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Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 6.30.97
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Written: 11.2.26
-Run Time: 1:36:20
-Plug: Retro Review: Uncensored 1995
-My 1996 Retro PPV Reviews Book has been sold in The UK, India, and Germany. Where will it end up next? Pick up your copy on Amazon and if you can, please leave an honest review.
-Announce Team: Hour One: Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, Mike Tenay
-MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
-Mean Gene starts us off in the ring and brings out Ric Flair and he brings out two women carrying a Roddy Piper mannequin. There is a fan running around trying to get his WWF logo sign on camera. It looks like he is being chased. Gene obviously wants to know about the two women and Flair notes they are the best Vegas has to offer. The girls want to know why Piper is called Hot Rod. The crowd chants for Roddy and Flair chants with them while doing a dance. Gene ask one of the women if “he is truly the 60 minute man,” and she responds “what.” The other buts in and says more like 60 seconds. Gene is a pro and says they are apparently talking about Piper. Flair lays a kilt down and wants respect paid to Hot Rod. The women then take Gene’s jacket off and Flair dances to end the interview. The women then hop around on Piper’s kilt before throwing to an announce team that has to follow that.
-Tony notes that Chris Jericho beat Syxx for the Cruiserweight Title at the hyped LA house show they talked about last week.
WCW World Cruiserweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Juventud Guerrera
-Lockup and Jericho gets arm control. Juvie flips around and gets a reversal. Jericho does the same and takes Juvie to the mat by the arm. Juvie kips up and it’s a stalemate. Another go and Juvie gets a waist-lock. Jericho reverses and takes Juvie to the mat again. He bends Juvie back first over his knees and transitions to a side headlock. Juvie ducks a clothesline and gets a head scissors. He springs off the ropes, but slips and they have to adjust. Jericho PLANTS him with a belly-to-back suplex and that looked rough. Jericho with a vertical suplex. Juvie back with another head scissors, but can’t follow up. Jericho lands an elbow and hooks Juvie upside down in the Tree of Woe. Baseball slide! Jericho with a backbreaker and holds it to work on the back. We get a small “boring” chant. They are moving a little slow in there. Juvie flips over in the corner and lands a spin kick that kind of connected. Juvie tries a springboard dive again and completely misses, which draws boos from the crowd. Juvie sends Jericho to the floor and flies over the top with a dive and that one connects. Jericho with the 450 Splash back in the ring for two. Jericho with a suplex and Juvie was supposed to land on his feet, but can’t. Jericho has had enough and DRILLS Juvie with two powerbombs, but only gets a two count. Up top and Jericho hits a SUPERFRANKENSTEINER and The Liontamer gets the submission at 6:50.
Winner and Still WCW World Cruiserweight Champion: Chris Jericho via submission at 6:50
-This was interesting as Juvie was missing stuff out there, but may have been dinged up. It was sloppy, but they pulled out some crazy stuff that hit. Mixed bag, but I found it entertaining. **3/4
-Gene is here to interview Jericho, but Syxx interrupts. Gene says he has no business being in this arena. That seems a little harsh! Syxx makes masturbation jokes and Jericho applauds. Syxx rambles about still being the champ and slaps Jericho in the face. They start brawling and it’s a good one. We go to a break and as they come back, they are still fighting in the ring as security pulls them apart.
-Gene is a pro and catches Alex Wright on the floor to interview him. WCW has been holding Wright down as nobody gave him a title shot or interview time. It seems WCW is anti-Germany and Wright has looks and a great body. “Lex Luger has nothing on me.”
Dean Malenko vs. Eddie Guerrero
-Eddie attacks Dean as he makes his way down the aisle. CHEAT TO WIN! He runs Dean into the steps as Tenay goes over the EVIL background of Eddie and brings up Art Barr. Nice! Bell sounds and Eddie hits a clothesline and runs his boot across Dean’s face. Suplex and Eddie is feeling it as the crowd boos him out of the building. EVIL Eddie being unleashed on WCW at this time was great and I appreciate it even more now. Eddie runs Dean into the top buckle and heads up, but Dean knocks him off balance and Eddie lands on his balls. He shoves Dean off though and tries a Tornado DDT, but Dean throws him across the ring. Nice! Dean with punches and stomps in the corner. He catches Eddie running in with an alley-oop where he lands face first on the top buckle. Leg Lariat gets a two count as Dean ignores Eddie trying to beg off. POWERBOMB with some STANK and he slaps Eddie in the face. Here comes Chavo as Dean hits an Alabama Slam! Dean confronts Chavo and Eddie runs Dean into Chavo. He connects with a Brainbuster and The Frog Splash gets the pin at 3:58.
Winner: Eddie Guerrero via pin at 3:58
-Heck of a four minute match! Great intensity from both men. ***1/4
-Gene brings out Rey Mysterio Jr, who is tired of being pushed around by Kevin Nash and The Wolfpack. Rey challenges Nash for a match tonight and even the announce team is questioning his decision. Nash is out to a big pop! Nash accepts the challenge and Rey says he is not afraid. Nash gives him a golf clap as Rey says he is a man and the match is on for tonight. Larry: “It was nice knowing Rey.”
-Eric Bischoff drives a motorcycle down the aisle, so we know that Undertaker stole that from Easy E, or something like that. Hulk Hogan is out next and plays guitar with the World Title. Larry is raging against the “Zbyszko Bites” sign that keeps making it on air. That’s funny! Hogan cuts a promo and says they will be partying in the back while the nWo has fun tonight. He then refers to Rey as a magician or something. Weird hearing Hulk Hogan cut a promo on Rey Mysterio. He then poses to close the interview.
WCW World Television Title: Lord Steven Regal (c) vs. Hector Garza
-Here’s our Random Nitro Match Generator showing up. Garza tries to wrestle Regal and that doesn’t go well. The crowd starts a USA chant. Garza uses his leg strength to turn the tide so Regal gets in a thumb to the eyes. Regal misses an elbow and Garza lands a forearm shot. He springs off the ropes, but misses. Garza on the apron and heads up top, but misses. He rolls through and sends Regal to the floor. Baseball slide follows and we get a cat and mouse game as Regal stays far enough back that Garza can’t fly. Regal misses a clothesline and now Garza “hits” the corkscrew plancha off the top. Garza nearly landed on his face but caught a small piece of Regal. Back in he gets a missile dropkick and goes for a second rope moonsault, but Regal gets the knees up. Regal Stretch gets the submission at 3:36.
Winner and Still WCW World Television Champion: Lord Steven Regal via submission at 3:36
-This was fine as Regal held things together and Garza avoided being paralyzed on that dive from the top. *1/2
-The Steiners Brothers are with Gene and they want The Outsiders. The Outsiders head out and have Buff, Chono, Norton, and Syxx with them. Nash jokes they’ve had like 30 people challenge them tonight. They have a contract and Gene notes they should let a lawyer read it first. The Steiners sign without reading it and Gene wants to take a look. The contract is for a match against Muta and Chono first. Well, The Steiners only have themselves to blame.
-Back from commercial we see Jericho sitting with Gene and Mark Madden on wcwwrestling.com. Larry calls Madden “Jabba The Hut.”
Super Calo vs. Psychosis (w/ Sonny Onoo)
-Slow start as Psychosis stalls. Back in and Calo lands a back elbow and gets an arm-drag. He goes for a baseball slide, but Psychosis avoids. Calo goes after Onoo and Psychosis decks him from behind. Onoo gets in a combination of kicks. Back in the ring, Calo catches Psychosis running at him with a powerslam. Psychosis back with a clothesline and sends Calo to the apron. He lands an enziguiri to send Calo to the floor. Baseball slide connects, but Psychosis misses a dive off the top rope and lands on the railing. Calo tries a suplex back into the ring, but Onoo trips him and Psychosis falls back on top for the pin at 2:40.
Winner: Psychosis via pin at 2:40
-The match was here for what happens next. *
-Calo attacks in a heel move but here’s La Parka. He breaks a wooden chair over Calo, but now here’s Juvie and he makes the save. I assume we are getting a tag match between the four men.
-Hour Two Pyro!
-Announce Team: Hour Two: Tony Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Mike Tenay
Buff Bagwell, Scott Norton, and Masa Chono vs. The 4 Horsemen (Mongo, Ric Flair, and Chris Benoit) (w/ Debra)
-It’s nice seeing the Horsemen back on the same page and working a match together. Flair has been off in his own world since returning from injury while Mongo has been stuck to JJ. Buff and Flair start and Buff gets an arm-drag. He poses, so Flair struts! Flair with chops in the corner and Buff responds with right hands. Buff catches Flair out of the corner with a backdrop and hits a lariat. Buff looks pumped to be in the ring with Flair. Flair throws a fit on the floor and tags in Mongo. Norton in and he works over Mongo with Buff as Chono has the ref. Norton throws chops and brings in Chono. Mongo catches him with a knee and punches Chono back to his corner. Flair back in he throws chops. Benoit in and he fires off chops, but Chono eats them and goes to the eyes. Benoit back with a snap suplex. Chono avoids a backdrop and lands a kick, but he gets distracted by Flair. Benoit with a clothesline and comes off the top with the head-butt. Everyone in the ring which pops the crowd. Vincent runs in and it’s a DQ at 3:34.
Winners: The Horsemen via DQ at 3:34
-Crap finish! This one ended just as it was getting into a groove. I wanted more! *
-Video package on Benoit/Sullivan. They meet in a Career vs. Career Match at Bast at The Beach!
Wrath and Mortis (w/ James Vandenberg) vs. High Voltage
-Bell sounds and Wrath and Mortis attack. All four men fight as the ref is just letting it go. Wrath with a suplex and comes off the top with a flying shoulder tackle. Mortis works Rage over in the corner. Big Boot from Wrath to Kaos. Miller and Glacier are out. Glacier gets Wrath to follow him to the floor. The ref follows and that lets Miller sneak in and come off the ropes with a kick to Mortis. Rage falls on top for the upset pin at 1:15.
Winners: High Voltage via pin at 1:15
-More angle than match, but good for High Voltage. 1/2*
-Tony is ready to throw to a break, but a white limo has arrived. The door opens, but we don’t get to see anything. Heenan notes the nWo arrive in a black limo. That’s why he’s The Brain. Tony: “We will have the debut of this impact player next or maybe a little later.” Yep!
-Lee Marshall is On The Road with 1-800-Collect in Memphis, TN. That crowd should be fun next week! Weasel jokes are made!
-RAVEN is sitting in the front row and I lost my mind watching this back in the day. I saw just a little of Raven in ECW, but instantly loved the character.
WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Jarrett (c) vs. Konan
-JJ is still on probation with The Horsemen, so no Debra with him this week. Konan starts fast but gets caught with a hip-toss. JJ ducks a clothesline and hits one of his one before strutting. The crowd boos JJ out of the building. I assume will be a different story in Memphis next week. JJ misses an enziguiri and Konan talks trash in Spanish before hitting a basement dropkick. Konan sets way too early on a DDT and JJ plants him with a DDT. He punches away in the corner but runs into an elbow after a whip to the corner. Konan dropkicks the knee and puts JJ face first into the mat. Konan hooks a submission and JJ gets his foot under the rope. Konan with a nice looking lariat! Konan goes for a figure-four, but JJ goes to the eyes. Now he goes after the knee, but here are The Horsemen. Konan spits at Flair, which lets JJ clip the knee. Figure-Four but Konan turns it over. JJ turns it back and Flair gives him a helping hand. Konan submits at 4:11 (mania).
Winner and Still WCW United States Champion: Jeff Jarrett via submission at 4:11
-Not much to this one, but it was okay. The crowd didn’t have anyone to cheer so they were quiet until Flair showed up. *1/2
-Gene is in the ring and JJ digs his own grave as he talks about jealousy and how he has beaten Arn, Mongo, and Benoit. He puts over Flair but he doesn’t look thrilled. Flair tells JJ he is a player, but as of now he is no longer a Horseman. The crowd cheers! Too funny! Debra also makes it official as she tells Jeff he stinks. JJ says Flair is jealous as well. That’s probably not smart! JJ says he will be the man to put Flair out to pasture where he belongs. Well, I mean, I guess he was involved in Flair’s last match. Disappointing they let JJ leave without a beating. The 1980s Horsemen would have dropped JJ where he stood.
-WOOOO! We get a flashback to last summer where Nash LAWN DARTED Rey into a trailer. Still looks so brutal and I love the story where Nash has said Rey wanted to get thrown through the window of the trailer and Nash told him he would be dead.
Kevin Nash vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
-Rey rushes to the ring and hits a missile dropkick off the top rope. Three more dropkicks and a spring off the ropes into a somersault dive gets two. Rey tries a sunset flip and Nash picks him up and destroys him with an atomic drop. Nash is laughing as he plays to the crowd. Nash with a SUPER BIEL out of the corner. Powerbomb finishes with one foot at 1:48.
Winner: Kevin Nash via pin at 1:48
-This went as you would expect. Not sure if this Mysterio kid is ever going to recover. SQUASH
-Nash with another powerbomb and then he decks the referee. Konan is watching from the ramp and Nash dares him to come down before hitting another powerbomb. Konan makes his way to the ring and Nash gives him a nod before leaving. Konan destroys Rey’s knee as the announces wonder if he is nWo. We are getting there!
-Rey gets carried out on a stretcher as we come back from a commercial break.
-Mike Tenay interviews Raven, but he’s not talking. Tenay notes Raven has a history with DDO. Tenay keeps badgering him, so Raven pushes him away after spitting on the floor. RAVEN IS GREAT! Go read my review of his documentary!
Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Randy Savage (w/ Miss Elizabeth) vs. Lex Luger, The Giant, and Diamond Dallas Page (w/ Kimberly)
-Good star power here! We aren’t getting a clean finish, but I appreciate throwing six of their top stars out there. They actually throw to a break before the bell and come back with Team WCW trying to fight their way into the ring. It’s like the TNA reverse battle royal. Team WCW makes it in and all six men brawl as they pair off. DDP/Savage, Nash/Giant and Hall/Luger which makes sense. Nash with a clothesline on The Giant and then another. He chokes in the corner with his boot. Savage with a jawbreaker as the announcers even question if there was a bell. Well, my timer started when they made contact. The crowd wants Sting! Hall chokes Luger on the middle rope. DDP and Savage brawl on the floor and then back into the ring. Giant with elbows in the corner on Nash. Giant with a claw hold on both Outsiders and hits a double head-butt. He charges and The Outsiders backdrop him to the floor. Hulk Hogan heads down for more star power! He hits Giant with The World Title while DDP catches Savage with The Diamond Cutter. Luger gets hit with The World Title. Hall beats on Luger and The Giant with a belt. The rest of the nWo head down as the crowd continues to chant for Sting. Still no bell so I am rolling with the timer. The ref watches DDP get hit with the World Title so I will call that a DQ at 4:41.
Winners: Team WCW via DQ at 4:41
-Just a brawl leading to the usual nWo ending, but I enjoyed it for what it was. **
-Savage lands the big elbow on Page and then another one. Fake Sting (not the nWo one) watches from the crowd as Savage hits another Flying Elbow. The real Sting drops down from the rafters which has the crowd going crazy. Hogan is scared shitless and runs away. Sting clears the ring and hey, here’s Curt Hennig! Raven comes over the railing and everyone just stares at each other. I LOVE ALL THIS SO MUCH! Just throw as many stars on the screen as possible! It’s WCW/nWo Revenge come to life! I just AKI MAN now!
-Thanks for reading!
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