WCW Monday Nitro (November 3, 1997)

Original Airdate: November 3, 1997

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

 

We start with clips of WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan’s TV movie Assault on Devil’s Island. Isn’t it kind of counterproductive to hype a movie that’s already aired?

During the commercial breaks of said movie, WCW held a press conference in Las Vegas, where Sting showed up to sign the contract for a title match with Hogan at Starrcade. I’d like to think that they taped that while they were already in town for Halloween Havoc, but knowing how this company loved to blow money, I’m betting they actually went back just to shoot that thirty second clip

Rey Mysterio Jr and Lord Steven Regal v Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko: One of these things is different. One of these things does not belong. Tony notes that he’s had ‘fifty five’ phone calls from friends asking about the contract signing. That’s an oddly specific number. Rey and Dean start, and they feel each other out. Rey hooks an Oklahoma roll for one, so Dean backs off. Reversal sequence ends in a stalemate, and both guys decide to tag out. Regal pops Guerrero with an elbow on the way in, but their own reversal sequence goes to a stalemate. Criss cross ends in Regal using a pop-up flapjack, so Eddie takes a cheap shot, and goes after the knee. Backdrop, but Regal blocks, and throws a bodypress. Back to Rey for a monkeyflip, and a rana into a cradle gets two when Malenko saves. Eddie tries popping Rey up into a powerbomb from Dean, but Mysterio counters with a rana over the top. He dives back in, but Guerrero dodges, and Rey hits Regal. That allows Guerrero to powerbomb him to set up the frogsplash, but Dean tags himself in so he can finish Rey himself via the Texas cloverleaf at 3:52. Too short to really be worth anything, but at least it had a story and an angle to it, instead of just a match for no reason. **

Nitro Girls blend in

Fit Finlay v Dave Taylor: Finlay takes him down in a hammerlock to start, and he shifts it into a cover for two, as Raven’s Flock makes their entrance through the crowd, causing everyone to ignore the match. They keep trading off on the mat while the crowd shows them their backs, and Taylor gets control of things with a pair of uppercuts. He uses a few takedowns, and a cross corner whip rebounds Fit into a press-gutbuster. 2nd rope bodypress follows, but Finlay ducks, and nails him with a clothesline. Tombstone then finishes at 2:57. Not much to this one. ½*

Public Enemy don’t want us to touch that dial. They both certainly don’t look like they touch any Dial, that’s for sure

Eric Bischoff calls in to clarify that Hogan is not afraid of Sting, and in fact he’s been making challenges to him for months, which Sting has failed to respond to. That’s… actually true. Hulk has called him out a bunch of times, right here on this show. He also goes on a rant about the ratings for Hogan’s movie, which is totally fine as part of his character, but also really off-putting anyway

Psychosis v Yuji Nagata: Nagata pounds him to start, and a corner whip allows Yuji a series of kicks. Corner charge misses, however, allowing Psychosis chops, and a springboard dropkick sends Nagata to the outside. He regroups out there for a bit, but Psychosis gets sick of waiting, and comes over the post with a dive after him. Psychosis adds a legdrop from the apron, and he rolls Nagata in to cover for two. Corner dropkick finds the mark, but Nagata blocks a rana off the top, and nails him with a koppou kick. Nagata locks on a reverse chinlock, as the announcers try to gaslight us into believing that Hogan has been ducking Sting. Nagata with a powerbomb, but Psychosis lands on his feet to block a German suplex, and he throws a spinheel kick. Cue a distraction from Sonny Onoo, allowing Nagata to suplex him, and a figure four finishes at 3:51. *

Raven is occupying some bad CGI. Which somehow isn’t even CGI, but an actual set, which somehow looks fake. Maybe it underscores the enigmatic nature of Raven’s character? Yes. Let’s go with that

WCW Television Title Match: Disco Inferno v Perry Saturn: This is Saturn’s first televised match, and it’s for a title? Disco attacks before the bell, and whips him into the ropes to stick with a backelbow. Hiptoss, but Saturn counters with a trapping suplex, and a cross corner whip follows. Hammerlock suplex leads to a wristlock, and an armdrag leads to a cross-armbreaker, but Disco manages to get into the ropes. Saturn stays on the arm, as the crowd gives him an ‘ECW’ chant. Leg-feed corkscrew kick connects, and Saturn cranks on the arm again. Drop-toehold sets up the rings of Saturn, but Disco is in the ropes. Saturn recovers with a clothesline, and a snap suplex follows. Fujiwara armbar keeps the hurt on the arm, and Saturn lands a sidekick. Another fujiwara, but Disco won’t tap, so Saturn suplexes him again. Cross corner whip works, but Disco blocks the charge with an elbow, and throws a clothesline for two. Cross corner whip, but Saturn reverses, and drops him with a German suplex. Disco makes a last ditch effort at a comeback, but Perry quickly cuts him off with a tiger suplex, and the rings finish at 6:38. This was not even competitive, just a complete and total squash. And a really long one, at that. I’m all for longer TV matches, but at least make them competitive. *

Gene Okerlund brings Ric Flair out to do his usual interview about nothing. This week’s nothing: his beef with WCW United States Champion Curt Hennig. Well, at least it’s not more will they/won’t they with Jeff Jarrett

Nitro Girls put the ‘silver’ in ‘silver screen.’ Which is especially confusing, since this is a TV screen

Scott Hall v Chris Jericho: Hall’s got one of the WCW World Tag Team Title belts, despite the Steiner Brothers being the champions. A significant part of me feels like this wasn’t even an angle, he just forgot he wasn’t the champion anymore, and went out there with it. So weird to see some of the ECW faithful in the crowd wearing WCW merch. They’re gonna get banned from the bingo hall! Or, at the very least, have their bathroom privileges severely revoked. Hall dominates him in the early going, but Jericho fights him off with a spinkick. Hall comes back with a big right hand, and a fallaway slam follows. Outsider’s Edge, but Jericho kicks off the ropes to block, and uses the momentum to shift into a cradle at 2:40. Big pop for that one! Afterwards, Hall plants him with the Edge anyway, and sets up a bunch more, so Larry runs in to make the save. And he actually challenges Hall to a match, finally. Nice to see him finally put up, after months of refusing to shut up. DUD

More with Tenay’s series on the Luchdores, this week focusing on teaching us the names for some of their moves. Very welcome, and certainly more informative than those old Lord Alfred Hayes ‘Call of the Action’ segments where he taught us complex moves like ‘clothesline’ or ‘elbowdrop’

9-Man Cruiserweight Battle Royal: We’ve got: Ciclope, Damien, El Dandy, Hector Garza, Juventud Guerrera, Lizmark Jr., Silver King, Villano IV, Villano V. Giant comes out and wrecks everybody after a few minutes, and I guess that’s it at 3:30. No winner is announced, but Lizmark was the last guy in the ring, so I’m calling it for him. Mostly because I refuse to live in a world where a battle royal ends in a no-contest. Afterwards, Giant calls out Kevin Nash. Was that really so urgent? DUD

Nitro Girls are angular

Ric Flair v Alex Wright: Wright dominates him with chops in the corner to start, but Ric fights back with more of the same, and a backdrop sends Alex running for the hills. Wright nearly walks out, but Debra McMichael talks him into getting back in. Flair destroys him with chops in the corner once he does, so Wright tries a cartwheel to disorient him, but Ric just chops him again. Wright manages a leg lariat to fight him off, and he puts the boots to the Nature Boy in the corner. Flair fights back with more chops, but Wright reverses him into the ropes, and throws a dropkick to set up a trio of elbowdrops for two. Side suplex gets two, and a vertical suplex is worth two. They trade chops again, allowing Flair a snapmare to set up a kneedrop, and he tosses Alex to the outside to brutalize with more chops. Did they have some sort of bet? Ric gives him a side suplex on the floor, but Wright manages to snap his throat across the top rope on the way back in, and he unloads in the corner. Cross corner whip flips Flair to the outside, so Alex dives after him with a plancha, but Flair sidesteps. Wright goes to the eyes to shake him off on the way back in, but Flair crotches him on the top to block a dive, and the Nature Boy chops him down. Hanging vertical suplex sets up the figure four, and Wright gives up at 7:43. This wasn’t great, but both guys came to play, and they gave them time to tell a story. ** ¼

Steve McMichael v Ray Traylor: Ray works a wristlock to start, but Mongo reverses it on him, and kicks him in the knee while holding it. Shoulderblock rattles Ray, allowing McMichael a pair of three-point stances, and a clothesline sends Traylor over the top. Back in, Ray tries a leg-feed, but Mongo counters with an atomic drop. Cross corner whip gets reversed on him, however, and Ray posts his leg a few times. Ray works the part, as Bill Goldberg wanders down to ringside, looking like an action movie star. Meanwhile, McMichael gets control, and delivers a sidewalk slam. He ends up getting distracted by Goldberg brandishing McMichael’s Super Bowl ring, however, and Ray delivers a scrapbuster at 4:43. This was really bad, both boring and poorly worked. DUD

Nitro Party ad

Gene brings Diamond Dallas Page out, and he’s gunning to win World War 3 so he can get another shot at Hogan’s title. Way to show solidarity for Sting there, ya selfish jerk

Nitro Girls have got wardrobe changes for days, son

WCW World Tag Team Title Street Fight: The Steiner Brothers v Public Enemy: They don’t even wait to get out of their entrance gear before kicking it off, with the champs cleaning house. They brawl in and out of the ring, and Johnny Grunge takes a nasty bump into the steps, courtesy of Rick Steiner. Rick just whipped him into those with no regard for his safety there. Scott Steiner and Rocco Rock spill into the crowd to brawl with chairs, and they end up fighting over to the announcer position, as Rick wraps a chair around Grunge’s head back at ringside. The Enemy are just getting wrecked here, and they’re not shy about bumping, either. Scott misses an axehandle from the apron to allow the Enemy to double up on Rick, but Ted DiBiase pulls Rick off a table to save him from a Grunge dive, and Scott makes a halfhearted pin on Johnny at 5:39. This wasn’t good, but I get why they ran this. And give the Enemy credit, what they lack in wrestling skill, they made up for with bumping. ¾*

Last year at World War 3, stuff happened. Battle royal stuff 

WCW United States Title Match: Curt Hennig v Lex Luger: Hennig does a big oversell off of a lockup, so he’s here to play tonight. Lex works a headlock, so Curt fights him off with chops in the corner, but Lex rebounds with a big clothesline. Curt stalls on the outside, and manages a cheap shot to get control, allowing him a somersault necksnap for two. Curt works him over in dull fashion, until Lex randomly starts making a comeback. Torture rack looks to finish, but Hennig holds the ropes to block, and both guys spill over the top. Cue a run-in from Ric Flair, and Hennig wins by DQ at 9:21. This was really boring, and kind of proves my theory that their 1993 match didn’t work because the heel/face alignment needed to be reversed totally wrong. DUD

BUExperience: This wasn’t a great show, but I thought it worked better than the mess that was the opposing RAW. The big problem with the entire program at this point is that they’re building up two pay per views at the same time, and both are on very different wavelengths. Like, on one hand, they’re building to Sting’s big moment at Starrcade. But, at the same time, everyone is angling to win the battle royal at World War 3 so they can get a shot at Hogan. World War 3 could not feel like more of a placeholder show, and that was a problem they often had with it, most of which just came down to poor placement on the calendar.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	11/3/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.6	4.0
Total Wins	17	84
Win Streak		67
Better Show (as of 11/3)	44	54