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Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 9.11.95

January 22, 2025 | Posted by Robert Leighty Jr.
WCW Nitro 9-11-95 Hulk Hogan Sting Lex Luger Image Credit: WWE
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Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 9.11.95  

-I think the plan is to do one show a week for as long as they are on Peacock. If I can’t find anything else to fill the void I lost with RAW Talk and The SmackDown Lowdown, I may go to 2 reviews of Nitro a week. I also thought about doing something with WWE’s Vault on YouTube, but we shall see. I finished Royal Rumble 91 a few days ago, so keep an eye out for that Retro Review. This is episode 2 of Nitro, but is the first night of The Monday Night War as RAW was preempted the previous week. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Steve McMichael

-Date: 9.11.95
-The Knight Center, Miami, FL

-Eric Bischoff is already in full hype mode as he notes Hogan/Luger is The Match of The Century.

-We go back to last week where Lex Luger made his shocking return to WCW. He is tired of playing with kids and wants to get it on with The Big Boys. Hogan cuts him off and offers a World Title Match if Luger shakes his hand. They shake and now we have a stacked Main Event for the first head to head show with RAW.

-Next Eric lets us know that Vader is AWOL and won’t be part of War Games. Hogan know needs a 4th partner.

Sabu vs. Alex Wright

-Yes, that SABU! Some think they remember him in WCW and brush it off as a fever dream, but it happened. This is Sabu’s WCW debut and he immediately shoots in for the legs. Sabu springs off the middle rope and hits a leg lariat. Sabu with a rana that takes them both to the floor. Sabu with a baseball slide and then a flip dive onto Wright on the floor. He props Wright up against the railing and uses a chair to go Air Sabu, but Wrights moves out of the way. Wright with a dropkick and then a slam on the floor. This is some good aggression from Wright here which makes sense. Missile dropkick back in the ring with some great height and Sabu ends up on the floor again. Wright with a baseball slide and then hits a dive over the top. Sweet! Sabu lands a right hand, heads up top, but Wright meets him up there and brings him down with a superplex. Sabu reverses a whip and hits another springboard leg lariat. Wright flips over in the corner and gets a bridging German Suplex for two. Wright up top, but Sabu cuts him off and then meets him up there. He brings Wright down with a head scissors into a sloppy pin and it gets the three count at 3:58.

Winner: Sabu via pin at 3:58
-Fun match with a crappy ending, and then an even crappier referee reversal that we are about to see. **3/4

-We aren’t done yet as Sabu breaks out a table. He puts Wright on the table and comes off the top to put both through the table. The ref reverses the decision and gives the win to Alex Wright. What kind of crap is that?

Winner: Alex Wright via referee reversal due to getting his ass kicked too much
-Again, stupid and no wonder Sabu didn’t last long and went back to ECW.

-Mean Gene is in the ring and brings out Ric Flair. He has words for Arn Anderson as they are finally going to wrestle each other at Fall Brawl. I just realized doing these shows is going to make me want to review the PPV. Well, I did all of 96 and 97, so doing 4 extra PPV won’t be a problem. Lex Luger comes out and Flair hypes him up. Luger says Flair is too much, laughs and walks away.

VK Wallstreet vs. Sting

-IRS is in WCW and has been slightly repackaged as he was once Michael Wallstreet. The V.K. is an obvious shot at Vince McMahon. Shots like that are fun in the same way Virgil/Vincent was fun. Sting is the reigning US Champion, but this is not a Title Match. We get Eric’s first time giving away the results on RAW as he breaks out his famous, “Shawn Michaels beat the big guy with a super kick he couldn’t earn a green belt with at the local YMCA.” Again, the man had a plan and he saw it out so give him credit. Sting lands a right hand in the corner and hooks a side headlock. VK shoves off, drops down, but Sting blocks a hip-toss and gets one of his own. Dropkick from Sting and then another. Bobby calls VK, “Michael.” Well, at least he didn’t call him Irwin. Bischoff mentions the WWF by name as he brings up that Luger was wrestling for then nine days ago. He also promises Luger won’t be the last to come over. FORESHADOWING! Sting kind of gets a slingshot shoulder, but it was so rough that Wallstreet just shrugged it off and is back on the attack. VK drops a couple elbows, but misses a clothesline. Sting rams VK into the top buckle repeatedly and hits a running clothesline. Knee to the back sends VK into the corner and we get a Stinger Splash. Sting heads up top and finishes with a crossbody at 4:13.

Winner: Sting via pin at 4:13
-Just a match though a little sloppier than you would think from these two. *1/2

-Disco Inferno debuts this week on WCW Saturday Night! Oh man, I forgot Dave Sullivan was carrying around a rabbit around this time.

Scott Norton vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

-Norton attacks Savage before the bell and hits a short arm clothesline. Backdrop, but Savage floats over for a sunset flip. Norton picks Savage up by the throat and throws him across the ring. Savage ducks a clothesline and sends Norton over the top with a clothesline. Off the top with a double ax that puts Norton into the railing. Savage tries to come off the top again, but Norton catches him in a bearhug. Norton works the lower back with forearms and hits a nice powerbomb for two. Good reaction from the crowd on that one. Norton with a backbreaker and then deadlifts Savage above his head and gets a press slam. Savage is always game for taking a beating! Powerslam gets two! The crowd starts to chant for Macho, but Norton sends him to the floor with a leaping shoulder tackle. Savage is doing his best to make Norton look like a killer here. Norton uses one had to lift him off the floor and put him on the apron. Draping DDT from the top rope! Damn! Norton heads up and flies off, but Savage side steps and plants Norton face first into the mat. Knee to the back followed by a back elbow. Shark (Earthquake) and Kamala are out. Savage decks them and Shark falls on top of Norton, pinning his legs, and Savage hits The Flying Elbow for the pin at 5:39. For some reason, Bischoff kept calling him Avalanche even though he has a large shark on his trunks and singlet.

Winner: “Macho Man” Randy Savage via pin at 5:39
-As noted Savage was putting in work to make Norton look like a killer. I guess he needed protected from jobbing to RANDY SAVAGE AND HIS ELBOW, so they threw in the Shark Attack ending. **1/2

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Hulk Hogan (c) (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Lex Luger

-As mentioned, this match just set the tone for the Monday Night Wars as WCW came out swinging with this match. The crowd is suitably pumped for this one! Luger powers Hogan into the corner and gives him a shove, but offers a clean break. Hogan powers Luger back into the corner and gives a clean break, though Luger tried to fire off a right hand. Lock-up and Hogan breaks out THE WRESTLING as he gets a hammer lock into a drop toe hold and then hits a suplex. Luger pops up first and FLEXES at Hogan. Cool! Luger with a side headlock and Hogan shoves off. Luger ducks a clothesline and now Luger with a suplex. Hogan is up first and gives three flexes because take that Lex! Hogan chant from the crowd! This is fun even though nothing is really happening but I am entertained by it. Now a Luger chant starts though Bischoff tries to claim they were chanting for Hogan. Luger bails to the floor, but Hogan gives chase. Back in the ring Hogan gets a backdrop, but misses a clothesline in the corner. Powerslam from Luger and he gets Hogan up in The Torture Rack! There is a decent amount of fans in the first few rows cheering like crazy. Luger releases thinking he won. Well, that’s just dumb. He goes for a cover, and we get a kick-out and HULK UP (to some boos). The crowd is there for the punches though. Big Boot and Leg Drop, but The Dungeon of Doom hit the ring for the DQ at 5:29.

No Result at 5:29
-I enjoyed this because it was a sprint and they worked in a solid power match. The crowd was into it as well. **

-The Dungeon don’t lay a finger on Luger, but Savage and Sting are out for the save. Hogan shoves Luger and wants to know what he was doing while the DOD were attacking. Bischoff sends us to a break.

-Peacock commercials!

-Back with Gene in the ring with Hogan, Savage, Sting and Luger. Hogan wants to know where Luger is coming from and what side he is on. Savage wants to know as well. Sting wants to make peace and notes that with Vader out of the picture, they need a 4th man. Savage would rather go 4 on 3 than team with Luger. Sting votes Luger into the team and Savage respects that. He wants to know why The DOD didn’t attack Sting or Jimmy Hart as well. People should have listened to Savage! Savage votes no and it is down to Hogan. He wants to test Luger in War Games and Lex accepts the offer as long as he gets a Title Match down the line. I’m going to have to review this show now. Hoping I can carve out some time this weekend.

-Thanks for reading!

7.0
The final score: review Good
The 411
There is enough here to call it a good show even if some of the finishes sucked. It's just an easy watch and it's fun looking back to see how quickly they found a groove and made the show different from the WWF and we still have months before they hit the angle that changed the wrestling world. Worth a watch to see the first Hogan/Luger match and Sabu in WCW.
legend

article topics :

WCW Nitro, Robert Leighty Jr.