Original Airdate: February 9, 1998
From El Paso, Texas; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Bobby Heenan joining in hour two. Larry Zbyszko is mysteriously absent
Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff join us to start, and they’re sick of Randy Savage’s wackiness, and Hulk wants to teach him a lesson in the form of a match tonight. That draws Savage out in the crowd to accept. This was short, and to the point. And given both men’s penchant for rambling, that was very welcome
Nitro Girls
Steve McMichael v Glacier: Glacier with a few kicks to get Mongo into the corner for… more kicks… but he wastes times showboating, and gets clobbered. Steve with a backdrop, as Louie Spicolli shows up to speculate about where Larry is. Inside, Glacier tries a wristlock, but Steve reverses, and is Glacier a heel now? Glacier with a hotshot for two, and he dumps Steve to the outside as a taunt. Inside, Glacier with a snap suplex, but a 2nd rope axehandle gets blocked, and Steve makes a comeback. Tombstone and good night at 4:06. This was a train wreck. Afterwards, Mortis runs in on McMichael, and does Steve really need two active feuds at once? Like, I get wanting to give him something to do, but let’s not make him any kind of a focus, please. -¼*
Norman Smiley v Konnan: In a sad moment, Spicolli wishes himself a happy birthday, in what would be just days before his untimely death. They feel each other out to start, and Norman gets control with an overhead armdrag, and a pair of dropkicks to put Konnan on the outside. Back in, Norman continues to control, and a snapmare sets up a chinlock, but Konnan starts outmoving him, and catches Smiley with a clothesline. Konnan with a snapmare to set up a seated dropkick, and he puts Norman in a modified keylock, before absolutely drilling him with a DDT. Corner whip, but the charge in ends badly, and Smiley uses a northern lights suplex for two. They trade cradles for two counts, until Konnan drops him with a cradle DDT, and the Tequila Sunrise ends it at 4:40. One thing I really liked about WCW during this period is that, because they had such a deep roster, their cards had real variety. Not everything was great, necessarily, but there was a lot of uniqueness, and that can be great in its own right. *
Tenay brings a GM executive out to announce a new driver for the WCW race car. This was kind of a weird segment, both because the exec looked super nervous and sweaty, and also because I’m pretty sure it was actually pre-taped, with crowd noise added in later to make it appear live
Nick Patrick comes out to try and clear his name again, but JJ Dillon has him ejected from the building
Disco Inferno v Yuji Nagata: Nagata attacks from behind, and absolutely nails Disco with a kick. Side suplex leads to the Nagata Lock, but Disco gets the ropes before he can get it applied. Nagata with another kick for two, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Disco clobbers him. Swinging neckbreaker gets him two, so Nagata punches him in the throat, and delivers an overhead suplex. Koppou kick gets Yuji two, and an overhead belly-to-belly suplex follows. Nagata Lock, but Sonny Onoo wants more punishment first. Nagata obliges with a bodyslam to set up a 2nd rope fistdrop, but Disco dodges, and a jawbreaker finishes at 2:59. *
Tenay brings Lex Luger out, and Luger doesn’t care what happens between Hogan and Savage tonight, so long as he can pick up the pieces. Where’s Gene Okerlund? He’s been AWOL since that frat party a few weeks back. One of his infamous contract negotiations?
Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero v Dean Malenko and Chavo Guerrero Jr: Eddie jumps Chavo to kickstart the match, and they spill to the outside. Eddie tries a whip into the guardrail out there, but Chavo reverses, and in they go, trading chops. Eddie tries a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Chavo reverses, then backdrops him. Dropkick finds the mark, so Eddie begs off, and tags out. Jericho is still wearing the WCW Cruiserweight title belt, just to be Jericho. The referee makes him give it up, but Chris still manages to grab a headlock. Chavo forces a criss cross, and takes him down with a headscissors, then into the corner for a chop. Drop-toehold leads to a springboard bulldog, and Malenko takes a tag ahead of a dropkick. Dean with a turnbuckle smash, and he unloads on Jericho in the corner. Cross corner whip works, but the charge in doesn’t. That allows Jericho a 2nd rope dropkick, but Dean catches him in the Texas cloverleaf, so Eddie saves. Eddie tags in to nail Dean with a jumping backelbow, and he works an abdominal stretch, as the heels get control of the match. They cut the ring in half, until Dean wins a criss cross with Eddie by side suplexing him. He fails to make a tag, however, and Jericho tags in to attack. He chops Dean in the corner, and a butterfly backbreaker gets him two. Bodyslam sets up the Lionsault, but Dean dodges, and makes the tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Chavo misses a dropkick on Jericho, allowing the heels to double up, but Dean saves. Chavo gets to the top for a dive, but Eddie shoves him off before he can dive, and Jericho capitalizes with the Liontamer at 9:03. Great execution all around here, with a fast pace. *** ½
Juventud Guerrera v El Dandy: It’s Spanish for: the dandy! Reversal sequence to start, won by Guerrera with a rana. Dandy tries backdropping him over the top, but Guerrera lands on the apron, so Dandy follows. Guerrera backdrops him over the post to the floor, in a cool spot. and Guerrera dives with a flying bodypress out there. Dandy eats the post out there, but gets control with chops on the way back in. Guerrera with a sunset flip for two, so Dandy tries a powerbomb, but Guerrera counters with a rana - Dandy reversing the cradle for two. Dandy with a magistral cradle, but Guerrera reverses for two, so Dandy goes up - only to miss a dive. That allows Guerrera a scoop sitout brainbuster, and he goes up with the flying 450 splash at 3:34. They were working hard here, with lots of nice reversals. Afterwards, Jericho returns to attack Guerrera, but gets fought off, so he grabs the microphone to attack him verbally instead, and we have a match for SuperBrawl - title v mask! * ½
Bill Goldberg video package
Lord Steven Regal v Bill Goldberg: Regal with a takedown to start, and he starts peppering Goldberg with uppercuts. Regal goes for a hold, but Goldberg counters to a wristlock, and they trade off. Goldberg gets a takedown, but Regal is in the ropes. They trade off on the mat again, and Goldberg manages a side suplex, so Regal clips the leg. That allows Steven to hammer him, until Goldberg fights him off, and delivers a jumping shoulderblock. Spear finds the mark, and the Jackhammer finishes at 5:01. This was an ugly, ugly match, with the style clash proving too much to overcome. And this match apparently got Regal in hot water with management, who felt he was sabotaging Goldberg, and Steven would be out of the promotion before the end of the month. ¼*
Nitro Girls
Nitro Party video
Chris Adams v Louie Spicolli: Spicolli pounds him right away, and lands a dropkick. Into the corner, but an avalanche misses, and Adams side suplexes him, as the Flock makes their way to their seats. Adams with a clothesline and a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Backdrop follows, as the crowd ignores the match to watch the Flock. Adams with a cross corner whip to set up a nice superkick, but Spicolli is too close to the ropes to cover. Louie gets hold of Larry’s briefcase while in the corner, and he blasts Adams for a DQ at 1:56. This was too short to be anything, but it was okay while it lasted. Afterwards, Larry shows up to chase Spicolli off, and he cuts a promo claiming that Spicolli switched his limo driver, sending him to the wrong arena. This was, sadly, Spicolli’s last match, as he died just days later, just as his career was taking off. ¾*
WCW Television Champion Booker T video package
Saturn v Ultimo Dragon: They criss cross right out of the gate, won by Dragon. He unloads with chops and kicks, until Saturn catches a leg, and takes him down in an STF. Dragon makes the ropes, so Saturn overhead suplexes him, and puts the boots to the leg. Another criss cross allows Dragon a headscissor takedown, but Saturn blocks a sunset flip, and delivers a suplex. That allows Saturn a cross-armbreaker, but Dragon is in the ropes to save himself, so Saturn pounds him in the corner instead. Suplex, but Dragon pulls out a small package for two, so Saturn superkicks him. Saturn grabs an inverted cross-armbreaker, but Dragon manages the ropes again, so Saturn pulls him away for a fujiwara armbar. Keylock follows, but Dragon blocks a backdrop, and spinkicks him. That triggers a comeback, but Saturn escapes the Dragon Sleeper. Dragon gets it back in, but Saturn is in the ropes this time, so Dragon uses a springboard moonsault press for two. Rana follows, and a reversal sequence ends in Saturn countering the Sleeper with a cradle at 7:07. They had some nice exchanges here, but ultimately the match dragged significantly, with lots of aimless bits where it felt like they were killing time. * ½
WCW Television Title Raven’s Rules Match: Booker T v Raven: Raven summons the Flock right away, and they attack. Booker holds his own for a while, before getting overwhelmed, and the referee throws it out at 0:48. The Flock continue the beatdown after the bell. This was just an angle. DUD
Randy Savage video package
Hollywood Hulk Hogan v Randy Savage: “I knew there would be a fight in the nWo eventually, but never did I think it’d be between Macho Man and Hogan,” proclaims Heenan. Yeah, because them beefing is just completely unheard of! Savage attacks in the aisle during the entrances, and pounds Hulk into the ring, choking Hollywood with his own t-shirt. Hulk goes to the eyes to shake Randy off, and he hammers Macho with a ten-punch count in the corner. Hulk with an axehandle, and a cross corner clothesline finds the mark. Clothesline sets up an elbowdrop for two, so Savage goes low. Hulk responds in kind before Randy can capitalize, however, and Hogan delivers a side suplex for two. Bodyslam sets up another elbowdrop, and Hulk dumps him to the outside, sending Randy into the rail out there. Again, but Macho reverses, then dives with a flying axehandle - only for Hogan to move, and Savage to crash into the rail. Nice bump from Macho there. Hulk grabs a chair, but Miss Elizabeth pulls it away from him, allowing Savage to recover, and send Hulk into the post. Randy whacks him with the chair a few times, and the flying elbowdrop looks to finish, but Buff Bagwell pulls the referee out at two. WCW World Tag Team Champions the Outsiders, Konnan, and Vincent quickly join to put the boots to Savage, and we have a DQ at 8:22. This was pretty dull. They threw this match out there trying to break a 5.0 rating for the episode, but the match itself was a total sleepwalking effort. ½*
Lex Luger comes out to call out Randy Savage, and Macho is quick to attack, but Sting makes the save for Lex. That quickly draws the nWo back out, and they drop a net from the ceiling to trap all three guys for another beatdown
Nitro Gals
WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Outsiders v The Steiner Brothers: Scott Hall and Rick Steiner start, and Rick wins a slugfest. Jumping clothesline sets up an elbowdrop for two, and he passes to Scott Steiner to keep it going. Hiptoss, but Hall blocks, and chokeslams him. He stops to mock Giant, but that gives Steiner a chance to recover, and he overhead suplexes the champion. Cheap shot from Kevin Nash allows Hall to turn the tide, and the champs work Scott Steiner over. Rick catches a blind tag, and dives on Hall with a flying bulldog to grab the gold at 6:35! Afterwards, Scott seems upset that Rick tagged himself in and scored the win, but gets over it quickly when presented with the title belt. The match was nothing. ½*
BUExperience: This week feels like kind of a push. Nitro had better overall wrestling, and some big developments, but RAW felt more focused, and certainly tighter. I’ll give Nitro a slight edge, but both shows were pretty even this time around.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.