Original Airdate: April 13, 1998
From Minneapolis, Minnesota; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (first half) and Bobby Heenan (second half)
Nitro Girls open us up
Fit Finlay v Scott Steiner: Scott immediately bails to the outside to chat with Vincent for some stalling, which offends Larry. Of all people. Scott with a takedown once they get started, and it’s hard for me to believe that Steiner is only 35 at this point. He looks old, and not just because of the white hair. Scott with a clothesline, and he goes to the outside to yell at Larry Hennig (in the crowd), allowing Finlay to recover. He corner whips Scott, but misses a charge in, and Scott superplexes him to set up the camel clutch at 3:02. ¼*
Bret Hart gives a pre-taped interview about how he’s sick of crying about Montreal, and from now on, he’s gonna be on the lookout for anyone getting screwed, which he promises to put a stop to. Unless, of course, you’re a third shift Denny’s waitress, in which case expect lots of screwing from Bret Hart
Ultimo Dragon v Lenny Lane: Feeling out process to start, dominated by Dragon. Dropkick knocks Lenny on his ass, and a headscissors takedown puts him back there, but Lane counters a backdrop with a matslam. Lenny with a series of turnbuckle smashes, and a vertical suplex gets him two. Backdrop, but Dragon counters with a sunset flip for two. Victory roll, but Lane drops him across the top rope to block, and a clothesline gets him two. Lane works a chinlock from there, but a cross corner whip gets reversed on him, and Dragon makes a comeback. Spinheel kick misses, allowing Lenny to dump him to the outside, and Lane dives with a plancha - Dragon blocking. Lane recovers with a powerslam on the way back in for two, and a cross corner whip sets up a one-handed bulldog for two on the rebound. Lenny tries a suplex, but Dragon counters to the Dragon Sleeper at 5:13. Fun! **
More from Bret Hart, who clarifies that ‘all he cares about’ is winning a world title. You don’t say?!
Gene Okerlund is backstage with Roddy Piper, and his ranting about Hollywood Hulk Hogan draws an attack from Hulk and Disciple, just as Piper tries booking Hogan against Kevin Nash for tonight
Gene brings Giant out to react to what happened to Piper backstage. Where was he when it was happening? Some partner
Chavo Guerrero Jr v Johnny Grunge: Sophie must have been booking on random tonight. Some weird ass combinations - I love it! Grunge works a wristlock to start, but Chavo reverses on him, so Johnny goes to the eyes. Grunge tries a charge, but Chavo blocks with a drop-toehold, and uses an armdrag into an armbar. Grunge escapes with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Chavo reverses a turnbuckle smash on him, and unloads a series of them. An uppercut gets Guerrero two, and a swinging neckbreaker leads to a flying sunset flip, but Grunge reverses the cradle at 2:32. Chavo’s doing clean jobs for Johnny Grunge in 1998? What a world. ½*
More soundbites from Bret, who is excited at the prospect of Hogan and Nash killing each other off
Nitro Bunnies
Starburst Road Report
Kevin Nash comes out, announcing that Hogan has run out of the building, apparently terrified at having to face Nash tonight. So Nash decides to move on to challenging Sting for the WCW World title instead. That draws Sting out to accept, and he’ll even let Nash use the powerbomb. Sting isn’t, like, the smartest, is he?
Glacier v Chris Benoit: Glacier unloads with kicks to start, until Benoit counters with a corkscrew legwhip, and Chris unloads in the corner. Glacier goes low to buy time, and a turnbuckle smash allows him to unload in the corner as well. Glacier with a cross corner whip to set up a roundhouse kick for two, but Benoit fights back with a schoolboy, followed by chops. Glacier fights him off with another kick, as Larry goes on one of his old man rants about… karate movies…?? I’m guessing he’s not a Quentin Tarantino fan. Benoit fights back with a suplex, so Glacier starts throwing (you guessed it) more kicks, until Chris counters to the crippler crossface at 4:20. ½*
Lex Luger v Buff Bagwell: How many times did they run this stupid match? They measure each other early on, and Luger takes control of things by clotheslining Bagwell over the top. Buff takes control on the way in, and works a reverse chinlock, but Luger quickly fights him off, and makes a comeback. Torture rack looks to finish, so Eric Bischoff runs in for the DQ at 5:50. Afterwards, Bagwell and Bischoff attack, but Rick Steiner makes the save. DUD
More from Bret, who wishes Randy Savage would ‘be a man’ and leave the nWo. Oh, so Bret was to blame for that song?
Nitro Girls are back in black
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Chris Jericho v Super Calo: Jericho attacks before the bell, and goes to work on his challenger. Chris with a vertical suplex for two, but a pair of clotheslines miss, and Calo cradles for two. Jericho cuts him off with a big boot, and a snapmare allows the champion to work a chinlock. Jericho with a bodyslam to set up a slingshot splash for two, so Calo tries a dropkick, but Chris stops short to block. Jericho with a gutwrench suplex, and a cross corner clothesline finds the mark. Calo comes back with a drop-toehold to buy enough time for a missile dropkick for two, so Chris throws a spinkick, but takes a bump to the outside when he misses a charge. That allows Calo a flying bodypress on the floor, but another dive ends in Jericho crotching him on the top turnbuckle. Chris tries capitazing with a superplex, but Calo dumps him to the mat, and dives - only for Jericho to block, and get the Liontamer on at 5:03. Afterwards, Prince Iaukea runs out to chase Jericho off ahead of their title match at Spring Stampede. * ½
Bret talks about all the guys he respects in WCW. Apparently the guy he trusts the most is Sting. I’m guessing there were tears in the Neidhart/Smith households that night
Perry Saturn v Hammer: They both beat up Kidman before the bell, and Hammer dominates. He slams Saturn off the top, but Perry fights him off, and unloads in the corner. Snapmare allows Saturn an armbar, but Hammer suplexes his way free, so Saturn tries a suplex of his own, but Hammer blocks. Hammer with a short-clothesline, but a corner charge misses, and Saturn superkicks him down. A suplex follows, and the Rings of Saturn finish at 3:17. This didn’t click at all. DUD
Bill Goldberg v Rocco Rock: Rock tries a headlock at the bell, so Goldberg just chucks him across the ring. Shoulderblock follows, so Rock jaws at him, but gets clocked. Goldberg with a biel, so Rocco bails, but Bill is on his tail. Rock dodges a punch against the post, allowing him to turn the tide on the outside. Rock brings a table into the ring, but Goldberg spears him through it, and delivers a Jackhammer at 2:38. Afterwards, the Flock attack, but Goldberg fights them off, as Raven holds Saturn back from getting involved. ¼*
Goldberg hype video. Wouldn’t this have been better placed elsewhere on the card?
Nitro Girls
Nitro Party video
Yuji Nagata v Curt Hennig: Curt’s dad and Rick Rude’s dad are both in the front row tonight. Nagata tries attacking while Curt pays his respects, but Hennig wins a criss cross with a dropkick, and Nagata bails. Rude beats him up on the outside in front of their dads, but Nagata manages a suplex on the way back in, so Rude assists with a distraction to allow Hennig to turn the tide back. Boy, Sonny Onoo is useless. Curt unloads in the corner, and sets up the fisherman’s suplex, before deciding to toss Nagata to the outside for his dad to hit. Larry just taunts him instead, however, and Curt finishes with the suplex at 2:52. Nagata looked like a joke here. Afterwards, Curt and Rick deliver a beatdown, but Jim Neidhart makes the save. You’ve got to be really, really low on the totem pole when Jim Neidhart is saving you in 1998. ¼*
WCW Television Title Match: Booker T v La Parka: Booker manages a backdrop early, and a clothesline gets him two. He works an armbar, but Parka reverses, so Booker savate kicks him off. Clothesline sends Parka over the top, but Parka kicks him low on the way back in. Criss cross results in a double knockout, but Booker recovers first with a spinebuster. Suplex, but Parka blocks, so Booker goes to the axekick instead. Flapjack follows, and the Harlem sidekick leads to a missile dropkick at 3:26. Afterwards, Parka tries attacking with a chair, but Chris Benoit saves, not wanting Booker to have any excuse to get out of their title match on Sunday. ¼*
WCW United States Title Match: Diamond Dallas Page v Robbie Rage: A lot of tag wrestlers moonlighting as singles this week. Crazy Sophie. Page dominates, and a corner whip allows him a side suplex, so Kenny Kaos trips him up. That allows Rage a powerslam to set up a springboard flying splash for two, but Page comes back with a schoolboy for two. Rage takes him into the corner for chops, but Dallas fights that off, and crotches him on the post. Swinging neckbreaker follows, and the Diamond Cutter finishes at 2:59. Afterwards, the Flock show up to attack, and once again a fan hops out of the crowd to attack Raven. What was it about Raven that was drawing multiple fan attacks during this period? I mean, he’s a good heel, but he doesn’t generally take shots at the fans. Like, Jerry Lawler was frequently more offensive between 1993-1996, but no one was hopping over the rail trying to kill him in the WWF. ½*
Rick Steiner v Konnan: Wait, so La Parka gets a TV title match, Rage gets a US title match, and Rick is stuck wrestling Konnan? No wonder he didn’t want to break up the tag team. Konnan tries a sneak attack, but Rick quickly fights him off, and slams Konnan into the buckles. Konnan bails, so Vincent helps him double team, but Ted DiBiase saves. He’s been getting more and more physical lately. Inside, Konnan with a rolling clothesline, and a snapmare sets up a seated dropkick. Armbar, but Rick escapes with a slam for two, and a powerslam wins him a criss cross. Clothesline connects, and a flying bulldog puts it away at 3:28. ¼*
nWo dissension video
WCW World Title Match: Sting v Kevin Nash: Nash tries stealing the belt before the bell, so Sting pounds him into the corner for a ten-punch. Sting adds a clothesline, but Nash reverses a cross corner whip, and delivers a snake eyes. Nash with a straddling ropechoke, and a turnbuckle smash leaves Sting in the corner for a bootchoke. Cross corner clothesline connects, and he unloads in the corner, but Sting starts fighting back. Bodyslam, but Kevin topples him for two, and delivers an elbowdrop for two. Headvice follows, but Sting slugs free, so Nash backelbows him down. Nash with a gutwrench powerbomb for two, and a sidewalk slam gets another two. Bearhug, but Sting escapes, and delivers a pair of Stinger splashes. Standing dropkick leads to another Stinger splash, and it’s Scorpion deathlock time, but Randy Savage breaks it up behind the referee’s back. That allows Nash to hook the leg for a dramatic two, and the powerbomb looks to finish, but Bret Hart pulls out the referee, causing a DQ at 8:26. Another terrible outing from these two. Afterwards, Bret puts Kevin in the Sharpshooter, but the nWo make the save, and it’s a big brawl to end the show. ¼*
BUExperience: I’m torn. On the one hand, RAW spent its entire run time building to a match that ended up being a complete bait-and-switch, and was filled with every horrible ‘crash TV’ booking concept you can think of. On the other hand, Nitro was solid, but also felt extremely long compared to how light RAW did. Both shows did a good job of staying focused on building their next pay per view, which is a big plus in both columns.
Let’s call it a push this week.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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