wrestling / Video Reviews
Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 3.10.97
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 7.9.26
-Run Time: 1:36:48
-Plug: Last Week on Nitro
-It’s the go home show for Uncensored and perhaps they will explain the rules of our three team Main Event.
-Announce Team: Hour One: Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko
-Club La Vela, Panama City Beach, FL
-We start with Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman backstage. That’s future WWE Hall of Famer, Dennis Rodman!
-Yes, this is a Club La Vela episode and it’s always a great visual. Something just awesome about a wrestling ring being surrounded by a swimming pool. Stuff like this is why we loved WCW. WWE really should take note as you have college football, basketball, NHL, MLB, and other pro sports leagues doing shows at unique settings.
-Roddy Piper and his family arrive in a white limo.
High Voltage vs. The Horsemen (Mongo and Jeff Jarrett) (w/ Debra)
-Tony talks about the media hinting Dennis Rodman will join the nWo. I mean, the dude was just partying with Hulk Hogan. This isn’t a mute Sting situation. They also plug Rodman’s new movie with Jean Claude Van Damme. Larry and Tony discuss the dangers of wrestling in a ring that is built on top of a pool. My church is in a former hotel and the sanctuary is built over the indoor pool that was filled. The college men in the crowd love Debra and start chanting for her. The Horsemen control this one early as JJ gets a swinging neckbreaker. The crowd is popping for everything and JJ and Mongo are eating up the attention. Mongo chant now. Kaos misses a charge in the corner, but Rage decks Jarrett from the apron. For some reason the ring posts are padded and have the logos of TNT and Playstation plastered on the padding. We Want Flair chant from the crowd and I can only imagine Flair in a spring break environment. Jarrett makes his comeback and takes out both members of High Voltage. Tony lets us know that if Piper’s team wins on Sunday, Piper gets a cage match with Hogan down the road. SPOILER: Piper’s team didn’t win, but he still ended up with the cage match. Mongo in and hits a Tombstone for the pin at 4:41.
Winner: The Horsemen via pin at 4:41
-Extended SQUASH, but it was energetic thanks to the crowd. The Horsemen needed a win like this. **
-Gene brings out Piper and his team and they are wearing kilts as a show of solidarity. Piper goes on a rant against Howard Stern and makes jokes about him having a small penis. He then goes after Dennis Rodman and then turns his attention to the WWF. It seems he is annoyed they took a shot at him by saying they had no “one hip” wrestlers in the WWF. He notes they have nobody hip in their promotion and the fans are watching WCW. He then notes he beat Goldust with one hip. SHOTS FIRED! Piper yells at the critics for taking shots at his family and he won’t abandon them. Well, we will see how long that lasts. Here come The Horsemen (minus Benoit) and Arn talks about how to deal with a burglar in your house. Sadly, he says you bash them in the head and doesn’t mention getting a gun. Piper wants to stay loyal to his family, but Flair interrupts and this is what the frat boys have been waiting to see. Flair sucks up to Piper and offers the services of The Horsemen for the PPV. Piper and Flair try to out crazy each other and Piper abandons his family and accepts the Horsemen offer. Everyone hugs and that’s as close as two of those guys ever got to a PPV Main Event. At least Tenta had his run with Hogan in 1990.
WCW World Television Title: Prince Iaukeau (c) vs. Squire David Taylor
-We see how The Prince beat Regal for the Title and then get prerecorded comments from Taylor. We get 40 seconds into the match and cut to the back as the hummer arrives and the nWo spills out. Liz smiling and looking happy, makes me happy. Hall says he knows the dishwasher so can get them in through the back. They soon realize someone has been knocked out and it’s Wallstreet. I think Nash questioned if it was from Beer Pong. We are back to the match at the 2:04 mark with Taylor sending Prince into the corner and hitting a shoulder tackle. Euro Uppercuts and they look like they just, Prince gets a roll-up for a one count, but Taylor counters back for his own one count. Slam, but Prince falls back and gets the pin at 2:47. Taylor can’t slam Iaukea? He’s not Andre.
Winner and Still WCW World Television Champion: Prince Iaukea via pin at 2:47
-We got 80 seconds of the match and half a quarter of that was stalling. 1/2*
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. Jim Powers (w/ Teddy Long)
-Dean Malenko joins the commentary team and says Eddie is jealous of him. We got Jim Powers challenging for the US Title. Oh, I forgot to mention you can hear the helicopter hovering over head during the show. Powers with a side headlock, and then runs Eddie over with a shoulder tackle. Eddie reverses a whip as Dean takes a shot at Eddie for doing a Frog Splash. SHOTS FIRED BY THE ICE MAN! Eddie with a dropkick and throws uppercuts in the corner. Eddie chant from the crowd. Powers with a release overhead suplex and Eddie barely got over without landing on his head. Suplex by Powers gets two. Eddie hits a leg lariat and gets a slam. Sling shot plancha gets two. Teddy Long is complaining about something and Eddie pulls Powers into Teddy and gets a roll-up for the pin at 2:51.
Winner and Still WCW US Heavyweight Champion: Eddie Guerrero via pin at 2:51
-Nothing match though the story is that Dean claims Eddie will do anything he can to win. We all know that, but this audience didn’t know at the time. *
-Gene asks Eddie about the accusations and his temper starts to boil as he rants about his family and friends thinking he has changed. He will see Dean Sunday at Uncensored. At the time I had no clue Eddie could be a great heel and I was learning as it happened.
Sgt. Craig Pittman vs. Diamond Dallas Page
-DDP gets pyro and that fires up the crowd. DDP chant as he is used to running bars, so he fits right in with this scene. Pittman gets a take down and DDP just smiles at him. Another lockup and Page lands a right hand. A third lockup and Pittman snaps Page over and mocks him. Hey, a fourth lockup and Page buries a knee to the ribs. He grabs arm controls and works the shoulder. Page breaks out a Rocker Dropper/Fameasser to get a pop and Tony isn’t sure what to call it. Pittman drops Page throat first on the top rope and then starts choking with his boot. He rakes the eyes and follows with a clothesline for two. Page back with a small package for two, but no reason to even think that’s the finish. The man has The Diamond Cutter and isn’t winning this match with a small package. Page blocks a charge in the corner and snaps off a Diamond Cutter for the pin at 4:19.
Winner: Diamond Dallas Page via pin at 4:19
-Page didn’t break much of a sweat here and didn’t need to. This was okay for what it needed to be. *1/2
-Gene is in the ring to interview Page. They lose power and Page cuts a promo that nobody can hear in the dark. He does the BANG sign though so way to power through. I guess that’s the danger of doing a show in a unique location. Tony throws to a commercial.
-Saturday Night: 6:05 PM: Jericho, Jarrett, Eddie, Prince Iaukeau, and Ric Flair speaks!
-We are back to Gene and Diamond Dallas Page as I guess he gets to cut the promo again. Savage will remember his name. BANG!
Galaxy vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
-As mentioned the last time Galaxy appeared, he is Damian 666 under a mask. Prerecorded comments and young Rey with no tattoos cutting a promo just looks and sounds weird. Hammerlock from Galaxy, but Rey counters and gets an armdrag. Monkey Flip sends Galaxy flying. Rey springs off the top with a missile dropkick that sends Galaxy to the floor. Rey does the fake out as Tony notes someone is going to end up in the water with the setup they have. Yep, they better deliver! Rey bounces off the top into a moonsault for two. Galaxy back with a lariat and heads up top. He misses a moonsault. Rey hits The West Coast Pop for the pin at 2:20.
Winner: Rey Mysterio Jr. via pin at 2:20
-That should have been better. Just kind of blah as the crowd was waiting for fireworks. *
-Hour Two Pyro! Since they are outside they can set off a ton of it. I bet Cody was backstage watching and taking notes.
-Hour Two Announce Team: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
-Gene brings out MTV Veejay, John Sensio. I don’t remember him at all. Loved MTV back in the day and had a big crush on Tabita Soren and Serena Altschul. Pamela Rodgers is brought out as she won Miss WCW Monday Nitro. She is rather attractive and at least they didn’t do a Miss nWo deal. John plugs Hall, Nash, and Syxx being on some MTV show. I do remember Nash rushing after a fan who threw something during an episode they were on during Spring Break. You can find the YouTube clip out there.
The Amazing French Canadians (w/ Colonel Parker), Roadblock, and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine vs. The Steiner Brothers, Lex Luger, and The Giant
-I know Team WCW needs a win a heading into the PPV, but they couldn’t find a more threatening team? Giant could handle this one by himself if needed. This won’t last long enough for Hammer to even get moving, so he starts the match with Luger to at least try. I assume the idea was matching Roadblock with Giant, and the tag teams, so that leaves Hammer with Luger. Hammer misses a clothesline and Luger gets a slam. Rick in and he hits a Steinerliner. Rick gets decked from the apron and gets worked over in the corner. The AFC hit a double team hot shot. Roadblock in and gets a slam. He heads to the middle rope, but misses a splash. Scott in and he dumps Roadblock on his head with a suplex. Nice! Giant in and choke slam ends it at 2:10.
Winners: Team WCW via pin at 2:10
-Exactly what it needed to be. SQUASH
-Team WCW cuts a promo with Gene and hype the PPV on Sunday.
Juventud Guerrera vs. Ultimo Dragon (w/ Sonny Onoo)
-The black make look with red and gold looks AWESOME on Dragon. Look, WCW keeps calling him Ultimate Dragon at this point, but I am still rolling with Ultimo. They sprint at each other to start and we are off and running. Juvie misses an enziguiri, but throws chops in the corner. Dragon misses in the corner. Juvie with a flying head scissors and dropkicks sends Dragon to the floor. Baseball slide, but Dragon just goes back in the ring. Onoo lands two kicks to the back of Juvie’s head and Dragon follows with a double ax off the apron. They fight outside and the crowd really wants someone to go in the water. They go back in the ring and the crowd boos. Dragon flips out of a backdrop and goes through his arsenal of kicks and then hits a heavy one to the back. Backbreaker from Dragon and then into the upside down surfboard. Dragon with a sling shot suplex for two and then we hit a chinlock. German Suplex, but Juvie lands on his feet. He delivers a dropkick that sends Dragon to the floor and then follows with a senton off the top. Back in the ring, Juvie hits a springboard heel kick for two. Victory Roll for Juvie gets two. Head kick followed by a whip. Dragon blocks and hits a running Liger Bomb! Cool! He sets Juvie up top and brings him down with a rana and then a Tiger Suplex for the pin at 4:52.
Winner: Ultimo Dragon via pin at 4:52
-Match of the night even if the crowd didn’t really care. They made the most of the five minutes and today this would classify as a MAIN EVENT BANGER! ***
Chris Jericho vs. Scotty Riggs
-Lockup and Jericho gets a side headlock. Riggs lands a back elbow and the crowd boos. Slam from Riggs gets two. Chinlock as I swear the crowd started a small “we want Buff,” chant. Poor Riggs! Jawbreaker from Jericho to escape and he throws chops against the ropes. Riggs runs him over with a shoulder, but then runs into an overhead release suplex. Top Rope Springboard dropkick to knock Riggs off the apron to the floor. Nice! Jericho blocks a charge in the corner, but runs a powerslam. Dropkick from Riggs and another one. He fires up, but no reaction. He heads up top, but Jericho knocks him off balance and he drops on his balls. That gets a reaction from the crowd. Riggs with a front suplex for the top to block whatever Jericho was going to try. Jericho flips out of a suplex and gets a German Suplex into the bridge for two. Flying forearm by Riggs and here’s Bagwell to wake the crowd up. He WHIPS the piss out of Riggs with a belt and that ends this one at 3:39.
Winner: Scotty Riggs via DQ at 3:39
-Crappy for Jericho as they could have at least called it a no contest. The match was fine even if the crowd was checked out. *1/2
-Jericho saves Riggs and Bagwell bails. This was hyping the strap match between The American Males on Sunday.
-Gene is with Madusa as they seem to have a focus back on the women’s division. She promises to win the WCW Women’s Title no matter if it’s in Japan or the US. Probably get more stars in Japan. I kid!
-Lee Marshall is in Savannah, GA thanks to 1-800-Collect! He makes his weekly weasel joke and seems to get a legit laugh from Tenay and Tony.
Kevin Sullivan vs. Hardbody Harrison
-Now that I know how awful of a person Harrison is, this SQUASH should be more entertaining. Sullivan attacks before the bell and just beats Harrison all over the ring. Knee to the face and a rake of the back. She sends Harrison to the floor and Jackie beats the crap out of him to one of the biggest pops of the night. She gets a slam and I want her to kick him again. Back in the ring Harrison gets a fluke sunset flip for two and a small package. That’s all as Sullivan sends him back to the floor and he gets run into the railing and then dropped balls first on the railing. Sullivan takes him to the beac as we have a count-out at 1:54.
Double Count-out at 1:54
-Can you have a SQUASH without a winner? SQUASH
-Sullivan and Jackie beat him down a flights of stairs and onto the beach. Then they beat him up on the way back to the Club and Sullivan gets a slam. He then gets tossed into the pool to pay that off and the crowd roars with approval.
-Gene back in the ring to interview Sullivan, Jackie, and Jimmy Hart. Sullivan talks Horsemen and takes credit, along with The Dungeon, for destroying them. He notes they have been lost without Ric. He thinks the Horsemen are now focused and Piper has the right team in place. He tells Piper, “no excuses.”
-The nWo is out to close the show as we ended the wrestling portion with a DQ and double count-out. Weird! We have Hollywood, Macho, Liz, Dibiase, Bischoff, Norton, Vincent, Nash, Hall, Bagwell, Syxx, and yes, Sting is there as well. They discuss Dennis Rodman as Hogan put him through the initiation in NYC and we cut to Hogan giving Rodman his nWo colors during the premiere of his movie (Double Team). Speaking of colors, they present Sting with his nWo shirt and it just rests on his shoulder. The crowd boos! Nash tells The Steiners to pick up the lost damager waiver. Hall says they know The Steiners are good, but they are better. “Giant you want my autograph? Don’t sing it, bring it.” Macho gets a turn and is so excited by Rodman that he forgot the name of the tattooed guy he beat up. Hogan then says the nWo is tits. So, Hogan said it first on TNT and not Toni Storm.
-You would think that’s the end, but we get the Hugh Morrus Uncensored commercial.
-Once back we see the helicopter flying overhead and The Public Enemy are out with pyro. What are we doing here? There’s two minutes left in the show? Did they give the people in the club something after the cameras stopped rolling?
-Gene interviews PE as I guess with The Horsemen joining Team Piper, it’s down to PE vs. Harlem Heat at Uncensored. They seem pissed at The Horsemen for backing out and making it a 2 vs 2 match instead of a 3 Way. They mock The Horsemen, but instead of them attacking, Harlem Heat are out and the teams brawl. I guess this was scheduled to be the Main Event and they went long, so we closed this way. So weird!
-Thanks for reading!
