WCW Nitro 8/9/1999

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WCW Monday Nitro 8/9/99

The go home show. Last week had a few positives, such as some decent wrestling. Also, Thunder continued that. Hopefully it continues tonight. I think Chad Brock is performing. Great, music about drinking and having your toothless girl with nine kids break up with you. Anyway, Savage has a statement tonight, setting up the Rodman match. I am sure Hogan and Nash will continue their tepid feud. Goldberg is facing Rick Steiner at the PPV. Looks like they are saving Sid for later (against Goldberg). DDP and Benoit has been pretty good. Cat and Buff okay. I wonder where Shane and Malenko will stand in terms of the PPV. Also, Booker T. I liked him better in singles competition and he deserved a US title run, but that never came to fruition. Ratings fell to a 3.0. The first hour was strong with a 3.7 but then fell to a 2.5 and only rose to a 2.9. Not good. Even with trying to hook the viewers with far better first hours they cannot get above a 4 when they used to get high 4’s and 5’s. Fans just are not tuning in, and they all show up for RAW and they lose a million or more when RAW starts but more tune in the final hour. RAW received a slight boost to a 6.3 off of a 6.2 and 6.4.

Match 1: Norman Smiley and Lash Leroux and Prince Iaukea v. Vampiro and ICP

Lash and Vamp start off. Vampiro brushes off some chops but Lash keeps up the offensive and staggers Vamp. Prince comes in and he and Lash take him down. Vamp is up though and sandwiches Lash in the corner and strikes with a powerbomb. Here comes an ICP member who taunts Prince and then suplexes him.

BTW: Shitvone is back at the announce table. Why can’t he be powerbombed?

Vamp leaps off the top and clotheslines Prince and now he is doubleteamed and hammered. Here comes the other ICP guy and he DDT’s Iaukea. Prince tries to fight back but is knocked down. He gets up and drops ICP, the skinny one and headbutts the nads! Vamp gets the tag and kicks Prince over and over, dropping him with a shot to the nose. He now stomps on the nuts. Fatter ICP guy gets the tag: Schiavone and Heenan are clueless who is who. Prince is legdropped by all three! ICP headbutts Prince but he falls down and Prince falls on him getting two. Vamp just runs in and decleats him with a lariat. Prince is elbowed in the back of the head and dumped to the floor. Vamp just grabs him and throws him into the steps. Back into the ring ICP goes up top and misses the guillotine legdrop. Norman gets the hot tag and tees off. Every heel gets the spinning slam. Wiggle time! The fans are fucking exploding. Now all six are in the ring. The faces begin strong but end up on the floor and Lash is finished by the fat ICP dude who hits a moonsault.

*** Hot opener. I mean the crowd was fired up!

Sting handed most, or all, or some power over to Dusty Rhodes. Malenko is telling him about Flair running the program into the ground and wants an opportunity. Dusty assures them (his crew is there) that they will be getting an opportunity. This revolution will happen but if they fail it is there fault. Dusty brings up Ric and knows Shane does not like him. David comes in and asks if the old timer (Dusty) is telling Flair stories. Benoit stops him and wants a rematch for the title. David tries to walk away and he is taken down and put in the Crossface! He is held there for a bit and after he gets up Dusty informs him there will be a title match tonight!

Match 2: Public Enemy v. West Texas Rednecks

Okay…the fans are still hot. Rocco and BW go back and forth. Grunge is in with Curt and the former is getting worked. Now it is Grunge and BW and they clothesline each other. The match has broken down. BW is on the table and Rocco flips on top of him but Curt is able to pin Grunge.

** Hot crowd.

Match 3: Mona v. Random

Mona wins after a decent match. Another woman tries to attack her but fails.

**

Hogan is slogging into the back of the arena. Hobbling more like it. He is doing some sort of jig. Not sure what that is and he is assaulted by Nash and Sid and Rick and brought towards the ring. Hogan was head to the ring I think before the assault. Hogan is laid out with a belt shot to the head. Here comes Goldberg and Sting and the heels flee. Hogan is up of course and rips off his shirt. Hogan is calling for crowd support and pointing at Sting and Goldberg. Hogan has the mic and he yells that this is his business and he is sick of them. Hogan will put his title on the line at Sturgis and even leave the business (we could only hope). Hogan challenges them in a six man tag tonight. The heels confer. Nash tells the ladies in the ring that if they want a fight they got it tonight. Sting has one more stipulation. If Sting and friends win tonight then Nash has to put his career on the line at Sturgis. Nash is chuckling and before he can say anything Goldberg tells Rick that all he needs to do is bring his ass to Sturgis! Nash tells them to shut up and jaws with the crowd. Nash knows that Hogan cannot beat him, and on Saturday at the PPV that will be the last time Hogan will be seen. Hogan says he has his two best friends to watch his back on Saturday. Nash responds that those other two will not make it and Hogan is finished. Nash and friends make their way down the ramp and Nash rips his shirt off and then they back off.

Match 3: Chris Benoit v. David Flair (c) for WCW US Title

Nick Patrick gets in the face of Charles Robinson and tells him to beat it! Here we go. David stares at Benoit and then decides to leave refusing to get back in the ring. He backs away yelling at fans to shut up. Here comes Shane and crew and they bring him back to the ring. David begs for mercy in the corner. Benoit stares at him and goes to shake his hand and kicks him. Flair escapes again. He gets back in and is dismantled. Benoit suplexes him and Flair just lies there writhing. Benoit strikes with a backbreaker and drops an elbow. He is taking his time and one chop sends Flair down. Flair is laid out and Benoit heads up top and Kanyon sprints down and Benoit wins! The fans are roaring! Kanyon was held back by Shane, Saturn and Dean. But DDP broke through and spiked Benoit before being chased off.

***** BENOIT! Okay. ** Not a great match but it was not meant to be. Great moment.

Chris has the mic and asks DDP if he wants this belt, then he needs to come and get it. No DQ at Sturgis and then calls him some names.

Here comes Macho Man. Gene asks where George is at. Savage tells everyone she is not here and the fans boo. He will be the next president too. Savage goes to his announcement. He is not happy about Sid holding hands with Nash. Hogan and Rodman are together. There are no strings on this puppet and he is ready to kick some ass. He is the baddest dude on the planet and Rodman wants none of this. Gene reiterates about wanting to know the surprise. Savage responds that Rodman’s rep is crap. He will not be denied until Rodman is laid out and Savage drops the elbow. George will return after he wins.

Match 3: Dave Taylor and Chris Adams v. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio Jr.

Taylor takes down Eddie but he is knocked down. The fans want Rey and here he comes. He back flips into the ring and he and Adams lock up. Adams runs him over and Rey leaps into a powerslam. He is slammed again and Adams goes up top and misses. Rey springs into a moonsault. Adams reverses the whip but Rey slides into his knee, but when he gets up a thrust kick takes his head off and Eddie has to make the save. Rey is knocked to the floor and Taylor uses the flag to choke him out. Back in the ring, here comes Taylor and he works over Rey who is whipped into Chris and belts him. He knocks down Dave and Eddie gets the hot tag. He unloads and Rey comes in and kicks Dave to the floor. Chris is crushed via Bronco Buster. Frankensteiner and Eddie finishes him with the Frog Splash.

**1/2 Decent.

ICP and Vampiro run down and assault them. Kidman helps out Rey and Eddie. The heels flee.

Rednecks are down. Curt declares their record has gone Platinum. They have a new single and he thanks the Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain. Curt assures everyone that they will be in concert tonight. Fans boo Chad Brock when his name is mentioned. Curt is going to kick him off the stage. Gene tries to hype him up and the fans do not FUCKING care. Curt is irate and calls him Chad Flop. He had three albums. He did have a number one single…..then disappeared after 2001. He was a former WCW wrestler. Curt is still bellowing nonsense.

Match 4: Kidman v. Disco Inferno

They lock up and Kidman flips behind him and then scissors him over. Kidman works him over in the corner but is sent to the apron. Kidman slingshots over and scissors him. Kidman runs him over but after the whip, Disco sidesteps and launches him to the floor. Disco goes after him and runs Kidman into the steel steps. He gets back in the ring and dances. Kidman is knocked off the apron, finally Disco brings him in and slams him. He gets two after the middle rope forearm drop. After that he whips Kidman into the corner and he collapses. Disco snaps him over and puts him in a rear chinlock. Kidman is up, and drops Disco with a lariat. But he lowers the head and is kicked and nailed with a swinging neckbreaker. Disco covers him and gets two. Kidman is knocked to the floor and whipped into the railing. He slowly crawls back towards the ring. Disco helps him back into the ring, snaps him over and puts him in a rear chinlock. Kidman is up and counters with a jawbreaker. Kidman follows up with a sunset flip and finally gets him over. Disco comes back and gets a near fall. Kidman punches him in the gut but flips to his feet off the back suplex attempt and powerbombs Disco. Both are up and Kidman rocks him with a few blows and then leaps off of Disco and dropkicks him. Kidman gets 2.5 after the bulldog. Kidman whips him into the ropes but lowers his head and is piledriven. Disco rolls over on him and gets two. Disco goes for a powerbomb but Kidman turns it into a faceplant. Kidman goes up top and Vampiro has come out and hits his finisher from the top rope!

*** Good match. Too bad about the ending but it works for angle advancement.

Disco tries to help Kidman but gets a hole stomped in him. Here comes Eddie and Rey and the heels flee.

Buff comes down and he is Buff and the Stuff. He tries to get the crowd riled….

Match 5: Buff Bagwell v. Scott Norton

Buff clotheslines him and then dropkicks him. After running into him he does it again, and down goes Scott. Before he can get his bearings he is clotheslined to the floor. They lock up after Scott gets in the ring and rakes the eyes of Buff. He goes to work with punches and chops. He sends him for the ride but Buff catches his boot and dragon twists the leg and then strikes with a swinging neckbreaker. Buff mounts and pounds him in the corner. Scott ducks and Buff’s face bounces off the top buckle. He hoists him up and connects with a shoulderbreaker. Here comes the Cat as Buff is dumped to the floor. Norton goes after him. He rolls him into the ring and works the neck. Buff is up and drops Norton. They both get up and Norton pokes the eyes. Bagwell though hiptosses him twice and goes for the pin after a crossbody. Cat pulls the ref and Sonny hits Buff with the briefcase. Buff barely gets the arm up. Buff fends Norton off and Norton clotheslines the Cat and Buff hits Sonny with the Blockbuster.

** Not bad.

Norton backs the Cat back toward the back.

Chad Brock. Don’t Care.

Curt comes out to interrupt and gets in the face of Chad. They are nose to nose. Curt knocks off his hat and the start scuffling. The Rednecks are involved and Chad will not back down. Here comes Benoit and friends and Chad wants a piece of Curt.

Here comes the Triad and DDP mocks the crowd. Kanyon does his thing and DDP tells the crowd that they do not get it. Now DDP makes fun of Harlem Heat’s mother and she is really dumb. She is so dumb that she tries to alphabetize the M&M’s!

Match 6: Triad v. Harlem Heat

I guess it just Booker v. Kanyon. Bigelow and DDP leave…..

Booker runs into boot but recovers and kicks his head off. Kanyon is knocked to the floor where he is flattened by Ray and then rolled back in. Axe kick time. He covers him and gets two. Booker backs Kanyon into the corner and shoots him into the ropes but misses the dropkick and is nearly pinned after a swinging neckbreaker. Kanyon keeps him grounded with a chinlock. Booker is up but lowers is head off the whip and is suplexed. Kanyon gets two. Now Booker ducks after the whip and wipes him out with a forearm shiver. Kanyon is back up and they exchange blows with Booker finishing that exchange with three straight kicks and a spinebuster. Booker clotheslines him twice and Kanyon pulls the ref in and down he goes. Now Ray is taken out by DDP and Bigelow. Kanyon blasts him with the belt and it is Flatliner time. Kanyon wins.

**1/2 Not bad. Triad needed to look strong.

Gene calls out Rodman who is asked about George. Rodman says something about a Ho. She wants to be with Rodman. Gene tells him that Rodman could be a legit three sport star if he wins at the PPV. Rodman does not remember Savage’s name and a lot is bleeped out and after he wins, GG will be his bitch! Gene recovers and hypes up the PPV match. Here comes Savage! Rodman flees as Savage glares at him and becomes the face as the fans cheered and Rodman backs up and then tries to run as Savage goes after him and now security and police are involved.

Match 7: Kevin Nash and Sid Vicious and Rick Steiner v. Hogan and Sting and Goldberg

Hogan is coming out to his old them and the Red and Yellow. Schiavone claims the fans are standing. Yes some are but the novelty will wear off. Why is it when Hogan comes out as a face the announcers have to act like it is the largest pop in history….I will say the fans are fired up.

Hogan and Rick lock up and Hogan pushes him off and runs him over. They lock up again and Rick puts him in a headlock. Rick is pushed off and dropped with the big boot and Hogan drops three elbows and then pounds his head with his fist. Rick is up and pokes him in the eye but Hogan blocks the next blow and down goes Steiner. Nash and Sid come in and they too are dismantled and now all three are. Nash is in and he is getting hammered. Nash retreats to regroup. Nash gets in and here comes Goldberg. Nash clubs him in the back barely staggering him. Goldberg ducks and drops him with a flying shoulder tackle and now side suplexes him and Rick has to make the save. Sid is in and he pulls up Goldberg, measures him for a shot to the chest and another one. Goldberg ducks the clothesline off the whip and stops and Sid turns right into a powerslam. Sid is taken down again and here comes Sting who is whipped into the corner. Sid misses and is hung up in the corner and a Stinger Splash sends him down. Rick runs in and is clobbered as is Nash. Sting goes up top and leaps for the splash but eats all knees. Now Nash is in and he sideslams Sting getting two. Nash drills him with an elbow as he slowly picks him apart. Nash puts him over his shoulder going for Snake Eyes but Sting wriggles free and chops away and Nash backs into the ref who goes down. Stinger Splash and another one. Nash is whipped into the other corner and another Stinger Splash. Rick comes in with a chair and belts Sting. Goldberg spears Rick and Sid wallops him with the chair. Nash for some reason goes for the powerbomb on Sting and stares at Hogan who had just blasted Sid with the chair and Nash gets knocked out with a chair shot and is finished with the Deathlock….

**1/2 This was actually pretty fun. Crowd was hot. Hogan did not get touched but Sting got the win. The faces are a bit strong and there is not strong heel since Savage got demoted. Hulk’s return with the Red and Yellow was cool for a spot but like I said his gimmick in 1999 is not what fans want….long-term.

**** I will give it fours stars. I hemmed and hawed but there was plenty of great wrestling. Benoit winning. Vamp had a good match as did Kidman. Chad Brock aside and the fact that the heels looked weak, the show was pretty good. We know Nash will lose, Hogan cannot go anywhere though it would make for an intriguing angle. Hogan loses and comes back in two or three months with the Red and Yellow, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Instead of doing it tonight and then winning the PPV. The PPV is shaping up to be pretty good. Savage got some air time as did the Triad and the main eventers and so overall it was not spectacular but I did not think of anything during the show and just enjoyed it.