Monday Nitro #136
Date: May 11, 1998
Location: Kemper Arena,
Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Mike
Tenay, Bobby Heenan, Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
It's the go home show
for Slamboree and we're back to the three hour shows again tonight
because I haven't suffered enough so far. The main story continues
to be the NWO civil war since the new world champion is apparently
too busy to defend his newly won title on the pay per view. The card
is mostly set but we might get a few more minor matches announced
tonight. Let's get to it.
We open with a recap
from the end of last week's show when Bret held back Adams, telling
him to let the Wolfpack and WCW fight.
Opening sequence.
Tony promises us more
on the NWO tonight and shows us the end of last week's show again.
Gene brings out Bret
for the opening interview. Hart is still in street clothes and not
NWO gear. He calls Savage a big chicken who has been ducking Bret
for years. Bret accuses Savage of coming to WCW to hide from him but
now Randy's worst nightmare has come true because Bret is in WCW. We
get a clip from last week with Bret putting Savage in the
Sharpshooter, with promises of more to come at Slamboree.
Back from a break with
Gene introducing the Nitro Girls who come out one by one.
Barry Horowitz vs.
Disco Inferno
Barry hits a quick
jawbreaker to take over followed by something resembling a Skull
Crushing Finale for no cover. A backbreaker gets two on Disco but
Inferno comes back with an atomic drop and a swinging
neckbreaker.....for the pin? That came out of nowhere.
Here's Randy Savage
with something to say. He says if Bret thinks he's running scared,
just wait for Slamboree to see how far Savage runs away. Tonight
though Savage wants to challenge Hogan for the world title so he can
defend it against Bret on Sunday.
Kidman vs. Juventud
Guerrera
Security takes away a
sign before the guys in the ring speed up to start. A pair of
headscissors puts Kidman down to the floor. Juvy follows out with a
BIG plancha to take Kidman down again before we head back inside. A
slingshot legdrop gets two for Kidman but he pops up and tries a
powerbomb but instead flips Juvy forward to land on his face. That
was odd looking as Juvy appeared to counter into a faceplant but it
was Kidman planting Juvy.
Kidman goes up but
jumps into a dropkick to the ribs and gets taken down by a spinwheel
kick. A springboard cross body gets the same for Guerrera and we get
a pinfall reversal sequence with a string of near falls until
Juventud hits the Juvy Driver for two. Not that it matters though as
Reese sneaks in with the chokebomb, allowing Kidman to hit a quick
Seven Year Itch for the pin.
Rating: C-.
The flying wasn't bad but the Flock vs. Juvy isn't doing much for me.
There's no way Guerrera is going to face the top guys in the group
so there's almost no interest in these matches. Kidman is the best
choice for Juvy to fight until he gets to have the big David vs.
Goliath match with Reese, who I don't think has had a match yet.
Reese carries Juvy out
while carrying Kidman on his back.
Here's Eric Bischoff on
a motorcycle to prove how awesome he is. After assuring us of his
love, he wants to know what Vince McMahon is thinking right now. For
a few weeks now, Vince has been sending his cronies around but he
knows Bischoff won't be there. If Sean Waltman wants an apology from
Eric Bischoff, he shouldn't have shown up at WCW offices on a Monday
afternoon. As for the apology, Waltman can bite him.
Bischoff talks about
coming to Vince's backyard for the PPV Sunday so why don't they have
a fight live on PPV? Eric guarantees that Vince won't show up, which
in wrestling is how you guarantee that someone WILL be there. If I
remember right, this led to a big lawsuit between the two companies
with WCW having to pay out a big settlement.
Nitro Girls with Alex
Wright. You know the drill by now.
Yuji Nagata vs.
Scott Norton
Norton runs him over in
the corner and powerslams Nagata down with ease. Nagata comes back
with some kicks and is loudly booed so Norton runs him over, drawing
more boos. Scott no sells a belly to back suplex as we cut to Sonny
Onoo and miss some stuff. Norton's shoulder breaker ends this quick.
CALL THE HOTLINE!
We recap Hennig joining
the Wolfpack.
Hugh Morrus vs. Jim
Powers
Morrus hits a quick
powerslam and No Laughing Matter ends this in about 20 seconds.
The Wolfpack comes to
the ring as we take a break. Actually scratch the break as the NWO
is more important. It's just Nash and Konnan this week but maybe
we'll get a new member tonight. Nash talks about himself and Hall
forming the NWO and Hogan jumping on the train as it was pulling
away. The real NWO is wearing black and red and they're scaring
Hollywood. Hogan is supposed to be here tonight and he needs to say
that Nash is the real big man. Also stop using their hand signals
because they're not using them right. The NWO music plays them off
when Nash didn't seem to be done.
Hour #2 begins.
Ultimo Dragon vs.
Johnny Swinger
Dragon easily leg
sweeps Swinger down to start and there's the headstand in the corner
as Swinger dances. Johnny slams him down for two and adds a belly to
back suplex for the same. Here's Chavo Guerrero but before he can do
anything Dragon hooks the top rope hurricanrana and the Dragon
Sleeper ends this.
Chavo shakes Dragon's
hand but here's Eddie to shove his nephew away. Chavo shoves Eddie
down and Eddie says hit him in the jaw so Dragon puts Eddie in the
Dragon Sleeper. Eddie goes after Dragon but Chavo pulls him off so
Eddie leaves.
Before they're even out
of the ring, here's Dusty Rhodes with something to say. He says
before the night is over and before all the tickets are turned in and
all the money has been countered, Kevin Nash is going to be in
Hogan's face. Dusty says that Hogan isn't doing right by everyone in
the NWO by doing stuff like firing Syxx and keeping Hall off TV. A
long time ago Hall offered up his innocent to Dusty but Dusty didn't
pay him back in scorn. Instead he gave him shelter from the storm
(Dusty said the same thing when Sapphire left him for Ted DiBiase at
Summerslam 1990) and made him a cool guy.
Right now Scott Hall
has a personal problem but he'll beat that problem and be at
Slamboree this Sunday. Randy Savage needs to stop complaining right
now because the Wolfpack has no pecking order. Before tonight is
over, Nash is going to be in Hogan's ugly face and that's that. I
guess this was Dusty joining the Wolfpack?
US Title: Goldberg
vs. Len Denton
Denton is more famous
as the Grappler, which isn't a name that most people are going to
remember as a lot of his career was in the 70s and 80s. He was
however the man that Jake Roberts had in a front facelock when Jake
slipped and fell backwards, inventing the DDT. Denton hits a
jawbreaker but gets speared and Jackhammered down to make Goldberg
83-0.
We get a clip from MTV
over the weekend with Page jumping Raven in a wrestling ring MTV had
set up for some reason.
Here's JJ Dillon with
Raven in toe. Apparently Raven has filed a grief against almost
everyone in WCW over them causing an unsafe working environment.
Therefore, JJ has ordered some riot control officers to take care of
Raven while the rest of the company works to make the company safer.
Raven has three main
grievances: an unnamed assailant, Diamond Dallas Page wanting another
match which he'll get in a Bowery Death Match (last man standing in a
cage) and the strife between Hammer and Saturn. Saturn lost last
week but if he has something to say, come out here and say it.
Saturn comes out and.....is told to lay out Hammer at Raven's orders.
Jerry Flynn of all people comes out to beat up Saturn and this
appears to be a match.
Saturn vs. Jerry
Flynn
Saturn suplexes him
down and gets a quick pin with the Death Valley Driver.
We see Bischoff's
challenge to Vince again.
We recap the TV Title
change last week.
TV Title: Fit Finlay
vs. Robbie Rage
Heenan is on commentary
at the halfway point of the show. Rage takes over with a quick
clothesline in the corner before pulling Finlay away from the ropes,
slamming him down the to mat. Finlay grabs the leg to take Rage down
and stays on the knee for a bit. They head to the floor with Finlay
beating up Kaos as well, but the distraction allows Rage to slam him
down in the ring. A top rope splash gets two, sending Rage after the
referee. Booker T comes out to break up the interference from Kaos,
allowing Finlay to tombstone Rage for the pin.
Rating: D.
The match was ok, but it's almost impossible to care about Finlay
defending the title against a tag team jobber. Somehow we went from
Benoit vs. Booker to this in the span of a few weeks without ever
getting to see Benoit win the title. Much like Denton earlier, it
always makes me wonder what the criteria is for a title shot. When
was the last time Rage even had a singles match, let alone won it?
Benoit comes out and
goes after Booker but security pulls them apart. JJ says their
matches are cancelled and they're fighting tonight for a shot against
Finlay on Sunday. This would be more shocking if Tony hadn't told us
this on two different occasions already tonight, including during the
TV Title match.
We see the challenge.
Again.
More Nitro Girls.
Nitro Party winner.
Lenny Lane vs.
Diamond Dallas Page
Feeling out process to
start until Page fires off knees to the ribs and puts Lane down with
a tilt-a-whirl side slam. Lane comes back with some choking and does
the Diamond Cutter sign. He bulldogs Page down for two but Page
fights up and puts Lane on the top rope for the Diamond Cutter to end
it.
Page wants Raven to
come out here right now so he can bang him tonight before he bangs
Raven on Sunday.
Bischoff Challenge Part
4.
Hour #3 begins so here
are Hogan and Bischoff, flanked by the rest of the B-Team (Adams,
Disciple and Vincent) with something to say. First of all Hogan
brags about how awesome he is and how we all need to go see 3 Ninjas
and the new Assault on Devil's Island movie. Hogan goes on some
tangent about going to wrestling school before accepting Savage's
challenge for tonight. He calls Nash out here for the big showdown
as this is somehow over five minutes long now.
After some gay jokes
abound, Hogan demands an apology and for Nash to admit that he
poached Hennig away from him. Also Nash has to admit that Mr. Hogan
is the leader and champion and that Nash has to get back on his good
side. Nash says that he won't apologize and that he'll go through
all of Hogan's goons to get to Hogan. Hogan promises a big gun that
Nash can't handle, so here's Giant back in the Black and White. Nash
gets destroyed and spray painted. Savage, Konnan and Dusty come out
which gets rid of the NWO for some reason.
Tony and his goon squad
ask about the tag match with Sting/Giant vs. the Outsiders on Sunday.
We recap Jericho
mocking Malenko last week before beating Bore-Us Malenko.
Jericho is in the ring
with something under a sheet. He demands to be called the Lionheart,
the Man of 1004 Holds and the Ayatollah of Rock and Rollah. Jericho
shows off his trophies, including a prosthetic leg to represent Rey's
knee. However, there's no one left for Jericho to face so he's going
to retire the title. This brings out JJ Dillon to announce a
cruiserweight battle royal for Sunday with the winner getting a title
shot later in the night.
Jericho isn't pleased
and thinks JJ isn't being fair to the winner by making him face 14
guys and then get beaten up by the champion. He then pulls the sheet
off, revealing a defaced picture of Dean Malenko, holding a bunch of
celery and saying he's a Jericho-hollic. This brings out Dean's
brother Joe to say be nice to Dean, earning a prosthetic leg to the
head.
Glacier claims someone
has stolen the Cryonic Kick.
Glacier vs. Sick Boy
Sick Boy gets jumped
coming back into the ring but Glacier has to stop to pose. A few
punches slow Glacier down but Glacier hits a kick to
the.....shoulder? Either way it knocks Sick Boy into the referee so
the Cryonic Kick (superkick) gets no count. Cue Saturn to kick
Glacier in the face, giving Sick Boy two, even though the bell rang.
Glacier kicks him in the face again for the pin.
Post match Saturn lays
Glacier out again, this time with a Death Valley Driver. They're
really trying to get their money out of Glacier.
We recap Scott Steiner
pretending to give up on the NWO before turning on Rick again in a
ruse as Adams attacked Rick.
Here's Lex Luger to say
Rick Steiner is out for 3-4 months due to shoulder surgery, so he
wants either Adams or Scott Steiner at Slamboree.
Chris Benoit vs.
Booker T
The winner gets a TV
Title shot against Finlay on Sunday. Benoit jumps Booker as he comes
into the ring and the attack is on fast. Booker comes back with a
great looking hook kick to the jaw and some forearms to the back. A
nice gorilla press puts Benoit down again but he comes back with
right hands of his own. They slug it out until Benoit snaps off a
German suplex to put both guys down.
A snap suplex gets two
on Booker but he grabs a powerslam of his own to get a breather.
Benoit ducks the side kick to send Booker into the ropes and a belly
to back puts Booker down again. There's the Swan Dive for two but
Booker elbows him in the face and hits the ax kick. The spinebuster
puts Benoit down but he ducks the side kick. Benoit grabs the
Crossface out of nowhere for the submission and the title shot.
Rating: C+.
These two have chemistry together and hopefully this sets up Benoit's
long overdue title win. Booker has been booked so well over the last
few months that a win over him actually means something, even though
this is his second loss in a row. Good stuff here which is what this
show has needed.
WCW World Title:
Hollywood Hogan vs. Randy Savage
Unfortunately there's a
lot of time left. Hogan looks a bit tipsy. Savage jumps Hogan from
behind and takes over before pounding away in the corner. Hogan
comes back with a right hand and chokes away in the corner as well.
Savage has his shoulder sent into the post as we enter the garbage
brawling period.
Back in and Hogan
clotheslines Randy down before choking even more. Right hands have
Savage in trouble in the corner again but the champion gets kicked
low. Not that it matters as Hogan kicks him in the face but misses
the legdrop. Disciple breaks up the elbow and here Hart with a belt
shot on Savage, giving Hogan the pin.
Rating: D.
Do I really need to explain this one? Really? Hogan was incapable
of having a good match at this point if his life depended on it and
Savage was basically nothing but punches, ax handles and the big
elbow. It's a bad sign when the best thing you can say about a match
is that it was short but that's all this one has.
Post match here are
Nash and Piper for the save with Roddy saying he doesn't want to
fight Nash. Instead he names Savage as the winner by DQ which
changes nothing. Piper yells at Hogan and Hart but names himself as
referee for Hart vs. Savage. Giant comes to the ring and Sting is in
the rafters to end the show.
Overall Rating: D+.
As usual here there's some decent stuff but so much of the show is
spent on worthless matches. Scott Norton vs. Yuji Nagata? Disco
Inferno vs. Barry Horowitz? Glacier vs. Sick Boy? Can you blame
people for going over to Raw in droves? On top of that we have Giant
joining the NWO again as the story is now at two years old and
showing no signs of stopping. Slamboree is in a few days and I can't
think of a single match on it I'm looking forward to. That's a
really bad sign.
Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with wrestling books for just $4 at:
http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6
Dusty in the NWO was so bad... hindsight says he gets the "Anvil joining DX" treatment from the NWO instead. One week as a member, then unceremoniously and painfully turfed out.
ReplyDeletePutting out a show like this against a re-ascendant WWF was basically like walking up to a guy with a shotgun and putting the business end of it in your mouth. They were ASKING to be killed here- the nWo circle-jerk was awful and all the jobber matches were ludicrous.
ReplyDeleteI mean, when the shows were going head to head you usually had everyone putting out Name (vs) Name matches. But TV Title defenses against Tag Team jobbers? Norton (vs) Nagata (I know WCW was basically forced to push Norton for some reason, but really)? HUGH MORRUS (vs) JIM POWERS (easily the most-ripped, in-shape guy to ever be a jobber for fifteen years straight)? Their central angles were awful and everyone was being lazy outside of the midcard, and the show had too many jobbers in it.
The "Bischoff Challenges McMahon" thing is an infamous lowlight. Aside from the false advertising (sorta- claiming he wasn't gonna be there was like assuming he WOULD be there, and it's still using Vince's name to sell tickets, which MUST be a no-no), it comes across as absolutely bush-league, bitter stuff when your rival is shitkicking you. It's just like when Vince ran the "Billionaire Ted" sketches.
Y'know...Jericho was basically the only non-nWo heel (with Raven) to actually get a character or personality. He really wasn't treated that bad for a LONG time.
ReplyDeleteThe Bischoff stuff also made no sense from a storyline perspective. He's supposed to be the executive leader of a rival heel faction, and yet he's supposed to be leading the charge of the WCW against the big bad Vince McMahon? Was the crowd supposed to be behind him for that brief moment and then go back to booing him. IIRC, even the announcers didn't know how to handle this.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing about it is that the DX thing was just some silliness that was really about getting DX over (and it succeeded, as their entire face turn was basically predicated on the "invasion.") Bischoff's challenge was just petty and did nothing to put anyone over.
"Glacier claims someone has stolen the Cryonic Kick."
ReplyDeleteAND?
That's it. He said someone stole it and that was the end of the vignette.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know, I just mean it's terrible. Not terrible that someone stole the Cryonic Kick, just terrible in general.
ReplyDeleteThe only minor defense I can make would be that Bischoff was NOT challenging Vince as a member of WCW, but as an NWO member.
ReplyDeleteIf ANYONE was going to destroy WCW, in his mind, it'd be the NWO.
(The line about not being at a WCW office... well, he's in the NWO, right? Why in the hell would he be at a WCW office EVER?)
Stretch, but it's logical at least.
Here's JJ Dillon with Raven in toe. Apparently Raven has filed a grief against almost everyone in WCW
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, it's in tow. Second, he filed a grief?