Original Airdate: July 6, 1998
From Atlanta, Georgia; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (first half) and Bobby Heenan (second half)
Nitro Girls
WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan is out, and sure, he’ll give WCW United States Champion Bill Goldberg the title shot tonight… if Goldberg can get through a mystery nWo henchmen first. Nothing special as a promo, but necessary to establish the story - which itself was good, adding some additional drama to whether Goldberg was going to get the title shot. And, if Goldberg ended up losing, then it would have been terrible, but since it all worked out, it’s welcome storytelling
Outside the building, the fans chant for Goldberg, and one guy reminds Hulk that ‘this ain’t Madison Square Garden,’ and ‘it ain’t 1985’
Hollywood Hogan t-shirt ad
Gene Okerlund brings Brian Murphy out to hype up a race car giveaway
WCW Television Title Match: Booker T v Dean Malenko: Nearly a half hour into the show at this point. Posturing to start, and Booker hits a side suplex, but misses a missile dropkick. That allows Dean to try for the Texas cloverleaf, but Booker hooks a cradle for two. Dean responds with a leg lariat, and he dives with a flying axehandle, but Booker catches him in a spinebuster. Booker adds a spinkick, and a flapjack follows, but the Harlem sidekick misses. Malenko throws a bodypress that sends both men tumbling out of the ring, as WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho comes out, laying a challenge out to Dean. That distracts Malenko, and Booker capitalizes with an axekick at 3:41. This had some juice, but was ultimately too short to really build, and the finish hurt it. *
Backstage, Goldberg warms up
Karl Malone is very disappointed in Dennis Rodman
Raven’s Rules Match: Raven v Kanyon: Kanyon attacks in the aisle, taking out Lodi as he forces Raven in. Kanyon with a swinging neckbreaker for two, and he grabs a sleeper, but Raven reverses. Kanyon dumps him over the top to escape, but ends up going over himself in the process. Raven tries a whip into the guardrail out there, but Kanyon reverses, and he takes Raven inside for a fireman’s facebuster on a chair for two. Kanyon goes upstairs, but Lodi knocks him off, and Raven recovers with a superplex onto the chair. That draws Saturn in, and he attacks Raven for the DQ at 3:15. Like the opener, this had some mojo, but ultimately was a pretty lackluster piece. ½*
Outside, Buff Bagwell arrives… with his mother. In a car, not a pole
Outside, Nick Papagiorgio (from Yuma) cheers Goldberg on
Nitro Girls
Okerlund brings Diamond Dallas Page and Karl Malone out, and the Pageification of Karl Malone is officially complete here. All that’s missing is the rib tape. And, I’m not sure, but I think they’re threatening to fuck Hogan and Rodman at Bash at the Beach
Steve McMichael looks back on the glory of the Four Horsemen. And Mike Ditka fits into it, somehow
Riggs v Scott Putski: Putski with a snap suplex for two right away, and a snapmare allows him a chinlock. Cross corner whip, but Riggs blocks, and throws a short-clothesline. Riggs adds a nice dropkick, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and gets clobbered. That allows Putski a tilt-a-whirl slam for two, and he goes back to the chinlock. Riggs escapes, so Putski tries a Thesz press, but Riggs counters with a hotshot. Sign in the crowd: ‘Luger drinks beer.’ Hope that was worth the time it took to make. Riggs dumps him to the outside and dives with a clothesline from the apron, then smashes Putski into the rail. Inside, a criss cross sees them collide for a double knockout spot, and Putski is up first, throwing a series of right hands. Putski with a running axehandle, but he wastes time, and Riggs hits a chincrusher. He looks for a crossface chickenwing, but Putski blocks, and drops him with a sitout spinebuster at 4:16. This had no flow to it. ½*
Backstage, Goldberg smashes his head into a door. You know, to warm up
Outside, Scott Hall arrives via limousine, apparently the designated henchmen for Hogan against Goldberg
WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho is out, and he doesn’t feel Ultimo Dragon or Dean Malenko are the top contenders, rather it’s Rey Mysterio Jr since ‘Rey’ beat him on Thunder last week. That draws JJ Dillon out to dispute that, but Malenko is on his heels - complete with crazy eyes. But Dillon cuts him off, letting them know that if Dean touches Chris before the Bash, he loses the title shot. Jericho immediately tries baiting Malenko with various barbs, but Dean manages to keep his cool… until Jericho insinuates that Dean’s dad cheated on his mom, and that’s why Dean and his brother don’t look alike. Malenko snaps and beats the hell out of him, and it’s a big pull apart. Great segment, as Jericho was untouchable on the microphone during this period, and both Dean and JJ were perfect counterparts
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Chris Jericho v Ultimo Dragon: Feeling out process to start, dominated by Dragon. Dragon tries a springboard bodypress, but Jericho dodges, and Chris lands a dropkick. A vertical suplex gets him two, but a second dropkick misses, and Dragon unloads some kicks - until Malenko runs back out to attack Jericho again for a DQ at 2:12. This was just kind of treading water until the angle. ¼*
Nitro Girls
Chavo Guerrero Jr v Johnny Swinger: Chavo is trying to cover up a bald spot that Eddie Guerrero left him with, leaving him distracted, and allowing Swinger to dominate. Chavo manages a snapmare into a chinlock, and he pounds Swinger into the corner, but Johnny turns the tables. Cross corner whip, but Chavo blocks, and uses a tornado DDT for three at 1:56. Not much going on here, but I continue to enjoy Chavo’s act. Afterwards, Chavo challenges Eddie to a hair v hair match at the Bash. ¼*
Backstage, Goldberg continues to warm up. Quite the warm up routine this guy’s got. He works three minute matches, but spends ninety warming up
Public Enemy v Disco Inferno and Alex Wright: The Enemy clean house to start, but a distraction from Tokyo Magnum allow Disco and Alex to turn the tide. Not that any of it matters, as the announcers completely ignore the match to discuss Hogan/Goldberg. All considered, I’ll allow it. The Enemy put Tokyo through a stack of two tables, but Disco and Alex grab trash cans to turn it back around, but the referee disqualifies them over the weapons at 5:03. The Enemy just put a dude through a pair of tables, but that’s a DQ? If this match actually meant anything, I might be more annoyed. DUD
Gene brings Buff and mom out, and Buff is glad to be out here in his hometown, and he thanks his mom for everything she did to keep him alive. He’s in a wheelchair now, but he’s recovering. This was a good segment, grounded in realism
WCW United States Title Match: Bill Goldberg v Scott Hall: The crowd is very hot here, not surprisingly. Goldberg shoves him around to start, so Hall tries going to a wristlock, but Goldberg shrugs it off. Hall tries a cheap shot after calling for a test-of-strength, but Goldberg shrugs that off as well. Scott tries a bodyslam, but Goldberg reverses, and Hall is frustrated. He spits at Goldberg to try and mess with his head, but Goldberg reverses a cross corner whip. Hall manages to avoid a charge, however, and a side suplex gets Hall one. Hall keeps hammering, but Goldberg no sells, and hiptosses him. A few armdrags follow, and Hall bails, calling for backup. That draws the nWo out, but DDP and Malone cut them off, swinging chairs. Hall still manages to snap Goldberg’s throat across the top rope on the way back in, and Scott throws a clothesline. He sets up the crucifix powerbomb, but Goldberg backdrops out of it, and uses the spear and the jackhammer at 5:54. The match was nothing, but the crowd reactions were insane, and that heat carried it more than the ring work. ½*
Nitro Girls
Juventud Guerrera v Psychosis: Psychosis tries a charge at the bell, but misses. That allows Guerrera a dropkick, but Psychosis dodges, so Guerrera uses a clothesline for two. A series of chops follow, and a headscissor takedown leads to a flying rana to send Psychosis to the outside. Guerrera is on him with a (sloppy) suicide dive, and a springboard flying sunset flip on the way back in, but Psychosis counters into a catapult over the top. Nice. Psychosis is on him with a flying senton splash on the floor (also nice), and he rolls Juvi in to cover for two. Suplex, but Guerrera blocks. He tries one of his own, but Psychosis blocks, and throws chops. German suplex, but Guerrera lands on his feet, and delivers a scoop sitout brainbuster to set up the flying 450 splash at 3:12. Afterwards, the Flock runs in to attack Guerrera, with Kidman leading that charge. * ¼
Bash at the Beach ad
Jim Duggan v Giant: Jim attacks as Giant climbs into the ring, and manages a turnbuckle smash, but walks into a big boot. Giant hammers him into the corner from there, and a bodyslam leads to an elbowdrop, but Duggan dodges. Jim with a three-point stance to set up a kneedrop, but Giant blocks. That didn’t look good. Giant with a chokeslam at 2:11. Afterwards, Giant calls out Kevin Greene, and Greene answers the challenge - by literally spitting in Giant’s face! Giant goes for him, but Kevin clotheslines him over the top, and Giant retreats. DUD
Diamond Dallas Page v Jim Neidhart: I’m guessing this won’t take long. Neidhart hammers him into the corner to start, and gets Page down for a bootchake. He wastes time taunting Malone, however, and DDP pops up to pound Jim into the corner to turn the tables. Neidhart goes low to shake him off, and a matslam follows. Neidhart bites his hair (his hair?), and gets a full nelson on, but Page uses a mule kick to escape, the the Diamond Cutter finishes at 2:20. DUD
Sting and Lex Luger v Kidman and Sick Boy: The Wolfpac don’t even bother with tags, just quickly squashing the Flock goofs together at 0:27. This felt like it was just a way to let the Wolfpac guys show their face on the big card. DUD
WCW World Title Match: Hollywood Hulk Hogan v Bill Goldberg: They’ve done a great job of building this up all night. The crowd erupts at the sound of the opening bell, an oddity even Tony points out. Goldberg goes to a standing side-headlock right away, so Hulk tries whipping him into the ropes, but Bill throws a shoulderblock. Hulk manages a standing front-facelock, but Goldberg powers into the corner, and Hogan cowers at the break. Hulk calls for a test-of-strength, but Goldberg dominates it, so Hollywood grabs the ropes. Hulk with a cheap shot as they go to lock up again, and the champ hammers him. Hulk gives him a few shots with the weight belt, but Bill steals it, and then tosses it away, since fuck you, Hulk! That’s great. Goldberg goes to a full nelson, but Hulk throws a mule kick to escape, and a shoulderblock puts the challenger down. Hulk with a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop, but Goldberg dodges, and clobbers Hogan with a clothesline. Hollywood bails, but comes back in, forcing Goldberg into the corner for some abuse. Hogan dumps him to the outside for a smash into the rail, and Hollywood nails him with a chair from there. Inside, Hogan uses a bodyslam to set up the legdrop, and the announcers kind of miss the drama there. A second legdrop, as Curt Hennig shows up. Hulk hits a third legdrop, but it only gets two, as DDP and Malone take Hennig out. That distracts Hogan, allowing Goldberg to deliver the spear, and the jackhammer crowns a new champion at 8:11. This wasn’t a workrate classic, but it was exactly what it needed to be, and the crowd reaction was incredible. I kind of wish they didn’t need the distraction finish, but it didn’t matter overall, especially since Goldberg had just kicked out of a triple shot of Hogan’s finisher. A lot has been made over the years about the face that WCW ‘wasted’ this match on free TV, but as Eric Bischoff has stressed in the years since: the promotion was run as a television show. Television was the focus, and this made great television. ½*
BUExperience: This is one of the most well known episodes of Nitro, but outside of the big main event (and the surrounding angle), there isn’t a lot of really memorable stuff here. I’d give it the edge over the pretty nondescript RAW it opposed, but it’s not the blow away history would have you believe.
It was a big night for the promotion, though, snapping RAWs head-to-head win streak at ‘5,’ and giving Nitro its first win since April 20th.
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