and snapmares Chris over for a kick to the shoulder blades. Nagata works a reverse chinlock for all of a moment, but a corner charge attempt hits boot, and Chris dives off the middle with a dropkick. Cobra swing gets two, so Nagata dumps him on his head with a suplex, and a forearm sends Jericho flying out of the ring, crashing right into the guardrail. Nagata follows, but gets reversed into the post, and Jericho bodyslams him on the floor. Cue interference from Sonny Onoo, but Jericho fights him off. He rolls Nagata in to finish, but Onoo trips him up on a dive attempt, and Nagata is able to capitalize with a submission at 4:05. Jericho seemed to be game here, but the match just never clicked. ½*
Raven vignette. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to run these, like, three or four months ago?
Bill Goldberg v Scotty Riggs: Riggs tries grabbing a headlock at the bell, but Bill easily escapes. Scotty keeps coming with right hands, but a criss cross attempt ends badly when Goldberg viciously spears him down. He bashes Scotty’s head into the mat a few times, then chucks him into the corner, just so he can have the pleasure of chucking him back out. Elbowdrop misses, allowing Riggs a trio of dropkicks to send Bill over the top, and Scotty dives with a plancha - only to get caught, and dropped across the rail. Jackhammer finishes on the way back in at 2:43. Not much of a match, but Goldberg was looking explosive here. He was still looking really rough around the edges at this point, but the raw star power was clearly there. Unfortunately, he never really smoothed out those rough edges, though it didn’t really slow his career down. ¼*
Nitro Girls are back, and we actually learn some of their names this week. I’m disheartened to learn that the only one with the headband is not named ‘headband’
WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Scott Hall and Syxx v The Steiner Brothers: Syxx is filling in for Kevin Nash here, and they have the old version of the tag belts, for whatever reason. The heels attack during the entrances, but the challengers clean house, and the dust settles on Syxx and Scott Steiner. Scott headlocks him, so Syxx forces a criss cross, but that ends badly when Scott spikes him with a wheelbarrow facebuster. Tags all around, and Rick Steiner blitzes Hall in the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed on him. Clothesline, but Rick ducks, and rebounds with a jumping version for two. He dives off the middle, but Hall catches him in a fallaway slam, only to miss an elbowdrop. That allows Rick more right hands, so Syxx takes a cheap shot from the apron to turn the tide, and he tags in with a lightning legdrop for two. The champs cut the ring in half on Rick, but he manages to block the bronco buster, and Scott gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Syxx goes flying around for him, and the elevated DDT looks to finish, but Hall pulls the referee out at two. He decks him to try and trigger a DQ, but here comes Larry Zbyszko to force Hall back in. That allows the Brothers to dive on him, and Larry counts the pin at 5:58, since it’s tag title night on both shows this week. I’m surprised that it even got a pop, because it feels like it’s just begging for another Dusty Finish, but nope, this title change actually stuck, thankfully. This was kind of disappointing, as it was supposed to be the Outsiders finally finally putting the Steiner’s over for the belts (after originally being scheduled to drop them at Road Wild), and then Nash couldn’t even be a part of the match. Syxx bumping and flying all over the place for the Brothers was great, though. * ½
Nitro Girls will dance, coordination be damned!
Dean Malenko v Rey Mysterio Jr: Reversal sequence to start, as they feel each other out. Another reversal sequence ends in Dean sending him over the top with a catapult, but Rey rushes back in before Dean can dive at him. Reversal sequence ends in Malenko throwing a leg lariat for two, and yet another reversal sequence sees Rey victory roll him for two. Rey tries a headscissors, but Malenko counters with a sidewalk slam, and he goes for the Texas cloverleaf, but Rey hides in the ropes. Dean responds by putting him in a headscissors hold on the mat, but Rey fights to a vertical base, so Malenko powerbombs him for two. Alley-oop, but Rey impressively lands on the top rope, and dives back with a flying corkscrew senton for two. Dean tries a powerbomb, but Rey counters with a sunset flip for two, so Dean sweeps him down for two. Reversal sequence ends in Rey hitting a springboard flying rana into a cradle, but Eddie Guerrero runs in to pull his mask off before the three count can be made - allowing Malenko to counter to the cloverleaf at 4:51. Good action here, with lots of fast reversal sequences, and an ending that builds to the pay per view match. **
Diamond Dallas Page is in the gym with Hangman Page. Mostly he just seems confused about what Piper’s title is, too
Gene brings Piper back out so Roddy can confirm that the decision in the tag title match will stand, and this was a good idea, since they’d already messed with the audience a bunch of times, and it’s better to put any doubt to rest right away. Especially straight from the mouth of the chief executive officer. This draws Bischoff and Savage out to complain, but Piper responds by threatening to beat them up. Okay, so we’re definitely not adding ‘head of customer service’ to his ever expanding list of titles. The rest of the nWo come out to back their guys up, so Sting marches out to back Piper, and Roddy is really excited, despite Sting suddenly looking nearly a foot taller than usual. And, of course, it’s Hogan under a mask, and everyone beats Piper down. This was a pretty stupid segment
WCW United States Champion Curt Hennig/Ric Flair feud video
Ray Traylor v Scott Norton: Slugfest to start, won by Ray. He adds a backdrop, but wastes time chasing Buff Bagwell around on the outside, and Norton clobbers him. Scott with a pop-up flapjack, and a slam follows, as a disheveled looking Billy Kidman shows up at ringside to sit with Raven’s Flock. Another slugfest goes Norton’s way, and he threatens the official in the corner to allow Vincent a cheap shot. Norton with chops, but a clothesline misses, and Rey makes a comeback, looking slow and out of shape. I’m surprised the WWF even took this guy on the following year, though it was actually a good role for him. The nWo distract the referee before Ray can finish Scott off, and a cheap shot allows Norton the pin at 4:40. And afterwards, we get yet another nWo beat down, since apparently not having one during the first hour necessitates two in the second. Gotta hit those quotas. DUD
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WCW Television Title Match: Disco Inferno v Alex Wright: Disco gets in his face before the bell, but Wright pounds him down, and throws a spinheel kick. Standing dropkick follows, and Alex unloads in the corner, including whipping the champion with his jacket. Cross corner whip works, but the charge doesn’t, and Disco clotheslines him. Disco with a few turnbuckle smashes and a ten-punch count, but Wright blocks a front-powerslam, and delivers an elbowdrop. Alex puts the boots to him until Disco falls out of the ring, and Wright dives with an axehandle from the apron. Back in, Wright tries a hiptoss, but Disco counters to a backslide for two, so Alex clobbers him with a clothesline. Wright uses a slam to set up a slingshot splash for two, and a bodyslam sets up a dive, but Disco slams him off the top, as Jacqueline makes her way down. Disco with a pair of clotheslines for two, but he misses a corner charge, and Wright hooks a bridging suplex for two. Disco comes back with a swinging neckbreaker, so Jackie distracts him from the apron, allowing Wright a rollup - only for Disco to reverse at 5:46. They felt like they were on different pages here, and the finish felt stupid, since isn’t Jackie supposed to be challenging Disco for the title at Halloween Havoc? Why would she want him to lose it before then? ½*
Nitro Girls now do their dances on a stage. In case they weren’t ‘stripper-y’ enough for you before
WCW United States Title Match: Curt Hennig v Diamond Dallas Page: Another week, another Hennig US Title main event. We’re already well past the two hour mark at this point, which was always great for 1997 me when I’d tape this show on VHS and then find that it cuts off before the main event. Page knocks him around to start, but Hennig bails to avoid the Diamond Cutter a few times, as Dallas continues to steal liberally from Jake Roberts. Page manages a mat-based headlock, but Hennig escapes, so Dallas uses a Russian legsweep for two. No Bret Hart on that one. Corner charge hits boot, allowing Hennig a clothesline to turn the tide, and he punts his challenger in the ribs. Curt with a kneelift and a standing dropkick for two, and he works a chinlock while using the ropes for leverage. Page fights to a vertical base, so Hennig switches to a sleeper, but Page delivers a jawbreaker to get out of it. Curt tries another big punt, but DDP dodges, and Hennig takes a big bump off of it. Page comes back with an inverted atomic drop and a pancake piledriver, but Curt blocks the Cutter with a chincrusher. Meanwhile, Ric Flair is trying a run-in, but is getting held back by security in the aisle. Where are these clowns when the nWo does the same thing in every other match? So Ric’s antics distract Curt, and Page schoolboys for a three count at 7:16 - only for the referee to decide that it’s a DQ even after counting the fall, since Flair had broken free and entered the ring. Even though he hadn’t actually physically touched anyone until after the fall had been counted. Well, I guess it’s too much to expect zero bullshit finishes on a single show, let’s not get greedy. Afterwards, Piper comes out to argue the case for Page, but the nWo run-in, and we get another extended beat down on the babyfaces. That goes on until a bunch of fake Sting’s run in, but they get beat down as well, until finally the real Sting comes out, and the whole nWo retreats. Interesting how they’re consistently treating Sting like a threat, but Piper (the guy Hogan’s wrestling at the next pay per view) is treated as a joke. But then, Sting was the endgame. ½*
BUExperience: This wasn’t a good episode, but it felt more coherent than RAW was this week, even with all the masterbatory ego stuff up and down the card.
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