Original Airdate: January 25, 1999
From Dallas, Texas; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay, with Larry Zbyszko (first half) and Bobby Heenan (second half)
Earlier today, nWo black-and-white tried to figure out their next move to get in with the Wolfpac
Earlier today, Ric Flair assigned Eric Bischoff to work at the merchandise stand for the evening
Nitro Girls
Earlier, the nWo did more scheming
Disco Inferno v Al Greene: Disco is getting a strong reaction here, and puts Greene away with a jawbreaker at 2:51. DUD
Earlier, the Wolfpac’s private plane landed in Dallas, and Stevie Ray is there to meet them… and immediately start ratting on Curt Hennig for not wearing the colors. That gets Curt beat up in the parking lot, since underwear matters
Backstage, the Wolfpac arrive, and try to sniff out the Nitro Girls
Bam Bam Bigelow is out, and he’s got a ladder with him. He tries to reference ECW, which doesn’t seem to resonate with this Texas crowd at all. Anyway, he wants Scott Hall in a Ladder match, with the stun gun over the ring
Backstage, Hall reacts to the challenge, kind of brushing it off
Over at the merchandise stands, Bischoff is trying to rip fans off by giving wrong change
Gene Okerlund brings Ric Flair out, who thinks Hogan should be grateful, because the Horsemen could have killed Horace, but they let him live. Next up, some announcements: Bret Hart will face Booker T tonight, Ric’s sending a ‘wall’ of wrestlers to surround the ring during the tag title tournament match later to prevent nWo interference, and Hogan should get himself two partners because he’s got a six-man against the Horsemen later
Scott Dickinson is seated in the crowd, while on his thirty day suspension
Ladder Match: Scott Hall v Bam Bam Bigelow: The first guy to get the taser, and use it, wins. Bigelow knocks him around early on, and they go to the outside to find the ladder. Hall hits him with it as they come into the ring, but Bigelow knocks it away, and slams the ladder on him. Hall gets up the ladder and drops down on Bam Bam, but fails to get the weapon. Bam Bam with a bodyslam, and he climbs, diving with a headbutt drop off of the ladder. Hall is up first from that, and delivers a legdrop to the groin, and he climbs, but Bam Bam is up, so Hall jumps with an elbowdrop. Scott’s elbowpad is slipping off, revealing a purple Razor Ramon one underneath. What’s the point of needing two elbowpads? Bam Bam climbs, but Hall dropkicks the ladder to knock him off. Scott climbs, and he nearly gets it, before Bigelow tips him off (in rather brutal fashion). Bam Bam gets the taser, but Disco Inferno passes Hall one back. That draws Bill Goldberg out to spear Disco, and he comes in to take out both combatants for a no-contest at 13:43. Goldberg’s pop here was ridiculous. This was just a bunch of spots and bumps. Not bad in that sense, but there was no story. Or finish, for that matter. ½*
Backstage, Gene catches up with WCW United States Champion Bret Hart, who goes racial with Booker. He doesn’t think Booker deserves a title shot, and would rather defend against someone like El Dandy. This is notable as the promo that generated the El Dandy meme
WCW World Tag Team Title Tournament First Round Match: The Faces of Fear v Fit Finlay and Dave Taylor: As promised, we’ve got a bunch of guys surrounding the ring to prevent nWo interference. Barbarian and Finlay start, and Barbarian slugs him into the corner, so Fit goes to the eyes. That allows Fit to go to a nervehold, and a pair of elbowdrops get him two. Barbarian fires back with an inverted atomic drop, and he slams Finlay, then stomps him in the groin. Tag to Meng for a chokehold, and a dropkick gets him two. Backdrop, but Finlay blocks, and uses that to tag. Dave with a headscissors takedown, so they slug it out, and Meng gets the better of it. Yeah, shocking. Tag to Barbarian for a wishbone, and he unloads on Dave in the corner. Taylor responds with uppercuts, so Barbarian knocks him back with a headbutt, then delivers a bodyslam. Barbarian goes to a chinlock, then passes back to Meng. Backdrop, so Dave tries a sunset flip, but Meng blocks. Tag to Fit, and he looks for a takedown, but Meng maintains a vertical base. Fit manages a snapmare to set up a headbutt drop for two, but Barbarian manages to tag in, and he dumps Fit to the outside. Fit comes back in swinging, and he wins a slugfest. That allows Finlay a rolling fireman cradle, and he tags out. Taylor comes in with uppercuts, but Meng attacks him before he can deliver a butterfly suplex. That allows the Faces stereo flying headbutt drops, but Fit is in to prevent a pin, and Roseanne Barr the door. Barbarian hits Taylor with a sitout powerbomb during the chaos, and the Faces advance at 7:25. Four guys who were not afraid of the ball. *
Backstage, security posts up outside of the Nitro Girls’ dressing room, to prevent Scott Steiner from causing trouble
Saturn v Norman Smiley: I just noticed that Chuck Norris is seated in the crowd here, opposite the hard camera. Posturing to start, and Smiley gets control. He hammers Saturn on the ropes, and uses a knee out of the ropes. He wastes time playing to the crowd, allowing Saturn to recover. A criss cross allows Smiley a powerslam for two, and he grounds Saturn in a chinlock from there. Saturn escapes, and gets a sleeper on, but Smiley Saito suplexes his way out of it. Smiley with a corner whip, and a swinging bodyslam follows. Smiley with a butterfly slam for two, but another knee is countered with a schoolboy for two. Smiley cuts him off with a clothesline, and adds an elbowdrop for two. They collide out of the ropes for a double knockout, and Saturn is up first, but a springboard gets blocked. Smiley backdrops him for two, and a hanging vertical suplex is worth two. Smiley makes the mistake of trying to humiliate Saturn over the dress, however, and Saturn superkicks him. Saturn with mounted punches, and he goes to town in the corner. Saturn with a bodyslam to set up a flying kneedrop, and the death valley driver finishes at 10:15. ¾*
Gene comes out to talk to Dickinson, who this his suspension is ‘bogus’
Bret Hart v Booker T: The WCW United States title is not on the line, and this is Bret’s first TV match since winning the belt back on November 30. Bret bails right away, and Booker hammers him once he comes in. A clothesline sends Bret bailing back to the outside, and he stalls, even after climbing back in. They do a test-of-strength, won by Booker. Booker with a cross corner whip, but Hart blocks the charge in, and uses an inverted atomic drop. A DDT follows, and the Hitman adds a headbutt drop to the groin. Hart with a ropeburn, and a turnbuckle smash follows. To the outside for more abuse, and Bret uses a pointed elbowdrop on the way back in, but Booker manages to counter a suplex with an inside cradle for two. Hart responds to unloading in the corner, but Booker returns fire, and hits a spinkick for two. Hart shakes him off with a mulekick, and a Russian legsweep follows. Bret works the leg, and applies a figure four to try for the submission, but Booker reverses. Bret escapes, and pounds the leg a little more, before going back to the hold. Hart with a backbreaker for two, but a criss cross goes Booker’s way with a jumping forearm. Booker keeps coming with an axekick, and a vertical suplex follows. Booker with the Harlem sidekick, and a sidewalk slam sets up a flying somersault legdrop, but Bret rolls out of the way. Bret decides to grab the title belt to finish him off, but it backfires, and Hart eats it. Booker plants a superkick, but Bret bails before he can be covered. Booker is on his tail, dropping the Hitman on the guardrail, and he chokes Hart with a cable. Booker keeps choking as they head in, so Bret pops him with the title belt to break, and he covers at 14:45. This was fairly decent, though well below what you’d expect from this caliber of workers. That feels like an ongoing trend with Bret in WCW, though. *
Bischoff is selling merchandise in the stands. And being a prick about it
Bill Goldberg v Scott Norton: Norton throws chops, but Goldberg absorbs them, and uses a short-knee, then a fireman carry. Goldberg goes for a quick submission, but Scott is immediately in the ropes. Bill with a powerslam, but Norton responds in kind - no sold. Bill with a spinkick to knock Norton out of the ring, so Bill dives off the apron at him, but Scott dumps him into the rail. Scott with chops, and he tries to post Goldberg, but gets reversed. Bill fed him that one. They continue to brawl out there, and neither guy is willing to budge much for the other. Norton with a flying shoulderblock for one on the way back in, and a side suplex gets him two. Scott with a short-clothesline, and an avalanche connects. Norton tries a powerbomb, but Goldberg lands on his feet, and lands the spear. Jackhammer, and good night for Norton at 5:31. Always fun to see someone no selling Norton’s shit. The nWo run in on Goldberg after the bell, but Bill cleans house. And then a bunch of the celebrities at ringside (including Chuck Norris, Herschel Walker, and Jean-Claude Van Damme) jump in to celebrate with him. ½*
Nitro Girls, with Scott Steiner creeping
SuperBrawl IX ad
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Scott Steiner, and Kevin Nash v Ric Flair, Steve McMichael, and Chris Benoit: The heels cut a promo before the Horsemen enter, leading to the babyfaces charging to kickstart things. Everyone brawls all around the ring, and the heels actually clean house. You don’t see that every day. The dust settles on Steiner and Benoit, as the announcers go on a weird rant about Alex Wright no showing the event tonight. Scott with a clothesline, and he press-drops Chris from there. Steiner unloads in the corner, but a charge in hits a boot, and Chris delivers mounted punches. Chris with a clothesline and a dropkick to send Steiner to the outside, so he passes to Nash. Nash hammers Benoit down right away, and he takes him into the corner to unload on. Snake eyes, but Benoit reverses him into the corner, and peppers him with chops. Tag to Mongo, and the Horsemen triple team Kevin in their corner during the switch. Steve with a bodyslam to set up an elbowdrop for two, and he uses some mounted punches of his own. Tag to Benoit for a flying headbutt drop, but Hogan saves at two. Steiner takes a cheap shot, allowing Nash a big boot, and Hulk tags in for a clothesline. Tag to Steiner for a belly-to-belly suplex for two, and a bodyslam follows. The heels work Benoit over, as the match kind of drags, with everyone waiting for Flair to tag in. Hulk misses the legdrop, allowing the hot tag to Ric, and Roseanne Barr the door! Flair gets Hulk in the figure four, so Eric Bischoff passes Nash a weapon masked inside of one of the foam fingers he was selling, and Kevin breaks the hold with it for a DQ at 17:40. This was surprisingly long. That’s not a bad thing, just surprising, considering these nWo centric Nitro main events were usually two minutes. That said, the heat segment went on for far too long, especially for such a weak finish. Afterwards, Bischoff tries to shave Flair’s head, but a bunch of random WCW guys make the save. “This is the show of unity we’ve been waiting for from World Championship Wrestling,” proclaims Tenay. After two and a half years. ¾*
BUExperience: Neither show was good this week. The weakest kind of draw.
Monday Night Wars Rating Chart
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