WCW Nitro 10/11/1999

Written by: Kevin Kildenberger

The last Nitro before the Russo Era. All the Nitro’s since EB departed have been far better than they were in August. They have had more wrestling and less BS filler. What is killing WCW is the lack of using the young guys better. Yes, they are used but not well enough. Bret Hart was finally used well, as they just let him wrestle. Hogan needs off the main stage. Three months and the ratings have declined. Last two weeks have been too much. Hogan gimps to the ring and cleans house and then pins Sting cleanly. Stupid shit, especially when they are trying to make him a monster heel but it has become the Hogan show and it hurts the uppercard and the show as a whole. Goldberg is used well for once and has a nice long build with his Sid match. Outsiders coming back could be interesting. I wish Savage was there and Bret and Flair were not with Hogan but oh well….Benoit has been pretty sweet and the Revolution is decent. The Filthy Animals need more air time and more matches and where is Eddie? Ratings really slumped. It started the same with a 3.6 but fell to terrible 2.2 and fell to an all time low with a 2.0 in the final hour for a 2.6 total, the lowest since the beginning of the Wars. RAW got a near 6.1 with a 6.1 and 6.0.

Gorilla gets the bell tolled for him.

Bret and Benoit arrive in a car. Luger comes out and taunts him.

They replay Hall saying he will be back when it is fun again.

More highlights from last week including the great Hart/Benoit match.

Heenan is choking up about Gorilla….

Dean is talking to Saturn about what is happening within the Revolution. Saturn hugs him and leaves.

Match 1: Saturn v. Rey Mysterio Jr.

Saturn sends him into the corner and Rey escapes trying to get in a move but is powerbombed and nearly pinned.

Commerical. Fuck. Saturn sends him over…..

Rey is laid out and Saturn strikes with a nice looking springboard legdrop and gets two. He pulls Rey up and runs him back into the corner. Rey is down again and Saturn whips him into the other corner but misses the charge. Rey mounts and pounds him and calls for the Rough Rider and connects. Rey is caught and spiked and Saturn heads up top and misses the legdrop. Rey springs into him and Saturn catches him for the DVD but Rey escapes and now we have a series of roll ups and near fall. Both go off the ropes and dropkick each other and now they are down. Saturn finally rolls over and gets two. Saturn slams him and goes up top but Rey is right there and tosses him across the ring with a Frankensteiner. Both are down. Here comes Shane Douglas. Dean shoves him from behind. Kidman runs into the ring and the match is called.

*** Not sure why Kidman ran into the ring….Oh well. Kidman is pissed at Shane and wants a tag match right now. Shane jaws back. Shane leaves with Saturn and a berating Malenko in tow.

Promo for Meng. I guess he is coming back or another minor push.

Match 2: Kaz Hayashi v. Disco Inferno (c) for WCW Cruiserweight Title

They lock up and exchange armbars, and Kaz takes him down, knocking him to the floor. Kaz flies over the top rope and crashes into him. He rolls Disco back in the ring and chops him and sends him into the corner but runs into an elbow. Disco hammers him, does some dancing and takes him down with a swinging neckbreaker and does some more dancing. He finally covers him and barely gets two. Kaz goes for a sunset flip and Disco flops over him and Kaz gets two. Disco floats over and rakes the eyes and crushes him with a DDT. Disco tosses him to the floor and runs him on top of the announce table and gets back in the ring to dance. Kaz gets back in and escapes the suplex but is knocked back but he nails Disco with a great hurracarana. Kaz is sent into the corner, and Disco misses and is suplexed. Kaz measures him, drops the elbow and gets two. Disco counters and finishes off Kaz.

*** I thought this was really good.

Match 3: Meng v. Konnan

Is Konnan getting buried? Konnan does his thing on the mic. Meng stomps a hole in him and has controlled the match. He has the deathgrip applied but Konnan was on the ropes. Meng stomps him some more and then chokes him out in the corner. Konnan fires back and bulldogs him but once he gets up his head is kicked off. Konnan comes back and does his usual offense and after face planting him he gets two. But Meng takes him down and it is Deathgrip time and over.

** This is what is wrong with WCW in a nutshell. Konnan is over, no doubt. He has not been used well since January. I said back then that he would never get revenge on Lex and company, and I forgot about it because WCW does a good job of masking some serious shit. So, you job an over guy who needs a win to a guy who will get a brief push and lose to Sid or Goldberg in under five minutes. Fucking stupid.

Outsiders have arrived on the scene again. They are double-fisting again and sit in the front row. Heenan comes over. He gushes that they are the best tag team that he has ever seen. He asks when they are coming back. Nash reminds him that he is still retired. Hall’s back is sore from carrying the company on his back and they came to watch Goldberg. Heenan noticed they left and wondered what was up. Nash wishes someone a Happy Birthday. Nash states that he will be back in July 2012! Um, sadly he may still be around! Cue Goldberg!

Match 4: Goldberg v. Horace

Goldberg starts the long walk and Sid intercepts him and cackles like an old hag. Goldberg tells him he is afraid (Sid is afraid) and tells him to watch the match and maybe he will learn something.

Horace is getting utterly dismantled. Slammed around and put in a cross armbreaker. He knocks Horace to the floor but is lured down and thrust, very hard, headfirst into the steel steps. Horace pounds him and once back in the ring hits the splash from up top and gets two. Goldberg is up and hits the Spear and Jackhammer!

** Fun match. Man, for some reason Goldberg has really grown on me. Too bad they have fucked him up too. The feud with Sid, which I remember from back in the day is really good. I liked it then but not Goldberg.

Here comes Hogan. It is hard to hate a guy who goes up to a kid with Downs Syndrome and gives her a hug. Damn, I am a softy at heart. Back to the hating though. Hogan claims that 20000 fans cannot be wrong and he gets a decent pop but there is not even half that there. Hogan talks about kicking Sting’s ass. He is going to finish his career his way and do what he wants. Again, he is going to train, say a prayer and kick some ass. He demands the damn music be cut. He hopes that the guys in the back are listening because come Havoc Hogan is going to get the last laugh….Jesus.

David is pouty and questions Torrie’s lipstick. She leaves and tells him to talk to his dad or something!

Match 5: Brian Knobs v. Stevie Ray

He brings Booker out too as an equalizer against Hugh Morrus.

They beat on each other. I guess this is Hardcore because they are using chairs and garbage cans. Knobs gets nailed with the latter and then has his head placed in it and blasted with a chair. He is knocked to the floor and hammered some more but mounts a comeback. Ray is rolled in and slammed and Knobs gets two after leaping from the second rope. He calls for Pitty City but is nutted and Ray clubs him and sends him for the ride running him over with an elbow and now a clothesline. Things are breaking down as Morrus and Booker get involved. Ray slams a can into Knobs and knocks him out. Hart runs in and despite the ref being on the floor Ray still covers Knobs with his head down, and so Jimmy hits him once with a garbage can and I guess that knocks out Ray and Knobs is rolled on top and he gets the win.

**1/2 Not bad….ending was terrible but the the right man went over to prepare for the PPV.

Shane Douglas comes out and demands the fans sit down and pay attention because the Revolution is going to air their dirty laundry and he demands them to come out right now. They do so. Shane is pissed that Saturn had to have a DQ win. Malenko calls it BS and does not like his attitude. Shane changes gears and yells at Benoit for hanging with Bret Hart and wants to know where he stands. Benoit takes the mic and tells Shane to not brow beat him over that. Bret is his friend and without him and his family there would be no Crippler. And without that there would be no Revolution, and Benoit takes off his shirt and leaves. Saturn is pissed that Shane keeps running his mouth and this is what happens. Shane is not cleared to wrestle the tag match. Dean is willing to stand in for him but is not happy. Man, they are just yelling at the top of their lungs!

Match 6: La Parka v. Brad Armstrong

Parka starts strong with some kicks and slams. He heads up top and strikes with a missile dropkick and gets two. Armstrong is slammed and Parka corkscrews on top of him and gets two. BA fires back and runs him into the corner where he mounts and pounds him. Berlyn comes down as the two battle it out in the ring. BA is elbowed down but he is knocked into the ref and out he goes and Parka is dumped to the floor too. Berlyn tries to attack BA but is taken down. Parka is dismantled by the Wall and tossed back in the ring. BA just watches and then ignores Berlyn and goes for Parka but is nailed by Berlyn and given a neckbreaker. BA falls on top of La Parka and gets the win…

** What a fucked up ending. So Berlyn cannot even get BA to lose. Oh well….

Match 7: Norman Smiley v. Berlyn

Sorry, distracted but watched the match. Berlyn made fairly short work of Norman. At least we saw the Wiggle!

**

I must have missed Curt beating up David Flair who was still pouting about Torrie as she spoke with Curt.

Gene calls out Ric Flair. Flair is all fired up, and when he arrived he was told that David was jumped. He thought it was Torrie but it was Curt. He wonders why Curt cannot leave him and his son alone. He was going to party tonight. But first he has to take out Curt and challenges him. Now to Kimberly and he talks about her and then DDP…he is facing him at Havoc.

Match 8: Saturn and Dean Malenko v. Kidman and Rey Mysterio Jr.

Saturn and Kidman go at it for a minute. Kidman is tossed over the top rope and Malenko keeps a preying Shane Douglas at bay. Saturn heads out and thrusts Kidman into the steps and then rolls him back into the ring.

Commercial.

Kidman was T-Boned over the top rope! Kidman tries to fight back as he is now in the ring with Malenko and fights him but lands hard as Malenko went for a running slam. Rey gets the hot tag and he leaps on top of Malenko but Saturn flies from the top rope and clotheslines him. Rey would have kicked out but an unhappy Malenko makes the save too and argues with Saturn. Rey counters after the whip into the corner with a great headscissor take over. He hammers Saturn but Malenko gets the tag and Rey is taken down and slammed. Rey tries to fight back but is spiked. Saturn tags himself in and they argue. Rey rolls up Saturn and gets the near fall. Saturn decks him and here comes Dean who gets two after a belly to belly. Malenko reluctantly tags Saturn back in and he rolls up Rey for two. Malenko comes in and gives him a gutbuster and Saturn tags himself back in and flies off the top rope. Saturn tells Malenko to finish him off, Rey dodges in the corner and goes up top but is superplexed off the top rope. Both are down and Rey is up and manages to tag in Kidman who goes off. Rey helps him out and it is Frankensteiner time! Malenko makes the save and Rey flies into him and they tumble to the floor. Kidman plants Saturn and goes up top and Shane nails him and tosses the chain to Saturn who uses it on Kidman and gets the win.

*** Good match. Too much of Rey getting wasted but the drama was there and this feud is getting good.

Match 9: Van Hammer v. Sid Vicious (c) for WCW US Title

Hammer gets his match that he wanted a couple of weeks ago. Sid runs him into the corner and hammers him as the fans chant for Goldberg! He whips Hammer into the corner but he gets taken down and Hammer drops the head and punches him in the face and chokes him out. Sid takes off his head with a big boot, a brief chinlock and now some kicks in the corner. Hammer returns the favor but the ref goes down and Steiner comes down and hits the Bulldog and both powerbomb him and it is over.

*1/2 Sid needs a clean squash. Hell Rick squashed Hammer. Twice.

They replay some of the Hart/Benoit match.

A new promo complete with gravely voice. It is Dustin Runnels with a white mask and he is looking in a window at a kid….Jesus. No wonder they changed GDTV to GTV on RAW!

Match 10: Curt Hennig v. Ric Flair

Flair decks him and Curt retreats to the floor. He gets back in and gets in some blows, and puts Flair in a headlock. Flair shoves him off and now he goes to work with fists and chops in the corner. One chop in the middle of the ring drops Hennig; he pulls him up and uppercuts him in the nuts. Flair dumps him to the floor and hammers him on the announce table. Curt fires back but so does Flair and they are just chopping the shit out of each other. Flair gets his head run into the railing and Hennig gets back into the ring. Flair is on the apron and Hennig helps him the rest of the way in with a suplex. Hennig stomps on him and….

Stop the damn commercials during matches.

Hennig chops him in the corner. Flair returns the favor but is whipped into the corner where he flies upside down and to the floor. Curly Bill tries to hit him but just looks awkward and finally Flair frees himself with a chop. He gets back into the ring, and fends off Hennig, goes up top but is tossed off. Hennig goes for him but is nutted and now it is Figure Four time! Hennig is too close to the ropes and grabs them. Flair remains focused on the knee and headbutts it from behind. He pokes Hennig in the eye and back suplexes him. Hennig counters and works over the leg and knee of Flair. He has him in the corner where he chops some skin off. Flair returns the favor and Hennig drops to a knee and gets rabbit punched in the head. Hennig retreats to the apron and gets his throat bounced off. Curly Bill is on the apron and gets nailed. But Hennig rolls him up and uses the ropes with Bill’s help but Flair keeps getting the shoulder up, but the ref does not notice the cheating. David runs down and takes out Bill and Flair gets the win, using the ropes, well kind of as the arm was coming down the final time….

*** About damn time Flair beat Hennig. Jesus, not too clean but whatever….

Match 11: Lex Luger and Rick Steiner v. Bret Hart and Chris Benoit

The faces come down and go off on the heels. Bret is hammering Lex in the corner as Benoit and Rick tear into each other in the other corner. Bret and Lex head to the floor and fight as Rick is whipped from pillar to post but leaps right into a powerslam. Bret runs Lex into the railing and chases Liz off. Bret is owning Lex as he drills him with elbows and runs him into the steps. Rick takes charge against Benoit as he works him in the corner but he is taken down and put in the Crossface! Lex is able to escape Bret and make the save. Bret is right behind him and continues his assault. Rick gets rid of Benoit with a belly to belly suplex. Rick and Lex whip him into the ropes but he ducks the clothesline and clotheslines both men. He goes back after Lex but is grabbed and held. Rick is about to take him out but is tripped up by Benoit and given a German suplex. Lex is nutted and nailed with a Russian sweep. The flying headbutt nails Rick but Sid runs down and the match is tossed out. Lex knocks Bret to the floor and beats on him. Benoit is double powerbombed and Bret is placed in the ring and stomped. Luger Racks him! Goldberg runs down and spears Rick Steiner! Sid has the mic and reminds him of the stipulation. Goldberg looks around and then spears him anyway!! The fans fucking EXPLODE!

**1/2 Nice brawl to finish the show and set up the PPV. I wonder if Benoit and Steiner will face off….

**** I really do not want the Russo era to begin. This was another really good show. They have wrestling. They did a poll with fans to see what the wanted and they wanted more wrestling and for the most part they have been getting it. Not all great but still better than what the WWF is offering. This will end….The ratings keep going down, and honestly they should not be. The problems are there as I have said. Some continued tonight such as Konnan losing. But there was no Sting, he needs to get revenge and having him absent hurts his credibility as a heel, and it makes me wonder how much longer he will be one. In order to have drama for the PPV match he needs to be beating on Hogan or even get a clean win….that is if they have Sting lose, which he should not. But Hogan always wins the blow off matches, and they would, before Russo (my guess) is to have Hogan and Hart or Hogan and Goldberg at Starrcade. Well, it is all going to change….