The SmarK Rant for WCW Monday Nitro – 10.16.95
Live from somewhere not mentioned, but it’s LIVE.
Your hosts are Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan & Mongo
I feel like we need a change.org petition to get them to add the damn 09/25 show to the archives already.
World TV title: Diamond Dallas Page v. Johnny B. Badd
Match doesn’t happen, as DDP lays him out from behind and gets disqualified.
Chris Benoit v. Eddie Guerrero
They fight over a wristlock and Benoit takes him down with a headscissors, but Eddie chases him out and follows with a crazy crossbody to the floor. They fight out there and Eddie accidentally punches the post in painful-looking manner, and back in for the backdrop suplex from Benoit. Hammerlock suplex and he elbows Eddie down, but Eddie comes back with a tornado DDT for two. Benoit just destroys him with chops and goes to work on the arm as there’s some really eerie commentary here. Eddie fires off a side suplex and brainbuster, but the frog splash hits knee. Benoit folds him in half with a powerbomb for two, which would be the first appearance of the MDK powerbomb. The crowd was gasping at how viciously he spiked Eddie with that one. Eddie fights back again, but Benoit finishes him with a dragon suplex at 8:45. ***1/2
Mean Gene has rumors of a top WW(bleep) official being fired, so obviously this is a re-used show from WWE 24/7 when they had to edit that letter out. Also, the person in question was Bill Watts, in case you’re wondering. And I believe his tease of a top WWF guy getting into a fight in the parking lot with a fan would have been Shawn Michaels in Syracuse.
Kevin Sullivan and the Giant have words for Hulk Hogan, as apparently the whole world is talking about Hulk wearing black.
Meng v. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Slugfest to start, which is won by Duggan, but Meng overcomes a bodyslam and finishes with the samoan spike at 2:00. DUD
Meanwhile, Hulk Hogan is still in black and he still can’t grow his moustache back after two weeks. Also, he’s going to literally bury the Giant next to his father Andre in Detroit. But Andre’s not…and he’s not…you know what, never mind.
Brian Pillman & Arn Anderson v. Ric Flair & Sting
This is of course part of one of the all time greatest WCW angles, where Sting literally told Flair that he’d kill him if Flair turned on him and then Flair turned on him anyway. It’s the old scorpion proverb. Flair is forced to go alone when Sting doesn’t show up, but he still fights off the heels with chops and Pillman works his railing bump in already. The announcers actually debate whether Flair would be out there taking a beating if he was planning to turn on Sting, so we’re not the only ones wondering about that one. Back in the ring, Flair throws chops on AA and gets the figure-four, but Pillman breaks it up. Flair Flip and he actually completes it with a double axehandle on Arn, but he walks into the spinebuster as Sting finally joins us. Flair fights off Pillman and makes the hot tag as the crowd goes batshit, and Sting just destroys both guys. Pillman goes up and gets crotched on the top rope, and Arn gets dumped and counted out at 7:00. Hot match, kind of a weak finish. But this would set up the glorious rematch at Halloween Havoc. **
Next week: Sting & Luger v. Harlem Heat!
** doesn't sound like a hot match to me. Especially with that ***1/2 8 minute match earlier in the show.
ReplyDeleteHow were they lucky? If the Cardinals were lucky to win Games 2-3, then the Red Sox were lucky to win 4-5. They didn't exactly blow them out.
ReplyDeleteTry being in a wrestling chat room*
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to compare home run totals today to 10-15 years ago. In 2001, Todd Helton's 49 homers was only fourth-best in the National League alone. Today, nobody in the majors has 40 yet without only a handful of games remaining.
ReplyDeleteVince calling an audible when HBK had Bret in the Sharpshooter and quickly relaying word to Earl Hebner to call for the bell!
ReplyDeleteI've no problem watching Benoit matches like this...but the Nancy And Chris promos that come later on are downright creepy.
ReplyDeleteSo what was the eerie commentary here? Also, seeing as he is wrestling here, I am wondering more than ever if 9/25 = Benoit's debut promo, and if it's missing cause they needed to restore that to the broadcast?
ReplyDeleteHot as in crowd heat moreso then actual in-ring occurrences, I'd imagine.
ReplyDeleteI'll always remember watching Sting's promo on Flair at the bar with my stepdad as a kid. For some reason he really got a kick out of "Don't swerve me, or I'll leave you for dead!" Don't swerve me became a running meme around our house.
ReplyDeleteThis is all I ask for out of my wrestling. Arn and Flair made up, then decided to fuck with Sting just cause. They got a few months of storylines out of something simple. 95 WWE just skips over all this and has Ramon, Diesel, Bigelow all be best buds just cause.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to be in a room with Bill Watts and 1995 Shawn Michaels ...
ReplyDeleteIt really makes you angry when people point out how reprehensible you are, huh?
ReplyDeleteStill a better human than worstintheworld.
ReplyDeleteso rediculous that they used the giant as andres offspring hahaha
ReplyDeleteHe debuted on a show from Chicago (I think) and that was just him coming out of a limo.
ReplyDeleteIn pretty sure the 9/25 show was on there.
"He's a crippler! He made his name torturing his opponents!" Etc etc.
ReplyDeleteIf only someone said this to Vince Russo.
ReplyDeleteI remember Herb Kunze defending this by saying that we weren't upset that the Andersons weren't really related. Yeah it was pretty bad, but tame now considering how we've seen other deceased performers treated since.
ReplyDeleteMeltzer on the Sting-Flair storyline that week:
ReplyDelete"The latest on the Flair-Sting situation is this. The original idea was for Flair, Anderson and Pillman to turn on Sting at Havoc. About a week or so back, Sting changed his mind only three months after the idea was proposed to him and he agreed to do it, thinking it would make him look stupid (some believe it was Lex Luger who talked Sting into this way of thinking). Sting proposed the idea where they try to turn on him but he would escape having outthought them and not get beaten up, which doesn't create much heat coming out of the situation but Sting also does come out looking stupid but he should have nixed it months ago rather than going through with the deal for this long and then changing his mind. The best idea of all would be for Sting to turn, since it would be a big shock, create tons of new potential main event match-ups, and keep Flair as a face since he's the most popular wrestler in the company right now. Of course Sting may never agree to turn, and Flair is dead-set against being a face. Nevertheless, they are going to split up either at Havoc or shortly thereafter."
Man, Sting turning the tables on Flair by leading a new Horsemen would have been MONEY.
Dat Powerbomb.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lady in the front row wearing some Hulkamania gear and she leans forward and squints as if she's trying to see where, exactly, Eddie is now broken in two after the powerbomb.
Holy FUCK that powerbomb was intense. Benoit just straight-up murdered Eddie on that one. Best Powerbomb ever.
ReplyDeleteThe original plan was a Cena/HHH rematch
ReplyDelete"It’s the old scorpion proverb."
ReplyDeleteI get it!
didn't he say basically the same thing to Luger in 98?
ReplyDeleteIt was 2000 but yeah. He gave Liz some extra strength mace or something like that but it turned out to be silly string.
ReplyDeleteReprehensible???? Hahaha, ok there psycho.
ReplyDeleteMan, it'd be so sad to actually see what your life is like.
What I love most about the Benoit/Eddie match was that Eddie punching the post figured into the finish. Eddie punches him in a last-ditch effort to fight back, but he uses his hurt hand. THAT'S what allowed Benoit to get the waistlock into the full nelson for the Dragon Suplex. JR would have been all over that call without a second thought.
ReplyDeleteAlso, IIRC, that match has one of the all-time great Mongo lines: "If you're not a fan of WCW after seeing that, you're dumber than dirt!"
Keep obsessing over a form of entertainment that you hate. Quite a productive life you lead.
ReplyDeleteWhat? He's billed as 6'3 and I'm pretty sure that's his legitimate height.
ReplyDeleteShow was from Albany, Georgia.
ReplyDeleteThat was actually kind of great.
ReplyDeleteThe best part of the Sting-Horsemen angle was that everyone - even the announcers - knew what was coming. Sometimes predictability isn't a bad thing. Sometimes a predictable payoff is the most satisfying way to continue a program.
ReplyDeleteFlair's turn at Havoc is something my buddy and I used to always imitate. Sting is getting his ass beat, Flair gets the hot tag and starts strutting as Pillman and Arn cower, then turns around and starts pounding Sting. Classic Flair.
ReplyDeleteThe first and only time in history Sting saw the knife in the back coming and did something about it. (Granted, he still got his ass handed to him post-match, but still.)
ReplyDeleteHey, maybe I'm wrong. I'm doing the best I can out here.
ReplyDeletePoor white trash man, what are you even talking about right now? Obsessing over a form of entertainment I hate--- Where are you getting that from? You obsess over what people write on a message board you hate--- how god damn weird is that??
ReplyDeleteSeriously get a job hillbilly, go outside, do something. Your life must be so sad.
You post here a thousand times a day. I'll just bet you lead a full and productive life with a lucrative career and are surrounded by loving friends and family.
ReplyDeleteOh Dougie my poor white trash friend. First off I post here fairly infrequently compared to most, with some bursts of boring days at work where I'll post a lot. Secondly--- you're a guy who's currently commenting on a message board too, and who runs a message board that's evoked to CRITIQUING ANOTHER MESSAGE BOARD. You're the last person who should be throwing out the "you live a productive life" insult.
ReplyDeleteAlso, yeah I do have a pretty lucrative career and friends and a pretty happy life. In New York--- you're what, a janitor or fast foodworker in some small town, right? Which is fine, the world needs ditch diggers too. And I'm guessing that's why you throw a shitfit whenever anyone makes fun of WWE, which is one of the few things in life you enjoy. No, I understand buddy, it's ok.
Anyway, the basics here are that I made an innocent crack to another poster about a minor injury to Roman Reigns--- a guy who I'm always defending here and enjoy quite a bit, btw--- and you had a little freakout. That's you being a weirdo. But again I understand, you've got a sad little life out in the middle of nowhere, so Roman Reigns is all you have to look forward to. It's ok.
Man, that's a lot of words protesting too much.
ReplyDeleteOK, here's fewer: You're a poor, sad weirdo.
ReplyDeleteThat's a mirror.
ReplyDeleteBAHAHAHAHA, did you really just do "I know you are but what am I?" Ok then. Go outside Dougie, go buy some cigarettes and cheetos at the gas station across the street or whatever it is you do for fun.
ReplyDeleteSettle down John Grisham.
ReplyDeletehttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_0cnXYhlBk1k/SS91n8PzbOI/AAAAAAAACqk/ERbuuCmNS64/s400/mugshot+mullet.jpg
ReplyDeleteDougie that's what you look like, right?? How close am I?
You're drinking way too much Mountain Dew.
ReplyDeleteOh man I'd never drink that shit. But I'm guessing that's pretty popular in your trailer park, right? What comes out of the showers in your trailer, Mountain Dew or Orange Soda?
ReplyDeleteHeh...I picked up the Blu Ray with the Black Widow variant cover. It's kinda sad to think that THAT is the closest we might ever come to seeing a Black Widow solo movie. That character has a lot of potential, if the studio treats it more like a distaff Jason Bourne series, and less like a pandering, glorified T&A spectacle.
ReplyDelete