Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WCW Monday Nitro 6/15/98
After a night of digesting the PPV, I am getting really sick of the same old bullshit. Hogan and Piper can barely move. Their fight at Starrcade 96 while not good still had that big time feel but each successive match has sucked. Savage, sad to say, has lost a step or four in the ring. He can still go, and his knee is bad, and what can you do with Hogan? They HAVE to mix up the main event, get Bret involved more, bring back Flair, use Booker and Benoit and DDP. Sting can wrestle but Lex and Nash cannot, also the Giant is getting fat and can barely move. I am still unclear as to why he was smoking? Just lame. If I was a midcarder in WCW I would be irate but then again I would take my big paycheck and just do my thing…..Nitro loses 4.3 to 4.1.
They are starting off right! A brawl between Public Enemy and the Barbarian and Hugh Morrus.
Match 1: PE v. Barbarian and Hugh Morrus
PE is using garbage cans with alacrity and Grunge is blasting Morrus with a cake pan. But Morrus gives it right back to him. Barbarian slams Rock headfirst into the garbage can and then runs into it. Rock gets powerbombed right through the trash can! The fans are loving it as Rock is just getting annihilated. Grunge is too. PE makes a comeback and knocks them to floor. The heels set up the tables but get plastered with some cake pans and lids. Grunge nuts Morrus but Barbarian headbutts Rock there too! Rock gets hit in the face as Grunge is hammered out on the floor. Rock does not do a great job selling the bulldog and gets up as Jimmy hits him in the head and he turns and suplexes Jimmy right into the ring! Grunge fails in suplexing Barbarian into the ring and then he uses Rock as a catapult and leaps into Barbarian but is held and then Grunge leaps into him and they all fall into the table! There is a countout or a pin on the floor but PE gets the win.
***1/2 Great opener. Finally PE gets a win.
Tenay is outside, earlier, as WCW has never been in NY or in Nassau. He is asking the crowd if they are ready for Nitro. They are. He wants to know who will be Sting’s partner and some fans yell for the Ultimate Warrior! He ignores that and one fan screams for DDP.
Case in point: Gene is in the ring and calls out Savage who gets a great ovation and they jobbed the shit out of him as he lost Liz and did not get revenge. The announcers gush over Nitro and the Wolfpac, and they have finally figured out they are faces or some shit as they are not making sense. Savage is happy to be back in the Big Apple. Savage says something about Piper and then calls out DDP, and tells him that the Wolfpac are individuals and DDP has to prove himself in a steel cage and Piper better be listening. If DDP wins he can wear all the Red and Black he wants.
Match 2: Chris Benoit v. Fit Finley
They lock up and tussle. The fans chant, loudly, that Finley sucks. Fit takes him down and then again with a side headlock take over. He works over the arm, but Benoit punches him only to be poked in the eye and kicked. The fans boo as Fit drops the elbow and punches him in the chin. He snaps over Benoit and applies a rear chinlock. Benoit is up and strikes with a spinning backbreaker, knocks him to the floor and connects with some chops. Fit is rolled back into the ring where he begs off to no avail, but he pokes the eyes again and gets two after a short clothesline. Fit slams him and goes back to the chinlock but Benoit powers out by hoisting him up and dropping him down.
Commercial.
Fit is in command, drops a knee to the head and pulls him over the apron and then bashes his head into the side of the ring and follows up with an elbow. He poses for the crowd as he slowly makes his way back into the ring and Benoit greets him with a series of stiff kicks and chops. Fit pokes the eye for a third time. Benoit is draped across his shoulders and slammed, Fit gets two, pulls him back up and whips him into the corner but on the charge gets all post. Benoit hits two German suplexes but after the second one is too tired to go for the third. He finally pulls up Fit, whips him into the ropes and runs him over and then snap suplexes him. He heads upstairs but takes his time and misses the diving headbutt. Fit slams him and gets two after the knee drop. Fit climbs up but is dropkicked to the floor; he is on the apron and is suplexed back into the ring. Benoit thrusts him into the corner but runs into a boot and is then spiked. Fit grabs him but is hooked and put in the Crossface, Fit was going for the Tombstone, and he immediately taps!
**** Ending was abrupt but the match was awesome!
Gene is with Benoit in the middle of the ring. Gene thinks Benoit has respect for Booker. Benoit’s response makes little sense, but wants him to come out and face him man to man as he has some business to clear up. Here comes Booker with Ray in tow. Benoit raises his hand and tells Booker he is the toughest opponent he has faced and is willing to help him at anytime. Ray, in his pimp hat, does not appreciate that. He calls Benoit a pip squeak but Benoit keeps repeating that if Booker needs a man he can trust he can have him as a partner. Ray attacks Benoit and he pushes Booker off, Mongo runs down to make the save. Booker pushes Ray towards the back. There are chants of “We want Flair” and Benoit makes his best statement in three years in WCW: I am not here for Red or for White but for….and he raises the Horsemen signal! The fans love it!
Gene calls out DDP. He wants to know what DDP has to say about Savage’s challenge. DDP does his: I have overcome adversity shit. He tries to rally the crowd if they want to see him in a cage against Savage tonight. He calls Hogan scum and Rodman some names. He has himself a partner after going to the Finals and he is going to help him deliver the Bang.
Jesus, another interview! Now it is time for Piper. Christ, he makes no sense. He has referenced Sinatra, the Statue of Liberty, Rush and Stern in one minute! The fans love it. He calls Savage a basketcase but he is here as the Commissioner and he respects his craziness. Piper’s colors are Black and Blue and the cage match is on. He has more, no ref will get in the cage with Savage but seeing as he is not doing a damn thing he will ref the match.
Match 3: Chono and Tenzan v. High Voltage
Rage is getting pummeled by both. Chono leaps off the top and nails him and Rage gets stomped some more. Rage runs through them and clotheslines both. Kaos flies in with a clothesline and Tenzan gets killed with a belly to belly and he retreats to the floor.
Commercial.
Rage is stompin on Tenzan and working over the knee. The fans are booing! They want Flair and are chanting boring as Rage keeps him in the chinlock. Tenzan escapes and tags in Chono who woks him over for a bit and tags Tenzan back in who is taken down via an armbar. The match has broken down as all four brawl with HV getting the upperhand. Tenzan is bodyslammed and Kaos is tagged in. Chono is in and they both block suplexes a few times and finally Tenzan runs in only to be hit by Rage and Kaos hits the suplex. HV doubleteam him with a clothesline and Kaos gets two. Rage is now in and he powerslams Chono. Now the heels get teh upperhand as Rage is tossed to the floor and Tenzan sweeps him down as Chono hits the diving headbutt but Kaos kicks out only to be finished by Chono’s Mafia Kick….it was Tenzan who hit the headbutt.
*** Have not seen Chono in some time.
Here comes the Wolfpac. Nash and Konnan get the crowd riled as Lex looks lost. Nash is excited for the last man to join the Wolfpac is the first to bring gold and he introduces Sting to a huge pop. Sting calls it a Red and Black crowd and that was a Wolfpac reception. Sting hypes up Nash as the Giant killer and Konnan and the Barrio. He cannot go wrong with any choice and he will do it tonight and it will be just too sweet! Shit the crowd was fired the fuck up.
Match 4: Sick Boy v. Mortis
Sick Boy greets him with some stomps but promptly gets annihilated with a swinging neckbreaker. Kanyon beats on him in the corner. Kanyon just kills him with a neckbreaker from the top rope. Lodi intervenes and this allows Sick Boy to blast him from behind. Sick gets two after a springboard dropkick. He hoists him over his shoulders and then TKO’s him and Sick Boy poses for the crowd. Kanyon clubs him from behind and has him up on his shoulderse and faceplants him right into the canvas. Kanyon mounts and pounds him in the corner and then bulldogs him. Sick rakes the eyes only to be Flatlined and it is over.
**1/2 Short but Kanyon is pretty damn sweet.
Rude and Hennig are on the ramp with the former telling everyone that Hogan is where the money is. He reiterates that they literally had Konnan’s back. Goldberg was smart to stay in the ring as he would have been 99-1 had he messed with them. Curt will defeat him and sooner or later he will get to him. They go to one year ago, when DDP wanted to be a partner with Hennig and he got beat up. The same happened to the Horsemen and now Konnan got swerved too. Hennig assures Rude that he will never swerve him and Rude looks a little worried!
JJ Dillon is out to discuss the Cruiserweight belt, and Dean had knocked down the ref. Normally the belt does not change hands on a DQ but no one had the belt. Dillon does not want to hear whining and Jericho comes out singing that he is the champion. There is singing in the streets and the Jerichoholics are excited as he is champ again. He wants his prized possession back. JJ wants him to fully understand one condition that he has to defend the title within 30 days against Malenko. Jericho has been to the Library of Congress and while he has to defend it within 30 days it does not have to be against Dean, besides he has beat him so many times and he is worthless like his daddy. Dean blindsides and once again beats the ever living shit out of him as they head to the back. Jericho is clotheslined into a dumpster and trash is tossed on top of him and then he is flung into a cardboard box. Jericho fires off a wild shot and finally security arrives and Jericho sprints to safety, trying to stop a car! Dean is screaming his name.
Match 5: Chris Adams v. the Giant
He has a cigarette again….not sure why. I guess he is a rebel. He has it in his mouth and puffs as he gets in tehe ring. He is lounging over the rope smoking. Chris pushes him and Giant begs off wanting to smoke and so he clocks him and Adams is fired up and attacks only to be goozled and chokeslammed! It is over.
** For the Giant getting a squash….
Here comes Hogan and EB along with Beefcake. Hogan states that on the seventh day God created Hollywwod and that he is back in the house that Hollywood built. He reminds the Big Slimy that there is indeed a pecking order and that he is officially back. He is tired all the whining in Red and Black along within WCW. He is especially sick of DDP, and triple-dog dares him to do something about it. He drops Costas’ name. He declares Malone is scared of Rodman and got punked during the Finals and the challenge is made for the next PPV and DDP can pick his partner. He deals in overnight delivery and not parcel post.
Here comes Sting and he wants the music cut. Before he announces who his partner is he declares Savage crazier than Piper and DDP will have his hands full. Nash is his partner and here comes. He does a survey and the fans are cleary behind the Red and Black. He warns Hennig that he will now be hunted.
Match 6: Sting and Nash (c) v. Harlem Heat for WCW Tag Titles
Stevie wants Booker to start off. Sting tussles with him but sends him retreating to the floor after a hiptoss. Booker tests the knee and Ray checks on him. Back in the ring, Sting forearms him but he is dropped with a running forearm. Ray yells at Booker for letting up and tags in; Ray pummels Sting with clubbing fists and stomps. Now he adds in some knee shots. He runs into a boot and is clotheslined. Sting trash talks, and tags in Nash who drills Ray in the back with an elbow and now it is Nash offense time. He chokes him out with his boot, but Ray pokes the eye and bodyslams him. He misses the elbow drop, and Nash grabs him and tags in Sting who kicks and hits Ray.
Commercial.
Ray hits Sting, tags in Booker who misses the dropkick. Nash is in and he does his three moves in the corner on Booker in the corner…..fuck, dude, mix it up a bit. Booker gets his head torn off with a big boot. He side slams him and gets a two count. Sting is in and he kicks Booker, slams him and then drops the elbow. He bodyslams him again and springs off the ropes getting two. He attempts a big splash but eats all knees. Nash is tagged in and he waits for Booker to get up and short clotheslines him. He glares at Ray, and then uses his knee to choke out Booker on the ropes and then leaps on the back of his neck. Sting gets the tag who stands on Booker’s throat. Sting back suplexes him and tags Nash back in who picks him up but is shoved off and rolled up and Booker gets a near fall. Nash grabs him, cuts off the ring and Sting is back in and he pushes Booker into the corner, whips him into the other one but misses the Stinger Splash and stumbles into a spinebuster. Ray gets the tag and he drops Sting and then powerslams him. Ray celebrates and spits on Nash and this leads to the Deathdrop and he is pinned!
*** I actually enjoyed this. Sting has improved in the ring, Nash did his usual but actually wrestled. Stevie is not very good but it was still decent.
Scott Steiner is with EB and bragging about being in LA where the sun always shined. He is making fun of NY, and the non-English speaking cab drivers. Instead he is in LA with Thespians and they are all paying homage to him. He brings up Shannon Tweed! Now he mentions DeNiro and Redford about how they thought his acting job was great against his brother. He even fooled Mean Gene. He gave Rick two chances and he will never be able to join the Black and White and EB gushes that Scotty sets the standard.
Match 7: Randy Savage v. DDP
After some long intros, DDP takes it to Savage, but he is grabbed and flung into the steel. Savage pounds on him in the corner. Savage’s turn to be run into the cage headfirst a few times, and he is bodyslammed. DDP goes up top and is crotched. Savage charges and he is back body dropped into the cage. DDP stomps away and then spits on him. Savageis run headfirst into the cage again. DDP covers him and gets two. Savage reverses a whip and sends DDP crashing into the cage. DDP is dropped throat first over the top rope. Savage is sent into the post and then mauled. However he returns the favor as DDP gets run into the cage and he is stomped. Savage and DDP collide and now both are down. Savage rolls on top and gets two. Savage kicks him and then uses the ropes to choke him out….
Commercial.
DDP is laid out, Savage pulls him up but is popped in the gut and now DDP fires off rights and lefts and then clotheslines him. He wants the DC but is kicked in the nuts. Savage slams him and then connects with the big elbow. He sells the knee but is able to make the cover and DDP barely kicks out. Savage is yelling at Piper and shoves him. Piper shoves him right back and they jaw at one another and Savage decks him from behind as Piper thought he calmed him down. Piper is piledriven but DDP hits the DC as Savage pulls him up. No ref though, so DDP flings Savage into the corner and Piper has recovered. The fans are chanting Goldberg! Now Piper and Page are going at it, and Page is getting run into the cage over and over and finally he nails Piper who fights back as it has broken down. Piper decks him. Piper runs both into the cage. The cage lifted a bit and here comes Hogan and Crew and the cage goes back down as the Black and White enter the cage and unload on the three men. Sting climbs up to the top. Savage is laid out with a chair to the knee. Nash is out too and he runs off towards the back. The announcers miss a guy laid out, and now Nash has the controls for the cage and he starts to raise it. As it rises the show fades…..
***1/2 Should I rank it that high? Probably not. But it may be Savage’s last match for some time and it was still fun to see him and DDP beat the shit out of each other. And it all ended on a high note.
**** The fans were not happy that there was no Goldberg, and Schiavone, Tenay and Gene gushing over how great WCW, Nitro and the PPV are and were just gets on my fucking nerves. That being said it was still a great show. There was some decent wrestling, three long matches, and they teased the nWo/Wolfpac split. Sting got some great air time as did DDP. A solid follow up to the PPV; there could have been more wrestling but the matches there were did get a lot of time. And the interview segments were fairly solid as Jericho is awesome and I cannot help but dig the Wolfpac. Also, the crowd was really hot….shit I may upgrade my rating as the Flair chants were awesome.