Tonight is a fairly big show for WCW as they are live at the SuperDome. It’s especially huge because Master P is from the area and it had been reported before that Master P was confident that the place would sell out. Safe to say that the SuperDome does not sell out, folks.
WCW must be aware that they are lacking with wrestling storylines and that is why they have been using more and more celebrities/athletes. Tank Abbott recently got involved with the Rick Steiner/Sting feud, but failed horribly. Master P’s involvement with Hennig & company hasn’t been all that interesting. Dennis Rodman is expected back in WCW this summer for whatever reason. They are trying hard to get some kind of buzz, but none of it is connecting.
As it stands right now the only angle that has much steam or interest is the young vs. old angle. I’ve mentioned it a few times, but it’s a logical step to take to try and drive interest in the product. Of course, as they are attempting this they brought in Sid to main event with Nash, so while we’re trying to potentially break in fresh characters into the main event scene, they can’t help themselves by bringing in the established, older name. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Sid. However, he’s not a major help to their programming issues.
Despite not having Hulk Hogan (knee injury), Goldberg (knee injury) and Bret Hart (Owen’s death) on television in recent weeks, WCW continues to have a loaded roster and when they are able to return it should bring a jolt to the programming. Cycling in talent makes it so that they don’t become stale to the viewer. Also, we can’t forget about Scott Hall who has been out injured since February. Lex Luger has been making semi-regular appearances and could be returning sooner rather than later.
Lets go to the probably (not) sold out SuperDome for some WCW Nitro.
JUNE 21ST — NEW ORLEANS, LA — LOUISIANA SUPERDOME
MACHO MAN ARRIVES WITH SID & LADIES, NASH RIGHT BEHIND THEM
CONTEXT: Savage says tonight is going to be vicious and walks off with his group. A limo arrives and WCW World Champion Kevin Nash exits. Nash chases after the black hummer, but can’t reach the hummer.
Bob’s Take: Okay, so neither Savage or Sid are the driver of the hummer. That begs the question as to who could possibly be driving the hummer. It’s a mystery and that can be good TV. They’ll need to deliver a good surprise to pay it off, though. 1 for 1
MASTER P IS ON NITRO, HOOTIE HOO!
CONTEXT: David Penzer welcomes Master P to WCW Nitro. Master P makes his way out with his pals. P hypes up the crowd on the stage. P performs for a bit. P says they are going to have a birthday party later on for a family member.
Bob’s Take: I guess it’s better to get the concert aspect of the show out of the way early instead of dragging it out for the second or third hour. Judging by the crowd reaction nobody seemed to care all that much for this at all. There was a small section of the crowd that seemed to be vibing with the music, but it was not good. 1 for 2
LENNY LANE & LODI BACKSTAGE
CONTEXT: Lenny Lane is trying to choose between yellow and purple tights. Lodi enters the room and likes the purple tights. Lodi mentions Lane’s match with Meng tonight and Lane talks about being able to last long and has great stamina. Lane thinks he can outlast Meng. Lodi is giving Lenny a massage and Lenny notes that Lodi has great thumbs.
Bob’s Take: Okay, that’s kind of funny. At the time, WWF had Too Much with Brian Christopher and Scott Taylor. They leaned into being a couple in some aspect, so this is WCW’s version of that it would appear without directly saying that’s what they’re doing. I like Lenny and I’m in favor of a push for him in some capacity. 2 for 3
MATCH #1: BILLY KIDMAN VS. PSYCHOSIS
FINISH: Late in the match, Randy Savage, Sid and the ladies head into the ring. Sid plants Kidman with a chokeslam as the referee throws out the match.
Bob’s Take: As much as I tend to enjoy the Cruiserweight division the first thought that entered my mind when these two came out was that Psychosis isn’t going over. They have there core of Kidman, Mysterio, Juventud, Psychosis and Eddie Guerrero when he’s healthy. The focus tends to be on Mysterio and Kidman, though. This has been the case ever since Jericho and Malenko left the division. Mysterio, who is the champion, needs to drop the title to someone dedicated to the division. The crowd seemed to enjoy the action and it was solid up to the interference. 3 for 4
MACHO MAN RUINS THE MATCH; NASH & STING SHOW UP, TOO
CONTEXT: Sid big boots Psychosis and Savage drops Kidman over the top rope throat first. The crowd is chanting for Sid. Sid powerbombs Psychosis, but Sting has ran into the ring to run off the heels. WCW World Champion Kevin Nash heads to the ring to confront Sting. Nash has a question for Sting. Nash asks why Sting didn’t put his hands on Sid and Savage when they left. Nash saw Sting get out of a hummer last week and asks what that’s all about. Sting tells Nash that he was not driving the hummer. Nash isn’t accusing Sting of anything, but if he finds out it was Sting then he’s going to deal with him.
Bob’s Take: Sting said it wasn’t him, but he didn’t say that he didn’t know who drove the hummer. The crowd seemed to boo Nash when he said that he’d fight Sting if he found out otherwise. Clearly, Sting is still the top babyface despite Nash being the champion. I don’t mind the slow build for the hummer reveal. 4 for 5
RODDY PIPER & RIC FLAIR MAKING MATCHES
CONTEXT: Flair and Piper are talking about Bash at the Beach main event. Flair books a tag team match where WCW World Champion Kevin Nash teams with Sting to take on Randy Savage and Sid Vicious. Piper books a singles match between Sting and Sid for tonight on Nitro! Flair loves the idea and they leave the room.
Bob’s Take: I’m a bit stunned the tag match is for PPV and not for TV. It screams to me that Savage can’t do a PPV main event and needs as many bodies in there as possible to get by. I’m guessing that the person driving the hummer could be revealed at the PPV. Sting vs. Sid is a strong main event for Nitro, too. 5 for 6
MATCH #2: MENG VS. LENNY LANE
NOTE: The crowd loudly chants a homophobic slur at Lenny Lane.
FINISH: Meng wins the match with the Tongan Death Grip.
Bob’s Take: I know it is 1999, but it’s a bit disappointing to hear the crowd chant homophobic slurs and it not be censored by the production team. It has to be expected that the crowd would respond in that way. It’s clear that the audience is paying attention to the direction that Lenny and Lodi are going in, I guess. For a squash, this was a fine segment aside from the chants, but I wouldn’t consider it a positive one. 5 for 7
BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR MASTER P’S LITTLE BROTHER; HENNIG IS A PARTY POOPER
CONTEXT: Master P is in the ring with the No Limit Soldiers to celebrate his little brothers birthday. P gets the crowd to sing happy birthday to his little brother. P invites a fan into the ring and they sing happy birthday. Curt Hennig makes his way out to the ring with a gift in hand. Hennig promises he comes in peace. Master P warns Hennig to not be playing any games. Hennig asks for a minute of his time and is allowed into the ring. Hennig apologizes about the CD shattering recently. Hennig brought a present for P’s little brother and hopes they can accept his gift. Hennig opens the gift and it is a cowboy hat. The little brother proceeds to stomp the hat and Hennig gets cake smashed into his face. Hennig leaves the ring as the No Limit Soldiers stand tall and yell. Hennig gets more cake tossed into his face. Hennig catches the hat being thrown back at him on the aisle to end the segment.
Bob’s Take: God, the No Limit Soldiers are annoying. Th e”hootie hoo” phrase hurts my ears and it feels like it is a constant thing with them. Obviously this is continuing the issues between Hennig and the Soldiers, but I hated it. 5 for 8
MATCH #3: EDDIE GUERRERO VS. JUVENTUD GUERRERA
NOTE: This is Eddie Guerrero’s return to in-ring action since his car accident back in January.
FINISH: Guerrero pins Guerrera following a top rope frog splash for the clean win.
Bob’s Take: It’s a bit interesting that Juventud would be Eddie’s first opponent since Juventud was a loyal follower of the LWO and initially it looked as if Juventud didn’t want to compete against Eddie. I thought this was a good match with some good action throughout. They had several impactful high spots and both men looked great. The live crowd seemed a little dead for the action, which was a big surprising. I’m thrilled that Guerrero is back on TV and healthy. 6 for 9
MATCH #4: THE CAT VS. PRINCE IAUKEA
NOTE: Cat, as per usual, cut a promo before the match insulting the fans claiming he can beat all the fans in the audience. Cat gives Iaukea five-seconds to leave the match, but Iaukea doesn’t leave.
FINISH: Cat nails Iaukea with a kick to win the match. Cat was wearing his red shoe.
Bob’s Take: Cat has become a heel with some decent momentum and has been getting a good crowd reaction with his promo work. Iaukea didn’t get any reaction during his offense and should be a clear indicator that he’s not over with the crowd in any aspect. This probably dragged on far longer than it needed to go. 6 for 10
MATCH #5: BOOKER T VS. WCW TAG TEAM CHAMPION KANYON
NOTE: Kanyon asks the fans who is better than Kanyon before the match, and they say ‘everyone’, which makes Kanyon claim they are all drunk.
FINISH: Late in the match, DDP and Bam-Bam Bigelow run into the ring to cause a DQ by attacking Booker. Kanyon lays Booker out with a Flatliner. DDP hits the referee with a diamond cutter. Bigelow and DDP hit the Greetings From Asbury/Diamond Cutter combo on Booker landing on a tag title.
Bob’s Take: While the crowd has been a bit silent throughout the show thus far, they did respond rather well to Booker T during the bout. Booker needs to be a fixture in the young vs. old angle, but it doesn’t appear to be the case thus far. There is quality action here, but the lack of crowd energy can certainly impact the viewing experience. They put forth a competitive match and they had a lot of time to produce a match. The aftermath was fine, and seems to be teasing a potential tag match where Booker will need a partner. Could this be the beginning of a Harlem Heat reunion? I enjoyed this lengthy match and segment. 7 for 11
MEAN GENE CHATS WITH RODDY PIPER & RIC FLAIR
CONTEXT: Gene talks about the recent matches Piper and Flair have signed tonight. Piper gets a cheap pop by referencing the Saints and takes a cheap shot saying that the Saints could have had a chance if he was on the team. Piper continues to talk about the whiners, the Y2K kids. Piper calls Buff Bagwell the biggest whiner and mocks Bagwell for crying about not being in the main event. Piper offers a reality check for ‘Buffy’ and calls Bagwell a liar. Piper laughs at the thought that Bagwell claims he beat Flair. Piper is getting tired of Bagwell’s whining and lying. Piper threatens to slap Bagwell. Flair taunts the fans promising to sleep with their women. Flair claims that Bagwell called his room last night and asked why Flair is called Space Mountain and Bagwell is just called buff. Flair says he almost died on Bagwell’s girl last night. Buff Bagwell makes his way out without music and attacks Flair until Piper attacks Bagwell to help Flair. This leads into a match.
Bob’s Take: The crowd is still lifeless and they didn’t even pop for the entrance of Piper and Flair. Piper did a decent job on his promo to hype the feud, and Flair got things a bit personal to add a layer to the situation. So, it’s a decent segment in that regard. The crowd continues to come across completely disinterested, though. 8 for 12
MATCH #6: BUFF BAGWELL & DEAN MALENKO VS. RIC FLAIR & RODDY PIPER
NOTE: This initially starts off as a handicap match until Malenko joined the match to help Bagwell.
FINISH: Late in the match, Piper decks Bagwell with brass knuckles while Malenko put a Texas Cloverleaf on Arn Anderson. Flair pins Bagwell to the win the match.
Bob’s Take: The crowd got into the match a little bit when Malenko got the hot tag. However, it was during this match that it kind of struck me that Malenko may not fit in this role. I’m not the kind of guy to say that smaller wrestlers can’t main event in wrestling, but the presentation of Malenko as a main event guy may be a tough hill to overcome. There were a few botches during his heat segment and visually it is a hard sell to buy into him against Flair and Piper let alone bigger guys in the the main event. I’d consider this a bit of a downer. 9 for 13
MATCH #7: WCW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS THE TRIAD (DDP & KANYON) VS. KONNAN & WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION REY MYSTERIO JR.
NOTE: Prior to the match, Mysterio officially acknowledges Chase Tatum and Brad Armstrong as new members of the No Limit Soldiers. Also, The Triad switch members out throughout the match.
FINISH: Late in the match, Hennig, Duncum Jr., Barry & Kendall Windham enter the ring to attack Konnan. After the match, Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn run down to the ring to brawl.
Bob’s Take: There’s something about Mysterio where he brings excitement and interest in the match. Konnan seems a bit more motivated working with Mysterio and is probably better off being in a tag team. I like the booking of Konnan and Mysterio getting a tag title shot considering their momentum and a title change would have made sense to put more of a focus on the feud with Hennig and his men. I’d consider this an enjoyable tag match. The DQ finish is not a surprise, but the action beforehand was fine and I enjoyed it. 10 for 14
MAIN EVENT: STING VS. SID VICIOUS
NOTE: This is Sid’s first televised match in WCW since Halloween Havoc ’93, when he lost to Sting.
FINISH: Late in the match, Randy Savage attacks Sting to cause a disqualification. After the match, Lex Luger runs into the ring and makes the save holding off the heels with a steel chair.
Bob’s Take: At one point in the match, Sting awkwardly bumped on a big boot and held his shoulder in clear pain. Luckily, Sting didn’t appear to suffer an injury. Luger has to be the guy who drove the hummer, right? The history is there for Luger to betray Sting and prevent an alliance between Sting and Nash, which would be a threat to their friendship. As per usual, it’s not a good main event in-ring wise. 10 for 15
RANDY SAVAGE PROMO
CONTEXT: Savage tells Luger and Sting that they will not stop until they are victims. Sid chimes in and tells them that they will feel the madness. Sid promises they can’t do a damn thing about it. Sting grabs the microphone and gets the crowd to scream ‘suck it’ to close the show.
Bob’s Take: Clearly they are killing time, but it wasn’t a bad way to fill that time. I feel like I remember reading that Sting apologized of the DX antics because he thought they were off the air. 11 for 16
Despite the crowd not showing a whole lot of energy for a good portion of the program, I actually enjoyed the show. I thought there was a lot of solid in-ring wrestling and that was the main focus for the show. They focused mostly on in-ring wrestling and it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the action was mostly solid throughout.
It should be alarming that the veterans Piper and Flair didn’t get much of a reaction during their entrance. The absolute silence they received was a bit jarring to say the least. They were able to get some heel heat with their constant insults, but it’s coming across as if the crowd simply do not care about them. If the fans don’t care about them, well, the young guys beating them won’t matter much. However, if they fans don’t care about them and the veterans beat the young guys.. well, that’s not good either.
Master P’s involvement is horrendous and gives me second-hand embarrassment. Master P couldn’t muster up a decent ovation from his own hometown crowd. He doesn’t fit in with the WCW audience and comes across as cringe with his attempts at getting a pop.
We’re just about three weeks away from Bash At The Beach taking place on July 11th, and there’s not much known for the event aside from Sting/Nash vs. Sid/Savage. I’d guess there would be a match between Bagwell and Piper to give Bagwell the rub. Not sure where that leaves Flair, which is a bit odd. Anytime there’s a PPV and there’s not a World Championship match, I feel like that’s the promotion telling the viewer it’s not an important show. I don’t think there’s anything going on right now that I’d actively spend my money on for WCW. That’s not a good business direction.
WCW Nitro 6/21 TV Rating: 3.1
Thanks for reading.