Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Monday Nitro 9.18.95

-I decided not to do a review of Fall Brawl 95 as I don’t want to take away from my 1991 series and starting in the Fall of a year 1seemed silly. The plan is just to do the weekly Nitros for as long as they remain on Peacock and then we will see where they go from there. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, and Steve McMichael
-Freedom Hall Civic Center, Johnson City, TN

-Eric and crew welcome us to the show and throw to the back where an ambulance is rolling into the arena. The Giant and Kevin Sullivan get out and cut a promo on Hulk Hogan. Last night at Fall Brawl, Giant snapped the neck of Hogan. They are still heavy into the idea that Giant is Andre’s son, which even as a 14-year-old watching live I thought was silly.

WCW World Tag Team Titles: Harlem Heat (c) (w/ Sister Sherri) vs. The American Males

-This was supposed to be Regal and Eaton vs The American Males, but Harlem Heat attacked The Blue Bloods as they were making their way to the ring. Harlem Heat note they are The Tag Team Champions and are going to give The American Males a shot right now. Okay then! Riggs avoids a clothesline and hits a dropkick on Stevie Ray. Double dropkick by The Males! Bagwell in and he works the arm, but gets caught with a sidewalk slam. Tag to Booker T and he hooks a side headlock. Booker shoved off, but runs Bagwell down with a shoulder and then plants him with a powerslam. Booker misses a legdrop which lets Bagwell make the tag. Riggs can’t do much of anything and gets clipped with an ax kick. Stevie back in and he lays in the boots and goes to a choke. Booker back in and he lands a sweet wheel kick that looked like it removed Riggs head from his body. Cool! Riggs avoids a backdrop and gets a sunset flip, but Booker made the tag as he was falling backwards. Stevie Ray in to land some shots and then back to Booker. He misses a flip leg drop and then a splash in the corner. Bagwell gets the tag and runs wild with dropkicks, but he tries one too many and gets swatted down. Colonel Parker is here and he gets Sherri off the apron and carries her away. Booker tries a pump handle slam, but Bagwell falls back for the pin and Tag Titles at 4:41.

Winners and New WCW World Tag Team Champions: The American Males via pin at 4:41
-A short, but energetic tag match with a shock title change to show that anything can happen on Nitro compared to what was happening on RAW. Harlem Heat would get the titles back nine days later. *1/2

-They left in a Macho Man Slim Jim commercial! Cool!

-Mean Gene brings Ric Flair out and he is announced as an 11 Time World Champion. Flair lost to Anderson at Fall Brawl last night thanks to help from Brian Pillman. Flair says Anderson broke the code as he got an outsider involved in their business. Flair sounds hoarse here, so either under the weather, or too much partying. Flair gets Pillman tonight and promises to kick Arn’s ass tonight. Man, Flair and Anderson really hate each other. I worry they may never get back together!

Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff vs. Johnny B. Badd

-I forgot all about Wonderful using a psychic and his operatic theme music. That’s going to be stuck in my head now. Johnny B. Badd on Nitro just seems weird as I forgot he was there for the early months of the show before making the jump up North. Badd went nearly 30 minutes last night with Pillman and ended up with nine stitches and yet, they have him working here when they have 200 people on their roster. I mean good for Badd, but geez. I guess if they advertised him then they have to pay it off. Badd gets a hip-toss and then a slam. He comes off the top with a double axe, but Wonderful gets a boot up as we take a break at 1:25.

-60 seconds of Peacock commercials!

-Back at 2:29 with Badd missing a splash as Wonderful gets his knees up. Orndorff off the top, but Badd rolls out of the way. Knee-lift from Badd and he lands a left hand. Wonderful falls to the floor and just wanders around as Badd just waits on him. Badd finally hits a slingshot plancha and then hits the double axe back in the ring for two. Orndorff lands a right and tries a piledriver, but Badd backdrops out. He hits a series of clotheslines and tries a piledriver of his own. Orndorff backdrops out, but Badd tries to get a sunset flip. Wonderful sits down and gets the pin with Badd’s shoulders clearly off the mat. Bischoff covers by noting the ref was out of position.

Winner: Paul Orndorff via pin at 5:00
-Not much here as we only saw about 4 minutes and Orndorff seemed more concerned with getting his gimmick over. The ending was kind of weird as well. 3/4*

-Bischoff throws to Baywatch where Kevin Sullivan attacks Randy Savage between tapings of the show. Flair runs in to pull Sullivan off and check on Savage to continue his facade of a face run. Oh sorry, SPOILER! Flair calling Sullivan, “devil” is pretty funny though.

-Gene brings out Randy Savage and he tells Flair thanks, but no thanks. Smart man! I don’t want to like seeing even a tease of Flair and Savage being on the same side. Savage isn’t sure if Hogan is home or in the hospital, but he knows the strong survive. He calls Hogan out for being a horrible judge of character. Savage is heated at Luger taking a cheap shot last night, but Gene notes it was an accident. Savage predicts Sting, Jimmy Hart, and Luger will be new members of The Dungeon of Doom. Well, he got 2 out of 3 so good on Savage! Savage is also hoarse so again, either something was going around or there was lots of partying. Luger is out and doesn’t like being called out and says Savage has his own personal agenda as he wants to be World Champion. Savage is just killing it with his takes as he notes he will be World Champion. Luger wants a match with Savage and you don’t have to ask Randy more than once. Gene: “This is not the time or place.” I mean they are in a wrestling ring on a wrestling show, but I understand what Gene is saying.

-Eric throws to video from last night as before the PPV, Hulk Hogan pulled up on his Harley with fans waiting for him. He gives Gene an interview before The Giant shows up in a Monster Truck and runs over The Harley. See, Steve Austin ripped off The Giant! My friend in High School got the Monster Truck game for his PC and it was cool seeing the WCW Monster Trucks in the game.

-Later in the night, The Giant attacks Hogan as he was beating on Kevin Sullivan after their War Games Match. Hogan lands a few right hands, but nothing! Giant twists Hogan’s neck like a bottle cap and puts him in the hospital!

Brian Pillman vs. Ric Flair

-Pillman lands an elbow in the corner and fires off chops, but trying to beat Flair in a chop battle isn’t the best strategy. Flair lights up Pillman’s chest and tosses him to the floor. Flair off the apron with a double axe and then he fires off more chops. Pillman catches Flair coming back into the ring and snaps his neck off the top rope. Pillman with more chops in the corner and then we get a Flair Flip in the corner. He ducks a clothesline on the apron and drops Pillman with one. Flair up top, but Pillman catches him on the way down with a dropkick. Pillman uses the ropes, but it only gets two. Pillman wraps the arm around the post and they start trading chops on the floor again. Flair wins that battle and then drops Pillman throat first on the railing. Flair with an elbow to the face, but walks into a shoulder. Pillman up and over for a sunset flip, but Flair punches him in the face to block. Flair starts strutting as Pillman begs off in the corner. Pillman runs into a boot in the corner. Flair up top and now Pillman gets to slam him down. Pillman misses a splash off the top. Figure Four is countered with a small package for two. They trade more chops and then collide leaving both men down. More exchanging of chops! Flair with a belly to back suplex and now he gets the Figure Four and Pillman gives up at 5:26.

Winner: Ric Flair via submission at 5:26
-Fun little match with good intensity! **1/2

-Flair grabs the mic and calls out Arn Anderson. If not tonight, then next Monday he will get his ass kicked by The Nature Boy!

-Eric, Bobby, and Mongo wrap things up as they promote Saturday Night and look forward to next Monday Night: Savage vs. Sullivan!

-Thanks for reading!

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

This show is just a breeze to watch. There wasn't much as far as in ring this time, but there is an energy about the show and the storylines are just chugging along as they start the build to Halloween Havoc. Flair/Pillman was fun and we had our first Title Change on Nitro. The rest was kind of blah, but again, an easy watch.