WCW Nitro 9/21/1998

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WCW Monday Nitro 9/21/98
The return of Flair is more than welcome. Nitro is not the same without him and the ratings boost proves that. Now my guess is that he will feud with Bischoff, which has a little potential. If anything he needs to get revenge on Hennig and the nWo. But I am sure they will screw it up and promote Flair for a few weeks and then bury him again. I will admit that the Warrior has not gotten as stale as I had initially feared. But then again it is not that exciting. They have kept his appearances to a minimum and that is wise as is not having him wrestle as he clearly looks good but never was good in the ring and I am sure that has not changed. The annoying cackling has to go as does the cartoonish Hall angle. I just cannot take it seriously. It goes on too long and it adds zero “realism” that wrestling tries to portray, in fact the fans are flatout rejecting it as they clearly look and act bored. Jericho has all but disappeared since his mocking of Goldberg. Not sure why they did not have Goldberg come out and squash him, or at least down the road do so. They still may but I know this is the major reason Jericho leaves. Nitro was nipped 4.0 to 3.9 as clearly MNF had a good game on, or at least that is my guess.

Hall comes stumbling into the back of the arena with a brown bag, jingling bag at that, and he goes up to a baffled Dillinger and tells him that his car has been hit. Doug is trying to get some more information out of him but Hall cuts him short declaring that he is not his boss and to do his job. He will check it out and tells Hall to get some coffee.

The steam comes and covers the ring and the Disciple is laid out in the ring. The nWo comes down and the Disciple disappears in a puff of smoke. The Warrior is up in the rafters and calls out Hogan. Hogan claims that he has dodged him for years and to get his butt in the ring. Warrior denies that. Hogan is doing the coward thing, calling him a coward. Warrior has been running to reappear, or some shit. The Disciple kneels beside him and he has not been infused with the powers of the Warriors but keep watching tonight with the continuing oWn Revolution and the plot thickens for Havoc etc. etc. Hogan is going to rip out his lungs.

Match 1: Barry Darsow v. Fit Finley

Fit takes him down and works over the wrist. Barry pokes the eye and works over the arm. Fit fires back with a series of forearms shots and runs him over. He snaps him over and covers him for two. Barry makes a comeback and chokes him out against the ropes. Barry drops him with a toe hold and applies a headlock. Fit is up and elbows free. Barry is sent into the ropes but he elbows Fit off the rebound only to be backdropped picked up and finished with the Tombstone.

** Nice to see Fit again.

Match 2: Jobber v. Wrath

Wrath is demolishing the guy. It is over.

*1/2 Squash.

Match 3: Rick Fuller v. Rick Steiner

Fuller gets in a few chops but is powerslammed and it is over after the big bulldog.

*1/2 Squash.

He has the mic and Goldberg may be 146-0 he is 9000-0 against his brother and will win at Havoc. Buff is called a girl twice!

The cackling again…..

Hogan comes down and calls out the Warrior; just him alone and he is going to kick his rear end. Tenay and Schiavone repeat nine times that Hogan is calling him out. No shit. Warrior comes out and dares Hogan to follow him and they try and enter the smoke-filled back. They are in the locker room and there is a sign of the Warrior, the oWn insignia is on fire. Disciple is laid out in the bathroom and now the steam again sprays and Hogan is confused and screaming. The Disciple is gone as Hogan cries for him. He cries at the mirror wondering where he is.

Raven is in the ring talking about how he gave to the Flock and they deserted him.

Match 4: Raven and Kanyon v. Villanos

He declared someone had to pay and it is the Villanos who pay. They are murdered with a dual neckbreaker/powerbomb combo. Nick Patrick just calls for the bell. The other Villano runs in and is tossed. Raven and Kanyon are sitting beside him and talking to him and now a trainer has come down. Jesus. Another neck injury. The good news is that he will recover and return in 2000. Damn did he land bad. They lowered his body too much and the impact caused it; they need to stop showing it.

NR. That fucking sucks.

He is able to walk out.

Disco is working out trying to lose weight to become a Cruiserweight.

Alex Wright is in the ring doing some more whining. He is sick of WCW. There is one specific wrestler that disgusts him and that is DDP. The fans USA at him. He challenges him tonight and if he wins he will take DDP’s spot. DDP comes out slowly, taping his wrists.

Match 5: Alex Wright v. DDP

DDP rolls into the ring and is stomped into the canvas. Alex dropkicks him and goes up top and connects with a big missile dropkick. Wright celebrates then goes back to work on him in the corner. DDP reverses a whip into the corner and goes for a back suplex off the rebound, and Alex floats behind only to be given a Diamond Cutter.

** Nice match for DDP.

Gene climbs into the ring and asks DDP about his title match with Goldberg. DDP discusses how everyone wants to have a title in every sport. The fans chant Goldberg and DDP tells them that he knows who he is. Goldberg has risen so fast in the sport and of course DDP had to work for where he is. But they both have big hearts and they are bringing all they got. At Havoc it will be a bumpy ride and Goldberg may feel the Bang.

Match 6: Lenny Lane v. the Cat

Cat talks about how he could take him apart with his bare hands. He is giving him five seconds to leave the ring and the city. Lenny repeats that and Cat starts to count so Lenny starts to leave but is stopped by the Cat who backpedals on his offer. Lane calls him a three time karate champ and does not want to face him. Cat wants to shake his hand and then kicks him in the chest. The bell rings and the Cat yells that this is his house only to be rolled up and nearly pinned. Cat retaliates with a shot to the head and pounds on him. Meanwhile, Scott Hall staggers out in a “drunken” haze. Hall is on the apron and Dusty comes down, pulls him off and yells at him that he is throwing it all away. Cat finishes him off.

*1/2 Not much here. Hall got some air time.

Disco is still workingout.

Jericho was backstage last week and he had to go to the airport when he found out Goldberg was upset.

Match 7: Jerry Flynn v. Saturn

Saturn is dismantling him. He kicks him in the head. He sets up a table and Flynn is able to recover and he unloads on Saturn but is nearly pinned with a bridged German. Now Flynn swipes the legs and then mounts and pounds him. Saturn is on the table but he is up and they pound each other until Flynn punches the post and he is posted himself and then placed on the table. Saturn leaps on him, rolls him into the ring where he finishes him off.

** Long match. Where is Saturn going?

Okay, I watched the segment but was multi-tasking. It was fairly solid. Scott Steiner and Buff come down and Scotty talks about how buff and great he is. He makes fun of Boston being a city of losers especially since Bill Buckner. He calls out Bret Hart for leaving the nWo and wants to know where he stands as he does not appreciate his hypocrisy. He calls him out. Bret limps down and a shoving match between the three ensue and Bret is kicked in the knee and assaulted. Sting makes the save. Steiner and Buff leave and Rick runs down and decks Scotty who runs off.

Match 8: Disco Inferno v. Kidman (c) for WCW Cruiserweight Title

Kidman dropkicks and then gets two after a lariat. Disco counters with a rake to they eyes and puts him in a headlock and after the shove off runs him over. Disco just falls down acting tired from his earlier workout. Disco rolls to the floor in order to recover and Kidman leaps out on top of him. He rolls him back into the ring where he connects with a slingshot hurracarana. He gets two and is put in a chinlock. Kidman breaks the hold and keeps hammering away.

Commercial.

Kidman leaps from the top and after connecting he gets two. Lodi strolls down and has a sign that claims he is lost without Raven. Kidman is distracted and is kicked and he piledrives him. Disco cannot follow up but finally does so and only gets two. Disco unleashes a flurry of kicks in the corner, picks him up and slams him. He stops to dance and then drives his fist into Kidman getting two. Kidman comes back as Disco delays and spikes him and after a bulldog and swinging neckbreaker gets two. Disco is able to escape but is still planted and the shooting star press finishes him.

*** Started weak but ended really strong.

Match 9: Chavo Guerrero v. Konnan

Chavo does the Konnan thing. He gets some crowd support declaring the fans love him as much as they they do Konnan. He wants to join the Wolfpac but is refused and clotheslined. Chavo retreats to the floor after a seated dropkick where he hugs Pepe. He gets back into the ring and is hiptossed. Chavo runs over and knees him because Konnan just yells his catchphrase and walks in circles. Chavo slides under off the whip and kicks the back of the knee. Chavo drops the elbow, leg and another elbow. He rides Pepe around the ring! Konnan has had enough and clotheslines him. He pounds him for a bit and Chavo counters with a poke to the eye. He whips him into the corner and then flies into him with a flying forearm. He follows up with a dropkick. He pulls him back down applying a rear chinlock. Konnan escapes, rolls him up for two.

Commercial.

Chavo has him in a chinlock and then pulls back on the arms. Konnan gets to his feet and knocks him to the floor where he whips him into the railing and then hammers him. Chavo is up and gets in a shot before being rolled back into the ring. Chavo is able nail him but is still covered for a near fall. After a leapfrog Konnan back kicks him and then plants him with a cradle suplex and it is Sunrise time. It is over.

*** Nice long match. Chavo should have had a bit more offense towards the end but solid.

Bischoff is in the ring with Liz and he is bragging about building an empire that no one thought could happen. He has built the largest and most successful wrestling organization in the world. He is now going to Japan to repeat what he did here. He makes fun of the Horsemen and then states that Flair will not be here tonight. He may have a contract but he said some things last week and also will not wrestle because of Arn losing. He may be able to grab a mic but will never lace his boots and besides he is too old and so he is doing him a favor. This is his company and he nor AA will wrestle. Eddie Guerrero learned that lesson and he continues and now cue the Horsemen! Fuck Yeah. Flair is at the head and comes down the ramp and EB tells him that he and security work for him. Doug Dillinger blocks Flair’s path and they discuss what is going on. EB wants Dillinger to get him out of here declaring this is not Charlotte NC. Doug steps aside and Flair continues towards the ring! EB backs against the ropes and Flair has a mic. The fans are fucking erupting! Flair just soaks it in. EB probably will forget the ratings spike and ovation in a week…..Flair declares Bischoff has lied again about Flair not being here and about the Horsemen being dead. Flair touts the other Horsemen and he has decided to become a Horsemen because of others. EB wants him to punch him but Flair does not hit Executives in jeans, tennis shoes and nWo shirts he laughs at them. EB repeats and Flair responds that it will not happen, nor will Liz ride Space Mountain! He is not going to punch him because he does not have another two million dollars. He then goes off about taking his son to the wrestling tournament and how he was not allowed too. He tells EB to suck it. EB responds that he got some of the story right and Flair yells over him that he has selective memory and that the Horsemen are too good and he is too bad. EB wants to know if he saved his money. Flair responds that he worked for his money and travelled the roads with Arn, Dusty, Lex, Sting and Hall. They made the business that EB sits atop and are not there because of him but because of WCW and the fans. There were not 1200 people watching the Horsemen but 1200 girls waiting for them while EB was in the bathroom buying his first condom. EB responds that this is TNT and not the History channel. Flair goes off that EB is basically a nobody and how he introduced him to Hogan. EB bitterly responds that he wanted Hogan so he could carry his bags and hope to rise to his level something he could never do and everyone in this building knows that. Hogan has done so much for this industry. Flair laughs at that and goes off. He dances around the ring and mocks Hogan and EB wants his mic cut off. He talks about Norfolk next week and EB demands they do not show up and Flair is Woooing! They all go up to EB and show the Horsemen signal.

Match 9: Stevie Ray and the Giant v. Kevin Nash and Lex Luger

It was supposed to be Hall but they play that he his incapacitated. Nash gets the crowd riled and now Luger and Ray start off and lock up. Ray knocks him down and works over the back and stomps away. Luger gets his head bounced off the top buckle. Hall is at the announce table and claiming there is no alcohol policy and makes fun of Nash. He wants to go out and beat him up. Ray bodyslams Luger as Hall supposedly fell out his chair! Ray misses the elbow drop and Ray is run over with a couple of clotheslines. Ray backs into his corner and regroups as Hall heads towards the ring and Ray and the Giant are not happy to see him. Hall tosses out the ref and wants Luger to tag in Nash who obliges. Hall jaws at him and takes a wild swing, misses and falls down. Nash sits over him and Giant runs in and blasts him and Ray pulls out Luger who posts Ray and grabs a chair as the Giant hammers Nash. Giant leaves and now Hall is surrounded; he runs at Nash who side steps and tosses him to the floor where he is lead out. Nash has the mic and promised to never air his dirty laundry but he lost his best friend. He wants to fight but not for free and do it for the money at Havoc. Nash reminds him to show up.

NR Angle Advancement finally setting up a PPV match between Hall and Nash.

Hogan and EB come down and he wants Warrior to come out as he is tired of all the games. Warrior comes out and Hogan is gleeful as the Disciple comes up from behind but he turns and shows an oWn jacket and Hogan is livid and we fade.

***1/2 This is on the strength of the Flair interview. Also the two solid matches. The main event was weak but worked for setting up the PPV. Not sure where the likes of Wrath is going and the Cat and Saturn as they get wins but go nowhere. They may be midcard but give them a push. Meng was unstoppable but beaten by Goldberg and the Giant and he should have gotten in more offense. Set it up a bit better. Also, there are too many meaningless matches. Also, where the fuck is Goldberg? The man needs to show up and beat people up, give an interview etc. This is preposterous. Some good here but more bad….though the Flair segment was absolute gold and saved the show.