WCW Monday Nitro (October 27, 1997)

Original Airdate: October 27, 1997

From San Diego, California; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff kick us off, gloating about beating up Roddy Piper after that (God awful) cage match the night before, as well as promoting his new movie (that will air on TNT the next night, and is also God awful). Well, at least he’s consistent

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr v Dean Malenko: Feeling out process to start, dominated by the challenger. Criss cross leads to a reversal sequence ending in Rey hooking a sunset cradle for two, and Dean backs off to kill the momentum. They work a test-of-strength from there, as we ignore the match to watch Raven and his Flock make their entrance through the crowd. Why do they always do this stuff during matches people might actually want to pay attention to? Rey with a drop-toehold to set up an Oklahoma roll for two, so Dean tries a powerbomb, but Rey topples him for two. That triggers a pinfall reversal sequence, and Rey tries a victory roll to end it, but Dean reverses the cradle for two. Backdrop puts Rey on the apron, and the champ hustles to the top, but Malenko brings him off with an exploding gutbuster for two. Nice nearfall there, with Rey grabbing the ropes just in time. Malenko tries a brainbuster, but Rey escapes, and another reversal sequence ends in Rey trying a flying springboard rana - only for Dean to counter with a powerbomb! Malenko shifts right into the Texas cloverleaf from there, but Rey is ready with a cradle to retain at 4:36. This was good, and filled with interesting reversals, though far too short. ***

More from Mike Tenay in Mexico, reporting on the history of Lucha Libre. These are interesting segments, and I wish they’d just release it as one piece instead of these broken up segments week after week. Though, to be fair, they were better off that way in terms of holding audience interest, so let them get the mileage out of it

Nitro Girls culturally appropriate

Glacier v La Parka: Parka plays some (mildly racist) mind games to start, but Glacier shrugs him off. Criss cross allows Parka a shoulderblock for one, and another shoulderblock gets another one count. Glacier comes back with a series of kicks to send Parka to the outside, and apparently the ring is on fire, based on all that smoke. Glacier with a plancha, but Parka beats the count, and takes Glacier’s head off with a big clothesline. Leg-feed corkscrew kick gets Parka two, and a piledriver follows. Seriously, is the ring on fire? What’s with all the smoke? Parka with a spinheel kick to send Glacier to the outside, so Parka dives after him with a corkscrew plancha. Parka sits him down in a chair out there, and goes to the top to dive, but Glacier crotches him up there. Glacier chucks him down to the floor, and the Cryonic Kick finishes at 3:53. This was better than expected. * ½

Gene Okerlund brings Diamond Dallas Page out, and he gets a great reaction from the crowd this week. He’s upset at Hogan for dressing up as Sting and interfering in his match last night, and challenges Hulk to a match tonight

Gene brings Larry Zbyszko out to talk about his refereeing job at Halloween Havoc, which brings Scott Hall and Syxx out before long to put their two cents in. Or, well, four cents in this case, I guess. Just more verbal back-and-forth, with no real direction, or match to build towards. Which is kind of a big issue with WCW in general during this period, as they dedicate segments to guys jabbering at each other to keep their issues simmering, though that often goes on for months without any real direction. The worst offenders, of course, are the Four Horsemen, who at one point spent the entire year treading the same water

Lex Luger v Stevie Ray: They measure each other up for a bit to start, as the announcers hype up the Havoc replay for tomorrow night. Wait, so they were running it against their own Hogan movie? That’s another big issue with WCW, as often the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing. Stevie gets control and pounds Lex into the corner, and a cross corner whip rebounds Luger into a hiptoss, but Lex manages to reverses. Bodyslam connects, but an elbowdrop doesn’t, and Stevie delivers a kneelift and a clothesline. He puts the boots to Luger ahead of a slam for two, and a pair of corner whips rattle the Total Package. Stevie continues to work the back, but Lex escapes a bearhug, and makes a comeback. Corner charge hits an elbow, however, and Stevie superkicks him. Clothesline, but Lex ducks, and manages a powerslam. That allows him to get the torture rack on, and Stevie is done at 5:43. This was… surprisingly decent? I know, I’m shocked too, but it actually had some psychology to it, and told a story. *

Raven vignette. Apparently, he’s a’scared of the dark. He should talk to Kevin Nash about that

Eddie Guerrero v Chris Jericho: Wow, that first hour just flew by. Some measuring to start, and Chris gets the advantage with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, and he follows with a spinheel kick. Jericho with chops in the corner, but Guerrero reverses a cross corner whip, and delivers a shoulderbreaker. Guerrero works the part with a nervehold, and a drop-toehold allows him a dropkick right to the shoulder. Eddie keeps on the part, but Chris blocks a side suplex, and launches Eddie with a German one for two. Butterfly powerbomb sets up the Lionsault, but Guerrero dodges. He heads to the top, but Chris crotches him up there, and brings him down with a vertical superplex. Liontamer, but the shoulder slows him down, and Guerrero is able to block. Guerrero with his own powerbomb, but Chris escapes. He tries a suplex, but the shoulder gives out, and Eddie hustles to the top with the flying frogsplash at 4:53. This was okay, though Jericho seemed off. * ½

Chris Benoit v Fit Finlay: Finlay’s entrance gear is weird. Fit with a shoulderblock right away, but a second charge goes badly when Benoit catches him in a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Chris unloads with chops in the corner, and a side suplex follows. Fit fights him off with a drop-toehold, but Benoit uses a leg-feed enzuigiri to knock him to the outside. Finlay dodges a baseball slide out there, allowing him to drop Benoit across the guardrail, and Fit goes after the shoulder as they head back inside. Benoit fights him off in the corner, so Finlay uses a bodyscissor takedown, and he grounds the Crippler in a bow-and-arrow. Finlay with a bodyslam to set up a pump-splash for two, and they spill back to the outside, where Finlay whips him into the rail. He leaves Benoit for dead out there, but Chris beats the count, so Finlay spears him in the corner. Again, but Benoit dodges this time, and drops him with a German suplex to set up the flying headbutt drop at 5:20. As expected, this was an ultra-stiff match (that left Benoit bleeding hardway from his nose), and it was ugly in all the best ways. ** ¾

Gene brings Ric Flair out to hype up his match with Randy Savage for later on. Oh, and if he sees WCW United States Champion Curt Hennig tonight, Curt’s a dead man. Yeah, says the guy who jobbed to him the night before. If you coulda, you woulda

No Disqualification Match: Scotty Riggs v Raven: Speaking of angles that did nothing but tread water, Stevie Richards (who is apparently in Raven’s Flock now) notes that Raven still doesn’t have a WCW contract. Maybe he should try the WWF, I think they were handing out guaranteed deals at this point. Raven offers Riggs the chance to join his Flock instead of fighting, but Scotty refuses. He should rethink that, not like he’s had literally anything going on since, like, January. Raven schools him for a bit, then brings in a chair, but Riggs clips the knee before Raven can use it. Criss cross allows Raven a drop-toehold, but Riggs’ eye hits the edge of the chair on the way down, and the referee stops the match at 1:12. Afterwards, Flock member Billy Kidman comes in to protest the brutality, but Raven kicks his ass too, and then goes right back to his seat in the crowd as the medics check on Riggs. If I remember correctly, this is leading to Pirate Scotty Riggs, and that makes this whole segment worthwhile. DUD

Nitro Girls are back, and at least 44% less likely to get cancelled this time

Hollywood Hulk Hogan v Diamond Dallas Page: Hulk’s WCW World title is not on the line, and this is actually his first match on free TV since back in August when he lost the title to Luger. I’m guessing this is going on here since this is a three-hour show, and we’re at the end of the second hour here (where the show would normally wrap). They feel each other out to start, with Hulk even working a waistlock at one point. Hulk rattles him with a headbutt, and a clothesline gets him two. High knee and a bootrake follow, but Page escapes a wristlock, and nearly lands the Diamond Cutter, but Hogan is able to bail to the outside to avoid it. Back in, Page takes a cheap shot during a test-of-strength to allow him a clothesline, but Hulk bails again before DDP can follow up. Back in, Hulk takes a cheap shot of his own during a collar-and-elbow, and a bodyslam sets up a pair of elbowdrops, followed by another bookrake. Hulk dumps him to the outside (with Page taking a bump into the rail on the way), and Hollywood follows to unload chops out there. Side suplex on the floor finds the mark, and Hulk tries a hiptoss on the way back in, but Page counters with a swinging neckbreaker for two. Hogan goes to the eyes to keep control, and an inverted atomic drop is worth two. Clothesline connects, and he puts the boots to Page’s taped ribs, talking trash all the while. Cross corner clothesline gets two, and a vertical suplex sets up an elbowdrop for two. Page throws rights and lefts to try and build a comeback, and they spill to the outside, where Dallas continues to come, all fired up now. Inside, Hulk reverses a whip into the ropes, and plants a big boot to cut off the comeback. Legdrop, but Page rolls out of the way. Cutter, but a fake Sting runs in for the DQ at 11:29. Bad finish, but they were working hard here, and Hulk in particular felt like he came to play, busting out all kinds of things that he didn’t often do. Afterwards, the nWo beat Page down, until the real Sting makes the save. It was funny watching him brush right past the Flock on his way in there. It couldn’t have been more obvious that we were getting Hogan/Sting at Starrcade, and literally everything else feels like more water treading, with the Piper diversion, and World War 3. * ¾

WCW Television Title Match: Disco Inferno v Bill Goldberg: Alex Wright attacks Goldberg during the entrances, but Bill completely shrugs him off, and plants him with a Jackhammer to ward off the attack. He attacks a pleased Disco with a spear from there, and Disco eats a Jackhammer as well. That draws Steve McMichael out, but Bill tackles him down before he can strike, and they brawl until a bunch of officials (including one that looks like a bootleg Kevin Sullivan) break it up. The match never officially started.

Hogan and Bischoff are back, and we finally get some direction with the overarching angle of the promotion, as they offer Sting a contract for a title match, provided he shows up tomorrow night to sign. You know, right during the Hogan TV-movie that will be airing. I guess they really didn’t give a shit if anyone ordered that replay, did they?

WCW World Tag Team Champions the Steiner Brothers are apparently southern, now? I guess Nietzsche was right about staring into the abyss

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Steiner Brothers v Public Enemy: The announcers clarify that the contract signing will take place during the commercial breaks of the movie, so you’d better tune in if you want to see it. Kind of weird that Havoc was in Vegas, here we are in California, and then back to Vegas for the contract signing thing. The champs clean house early on, and the dust settles on Rick Steiner with Johnny Grunge. Rick dominates, and a powerslam sends Grunge running for the outside. Just noticed that there’s actually lots of empty seats in the crowd here, including a whole blacked out section in the upper decks. That’s somewhat surprising, given how hot the promotion was at the time. Lots of stalling from the challengers, until they manage to get the better of Scott Steiner, and they take control. The announcers are giving the Hogan movie a bigger hard sell than they do their pay per views. The Enemy continue working Scott over for a while, but he fights off a double team long enough to tag, and Rick comes in all hot and bothered. They take Rocco Rock up for the elevated flying bulldog, and that’s all she wrote at 9:15. Long, dull, and easily the low-point of the evening thus far, at least from a workrate perspective. ¼*

WCW United States Title Match: Curt Hennig v Booker T: They feel each other out to start, with Hennig surprised that Booker can hang. Meanwhile, the announcers act like Sting signing the contract will be front page news, and might even break news cycles around the world. There’s puffing, and there’s outright lying, and they’re on the wrong side of that line. Booker keeps knocking him around, so Hennig takes a cheap shot during a ropebreak, and he cracks Booker with some chops. Neckbreaker gets the champion two, so he works a chinlock, but Booker quickly fights to a vertical base. Curt responds by trying a suplex, but Booker counters to a rollup for two, so Hennig sends him over the top with a clothesline. Curt rolls him back in for a backdrop, but Booker counters with a cradle for two, so Hennig cuts him off with a clothesline. Elbowdrop, but Booker dodges, and he adds an inverted atomic drop, followed by a spinkick. Meanwhile, Miss Elizabeth shows up to distract the referee, allowing Randy Savage to sneak in with a flying elbowdrop on Booker! That allows Hennig to go for the pin, but Flair runs in on him in full view of the official, and that’s a DQ at 4:15. This was pretty basic stuff before the crappy finish, but Curt seemed interested in telling a story out there, so it mostly worked. Savage looked like he was close to crippling poor Booker with that elbow, though. ¾*

Ric Flair v Randy Savage: Flair and Savage are still brawling to close the previous segment, and we segue right into this. They spill into the crowd right away, with Flair dominating as they fight through the sea of fans. Meanwhile, the announcers are still droning on about the contract signing. Give them credit, they’re relentless. Macho takes a bump into the rail as they spill back into the aisle, and Flair pounds him back to ringside. Ric gives him a swift kick down low, so Savage steals a microphone away from the ring announcer, and jabs Flair in the throat with it. Ric no-sells, however, and unloads with chops. Liz tries to intervene, so Ric forces himself on her, and we finally head into the ring. Ric keeps it going with a backelbow, and he chokes Macho down, so Liz goes to the eyes to buy her man some time. That allows Savage to get his first bit of offense in (after some five straight minutes of getting beat up), and he tosses Ric over the top. Macho follows to send Flair into the steps out there, but a flying axehandle goes south on him, and Ric takes control again as they head back in. Ric delivers a side suplex, but here’s Curt Hennig for the DQ at 8:36. This was pretty meandering. Afterwards, Savage and Hennig beat Flair down, as the announcers hype Hogan’s movie and the contract signing, as if nothing is going on in the ring at all. ¼*

BUExperience: This was a mostly good show, and would have been pretty strong at the standard length, but ended up overstaying its welcome with the unnecessary third hour. I’d still call it better than the opposing RAW though, as at least there were a few decent matches and interesting pairings.

 

Monday Night Wars Rating Chart

	10/27/97
Show	RAW	Nitro
Rating	2.3	4.3
Total Wins	17	83
Win Streak		66
Better Show (as of 10/27)	44	53