Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WCW Monday Nitro 11/2/98
Nitro fell from a great 5.1 to a 4.1, and during the head to head they were destroyed with a 3.7 and 3.8 as RAW won by over a full point each time as it got a 4.8 total. Still Nitro has been above average for weeks. They are coming off a good PPV and Nitro. So hopefully that momentum continues. Warrior and Hogan is losing steam. DDP and Hart has potential. I guess they are done with Jericho and Goldberg. Not sure why they did not give him a match or at least a PPV beatdown as an extra. This leads to the departure of Jericho as he gushes about Vince in his first books, blowing….kidding. But he does sound almost orgasmic when discussing him and he despises WCW. I do not blame him getting upset and he left at the right time but it is a shame as he added a lot to WCW and EB should have signed him earlier in the year. But at least there is four months or left of him. Let’s roll….
Match 1: Norman Smiley v. Alex Wright
Smiley starts strong with a crossbody and some slams. Wright gets in some offensive, dropping him with a forearm and dropkick. Smiley double hooks him with a slam and drops the leg for two. He slams him and then goes up top and Wright is right there and suplexes him off the top. Both are down and Wright is up first and wins with a neckbreaker.
** Decent.
Match 2: Disco Inferno v. Kaz Hayashi
Disco kicks away at him in the corner but is caught in a flying headscissors and Disco is sent to the floor. Kaz nails him with a corkscrew flip over the top. Disco is rolled back into the ring and he tries to grab Kaz but gets his throat bounced off the top rope. Kaz gets two after a flying crossbody. Disco counters with a vertical suplex and goes up to the middle rope and drives his forearm into the throat getting a two count. Disco slams him, drops the leg and goes up to the middle rope again but misses this time. Kaz kicks off of Disco’s body and then gives him a backbreaker. Kaz heads upstairs and gets a near fall after a moonsault. Sonny Onoo has come out. Disco runs him down and goes up top only to be crotched by Kaz. They go back and forth. Sonny runs distraction and Disco wins with a piledriver.
**1/2 Fast paced.
Gene calls out Booker T and wants to know where he has been. Booker is not happy with Stevie Ray and he is not happy about being hit in the knee from behind and he tells that person to meet him in the ring tonight. If not he will take him out in the back….He finally states that it was Scott Hall and wants him to step up to the plate.
Match 3: Fit Finlay v. Scott Putski
Putski has looked fairly solid as he works him over. He is knocking him around the ring, pulls him up and rabbit punches him head before running him over. He motions for his finisher but misses and is picked up into a forward roll slam and it is Tombstone time.
** Another decent match.
Kanyon is in the back telling Raven he is tired of his pity party.
Match 4: the Cat v. Brad Armstrong
Cat goes off on the crowd calling them fat and useless. Some dude runs in, it is Brad Armstrong and he is immediately beaten. Steve Armstrong comes down and he unloads on the Cat. Onoo runs a diversion and the Cat pins him too and the ref counts it. Cat brags.
*1/2
Match 5: Wrath v. Kendall Windham
Windham gets in some offense but it does not last and it is Meltdown time. Fans though enjoy it.
*1/2 Squash.
Gene has called out Hart who is wrestling Luger tonight. Hurting people is fun but it takes its toll as he has a serious groin pull and the doctor’s state he cannot wrestle. Gene calls him a liar as he saw him in the back. Bret does not like his integrity questioned as he has a whole bunch of people trying to get him and DDP took his title and he does not him to celebrate. Sting should never have brought a baseball into the ring and that will teach him a lesson. He will take out every wrestler who faces him. Lex has the night off and can enjoy a drink. He is hurt. Lex comes down and questions the injury. Bret still claims he is injured and he and Lex argue. Bret calls him lucky as he will not be beaten up. Lex has had enough and calls him a gutless coward and turns to leave. He then turns and clotheslines him and down goes Gene and then puts him in the Rack before being pulled away and Hart sells the groin.
Now they show Havoc 94 between Hogan and Flair with Mr. T as the ref.
Now Flair heads down to the ring with the rest of the Horsemen. Arn wants to get down to the truth tonight as he cannot stomach Bischoff’s lies. He is tired of swerves with the arm wrestling and cops. This is a man’s game and it is done by men against men. Those tapes are dishonoring both Hogan and Flair. Those matches made Hogan a man. EB is supposedly bear hunting and he needs to come out of the tree and put down the gun and fight with a knife. Take them on head on. Now to Flair who is tired of EB and paying fines, and he names all the Horsemen and whether or you like it or not they are the best thing going today. Today they are going to South Beach to rock and roll. Dean tells them to get the party started as he has a match. Benoit says something about setting the standard. Flair found Mongo in Vegas and Mongo makes no fucking sense. He calls him a Shetland Pony and to giddyup or some shit.
Match 6: Scott Norton v. Van Hammer
Norton predictably tears into him. Hammer gets in a few blows but he is finished.
*1/2 Squash.
Hart is getting taped up in the back acting like he is pain as the ribs are getting taped.
Match 7: Saturn v. Eddie Guerrero
Saturn calls out Eddie who responds and he runs into a slam and Saturn stomps a hole in him. Eddie comes back with a hurracarana and a suplex. He goes up top and Saturn is up after him and tosses him across the ring….this is not a match the bell has never rung and it was T Bone superplex! He strikes with a guillotine legdrop and now I guess it is a match as the ref counts. Eddie kicks out and Saturn drives him into the mat and here comes the lWo and he waves them on but he is overwhelmed and pummeled. Konnan comes down and saves Saturn. He wants to deal with Eddie, who is not Raza and he is just using these boys. He argues with Eddie about who is Raza or not. Eddie knows about the tactics of the Wolfpac and their ball bats and he is not dumb there will be another day. Konnan tells him to watch his back as it is on. Eddie leaves and tells Konnan and the lWo to kiss his posterior.
NR Good stuff though.
Kenny Kaos has come out and so is Jo Jo. Scotty wants a piece of Kenny and Buff cannot hold him back as he goes after JJ. Scotty scares him off and yells that he sucks and then threatens the announcers! JJ goes up to the broadcast table and has something to say and they go to break!
Match 8: Psychosis v. Rey Mysterio Jr.
They lock up and the ref calls for the break. Rey takes him down and works the leg and knee. Psychosis takes control but is sent flying to the floor. He gets back into the ring and Rey gives him a quick Bronco Buster but then runs into a powerbomb. Rey is knocked to the floor and then is nailed with a slingshot legdrop. He rolls him back into the ring getting a two count, snaps him over and applies a rear chinlock. Pyschosis whips him into the corner and then back splashes him there. He stomps on Rey as he taunts him. Rey is sent for the ride and then launched straight up and he crashes down. Rey comes back with a headscissors and gets two after a Thesz Press. But Rey runs into a kick and is faceplanted. Psychosis gets a two count. Rey comes back and they are up top and Rey lands on him getting two after a split-legged moonsault. He headscissors him over and then powerbombs him. Rey places him up top as the lWo comes down but Rey is powerbombed by Psychosis and beaten as he is distracted.
***1/2 Good match. Too bad not much has been done with Rey but lWo needed a win.
Gene calls out Jericho and he is wearing a Goldberg shirt. He has a little secret and he has nothing but the hightest regard for Goldberg and calls him a great champ. It is water under the bridge on whether or not Goldberg won as the fans saw it. He hearkens back to his football days and Gene laughs at that. Jericho does not want to brag and talks about Goldberg reviewing tape after a missed tackle and he wishes him the best in his future endeavours.
Match 9: Raven v. Dean Malenko
Raven is just sitting there in his own filth and misery. He tells Dean to beat him and he obliges. But he finally responds with a punch to the nads. Now Raven stomps away and then keeps biting the nose. Both men tumble over the top and to the floor. Lodi has arrived but Dean ignores him and whips Raven into the railing. Mongo chases off Lodi with belt whips. Dean goes to reenter the ring but is pulled down and he strikes the apron face first. Raven tosses a chair into the ring and now both are back in. Raven sets it up and trips Dean into it head first and he is writhing in pain as Raven just sits there. He finally covers him getting two. Raven continues to stomp away. He wedges a chair into the corner. But Dean back suplexes him and both are down. Raven gets whipped into the chair and is hung up in the corner. Dean suplexes him and gets a near fall. Now a release back suplex. Raven though elbows him and goes for the Evenflow but is dropped and it is Cloverleaf time. Kanyon runs in and is knocked off the apron and Raven rolls him up getting two and now Dean returns the favor. Benoit and Mongo hammer Kanyon as the Cloverleaf is going to be applied. Bret Hart runs down and beats up Benoit, wrenching on the arm. The match has been called. Bret backs into the corner as Luger comes down and Bret shows his taped ribs whining. The Giant pulls him out to safety and yells at Lex that he will take Bret’s place as he is injured.
***1/2 Another great match. Not sure about the ending but good for angle advancement.
Match 9: Kidman (c) v. Chris Jericho (c) for WCW TV Title
Giant will take his place in the match according to Tenay.
They lock up and Jericho breaks and claps, showing his sportsmanship. They lock up again and Kidman has the arm and Jericho tries to counter but is knocked down. Jericho takes him down with a side headlock. Kidman is up and a hiptoss and dropkick sends Jericho into the corner. Kidman has the wrist, works it and sends him for the right but is caught on the leap and just tossed over the top rope and onto the floor. They continue to battle, going back and forth. Jericho is sent into the corner, he bounces out and clotheslines him. But Jericho launches him and then kicks him in the head. Jericho gives him a backbreaker, holds it in. Jericho works him in the corner but misses after the whip but Kidman cannot recover and is dropkicked. Jericho goes up top, takes an hour and jumps into boots. Kidman nails him with an atomic drop, runs up the rope with a bulldog and gets two. Now he powerbombs him for another near fall. Jericho counters, going for the Liontamer but Kidman twists free, takes him down. But Jericho has him, goes for a powerbomb but Kidman flips up and bulldogs him. Kidman goes up top and goes for the Press and it he must have missed or got it. Jericho rolls him up for two and sends him for the ride, and again goes for the Tamer but he is tied up and damn it was close, Kidman almost got the win. They go at it, and Jericho runs to the floor and Kidman will not relent as he leaps on top of him. Back in the ring the bell sounds as Kidman hits the flying crossbody…..time limit expired.
**** Great match. Lame ending but whatever, it kept both men strong, not so much Jericho as he needs to get out of the Cruiserweight division.
Jo Jo is back at the announce table and is about to say something and Scotty Steiner just books out and goes ape shit. Buff cannot control him as the announcers and JJ run for the hills. Steiner is running down to the ring, chases off Penzer and now has a mic. He has a statement to make, and that is WCW sucks (bleeped out). No one can beat him and he does not care about being fined. He tells him to bring out Piper and calls him a skirt wearing queer! Now he tells JJ to kiss his ass as Buff wrestles the mic away. Buff tells Kenny that it is not his fault. He knows they are working for free and just wants to talks. Kaos reluctantly comes down. Steiner yanks the mic away and yells that the only way to get mic time is to kiss butt but he refuses to do that as he is the man and legit. Kenny is in the ring and listens to Buff and Scotty decleats him as Buff calls him stupid and it is Recliner time! He will do what he wants when he wants because he is the nWo.
Match 10: Scott Hall v. Booker T
It is survey time and he mocks Booker T claiming he will take care of him again. Scott greets Booker with a series of stomps and sledges. Booker fights back and runs him over and then kicks him in the head sending him to the floor. Hall slowly makes his way back into the ring. Hall is put in a hammerlock and when he breaks away he is slapped. Hall fires back and they block blows until Hall is clotheslined and nearly pinned. Booker runs him down with a forearm and then applies an armbar. Booker breaks it and hammers him for a bit. Hall knocks him to the floor, pounds him, rolls him back into the ring and goes after the ribs. Booker makes a comeback but Hall hooks the ropes and Booker misses the dropkick. Hall drops the elbow getting two and places him in a sleeper. Booker gets free but after whipping Hall into the corner runs into a boot and is dropped by a running clothesline. Hall gets a two count, and starts toying with him, paintbrushing him and Booker tries to fend him off but is chopped and smacked around some more. Hall telegraphs the backdrop and is nailed with the axe kick and now a series of kicks including a spinwheel kick. He follows up with a back suplex, spins to his feet and slowly heads up top and here comes Hall and the ref is shoved into the missile dropkick. Now Hall is backdropped to the floor and another ref runs down and calls for the DQ.
**1/2 Nice to see Booker back and that he did not lose. However, the ref bump happens all the fucking time and to call a DQ is asinine. But both could not afford a loss so it is what it is….a legit loss.
Match 11: Giant v. Lex Luger
They lock up and Luger takes him into the corner hammering all the while. Giant is getting battered and rocked but he reverses the whip and off the rebound out of the corner strikes with the big boot. He drops the big elbow and then headbutts the groin area. Giant slowly picks him apart in the corner, now a side Russian leg sweep. Luger is still getting dismantled as the Giant takes his sweet time and starts to focus on the leg while toying with him a bit. He knees him in the head and then stands on him. Now a series of running kicks to the ribs and Luger falls to the floor. The Giant heads after him. He barely gorilla slams him into the ring. He messes around with him, shoving him around and calling him weak as he clubs away. Finally Luger fights back and he rocks him with blows, the Giant is wobbly and now three clothesline he is still woozy. Giant is able to goozle him but Luger counters with a jawbreaker and the bionic forearm. He calls for the Rack and here comes Hart with a piece of railing and he just clobbers Luger with it, bashing and smashing the knee. Now it is Sharpshooter time. Goldberg jogs down and he spears the Giant. Hart is begging off and Luger is up and Goldberg charges and of course Hart ducks and leaves as Luger is speared and we fade…..
*1/2 Lame main event but the actual ending was solid.
**** Another great show. The problem with Nitro is that it takes too long to hit its stride. It needs to hook viewers better in the first hour. It is just a series of squashes for the most part. They do set up for later but at the same time where is the Cat and Wrath and Norton going…..they plow through opponents and nothing happens. Jesus do something with them. I really dug the wrestling during the show. Some great matches. I was wrong about Jericho and Goldberg but I wonder if it is now over as they closed it tonight. Goldberg was nearly a no show again and just ran down at the end of the show and that needs to change. I did love how the show focused around Hart and I just do not buy the midcard shit that people claim he truly is without the WWF. He has charisma and talent and fuck them all. No Hogan or EB and the Warrior but was more than okay as Booker T came back, and Luger helped carry the show and Scott Steiner finally came into his own and was plain awesome. No Nash was a bit baffling but it works….