Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 4.28.97

-Written: 8.29.26
-Run Time: 44:00

-Plug: Last week on Nitro

-I released my first wrestling book last week and thanks to your support I was as high as 14 on the kindle charts for pro-wrestling books. It was kind of wild seeing my book about 1996 WCW/WWF higher than wrestling autobiographies and books by people like Alvarez and Meltzer. If you would like to buy a copy (kindle or paperback) click the link below.

Leighty’s Retro Wrestling PPV Reviews: 1996 WWF and WCW

-The next four weeks Nitro is only an hour due to the 1997 NBA Playoffs. On this night the Knicks beat the Hornets 104-95 to finish a three game sweep and the Jazz beat the Clippers 104-92 to also finish off a three-game sweep.

-Announce Team: Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
-Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, VA

-I always liked the look of The Scope with it’s unique ceiling.

-We start with video from Starrcade 1993 of Ric Flair beating up and then pinning Vader to become WCW World Champion. This was to hype Flair returning to the ring at Slamboree and also to take a shot at Vader and the WWF.

-Piper’s music hits and he is out with Ric Flair. They head to the announce table and Piper rants about Nash being lazy as he doesn’t want to pave a few potholes. He doesn’t want to wait to Charlotte. Flair dances as we cut to the show opening.

-Pyro!

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Dean Malenko (c) vs. Prince Iaukea

-We get a cut in promo from Jeff Jarrett as he gets a Malenko at Slamboree (assuming Dean wins this match. Spoiler: he wins this match). Dean works the arm and gets a take down and into a cross-face. He floats over with a side headlock. Prince shoves off and gets an arm-drag and another and then a drop toehold. Prince controls the arm but gets backed into a corner. Dean misses a clothesline in the corner and Prince fires off chops. Superkick gets a two count. Backdrop as the fans start looking at something happening in the crowd. Dean with a powerbomb, but Prince flips over into a pin for two. Dean counters that into a pin for two. Dean with a powerslam and The Cloverleaf gets the submission at 3:02 to a big pop. WCW fans really dig Malenko from the jump.

Winner and Still WCW United States Heavyweight Champion: Dean Malenko via submission at 3:02
-This was fine for a three minute match. Prince continues to take losses after his brief push. *1/2

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Syxx (c) vs. Juventud Guerrera

-Tony wonders why Syxx needs help and needs to cheat when he is a good wrestler. Heenan: Because he is a bully and he can. Man has a point. As Jesse once said, “win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat.” Juvie starts fast and sends Syxx to the floor. Back in the ring he hits a spin kick to the face. Juvie tries to flip over in the corner and doesn’t land on his feet. Syxx with a spin kick for two and then chokes in the corner with his boot. Bronco Buster! This crowd is definitely a WCW crowd as they hate Syxx. We are in Horsemen Country. Suplex from Syxx gets a two count. Lightning Leg Drop and Syxx heads up top. He comes off with a double ax and that looked very awkward. Syxx stalls a bit and then heads up again. Juvie knocks him off balance. He goes to spring up and slips off to the apron. He recovers and hits a springboard rana for two. Springboard into a somersault dropkick gets two. Juvie misses a middle rope moonsault and Syxx gets the Buzz Killer for the submission at 4:38. Larry calls out Heenan for coaching Syxx and Heenan notes he likes Syxx and the nWo style, but hates Hogan.

Winner and Still WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Syxx via submission at 4:38
-Juvie was all over the place here but they held it together well enough. All action and never boring. Syxx gets the clean win which was nice to see. **1/2

-Lee Marshall is On The Road with 1-800-Collect in Lakeland, Florida. He notes they have architecture from Frank Lloyd Wright. His famous Fallingwater is not far from my house as well as Kentuck Knob. Oh, Marshall makes his weekly weasel jokes.

-nWo music hits and out are Hall, Nash, and Syxx. They take over the announce position and Heenan is GONE. Larry stands his ground the longest, but finally walks off. We hear from Hall for the first time in weeks. He calls Piper and Flair a pair of dinosaurs. He names their group the Wolfpac and I wonder if that will stick? He gets the crowd going and again, it’s more boos than cheers. Nash: “They love us.” Nash says if they win at Slamboree they want 75% of the gate. “Hollywood we miss you,” They hit the catchphrases and we are out.

Chris Benoit (w/ Woman) vs. Lord Steven Regal

-Benoit with a side headlock but Regal escapes and gets wrist control. He takes Benoit down and kicks him in the back. Regal back to the arm control and he holds Benoit down for a few two counts. The crowd wants Flair. Regal with a monkey flip as they continue to fight over arm control. Regal with an arm-drag and gets a two count. We get a wide shot as I assume someone must be bleeding. Benoit with a snap suplex and here comes Kevin Sullivan, Jackie, and Jimmy Hart. He just walks into the ring and it’s a DQ at 2:30.

No Contest at 2:30
-Not anything to this one as it was just here for more of the Benoit/Sullivan drama. 1/2*

-Benoit and Sullivan brawl to the floor and Jackie jumps on Benoit’s back. Meng is out and he hooks the Tongan Death Grip. Regal tries to help and gets decked.

-nWo video with Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. I wonder how many takes this took knowing how much of a perfectionist Savage was? He is still on crutches as he continues to verbally assault DDP and Kimberly.

The Giant and Lex Luger vs. The Amazing French Canadians (w/ Colonel Parker)

-Luger and Carl start with a lockup. Luger blocks a hip-toss and gets one of his own. Jacques runs in and gets caught with one as well. Luger gets caught with a double team stun gun and pushed to the floor where Parker gets in a couple shots. The AFC stomp away in the corner and hit more of their double team offense. Carl misses an elbow off the middle rope and hot tag to Giant. Well, this one is pretty much over. Giant runs wild as the crowd pops and we get a choke slam to Jacques and Rack to Carl as the ref counts three at 3:03.

Winners: Lex Luger and The Giant via pin at 3:03
-AFC got in token offense before Giant squashed them. *

-Larry and Heenan have been interesting together on commentary. I hope this continues for the next three weeks they have these one hour shows.

Steve “Mongo” McMichael (w/ Debra) vs. The Barbarian

-This could be interesting. They immediately start trading blows and Mongo hits a clothesline after ducking one. Barbarian goes for a powerbomb, but Mongo backdrops out. Whip to the corner, but Mongo stalls and gets drilled with a big boot to the face. Barbarian pitches him to the floor and follows. He sends Mongo into the railing and hits a splash. Mongo no sells that and starts pounding away on the back. Barbarian goes to the eyes and runs Mongo back first into the post. Back in the ring and Barbarian hits a SWANK piledriver for two. Tony dealing with Bobby and Larry is pretty entertaining. Barbarian pounds away in the corner but the ref pulls him away. That lets Debra slip Mongo the briefcase and then she distracts the ref. Heenan notes this shouldn’t affect Barbarian’s head, but he’s Tongan no Samoan, so it works I guess. Mongo gets the pin off the briefcase shot at 3:03.

Winner: Mongo via pin at 3:03
-Mongo needed a good win heading into the PPV and got it here. This was better than expected as they kept it simple and just hit each other really hard. *1/2

-Roddy Piper and Ric Flair are out and they want a fight. Flair gets in a great line about being World Champion more times than Syxx has had pieces of ass. No nWo as papers reading “Tradition Bites” drop from the ceiling in an impressive visual. Here’s The Wolfpac and Syxx rushes the aisle and Flair beats him up and hooks the figure-four. Hall and Nash attack while Piper just stands in the ring looking at one of the papers that fell. Flair is yelling for Piper and after about 90 seconds he finally decides to get involved and we are out of time.

-Thanks for reading!

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Syxx and Juvie was a fun sprint, and the rest were just short matches on a rushed show. An easy watch though at only 44 minutes and the crowd was into it as they love their wrestling. Not a good show, but one that put as much hype as possible on the PPV as it could with the time they had. Larry and Heenan were fun together on commentary, so we have that to look forward to for the next few weeks.