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Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro: 11.4.96
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 3.6.26
-Run Time: 1:40:04
-Plug: Starrcade 93
-Announce Team: Tony and Larry (Hour One), Tony, The Brain, and Tenay (Hour Two)
-Grand Rapids, MI
-Sting is in the rafters and is much more Crow like. Larry compares him to The Phantom of the Opera, which I appreciate. Long live The Opera Ghost!
-Larry and Tony are actually at the announcer’s area instead of ringside, which is a change. They have the new WCW Women’s Championship Belt with them as tonight starts a tournament to crown a Champion. Larry talks about manipulation and how people don’t mind paying $1.30 a gallon for gas now (for anyone young reading, yes, you heard that right). Eric is away trying to get Piper to sign with WCW to face Hulk Hogan.
-We see a snippet of the the Piper/Hogan verbal exchange at Halloween Havoc again. Apparently, fans have been writing in and calling the WCW offices to get Piper vs. Hogan.
-Sting is still hanging out in the rafters! He then leaves as Brad Armstrong makes his entrance. Poor Brad!
Brad Armstrong vs. Marcus Bagwell (w/ Scotty Riggs)
-I know Tony is being ordered to hype the idea of Piper vs Hogan, but to call them the two biggest stars of the last decade is only half true. That’s also quite a slap in the face to Flair. Brad controls with a side headlock, but Bagwell counters with a head scissors. Brad escapes and you can see Bagwelll is a little more aggressive and annoyed, which is hinting at things to come. Bagwell gets a running shoulder tackle and we get another lockup. Headlock and Bagwell goes back to the head scissors. Brad turns to finds a way to escape but Bagwell takes him back down with a side headlock. Brad rolls back for a one count. The crowd is preoccupied with The Giant and Dibiase in the crowd, so we get an “nWo” chant. They throw to a break, but as always, I have no commercials with this stream.
-Back with Bagwell hitting a GREAT SLAP to the face. That got the crowd into the match and has Brad fired up as he attacks and sends Bagwell to the floor. Baseball slide from Brad. Bagwell regroups and slings back in with a shoulder tackle. Bagwell sends Brad to the floor and leads the crowd in the American Males clap. Slingshot plancha and it looks like it knocked the wing out Armstrong. The nWo leave, so the fans can focus on the match. Tornado DDT from Brad for a two count. Brad misses a charge in the corner. Bagwell with a clothesline to the top of the head. Brad fights back, but misses a clothesline and Bagwell hits a cross-body for the pin at 7:06.
Winner: Marcus Bagwell via pin at 7:06
-The crowd was rocking the entire match and credit to both men for getting them into the match. The subtle attitude change by Bagwell is pretty great and much needed at this point in his career. We will get there soon though. This was fun and they put in the work. ***
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Ice Train (w/ Teddy Long)
-Nick Patrick is the ref because Teddy Long is out as a manager again. The Outsiders are in the crowd as they are starting their recruitment of DDP. This crowd is great! Hall and Nash are just having a blast with the fans. Poor Train and DDP have to compete with that. It’s quite a scene to have the majority of the crowd looking away from the match for the opening 80 seconds. They leave though, so the fans can get back to the guys wrestling in the ring. Train slugs DDP down, but gets dropped throat first on the top rope. Page comes off the top with a clothesline to a big pop. The boos and cheers are mixed for Page, but it’s getting closer to being more cheers than boos. Long is already bitching at Patrick and you would think he would have learned his lesson by now. Sunset flip from Train gets a one count. Page back with a clothesline for a two count. Flapjack gets a two count. Page with a spinning neck breaker for a two count, but Train kicks out with so much power, Page lands on Patrick. Train starts STEAMING UP and hits a suplex. Again, this crowd is great as they are just popping for everything. Powerslam from Train gets two! Train just hits Page with an ass bomb and then a splash for two. Leaping clothesline and another clothesline sends Page to the floor. The Outsiders hit the ring and beat the crap out of Train, while Patrick is out with Page. Train seems fine though as he yells at The Outsiders. Page sneaks in and Diamond Cutter finishes at 6:37.
Winner: Diamond Dallas Page via pin at 6:37
-Another fun match thanks to the crowd popping for everything. **1/2
WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Dean Malenko (c) vs. Scotty Riggs (w/ Marcus Bagwell)
-Scotty is a CW? Tony notes whoever wins, faces Rey on Saturday Night, so I guess that means this is a Title Match. I am still baffled that they are passing Riggs off as a CW. Larry says he dropped some pounds and just made the weight. Dean works a hammerlock, but Scotty escapes and gets a shoulder tackle for two. Another one gets two again. Backslide gets two. It’s a night of cameos as Syxx is in the crowd next and there goes the crowd’s attention again. Syxx actually comes closer to the ring and has nWo workers carrying signs. Dean with a running clothesline in the corner. Riggs blocks another one with a boot and gets a backdrop followed by a dropkick. Slingshot plancha from Riggs, but Bagwell’s looked better. Scotty up top and comes off with a double ax for two. Scott up again, but Dean hits the ropes and Scotty takes a nasty bump to the apron and then floor. Bagwell shoves Scotty back into the ring and Dean gets an Oklahoma Roll for the pin at 3:20.
Winner and Still WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Dean Malenko via pin at 3:20
-Short match with the attention on Syxx and then Bagwell inching towards his heel turn. Still can’t believe they put Riggs out there as a CW. *
Hector Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (w/ Woman)
-Hector Guerrero in 1996! Hector is the older brother of Eddie and Larry jokes you can always find another Guerrero. Insert promo from Kevin Sullivan as they promote a house show match in Baltimore. I miss the days of them selling house show matches on TV. In this case it was in reference to their classic GAB 96 match where they fought into a bathroom in Baltimore. Hector flies early as he takes Benoit to the floor with a head scissors and then hits a SPECTACULAR move where he springs off the bottom rope, but holds the top and just falls onto Benoit on the floor with a cross-body. That was fantastic! Hector work the bad arm (Benoit is still bandaged from Havoc) in impressive fashion. Tony hypes the idea that Sting could be in in the World War 3 Battle Royal. Oh, we got a little bit of a wait before we see Sting in the ring again. They throw to a commercial break with Hector still working on the arm.
-The following announcement has been paid for by the New World Order.
-Buy the shirt!
-The preceding announcing was paid for by the New World Order.
-Back with Benoit hanging Hector gut first on the top rope with a release suplex. Benoit throws Hector in the air and catches him with a gut-buster on the way down. Head-butt to the stomach and now here comes the chops from Benoit. Abdominal stretch from Benoit but Hector is able to force a break. Another gut-buster from Benoit gets two. We have less than a minute before Hour Two begins. Larry will be waiting by the phone for Eric’s call so he can scoop Tony. Clothesline gets two for Benoit.
-Hour Two PYRO! Larry out and that means The Brain and Tenay join Tony.
-Backdrop, but Hector gets a sunset flip for two. Tombstone is countered into a small package for two. They start trading blows and this has been wonderful. Benoit uses the trunks to pull Hector into the top buckle. The crowd is distracted and it’s because The Giant is back in the crowd (though not shown until the match ends). Hector throws body blows as Benoit is stuck in the corner and then he bounces him on the ropes with his feet. He rolls Benoit around the ring and gets a two count in a fun spot. Woman goes to the eyes and that lets Benoit gets a roll-up for the pin at 9:44.
Winner: Chris Benoit via pin at 9:44
-Enjoyed this match, but I hated the wonky ending. Hector was crushing it here and I kind of want to see more of him out there. ***
-Last week The Giant cut a promo on Jeff Jarrett and The 4 Horsemen.
-Mikey Tenay interviews Benoit, Mongo, and Jeff Jarrett. Benoit and Mongo seem annoyed that Jarrett is sitting at the table like his a Horseman. They leave, so Tenay continues the interview with Jarrett. He wants WCW to unite and we see Sting back in the crowd as the cameos are bleeding into promos now. Jarrett takes shots at The Nasty Boys, and Piper. He then calls Sting out for fumbling the ball and that’s not going to end well for him.
-Lee Marshall is On The Road with 1-800-Collect at St. Petersburg, FL
WCW Women’s Championship Tournament: 1st Round: Reina Jubuki vs. Madusa
-Jubuki is Akira Hokuto under a mask and she actually wrestles as Hokuto later in this tournament. Jubuki attacks at the bell and boots Madusa down. Hokuto used the Jubuki deal in CMLL, so it’s not like they just made up a masked character to fill out the bracket, but still weird they had her work as two different people. Zero is down to watch as we have yet another cameo. Madusa with a series of Sling Blades and gets a two count. Sonny is with Zero and makes fun of Madusa for being full of peroxide and plastic. Winner of this gets the winner of Zero and Hosaka. Madusa brings Kabuki down with a head scissors, but misses a missile dropkick. Jubuki hits a suplex and then a missile dropkick for two. Madusa slides out of a slam and hits the bridging German Suplex for the pin at 3:15.
Winner: Madusa via pin at 3:15
-It was a three minute match but they crammed as much as they could into it and the crowd was invested, so it’s a win. **
-Here is the bracket for the Tournament: Madusa vs. Kabuki; Hosaka vs. Zero; Sonoko Kato vs. Kaoru; Meiko Satomura vs. Akira Hokuto
M. Wallstreet vs. Chris Jericho
-Eighteen years later and Jericho has a feud against Wallstreet’s son. Wrestling is full of moments like that and I always enjoy thinking about them. Jericho controls early with a side headlock. Wallstreet drops down on a tackle and uses Jericho’s momentum to send him hurling through the ropes and to the floor. Jericho delivers a shoulder between the ropes and slings in for a sunset flip that gets two. Standard Wallstreet spot as he works an abdominal stretch and uses the ropes behind the ref’s back. The crowd get into it as they tattle to the ref. Classic pro-wrestling! Wallstreet gets caught so releases the hold and then drops an elbow for a two count. Jericho fights back and runs Wallstreet head first into the top buckle. He drops Wallstreet throat first on the top rope and then comes off the top with a missile dropkick. Wallstreet rolls to the floor to buy some time and Jericho stupidly follows. Wallstreet pulls him by the tights and runs him into the he post. Back in the ring Jericho gets a small package out of nowhere for the pin at 6:50.
Winner: Chris Jericho via pin at 6:50
-This one was kind of BLAH as the crowd wasn’t as into this one as other matches on the show. Jericho getting the win was the right call, but it came off as kind of a fluke. *1/2
-Nick Patrick and his lawyer are out with Tenay. Jericho interrupts and claims Patrick is faking the injury and working for the nWo. The lawyer gets witty as he notes Jericho’s walls are tumbling down and brings up Jericho’s dad being a hockey good. Teddy Long is out and he calls Patrick a PLAYER HATER. BURN! Vincent and Ted Dibiase are watching from the crowd as the cameos continue. The lawyer brings up that Teddy Long was a former ref in WCW that was suspended and Teddy can’t speak. I am kind of on the lawyer’s side here.
-Last week Sting watched from the crowd and Luger left a match to go talk to him, but Sting walked and Luger was counted out.
Booker T. (W/ Sister Sherri) vs. Lex Luger
-Rematch from last week as we just saw Booker got the win thanks to Luger walking out to confront Sting. Will we get another Sting cameo? Insert promo from Luger and he doesn’t know where Sting is coming from these days. He wants one minute of Sting’s time and hopes the nWo recruitment is falling on deaf ears. Heenan is sure Sting is part of the nWo because he is wearing black and white. Tony notes they fell for that before, and you fall for it again. Luger with a suplex and he lands a back elbow that sends Booker to the floor. That sends us to a break at 1:48.
-Back with Booker trying a suplex, but Luger elbows his way out. Whip to the corner and Luger gets a powerslam to a nice pop. It gets two! Booker reverses a whip and gets a stun-gun. Ax kick from Booker! Luger gets dumped to the floor and Sherri lays in a kick. Booker out and he runs Luger back first into the post. Heenan tells us not to change that dial. I am old and understand what he means, but man, if my son was watching this he would be lost. Side Kick misses and Booker ends up crotched on the top rope. Luger bounces him around as Heenan makes a K-Mart reference. I miss K-Mart and I really miss Hill’s Department Store. Best place for Christmas as a kid! Booker blocks a Rack attempt and catches Luger with the side kick in the corner. Parker is out to prove his love to Sherri. Booker lands a head kick and for some reason Parker is on the apron. Booker goozles him, but Luger gets a roll-up for the pin at 5:56.
Winner: Lex Luger via pin at 5:56
-Kind of similar to the last match, but with more star power, so the crowd was more engaged. *3/4
-Sting is watching from the rafters again!
-We head to the announce desk and they have Eric Bischoff by phone. We get his photo over a map of Portland. He says things are going well with Piper, but there is no match signed yet. Eric is blaming things on Piper’s agents and lawyers. The crowd boos that! Eric says there is no one thing and Piper is all for it, but his managers aren’t having it. He announces he will fly to Toronto next Tuesday to meet with Piper on the set of his newest movie. Heenan thinks Hogan will use this as a chance to say Piper is afraid of him.
-We go back to Halloween Havoc and get the entire Hogan/Piper confrontation that closed the show. Check out my review if you haven’t already or ready for a second, third, or fourth time.
-Back to the arena and Hulk Hogan makes his way out. He is joined by The Giant, Vincent, and Ted Dibiase. Hogan wants to get nominated for a Cable Ace Award because he is the reason Nitro is the hottest show in the company. He promises to crash the show and calls Ted Turner a chump. Ted probably laughed at being included in the promo. Hogan goes on about Piper as we continue to build to a match that fans are just hoping will happen.
-Thanks for reading!
