Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 2.10.97

-Written: 6.13.26
-Run Time: 1:14:14

-Since this show is in Jacksonville, I will put a little note by each person on this show that has popped up in AEW. If I miss any, please let me know as I am doing this on the fly.

-Announce Team: Hour One: Tony Schiavone (1) and Larry Zbyszko
-Jacksonville Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL

Dean Malenko vs. Eddie Guerrero

-Dean calls out Syxx before the match as he now knows that Syxx stole his Cruiserweight Title last week. Loud Eddie chant to start. Feeling out process to start with Eddie using his speed and high flying while Dean keeps looking to grab a hold. Dean has to break out a head scissors, but Eddie catches him with one of his own. Dean gets caught with a boot in the corner, but Eddie runs out into a powerslam for two. Backbreaker by Eddie as this crowd is popping for everything these two are doing. Guess you could call them an Elite crowd. Eddie actually hooks the first hold as he takes Dean to the mat with a reverse chinlock. Dean escapes and gets a whacky leg submission while also getting a two count as Eddie was stuck on his back. Eddie avoids a hip-toss, but Dean waits him out and gets a release German Suplex. Syxx is out as Dean and Eddie go through a pin fall reversal sequence. Syxx steals The US Title, but Eddie stops that and ends up getting counted out at 4:56.

Winner: Dean Malenko via count-out at 4:56
-This was basically the opening five minutes of a great match between the two but we got a dumb ending instead of the remaining 10-15 minutes. **

-DDP (3) is out with a chair and says he is tired of running and if something is going to happen, it needs to happen now. He is waiting for The Outsiders, but instead it’s Sting (4) and Randy Savage coming through the crowd. They circle DDP with a bat and kick the chair away from him. Sting shoves DDP back into the corner with a bat and fakes hitting him to see DDP’s reaction. The crowd is going crazy for all of this. Sting hands DDP the bat and he and Savage turn their back. DDP won’t swing, so they leave. Savage takes a little longer and takes the bat away from DDP.

Bobby Eaton vs. Konan (5)

-Konan with a dropkick at the bell. He hits a shotgun dropkick in the corner. A charge misses in the corner and Eaton fires away with right hands. The ref gets him back and Konan rolls out into a clothesline. He hits another one and plays to the crowd. Basement dropkick. Eaton lands a right hand and sends Konan into the corner. Double Leap Frog by Konan and nearly blows his knee out on the second one. Konan plants him with the 187 for the pin at 1:20.

Winner: Konan via pin at 1:18
-I don’t like seeing Eaton get SQUASHED, but here we are. SQUASH

-We go back a few weeks where Lex Luger was attacked by The Outsiders with lead pipes. Outsiders vs. Luger/Giant is official for SuperBrawl.

Ron Powers vs. Lex Luger

-Luger has a cast on his left hand and Eric Bischoff (6) comes down to cut off his entrance. Luger admits he has a broke hand, but he is wrestling tonight. Eric tells him this is not the NFL and he can’t let him wrestle hurt. Eric tells him he needs to get a release to wrestle and that includes being able to wrestle at SuperBrawl. Luger storms away and Eric gives a sleazy interview about being the strong one to protect his wrestlers and doesn’t see The Giant coming behind him. Funny stuff as Eric soaks in the cheers meant for The Giant. We have a replacement for Luger.

Ron Powers vs. The Giant (7)

-Sucks for Powers. I mean, he was toast either way, but the point remains. Giant with a chop, but misses a charge in the corner. Powers throws chops and strikes and doesn’t do anything. Clothesline from The Giant and the crowd goes crazy. I wonder how many in this crowd grew up to be sickos? Chokeslam finishes at 1:47.

Winner: The Giant via pin at 1:47
-Exactly what you would expect and what it needed to be. SQUASH

-Mike Tenay is out to interview The Giant. Where was Gene? Giant screams and isn’t concerned about a partner because he has one: Lex Luger. He notes Luger opened a door for him when nobody else would. A Forbidden Door? Giant has a question for Lex and Luger is out to answer. Giant wants to make sure Lex won’t let anything stop him from getting the Tag Titles. Luger and Giant bond!

-Hulk Hogan nWo style promo!

-Saturday Night 6:05 PM: Benoit, Eddie vs Konan, Jeff Jarrett and more!

-A limo arrives in the back and it’s the nWo. Bubba throws out a challenge to face DDP at SuperBrawl.

High Voltage vs. The Steiner Brothers

-In pre-taped interview, Rick tells The Outsiders to come to the dog pound and they will make them famous. Was Taker watching? Harlem Heat are watching from the ramp. Scott throws Rage over his head with a belly-to-belly super and follows with a Gorilla Press Slam. The Faces of Fear are out to watch as well. Kaos and Rick have a go as Public Enemy is watching as well. All four teams meet at SuperBrawl in the first every 4 Corners Match in WCW history. Rick hits a powerslam as Tony runs down more of the card for SuperBrawl. Scott back in and runs Kenny upside into the corner. Tree of Woe and he yanks on Kenny’s neck. Rage lands a cheap shot from the apron and gets the tag. Should have stayed on the apron as Scott gets an inverted atomic drop. Rick in with a Steiner-line for two. Rage with a slam and goes for a springboard flip but Rick hits a powerbomb out of it. Cool! Kenny dumped to the floor and The Top Rope Bulldog gets the pin at 4:30.

Winner: The Steiners Brothers via pin at 4:30
-Just a match to give The Steiners another win. I was hoping for more of a SQUASH. Crowd was into it as they have been great all night so far. *1/2

-The Outsiders, Syxx, Eric Bischoff, and Nick Patrick are out and run Larry and Tony away from the announce position. Hall and Larry continuing to annoy each other is fun. Nash notes he looks like Vince Neil and Eric does a great double take as he says he was worried he was going to say a different Vince. Randy Anderson is out with his wife and kids to beg for his job back. Eric uses it as a chance to be an even bigger dick as he tells the kids to to let their dad know that he is still fired. That’s brutal! Hall and Nash laugh and make jokes. Randy begs some more and Eric relents and says Randy can face Nick Patrick next week and if he wins he can have his job back. His wife tells him no. Hall: “You know who wears the pants in that family.” Randy: “I wrestled cancer and I will wrestle him.” WCW was really into heels embarrassing people in front of their kids.

The Outsiders (w/ Syxx) vs. The Extreme

-Eric notes The Extreme are a tough team from Stamford, CT. So this is a shot at ECW And WWF. The Extreme get Austin’s old music, so that’s three different targets. Eric has Larry join him on commentary as he doesn’t want to be a solo announcer. The Outsiders attack The Extreme from behind in the aisle. Just a slaughter as Hall hits a SOS Slam. Chokeslam from Hall and Nash with a Torture Rack (the wrong way) and we get two bells. One at 1:18 for submission and one at 1:21 for a pin.

Winners: The Outsiders via pin at 1:18 or 1:21
-Yep! SQUASH

-Syxx interviews The Outsiders after the match and credits them for having a 4 star classic tonight. I’ve heard star ratings are inflated in Jacksonville. Hall notes Nash is also seven foot tall and stopped at the cool height unlike The Giant. Can you teach that?

-Hour Two Pyro!

-Announce Team: Hour Two: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

WCW World Television Title: Lord Steven Regal (8) (c) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

-Rey doesn’t count for my AEW total as that was All In before AEW was founded. Regal stalls to start as he yells at the fans getting on his case. The announce table takes the time to walk about Hogan and Piper. Lockup at 1:10 and Regal gets wrist control. Rey counters, so Regal rolls and kips up into a reversal and takes Rey to the mat. Rey goes to counter, but Regal picks him up and hits a backbreaker. No wonder people love wresting Rey as everyone can look like a giant throwing him around the ring. Arm-drag by Regal, but Rey counters with a head scissors. Regal back to the arm and Rey counters to a side headlock. Rey ends up on the apron and springs off the ropes with a missiles dropkick. Regal’s reaction is priceless! He slows things down and lands a palm strike to the face. Euro uppercut and Regal flexes to the fans, who have been all over him during the match. He steps on Rey’s face and tells a fan that’s for him. Snapmare as he sends Rey flying across the ring. He grinds his foot on Rey’s head and lands another strikes. Regal drops to his knees and mocks Rey. Regal is feeling it tonight. Choke by Regal, but Rey escapes and sends Regal to the floor. Regal drops Rey throat first on the top rope and hits a forearm to the face. He poses some more and misses a clothesline. Head scissors from Rey. Suplex gets two. Regal with a roll-up for two. Rey with a Victory Roll for two as a bell sounds, but I guess that was inadvertent. A few second later the bell sounds as Rey gets another roll-up and that’s a time limit draw at 6:50. Not even close to the 10 minute time limit.

Time Limit Draw at 6:50
-I was enjoying this until the broken timer got in the way. Regal was having fun out there and was the star of the match. Had they given them the full 15 or even 10 minutes this would have been really good. **1/2

-Lee Marshall is on The Road with 1-800-Collect in Tampa, FL. I assume Hogan will be on that show since it’s his home. Man, I am old as Lee makes a joke about Tampa’s new baseball team being called the Devil Rays instead of the Weasels.

Kevin Sullivan (w/ Jimmy Hart and Miss Jaqueline) vs. Maverick Wild

-Wild actually gets an entrance and music. That’s the high point for him as he gets mauled by Sullivan and then Jackie beats the crap out of him on the floor. She hits a stiff clothesline that pops Heenan and the crowd. “She’s tougher than The Taskmaster.” Funny enough, WCW using Jackie to beat up the me predated Chyna showing up in the WWF by a few weeks. Back to the floor and Jackie beats him up some more and hits a slam. Again, the crowd is going crazy for Jackie. Sullivan hits the running knee in the Tree of Woe and the double stomp finishes at 2:12. Doing some digging, this was Wild’s only WCW match, but he had four matches in WWF in 1993. He then had 1 match in ROH in 2002.

Winner: Kevin Sullivan via pin at 2:12
-Entertaining SQUASH. Jackie looked like a million bucks and the crowd loved her. SQUASH

-Tenay is with Sullivan, who cuts an insider promo on Nancy and Benoit. He even yells that nobody better wrap him up. He tells Jimmy there’s no Taskmaster tonight as it’s Kevin. Again, SHOOTING!

-We see the entire Hogan/Piper segment for last week. Still awesome, but not sure why they had to show the entire thing again.

Alex Wright vs. Hugh Morrus

-Wright ducks under and tells Morrus to bring it. Morrus misses a forearm in the corner and Wright gets a roll-up for two. Morrus out of the other corner with a running lariat. Wright hits a spinning heel kick and then comes off the top to the floor with a splash. He throws uppercuts and sends Morrus back into the ring. Good aggression here from Wright. Morrus puts the brakes on to avoid a charge. Wright heads up top, but slips off and the fans boo him. Morrus hits a powerbomb and No Laughing Matter finishes at 2:26.

Winner: Hugh Morrus via pin at 2:26
-Two guys they seem to want to push, but just let them get so far. I guess Morrus is viewed as the bigger deal since he is part of The Dungeon. Wright showed good aggression here eve with the slip off the ropes. *

Chavo Guerrero Jr (9) and Jeff Jarrett (10) vs. Chris Benoit (w/ Woman) and Mongo (w/ Debra)

-Weird team with JJ and Chavo. Benoit and Chavo in the same ring is uncomfortable knowing the text message sent many years later and what that all meant. Chavo starts fast with a series of dropkicks and works well with JJ as he gets a leg trip and Jarrett drops an elbow. JJ sends Benoit into the corner and hits a belly-to-back suplex. He struts and the crowd boos him out of the building. Mongo catches JJ with a knee from the apron and the crowd roars. Mongo in and hits a powerslam for two. Benoit back in and Jarrett hits a dropkick and crawls to make the tag to Chavo. He runs wild on Benoit and Mongo. Dropkicks everywhere as Chavo is spamming the move. Chavo off the ropes with a moonsault press to Benoit for two. Debra won’t leave JJ alone as she suspects his gear. That leaves Chavo by himself and Mongo hits a Tombstone for the pin at 4:05.

Winner: Chris Benoit and Mongo via pin at 4:05
-Chavo looked the best out of the four in the match. Even when the Horsemen made the comeback we didn’t see it as the camera was focused on Debra and JJ. The Horsemen drama with Jarrett would continue. *1/2

-Tenay heads down to the ring and does an interview with all The Horsemen as Flair and Arn are out as well. Arn cuts an Arn promo as he ties everything together though him telling Chris that all there’s left to do is “bury the body,” is icky. Flair plays better off Gene than Tenay, but it’s Flair so the crowd loves him and he hits the catchphrases and struts around the ring. Benoit gets real with Kevin and says he will play his head games. He seems to get a little lost. Mongo heels on the crowd as he calls the Jaguars and their fans “expansion wimps.” He then wants to know what Debra was doing as Jarrett doesn’t pay her charge cards. Debra really loves Mongo and just really wants JJ to be in the Horsemen. She was so upset, she didn’t even shop for a week. Mongo cuts a Hogan promo about the ground opening up and swallowing him, but he will steal beat JJ in San Francisco. There was a lot said here, but it was all over the place.

-Roddy Piper is out and Hulk Hogan is here via satellite (in Hollywood). Piper is pissed as he had to break his promise to his little boy. He plays unhinged rather well, but they makes gay jokes about Hogan and Eric being in San Francisco. Hogan brings up that Piper attacked him and the highest ranking official in WCW from behind last week. Piper couldn’t get it done last time (high quality gaslighting) and this time he won’t have his six kids to hide behind. Piper screams for Hogan to shut up and then makes a OJ Simpson reference and then a Rodman reference. Piper was all over the place here as well, but the crowd was fired up for him.

-Thanks for reading!

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

SQUASH matches and some rambling interview segments galore this week. We have a direction for many of the big matches for SuperBrawl at least and this show just kept things moving. Rey/Regal easily claims match of the week even with the super timer in effect. Not the best this week, but still pleases my wrestling soul. I got a final count of 10 people on this show that ended up in AEW at some point.