Written by: Tom Hopkins
The second episode is listed as only 37 minutes long instead of the 65 minute episode last week. I wonder if anything was missing or if last week’s episode was just a longer one.
We start with clips of last PPV (Fall Brawl) and the Giant running over Hogan’s motorcycle with a monster truck. That didn’t look fake at all. We’re joined once again by Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan. Schiavone tells us that we have a new TV Title holder (DDP), and two new Tag Team title holders. Harlem Heat won it at Fall Brawl and then lost it on Nitro to the American Males.
–William Regal vs. Sting(c) for the US Title–
Sting is the US Title holder but I think this is a non-title match. The referee does raise the title so I guess it is for the title. Also, Schiavone clears it up for me that this is an hour episode. Regal works the arm to start but Sting quickly makes the ropes. Sting hiptosses Regal but Regal quickly trips him up and tries pinning him by holding his hands down. Sting kips out of but gets monkey flipped over anyway. Sting breaks out of that hold and he yanks the arm of Regal over while still in the knucklelock. Regal grabs a side headlock that is quickly broken so Regal tosses Sting to the outside. He follows with a Regal flip (he flips while standing towards Sting and lands on his back). Regal holds his back for a bit afterwards and he probably really hurt his back there. Regal brings Sting back in and clubs away with forearms and chops in the corner. Sting counters with a sunset flip for two. Regal takes down Sting with crossfaces him and adds in some forearms for good measure. Regal sends Sting to the corner and charges but he finds nothing but Sting’s boot. Sting misses an elbow drop and Regal covers for two. Regal tries for a belly to back suplex but Sting blocks and counters with some Mexican arm-drags. Sting backdrops Regal and Regal begs off. Regal is sent to the corner and Sting follows with a Stinger Splash. Some jobber comes down attack Sting but Flair helps him out and pushes the guy off. He collides with Regal and Sting picks up the pinfall at 5:09. It seems that Flair wants to tag with Sting. This was just your run of the mill TV match. It didn’t really have enough time to develop. I did like some of the offense from Regal early on and he did a good job controlling the heel parts of the match. **.
Mean Gene talks to Sting and Flair interrupts. Flair wants to tag to Sting but Sting can’t trust Flair. Sting is about to say no when Flair gets on his knees to beg. Sting still says no and Flair’s not too happy. We take a break and return with Mean Gene talking to Randy Savage. Savage calls out Taskmaster for attacking him on the Baywatch set and he’s ready for him on Nitro.
Tony Schiavone interviews Dusty Rhodes and it’s the same one we saw last week. Dusty’ll be on the show as a co-host next week.
–Johnny B. Badd vs. Chris Kaynon–
Ahh, Kanyon. Did you know he graduated from the same high school that I went to? It was a few years earlier than I. It was an all-boys school, too, so I wasn’t too surprised when he came out of the closet. Too bad he’s dead now. Badd grabs a side headlock on the mat. Kanyon comes back with a springboard elbow for two. Kanyon heads upstairs after a bodyslam but misses a moonsault. Badd responds with a back drop and he clotheslines him to the outside. He follows with somersault seated senton to the outside and a slingshot splash from the apron onto Kanyon in the ring ends this at 2:47. This was a good squash match and I enjoyed seeing Kanyon in the ring. *.
Johnny has a title shot against Sting for the US Title and he’s ready for it. Badd calls this the biggest match of his career and he believes he’ll be the champ. DDP comes out and he doesn’t know why he’s not getting the title shot. Badd says that when he wins the title he will give DDP a shot at the title.
–Disco Inferno vs. Mike Khorey–
Tony calls this his debut even though we saw him wrestle last week. Khorey hiptosses Disco early and grabs an arm-wringer which causes Disco to break using the ropes. Disco responds with a back elbow off the ropes. He charges at Khorey in the ropes but Khorey backs him off with an elbow. Disco quickly follows with a running neckbreaker that ends this at 1:42. I don’t rate squash matches.
We look at the past Nitro with The American Males beating Harlem Heat for the title, Badd beating Pillman, Savage confronting Luger, Flair going crazy and join us next Monday for some matches. Lex Luger vs. Meng! Savage vs. Taskmaster!
–Sgt. Craig Pittman vs. Cobra–
This is a return bout from Fall Brawl where Pittman attacked Cobra from behind. Well, Cobra attacks the Pitbull from behind and he quickly finishes him with the Cobra Slam at 0:34. What a main event!!!
We go to exclusive content of Hogan and Jimmy Hart with Mean Gene. Hogan is nursing an injury from War Games. It turns out that at Halloween Havoc he will battle the Giant in a match for the WCW Title. We may have a Monster Trick battle, too. That ends our show, folks!
–The Bottom Line– I was checking online and it doesn’t appear that anything was missing from this episode. I guess all the episodes will wind up around 40 minutes. There wasn’t a whole lot going on here but it is a better show to watch than Superstars. You do get at least one superstar match that goes about 5-8 minutes and those’re always fun. The matches are just better and there doesn’t seem to AS MUCH time given to interviews and hype for other shows. This wasn’t as good as last week but it wasn’t terrible. It isn’t something I’d go out of my way to see again.