Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WCW Monday Nitro 8/10/98
They have to make up for the last two PPV’s, just terrible. I am just going to roll here. But the good news is no more Rodman and Leno bullshit and hopefully Sting and Booker and Hart and Benoit can start wrestling more. Nitro won the ratings battle 4.65 to 4.55 though RAW had the highest single hour rating.
Match 1: Barbarian v. Jim Duggan
Fans are fucking hot. They are going back and forth just pounding one another. Barbarian has him in the chinlock but Duggan is up only to get knocked down. He is snapped over and Barbarian drops an elbow and now another one, which Duggan no sells but he telegraphs the backdrop and gets kicked and put back in the chinlock and the fans are loving Duggan with USA chants. He is up and Duggan hammers him in the corner. Duggan mounts and pounds him in the corner and Duggan finishes him off.
** For the hot ass crowd.
Duggan gets triple teamed if you include Hart. Meng comes down and cleans house. Hart and Barbarian eat the Deathgrip and Dillinger is in the ring and he gets it too! Duggan pulls him off and Duggan is caught in it too! Security is now laid out.
Gene calls out Luger. Gene tells him that there was more involved in what happened last week. Luger slurs out that the first was Hall and the second was Bret Hart and he should have realized that earlier. He got Hall last week and will not leave until he gets a piece of Bret Hart. Here comes Hart. Gene mocks Bret Hart and tells him that there is challenge. Bret calls him a damn liar. He knows it was not him and now he will claim there were four people that attacked him. He is not good enough and got his butt kicked by a vendor. He is jealous and needs to earn the title and is jealous of him and Hogan and even how he is brother’s with Sting. Luger denies that and calls his relationship with Sting imaginary but that he just wants the belt. He wants a shot tonight or he can punch his teeth down his throat now. The fans erupt and get louder when Bret agrees to the match.
Match 2: Alex Wright v. Eddie Guerrero
Wright is screaming at Tokyo in German and Disco wants him to speak in English and so Wright calls him a stupid little Japanese and both he and Disco are sick of him screwing up.
It is Tokyo Magnum…..Eddie takes him into the corner but Tokyo slides under and kicks him and then Eddie misses in the corner and is faceplanted. Eddie comes back with a spinning backbreaker and brainbuster and the Frog Splash finishes him off.
** Squash.
Eddie declares that he is back.
Match 3: Saturn v. Kanyon
Kanyon was supposed to be his partner. Missed that on Thunder, and Saturn calls him out. They start throwing haymakers at each other. Kanyon is hit with a belly to belly and then Saturn spikes him. He follows up with a series of big kicks in the corner. Kanyon makes a comeback and tosses him around. After a two count he sits on his head driving him right into the mat for another two count. He has Saturn on his shoulders and flapjacks him right down getting two more. Saturn rolls him up for two. Saturn and Kanyon go back and forth beating on each other until Kanyon gets him in a sleeper. Saturn rises up and escapes with a jawbreaker. He bounces his neck off the top rope and gets two. Kanyon is sent for the ride but the backdrop is telegraphed and Kanyon strikes with a Russian sweep. Saturn misses a wild shot and is placed up top. Kanyon fucking kills him with a neckbreaker from the top. He pulls him away from the ropes and gets a near fall. Kanyon takes a week to climb up and is crotched and Saturn goes up and they struggle and Kanyon is superplexed but both land hard. Lodi runs down and Raven Evenflows Saturn as the ref is distracted. Kanyone rolls over and gets the win.
***1/2 Good TV match.
Meng has more security in a deathgrip!
Match 4: Sick Boy v. Steve McMichael
Lodi distracts Mongo and Sick Boy takes advantage and after pounding him he nails him with a pump handle slam and after a springboard kick he gets two. Now a springing back elbow and he chokes him out. Sick Boy is stomping away and then uses the ropes to choke him out. Mongo strikes with a short armed clothesline and now a gut wrench suplex. He clips the knee and clearly misses but Sick Boy sells it anyway. Mongo finishes him with the Spike.
* Damn Mongo is annoying.
Here comes Hogan and company. Hogan has all the clowns out of the way and so is Leno etc. They want, meaning the nWo, their title back. He is going after Goldberg and has beaten everyone in the world and wants the shot sooner rather than later. The nWo lawyers will be calling soon and he is going to rip out Goldberg’s heart and bring the title back to all his adoring fans. EB has a public service message, and he is hoping to find the Leno stills from the match as he wants to see them. Also, seeing as Meng has decimated everybody the nWo will provide ringside security to protect him and they are here for Goldberg and of course the fans.
Schiavone informs us that Wolfpac
Match 5: Chavo Guerrero v. Stevie Ray (c) for WCW TV Title
Chavo is looking for Pepe and cannot find him and Jericho has him and lures him to the back where he breaks it over his head.
He asks Ray if he is looking for a fight brother, and he is also from the mean streets: Calgary, Alberta Canada. He will take him on for all his Jerichoholics. Ray responds that he did not come here tonight to hear someone run his mouth and wants to get it on. He gets quite the response too. They lock up and Jericho is shoved down and he retreats to the floor. He gets back in and Ray slugs away and then launches him. Ray sends him for the ride but Jericho ducks and low dropkicks the legs, unloads some chops and then leaps behind him and is caught. Jericho rolls him up though and gets two. Ray boots him in the head. Ray front suplexes him on the top rope but as Ray charges he is knocked to the floor. Jericho goes up top and nails him with a crossbody. Ray catches him and powerslams him but Jericho uses Ray’s body to dropkick him. Jericho strikes again with one in the corner and he hammers him with a bunch of rights and then back kicks the ref in the nuts. He is distracted by that and Ray clotheslines him. He is prepping for his finisher and the announcers are baffled as the Giant comes out and headbutts Ray and then chokeslams him. Jericho smacks the ref around to wake him up and turns Ray into the Liontamer and Jericho gets the win!
** Jericho even got some offense in. Jericho gets the TV title! Sweet…..
Here comes EB with a ravishing Liz. He wants the music cut and seeing as she is an assistant to the president of WCW she sees some of the tough decisions he makes he realizes he is the best of the best. He has taken it upon himself to violate the restraining order placed on the Road Wild main event because the fans deserve the best of the best. He is showing still of them dominating. He warns the crowd to not watch Leno tonight as they will only show imposters. He finishes by asking if Liz has seen Randy!
Match 6: Rey Mysterio v. Lizmark Jr. v. Psychosis
Rey misses a dropkick and Psychosis front suplexes Rey. Lizmark missed the dropkick. Now Psychosis goes after Lizmark and clotheslines him. Psychosis slams him and then strikes with a missile dropkick on both and now a back splash on Rey. He picks up Rey by the leg and spikes him. Psychosis misses the dropkick and gets all ropes and now Lizmark hammers him and then catches him with a spinning backbreaker. Psychosis is sent to the floor and Lizmark dives over the top and nails him. Now Rey flips over the top nailing Lizmark. The fans give him a big pop. He rolls both back into the ring but he is greeted by fists from both on the apron. Now Psychosis hammers Lizmark. But he is picked up and held and Rey springboard senton’s into him. They both try to pin Psychosis but only gets two. Lizmark tosses him throat first onto the top rope. Rey covers him after a guillotine legdrop and Lizmark pulls him off and Rey argues with him but they decide to team up again. Lizmark puts him on his shoulders and Rey leaps but misses because Psychosis rolls up Lizmark for a near fall. Lizmark slams Psychosis and goes for the cover causing Rey to kick him. Rey goes after him and dodges him, striking with a spinwheel kick and a split legged moonsault. Psychosis makes the save and he runs Rey pillar to post but runs into a boot and is scissored and spiked into the mat. Lizmark leaps from the top and Psychosis kicks him and then Rey leaps off of Psychosis and hits his finisher on Lizmark.
**** Great match and great finish. Rey was monkeyflipped into him.
Match 7: Lex Luger v. Bret Hart (c) for WCW US Title
They pose and posture with Hart not showing very much respect to him. They lock up and Luger shoves him to the floor. Hart gets back into the ring and they do a test of strength. Hart falls to his knees but gets up and ties up the arm and kicks away and works over the arm putting him in a hammerlock. Bret is shoved to the floor again and he retreats but waits and allows Lex to blindside him. Bret is shoved into the railing and then back into the ring. Luger slows the match down and works over the arm. Bret is up and pushes him into the corner where he punches and stomps and chokes him.
Commercial.
They are batling out on the floor and Bret bodyslams him and then slips on top of him. He jaws with a fan afterwards. Bret rolls him back into the ring where he continues to punish him. However, Lex counters and just unloads on him battering him in the corner. Bret nuts him and down goes Lex. Bret takes his time and he stomps on the abdomen and after a backbreaker he gets a two count. Bret does his typical offense, with the Russian sweep and the headbutt to the gut. He pulls Lex up and gut punches him and then spikes him with a DDT getting a two count. Bret rocks Luger with shot after shot to the head and now kicks him in the chest as Luger sags in the corner. He uses his foot to choke him out and the ref finally forces him to break. Bret suplexes him and gets a two count. He is taking his time, pacing around the ring staring out at the fans and then keeps up his deliberate offense and works over the lower back. Now another backbreaker. He goes up to the middle rope and Bret leaps right into a boot. Luger struggles to his feet as does Bret and Bret misses a wild punch and now it is Luger offense time with the atomic drops and clotheslines and now the bionic forearms and he covers him and only gets two. Luger puts him in a sleeper and Bret back him into the corner and right into the ref. Bret has the knucks and misses and Bret is Racked!! It is over.
*** Nice, long match. Still a bit lackluster. It is hard to do much with Luger. Bret’s first loss….oh well, it sets up a feud for both and keeps Sting in the middle of it as both need something to do.
The rest of Wolfpac come down to celebrate with him.
Match 8: Kidman v. Juventud Guerrera (c) for WCW Cruiserweight Title
They are going back and forth. Kidman is nailed with a crossbody and after knocked Juve to the floor he is hit with a springboard missile kick. Kidman retreats to the floor and ducks the baseball slide and dropkicks Juve into the railing. He rolls him back into the ring and gets two after a suplex. Kidman runs into a boot and they tussle back and forth. Juve is shrugged off and then powerslammed. Kidman gets a near fall. Kidman goes for are a release German suplex but Juve lands on his feet only to be grabbed and powerbombed. Kidman tries to float over after the whip into the corner but is grabbed and headscissored to the mat and the 450 ends it.
**1/2 A lot shorter and not even close to the caliber of their earlier matches.
Somehow Schiavone got stills from the PPV main event and shows them.
Here comes Raven and the Flock. He is upset that the Flock has let him down once again. Some of them did not show up and they need to be punished. Sick Boy is DDT’d and now he turns to Horace who blocks his blow but Raven is able to drop him.
Match 8: Raven v. Horace
Raven attacks him in the corner and bites him. Horace is slammed and crawling on all fours. Raven tosses him over the top rope and goes out after him and Russian sweeps him into the railing. He is up on the apron and grabs Horace who has the stop sign and cracks Raven with it. Horace dives through the ropes sending Raven crashing into the railing. He props up the stop sign in the corner and flings Raven into it. Raven is slammed on the stop sign and Horace goes up and he misses. Lodi is reluctant to but does so. Raven sets up the chair and he drop toe holds Horace into it. Kanyon comes down and the Flock jaw at him and Raven watches. Saturn runs in and gives Raven the Death Valley Driver into the stop sign. He puts Horace on him for the win.
** Angle advancement.
Match 9: Curt Hennig v. Konnan
They lock up and Curt is hiptossed and then taken down again. Konnan decleats him with a big clothesline and Hennig rolls to the floor. He is stumbling around down there and then paces around the ring. He gets in the ring and hammers Konnan with punches and kicks. He pulls him up and a knife edge chop drops him back down. He keeps after him and goes to pick him up and but Konnan fights back but he is kneed and nearly pinned after a back suplex. Hennig rolls him up for two but is kicked and bulldogged. Hennig clotheslines him and has Konnan’s chain and the ref takes it away and Konnan grabs it and chokes him out and the ref calls for the bell.
** Um, last week Curt did the same thing right in front of the ref and there was no DQ.
Match 10: Scott Hall and the Giant (c) v. Sting and Kevin Nash for WCW Tag Titles
Hall does a survey and the Wolfpac gets a huge pop. Giant will not give the ref the belt and makes him jump up and grab it!
Nash and Hall start off. Toothpick time and Hall giggles. Nash misses a potshot but the next few do not miss. Hall stumbles into Sting and is popped. Nash goes for the powerbomb and Hall rolls to the floor. He gets back into the ring and works over the arm and paintbrushes Nash and this leads to a short armed clothesline. Giant gets the tag, and they lock up with Giant pushing him into the corner but he misses the overhand chop and Nash kneelifts him a few times and sends him into the corner where he clotheslines him. Giant quickly makes the tag. He walks right into a knee to the gut. Now it is typical Nash in the corner. He chokes him out with his boot and turns and decks the Giant. Nash is hit in the nuts and now the Giant is in and he drops the head onto the nuts for good measure. Giant chops him and tags in Hall who pounds on Nash. Giants is back in and he misses the clothesline and down he goes after a big boot to the face the fans are getting riled and Sting gets the hot tag and Hall is decked, the Giant is clotheslined to the floor. Hall is bulldogged and it is Stinger Splash time once to the front and back and now a third one in the other corner. Sting turns him over but the Giant comes in and goozles the ref and makes him ring the bell for a DQ and chokeslams him anyway.
** Okay. Not sure why Nash and Hall allowed Giant to pull out Hall and only gave a half-hearted stomp as they pout in the ring.
Match 10: Meng v. Goldberg (c) for WCW Title
Both nWo organizations are on the floor. Meng starts of by leveling him with shot after shot. Goldberg boundds out of the corner and runs into Meng only staggering him. Meng struggles to roll to the floor and gets some advice from the nWo. He gets back in and is dropped and put in a leg hold. He escapes and a boot sends Goldberg to the floor right where the nWo is and they hammer him but the Wolfpac makes the save. Back in the ring Meng has him in the Deathgrip and down goes Goldberg. But he releases it perhaps thinking he won and he turns right into a spear and the Jackhammer finishes him off. Hogan has a chair and is trying to sneak up on Goldberg and blasts him with it. Nash grabs the chair and Hogan scatters. Goldberg turns and sees Nash and thinks it was him and he spears him!
** Meng should have had a better go at it but the entire main event set up was classic if too short.
***1/2 or **** There was a lot to like but also I feel as if it could have been and should have been better. Hart and Luger had a long match but I overrated it as Luger just cannot wrestle and Hart has been mediocre. There were some decent matches though. Still there was no DDP and he won at the PPV and this baffles me. I just feel as if something was missing but it was still solid. They continue teasing the nWo v. Wolfpac. Goldberg is more involved and Hart is back in the mix. Jericho is TV champ so the show was far more positive and also the crowd was hot. I do feel as if they threw all they had into the show and that is worrisome but the good news is that nothing was solved.