Original Airdate: November 17, 1997
From Cincinnati, Ohio; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (hour one) and with Bobby Heenan (hour two)
The nWo join us to start, and the Outsiders are still carrying around a version of the WCW World Tag Team title belts, despite losing them to the Steiner Brothers a while back. But their rationale is that Kevin Nash wasn’t in that match, and so they’re still the champions. You’d think this would be leading to a big showdown at one of the next three pay per view events they have on the books. You’d be wrong. They did eventually get around to it in February at SuperBrawl VIII, at least. And finally, they introduce a big surprise, as Rick Rude debuts as the newest member of the nWo - on the same night as he appeared on the taped episode of RAW. Not a big deal storyline wise, but a memorable moment for sure, and a great bit of trivia, as Rude becomes the first (and only) man to appear on both shows on the same night prior to the final episode of Nitro. He talks about how Shawn Michaels isn’t really world champion, since he never beat Bret Hart. Kind of weird hearing him bash Shawn (and praise Bret) with Hall and Nash standing right there nodding along
Nitro Girls get jiggy with it. It’s 1997, I’ll allow it
Gene Okerlund brings Ray Traylor out, looking like Wallace Beery this week. He talks trash about the nWo, but quickly gets attacked by the gang, and given the spray paint treatment again. Has he ever gotten the better of a single confrontation with them yet?
Meng v Glacier: Hey, finally a match, a half hour into the program. What is this, a modern WrestleMania? Glacier gets control, and uses a series of kicks and a sweep for two, but Meng escapes a headlock with a side suplex. Clothesline follows, and Meng unloads in the corner. Big chop grounds Glacier for a somersault senton splash, but Glacier moves. Meng tries keeping control with a corner splash, but Glacier dodges that as well, and that allows him a comeback. Cue Jimmy Hart with a distraction, but that goes nowhere, and then Meng just Tongan Death Grips him for the pin at 2:55. Weird finish, as Hart’s distraction did nothing, and then Barbarian ran in and stood in the ring, despite Meng being in control (and getting a clean win). Afterwards, the Faces of Fear beat on Glacier, but Ernest Miller makes the save… and promptly gets destroyed as well. Ha! ¼*
Diamond Dallas Page doesn’t get why Bret Hart would want to join the nWo. Maybe he should tell him that they’re scum? That’s always good
Steve McMichael v Alex Wright: McMichael gets a pretty great pop, actually. Wright with chops at the bell, but a cross corner whip gets reversed on him, and Mongo backdrops him on the rebound. Steve adds a clothesline, but gets distracted by Debra McMichael, and Wright jumps him. Wright with a few uppercuts to knock him down, and a spinheel kick gets him two. They spill to the outside to slug it out, and Wright gets the better of it, surprisingly. Back in, Wright uses a bodyslam to set up a dive, but McMichael gets out of the way. Steve unloads on him in the corner, but ends up shoving the protesting referee in between, and that’s a DQ at 2:58. Another short, nothing TV match. DUD
Nitro Girls… might join the nWo?
Rey Mysterio Jr v Chris Jericho: Hard to believe both of these guys are still active in 2022. Jericho sinks his teeth into a headlock to start, but Rey wins a criss cross with a monkeyflip, and he lands a springboard flying dropkick. Another criss cross is won by Jericho with a bodyslam (in an awkward sequence), and Chris clobbers him with a clothesline when Rey pops up. Jericho unloads with chops in the corner, so Rey tries going to the top, but Jericho press-slams him right off. That was pretty cool. Rey bails before Chris can cover, however, as the announcers have a funny conversation about what you’d call that slam. They settle on ‘super gorilla press,’ which is right. Jericho drags him back in by the mask for a hanging vertical suplex for two, and a butterfly backbreaker follows. Jericho stomps on the back ahead of a three-alarm no-release backbreaker for two, and a powerbomb sets up the Lionsault - only for Rey to lift his knees to block. Rey with a slingshot sunset flip for two, but Jericho counters a rana with another powerbomb for two. He tries another, but Rey manages a rana into a cradle this time at 6:29. They were both doing some cool stuff out there, though there was some noticeable lag between moves on Jericho’s part, which even the announcers were calling out. ** ¼
Chris Benoit thinks Bret Hart is a role model for anyone who likes ‘sports entertainment.’ And seriously people thought he wouldn’t fit in at the WWF?
Eric Bischoff comes out to smack Larry a few times, getting him to take the bait, and get himself caught in an nWo beat down. And such good timing, right at the end of the first hour, just as Larry’s shift is over. Some fan hops the rail and tries to tackle Eric, but he slips off of his hair, and gets stomped by Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton before security scrapes him off the floor
Diamond Dallas Page v Villano V: This is announced as Villano IV, but V is the one in there. Page sneaks up with a schoolboy for two, and a clothesline follows, so Villano IV helps with a distraction, and V capitalizes. IV chokes Page down, allowing V a leveraged pin for two. Senton splash gets two, so he distracts the referee, allowing IV a dive of his own. V with an elbowdrop for two, but Page makes a comeback, and hits both masked men with a plancha! Inside, Page delivers a pancake piledriver, and the Diamond Cutter finishes at 3:18. Short, but fun, as Page was willing to play ball with them. *
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Dean Malenko: Eddie stomps him down to start, and delivers a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Guerrero unloads in the corner, but a criss cross goes badly, and Malenko shoulderblocks him out of the ring. Guerrero steals the high ground to grab control back, and a leg lariat leads to a bootrake. Suplex, but Dean reverses, as Tony puts over how much he loves battle royals. I always knew there must be someone out there. Guerrero gets control again in the corner, and a vertical suplex sets up another bootrake. Chinlock, but Dean immediately escapes, as Rey Mysterio Jr shows up to watch from a distance, since he’s facing the winner at World War 3. Both guys take a spill to the outside, and Guerrero gets the better of it as they had back inside. He ropechokes Malenko, but a criss cross allows the challenger a pop-up flapjack, and he makes a comeback. Leg lariat gets him two, so Guerrero throws a dropkick at the leg, and a baseball slide finds the mark. Reversal sequence ends in Dean planting him with a powerbomb, but Guerrero blocks the Texas cloverleaf. Eddie comes back with a gory special into a cradle for two, triggering a pinfall reversal sequence. Malenko with a wheelbarrow suplex to set up the cloverleaf, but Guerrero counters with a cradle for two. Malenko cuts him off with a suplex, but he takes too long getting to the top, and Guerrero vertical superplexes him off. Guerrero goes up, but now Dean side superplexes HIM off, and both guys are left looking up at the lights for a rare double knockout at 10:37. Took a little time to hit its stride, but it was great once it did. The finish was really flat, but if they’re using it to set up a rematch down the line, it’s fine. ** ¾
Lex Luger reacts to the ‘blockbuster’ announcement of Hart joining the nWo with shock, dismay, and bewilderment. What is this, a Dolphins game?
Some frat kids enjoy Nitro
WCW Television Title Match: Perry Saturn v Scotty Riggs: The announcers are really turning it up to put over the Zbyszko angle here. The Flock over Riggs one more chance to join them instead of fighting, but he refuses again. Saturn takes him down for some pounding to start, but Riggs fights back with a clothesline, and a dropkick puts Perry on the outside. Riggs with a drop-toehold as Saturn climbs back in, and a backdrop follows. Another clothesline, but Perry bails to the outside, and stalls to kill the momentum. Saturn suplexes him over the top to turn the tide, and a bodyslam on the floor cements it. Saturn with a hammerlock belly-to-belly suplex on the way back in, and a northern lights version is worth two. Cross corner whip works, but the charge in hits boot, and Riggs corner clotheslines him. Riggs with a vertical suplex to set up a splash for two, but Saturn blocks a superplex, only to end up taking a spill to the outside. Riggs goes up with a dive, but instead of landing on Saturn, he decides to reroute after the Flock - clearing the rail, and landing on them in the first row! That was awesome! It allows Saturn to get control, however, and Riggs eats the steps. Inside, Saturn uses a bodyslam to set up a flying legdrop, and the Rings of Saturn finish at 5:35. The crowd wasn’t really connecting with them, but the match was fine. ** ¾
Nitro Girls do some Nitro Girl’ing
WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Steiner Brothers v Vicious & Delicious: No match, as the nWo attack the champs on the way to the ring, and do another big beat down (their third of the night, for those keeping score)
WCW United States Title Match: Curt Hennig v Lex Luger: Hennig stalls on the outside, so Lex drags him in by the hair, and delivers a backdrop. Lariat finds the mark, and Lex unloads in the corner to flop the champion. Curt goes to the eyes to shake him off, and he cracks his challenger with a few chops ahead of a somersault necksnap. Lex fights him off and delivers a hanging vertical suplex, but Hennig manages a pair of kneelifts for two. Sleeper, but Lex fights free with a side suplex, and an inverted atomic drop sends Curt flying over the top. That’s quite the sell, no wonder he and Rick Rude were such good friends in real life. Lex follows to continue the attack, so Hennig throws the referee at him to buy time, and he bashes Luger with the title belt. Inside, Curt capitalizes with the bridging fisherman suplex, but the referee disqualifies him at 6:36 instead of counting the fall. Another match between these two that disproves my theory that their 1993 battle was a disappointment because the face/heel alignments were reversed. Afterwards, Giant comes out to chase Hennig off to prevent yet another nWo beat down segment. ¼*
Giant v Scott Hall: Kevin Nash chases Tenay and Heenan off so he can do commentary with Schiavone for this one. They do some measuring to start, dominated by Giant. “He’s got him right where he wants him, it’s a ploy,” notes Nash. “Another ploy to the turnbuckle,” notes Schiavone. Hall bails, suckering Giant into a chase, and bashing his hand into the steps. Inside, Hall works the hand, as someone gets a funny sign on camera: ‘TAZ. 3 letters. 1 word. 4 feet.’ This era was the greatest for witty crowd signs. Giant fights off Hall’s… hand offense… but the hand is too damaged to deliver the chokeslam. And wow, he’s actually bleeding from it. He tries powering through, but the nWo run in for the DQ at 5:12. This was terrible, and Nash was pretty subdued on commentary too, not nearly as funny or charming as usual. Afterwards, the locker room runs out to make the save, and we have a massive brawl to close the show, as a preview for World War 3. DUD
BUExperience: This show had better wrestling than RAW did, but also felt like such a drag, with one nWo beat down segment after another. Hogan coming out and whipping people with his weight belt at every turn, like he’s the skin man from the nightmare episode of Louie, got real annoying real fast. RAW was not a very good show at all, but I’d rather watch that one again than this downer.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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