The SmarK Rant for WCW Monday Nitro – 10.09.95
Still no 09/25 episode on demand yet, but I’ll keep you updated!
Live from Chicago, IL
Your hosts are Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan & Mongo
Sting interrupts the opening banter between the announcers, and he’s gonna solve the problems between Luger and Savage.
US title: Sting v. The Shark
You know, if Kerry Von Erich hadn’t been dead at this point, WCW could have put him together with the Shark to form a team. That’s right…SHARKNADO! So I totally forgot about Sting being US champion at this point and I don’t even remember who he lost it to. Was this the point when we got the stupid Kensuke Sasaki – OMG – Konnan run? Because holy shit what a colossal waste of the title that whole period was. The Shark attacks and drops an elbow for two, but Sting quickly hits him with a Stinger splash and bodypress to finish at 1:15. Poor Tenta, falling down a slippery slope. DUD
Last week, Hulk Hogan faces the wrath of the STUNT GRANNY and gets beat down by the Giant.
Sabu v. The Mysterious Mr. JL
So yeah, Sabu in WCW was really a thing. I can’t even tell you how surreal that was at the time. Sabu attacks and slingshots in with a legdrop for two right away. JL puts him on the floor with a running enzuigiri and follows with a dive that the crack camera crew misses completely. Back in, Sabu with a sloppy leg lariat to put JL out again and he hits his own crazy flip dive. He follows with Air Sabu into the railing, but JL hits a german suplex for two in the ring. Sabu with a clothesline out of the corner and a moonsault into the camel clutch, but JL makes the ropes. DDT off the middle gets two for JL and they head up, where JL blocks a rana, but the missile dropkick misses and Sabu finishes with the camel clutch at 4:30. Crazy match, weak ending. ***1/2 I had tons of other matches between them from indy shows that blew this away, but this was crazy, anarchic stuff for national TV at the time.
Sting is out again to play peacemaker between Luger and Savage, and he wants them to have another match at Halloween Havoc if they can beat their Dungeon of Doom opponents. Luger balks at the idea, but Sting tells him to grow a set and quit being a baby, so he accepts. I don’t really get how this was supposed to solve things.
Meanwhile, Chris Benoit arrives. Good thing we had that warning at the beginning of the show.
Disco Inferno shows up to randomly dance again, and once again his buzz is harshed by someone making their entrance.
Big Bubba Rogers v. Road Warrior Hawk
Bubba slugs away in the corner, but runs into a powerslam while Disco again tries to get himself over by dancing on the apron. This earns him a beating from Hawk, and Bubba wins by countout at 1:38. Well, that’s the perfect length for this match. DUD
Hulk Hogan is out and he’s in BLACK, brother. Even his neckbrace is black! What a weird phase this was, when he was acting all heelish and burning copies of the WON and stuff. Hogan wants the Giant right now, but Gene keeps telling him that Giant is barred from the building. So Hulk keeps challenging him, even though he was clearly told that there’s a court order preventing him from being there. However, there’s one thing stronger than legal injunctions, and that’s MONSTER TRUCKS, as Giant tries to drive into the arena. Uh, could that truck even fit into the door? Hulk doesn’t care, and he goes out to confront the Dungeon of Doom, possibly in his own monster truck! Bischoff informs us that a bunch of Chicago police are out there making sure they’re keep apart. Don’t the cops have LITERALLY anything better to do with their time? Like, name any petty crime that needs attending to and it would be a more effective use of taxpayer dollars.
Cage match: Ric Flair v. Arn Anderson
Flair slugs him down in the corner, but Arn sends him into the cage as we take a break. Back with Flair throwing chops, but he walks into the spinebuster. Arn pounds away and goes all cheese grater on the cage, but Flair comes back with a suplex. Bischoff notes that they were so close that people thought they were literally brothers. Actually, they were cousins, but point taken. Pillman tries to get into the cage and Flair foils him and then goes for the figure-four, but Arn counters with an international object to the head for the pin at 6:42. **1/4 Flair cuts a crazed promo at the announce table, and challenges Anderson & Pillman to a handicap match next week, because if he can’t find a partner, he’ll take them on alone! And we must have gone short because the announcers pad out the running time by recapping everything.
This continues to be a really fun show to watch.
Next week: DDP v. Johnny B. Badd! Hacksaw Duggan v. Meng! Chris Benoit v. Eddie Guerrero!
