WCW Nitro 10/28/1996

Written By: Matt Peddycord

WCW Monday Nitro
October 28, 1996
Phoenix, AZ
America West Arena

The current WCW champs were as follows:
WCW World Champion: Hollywood Hogan (8/10/1996)
WCW U.S. Champion: Ric Flair (7/7/1996)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Outsiders (10/27/1996)
WCW World Television Champion: Lord Steven Regal (8/20/1996)
WCW World Cruiserweight Champion: Dean Malenko (10/27/1996)

HOUR NUMBER ONE! Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & Larry Zbyszko.

Right off the bat as it should be, Tony tells the world that the Outsiders won the tag team titles and Hogan retained the world title last night at Halloween Havoc. And what do you know, after Hogan won the match, Roddy Piper showed up and we see stills from that. Don’t worry – they will show us what was said later in the show.

WCW World Television Champion Lord Steven Regal vs. Juventud Guerrera
This is our first look at Regal as the TV champ since he regained it back in August. And speaking of first looks, we spot the Crow Sting for the first time sitting up in the rafters. Last time we saw him in the black and white face paint confronting the nWo, he was speaking. Now he just looks like a sad mime wearing a trench coat. So much is happening outside of this match, it’s as if the match is an afterthought. We see some nWo picket signs go across where the hard camera points. Syxx shows up in the crowd and welcomes everybody to nWo Nitro. So that he’s not the only one without a belt, he wants the cruiserweight title. Uhh, wrong match pal. Anyways, Juvi ranas out of a butterfly powerbomb, but misses the 450 SPLASH. How about a REGAL STRETCH? Yeah, you will take the Regal Stretch. And with that, Juvi gives it up. (3:20) When everybody starts paying attention to Sting, he leaves. It appears Tony was supposed to interview Regal, but he just walks off to the back instead. Whoops. It’s LIVE TV, folks! ½*

Stills are shown of the Luger-Anderson match from Halloween Havoc.

Diamond Dallas Page vs. Mike Enos
They brawl to the floor and send one another into the guardrail. Back inside, Page hits the Sitout Powerbomb for two. As DDP calls for the Diamond Cutter after a flying clothesline, Hall and Nash show up in the crowd acknowledging him. DIAMOND CUTTER? Nope, Enos shoves him off into the corner and takes him over with an overhead suplex for two. Enos hits a reverse neckbreaker and then dares the Outsiders to come on down for a FIGHT. As Enos goes for a running powerslam out of the corner, Page hooks his feet on the top rope and powers out into a DIAMOND CUTTER. Good night. (4:37) Uh oh, the Outsiders seem interested in recruiting the man with the deadliest finisher around. Will DDP join the new World order?!

We see stills from Malenko-Mysterio from last night.

WCW World Cruiserweight Champion Dean Malenko vs. Jim Powers (w/Teddy Long)
Really? Jim Powers is a cruiserweight? Power forward AC Green for the Phoenix Suns is in attendance. He was here last time Nitro was in Phoenix. This time he’s wearing an nWo shirt! Tony and Larry Z are offended. While Powers is slamming Malenko around, Psychosis steps out the tunnel to get a closer look at Malenko. Nobody knows this yet, but Malenko-Psychosis is set for World War 3. Powers escapes a chinlock and hits an atomic drop. Turnbuckle smashes abound! Running knee lift sets up a powerslam. He’s got the cover, but ref Nick Patrick is talking to Teddy Long when he’s not even on the apron. WHAT. When Powers goes over to grab Patrick, Malenko gets him with a rolling clutch pin for the 1-2-3. (5:04) Another week, another argument between Long and Patrick. HOLLLLA HOLLA HOLLA. *

WCW Saturday Night! Watch it IF YOU WEEL! 6:05PM eastern! TBS! This week, the Rock N Roll Express against the Faces of Fear! Also, Chris Jericho meets Chris Benoit! Jimmy Graffiti, Big Bubba, and Kevin Sullivan will all be on the show as well! Don’t miss out! It’s the MUTHASHIP! PAY WINDAHS, CLUBBERIN, AND PLUNDAH, BABY!

Stills of the Faces of Fear-Horsemen match are shown.

Jeff Jarrett vs. Ricky Morton
What a southern-fried chicken match this is. At least in the beginning, it goes like this: Jarrett move, strut. Jarrett move, strut. Jarrett move, strut. Finally, Morton hits a slowww crossbody out of the corner and goes after the arm for a while. Jarrett escapes an armbar with a hotshot and hits the Bossman straddle. He nails Morton with a flying bodypress, but Morton rolls through for 1-2-NO! Just as he gains the advantage, Morton telegraphs a backdrop and takes a swinging neckbreaker. Morton gets one hope spot with the Jack Brisco rollup, but then Jarrett catches him with a shinbreaker and finishes him off with the FIGURE-FOUR. (4:34) Here comes the Giant out of the stands with the US belt draped over his shoulder. He thinks Jarrett and the Horsemen are a bunch of rats. They’re all scared of him, too!

Jarrett responds with a message to WCW to unite to take out the new World order.

HOUR NUMBER TWO! Your hosts are Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay.

The Amazing French Canadians vs. High Voltage
Either High Voltage hates Canadians or they can’t stand hearing a grown man sing a song, but they interrupt the Canadian national anthem and clean house on the AFC. Rougeau trips up Kaos from the floor to take over. Oulette bearhugs Kaos while Rougeau comes off the top for a seated senton on him! The AFC look for the QUEBECER CRASH when the Nasty Boys attack High Voltage while the AFC head to the back. No contest? (3:43) They just wanted some interview time. They’re pissed about Hogan and the nWo. Whether WCW wants them around or not, they are NASTY. Long story short, Hall and Nash – let’s get ready to rumble. ¾*

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Jimmy Graffiti
Rey stands on the middle rope so he could see the crowd over the top rope (HA!) and Graffiti brings him down with an electric chair drop. Sitout Doctorbomb gets two. Mysterio comes back with a monkey flip and dropkicks Graffiti when he tries a crossbody out of the corner. Split-legged moonsault gets two. To the floor, Graffiti reverses a whip into the guardrail and then wipes out Mysterio with a CANNONBALLLLLL. Back in, Mysterio flips all around Graffiti and then mule kicks him to set up the SPRINGBOARD HURRACANRANA for the win. (3:24) Action-packed, but not as long as Graffiti’s match with Malenko to really get something going. *½

On the Road with Lee Marshal: He’s in Grand Rapids Michigan pumping people up for next week’s Nitro. The man can’t talk long – he’s at a Monday Nitro Halloween party (really?) and somebody just showed up in a weasel suit.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (w/Woman)
Eddie has a broken rib, Benoit has a taped-up shoulder. This is not your typical fast-paced Benoit/Guerrero classic we’re used to see, but it is a lesson in *selling* an injury. That is if they’re really selling and not actually in excruciating mind-numbing pain which knowing their history, it could actually be excruciating mind-numbing pain. Steve McMichael and Debra head down to make sure everything goes smooth. In other words, Eddie’s taking the briefcase in the ribs. And he does. Benoit covers for the 1-2-3. (8:23) Again, great lesson in selling if nothing else. **¼

Tony Schiavone interviews ref Nick Patrick and his attorney. He’s like Clarence Mason, but white and has some Harvard-like hair. While the attorney fellow puts Patrick over for doing his job at the best of his ability, Chris Jericho attacked him last night at the PPV and injured him. That brings out Chris Jericho to lay down the law. Jericho tells Patrick that there’s nothing wrong with his neck and that he’s a paid employee of the new World order. The attorney fellow questions Jericho on the subject of anger problems and not being able to get along with others. Jericho ignores him as Teddy Long (who apparently is “handling” Jericho now) comes out to yell at the attorney. He calls him a “scam artist” and says if he didn’t have a degree, he’d be holding a squeegee and washing windows. Patrick’s attorney accuses Long of ’slander’ and they all continue to argue until we go to commercial break. Alright! I love it when segments are supposed to answer questions and absolutely nothing is settled!

Lex Luger vs. Booker T (w/Sister Sherri)
Luger cleans house to start. Back in, Booker gets in some offense, but gets distracted by AC Green and runs into a boot in the corner. Booker goes low and hits a Side Slam, but misses a flying fist drop. Commercial time! AND WE’RE BACK! Luger turns Booker inside out with a clothesline, but Lex telegraphs a backdrop and receives the SCISSORS KICK! Cover, 1-2-NO! Booker misses the HARLEM HANGOVER and as Luger sets up for the TORTURE RACK, he somehow spots Sting who is standing in the gateway over in the crowd. Gate 105, 106. Lex drops Booker and jumps the rail to go after him. Once he’s halfway to him, Sting leaves and Booker wins via countout. (9:10 shown) As much as Booker carries Harlem Heat, somehow he’s still not ready to go alone. *½

Due to time constraints, they replay only a short amount of the Piper-Hogan confrontation. Probably the best parts though. Here comes Hollywood Hogan, Ted DiBiase, Vincent, and the Giant to respond to Piper’s comments without Piper here to interrupt him. Hogan demands to have that “Hollywood” spotlight put on him for this promo. He tells Randy Savage not to worry about Elizabeth because he’s going to take real good care of her. *wink wink* As for Roddy Piper, he says he think he saw some fear in his eyes last night. He goes on to congratulate the Outsiders for winning the tag team belts because now that they have the world title, the US title, and the tag titles – that pretty much means they have accomplished their hostile takeover. Now it’s time to pose for the Hogan fans before he goes out to party with the rest of the nWo, BROTHER.

And we out.