Original Airdate: November 16, 1998
From Wichita, Kansas; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (first half) and Bobby Heenan (second half)
Nitro Girls
A motorcade arrives outside, as apparently Hollywood Hulk Hogan already has regular Secret Service protection
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Billy Kidman v Juventud Guerrera: Guerrera comes out like he’s pumped full of coke, while Kidman looks annoyed and grumpy. Hmm, I wonder how this match ends. Way to be pros, guys. They feel each other out to start, and Kidman gets control with a sitout spinebuster. Guerrera bails to prevent a follow up, but still eats a bodyslam as he gets back inside, and Kidman adds a slingshot legdrop for two. Kidman goes to a chinlock, but gets nailed while charging into the corner, and Guerrera uses a headscissor takedown. Guerrera tries a German suplex, but Billy blocks, so Guerrera throws chops to soften him up. Guerrera with another headscissor takedown, and he corners Kidman for a ten-punch. Guerrera with a corner whip, and he snaps Billy’s throat across the top rope, then goes up with a flying bodypress for two. Guerrera charges, so Kidman backdrops him over the top to the apron, then throws a dropkick to put Guerrera on the outside. Kidman goes after him with a plancha, and he rolls the challenger into cover for two. Billy grounds him in a chinlock from there, but a bodypress misses, and Kidman takes a bump to the outside. Guerrera is on him with a flying bodyblock on the floor, and a slam sets up a springboard flying legdrop for two on the way back in. Guerrera misses a corner splash, but manages a spinebuster, and adds a wheelbarrow bulldog for two. Powerbomb, but Kidman counters to a facebuster for two, and uses a wheelbarrow suplex for two. He launched him with that one! Guerrera even lost his elbowpad because the throw was so dramatic! Billy looks for a follow up, but gets countered with a scoop sitout brainbuster for two. Guerrera tries a rana off the top, but Kidman counters with a sitout spinbuster for two. Billy goes up, but Guerrera knocks him off before he can dive. That allows Guerrera to go up with a flying 450 splash, and we have a new champion at 12:07! I know, I was surprised, too. The entrances gave it away, but I actually am surprised that they took the belt off of Kidman, he was doing a great job as champion. *** ½
Raven v Wrath: Well, this is a fun little pairing. But, unfortunately, we don’t actually get the match, as Raven is moping about his life, and refuses to wrestle. That’s a shame. Kanyon decides to use the time that was supposed to be for the match to cut a promo, but Wrath takes exception, and beats him up.
Glacier v Kanyon: Wrath decides to beat up Glacier as well to even things up, which is fair play. Both guys are down as the match starts, and Kanyon manages to roll over to cover, but only gets two. Kanyon dumps him to the outside, but Glacier stays in the game, so Kanyon tries a dive, but lands on a superkick for two. Glacier adds a rolling backelbow (that looked awkward), but gets nailed as they criss cross. That allows Kanyon to go up, but he dive gets caught in a northern lights suplex for two. Glacier is looked like Dean Douglas in this gear, and it’s bugging me. But before I can get too annoyed, Kanyon drills him with a reverse STO at 3:18. ¼*
Nitro Party video
Sonny Onoo v El Gringo: Gringo is a masked rando, and he dominates Sonny, before popping the mask off to reveal Kaz Hayashi. Sonny, fooled, tries to run away, but he can’t get clear. No worries, Ernest Miller runs in, hits Hayashi with a roundhouse kick, and Onoo pins him at 1:30. DUD
Nitro Girls
Dean Malenko and Steve McMichael v Stevie Ray and Horace: Dean and Horace start, with Horace beating him into the corner. Horace uses a cross corner whip, but Dean dodges the charge in, and delivers a side suplex. Dean uses a takedown into a kneebar, but Horace is in the ropes, so Dean tags out. Horace gets Steve in a waistlock, and railroads him into the nWo corner, where Ray is waiting to double team. Tag to Ray, but he takes a sidewalk slam, and Dean is back in. Dean tries for the Texas cloverleaf, but Ray blocks, and tags Horace for a vertical suplex. Horace tries a clothesline, but misses, and Dean rebounds with a leg lariat. Tag back to Mongo, and he runs wild on both heels, but gets tripped up by Vincent. That draws Dean back in, and Roseanne Barr the door! Ray nails Mongo with a slapjack in the chaos, so Arn Anderson comes in with a tire iron, but the referee sees it, and disqualifies the Horsemen at 3:39. This was looking like a trainwreck, so thank goodness they cut it off when they did. DUD
Gene Okerlund brings Ric Flair out to do his usual ranting about Eric Bischoff, but he actually does somewhere with it tonight, when he introduces Barry Windham! That draws Eric out to remind Windham that he fired him a couple of years ago, but Flair explains that he’s paying for Barry out of his money. I think I’m starting to understand why Ric has been in financial trouble
Eddie Guerrero v Rey Mysterio Jr: Guerrero offers him a deal before the bell: if Eddie wins, Rey has to join the LWO, but if Mysterio wins, Eddie will stop harassing him. Some posturing to start, with Rey dominating. Guerrero bails following a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but gets caught in a crisp armdrag on the way back in, and Rey holds a cross-armbreaker. Eddie counters out, but Rey takes him down, into a cover for two. Rey with a cross corner whip, and he dives off the top with a flying corkscrew senton. That looked awkward. Guerrero cuts him off with a flapjack, but gets backdropped over the top while charging, and Rey dives with a springboard moonsault press on the floor! Rey with a springboard flying dropkick on the way back in, which ends up knocking Eddie back to the outside. Eddie sneaks back in with a dropkick, and he rocks the ring with a powerbomb. That draws Juventud Guerrera out to try and whack Eddie, but he ends up hitting Rey by accident, while the LWO distract the referee. Guerrero with a flying frogsplash to finish it up at 4:54. They didn’t really hit their stride with this, but it was okay for what it was. * ¼
Judy Bagwell is in the hospital, and hopes that if Buff Bagwell sees it, he’ll finally see the light, and walk away from Scott Steiner
Chavo Guerrero Jr v Scott Putski: Posturing to start. Putski with a bodyslam, so Chavo pounds him into the corner, but gets caught with a pop-up flapjack. Chavo hides out with Pepe, but manages to pop Putski with a cheap shot. Chavo with a corner splash, but Putski gets fired up, and lands a clothesline. Putski uses a vertical suplex, but Chavo takes him down for mounted punches, as we cut away to go to the back, where Bam Bam Bigelow arrives! In his gear. Yeah. He storms into the building, and out to the arena - coming into the ring to draw a no contest at 3:19. “We’ve never seen anything like this! A man coming from the outside, and just coming in and taking over,” notes Tony. Never? Really? Because I can think of one very, very specific time. After taking everyone out, Bam Bam calls out Bill Goldberg, but that draws Bischoff and JJ Dillon out instead. Dillon reminds him that he doesn’t work for WCW, and so he needs to leave, then sics security on him. But before they can remove him, Goldberg hits the ring to answer the call! They try to get at each other, but the ring fills with security, and they can’t get a hold of one another. This was a strong segment, and a good way to introduce Bigelow, as well as give Goldberg something to do. DUD
Backstage, Bischoff chews Dillon out, and fires him
Konnan v Saturn: Saturn attacks during the pre-match spiel, and pounds Konnan down in the corner. Saturn lands a cross corner clothesline, and a hangman clothesline follows it. A criss cross allows Konnan a rolling clothesline, as the LWO head down to ringside. Konnan with a seated dropkick, and he grounds Saturn in a keylock. Konnan lands a bulldog for two, as we split screen to the back, where Okerlund is with Bischoff. Gene wants to know why he fired JJ, but Eric isn’t interested in defending his decision, and reiterates that Bigelow doesn’t work here, and therefore there won’t be any match with Goldberg. That draws Goldberg over, and he demands Bam Bam tonight. Or else. That dives Eric pause, as Konnan holds a leglock. Konnan with a whiplash into a somersault cradle for two, but Saturn fights back with a suplex for two. Konnan with a splash mountain for two, but a dive lands on a superkick. That draws the LWO into things, but Konnan doesn’t want their help. Despite that, they swarm Saturn for the DQ at 7:07. This didn’t click at all. DUD
Nitro Girls
Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell are out, and Scott wants to let Buff hit Scott’s mom to even things up, since Scott hit Judy. So, they bring out a man in drag, and Buff beats him up, until Rick Steiner chases them off. Scott and Buff draw great heat, but man, I’m sick of them already
WCW Television Title Match: Chris Jericho v Bobby Duncum Jr: This is Bobby’s debut. He goes straight to the top, Ari! He did technically work a dark match back in July, but this is indeed his TV debut. Jericho dominates early on, and a clothesline sets up a senton splash for two. Jericho adds a hanging vertical suplex for one, but Duncum pops up with a big boot. Duncum keeps coming with a pop-up flapjack, and a clothesline dumps the champion over the top. Duncum dives from the apron with a clothesline on the floor, and he throws Jericho over the guardrail next. Duncum with a flying clothesline for two on the way back in, but another clothesline misses, and Jericho dropkicks him. A reversal sequence ends in Chris trying for the Liontamer, but Duncum blocks. Duncum throws a dropkick to knock the champion to the outside, and Chris decides to walk out - losing by countout at 4:29. This was okay, and Duncum showed some fire. *
Hollywood Hulk Hogan is out, still on the campaign trail. He introduces his intern (a Monica Lewinsky impersonator), who gives him a ‘special cigar.’ And, boy, did that bit fall flat. But then things pick up, as Scott Hall decks Bischoff for getting mouthy with him, and Hogan rushes to Eric’s aid. Hulk lays a beating on Hall, but Kevin Nash makes the save
Nitro Girls
Bret Hart v Chris Benoit: Benoit comes in swinging, and wrecks Hart with chops. Benoit with a snap suplex for two, so Bret tries slugging, but gets destroyed again. Benoit with a cross corner whip, and Bret rebounds right into a chop for two. Benoit adds a side suplex for two, so Hart rakes the eyes, and delivers a pointed elbowdrop. He adds a headbutt drop to the groin, and the Hitman plants him with a matslam. Hart uses a backbreaker to set up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop for two, and he spends some time working chokes on the Crippler. Hart uses a catapult under the bottom rope, and then promptly goes back to choking. What happened to this guy on the flight from Stamford? Did the screwjob really shatter him that badly? Stupid question, I guess. Hart goes upstairs, but Benoit superplexes him off, and then goes up himself with a flying headbutt drop for two. Chris uses a clothesline to knock Hart over the top, but a baseball slide misses. That allows Bret to grab a chair, but Chris knocks it back into his face. Benoit grabs it to use for himself, but the referee intervenes, allowing Hart a low blow. And then he just blatantly beats on Benoit with the chair for the DQ at 6:40. Afterwards, Hart keeps going, but Diamond Dallas Page makes the save. ¾*
Bill Goldberg v Bam Bam Bigelow: Bam Bam attacks him during the pyro display at the entrance area, and they brawl over there, until security separates them at about 0:45. They keep swinging at each other as we go off the air, but that’s it. DUD
BUExperience: Nitro undoubtedly had the better overall wrestling, but RAW was still a better show. Definitely make time to see Kidman/Guerrera, and the Goldberg/Bigelow angle was good stuff as well.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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