WCW Saturday Night 3/9/1996

Written by: Bob Colling

World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 3/9/1996
From: Macon, GA

Matches:
1.) WCW Tag Team Champion Lex Luger defeated WCW Television Champion Johnny B. Badd to win the title
2.) The Road Warriors defeated Meng & Barbarian
3.) Alex Wright defeated Bobby Walker
4.) Bobby Eaton & Dave Taylor defeated Public Enemy by disqualification
5.) Eddie Guerrero defeated Chris Benoit in a number one contenders match for the WCW United States Championship
6.) Pat Tanaka defeated Disco Inferno
7.) VK Wallstreet defeated Joey Maggs
8.) WCW World Champion Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Loch Ness & Kevin Sullivan defeated Jim Duggan, Marcus Alexander Bagwell, Scotty Riggs & Sgt. Craig Pittman

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) During Johnny B. Badd’s entrance Badd confronts Kimberly about what happened recently on Nitro. Kimberly refused to talk to Johnny. We heard from a pre-tape promo by Johnny saying that he’s not going to give DDP a title match because there’s nothing left for DDP to offer him.

2.) Luger has the early advantage controlling Badd with a wrist lock, but Badd counters to take Luger down to the mat and has wrist control before hitting a couple of arm drags and a hip toss. Badd backdrops Luger but runs into a back elbow in the corner. Luger tries to use the ropes for leverage on a pin attempt, but the referee saw that. Luger chokes Badd over the top rope and taunts Kimberly on the floor. Luger sends Badd backwards before delivering a kick to the ribs. Luger drops a few elbows for a two count. Badd almost wins with a rollup after getting out of a headlock. Luger stops Badd with a clothesline for a two count. Badd drops Luger with a back suplex. Badd hits Luger with a few strikes to gain some momentum. Badd drops Luger with a right hand but is sent chest first into the corner. Luger misses a back suplex and Badd hits a sit down powerbomb for a near fall. Badd heads to the top and nails Luger with a double axe handle for a near fall. Diamond Dallas Page and Jimmy Hart are seen talking on the aisle. Badd knee lifts Luger and plays to the crowd before dropkicking Luger to the floor. Badd hits a slingshot crossbody to the floor. DDP hits the diamond cutter on Badd outside the ring as the referee was distracted by Jimmy Hart. Badd is knocked out. Luger goes for the cover and wins the match. (**. The final thirty seconds or so was actually quite entertaining. DDP costing Badd the title doesn’t make a whole lot of sense considering DDP wants the title and wanted to beat Badd for it. I can’t imagine he’d think he has better luck against Luger. Anyway, this is a solid overall match and a big title change to happen on Saturday Night. I was not expecting Luger to take a sit down powerbomb, so it’s obvious that Luger is here to be a team player and prove himself.)

3.) Lee Marshall interviews Johnny B. Badd and Kimberly at ringside. Badd is pissed that DDP cost him something that meant more than anything to him. Badd is furious with Kimberly for not being there to help him. Badd promises to follow DDP to UnCensored and he’s going to punch DDP out of WCW.

4.) Barbarian starts the tag match hitting a powerslam on Animal followed by a headbutt against the ropes. Animal hits a leaping shoulder block and a running clothesline out of the corner. Animal tags in Hawk, but Meng tags in as well. Meng beats on Hawk with right hands in the corner followed by a powerslam. Hawk plants Meng with a powerslam, but Meng no sells it. Meng delivers a few right hands against the ropes. Hawk leaps off the apron to clothesline Meng on the floor. Meng decks Hawk with a clothesline before rolling Hawk back into the ring. Barbarian tags in and powerbombs Hawk in the middle of the ring. Meng tags in and they hit a double leaping headbutt splash for a two count. Meng and Barbarian hit a spike piledriver for a two count on Hawk as Animal broke the cover. Animal saves Hawk from a big boo and Barbarian hits Meng on accident. Hawk climbs to the top and hits a top rope clothesline to pin Barbarian for the win. (**. It’s a quick match, but these two teams did a solid job and I was entertained throughout. I’d love for these two teams to get more time on Nitro.)

5.) Mean Gene is with Jimmy Hart for an interview. Hart has a big surprise for Gene. Hart has a contract with Luger and thus has the legal right to tell Luger what to do and not Sting. Hart reveals that there will not be a street fight involving Lex Luger. Gary Juster enters the scene and he’s acting as the lawyer for Jimmy Hart. Juster reveals that Hart does have the legal right to handle all of Luger’s contracts. Luger enters the scene and says he doesn’t understand what is going on. Luger is arguing with Hart as they walk off.

6.) Eaton and Rock kickoff the tag match until Rock ducks a double clothesline and nails both men with a clothesline. All four men are in the ring leading to Grunge scaring Regal off the apron and they play to the crowd. Grunge works over Eaton in the corner with right hands. Eaton comes out of the corner to hit a swinging neckbreaker. Eaton hits a top rope knee drop for a two count. Taylor drives Grunge down with a neckbreaker. Taylor continues with an uppercut and puts a modified chicken wing on Grunge before tagging in Eaton. The Belfast Bruiser runs out and clotheslines Taylor on the floor. Bruiser is chasing after Regal, but Regal runs away. Public Enemy slide a table into the ring. Eaton is stuck on the table and Rock leaps off the top to hit a swanton through the table. The referee disqualifies Public Enemy. (1/2*. Well, that was a bit wild, but fine for what it was.)

7.) Benoit controls Guerrero with a test of strength to start the contest. Guerrero stomps on Benoit’s hands to break free. Benoit yanks Guerrero down to the mat, but doesn’t follow up on the advantage. Benoit kicks Guerrero in the midsection and delivers a few right hands. Benoit backs Guerrero against the ropes to deliver a few chops. Guerrero head scissors Benoit to the mat. Benoit misses a clothesline, but drives Guerrero down with a backbreaker as the show goes to commercial.

Benoit has continued to control Guerrero with stomps in the corner. Benoit dropkicks a seated Guerrero. Benoit slaps Guerrero and delivers a few chops in the corner. Benoit pummels Guerrero with right hands in the corner until the referee backs Benoit off. Benoit and the referee trade shoves, but Benoit continues to keep control of the contest. Benoit plants Guerrero with a spinebuster and locks in a Boston Crab in the middle of the ring. Guerrero nearly wins with a rollup, but Benoit recovers and stomps Guerrero. Benoit drops Guerrero gut first over the top rope and taunts the fans. Benoit knee strikes Guerrero to the floor. Benoit rams Guerrero face first into the ring steps and chokes Guerrero with a camera cord. Benoit heads to the top rope and misses a diving headbutt. Guerrero and Benoit begin to trade strikes. Guerrero gets the momentum and hits a leaping back elbow. Guerrero hits a springboard hurricanrana for a two count. Benoit drops Guerrero face first onto the top turnbuckle and hits a series of German suplexs for a two count. Benoit sits Guerrero on the top turnbuckle looking for a superplex. Guerrero shoves Benoit off and hits a top rope frog splash for the clean win! (***. Another good match between these two and Guerrero becoming the number one contender for the US Championship is an interesting decision. I would have thought that Benoit would prevail, but Guerrero can probably get a good match out of Konnan. This had solid action throughout.)

8.) Mean Gene interviews Eddie Guerrero following the victory. Gene promotes the US Championship match at UnCensored between Guerrero and Konnan. Gene apparently doesn’t realize that match was a number one contenders match and is acting like Guerrero was already challenging. Guerrero has never taken an opponent lightly and he’s not going to start now. Guerrero thanks the fans for being behind him and wants to win the title for the fans.

9.) Backstage, Mean Gene interviewed Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan regarding the lumberjack strap match taking place on Nitro. Hogan asks Gene if he knows what it feels like to get strapped by a leather strap. Hogan says there are no more rules as everyone has a strap. Gene brings up the challenge from the Alliance to end Hulkamania for a Doomsday cage match. Hogan says he’s going to sign anything. Savage chimes in and says they are going to get crazy. Booty Man enters the scene and says he’s the wildest man in WCW and he’s out of control. Hogan says that Booty has his sights on the best booty in WCW.

10.) Disco Inferno was playing to the crowd after doing a cartwheel and that led to Pat Tanaka winning the match in short order with a rollup.

11.) Mean Gene interviews Jimmy Hart and Lex Luger. Gene thinks there is a dark cloud for Luger’s victory. Luger has some questions Hart and knows that Sting has some questions, too. Luger thinks this should be one of the best moments of his career, but Hart got involved in his match. Luger knows he deserves it, but thinks it’s tainted. Luger is upset with Sting not having a partner for the street fight against the Road Warriors. Hart doesn’t understand why Luger is worried about Luger. Hart reminds Luger that Sting ran his mouth to cause the street fight in the first place. Hart tells Luger that he’s been successful with Hart in his corner. Hart says that Luger wasn’t around for when Loch Ness got in his face. Hart reveals that Loch Ness is out of the Doomsday cage match and is inserting Luger into the match. Apparently, Loch Ness is gone from the company all together. Wait, Loch Ness comes out and confronts Hart about not getting a shot at Hogan. Ness shoves Luger down and they have a standoff. Luger is held back and they go backstage to end the segment.

12.) Anderson and Pittman start the main event with Anderson hammering away on Pittman against the ropes. Pittman headbutts Anderson in the midsection and delivers an atomic drop. Anderson goes to the wrong corner and is met with three punches and a throw by Pittman. Sullivan tags into the match to try his luck with Pittman. Sullivan works over Pittman with several strikes and rams Pittman into the corner before delivering a few chops. Pittman hip tosses Sullivan and tags in Bagwell. Flair tags in as well to continue the match. Bagwell works over Flair with several strikes in the corner followed by a backdrop and several clotheslines. Flair does a flop after a strike from the apron. Bagwell clotheslines Flair over the top to the floor causing Flair to regroup. Riggs tags in and works over Anderson by yanking down on his arm. Riggs hits a crossbody coming off the ropes and tags in Bagwell to keep control of the contest. Anderson yanks Bagwell down by his hair and tags Flair back into the contest.

Bagwell tags in Riggs while in a hammerlock and Flair backs off. Flair kicks Riggs in the midsection, but Duggan tags in and Flair backs off again. Duggan is stopped by an eye rake and Flair heads to the top rope, but Duggan slams Flair off the top to the mat. Duggan punches Sullivan on the top rope. Flair flips in the corner and is decked on the apron. Bagwell knee lifts Anderson followed by an atomic drop. Bagwell has a rollup on Anderson, but Anderson sends Bagwell into the ropes and Bagwell falls over the top to the floor thanks to Sullivan pulling the ropes down. Anderson keeps a front face lock on Bagwell. Duggan gets tagged in, but the referee didn’t see it. Flair chops Bagwell in the corner followed by strikes and stomps. The Giant makes his way down to the ringside area. Duggan is wrapping his fist up with tape and wants Giant to get in the ring. Giant pulls Duggan over the top to the floor and Giant tries for a chokeslam, but Duggan hits Giant with his taped fist several times on the floor. Flair chops Bagwell in the corner a few times, but Bagwell fights back with strikes. Flair misses a chop and Bagwell decks Flair with a clothesline causing both men to be down. Flair tags in Anderson and Riggs is tagged in. Riggs cleans house with dropkicks and right hands. Riggs slams Anderson and everyone gets in the ring to brawl. Anderson plants Riggs with the spinebuster and wins the match clean in the middle. After the match, Anderson plants Bagwell with a DDT. Doug Dillinger is decked by the heels. (**. Surprisingly, this wasn’t all that bad as the faces did a good job of providing energy and working hard. This match actually made me interested in a Giant/Duggan match on Nitro as the brawling was done fairly well. The heels gave just enough to make this competitive and not a waste of time.)

13.) Mean Gene interviews Kevin Sullivan, Arn Anderson and Ric Flair. Sullivan says they know who the fourth man for the cage. Sullivan says that if Lex Luger isn’t fighting with them but they are fighting agains them. Gary Juster enters the scene and says that there wasn’t a strap match tonight and they hit an official and thus they are being fined. Anderson chimes in and says they have the money so they can add it up. Anderson talks about the embarrassment of being whipped and that’s going to happen on Nitro. Flair finishes off promoting the straps and lumberjacks on Nitro. Flair says Nitro is just a step to UnCensored.

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed the episode as there were several enjoyable matches and we got some angle advancements.

Thanks for reading.