Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 6.16.97

-Written: 10.19.26
-Run Time: 1:36:36

-Book Plug: Leighty’s Retro Wrestling PPV Reviews: 1996 WCW and WWF
-Retro Review Plug: Clash of The Champions XXX

-It’s the night after The Great American Bash and WCW has another packed house in Chicago.

-Announce Team: Hour One: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Larry Zbyszko
-United Center, Chicago, IL

-A limo pulls up as the nWo music plays. Bischoff, The Outsiders, Syxx, Savage, and Dennis Rodman all get out of the limo and are smoking cigars. They are a great mood and the crowd goes crazy when Rodman shows up on camera. The camera follows them out to the arena floor and the pop is massive. Great visual as you see them coming through the entrance with all the smoke. WWE has started doing more of this since HHH took over. Crazy that every single person out with the group is in the WWE Hall of Fame. Oh wait, it seems The Outsiders, Syxx, and Savage have decided to stay in the back. Rodman is rocking a long sleeve “nWo Bite Me,” shirt. The reaction is wild as these fans love Rodman. For context, The Bulls had closed out the Jazz three days earlier to win their 5th NBA Championship. Hogan cuts a promo to hype the PPV match against Luger and The Giant. He thanks The Outsiders and Syxx for getting him up to date and he loves those guys. They throw out a challenge to do the Tag Match tonight. Yeah, we will see how that goes. Rodman is fine cutting a promo as he has the crowd biting on everything he says and we can even forgive him for calling Lex, “Lex Luthor,”

Mortis (w/ James Vandenbeg) vs. Glacier

-Time to hit up the Glacier Universe! The start brawling in the aisle as Glacier makes his entrance. Good! These two should be throwing hands on sight. Glacier gets sent into the railing and Mortis goes to use the steps, but gets yanked off the apron and lands balls first on the steps. Cool spot! Got a strong reaction! They head in the ring and trade strikes. Mortis wins the exchange and stomps Glacier down in the corner. Wrath is at ringside now. Glacier off the middle rope with a fame-asser. Wrath on the apron but Glacier reverses and sends Mortis into Wrath. Cryonic Kick gets the pin at 2:17.

Winner: Glacier via pin at 2:17
-This was fine for 2 minutes. *

-Wrath hits the ring and we get another beat down of Glacier. Ernest Miller in the ring and he LEAPS over Vandenberg and uses his martial arts on Wrath and Mortis. Glacier is back into it and stereo kicks sends both Wrath and Mortis packing. Security is out to keep everyone separated. Hot start to the show!

-Back from a commercial Gene brings out Madusa, who lost last night, and is now retired. She is in tears as she says she is a woman of her word. She thanks the crowd and gets some pity cheers. She did a solid job of bringing the emotion, but started to get a little over the top towards the end. Those in the crowd responding are mostly whistling at her.

Dean Malenko vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

-Dean calls out Guerrero and wants Eddie, but Chavo comes out in his place. Dean stomps him down in the corner as Larry notes Dean is going to have to beat 50 Guerreros just to get to Eddie. Chavo counters a slam with a head scissors, but misses a dropkick. Running lariat in the corner and then gets a trip in the opposite corner. He wraps Chavo’s knee around the railing and hits a dropkick. A whip to the railing on the opposite side. Dean in to break the count and then rolls Chavo back into the ring. Chavo gets a fluke sunset flip for two but gets his head taken off by a clothesline. Vertical suplex gets two! Chavo gets a brief run of offense but Dean has had enough and finishes with The Texas Cloverleaf at 3:38.

Winner: Dean Malenko via submission at 3:38
-Solid for a sub 4 minute match. Dean kind of steamrolled him and really, he should have as Eddie is his main target. **

-Eddie watches the end from the entrance and then backs away as Dean starts power walking towards him.

-Saturday Night 6:05 PM: Jericho, Harlem Heat, Luger, The Giant and more!

-Mean Gene and Mark Madden interviewed Ric Flair earlier in the day for wcwwrestling.com.

Super Calo vs. La Parka

-Parka misses a shotgun dropkick in the corner. Calo runs up the ropes, but misses coming back off. Parka with a clothesline and then a flat over in the corner. He lands a kick to the chest and gets a two count. Shoulder tackle by Parka, but he runs into an arm-drag. Monkey Flip sends Parka flying. He springs off the middle ropes with an arm-drag. Another one sends Parka to the floor. Suicide Dive and Calo ends up bouncing off Parka and ends up in the third row. Cool! Baseball slide, but Parka runs into the ring to avoid and hits a clothesline. He gets a trip followed by an elbow and then kick to the chest for two. Alabama Slam gets two! Parka heads up top but misses a corkscrew moonsault. Calo throws Parka across the ring by the make and sets him on the top rope. Rana brings Parka down and that gets the pin at 3:44.

Winner: Super Calo via pin at 3:44
-Another quick match that was fine for what we got. **

-Parka attacks after the match and uses a PLASTIC DESK CHAIR that EXPLODES over Calo’s head. That sounded and looked brutal!

-Gene brings out Lex Luger and The Giant. Luger says they have a contract to face Rodman and Hogan at BATB. Gene keeps harping on the idea that Rodman and Hogan said they won’t wrestle at the Bash. That’s not what they said and Luger just kind of blows Gene of. Giant gets booed for wanting to choke slam Rodman. Luger says they will answer the bell tonight.

-Another week of the director finding anti-WWE signs: RAW is Crap, WWF Sucks, Why Would Anyone Watch RAW!

Harlem Heat (w/ Sister Sherri) vs. The Amazing French Canadians (w/ Colonel Parker)

-AFC start to sing the Canadian Nation Anthem, but just do it to get The Heat to turn their backs. They attack Booker and gets a double team stun gun. Jacques pitches Booker to the floor and Parker stomps away. Sherri comes over and I started met 1995 series and these two were just starting their issues back then. Splash in the corner from Carl and he gets a slam. He drops a forearm from the second rope and gets a two count. More double team offense from the AFC. Pierre chokes Booker on the ropes and Carl lands his weight on the back. Booker ducks a clothesline and gets one of his own. Hot Tag (not really) to Stevie Ray and he gets to run wild. Slam to Carl and a Pump Kick to Jacques. HEAT BOMB, but Parker has the ref. He loses a boot and Jacques hits Booker with it, but it only gets a two count. Blind tag by Stevie and The Big Apple gets the pin at 3:40.

Winners: Harlem Heat via pin at 3:40
-It was short and we got some cool double team moves. Hear winning was the right choice and I am kind of bummed we never got that Heat/Outsiders rematch. **

-Gene is with JJ Dillon and Harlem Heat interrupt as they want their title shot. JJ says their victory was tainted and Sherri points out that all JJ said was they had to win. Booker calls JJ a crossover sucker and Gene accuses The Heat of being in cahoots with Vincent. JJ announces a rematch between The Steiners and Harlem Heat next week.

-Vincent is out and says that was an early Christmas gift from The Outsiders. They sucker Vincent in and beat the stuffing out of him as Larry cheers them on. Funny! Sherri gets in some kicks as well.

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Syxx (c) (w/ The Outsiders) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

-So many nWo signs and banners in the crowd. WCW was really on top of the world at this point and you can tell the top stars were enjoying every second of it.

-Announce Team: Hour Two: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

-Syxx with kicks to start and throws Rey in the air to face plant.

-Hour Two Pyro! Little bit late, but they got to it.

-Back to the match as Syxx drops a lightning leg drop and another one. Rey rolls to the apron and Hall puts his cigar ashes out on the back of Rey’s mask. THAT’S A HEEL! Bronco Buster to the back of Rey’s head and it gets a STRONG reaction from the crowd. Nash and Hall laugh at Rey as they continue to be bullies. Nash blows smoke in Rey’s face for good measure. Michinoku Driver next and Syxx heads up top. Senton misses! Rey with a head scissors and works Syxx over in the corner. Another head scissors sends Syxx to the floor. Rey with the fake out and then comes off the top with a somersault plancha. Fantastic! Hall and Nash up to distract which lets Syxx land a shoulder to the gut. Syxx misses a somersault. Rey STICKS him with a rana off the top. Hall and Nash in and Rey fights both men off including springing off Hall’s back to hit Nash. Hall gets dumped to the floor, but Syxx lands a spin kick and buzz-killer gets the submission 4:47.

Winner and Still WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Syxx via pin at 4:47
-Fun match! Rey had the crowd going as he fought off Hall and Nash, but we knew how this one was going to end. **3/4

-Nash gives Rey a powerbomb after the match and cuts a promo as the nWo music plays. He screams “death to an icon” in reference to Piper. Hall cuts a promo and brings out Randy Savage and the crowd loves him as well. He comes out with Elizabeth and there’s the fans whistling again. Don’t blame them! It’s MISS ELIZABETH! Nash says something to Liz to make her laugh. It’s always nice to see Liz smiling! This episode has been a lot of the nWo taking a victory lap and eating up the applause from the hot crowd. Hall is funny as he notes he missed the end of Savage’s win over DDP last night. Tony is disgusted.

-DDP is in the crowd and Kimberly is with him. He says nobody knows Scott Hall better than him and made some calls last night. He found a tag partner and everyone knows who he is. I don’t think they do. He challenges Savage and Hall at Bash at The Beach. I think they wanted people to think it’s Sting, but it’s not.

Ultimo Dragon vs. Chris Jericho

-Tony notes these two have a history of battles in the WAR promotion in Japan. Sonny Onoo gives Jericho an envelope of cash and tries to get a picture with him, but Jericho shoves him away. Side headlock by Dragon and Jericho escapes. Dragon misses a chop and Jericho floats over. They collide which drops Dragon and Jericho gets a leg drop for one. Suplex gets a two count. Jericho buries a knee to the back and yanks back on the arms. Jericho: “ask him.” There’s the Jericho we grew to love coming out. A few fans start a “boring” chant. Dragon back with his rapid-fire kicks. Heavy kick to the back followed by a dropkick. Jericho dumps him to the apron and then hits the springboard dropkick. He comes off the apron with another one that catches Dragon’s bicep/shoulder. Dragon floats over on a suplex back in, but gets run over with a clothesline. Monkey Flip attempt, but Dragon puts Jericho on the top rope. They fight up there and awkwardly come off. Roll-up by Dragon gets two. Rana gets two for Dragon. Another is blocked and Jericho gets a tandem of powerbombs. They trade pin attempts and it ends with Dragon getting a Tiger Suplex for the pin at 4:38.

Winner: Ultimo Dragon via pin at 4:38
-Kind of awkward at times, but good action. The crowd was a little checked out sadly, but Jericho was just back from being gone and had not caught on like he would later. **1/4

-Lee Marshall is on The Road with 1-800-Collect in Macon, Georgia. Little Richard and weasel jokes are made.

-Gene is by the entrance and brings out Roddy Piper. He is from off a loss last night (w/ Flair) to The Outsiders. Piper takes a shot at Rodman and gets booed out of the build. Not the right place for that one sir. Piper calls out Flair to get to the bottom of their issues. Flair is out and takes off the jacket before bowing to Piper. They make peace as Flair notes he went after Syxx and was in the fight of his life trying to get back to the ring.

Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton vs. Jeff Jarrett and Mongo (w/ Debra)

-Not yet Vicious and Delicious, but Buff notes he is the stuff and he brought Mr. Tough. Stuff and Tough doesn’t work as well. Mongo lost to Kevin Greene last night thanks to JJ accidentally hitting him with the briefcase and then not helping him. Mongo draws a line and dares Norton to cross. Mongo soaks in the cheers from the crowd as Chicago fans obviously cling to that lone Super Bowl winning team. Norton with a splash in the corner as he notes this isn’t the NFL. Mongo reverses a whip and gets a bulldog. Leaping clothesline! JJ gets the tag and the crowd boos him. Funny! Norton runs him over with a shoulder tackle. Bagwell cheats behind the ref’s back as we get a low “Jarrett Sucks,” chant. He gets trapped in the corner and Buff beats him down. Cocky Bagwell really found himself when he turned nWo. Buff sets too early on a backdrop but lands a right hand to block a sunset flip. Jarrett back with an inverted atomic drop. He connects with a swinging neckbreaker and lands his weight on Bagwell as he is laying on the middle rope. JJ struts and gets booed out of the building. He doesn’t tag out which annoys Mongo. Slam by JJ and he comes off the middle ropes with a fist (I think). Bagwell back with a lariat and he shoves Mongo. He doesn’t take the bait, so the nWo can’t cheat behind the ref’s back. Nice! Splash by Bagwell gets two. Jarrett counters a backdrop with a right hand and sends Buff into the corner. JJ still won’t tag out. Bagwell decks Mongo and that brings him into the ring. Double team backdrop and JJ wants Mongo to strut. Instead, Mongo is done with JJ and PLANTS him with a Tombstone to one of the biggest pops of the night. That was fantastic! Mongo tells us that he watched the PPV and saw that JJ hit him and then didn’t help. Consequences for JJ! Bagwell covers for the pin at 7:01.

Winners: Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton via pin at 7:01
-The nWo gets a win and we finally get some action with the Mongo/JJ feud after months of teasing. That pop for the Tombstone was great! **

-The Outsiders want you to buy the nWo 4 Life shirt! Just $20.00!

Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman vs. Lex Luger and The Giant

-Hogan cuts a promo after he and Rodman make their way into the ring. Rodman says he is ready. We go to commercial break and come back with the music still playing and no Luger or Giant. Hogan and Rodman head back up the aisle, but here’s Luger and The Giant. All four men get back into the ring and they start brawling. Hogan saves Rodman from a chokeslam, and I bet that made SportsCenter that night. Rodman uses the belt on The Giant to save Hogan and the place explodes. This is wild! The nWo hit the ring and its chaos as the fans just PELT the ring with garbage. They throw the garbage while wildly cheering from Rodman as he drops elbow on The Guant and Luger. Hogan and Rodman tag Luger and The Giant with spray paint. The nWo pose as a group (Hogan, Rodman, Savage, and The Wolfpack) and garbage continues to fly into the ring.

-No match but a memorable way to go off the air. That’s two weeks in a row where Nitro ended with a crazy visual while a red-hot crowd was going bonkers. No wonder the WWF was getting creamed at this time.

-Thanks for reading!

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Another show that was good but made even better by a raucous crowd. Rodman looked right at home in the nWo and the crowd was riding high on Bull's Championship fever, so he was over like crazy. The ending was the perfect bit of chaos that Nitro often produced in the nWo era while also selling the BATB PPV. Underneath that we had solid wrestling and matches already being set up for the next PPV. Just a fun show in front of a great crowd.