Original Airdate: January 5, 1998
From Atlanta, Georgia; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (hour one) and with Bobby Heenan (hour two and three)
The nWo arrive outside of the building, and the announcers are making a federal case about the fact that they hired two limousines. Really? Some ten massive, sweaty guys not wanting to sardine themselves is shocking? They’ve got the money, they want to be comfortable!
Gene Okerlund brings JJ Dillon out to talk about how the show went off the air last week without showing the finish of the Sting/Hollywood Hulk Hogan match for the WCW World title. He apologizes for it, but apparently they can’t show the finish since it’s ‘locked in a judge’s chambers,’ and won’t be released until at least 24 hours from now. BUT, if you tune into this new show called Thunder, they’ll be airing the finish of the match, and you can see it. I get wanting to promote the debut episode of Thunder, but this excuse is super weak
WCW United States Title Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Chris Jericho: Jericho takes the microphone before the bell, apologizing for throwing a tantrum after losing to Curt Hennig last week. Meanwhile, the announcers are still over analyzing the nWo’s driving arrangements. Page with a swinging neckbreaker during the initial criss cross, so Jericho offers a handshake, which Page accepts. Another criss cross ends in Jericho hitting a dropkick, and he wins a battle over a wristlock by grabbing the hair. He feels badly about it, though, and offers another handshake - only to take a shot when Page accepts! Dallas fights him off, however, and the Diamond Cutter puts it away at 1:56. Afterwards, Jericho throws another tantrum. ¼*
Gene brings WCW’s head legal counsel out to talk about the controversy with the tape of the Sting/Hogan match, and he basically says nothing, just a bunch of bullshit legalese
Stevie Ray v Bill Goldberg: Bill attacks before the bell, and hammers Stevie in the corner. Suplex, but Stevie reverses, and he adds a jumping clothesline for two. Corner whip works, but the charge in doesn’t, and Goldberg steamrolls him with a clothesline. Powerslam follows, and a kneedrop gets two. Bill works a chinlock, but a corner charge hits an elbow, and Stevie superkicks him. Stevie hammers him in the corner, but Goldberg recovers with a spear, and the Jackhammer finishes at 2:55. This was rough going. DUD
Nitro Girls
Barbarian v John Nord: Nord gets the better of a power showdown to start, and he sends Barbarian over the top, then dives with a plancha. Nord feeds Barbarian the steps and the guardrail, and John with a Samoan drop on the way back inside. Trio of elbowdrops follow, so Jimmy Hart distracts him, and Barbarian is able to attack. Big boot sends Nord over the top, and a vertical suplex brings him back in. Barbarian with a pumphandle-suplex for two, but a corner charge hits boot. That allows Nord his own charge, but Barbarian dodges, and Nord takes another bump over the top. Barbarian pounds him on the way back in, but Nord blocks a superplex, and dives with a 2nd rope elbowdrop. That allows John to apply a modified reverse chinlock, and Barbarian submits at 4:49. This was a weird case in that both guys looked great, but the match wasn’t. ¾*
Gene brings Eric Bischoff out so Eric can deny that there are any problems in the nWo. He also clarifies that the tape is not locked in any ‘judge’s chambers,’ WCW is just scared to show Hogan beating Sting again, just as he did at Starrcade. But, we’ll all see it this Thursday on Thunder!
#1 Contender's Match: Psychosis v Juventud Guerrera: Winner gets a WCW Cruiserweight title match on Thunder. Psychosis with an armdrag to start, and he works a headlock, but Juvi forces a criss cross, so Psychosis clotheslines him. Corner splash misses, however, allowing Guerrera to throw a series of chops, followed by a headscissors takedown. Juvi with a springboard flying dropkick to send Psychosis to the outside, and Guerrera dives after him with a corkscrew. Juvi tries a suplex back in, but Psychosis crotches him on the top rope to block it, and Psychosis knocks him off with a flying spinheel kick. Psychosis with a modified sitout facebuster for two, and a dropkick finds the mark. Psychosis tries a flying guillotine legdrop, but Guerrera dodges, and delivers a springboard missile dropkick. Guerrera with some mounted punches, but Psychosis counters the Juvi Driver with a gourdbuster. Powerbomb, but Juvi fights him off with chops. He goes up for a dive, but Psychosis blocks with a dropkick. He tries for the powerbomb again, but Guerrera counters with a DDT this time, and Juvi goes up for a flying 450 splash at 5:47. This had flow issues, and a dead crowd, but it was mostly decent. It was nice to hear Larry not shitting all over the cruiserweights, though. * ½
We take a look back at the April 7 episode of Nitro, when the nWo were also in disarray, but ultimately buried the hatchet
Nitro Girls shake it
Gene brings WCW Television Champion Booker T out, and that title belt just looks right on this man. He confirms that Gene can dig it
WCW Television Title Match: Booker T v Prince Iaukea: Feeling out process to start, as the announcers do their usual: talk about literally anything other than whatever match is currently taking place. Booker gets control, and lands the axekick for two, but the Harlem sidekick misses, and the champ ends up on the outside. Prince dives after him with a flying bodypress, but a springboard version on the way back in is countered with a powerslam. Booker adds a spinkick, as Bobby claims that Seinfeld announced they are ending their show because they’re afraid to go head-to-head with Thunder, and that Kramer may become the next TV champion. Booker with a sidewalk slam to set up Harlem Hangover, and he retains at 2:58. Not much to it, but it was okay for what it was. ½*
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Ray Traylor and The Steiner Brothers v Konnan, Buff Bagwell, and Scott Norton: Ray starts with Konnan, and misses a charge right away, allowing Konnan a rolling clothesline. DDT, so Scott Steiner runs in to cut it off, and he delivers mounted punches on Konnan. Scott Steiner is looking insanely big at this point, even compared to his already very large look in the years before this. The babyfaces clean house, and the dust settles on Rick Steiner with Buff. Rick mocks him, so Bagwell unloads with rights, but Rick fights back with a powerslam. Clothesline gets Rick two, and he passes back to Ray for a wristlock, but Buff goes to the eyes to shake him off. Tag to Norton, and he hits boot on a corner charge, allowing Ray to get fired up. Tag to Rick for a flying clothesline, but Vincent is distracting the referee, so no count. That allows the nWo to turn the tide, and they work Rick over. Buff blockbuster gets blocked, allowing the tag to Scott, and Roseanne Barr the door! Scott gives Konnan a nasty looking electric chair and the Steiner Screwdriver finishes at 7:19, giving them the win back after having to job at Starrcade to appease Randy Savage. Scott seemed pissed at Konnan for whatever reason here. ¾*
Nitro Girls kick it
Nitro Party video. Serious party this week, with what looks like at least a hundred people, outdoors, with the show projected on a big screen
Brad Armstrong v Rick Martel: This is Martel’s WCW debut, and his first televised match since the summer of 1995. It’s also his first appearance in either of the Big Two since the 1995 Royal Rumble match, and the first individual effort since the RAW taping after WrestleMania X. And speaking of the WWF, Tenay had been hyping that a ‘former WWF tag team champion’ would be debuting tonight, and this is it. Feeling out process to start, and Rick controls with a rollup for two. Brad fights back with a side-headlock, but Martel side suplexes his way out of it, and dives with a 2nd rope clothesline. Gutwrench suplex and a dropkick connect, so Armstrong begs off, and takes a cheap shot. That allows Armstrong a side suplex of his own, but Martel quickly comes back with a rotating spinebuster, and the Boston crab finishes at 2:56. The match was nothing, but Martel looked pretty good. ½*
Nitro Girls. They’re all over the show this week
Steve McMichael and Chris Benoit v Saturn and Scotty Riggs: Benoit and Saturn start, and Riggs takes a cheap shot almost immediately. Saturn looks to capitalize, but Benoit fights off the attack, and side suplexes him. Over to Mongo for a front-powerslam, so Riggs runs in on him, but Steve fights him off. Just not Scotty’s night. Saturn finally manages to take Steve down for an official tag to Riggs, and Scott bodypresses him. The Flock work Steve over, but he blocks a tandem suplex, and gets the tag to Benoit - Roseanne Barr the door! Poor Tony just can’t get on brand, continually referring to them as ‘Raven’s Nest.’ Anyway, Benoit looks to put Saturn away, so Billy Kidman distracts the official, allowing Raven to slide in with a DDT. Saturn covers, and that’s the pin at 6:12. Pretty dull stuff, and McMichael looked notably bad throughout. ¼*
Gene brings Ric Flair out, and Flair is still fuming about people calling Bret Hart the best wrestler around, since that’s his gimmick. That draws Hart out, clarifying that he’s not just the best today - he’s the best there is, was, and ever will be. Mixed reaction for Bret here in Flair country, and he honestly looks a little uncomfortable and stiff here. Montreal really took the wind out his sails forever. So they get into a debate over who’s the best (with Bret getting a good line in about how he thought he already ‘beat the man to become the man’ before), and though nothing actually comes out of it at this point, this was a strong segment
Lex Luger v Randy Savage: JJ Dillon comes out to boot Nick Patrick off of refereeing duties before the bell, suspending him in the process. All well and good, but in kayfabe, why in the world would he wait until this moment to do that? Starrcade was over a week ago, why would he wait this long? Savage manages a sneak attack when Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton distract Luger, and Macho ropechokes him. Savage with a cross corner whip to rebound Lex into a backelbow for two, and a suplex is worth two. Gutwrench suplex gets him two, and some mounted punches are worth two. Savage with a bodyslam to set up the flying elbowdrop, but Lex gets vertical, so Macho tries a flying axehandle, but Luger blocks. Luger makes a comeback, but Savage bails before he can apply the torture rack. Lex follows, but Macho sends him into the rail out there, and he dives with a flying axehandle on the floor. Back in for a suplex, but Lex flash pins him with an inside cradle at 4:16. Afterwards, Savage attacks him, so Hollywood Hulk Hogan gets in his face, and Kevin Nash randomly shoves Randy to the ground. Hulk tries to cool things down, but before they can advance on Lex, WCW World Champion Sting runs in to back his fellow WCW member up! Kind of weird that he spent a year flying down to the ring to make saves, and now he just kind of runs out like anyone else. ¼*
BUExperience: Oh man, WCW is really getting difficult to stomach at this point. They’re just so self congratulatory so much of the time, and then they pull these blatant cheap tactics like ending the show without the finish of a match, and then hiding the finish behind some murky legalese in order to get you to tune in to another show to find out the conclusion of a match that you were supposed to see a week before. Which, in itself was supposed to settle a controversy in the finish of the pay per view you paid to see the night before that.
RAW wasn’t a great show, but it actually felt like a promotion with direction, while WCW just seemed to think they were so ahead of the curve, and so untouchable that they could thumb their nose at their audience without consequence.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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