wrestling / Video Reviews
Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 4.01.96
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-We are getting close to the big change, but have to get through April first. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Mongo, and Bobby The Brain
-CSU Convocation Center, Cleveland, OH
Sting vs. The Giant
-Cold open as we start with Sting and The Giant already in the ring in an unadvertised match. It seems something happened before the show started to explain the match and Eric says they will try to show it later. In cool touch they have the Nitro graphic lights flashing on the mat at the start of the mat to show it wasn’t planned. Apparently, this was to be Sting and Giant vs. Harlem Heat, but Jimmy Hart paid off Heat to no show and Giant to turn. Sting gets tossed into the railing and then Giant presses him over his his head and throws Sting back into the ring. Giant goes for a choke slam from the apron, but Sting hits a dropkick and Giant crashes to the floor, but gets up and is pissed. Lex Luger hits the ring and the ref calls off the match. Giants wants to go, but Hart pulls him away.
Winner: No Contest at 2:23
-More angle than match, but a unique way to start a show and props to them for it. Stuff like this is why WCW kicked the crap out of WWF for a few years. *
-Now we get the show opening and then Eric welcomes us to the show.
-We see the video from a few minutes ago when Jimmy Hart handed Harlem Heat an envelope with cash to take a walk.
Triangle Match: Legion of Doom vs. The Steiners vs. The Nasty Boys
-They have been actually building to this match, and this was rather unique as Three Way Matches didn’t happen all that often. The Nasty Boys were jumped a few weeks back and it was one of these two teams that did it. Knobbs and Rick start and they trade blows. Rick catches Knobbs with a power slam for two as Saggs makes the save. Scott with a dropkick to Saggs to send him to the floor. Animal tags himself in but misses a dive and hits himself with a stun-gun. Scott tags himself in by hitting Saggs on the top of the head. He gets a slam on Hawk and then they clothesline each other. Loud “LOD” chant as Hawk misses a charge in the corner and spills to the floor. Scott with a double axe from the apron but sets too early on a backdrop in the ring and Hawk gets his sweet looking neckbreaker. He drops a fist, but Rick makes the save. Animal back in and this time he hits the leaping shoulder block. Rick catches him with a clothesline from the apron though as he made a blind tag. He hooks a reverse chinlock and throws forearms for good measure. Hawk in just to boot him in the head. Cool! Scott with the tag and hits an overhead belly-to-belly, but Saggs tagged himself in and he decks Scott from behind. We get clubbering in the corner, but not the same without Dusty on commentary. They celebrate which lets Rick tag in and he drops Knobbs with a clothesline. This is the good kind of chaos as everyone starts hitting everyone on the floor and the crowd loves it. Patrick gets things under control and we get to Animal and Rick back in the ring. He makes the mistake of send Animal into his corner and Hawk makes the tag. Running shoulder tackle and he hooks a chinlock. Boo! There’s four other guys on the apron. Tag one! Scott and Animal each get the tag as this has slowed down a little. Test of strength but they get too close to the Nasty Boys and Knobbs makes a tag. Scott with a clothesline, but Knobbs back with a suplex for two. Both Rick and Animal make the save. Cute! Saggs in and he catches Rick with a backbreaker for a two count. Knobbs back in with a clothesline but The LOD break up the pin and we start brawling again. Hawk gets run into the post as The Steiners double team Knobbs in the ring. We take a break with Scott having Knobbs in a camel clutch. We get pyro as we head to a break at 9:20.
-70 seconds of Peacock commercials!
-Back at 10:35 with Animal and Rick hitting each other with a clothesline. Hawk and Saggs in and Hawk stares him down after taking some punches. Powerslam from Hawk and a chop! Knobbs in and he catches Hawk with a boot to the face and a clothesline. Rick makes the save. Mongo wants to see partner get stuck facing each other and we saw how Hall and Nash handled that later in the year. Knobbs with a bulldog, but Rick makes the save and tags himself back in. Belly-to-back suplex on Knobbs. Scott and Saggs in and Saggs gets a shoulder tackle followed by an elbow. He tags out to Animal and Rick is back in as well. Sorry, Knobbs is in and gets a slam on Rick. He heads up, but Rick tries a suplex. LOD make the save and both Rick and Knobbs fall to the floor. We miss something in the ring, but Animal covers Scott. Hey, shoot the ring please! Someone gets dumped to the floor and here’s the Public Enemy to hit Knobbs with a chair to the throat. Johnny Grunge is actually dressed and looks close enough to Knobbs that he rolls into the ring and Scott covers him for the pin at 13:52. That’s actually a heck of job by Grunge to look close enough to Knobbs to fool people.
Winners: The Steiner Brothers via pin at 13:52
-This was a fun match and they got the idea of the gimmick pretty early with the blind tags and constant breaking up of pins. Some will hate the ending, but I appreciate the effort Grunge took into looking as much like Knobbs as possible. ***1/4
-Saturday Night: Luger defends TV Title against The Giant, Savage in action, Flair vs. Booty Man!
Kevin Sullivan and Arn Anderson (w/ Miss Elizabeth and Woman) vs. Hulk Hogan and The Booty Man (w/ The Booty Babe)
-Liz in leather! Respectfully, I note that! Much like I thought Pillman was gone after SuperBrawl, I don’t know why I thought Hogan basically disappeared after Uncensored until he showed up at Bash at The Beach. Heenan informs us that tonight is his last night on Nitro as he is retiring from broadcasting and wrestling. What? I’m amazed at how much this show surprises me. I guess that can happen with a nearly 30 year old show. Booty Man dominates Arn to start, so Arn pulls him to the floor and grinds his face on the mat in front of The Booty Girl. Hogan with a clothesline out there as Hogan calls him a “sneak.” Again, Heenan knew all the time. He told us so! Back in the ring Sullivan tries to go up, but Booty man slams him down. Knee-lift sends Sullivan to the floor and Arn gets decked as well. Sullivan goes to the eyes and brings Arn back into the ring. Arn wants Hogan and I just noticed Hogan is wearing long tights. Either this was the first time or I didn’t notice previously? Arn lands an elbow in the corner, but Hogan switches up the arsenal and hits a stun-gun. TAKE THAT STUNNING STEVE! Arn in to break up the pin, but Hogan moves and Arn takes an elbow. Booty Man back in and he beats up Arn and Kevin by himself. I know they needed people to feed to Hogan and friends, but Hogan dominating is one thing. Booty Man is something different. Sullivan finally takes control and Woman goes to the eyes as well for good measure. Sullivan with a clothesline and he suckers Hogan into the ring so they can dump Booty Man over the top. Arn sends him back in and gets the tag. He stomps away and gets a catapult under the bottom rope. Heenan questions what happens if Hogan and Sullivan are picked as partners in Lethal Lottery. Yeah, Hogan’s not working that show! Speaking of Hogan, hot tag to him and he runs wild. Boot to Arn! Boot to Sullivan and you can hear some boos. Liz hands her heel to Sullivan, but Booty Man gets one from Booty Girl and it’s dueling pumps, but Hogan’s is the higher power and he clocks Sullivan for the pin at 7:47.
Winners: Hulk Hogan and The Booty Man via pin at 7:47
-Blah match! Crowd wasn’t into it and Arn and Sullivan looked like bumbling idiots. *
-Arn and Sullivan attack Booty Man after the match as this will continue. Gene is in the ring to interview Temu Mega Powers and the crowd is booing Hogan. He notes Sullivan and Arn always get the last laugh. I mean, they keep losing. Booty Man wants another tag match and has some secret stipulation to end this once and for all, but he can’t tell us yet. Booty Man keeps singing about satisfaction. Yeah, this promo is pretty much the low point (so far I guess) of this Hogan vs. the World run on Nitro.
-Note, no show next week as I assume NBA playoffs, but we are in the streaming era so we can jump ahead and next week I will have my review of the April 15th show. We are getting close!
WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Ric Flair (c) (w/ Woman and Miss Elizabeth) vs. Lex Luger
-Luger is half of the Tag Champions and TV Champ, so he is looking to win a third Championship. Flair stops and stares at a blonde woman in the crowd and it’s Mongo’s wife, Debra. Yes, we know is going somewhere. Also, I just realized the whole deal with Heenan, but I won’t spoil it. Bad part is I should have figured it out the second he said it. These two have had a million matches together, so this should be easy for them. Luger is getting closer and closer to the full face turn which is a shame. Flair gets bounced around early and Luger flexes. Woman is trying to talk to Liz, but can’t keep a straight face and breaks laughing. That’s funny! Lex with a Gorilla Press Slam and again, we have seen that a million times, but it’s still fun. Flair sells it like death and rolls to the floor where Liz and Woman are waiting. Don’t blame him! Flair is careful back in the ring, but gets caught with another Gorilla Press Slam! Flair backs up in the corner and gets in a boot to the gut. He is feeling better about himself now and fires off right hands. He tries an whip out of the corner, but Lex is too strong still. Lex charges into an elbow and Flair struts as the crowd cheers. Flair heads up top, and you know. Clothesline by Luger and another sends Flair back to the floor. He throws a tantrum and starts to walk to the back. Flair getting frustrated is fun but you know he is thinking. Back in the ring Flair drops to his knees and begs off and then gets a thumb to the eyes. Chops and Luger’s chest should be used to those at this point and sure enough he fires back with right hands. Gorilla Press Slam and this time he drops Flair throat first on the top rope. Clothesline to the chest and back as Flair is getting smoked! Luger flexes at the two ladies to back them up the aisle. He should have stayed on Flair as when he comes back, Flair hits a knee to knock Lex off the apron and into the railing. Woman gets in a rake to the eyes for good measure. Well, Lex flexed at her, so he kind of deserved it. Flair takes the ref and Woman goes to the eyes again. Heenan notes it’s technically one on one as it’s Woman vs. Luger at that moment. Fair point! Flair gets the figure-four and Lex nearly gets counted down. Lex powers up though and flexes before turning the hold over. Flair is able to break and he sends Luger to the floor. Flair sends Luger into the railing, but that does nothing and Luger rebounds with a clothesline. Sunset flip and the ref kicks Flair’s hand away from the ropes. It gets two. Backslide gets two! Whip to the corner and Flair runs the apron and gets caught coming off the top. Luger puts him back up there and gets a superplex which looked and sounded spectacular. Powerslam, and The Rack, but Woman throws coffee in Lex’s face and Flair gets a roll-up with his feet on the ropes for the pin at 10:54.
Winner and Still WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Ric Flair via pin at 10:54
-It’s Flair vs. Luger and they know how to work their formula to have a good match. Flair using the ropes after his opponent had “hot coffee” thrown in his eyes is a nice touch as well. ***
-Heenan shakes hands with Mongo and Eric and then notes it’s April Fool’s Day! You know, when I typed the date of the show I was wondering if they would do something with that and of course, Heenan would be the one and I should have know. He broke out a April Fool’s joke at one of the Hall of Fame ceremonies one year as well.
-Thanks for reading!
