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WCW Prime: September 30, 1996

Who knew the asshole of Jerry Sags could generate so much discussion?

I wasn’t a member of the IWC in 1996, but some of you were, and despite the passage of time, like sands through the hourglass, those were the days of your lives. CRZ started the discussion:

It was enough of a big deal to scuttle the Nastys' role in the NWO and start them down the road of their eventual WCW demise. I tried to find a good r.s.p-w thread about it, but came up with this one (groups.google.com) instead, which has two retellings of (I'm sure) whatever Meltzer said about it, including Micasa's. It also has a reply from THE RICK in there, so be sure to expand the other posts! The sad thing is Sags was probably just too hip for the room by aping something as timely as "Ace Ventura" in 1996.

thecubsfan also thumbed through his virtual library of the Observer to bring us:

1996-10-07: NWO stuff looked like public access TV although there were a few funny lines. Nasty Boys joined the NWO and Jerry Sags bent over and spread his cheeks saying he was doing an impression of Eric Bischoff on last week's TV show. Bischoff walked off the set early into the second hour for no explainable reason although what Sags did may not have been planned (although there is so much swerving going on these days that you never know) and nobody seemed to know ahead of time that Bischoff was going to walk off.

1996-10-14: Eric Bischoff did make a hot phone call to the hotel room where Hogan and company were hanging out regarding Jerry Sags bending over and spreading his cheeks (and he didn't even know at the time what happened to the ratings after that).

1996-10-21: At the Nitro from Cleveland on 9/30, if you had a dish, you could find the back-haul feed from the hotel room and see Kevin Sullivan after the NWO segments handing the guys their scripts, telling them where to sit and what to say. It's amazing something that bad was actually scripted. Anyway, after the show ended those watching on dishes could see Savage and Liz walk back into the room where Eric Bischoff, Sullivan and the NWO guys were all talking about what a great job they'd done.

So Jerry Sags, in the shootiest room of shooty shooters that’s ever graced our television screens, is given the scapegoat treatment because he bent over and talked with his ass? He was wearing his pants for god sakes, it’s not like his brown eye made its WCW debut (tonight on Prime, Brown Eye takes on Braun the Leprechaun – does he have the stomach to try and eat it?).

I have absolutely no use for the Nastys (I’m sure you’re SHOCKED to read this, I know I try very hard to play it straight and never share my feelings) – but this is just petty. Was Bischoff mad because the ratings dropped and could blame it on Sags, or more likely, was he mad that somebody made Bischoff look bad … unapproved.

WCW in all its glory never ever ceases to focus on all the wrong things while ignoring the bigger picture. Like, for example, that the entire nWo thing is becoming a little overdone? That maybe it’s time for a hint of some comeuppance? That maybe WCW should stop being booked like buffoons? And maybe, just maybe, it’s high time to edit Johnny B Badd out of the Prime opening credits? (Or Hulk Hogan for that matter who has appeared on this show exactly as often as he appeared on RAW in 1996)

Well thank the lord, MIKE TENAY has replaced Chris Cruise, but DUSTY RHODES continues to loom large.

JOHN TENTA vs. KONAN

Tenta enters to “Not Evenflow”, later used by Chris Jericho. Konan has once again been stripped of an “N”, but based on his entrance music this was taped before he joined the Dungeon of Doom, but after he started wearing flannel, so … a month ago? Tenay talks about Konan like he’s a blooming flower, cuz he can’t stop talking ‘bout his ROOTS. Tenta goes through his usual, hitting a hurricanrana off the bell, but misses the 450 splash. Konan comes back with the Space Flying Tiger Drop, which Tenta sells by flying backwards into the crowd. He leaps the guardrail with lightning speed, and gives Konan something to think about with the spear and jackhammer combo. Okay, I made all that up, Tenta misses a crappy splash and Konan wins with a senton at 3:09. 1/2*

THE RENEGADE vs. THE GAMBLER

I’m thoroughly confused, there’s a vortex of suck and amazing in the same ring, and I truly don’t know what the heck is going to happen. Gambler isn’t dressed as suave as he was the last time we saw him, but he does have his oversized card deck, which he smartly uses as a weapon. The fans boo him because they are all going to hell. Renegade uses all his moves, like punches, and … well, that’s about it. Gambler tries to break the Gambler’s shoulder, but he’s far too smart for that and goes to the ropes. He shakes it off as best he can, while the referee insists Renegade stay in the ring. Gambler calls for time out, but it’s a trick! Eyerake for YOU! That gives him a solid advantage for no less than 2 and a half seconds before Gambler finds himself trapped in an armbar. Tenay trips over his words by saying Renegade continues to “apply pleasure” to the Gambler’s shoulder. He might want to consider opening a rub n tug, and stay off my TV. Gambler shoots a back elbow for 1, so he tries a choke instead. We move to a rear chinlock, in what seems to be the slowest moving match of all time. I won’t even acknowledge the audience screaming for Renegade with the ferocity of 1000 constipated bowels. Renegade finally hits the handspring back elbow and finishes with a bulldog at, and I wish I was making this up, 7:26. Renegade declares he’s back and better than ever. I agree, this might be his highest rated match ever. -**

VK WALLSTREET vs. JOHNNY BOONE

NICK PATRICK is your referee, and Johnny Boone is a future referee, so don’t rule out shenanigans, even if this was taped at some point in late 1989, as evidenced by Patrick’s lack of moustache. Wallstreet hits a butterfly suplex, and locks Boone in an abdominal stretch, cheating like he’s Ric Flair (which he’s not). Stock Market Crash finishes at 2:51. Match of the night so far! *

THE FACES OF FEAR (with Jimmy Hart) vs. CHRIS BENOIT and ARN ANDERSON (in the Prime Cut Moo Match of the Week)

If you don’t know who I’m rooting for here, then this is the first of my recaps you’ve ever read. Arn rakes the Barbarian’s eyes, but he doesn’t even feel it and powerslams Arn. Benoit runs in to save, and he just eats a clothesline, while Barbarian bounces around like he’s a young Brock Lesnar. Benoit and Meng pair off now, and trade blows. Benoit throws some of the hardest chops of his life, which just make Meng madder and madder. He plans Benoit with a dropkick, but misses a leaping headbutt allowing Benoit to hit a German suplex. The Horsemen double team with stomps, so Meng just starts karate chopping Arn in the head to make it stop. Benoit throws more chops, but now Meng has his own, and that doesn’t go well for our Canadian friend. Twin headbutts from the Fear brings Barbarian back in. He goes for snakeyes, but Benoit slides off the back and now they double stomp Barbarian. Barbarian isn’t Meng, so he sells, just a little. Benoit hits a cannonball, while Arn works on Barbarian’s inner thigh. Of course, as soon as he picks Barbarian up, he takes a suplex, and here comes Meng again. He pounds the ever loving shit out of Arn, who rolls to the floor and brings Meng’s leg with him. He wraps it around the post, but before he can follow up an irate Barbarian is already chasing him off. Benoit comes in to follow up, but quoting Dusty, “Meng just wants to beat the snot out of him!” Tag to Barbarian who hits the pumphandle slam, and Arn has to save at 2. Thrust kick connects, and Barbarian puts on a chinlock. It doesn’t last long before Benoit fights loose and hits an overhead belly to belly. Barbarian is up first anyway, and tags Meng. Meng hits an awesome spike piledriver, and as Barbarian hits a powerslam, both guys go up for the double swandive. It hits, but Arn saves from the pin. Meng’s had enough of that, and attacks, but Arn knocks him to the floor! Benoit hits Barbarian with a German suplex and heads up, but Meng’s already back up and crotches Chris! Barbarian hits an overhead superplex, but he walks right into Arn’s DDT. He drapes Benoit on top, holds off Meng, and the stupid Horsemen win the stupid match at 9:23. Stupid, stupid, frickin’ awesome match. ****

Back to the studio, where Tenay reminds us that Randy Savage has a title shot at Halloween Havoc. Dusty says he’s been a part of a lot of marquee matches, but the biggest matches in history have had Hogan or Savage either together, or against each other. It’s the biggest matchup in the last 5 years, if you wheel. And that’s a wrap.


You know, that match deserved a lot more press than the asshole of Jerry Sags. Those Faces of Fear are pretty damn good.

Comments

  1. Why would wcw think the NO IS being over done in 1996?

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  2. Maybe Sags had been an...ahem...pain in the ass of Bischoff for awhile and the ass imitation was the last straw?

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  3. I guess he meant later on.

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  4. Speaking of a clean shaven Syxx -- but I thought Syxx never shaved and there was a clean shaven Syxx wrestling on world war 3 96. That boggled my mind

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  5. Adam "Colorado" CurryOctober 9, 2014 at 10:24 PM

    Kaz, but none of these sound really interesting.

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  6. Nova tells a lot of stories about working in the office and in developmental. Very good stuff

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  7. The Nasties did at least give us that awesome tag match against the STeiners.

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  8. Adam "Colorado" CurryOctober 9, 2014 at 10:51 PM

    Nova is just one of those guys where I can't stand him and don't give a shit about anything he has to say about anything. I know who Morgan is but can't even think of a match of his I've ever seen. Styles would be the best pick, outside of I've heard his interviews are boring as shit.

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  9. Too bad The Renegade left us. He would have fit in well with SSW.

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  10. The Ghost Of Meekin's MoobsOctober 10, 2014 at 2:55 AM

    What's the point when it will be buried under a ton of other posts within half an hour?

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  11. I must see that Renegade vs Gambler match. I must.

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  12. I remember there being some weird rumour that he'd grown the beard because WWF had so copyrighted his character that he wasn't even allowed to LOOK like the 1-2-3 Kid, even though that was his face.

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  13. kip--theKingIsNotHereOctober 10, 2014 at 5:19 AM

    I never narration why WCW never broke up the Nasty Boys and gave us a big Knobs vs Saggs fued...You could've turned Knobbs heel and had him join the nWo while Saggs would stay loyal to WCW. It wouldve been a great blood fued that could be made better if the World Title was involved, because lets face it, Brian Knobbs was ready for a run as World Champion since 1995. Knobbs had all the tools to be a World Champion and Saggs wouldve been a great US or TV Champion too...Consider this ANOTHER bad call by WCW....

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  14. Haven't got that one yet? Have you seen it

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  15. Wow, a mention of "the Rick". Been a while since I've even thought about that

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  16. The Nastys might have made sense in the nWo. At least as much sense as, say, Scott Norton, Marcus Bagwell, Stevie Ray, and others. At least Knobs & Sags spent time in WWF and could have been some heelish muscle for the group against the babyface teams of the time

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  17. Yeah I have been raving about it.


    As I have said before, its a great look at the business side of things.


    I would also recommend Pritchard's as well.

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  18. Another point of contention is that I didn't fall asleep once during.


    Usually I pass the hell out on a bad shoot, and his was 4 hrs. He kept my attention the entire time.

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  19. Honestly those all sound incredibly boring.

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  20. Prichard's is very long but what I have heard has been good.
    Definitely want to check that out and the Hawkins & Teddy Long shoots too.
    They are getting a shoot with ADR and have filmed one with Ricardo as well.
    Honestly, RF has put out better releases than KC this year.

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  21. I will agree that RF has gotten better choices than KC but the timeline series is hands down the best presentation in this shoot sub genre.

    Just the stories mixed with the info is just great.

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