Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WCW Monday Nitro 12/28/98
The times are a changin’ as WCW has put the belt on Nash. I am not down on that. Nash is over, and will not hurt the company as champion. That is if they give the Wolfpac/nWo feud a proper blowoff and allow Goldberg to chase and recapture the title. They don’t. I have grown really fond of WCW and knowing that the end is nearing, and that some really stupid fucking decisions are about to be made. I will suck it up. My initial reaction by looking at later ratings and buyrates is that 99 could have been successful as the first four months were. But I will examine that as it comes along. Bischoff panics, there is no doubt about it. I am sure he and Hogan had a pow-wow to figure out what to do and that will come to fruition real soon. The one thing I cannot forgive is a shitty PPV and that one was. Quite frankly, if Starrcade is WCW’s WrestleMania then it needed to be aborted. It was an abomination. I stood up for the decisions made at Starrcade 97, especially seeing that Sting did win, and 98 turned out fairly well. However, Sting should have won cleanly….Anyway, this year’s just plain sucked. All this hype and they have filler matches that mean nothing. Other than the opening matches it was dull with terrible wrestling, Jericho and Konnan only got about ten minutes. WCW needs to learn about the payoff. It is like if Austin chased the title and then lost….not going to happen (well WM 2000) and WCW still thinks that the fans only want the nWo, and while it is still popular it cannot carry WCW forever, these guys are in their 40s and some nearing 50. All this young talent. Build it the fuck up, put them over and have them carry the banner. The problem is how do you tell a guy like Hulk Hogan no, while paying him 6 million a year (bonuses etc.) and of course Bischoff is not going to tell him that. I am sure Bischoff is burned out but to berate your workers and to sue them is not good business. Vince controls everything and WCW is a corporation with many divisions, and the executives needed to sit Bischoff down long before. But of course they do not understand wrestling as will be apparent the next two years when the shit really hits the fan. I could write a book on my feelings right now…..it is not irretreivable, the situation, but then again it is time to think long term instead of what the ratings will look like on Tuesday. Ratings went up to a 4.8, 4.4 and 4.6 while RAW got a low 4.3 but powered up to a 5.4 for around a 4.85 to around a 4.7 for Nitro. One more thing as I have a beer or ten in me, I am fucking sick and tired of WCW not finishing feuds. They tease great feuds or potentially great ones and rarely deliver. Sting, Flair v. Hennig, Jericho v. Goldberg (not bad but could have been better) and even Hogan v. Warrior. They kind of peter out like Flair v. Savage or Giant v. Hogan and/or forgotten. Man, it is obvious I love WCW. I disagree with the so called experts and yes they can all blow me for a quarter. But I have to call it like I see it, and despite some great matches and drama there is some serious BS occurring that just undermines a lot of great stuff. WWF is guilty too and I have documented that but right now WCW is pissing me off. Sad I know. I was going to save this for the Fingerpoke show but I want to air it now and go into it with a clearer head…..fuckers.
Bischoff is celebrating with the nWo in the back of a limo reliving the great moments of his victory. They are drinking and mocking Flair.
The announcers are discussing Bischoff winning and Nash becoming the champ.
Here comes the Cat and he is told that he sucks. He tells the crowd to shut up and reminds everyone that he is the greatest and threatens to beat up fans. Jericho and Ralphus show up and he encourages a little dude to come out. Jericho knows little about martial arts but has delved into it a bit. He is going to watch the guy’s back and calls him little buddy and he knows he can whip the Cat. He keeps yelling at him to get in the ring.
Match 1: Cat v. Shimo Nobunaga
Cat takes him out with a clothesline. Cat and Jericho are both yelling on the mic. Oba rolls up the Cat but gets his head kicked off and then powerslammed. It is over after the roundhouse kick. Jericho and Ralphus were giggling.
** Squash.
Match 2: Norman Smiley v. Chavo Guerrero
Jesus, Schiavone has not shut the fuck up about the PPV. Christ I hope WCW goes out of business tomorrow so I do not have to hear him.
Both Smiley and Chavo flex for the crowd and then work over the arms. Norman takes him down and dances. Chavo fires back and knocks him to the floor. Chavo rides the horse around and gets a forearm. But he hits him back and scissors him over. Norman just collapses when he tries to get back up. Norman grabs him and front slams him and does his dance again! Fuck I love Smiley! Man crush. They go back and forth with Norman getting the upperhand.
Schiavone talks about his format and Larry asks where he can get one….Tenay just mutters we will follow your lead Tony. Ah, Schiavone, Grade A douche.
Norman has him down and drops the knee on the nose and then dances some more. He grabs Pepe and dances with it, slapping its ass! Chavo does not like that and clotheslines him twice. Chavo springs off the ropes and bulldogs him and then copies Norman’s dance, badly I might add. Chavo puts Pepe back and turns right into a clothesline. Now Norman taunts it and is kicked and crotched on the top rope and Chavo rocks it. Chavo slaps him and then back suplexes him into the ring. Chavo is now talking to Pepe and Norman runs over and puts him in the Chickenwing and gets the win.
*** Classic.
Raven’s mom takes him into his house. Kanyon is there too. She states it is better than the Hood and Raven asks if we can go and tries to leave! Raven whines about a ham sandwich. He wants a drink but is not allowed one. Raven is whining about the TV not working.
Match 3: Fit Finlay v. Booker T
Right at the bell, Fit knocks him into the corner and the clotheslines him. Fit knocks him for a loop with a European uppercut. He drops the elbow and adds some stomps. Booker is tossed to the floor. Fit gives chase and is kicked and driven into the railing. Back in the ring, Fit nails him and then snaps him over working over the face. Fit has him in a rear chinlock. Booker is up and elbows free and knocks him backwards but gets his eyes raked and Fit then uses the ropes to choke him out. Fit pulls him over the apron and runs his face into it and then drills him in the throat with an elbow. Fit has a chair but the ref pulls it away so Fit just stomps him in the head instead. Fit runs him over but after the whip Booker ducks and connects with a forearm shiver. Fit is holding onto the ropes and Booker yanks him off with his legs and then decleats him with a vicious clothesline. Now a back kick and some knees to the gut in the corner. Fit counters right back with a jawbreaker. Fit drops him and then slaps him telling him to get so he can knock him right back down. Now a chinbreaker, I guess it is a jawbreaker, another one that is and Booker rolls him up and gets two. Fit double chops him in the throat and smacks him in the chest. and Fit is run into the corner. Fit gets his feet up and then gets two after a running lariat. He keeps Booker grounded but pulls him up and they both miss blows and Fit finally grabs him and gives him an inverted atomic drop and then clotheslines him to the floor. He brings him back and goes up top, slowly, and Booker gut punches him and tosses him off. Harlem Kick….shut up announcers, stop talking about Nash and Flair. Fuck off. I get it. Now a missile dropkick and Booker wins!
**** Push him. Man, Fit can wrestle.
Flair time! He comes with a duffle bag and suit rack (where you keep a suit). Flair admits he got his ass kicked and is not proud. Gene tries to say otherwise but Flair stops him. He talks about his wife wanting him to come home after the bout. The flight attendant asked what he wanted and he responded he wanted to come here and here he is. EB is the man and he is asking him, the fans here and at home to hear him out one last time. He takes off his shirt and mentions Armani and Perry Ellis and he is screaming about being broke and calls Bischoff a jack ass and takes out all his nice clothes. He has lived like a king as the people have allowed him too. A 2000 dollar belt and it is EB’s, now a 30000 Rolex is his too and he tears up hundreds and those are his too. He takes off his shoes and hucks them into the crowd, and Gene informs us those are Gucci! He takes off his pants and prances around in his boxers. He will retire and never come back and he will also admit that EB raped the Nature Boy (I think he said rape) if he comes out one more time. He is begging Bischoff by the grace of the good Lord if he beats EB he gets to run WCW for 90 days. The first thing he is going to do is take EB’s head out of Hogan’s ass. He has Turner fooled, and it is about tradition such as Goldberg, Nash, the Steiners and then he cuffs himself to the ropes and will not leave until he gets a response. If the camera is turned off he will be naked when they come back from break!
This is what I am talking about……they are back. Mean “By God” Gene and then he goes off on Bischoff again and cue the man himself. Bischoff is limping out towards the ring and he is telling the crowd he has to do it. Flair wants him in the ring as EB gimpily postures on the floor. Flair tells him to walk over her if it is so Goddamn funny and takes swings at him as Bischoff taunts him. EB is making fun of beating his kid and kissing his wife. But nothing is better than taking his money and everything he owns. Flair swipes at him as EB taunts him. Flair misses a kick. Flair is calling him gutless. Bischoff responds that he will die of a heart attack if he is not careful. Flair counters right back that when he dies it will be on top of Bischoff’s girlfriend! FUCK YEAH! EB agrees and will kick his rear end (yes he said rear end) and Flair prays to God that if he loses his career or if he dies he has a piece of EB’s ass. EB respondsBischoff again and cue the man himself. Bischoff is limping out towards the ring and he is telling the crowd he has to do it. Flair wants him in the ring as EB gimpily postures on the floor. Flair tells him to walk over her if it is so Goddamn funny and takes swings at him as Bischoff taunts him. EB is making fun of beating his kid and kissing his wife. But nothing is better than taking his money and everything he owns. Flair swipes at him as EB taunts him. Flair misses a kick. Flair is calling him gutless. Bischoff responds that he will die of a heart attack if he is not careful. Flair counters right back that when he dies it will be on top of Bischoff’s girlfriend! FUCK YEAH! EB agrees and will kick his rear end (yes he said rear end) and Flair prays to God that if he loses his career or if he dies he has a piece of EB’s ass. EB responds that he has it old man…..Greatest promo ever. Flair is truly a God. Warts and all.
Match 4: Barry Windham v. Prince Iaukea
BW is beating him like a red-headed step child. BW gets two. He bites him just for the hell of it and then back suplexes him. Prince is dumped to the floor. Jesus, just end this debacle. Wait, Prince is getting in some offense. Nope, does not last, wait he is firing off some shots and a snap suplex but he is bulldogged and it is over.
* Squash.
Gene calls down a cattle rustler to explain the cattle prod. No I am not making this shit up. Okay, he is not a rustler. Gene asks what it would do to a human. It shuts down the muscles and short circuit the system causing damage. Gene asks the stupid question if that caused Goldberg to lose. He responds it would drop anybody.
Here comes DDP! He talks about the Giant and beating him. He talks about the shit that went down surrounding Goldberg and now Flair and hopes he wins.
Konnan is talking to Disco about the thug life. Nash wallops him upside the head. Disco took a grenade and Nash is pissed that Disco put a black cloud over his win. Disco claimed he did his share but Konnan and Nash and Luger is just standing there…..Disco has to prove himself tonight.
Match 5: Eddie Guerrero and Juventud Guerrera v. Rey Mysterio and Kidman (c)
Eddie shoves Juve into the corner and yells at him. So Eddie is going to start. He and Rey start. Eddie takes him down and Rey is run over and stomped. He is front slammed and stomped on. Eddie misses and Rey flips over but is knocked down. They go back and forth and Rey strikes: armdrag and spinning backbreaker. Eddie slaps Juve in the face and here he comes. Juve yells something….Seriously, Schiavone needs to suffer a heart attack, not ONE FUCKING WORD ABOUT THIS MATCH….it is all about Goldberg. Kidman is in and they go back and forth and Kidman is bulldogged. Juve gives Eddie a kiss on the cheek. Juve misses in the corner. Kidman sandwiches him in the corner and Rey runs in and Bronco Busts him. Juve begs for a tag and smacks Eddie and now they are arguing. Eddie and Juve go off on the faces. I really hate Schiavone. Really do….sorry, he is talking nonsense again. Kidman is down but Rey springboard kicks Juve into Eddie and they fall to the floor. Both Rey and Kidman fly into them on the floor.
Commercial.
Juve has Kidman laid out. Juve works him and Eddie and Rey are in and the latter is fucking killed with a powerbomb. Juve then springs into him and Kidman keeps making the save. Juve slams him and Eddie strikes Rey with a diving headbutt and both are chopping away. Eddie pulls him up and drapes him over his back and then spins him around. Drops him and gets two. Eddie takes his time and pulls him up and he has him up and Juve guillotines him off his shoulders and Kidman has to make the save. Bad ass. Kidman and Juve brawl for a moment. Rey reverses the whip and Eddie slams into the boot of Juve but Juve is tagged and he drops the quick elbow on Rey. He tags Eddie right back in and he chops and pounds Rey in the corner. Rey is thrust into the opposing corner. Eddie hammers him there and sends him into the other one. Kidman used his body and Eddie dives and Juve was running there and the heels collide! Wow. Kidman gets the hot tag an goes ape shit. He is backdropping and stomping and kicking some serious ass. Rey sprin-I have to pause here, Kidman has Eddie up for a powerbomb and Rey springboards for a spike powerbomb. FUCK YEAH!!!!!!!! Juve is dumped to the floor after making the save. Eddie recovers and goes for a powerbomb but he is bulldogged and Rey guillotines in but Eddie kicks out! Now all four are in the ring. Rey is launched into Kidman who was up top. Juve launches Rey to the floor and then flies into him. Kidman is down and Eddie hits the Frog Splash for the win.
****************** Oh my God this was some serious shit. I mean serious shit. Even Tony has to acknowledge that. WOW. I mean best TV match ever. I challenge anyone to find one better, minus beer. Seriously though it was great and crowd was into it.
Here comes Nash. I still think a la old school he should have powerbombed him twice or three times…..then pinned him. But it worked. Nash gets a solid response. He acknowledges that but does not share it. He got into wrestling for money, power and respect. Last night was not about money and the title brings power and he will try to solve that. So, and I wonder what this has to do with anything, Disco wants to be Wolfpac and if he wins he is in but it is against Bigelow…..Now to Hall and he loves him. In his twisted mind he thought it was a favor and only had to answer to himself but he was wrong. As for Goldberg he has nothing but respect for him and so what he is saying and what he is demanding is that next Monday he wants a title shot. He has to know and knows he can beat him but the belt still says Goldberg but after Monday it may say Nash.
Match 6: Disco Inferno v. Bam Bam Bigelow
So Bigelow is employed? Well then, okay, Bigelow is annihilating him. Still killing him. He misses the flying headbutt and Disco goes off and he connects from the middle rope. Disco keeps beating him and gets a couple of two counts. But Bigelow clotheslines him and then it is a suplex piledriver and Disco is dead.
** Squash.
We are going to Flair’s doctor and we have only heard the heart attack issue from Bischoff. He is throwing out big and useless terms. Fuck off dude. A multi-channel CPK and all sorts of shit. It was not a heart attack. There was some sort of poisoning or some shit and fuck me, shut up I am drunk fucker….okay, he was poisoned….Tenay confirms it and I love Tenay and Schiavone confirms so we know it to be true.
Gene enters Bischoff’s locker room and the latter claims that he did nothing. He will sue. Curt is calming him down as EB claims the guy is a quack doctor. Curt gets to him by telling him that Flair will be done for soon enough.
Match 7: Scott Steiner v. Konnan (c) for WCW TV Title
Steiner comes down and does his thing….Classic, as Konnan comes down and he too does his thing. Buff interupts and says that the Baltimore is not Bowdy-Bowdy but that they suck! Konnan then proceeds to take out the ref! Steiner and Buff do not take too kindly to that and Konnan retreats to the floor. Another ref comes down and it is Scott Dickinson….Steiner goes to hit him and Konnan blocks it and takes out Buff and then knocks Scotty around with a rolling clothesline and then knocks him to the floor. Buff gives him some advice and sends him back in. With some help Steiner takes charge and double hook slams him and tosses him to the floor. Konnan wallows against the rail and is beaten up by Buff. He gets driven into the steps and shoved back into the ring. Konnan is run down with a clothesline from Steiner and then battered with big shots from Scotty. Konnan is kicked in the chest and choked out with the ropes and Buff helps out as the ref talks Scotty down. Now Steiner beats on him and kicks him in the ribs. Konnan smacks Buff but he is hit and Scotty continues to pound him. Steiner tosses the Black and Red shirt into the crowd as it was never taken off. He drops some elbows and flexes. Konnan is hung upside down in the corner and the knee is wrenched. Scotty strikes with a belly to belly and does some push ups yelling it is too easy. He has Konnan over his shoulder but Konnan counters and takes him down. Both are slow to get up and they hammer each other, Konnan is sent to the corner but Scotty runs into a boot and is back kicked and bulldogged. Konnan goes for the Sunrise and has him hooked. Buff runs over and so does Luger and it actually helps Steiner get under the ropes. Luger hits Buff and Konnan is dumped to the floor and shoved back in. Steiner Recliner and it is over….
**1/2
Not bad and now some intrigue with Luger. So Konnan beat Jericho and they tossed a bone for the latter by giving him a Starrcade match and he loses….then Konnan loses, all for the set up.
Match 8: Scott Hall v. Brian Adams
Hall does his thing. Brags that he handed Nash the title belt. He states that it is all about money. A fan bellows he sucks as Hall says Nash is not the man he used to know and now a Goldberg chant. Adams finally gets in the ring.
Toothpick. Adams drops him with a right. Adams gets two after a backbreaker. He headbutts him and a chops sends him down. Hall fires back but walks into a piledriver. Adams drops the leg and gets two. Adams uses his leg to choke him out on the ropes. He pulls him up and hammers him and puts him in a bearhug. Hall whacks him and then rakes the eyes but he is spiked with a belly to belly. Adams jumps on his head for the fun of it. Adams covers him and gets two. Now a nerve hold. Hall is up as the fans chant boring and he knocks him down and now they get fired up as he calls for the Edge and he goes for it but he cannot get it and down he goes. Adams holds him up for a huge gorilla slam and drops him down. Adams just walks up the ropes and poses for the crowd and poses for the crowd. But Hall recovers and comes up and gives him the Edge from the top and it is over.
**1/2 For some reason I enjoy Hall…..he sells well. Usually.
Match 9: Ric Flair v. Eric Bischoff
No Bischoff yet. They pan to him in the back and now he comes out saying “No way” as he comes out and then leaves, gimping! He yells that Flair is a nut and he is not fighting and gets in his limo but Mongo is there and he and Malenko and Benoit carry him to the ring! FUCK YEAH!! Flair is awaiting him and kicks him in the gut and then the nuts. He takes off EB’s jacket and chops him in the gut and hammers him as the crowd chants Bischoff sucks….now a lowblow punch. Flair chokes him out and pulls on the lips and cheeks and now the nose. The ref is tossed across the ring. Flair chops him and down goes Bischoff. Flair rabbit punches him and here comes the nWo but the Horsemen greet them and put an end to their shenanigans. Flair is dropping knees and elbows. Here comes more nWo. Now Arn is down bu the Giant comes down and walks through everyone. He headbutts Flair and stands over him. Here comes a ripped Savage. I mean ripped. He shows off his nWo shirt to the Giant after strolling down the aisle with a hot lady on his arm. He is in the ring and points it out to the Giant grinning…or grimacing. Giant is cool and turns around. Savage delays the nut punch but hits it and then clotheslines him to the floor and leaves like nothing happened. The crowd is on fucking fire. I mean fire…….Bischoff is in the Figure Four and he taps and the Horsemen come in the ring and so is DDP and Booker. Tony wants to run down and celebrate and Tenay states he deserves it (He does not) an Flair drops the elbow and pins him. Dusty and Larry are in the ring. Konnan too. EB is laid out. Now Flair puts him in the Figure Four, breaks it and dances and the show fades…..
***** Yes, this could be the greatest ending ever. Something forgotten by many. I am drunk. I am overrating this…..no, I am not. Fuck it. This was great. I mean fucking awesome. I will argue with anyone, anywhere until I die that this is one of the greatest shows ever. Great wrestling and just sheer drama. I am not going to worry about next week. I aired that shit out hours ago when I wrote the intro. Yes, it should have been teased….but what many forget is that Flair wins the presidency, saved for TV of course because it is WCW, and this will set up next week. Right now, never seeing the episode, I think it is far too soon……but I will wait and see. Flair winning finally is the ultimate redemption, the nWo laid low…..Savage with a great appearance and yes I will admit made all the sweeter because he died. This is wrestling. You Tube this episode, find it and cherish it as this is the apex at least for me. I could nit-pick but sometime it is nice not too….no Hogan, and all Flair and all awesomeness. I actually look forward to the Fingerpoke. Bring it bitches.