March 26, 2001: The final edition of WCW Nitro took place in Panama City, Florida. This is…
The Final WCW Nitro
The pyro is lit, one last time…
From: Panama Beach, Panama City, Florida
Date: March 26, 2001
Network: TNT
– Opening: The show starts with Vince McMahon immediately telling us that he has purchased WCW and will tell us what he will do with it tonight. The final pyro is ignited at Panama City Beach. A great little setup for this historic event. Although, the attendance would never give off any indications that this a said “historic” event.
– Tony Schiavone and Scott Hudson give their last introduction to Nitro, who are anticipating Vince McMahon’s announcement on what he will choose to do with WCW. After the Vince speech, it is noted that this will indeed be the last WCW show on TNT. Well, that one was kind of obvious.
– Ric Flair is the first superstar to make an appearance, rightfully, as the small but respectful crowd are lifted out of their seats for Mr. WCW. Flair gives an emotional sincere “good-bye speech” to WCW, while giving an equally sincere “f*ck off” to Vince McMahon, and noting that he was a FOURTEEN time World Champion, for the best company in the business, World Championship Wrestling. He ends with one of his many WOOOOOOOOO’s of the night and hyping up his match tonight with Sting, because it is the last chance for Sting to be the man. Of course, to be the man, you must first beat the Nature Man. This promo in itself was one that will never be forgotten by fans, and as many consider one of the most heartfelt, emotional promos ever in the professional wrestling industry, and all in five minutes. Obviously one of the night’s biggest moments.
* Match #1: Booker T v. Scott Steiner *
For an opening contest, this one, title versus title, Booker T holding the United States championship and Scott Steiner holding the WCW World Championship, couldn’t have been bigger. The finish saw, in a surprising upset, Booker T hit his Book End finisher on Steiner to get the three count and victory.
Winner: Booker T
– So here we have Booker T, who came into WCW with Stevie Ray as the Harlem Heat. They would go on to win the WCW Tag Team Championship belts a record-setting 10 times. Once going independent, Booker won the United States Championship six-times. We all know how many times he would go on to win the WCW Championship. He held (count ’em) a grand total of 23 titles while in WCW. Say Sting, say Flair, say DDP, say Hogan, say whoever you want, but anybody who disputed Booker T as not being on of the most important figures in the history of the business is clueless. Steiner, on the other end, in a striking resemblance to the way Booker came in in the form of a tag team as the Steiner Brothers, broke free as a heel and won the WCW Heavyweight Championship, which he lost to Booker in this match.
– Vince McMahon is eager to take a few more cheap shots on his new investment company, shown on his cell phone bashing the area of Florida the finale is being shown at.
* Match #2: Billy Kidman & Rey Misterio v. The Jung Dragons vs. Evan Karagias & Shannon Moore *
This was a Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles qualifying match. The finish saw Kidman and Misterio score the pinfall with a guillotine leg drop on Moore who was hung on the ropes.
Winners: Billy Kidman & Rey Misterio
– In a “look at the future,” WCW fans are left in disgust as we cut back to WWF’s Monday Night RAW where Vince McMahon passionately makes out with Trish Stratus. You get the picture.
* Match#3: Chavito Guerrero v. Sugar Shane Helms – WCW Cruiserweight Championship *
This match was what it was, the last WCW Cruiserwight Championship match. A good display of the spirit of the division by both of these WCW cruiserweight mainstays. The finish sees Helms get the Vertebreaker to pick up the pinfall.
Winner: Shane Helms
– Much like Ric Flair did to start the show, next up is Booker T who gives his farewell speech to WCW, ending it with “Don’t hate the playa… hate the game.” Maybe Teddy Long watched this promo once or twice. After the advertisements, over at that other show, we see Michael Cole make his way into Vince McMahon’s office who of course is still working on his 47’s encounter with Trish Stratus. Cole of course plays the good guy and says Vince is going to ruin everything, you get the point, and of course the segment is ended with Vince threatening him to get out. More goods for the WCW fans, more goods.
* Match #4: Mike Awesome & Lance Storm v. Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo – WCW Tag Team Championship *
Continuing the “night of Champions” theme, this time the tag titles are on the line. The finish saw O’Haire and Palumbo retain their titles after the Sean-Bomb picking up the victory.
Winners: Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo
* Match #5: Bam Bam Bigelow v. Shawn Stasiak – Tattoo Match *
This match lasted roughly to my estimate, a minute or so. Winner saw Stasiak hit the neckbreaker thus Bigelow cannot tattoo him. Pretty much a joke here, if you even consider it a match.
Winner: Shawn Stasiak
– Back to “that other show”, where Vince takes some more cheap shots, this time with William Regal. Next up was the third “WCW farewell” speech, from Diamond Dallas Speech. The speech mainly gave Page a chance to thank all of the fans for supporting him in accomplishing what seemed to be an impossible goal. After this was a nice video segment of clips of the following former champions: Sting, Lex Luger, Kevin Nash, Ric Flair, Diamond Dallas Page, Dusty Rhodes, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Goldberg Vader, Jeff Jarrett, Giant, Ron Simmons, Dory Funk Jr., Terry Funk, Lou Thesz, Ronnie Garvin, The Great Muta, Bret Hart, Psycho Sid, Hulk Hogan, Barry Windham, Booker T, and Scott Steiner. Personally, I think this would have been a great piece to end the show, but having it now was fine.
* Match #6: Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo v. Rey Misterio & Billy Kidman – WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship *
This of course the result of Misterio and Kidman qualifying from their match earlier on the card. The finish saw Misterio and Kidman win the belts after Kidman reversed Skipper’s Play Of The Day and hit his Kid Krusher.
Winners: Rey Misterio & Billy Kidman
– Stinger is back.
* Main Event, Last Match in WCW History: Ric Flair v. Sting *
So, just like that, here it is, the last match in World Championship Wrestling history, rightfully between arguably the two most important men of the business. After a long, and what most WCW fans would consider “classic” bout, Sting pulled the upset with the Scorpion Deathlock. Respectively, both men raise each other’s arms. For nostalgic reasons, this was a tragically emotional moment for wrestling fans out of any type of respect.
Winner: Sting
– Vince McMahon classically ends the show by coming out and burying WCW, and then the big shock occurs, leaving everyone floored, when Shane appears in Panama while Vince is in Cleveland, Ohio for RAW. Here are Shane’s exact words:
Shane McMahon: Shane: “What’s up Vince? Surprise Dad, you’re in Cleveland, Ohio, and I’m here in Panama City Beach, Florida standing a WCW ring. And as usual Dad, your ego has gotten the best of you. Your ego has gotten the best of you, I mean Dad, you wanted to finalize this deal for WCW at Wrestlemania. You have the audacity to ask Ted Turner himself to come down and finalize this deal. Well, Dad, that’s just the opportunity I was looking for. Well, Dad, the deal is finalized with WCW, but the name on the contract does say ‘McMahon’… however….the contract reads… ‘Shane McMahon.’ That’s right, I now own.. WCW.. And Dad, just like WCW did in the past, how it kicked your ass in the past, and it will again. That’s exactly what’s going to happen to you this Sunday at Wrestlemania!”
– A promo hyping WrestleMania X-7 ends the show.
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In Contrast to the beginning…
September 4, 1995 – The first episode of WCW Nitro airs…
Brian Pillman def. Jushin “Thunder” Liger
Ric Flair def. (United States Champion) Sting via Disqualification
(Heavyweight Champion) Hulk Hogan def. Big Bubba Rogers
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So that does it, the final show in WCW history, the final Nitro. But what is to really be made of the show? To diehard fans of the promotion, they probably enjoyed the wrestling portion of the show, but were left with a disgusted taste in their mouth dragging through the whole show via Vince McMahon’s slanderous antics. Some fans might have felt uncomfortable for the fact that not even hosts Schiavone and Hudson got a chance to give a heartfelt good-bye to end the show. Of course, something similar was being said by Hudson until McMahon came out at the end of the show. A bittersweet ending? A good ending? A bad ending? Neutral? How would one ever classify this show? I don’t think from anyone’s standpoint can be displeased with the performances of the superstars, especially with the lukewarm Sting-Flair match with the good-feeling ending to cap it off. But was that all spoiled by Vince? There are many questions to be answered, so we’ll leave the rest up to you. Five years ago, what were YOUR feelings?
