wrestling / Video Reviews
Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 10.16.95
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Again, I look forward to this show every week and I am tempted to do two shows a week, but I will keep the pace. I have decided I want to do Halloween Havoc 95 as well and will try to find some time. As I write this I am about to do WrestleMania VI next and will tackle Havoc after that show. 1991 doesn’t have a lot of SNME or Clashes, so I can squeeze in Havoc 95. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Mongo, and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
-Civic Center, Albany, NY
-Eric welcomes us to the show and throws to WCW Pro where Ric Flair got some kids to paint their face as he asks Sting again to be his partner. Sting agrees, but doesn’t trust Flair and tells him he will leave him for dead if he swerves him. Deep down Sting knew what was coming, and much like Batman needs his Joker, Sting needed his Flair, but we will get there soon enough.
WCW World Television Title: Diamond Dallas Page (c) (w/ Kimberly) vs. Johnny B. Badd
-There is a backstory to this one as DDP cost Badd a shot at the TV Title by flattening the tires on his car and Badd decked Page on Saturday Night. Eric notes not matter what happens here, they will face each other at Halloween Havoc. That explains what happens here as Page blasts Badd with the TV Title before the match, knocking him out which results in a DQ.
Winner: Johnny B. Badd via DQ
-Just build for their actual PPV match though promising a Title Match and not delivering isn’t cool.
-Halloween Havoc commercial!
Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit
-This is Benoit’s debut, well kind of, as he did appear in some matches for WCW in 92 and 93. This is his return after the ECW run and thanks to WCW’s partnership with New Japan. Smartly, they debut him against Eddie. And yes, this match obviously is sad and kind of creepy to watch, but here we are. Lockup to start and it should be noted Benoit is rocking his blue tights with the star on the ass. Eddie runs Benoit down with a shoulder and after some counters, Eddie gets a wrist-lock to the mat. Eddie sends Chris to the floor with a head scissors and does a fake-out like Rey would do. He then comes off the top with a cross-body to the floor. Benoit avoids a suplex back in the ring and then HITS A BELLY TO BACK OVER THE TOP! Benoit went out with Eddie and gets sent into the post. Eddie lands a shot to the back of the head, but his arm catches the post as well. Back in the ring Benoit with another belly to back suplex with some STANK on it. Benoit sends Eddie shoulder first into the corner and then hits a dropkick on the damaged arm. Hammerlock Suplex from Benoit! Nasty! He delivers a chops that knocks Eddie down. Eddie gets an arm-drag out of nowhere and plants Benoit with a Tornado DDT for two as Benoit got his foot on the bottom rope. Benoit back with some chops and then he yells at Eddie. More chops and they are loud! Eddie responds, so Benoit chops him harder. Hard slam from Benoit and then into a wrist-lock as he continues to work the arm. Eddie uses the ropes to get a head scissors for a two count. SWEET TEARDROP SUPLEX from Eddie! They are hitting each other really hard here. Eddie with a brainbuster and that had STANK on it as well. Frog Splash, but Benoit gets the knees up. He POWERBOMBS THE PISS OUT OF EDDIE as his head just BOUNCED off the mat. Good gracious! He goes for another, but Eddie slides out. Eddie makes the mistake of punching with the bad hand and that let’s Benoit finish with a Dragon Suplex at 8:37.
Winner: Chris Benoit via pin at 8:37
-It’s Eddie vs. Benoit! You know it’s going to be good to great and this was no different. They just hit each other hard with each move and then seemed to want to top each other. Best match in the show’s history up to this point. ***1/2
-Mean Gene is in the ring and plugs The Hotline while mentioning the WWF. He has the news on a certain WWF star getting into a fight in a parking lot with a fan. This was right around the time Shawn Michaels got his ass beat by some Marines in Syracuse. Gene brings out Kevin Sullivan and The Giant. The crowd is distracted as Sullivan talks about Hogan wearing black and having an evil side. We get a replay of Sullivan shaving off Hogan’s mustache as he talks about The Hulk-a-maniacs becoming The Children of The Dungeon Doom. Giants cuts a promo and throws in a brother and “let met tell you something.” I see what he did there!
-WCW Saturday Night: Duggan vs. Wallstreet; Disco vs. Wright; Savage vs. Morrus; Plus Hulk Hogan!
-Disco Inferno continues his running gag interrupting the show, but he bails quickly as Meng is out for his match. Smart man!
”Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Meng
-This could have been the Main Event of a C WWF House Show in the 80s. Meng attacks before the bell, so they just start trading right hands. Meng slugs Duggan down and chokes him on the middle rope. Whip to the corner, but Meng misses a charge and then misses an elbow. Meng tries a cross-body from the middle ropes, but Duggan ducks. He fires off right hands and gets a clothesline toknock Meng off his feet. Slam from Duggan, but Meng is up quickly and hits a superkick. He puts his thumb in Duggan’s throat for the submission at 1:53.
Winner: Meng via submission at 1:53
-Meng has a match with Luger at Halloween Havoc, so having his run through Duggan was a smart choice. Match was okay as it was short and accomplished what it needed. *
-Hulk Hogan is backstage with Jimmy Hart and they are both dressed in black. Even Hogan’s wall graphic is black and gray. We are still talking about Giant being Andre’s son. Hogan references Mania III and the 94,000 in attendance. Hogan tells Jimmy to stay out of the match. I’m sure he will be fine. Hogan promises to bury The Giant in Detroit next to his father. Well, Andre was cremated and his ashes spread in North Carolina. No clue where Giant’s dad is buried. The Big Boss Man would know though!
-Halloween Havoc commercial! SUMO TRUCKS!
Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman vs. Ric Flair and Sting
-Ric Flair is out by himself to continue to tease the idea that Sting and Flair can’t work together. Pillman starts with Flair and they get into a chop-fest and Flair wins that one. He chops Flair off the apron for good measure and starts strutting as the crowd pops. Pillman goes flying off the apron into the railing and Flair struts some more. The crowd chants for Sting and Arn wants to know where he is as well. Arn and Flair have a go and more chops in the corner. Ric sets too early on a backdrop and Arn knocks him down. He tries for a knee drop, but Flair catches the knee and gets a figure-four. Pillman tries to come off the top with a splash, but Flair avoids and then puts Pillman in the figure-four. Arn breaks that up and sends Flair to the corner where he flips over and runs down the apron to hit Pillman with another chop. Awesome! More strutting, but Pillman lands a shot from the apron and Arn hits a spinebuster. Sting is finally here at 3:45 and eats an elbow on the apron from Pillman. Flair and Pillman go back to their chop war and Pillman hangs a bit more this time. Flair grabs the top rope to avoid a dropkick and the race is on to get a tag. The crowd is rocking and explodes as Sting gets the hot tag. Punches for everyone! Pillman gets tossed in the air and lands on his face. Arn eats a face-plant. Stinger Splash to Arn! Stinger Splash to Pillman! Stinger Splash to Arn! Stinger Splash to Pillman! This is fire! Clothesline for Arn and one for Pillman as well. A clothesline sends Arn to the floor and Pillman gets tossed off the top rope and lands balls first on the ropes. Sting and Flair bond as Arn and Pillman gets counted out at 7:02.
Winners: Sting and Ric Flair via count-out at 7:02
-Fun stuff here! Pillman and Arn got mauled, but it was pretty cool seeing Flair and then Sting lay waste to two people and the crowd loved it. The ending protected Arn and Pillman a bit. I also like that Flair and Sting didn’t really act like a team. Flair did his thing and made one tag to Sting, who handled everything from there by himself. ***
-Mean Gene is in the ring to talk to Sting and Flair. Sting says he was watching in the back to make sure he could trust Flair. He saw that Ric has a lot of guts and showed some heart tonight. Sting says tonight is a warm-up and they will destroy Arn and Pillman. They high-five and Flair wants the crowd to cheer for The Stinger. This great! Heenan: “I am going to be nauseous.”
-Next Week: Sting/Luger vs. Harlem Heat; Benoit/Malenko vs. Wright/Eddie!
-Thanks for reading!
