WCW Nitro 9/14/1998

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WCW Monday NItro 9/14/98 Flair Returns!
Damn another shitty PPV. Saved by one great match and a couple of decent ones. I spent too much time focusing on the big guns the last month and did not notice that they did not fill the undercard with solid matches or booked them at the last moment. There was no Goldberg or TV title match, but it would be nice if they have a pay off match between the two but history dictates otherwise. No Benoit or Guerrero or Booker really hurts. Eddie claims that what happened was a work-shoot and that the coffee that spilled on him was an accident. He says this in his book but he has also stated he carried great anger towards Bischoff for years and was bitter but this was the WWE produced Monday Night Wars DVD, which was propaganda. Flair may be here tonight so that will be pretty sweet. I hope they follow up the PPV with a solid show but Nitro has been pretty damn good as of late but the PPV’s have been terrible. Nitro wins 4.5 to 4.0 as RAW returns to Monday’s.

Tenay is running around like a chicken with his head cut off. He is on a run way looking for Flair. He looks inside a Limo and is told to beat it. He runs over to the plane wondering if Flair is there and the pilot has no comment.

Match 1: Alex Wright v. Hammer

Decent back and forth match. Cat comes out and takes out Hammer. Cat is on the mic and calls himself a bad man. He can take on anybody. Dillinger leads security in and cuffs and stuffs him….so you can get arrested for interfering now?

Bret Hart gimps down to the ring as Gene waits for him. Gene is really starting to ramble. He asks about the injury and what Bret has on his mind. Bret admits making a complete jackass of himself. He started listening to the wrong people and states Hulk is full of crap. Um, they bleeped it out and Gene corrects him on the name! Bret is tired of Hogan running from him and of his false promises. Bret is pissed and states he does not deserve the title and while he is on the shelf for some time when he gets back he will hunt down Hogan. Here comes Piper. The fans erupt. Bret backs away from an angry looking Piper. Piper yells at him about hanging with Hogan and hurting kids and his parents. Now Piper claims he is lucky for having a mom and dad! Jesus dude. Bret is not the first person to be conned by Hogan and Bret looks like a chastised little boy. Piper wants Bret to prove to everyone who he is and what he is capable of. Piper continues that this is a tough sport and you can be a hero one day and not the next. If America can forgive Clinton then they can forgive Hart and the fans boo the Clinton reference. Gene asks what Bret will do and all he wants is another chance.

Match 2: Saturn v. Kendall Windham

Kendall has owned this entire match. I was writing my intro but paying attention to the match and has been quite long. Saturn has been tossed around. Windham has him in a reverse chinlock. Windham breaks the hold and T Bones him and then drops him again with a big boot. Saturn finally fires back but gets his knee bent back and down he goes. After some back and forth for another minute Saturn spikes him and then clotheslines him and bodyslams him. Saturn goes up to the middle rope and drops the elbow. He covers him getting two. Saturn pulls him up but cannot suplex him and gets nailed with a swinging neckbreaker. Windham tries to send him for the ride but is grabbed and the Death Valley Driver finishes him off.

** A bit too long but it shows Saturn’s resilence.

The Flock heads to the ring. Raven is in the crowd demanding they pay attention. They have had their 24 hours of freedom. He wants them to join him. Saturn is talking to them telling them not to join and to do something with themselves. Saturn talks to Riggs and Horace and now Lodi….Raven is trying to counteract him by interjecting here and there. Now to Sick Boy and Kidman and Saturn tells the latter that he has amazing talent and should be the Cruiserweight champ. Raven begs for them to come back to him. Raven yells at them as they slowly depart and Saturn gloats.

Match 3: Wrath v. Renegade

Have not seen Renegade in some time. Wrath is dismantling him. He boots him in the head and then stomps away. He finishes him off.

** Squash.

Here comes Hogan. Bischoff is there and he brags about the new arena and it is a new house for Hogan. Also he is here but Flair is not! Now Hogan brags about the greatest. Bret Hart is a sissy and he should sit on the porch with Piper like sissies….what the fuck? Warrior is a coward too. Warrior could fool some of the stupid people some of the time and everyone saw Hogan beat everyone up at the PPV. Warrior snuck up on him and robbed him of his rightful title shot. Hogan is going to send him back to where he came from. Hogan will be in Vegas partying and he is inviting Warrior there and to step into the ring at Havoc. After that happens he is going headhunting and going after Goldberg. Steam time. Hogan wants to know where the Warrior is at. The Disciple is gone and Hogan is freaking out…after the smoke clears.

Match 4: Kidman v. Juventud Guerrera (c) for WCW Cruiserweight Title

Kidman kicks him right at the bell. But Juve fires back with some chops and the fans count for him as he mounts and pounds him in the corner. Juve is sent to the apron but pulls Kidman down by the hair. Juve’s huge missile kick sends Kidman to the floor. Kidman finally reenters the ring and drives his shoulder into Juve and stomps on him. Juve reverses the whip but is caught and powerslammed. Kidman gets two and has him in a chinlock. He pulls up Juve and whips him into the ropes, Juve slides under and takes him down with a headscissor takeover. Juve leaps into him and both fall to the floor. Juve chops Kidman and rolls him back into the ring.

Commercial.

Kidman is rolled up and nearly pinned but he leaps right back up connecting with a dropkick. Kidman slams him and then strikes with a guillotine legdrop. He pulls Juve up, snaps him over and puts him in a chinlock. He has him by the legs, pulls him up and slams him getting two. Kidman gives him some stomps and chops. They go back and forth and Juve back suplexes him and goes up top and leaps, scissoring him over and gets two more. Kidman misses in the corner and Juve goes for the Driver but Kidman goes behind and nails him with an inverted suplex. He gets a near fall, slams Juve and then goes up top but Juve crotches him and then Frankensteins him off the top rope. He takes his time going up top and leaps into a powerbomb. Kidman gets a pop as he runs up top and hits the Shooting Star Press and gets the win!

***1/2 Great match and about time Kidman gets a solid win.

Saturn comes out and claps. Fans give Kidman quite the ovation.

So much for Kidman they go to the back and Gene is sneaking around and he calls out Jo Jo and he wants to know if that was Flair who went into the locker room. Jo Jo will not divulge and it will be a surprise and Dillinger holds Gene back.

Jackie Chan talks about wresling…..

EB is arguing with Eddie about who made who a start. Bischoff wonders how he likes Japan and sends him there and to enjoy burritos! Eddie declares that he will pay.

Match 5: Barbarian v. British Bulldog

Barbarian is clotheslined to the floor. But he fires back and drives him into the post. Back inside the ring Barbarian hammers Davey, picks him up over his shoulder and drops straight down getting two. Barbarian plasters him in the corner with a series of blows and even Jimmy gets in on the action and chokes him out. But Barbarian misses and is up for the powerslam and Jimmy holds on to Davey and he has to drop Davey, and he knocks down Hart. Barbarian clubs him but misses the boot and is weakly powerslammed for the loss…..he wrenched his back that was why he fell. I mean his back fucking twisted and he is holding it. It was the fucking trap door for the Warrior. His foot was planted and ouch.

***** Fuck that shit. I am giving this five fucking stars.Wikipedia said he was hurt during Fall Brawl. But I did not see that. It looks like it is here. Fucking Bischoff fires him in six months via Fed Ex after the dude nearly dies. FUCK YOU BISCHOFF….if it is true.

Jo Jo is in the ring and discussing the Buff and Steiner situation and will rectify it. I was looking up Davey Boy stuff.

The lights dim and there is a God awful cackle and the lights flash too.

Match 6: Jim Neidhart v.

Mist comes and the Warrior shows up holding a downed Disciple. Neidhart just leaves. Now the nWo comes down. The fans are becoming indifferent. Warrior is rambling about the oWn revolution. He talks about the Disciple. He accepts the Havoc challenge and looks around at his Warriors. He talks about fear and trembling and then disappears into the mist again.

Match 7: Norman Smiley and Silver King v. Buff and Scott Steiner

Well the faces are getting their asses kicked! Steiner finishes both in a double Steiner Recliner.

*1/2 Squash and why have Smiley in a PPV?

Match 8: Giant v. Meng

They are just hammering one another. Meng kicks him in the head and staggers the Giant and now they pummel each other some more. Giant finally headbutts him but it does not faze Meng. Meng goes for the Deathgrip but cannot reach him and the Giant has him and chokeslams him for the win.

** Fun match. Meng does deserve a bit better.

Scott Hall with drink comes down and does his thing. Survey time. Wolfpac gets the largest pop. He calls it close and it is one more for the good guys.

Match 9: Scott Hall v. Lex Luger

Hall is just dancing around trying to mock and slap at Luger who just laughs at him. Hall sliips out of the lock up. Hall takes a drink and trips getting back into the ring banging his head. Luger grabs him and puts him in a headlock. Hall just falls flat on his face and acts like he is about passed out and then rolls to the floor giggling. Vincent is baffled too. He takes another drink. Luger has him in the corner wondering if he is trying to get fired and tells him to knock it off. Here comes Bischoff. Hall mocks him as he comes out and Luger calls Hall a disgrace. Now Nash has come down and they are arguing. Luger and Konnan look on confused and concerned. Hall just puked all over Bischoff and the fans are lauging and Hall is now pissed as EB is disgusted and wants to go to break. Hall gets in the ring and does his crotch chop.

NR. Look I do not mind stupid shit like this. But it takes too damn long; the segment was overwrought and ridiculuous like they are trying to outdo WWF with Hawk. Now the letter that his wife wrote to WCW and Bischoff about how the angle was impacting his life and the life of his family is just sad. If the angle is hurting a family than fucking end it. I do not think they should have started it in the first place but it should be stopped right when away if the wife has issues with it. Another big fuck you to Bischoff.

JJ calls out Arn Anderson and they are in the ring together. JJ apologizes for what he said to him earlier and friends do not do that and he asks for his forgiveness. Arn is not worried and discusses that what he heard coming out is what a pop is all about. Arn talks about Greeneville SC in the 80s and wrestling in front of all these friends. He wants to live up to the standards that were set years ago. The fans chant for Flair and Arn promises that everyone will get what they want. When Benoit came to him he knew it was time and calls out the other three Horsemen. Fuck it is Mongo first. Benoit! Now Malenko! Arn is telling Benoit how special he is and how he will carry the Horsemen banner beyond 2000. Mongo is all man and will mean to wrestling what he meant to football. Malenko has done Horsemen business the last few months no matter the conditions. It was Arn who did not get it. They will do this through the year 2000 and Arn is not responsible for what is coming next as heads will roll. Be careful what you wish for as now you have it. Then he pauses and the fans boo a bit as he rambles and then he yells that he almost forgot the Fourth Horseman and calls out THE MAN! Here he comes and the fans are jumping. He gets in the ring and gives everyone a hug as the fans ERUPT. He is choking up. I hope EB and he live together as Bischoff knows deep down that Flair is WCW and I wonder why Schiller and Turner did not put an end to the lawsuit bullshit. Sit Ric down and give him a push and the money he deserves and tell Bischoff to fuck himself. Okay, he thanks the fans and hopes that for the past 25 years each fan got their money’s worth. Flair heard that the Horsemen were having a party and the group that EB claimed was dead is alive and well. This may be his only shot and tells Bischoff this is a great TV moment and this is real not fake. Bischoff called it real last year as was Flair and Sting back in Columbia SC. Arn is one of the greatest performers who ever lived and Bischoff squashed it in one night. EB told Flair to disband the Horseman. Flair looked in the mirror and saw a pathetic human and quit. He owes the fan an apology for that and is bellowing. EB has come down yelling this is his show. Flair calls him an asshole and an overbearing ass. He hates his guts and has had it. EB backs away and tells him he is history as Flair calls him a liar and a scam and a no good sonofabitch. He is already fired so go ahead and fire him again!

Match 10: Sting v. Goldberg (c) for WCW Title

DDP has come out and he wants to be the first to welcome Flair back…..DDP is at the announce table. Goldberg knees him in the gut a couple of times and then powerslams him. He sends Sting into the corner and misses. He stops himself but turns into a kick and Sting picks him up and runs him into the corner upside down. He powerslams him but Goldberg leaps right to his feet and Sting retreats to the floor to regroup. He gets back into the ring and kicks him and they exchange shots and down goes the Stinger. Goldberg runs him over and runs at him again and right into a dropkick but he pops right up and takes him down via his legs. Sting is in the corner and trying to get his bearings. They lock up and Sting has him in a headlock but he is back suplexed only for Sting to maintain the headlock. They are vertical but Goldberg shrugs him off. Sting is taking his time and they circle one another warily. Goldberg eyes him and they get into a test of strength and predictably Goldberg wins that one. He has Sting backed into a corner. Now they lock up and Goldberg finally gets him into the corner. They exchange moves and Sting reverses a piledriver and Tombstones him and now two Stinger Splashes but Goldberg no sells it and refuses to budge off the whip so another Stinger Splash! Off the fourth attempt Goldberg goes for the spear but hits the corner as Sting dodges. Sting starts to turn him over and does so! But Goldberg is trying to muscle free and the fans are electric. Hogan has come down and he blasts Sting and Goldberg is up and while a bit befuddled spears him and now it is Jackhammer time! It is over. Hogan comes in from behind and hammers Goldberg and now a limping Hart comes out and shoves Hogan off!

*** This was fun and this is what wrestling is all about. The competition between WWF and WCW and two big time main events.

Boos rain down as Goldberg shows off his belt but Tony assures us they are for Hogan…..Goldberg helps Sting up and we fade….

****1/2 This is for the Flair promo. Fucking awesome and unbelievable. The Cruiserweight match was decent and the main event was great. But the Flair promo was worth the extra star and should have ended the show but then again the main event did not disappoint for once. What a week for wrestling and it honestly shows how big Flair still is and how the ratings can explode for him still and what an ending for both shows as Austin could not move the needle against Flair and Sting and Goldberg. And it even went over time. Great shit.