Original Airdate: December 29, 1997
From Baltimore, Maryland; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (hour one) and with Bobby Heenan (hour two). Everyone is in a celebratory mood following Sting’s big WCW World Title win last night, as well as Larry defending WCW’s control of Nitro
Nitro Girls dance to open, as WCW colored balloons drop from the ceiling
Bill Goldberg v Glacier: Glacier attacks before the bell, unloading on Bill in the corner, but Goldberg soon starts no-selling him. Goldberg with a brutal looking spear (you could feel that one through the screen, and the crowd reacts accordingly), and the Jackhammer finishes at 1:01. Someone order squash? ¼*
Gene Okerlund brings Bret Hart out, and the Hitman is proud to be a part of WCW, because the nWo reminds him of the ‘scum he just left behind.’ Anyway, he’s really excited to be here, and ready to have a bunch of great matches with all the great wrestlers in this great organization. Bret was still so bright eyed and bushy tailed at this point. He calls Hollywood Hulk Hogan out directly, noting that Hulk ‘ran away’ from him a few years ago, but there’s nowhere to hide now. Too bad they didn’t deliver that as a top feud, because it could have been interesting. Of course, politics would have likely wrecked it
Chris Benoit v Hammer: Benoit dives into the crowd to go after Raven, but he gets destroyed by the Flock, and they pass him to Hammer after doing sufficient damage. Inside, Hammer delivers a vertical superplex for two, but a corner dropkick misses. That allows Chris to hook the Crippler Crossface on, but the Flock run in for the DQ at 1:42. They go to work, but Steve McMichael runs out to make the save, and they manage to clean house. This wasn’t a match, just an angle. DUD
Gene brings Ric Flair out to read an issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that says that Bret Hart is the greatest wrestler of all time, which Flair takes issue with, and challenges Hart to a match to settle
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero v Ultimo Dragon: Eddie attacks him in the aisle during the entrances, and he ends him into the steps, then takes it in to kick start the match. Guerrero with a powerbomb and a brainbuster, but Dragon counters a superplex with a rana off the top, only for Eddie to block. That allows Guerrero a tornado DDT, but Dragon counters a second powerbomb with the Dragon Sleeper at 1:37. This was really disappointing, considering it probably would have been an excellent match with proper time. ½*
Hollywood Hogan and Eric Bischoff join us, and they’re all upset over getting cheated out of the WCW World title last night, since Hulk pinned Sting clean in the middle of the ring, and then Bret Hart decided to restart the match just because. The official party line is that Hogan’s pin was a ‘fast count,’ but anyone who actually saw it knows that isn’t remotely true. Luckily, they only show still photos of it tonight, so at least they’re not complete idiots. Again, the perfect way to pivot to a Hogan/Hart feud, but that never happened
Nitro Girls DDR
WCW United States Title Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Mortis: The entire first hour had less than five minutes of wrestling. Tony and Mike try to boot Bobby, since he defected to the nWo last week, but Heenan claims that it was all a ploy. Bobby is great playing his part here, and legitimately cracks the others up when he has the gall to call himself a ‘hero.’ Mortis grabs a standing headlock, but Page reverses, and delivers a neckbreaker. Into the corner for a ten-punch count, but Mortis fights him off with an electric facebuster for two. Mortis hammers away in the corner, and a bulldog gets him two. Modified rocker dropper is worth two, but he argues the count, allowing Page a schoolboy for two. Mortis cuts him off with a spinheel kick for two, but an attempt at a fireman’s carry gets countered with the Diamond Cutter at 3:39. This didn’t really gel. They were doing cool moves, but there was no flow. ¾*
Gene brings JJ Dillon out, but his gloating over WCW’s big wins the night before is cut short because Okerlund wants to know about the controversy surrounding the world title. But Dillon won’t hear it, the decision stands, we have a new champion, fuck you Dusty! That said, Sting is sick of hearing the nWo cry, so he told JJ that he’ll put the title up against Hulk (or any nWo member) tonight to settle things
WCW Television Title Match: Disco Inferno v Booker T: They trade hammerlocks to start, and Booker gets the better of a criss cross with a clothesline. He follows with a backelbow for two, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Disco dodges. He wastes time dancing, however, and Booker blasts him with a kick to send the champion to the outside. Booker follows with a whip into the guardrail, but Disco beats the count to the apron, so Booker tries a suplex back in - only for Disco to snap his throat across the top rope to block. Disco unloads in the corner, and an inverted atomic drop leads to a clothesline that sends both guys over the top. Disco took a nasty spill on that one, but he was fine, luckily. He whips Booker into the rail out there, but he telegraphs a backdrop on the way back in, and Booker hooks a schoolboy for two. Disco cuts him off with a clothesline, however, and it’s chinlock time. Booker fights to a vertical base, so Disco uses a swinging neckbreaker for two, but loses a criss cross when Booker throws a jumping forearm. Booker makes a comeback, and a sidewalk slam sets up the Harlem Hangover at 6:54. This was practically an Iron Man match compared to the rest of the card tonight. Solid match, too. * ½
Gene brings Dillon back out, and apparently no one from the nWo has answered Sting’s offer. Well, it’s only been, like, ten minutes. Relax. What is this, the real estate market in 2022? Anyway, Bischoff comes out to formally accept on Hogan’s behalf, and the match is on for tonight
Chris Jericho v Curt Hennig: Curt works a headlock to start, as the announcers make hilarious claims that half the crowd ran for the payphones during the commercial to tell their friends to tune in for Sting/Hogan. Couldn’t they just text? Hennig misses a dropkick, allowing Jericho to send him to the outside, and Curt stalls. Inside, Hennig gets him into the corner to beat on with chops, but Jericho turns the tables, and adds a spinkick. Corner charge, but Hennig lifts his boot to block, and traps Chris in a chinlock. Jericho escapes with a jawbreaker, and he throws a backelbow. Bodyslam sets up the Lionsault, but he fails to rotate, and ends up hitting the knees anyway. That was not pretty. No matter, Curt quickly puts it away with a fisherman suplex at 3:25. This is a total dream match, but only after the fact. Sadly, all it turned out to be was a quickie, featuring an unmotivated Hennig. ½*
Nitro Girls
Scott Hall comes out to remind us that he exists. He looks like Kramer, and his storylines are like his, too
Nitro Party video. The dad looks so embarrassed by it all
Lex Luger v Buff Bagwell: Again?!? Lex chases him around at the bell, but gets clobbered by Scott Norton in the process, and Buff puts the boots to him. Bagwell with a dropkick, and he dumps Lex back to the outside for Norton to post. Inside, Bagwell chokes him down, and a neckbreaker gets him two. Back to the floor for more Norton abuse, and Bagwell delivers a bodyslam on the way back in. Buff Blockbuster, but Lex dodges, and makes a comeback. Torture rack finishes at 3:04. This wasn’t good, but at least it wasn’t good in three minutes instead of seventeen. DUD
WCW World Title Match: Sting v Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Sting charges in, but Hulk puts the boots to him as he slides in, and Hulk gives him a few shots with the title belt. Hulk with a series of elbowdrops, and he chokes the Stinger down, as the announcers continue to say stupid things. Hulk dumps him to the outside for a bodyslam on the floor, and why is Hulk getting to look this strong here? After the huge issue with the non-fast count last night, he should not be getting a word in edgewise against the champion. Sting randomly starts no-selling, and he goes on the comeback trail. Inverted atomic drop draws a Homer Simpson sell from Hulk, but he pokes the eyes to shake the champion off. Hulk with chops in the corner, and a corner clothesline is worth two. Big boot gets two, as Hogan continues to gobble him up. Clothesline, but Sting ducks, and delivers a headbutt drop to the groin. Both guys stagger up, and Hulk goes to the eyes again to keep control. Bodyslam sets up the legdrop, but Sting dodges. Stinger Splash finds the mark, as does a second - only for the show to run out of time, and go off the air at 5:49 shown. I guess it ended in a no-contest at some point, but what a terrible conclusion. I mean, they booked this to try and clear up some of the controversy and bad feelings surrounding the Starrcade match, and then they don’t even air a finish? This should have been Sting destroying Hogan to cement himself as the guy, but I guess expecting Hulk to do that is unrealistic. I won’t officially rate this one, but it wasn’t very good.
BUExperience: This was a hot episode, coming off of WCW’s biggest pay per view ever. And they followed it up with another big show here, featuring lots of things going on, multiple title matches, and two new champions crowned. I’d actually call this a more satisfying show than Starrcade (even with the terrible finish), though that’s not saying much, really.
As 1997 comes to a close, WCW continues to dominate the Monday Night War, extending their ratings win streak to 75, and beating RAW by a full point. But RAW is resurgent, drawing their highest head-to-head number ever, and delivering higher quality shows with increasing frequency.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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