Original Airdate: January 26, 1998
From Fort Wayne, Indiana; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, and Bobby Heenan
Ultimo Dragon v El Dandy: Dandy holds a wristlock to start, as Raven’s Flock makes their way through the crowd to their seats. Dragon outmoves him and uses a series of kicks to take control, but a handspring backelbow misses, allowing Dandy a right. Bodyslam sets up a flying backelbow drop for two, but Dragon blocks a backdrop, and delivers a leg-feed enzuigiri. Dragon tries a rana off the top, but Dandy blocks, so Dragon dropkicks him instead. Springboard moonsault press connects, and he gets the Dragon Sleeper on right away at 2:36. This was too short to really be anything. ½*
Lex Luger was disgusted by what Kevin Nash did to Giant at Souled Out
Gene Okerlund and the Nitro Girls are at a frat house in Chattanooga Tennessee with the winners of the Nitro Party contest. It’s basically just a full on college frat party, and hopefully someone kept an eye on those poor Nitro Girls
Bill Goldberg v Brad Armstrong: Brad attacks before the bell, and makes a go of it at unloading on Goldberg, but Bill starts no-selling in short order. Goldberg with a press-powerslam, so Brad bails, but Bill drags him back in. Brad steals the high ground that way, and hammers him again, but Goldberg is in no-sell mode, forget about it. Goldberg with the spear and Jackhammer at 1:46. There was a fun energy to this one, and Goldberg is really getting over. ¼*
WCW United States Champion Diamond Dallas Page has pimples
Mike Tenay brings JJ Dillon out to… basically give no update on Giant’s condition after getting dropped on his neck by Kevin Nash at Souled Out. But Dillon does have one bombshell this week: the jackknife powerbomb is officially banned, and if Nash uses it, he’ll not only be escorted from the venue, and WCW will potentially prosecute him criminally. I get that the botch gave them a built in angle, and it’s smart to capitalize, but the powerbomb is hardly the biggest offender on the list of dangerous moves at this point. I mean, we could do a Top Five just from Scott Steiner’s stuff
Jerry Flynn v Konnan: Jerry dominates him early on, so Vincent aids with a distraction, and Konnan clobbers. Konnan with a rolling clothesline, and a snapmare sets up a seated dropkick. Konnan with an overhead armdrag, but Flynn fights him off, and dumps him to the outside for a plancha. Inside, Jerry unloads with kicks in the corner, and a powerslam gets him two. Clothesline finds the mark, but Konnan reverses a cradle for two. Jerry responds with another series of strikes, but an enzuigiri misses, and Konnan hooks the Tequila Sunrise at 4:29. This was kind of a mess, and got worse the longer it went on. ¼*
Back at the frat party, Gene talks to one of the college kids, and seriously, someone keep an eye on those Nitro Girls
Tenay brings Steve McMichael out to talk about last night’s Super Bowl, but Steve isn’t interested in talking about the past, he wants some competition in the ring. That draws Davey Boy Smith out (in his surprise debut), and he’s up to the challenge. Starting right at the top, I see
Rick Steiner v Buff Bagwell: Bagwell attacks before the bell, and unloads, but takes a backdrop out of the ropes, and Rick suplexes him. Buff bails, but still takes an atomic drop on the way back in, and Rick drops him into the turnbuckles. Steiner is really letting Bagwell have it tonight. Rick with a ten-punch, but Bagwell fights him off with a hotshot, and delivers a backelbow. Bagwell dumps Rick to the outside for Vincent at abuse, but Steiner fights him off, so Buff gets back in business with a snapmare into a chinlock. Bagwell with a bodyslam to set up a 2nd rope dive, but Rick dodges, and makes a comeback. Powerslam and a superplex lead to an elbowdrop, so Vincent trips him up, and Bagwell delivers a swinging neckbreaker for two. Scott Steiner suddenly shows up to attack Vincent, as Rick dives with a flying bulldog on Bagwell. Cover, count, but Scott decides to press Vincent into the ring before the pin is counted, and Rick is disqualified at 5:13. Rick was really working rough with Bagwell here, the kind of stuff usually reserved for jobbers or other tough guys. *
Kevin Nash and Eric Bischoff come out to laugh off the powerbomb ban, and crack jokes about Giant
Jim Neidhart v Wayne Bloom: Bloom grabs a headlock at the bell, but Jim quickly escapes, and they measure each other some. Bloom manages a drop-toehold to set up an elbowdrop, and he goes back to the headlock, with more success this time. Jim manages a hiptoss, so Bloom bails, but Anvil chases. He loses the high ground and gets nailed, allowing Bloom a suplex on the floor, but Jim beats the count. Bloom with a sloppy suplex for two, and a flying axehandle is worth two. Bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop, but Jim rolls out of the way, and cross corner whips him. Charge hits boot, allowing Bloom to go up with a flying bodypress, but Anvil catches him in a powerslam at 2:42. Both guys were trying here, but Neidhart was definitely well past his expiration date by this point. ¾*
Tenay brings Ray Traylor out to offer his thoughts on Kevin Nash/Giant. Thank God, now I can sleep tonight
Chavo Guerrero Jr v Psychosis: Psychosis blitzes him, and connects with a corner dropkick early on. He drops Chavo across the top rope, but a snake-eyes gets blocked, and Chavo absolutely knocks Psychosis’ block off with a clothesline. Guerrero with a victory roll for two, and he takes it to the mat with a side-headlock. Psychosis reverses, so Chavo forces a criss cross, and a springboard bulldog gets him two. To the top, where Psychosis takes a big bump to the outside, and Chavo does a dive out after him. Chavo goes upstairs on the way back in, but gets crotched. That allows Psychosis a side superplex, but Guerrero topples him for two on the way down. Chavo with a bridging German suplex for two, but Psychosis throws a spinheel kick as they criss cross. Psychosis goes upstairs, but it’s his turn to get crotched, and Guerrero tries a superplex, but gets blocked. That allows Psychosis a flying legdrop, and we’re done at 4:47. This didn’t flow very well, but it was fine. * ¼
Juventud Guerrera v Louie Spicolli: Guerrera fights off an attack early on, so Louie tries backdropping him over the top, but Guerrera lands on the apron. Guerrera comes at him with a springboard flying dropkick, but Louie comes back with a vertical suplex to set up a kneedrop. We cut away from the match to cut to the outside of the building, where Randy Savage has arrived, and he charges down to the ring, attacking Guerrera for the DQ at 2:19. Boy, sure lucky that camera crew was patrolling the parking area at that exact moment, huh? Afterwards, Savage rants and raves as he calls out Lex Luger, but gets the nWo instead. Savage is furious at them for not backing him up better at Souled Out, and they do the usual bit where they nearly all come to blows, before nothing comes of it. ¼*
Back at the frat house, the games have begun
Raven's Rules Match: Raven v Mortis: Mortis charges with a corner dropkick to the crotch while Raven is seated in the corner, and they spill right to the outside for a brawl. Raven gets whipped into the steps out there, and sent into the guardrail next. Mortis with a rocker dropper on the steps, as the announcers speculate that Raven may be a little bit of a weirdo. No! Really?! What gave you that idea? Inside, Mortis with a short-knee, so Raven responds in kind, and both guys end up down. Back to the outside, Raven springboards off of the steps with a high knee, lets Mortis get to his feet… and then does it again. Inside with a cross corner whip, but Mortis reverses, and hits a hotshot. Mortis with a pair of dropkicks and a death valley driver for two, followed by a schoolboy for two. Inside cradle only gets two, so Mortis grabs a chair, but misses a swing - allowing Raven a quick DDT for the pin at 5:30. This was another one where both guys were trying, but it just didn’t come together right. *
WCW United States Title Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Wrath: They do some measuring early, with Page getting overpowered, but hanging in. Dallas manages a Russian legsweep, but Wrath comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker before he can follow up. Wrath works him over in dull fashion, and he lands a flying clothesline for two. Another tilt-a-whirl, but Page blocks, and makes a comeback. Diamond Cutter, but Mortis is back, and Wrath is able to gain control again. Mortis tries a cheap shot, but Page fights it off, and the Cutter finishes at 4:41. This was okay to a degree, but Wrath had, like, nothing on offense, which killed whatever it had going for it. Afterwards, Wrath beats up Mortis, though they don’t make it very clear if that was a babyface turn and/or break up. ½*
Tenay brings Bret Hart out to basically say nothing, really. Lot of that going around tonight
Gene is still hobnobbing with the college kids
WCW Television Title Match: Booker T v Saturn: Booker lands a jumping forearm for two early on, and he holds an armbar from there. Hiptoss, but Saturn tries to reverse, so Booker short-clotheslines him to block, and it’s back to the armbar. Booker with a savate kick to send Saturn to the outside, but the challenger manages to sweep him, and a snapmare sets up a legdrop on the way back in. Reversal sequence ends in Saturn delivering a suplex for two, so Booker tries a victory cradle for two, but gets cut off with a clothesline. Saturn with a cradle for two, and he rattles the champion with a turnbuckle smash. Vertical suplex, but Booker reverses, so Saturn hooks him in a small package for two to cut him off again. Clothesline gets two, and a springboard clothesline is worth two. Oklahoma roll gets the challenger two, and a powerslam gets two - Saturn becoming increasingly desperate. That desperation allows Booker to fight back, and the Harlem sidekick finds the mark, as does the axekick. Sidewalk slam looks to set up the Harlem Hangover, so Van Hammer attacks for the DQ at 7:15. A solid match with a crappy finish. But not an inappropriate finish for TV. Afterwards, the Flock beat Booker down, until Rick Martel makes the save. * ½
Tenay brings WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho out to add insult to injury by dedicating his new title to Rey Mysterio Jr
Steve McMichael v Davey Boy Smith: Steve attacks as Davey is climbing into the ring, and McMichael unloads. McMichael with a sidewalk slam, and another slam gets Mongo two. Three-point stance finds the mark, and he calls for the tombstone, but Bulldog hits him with a clothesline before he can deliver it. Bulldog with a backelbow, and a hanging vertical suplex gets him two. Looked like Davey wanted to do a hanging version there, but didn’t have it. Corner charge, but Mongo uses an elbow to block. His own charge goes badly, however, and Davey delivers the running powerslam at 3:02. This wasn’t a great debut, with Davey looking out of shape, and easily blown up here. It’s hard to believe he was only 35 at the time, he seemed really old. Not to mention that he could barely get McMichael up for some of his stuff, which looked horrible. DUD
Ray Traylor v Kevin Nash: Nash throws coffee in his eyes, delivers a low blow, and uses the powerbomb for the DQ at 0:28. Boy, that referee sure gave him a lot of leniency there. Afterwards, Nash is hauled off in handcuffs, shouting ‘Attica’ over and over again along the way. DUD
Lex Luger v Scott Hall: Hall talks shit at Larry before the match, and Larry goes after him, but gets blocked by security. Hall attacks before the bell, and unloads in the corner, but Luger turns the tables. Lex puts the boots to him, and a ten-punch count rattles Scott, so he goes to the eyes. Luger powers through with a powerslam, and it’s torture rack time, but Randy Savage runs in for the DQ at 2:41. This was just two guys twiddling their thumbs before the run in. Afterwards, Savage beats Luger down, until Sting makes the save (complete with a cool spot where he knocks Macho off the top rope while rappelling from the ceiling). “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” exclaims Heenan. What? This exact scene plays out nearly every week. DUD
BUExperience: This was the first regularly scheduled three hour Nitro, and while it did a monster rating (Nitro’s highest competitive number to that point) the episode itself was nothing special. Not to mention really long.
RAW was better, though neither show was a big deal this week.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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