WCW Monday Nitro 1.04.1999

WCW MONDAY NITRO
Monday, January 4th, 1999

Live from the GeorgiaDome in Atlanta, GA

List of WCW Champions at the time:
● WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Kevin Nash (12/27/1998)
● WCW U.S. Heavyweight Champion: Bret Hart (11/30/1998)
● WCW World Tag Team Champions: VACANT (1/04/1999)
● WCW Television Champion: Scott Steiner (12/28/1998)
● WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Billy Kidman (11/22/1998)

~ Nitro comes on the air with an overly dramatic look back at the Goldberg/Kevin Nash title match from Starrcade. We then go to the arena as Tony Schiavone welcomes us to the show along with Mike Tenay and Larry Zbyszko. As the Nitro Girls dance in the ring Tony reminds us that tonight is the rematch for the WCW Championship between Goldberg and Nash. Plus tonight begins the Ric Flair regime as the new (for now) WCW President, and Hollywood Hogan is in the house for the first time since his announcement to go into politics.

Now there are several things about this episode that showed how much WCW wanted to get back at the WWF, especially since this show was going up against the Raw that featured one of the more beloved moments in history, Mankind’s world title win. First of all they’re having the Goldberg/Nash rematch on free TV just eight days after the original bout took place instead of saving it for another pay-per-view, hoping to catch viewers’ interested enough to draw them away from Raw. Yes it screams hotshotting and the WCW faithful were interested at first, but let’s see how this thing progresses.

~ However we start by taking a look at a Nitro Party being held in one of the luxury suites. Jimmy Barron interviews a lucky fan who won that Nitro Party contest, and it just so happens he lives in Atlanta.

• Glacier vs. Hugh Morrus (w/Jimmy Hart)

Seriously, this is what we open the biggest Nitro in history with? Anyway this is Morrus’ return from a hiatus as he has a new shaven-head look and Hart as his manager. Both men lockup when Morrus gets an armdrag then does it a second time. Glacier comes back with some punches and kicks then goes for a whip, Morrus reverses but lowers the head and Glacier kicks the face. Glaicer wrenches the arm and continues his assault then kicks away at him in a corner before playing to the crowd. Glacier goes for a whip but Morrus reverses him into a corner and hits a powerslam. Both men get to their feet when Glacier jabs Morrus in the eyes then trips him with a reverses legsweep. Hart jumps on the apron and Glacier grabs him when Morrus moves in but Glacier dodges him and Hart gets knocked off the apron. Glacier goes for a whip, Morrus reverses it and Glacier leapfrogs him but Morrus clotheslines him down. Morrus then climbs to the top rope and connects with the No Laughing Matter for the pin. (2:46) Nothing much to really see here, just felt like this should have been a dark match.

~ We now get a look at our announcing trio as they talk about Ric Flair winning control of the company last week and the subsequent effects on the lockerroom. A lengthy recap follows as Tony says we’ll get Flair’s first ‘state of the sport’ address later on, and that’s followed by the opening sequence 15 minutes into the show.

~ Back from break we get a look at Ric Flair making his way into the building along with his family and the other Horsemen. A number of backstage people applaud the group as they make their way through the building and to the ring where Mean Gene Okerlund is ready to interview the new President. Incidentally Dean Malenko is on ctruches after suffering an ankle injury at a house show. Flair starts off by talking about how a great organization like WCW was ruled for five years by a tyrant named Eric Bischoff, and now the question is what he’ll do to him on his first night. Flair calls Bischoff out to meet with him, unless he wants to work somewhere else, and a distraught-looking Bischoff does come out. Flair talks about how Bischoff has constantly humbled him and made him feel small in front of his peer, and it would be easy to have him pick up his last check, but he won’t. Flair instead decides to have him work the announce booth under Tony Schiavone’s supervision, at half the salary, and sends him off do his new job. Flair then talks about referee Randy Anderson being fired two years ago before bringing him out and giving him his job back at double the salary.

Oh but Flair isn’t done yet. Flair mentions Souled Out coming up and decides to book himself in a handicap match against Curt Hennig and Barry Windham. Flair’s son David steps forward and offers to be Ric’s partner for the match but Flair is hesitant, feeling the kid isn’t ready for action yet. However Arn Anderson feels David knows what he’s doing and Flair decides to accept David’s help. So Flair would rather have his son, who hadn’t wrestled a single match in his life, as a partner on the pay-per-view instead of, I don’t know, one of his fellow Horsemen? Heck, Chris Benoit wasn’t involved in any real big angles at the time, why not have him as Flair’s partner, guys? Anyway Flair finally wraps things up after 15 minutes of this as Tony welcomes Bischoff to the broadcast table.

• Booker T vs. Emory Hale

As Booker hits the ring Tony and Zbyszko try to get some thoughs from their new broadcast partner but Bischoff just sits there silent (as he would for much of the show). Hale gets in the first shots and goes for a whip, Booker reverses it but eats a shoulderblock. Hale comes off the ropes but Booker catches him with an elbow then works him over in a coern. Hale throws Booker into the corner to retaliate then goes for a whip but both men seem to botch something before Booker hits a spinebuster. Booker misses an elbowdrop but spinaroonies back to his feet and hits the Harlem sidekick. Booker then climbs to the top rope and hits the missle dropkick to put this one away in short order. (1:01) Nothing but a squash there. Booker then talks into the camera about wanting to be the #1 contender.

~ Back form break as the Nitro Girls dance in the ring Tony puts over how Nitro is the only live Monday night wrestling program then tried to get Bischoff to say something but Bischoff just sits there look disinterested, even as Tony threatens to report him to Flair.

• Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Norman Smiley

These two already wrestled the previous week with Norman winning but here they are again, so you might be able to guess the result of this one. As usual Chavo has his toy horse Pepe in his corner. Chavo gets in the first shots when Norman whips him and goes for a tilt-o-whirl but Chavo lands on his feet and clotheslines him down. Chavo dropkicks Norman out through the ropes then rides Pepe around the ring while Norman recovers on the floor. Norman climbs on the apron and hits a shoulderblock through the ropes but Chavo rams him into the turnbuckles. Norman snaps Chaov’s neck on the top rope before climbing back in the ringthen gets in his offense before busting out some moves. Norman slams Chavo then glares at Pepe in a corner before stomping Chavo in the face. Norman hits a modified slam for a two count then whips Chavo but Chavo slides under him and rolls him up for a near fall. Chavo leaps onto Norman’s shoulders looking for a victory roll, Norman tosses him off and goes for a suplex but Chavo counters into a rollup for a near fall. Norman hits an elbow then whips Chavo and hits a dropkick that sends Chavo rolling out to the floor. Norman then busts out the Big Wiggle but Chavo climbs to the top rope and connects with a missile dropkick. Chavo wails on Norman in a corner when Norman rakes his face then looks for the Big Wiggle again but falls over. Don’t know if it was planned or not but it allows Chavo to cover him for a two count. Chavo then looks for a springboard off the ropes but ends up slipping off the middle rope and falling out to the apron. Chavo recovers and slings himself back in the ring into Norman and rolls him up for two. Norman comes back with an elbow and goes for the Norman Conquest but Chavo manages to slip out of it and get Norman over into a Sunset Flip for the pin. (4:01) I guess that evens this series 1-1. Okay stuff but you feel they could have done better with more time and less botches. After the match Norman nails Chavo from behind and hits a vertical suplex then whacks him with Pepe, breaking the head off. *½

• Chris Benoit vs. Horace Hogan

As I alluded to earlier, Benoit was just spinning his wheels around this time with nothing big going on. In fact as we come back from break Benoit is already in the ring but we’re able to catch Horace’s entrance, which just seems wrong. Horace gets in the first shots then whips Benoit into a corner and goes for a splash but Benoit sidesteps it and fights back with chops and kicks. Benoit goes for a whip but Horace reverses him into a corner and hits a clothesline before throwing him across the ring. Benoit comes back with a German suplex then holds on for a second German then goes for a thrid German but Horace grabs the ropes to block it. Benoit suplexes Horace onto the ropes then goes for a suplex but Horace is able to suplex Benoit out to the floor. Horace then dives through the ropes and connects with a pescado before throwing Benoit back in the ring and hitting short-arm clothesline and an elbwodrop for a two count. Horace hits a backbreaker then climbs to the top rope but Benoit cuts him off then goes up and hits a superplex. Benoit then climbs to the top himself and connects with the diving headbutt but hurts himself as well and can’t make the cover. Horace pulls Benoit into the turnbuckles and hits a shoulderbreaker for a two count. Horace sets up for a suplex but Benoit counters it into the Crippler Crossface and forces Horace to give it up. (3:59) Pretty much another squash as Benoit dominated there, as he should. You’d think this would convince Ric Flair to make Benoit his partner for Souled Out but that didn’t happen. *

~ Tony tries to get comments from Bischoff but then says something’s going on in the back. We then cut backstage to find Goldberg being met by a group of cops who supposedly have an arrest warrant for him. Goldberg protests this and defends his innocence, pointing out all the positive things he’s done for the community. The cops insist they have to go to the preceint and Goldberg tells them to use every bit of weaponry they’ve got because he’s not taking the fall for something he didn’t no. Never once does it dawn on Goldberg to, you know, actually ask what he’s being arrested for before making his speech. The cops put the cuffs on and Goldberg tells the lead cop to do his job, he’ll be vindicated soon enough.

Doesn’t anyone find it interesting how this just happens to be taking place at the end of the first hour, just when everyone is about to turn over to Raw after what was an uneventful first hour? I guess the bookers realized it and hoped this angle would keep viewers engaged enough to see what would happen instead of switching over to USA, especially as it concerns the scheduled main event. Unfortunatley it didn’t quite work because it seemed too much like a bait-n-switch which turned many of the viewers off, and it would only get worse from here.

~ Anyway after the commercial break we follow Goldberg as the gaggle of cops load him into the police car. Kevin Nash angrily walks out protesting, saying he has a match with Goldberg, but the cops tell him ti step back. After the car drives off Nash notices Hollywood Hulk Hogan chuckling at Goldberg’s misfortune and claiming he’s guilty while he himself is a law and order politician. Hogan then makes his way into the building as we see Miss Elizabeth talking to a pair of detectives. The plot thickens, I suppose.

• Chris Jericho (w/Ralphus) vs. Perry Saturn

So they try to move on with the program even with half their main event being taken downtown. Indicentally the referee is Scott Dickinson, who’s had issues with Saturn in the past and that may just come into play. Both men lockup to start and Jericho forces Saturn into the ropes but Saturn slaps him in the face and Jericho complains to Dickinson about it. Jericho plays to the crowd for a bit before getting an arm wringer, Saturn reverses it and Jericho kips up but eats a clotheline. Jericho fights back and slaps on a headlock, Saturn shoves him off but Jericho hits a hiptoss. Jericho comes off the ropes and blocks a hiptoss then goes through some moves but Saturn hits a belly-to-belly suplex. Saturn whips Jericho into a corner, Jericho lifts himself over Saturn but Saturn throws him into the turnbuckles and kicks him down. Saturn hits a t-bone suplex and whips Jericho then hits an elbow but Jericho dumps him over the ropes. Saturn lands on his feet on the apron but Jericho knocks him off with the springboard dropkick. Jericho hits a flying knee from the apron then suplexes Saturn onto the floor as we go to commercial.

Back from break both men are back in the ring as Saturn slaps on a sleeper but Jericho counters with a back suplex. Jericho is up first and hits a delayed vertical suplex then does the arrogant ‘foot on the chest’ cover and only gets two. Jericho applies a chinlock over his knee then slaps Saturn around before whipping him, Saturn reverses it but Jericho kicks the face. However Saturn catches Jericho with another belly-to-belly suplex then whips him but Jericho fakes him out. Saturn ducks a spinkick and goes for the Death Valley Driver, Jericho slips out but Saturn plants him with an exploder suplex for a two count. Saturn whips Jericho into a corner and hits an Atomic Drop then springboards off the ropes for a crossboy but Jericho pulls Dickinson in the way to make him take the hit. Jericho kicks Saturn below the belt and hits the Lionsault then goes to put on the Liontamer when Dickenson suddenly calls for the bell. Everyone’s wondering what the decision is when Dickenson goes over and raises Jericho’s hand, declaring him the winner by disqualification. (8:12) Apparently Dickinson DQ’ed Saturn for hitting him with the crossbody, even though Jericho pulled him in the way. Nonetheless Jericho celebrates the win and praises Dickinson’s officiating even as Saturn protests, saying he never gave up. Stupid ending to what was actually a solid match. **

~ We now check in on Goldberg by heading over to the police station which is supposedly across the street from the CNN Center and the cameraman is apparently being allowed to follow Goldberg as he’s being escorted to some room. The two cops finally inform Goldberg he’s being arrested for aggravated stalking after Miss Elizabeth filed charges against him. Goldberg denies it and tries to reason with the officer, saying how he knows him and this isn’t like him, and the officer seems to believe him but feels they still have to go through the process. The cops says Elizabeth is being interviewed by the detectives as they speak and Goldberg insists his innocence but allows them to do their job.

~ Back from break the Nitro Girls dance before we check in on our Nitro party winner, just in case anyone still cared (or ever did). The fan feels Goldberg should be freed while another guy feels he should be kept in jail.

~ We then head backstage as the detecives interview Elizabeth on Goldberg’s alleged crime. Elizabeth claims Goldberg threatened her at a water cooler and that he follows her everywhere, that in every city or hotel she stays in, there he is. Gee, could it be because you both work for the same company which is booked in that city? Elizabeth also accuses Goldberg of following her to the gym. Eventually the decetives head out to discuss this as we go to commercial. They tried to make this look like a police drama but it just comes off as silly. And yet this is what the bookers are banking on to keep people from switching to Raw?

~ Back from break we get a vignette showing Eddie Guerrero and the Latino World Order at some sort of party. The first few minutes has Eddie and friends doing several Latino stereotypes before they head inside. Basically the gist is Eddie is trying to be the center of attention with the ladies while crowding his comrades out, and before long we get a look at El Dandy, Damien and Silver King looking less that thrilled with their leader. Just a pointelss segment, and if it was going to lead anywhere it became moot after Eddie was seriously injured in an auto accident on New Year’s Day and put on the shelf for much of the year.

• Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera & Psychosis – Texas Tornado Match

Rey and Kidman are still warring with the lWo in this 3/4 rematch from the previous week, with Psychosis taking Eddie’s place. Incidentally Bobby Heenan has relieved Zbyszko at commentary but isn’t any more successful in getting Bischoff to say anything. Kidman and Psychosis start off as Rey and Juvy head to the corners, even though Texas Tornado rules allow all four to be in the ring. Both men lockup to start when Psychosis gets a headlock, Kidman shoves him away but eats a shoulderblock. Psychosis comes off the ropes and blocks a hiptoss, Kidman goes through some moves and goes for a tilt-o-whirl but Psychosis lands on his feet and hits an inverted suplex. Psychosis looks for a tag and Juvy is hesitant but Psychosis tags him anyway. Juvy argues with his partner allowing Kidman to nail him with a pair of dropkicks but Juvy dodges a third dropkick and comes back with chops. Kidman comes back with an Atomic Drop the tags Rey who comes off the rope with a huricanrana. Kidman helps Rey whip Juvy and Rey tosses him into a Ligerbomb from Kidman that gets a two count. Rey goes for a whip, Juvy reverses it and Rey does his proto-619 through the ropes and legsweeps Juvy into the ropes. Juvy dumps Rey over the ropes but Rey lands on the apron and pulls Juvy out with a huricanrana. Psychosis comes off the top rope with a flying sledge to Rey’s back while Juvy springs off the top rope with a dropkick. Rey rolls out to the floor but Psychosis slings himself over the ropes for a guillotine legdrop on the floor. Psychosis throws Rey back in the ring then climbs to the top rope and hits another flying sledge. Juvi tags back in and whips Rey into his corner then whips Psychosis for a splash but Rey dodges it and catches Juvy with a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker. Rey reaches for his corner but Psychosis cuts off his tag then knocks Kidman off the apron and the referee keeps him in the corner, even though Kidman should be able to just come in since it’s Texas Tornado rules. Juvy whips Rey and hits an over-the-shoulder backbreaker for a two count. Psychosis tags in and climbs to the top rope then leaps off but Rey dropkicks him in mid-air. Both men crawl to the corners and Juvy gets the tag but Kidman also gets the unnecessary hot tag. Texas tornado rules, remember? Kidman springboards off the top rope with a heelkick on Juvy but Psychosis nails him with a sledge. Psychosis holds Kidman as Juvy goes for a clothesline but Kidman ducks and Psychosis takes the shot. Kidman takes out both opponents with a combo move then Rey comes in and helps Kidman clothesline both men over the ropes. Kidman and Rey climb to the top rope and each hits an opponent with a plancha. Kidman throws Psychosis back in the ring and tags Rey then stis Psychosis on his shoulders as Rey sprigins off the top rope with a flying clothesline, almost like the Doomsday Device. Rey covers Psychosis but Juvy saves it then takes over with a chop. Juvy whips Rey and Rey springboardss off the ropes but Jyvi catches him into the Juvi Driver. Kidman breaks up the pin and Psychosis throws him over the ropes as Juvi chops Rey. Psychosis climbs to the top rope as Juvy goes for a whip but Rey reverses it and Juvy stops himself. Rey bumps the ropes crotching Psychosis on the turnbuckle then slides under Juvy and goes for a suplex but Juvy flips out of it and gets a waistlock. Kidman climbs to the top rope and goes for a missile dropkick but Rey, not seeing him, switches with Juvy and takes the shot instead. Juvi clotheslines Kidman over the ropes while Psychosis nails Rey with the guilltine legdrop for the pin. (7:36) Okay match with some nice spots but didn’t have any real flow. Plus why bill this as a ‘Texas tornado’ match if it ended up being a standard tag anyway? **

~ Back to the police station as the cops interrogate Goldberg about what Elizabeth said earlier. Goldberg points out the obvious, that they both work for WCW which puts them in the same hotel and books them in the same arenas. The cops mentions him following Elizabeth to a certain gym and Goldberg explains he owns the gym, which is why he’s there all the time. Goldberg then demands to be released but the cops try to calm him down and promise to keep working on the case.

~ Back from break Mean Gene Okerlund brings Kevin Nash out to ringside for his take on the Goldberg situation. Nash first mentions how he never really beat Goldberg at Starrcade, that Goldberg was screwed out of the title. That said Nash mentions he’s been watching everyting with Elizabeth unfold and in his opinion this whole thing reeks of Hollywood Hogan. Nash demands Ric Flair give him a match with Hogan tonigh since Hogan is still under contract, and he’ll take it as a warm up since he feels it’ll still be him and Goldberg for the title. Flair comes out and agrees with Nash’s accusation that Hogan must be pulling the strings then says he’s not going to let him just dance off to Hollywood and gives Nash the match. So not only do we have a bait-and-switch in the works it leads to another potential pay-per-view main event being hotshotted on free TV.

~ And we get the Nash/Goldberg match from the beginning of the show again, just to make us think there’s a possibility of that match still happening.

~ Backstage one of the detectives asks Elizabeth to repeat her story for him. Not surprisingly Elizabeth starts flubbing her story, saying “Coke machine” instead of “water cooler” and that she was getting a Pepsi (out of a Coke machine?) when Goldberg found her, wearing “red tights”, messing up the name of the gym and so on. Eventually Elizabeth goes on the defensive saying she’s the victim and demanding Goldberg be locked up before the decetives head out to confer. Elizabeth is trying to sound distraught but her supposed ‘acting skills’ are unintentionally making this hilarious.

~ As we begin the third hour Mean Gene brings Hogan himself out to the ring for an interview and Hogan first says the world of professional wrestling still revolves him. Can’t argue that, sadly. Hogan mentions his recent retirement on the Tonight Show and claims he came to Atlanta to say goodbye to the fans and announce his running mate for his presidental campaign. Hogan then says how seeing that ‘sexual deviant’ Goldberg escorted away by the cops made him sick before addressing Nash’s claims of only retiring because he was afraid to face him. Gene mentions Ric Flair making a match between him and Nash for the World Heavyweight Title and Hogan decides that he owes the fans one last retirement match so he accepts it.

And here comes Tony Schiavone’s moment of infamy, as he asks the fans not to switch to the competition before announcing Mick Foley was going to win the WWF Championship and quipping “That’ll put butts in the seats”. Apparently Bischoff though the old trick of giving away Raw’s results would convince the fans to stay with TNT and not bother switching over to USA since they already know what happens. Instead hearing that news made everyone want to switch channels to see Foley finally capture that long-awaited and long-deserved world title. WCW shoots itself in the foot again.

~ Back from break we get a clip from earlier today of Chris Jericho shooting the breeze with Scott Dickinson, putting over his officiating and suggesting he disqualify Perry Saturn should he lay a finger on him, with Dickinson agreeing. Basically this explains the decision in the Jericho/Saturn match but would have made more sense to show it before.

~ Newly crowned Television Champion Scott Steiner makes his way to the ring with Buff Bagwell in tow for a title defense but first gets on the mic to do his usual spiel, saying that now he’s TV Champ he can’t be censored. Buff then does an impression of Falcons coach Dan Reeves who recently underwent triple bypass surgery, drawing a smattering of jeers from the crowd. Steiner syas he doesn’t have a problem beating Konnan up again and wants to make someone in the crowd his next victim once he’s done.

• WCW TELEVISION TITLE: Scott Steiner © (w/Buff Bagwell) vs. Konnan

Konnan lost the title to Steiner the previous week so here’s his chance to get the belt back. Apparently the graphics guys forgot about it because Konnan’s still billed as the champion on the chyron. Once Konnan’s in the ring Steiner gets in his face while Buff punks him, so Konnan goes to take Buff out but that allows Steiner to get in the first shots. Konnan fights back and whips him but Steiner clubs him in the back. Konan throws Steiner into a corner and wails on him when Steiner tries to counter into an Atomic Drop but Konnan blocks it and clotheslines him down. Steiner rolls out ot the floor to regroup when Konnan chases him back in the ring but Buff grabs him and rams him into the ringpost. Meanwhile Tony emphasizes how their show is live while their competiton is taped and again mentions the Foley title win that’ll be shown on USA. Buff helps Steiner whip Konnan into the guardrail then Steiner rams him into the steps before Buff throws him in the ring. Steiner whips Konnan and hits a clothesline followed by an elbowdrop then stops to play to the crowd. Steiner chokes Konnan with his boot then distracts referee Charles Robinson while Buff chokes Konnan on the ropes. Steiner hits a belly-to-belly suplex then sets Konnaon on the top rope and goes up but Konnan fights him off and hits a sloppy tornado bulldog. Both men are up when Konnan goes for a whip, Steiner reverses him into a corner but eats a double boot. Konnan whips Steiner and misses a rolling clothesline but still manages to hit a really sloppy facebuster. Konnan readies for the Tequila Sunrise when Buff runs in brandishing the title belt and Konnan heads him off but that still causes Robinson to call for an immediate DQ, even though Buff didn’t actually do anything. (4:01) Awful match which shouldn’t suprise anyone. Steiner is able to come back and help Buff double-team Konnan, with Buff whacking him repeatedly with the belt. Steiner then tosses Robinson out of the ring and slaps Konnan in the Steiner Recliner as the nWo referee runs in and counts Konnan out. However Steiner’s not done and brings a chair in the ring which he uses to wear Konnan out. DUD

~ Back form break Wrath makes his way out to the ring and gets on the mic complaining about the lack of competition for him. Incidentally Bischoff finally says someting on commentary as he calls Goldberg “jail bait”. Wrath throws out an open challenge and who should answer but…

• Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Wrath

Since they’re hesitating on doing that Bigelow/Goldberg match Bigelow’s left to take on nobody of any real importance. Wrath gets in the first shots and whips Bieglow who comes back with a shoulderblock but neither man moves. Wrath hits his own shoulderblock which doesn’t budge Bigelow who gets his own shots then whips Wrath but Wrath hits a clothesline. Wrath hits a right hand and charges but tumbles out to the flor after Bigelow pulls down the top rope. Bigelow goes out and rams Wrath into the apron but Wrath fights back before Bigelow rakes his face and rams him into the ringpost. Bigelow trows Wrath back in the ring but Wrath regains control and works him over in a corner. Bigloew blocks a kick with a legwhip then headbutts the thigh and tosses Wrath out through the ropes. Bigelow goes out and whips Wrath into the apron and the crowd is sitting on their hands for this. Wrath fights back when Bigelow retakes control as the referee tried to get both men back in the ring. Bigelow rams Wrath into the steps and throws him back in the ring then brings a chair in the ring and sets up for a piledriver onto the chair. However the referee takes the chair away, distracting Bigelow enough for Wrath to hit a backdrop. Wrath clotheslines Bigelow and himself over the ropes and both men brawl on the floor again. The referee tries to break it up but he gets shoved aside and both men continue fighting as the bell sounds for a double countout or DQ. (3:57) The two could care less as they contine brawling their way to the back. Ugly match there and no one in the crowd cared. DUD

~ We check back in with the detectives as they call Miss Elizabeth out on her inconsistencies while noticing she’s constantly looking at her watch. The detectives then mention how falsifying a report counts is a federal offense and threaten to charge her with perjury when Elizabeth finally admits she may have been mistaken about the whole thing. Really. Elizabeth drops the charges while apologizing for wasting everyone’s time then offers to apologize to Goldberg for possibly costing him his title shot.

~ Back from break the Nitro Girls dance as we former Flacons coash Jerry Glanville in the crowd. Tony then says how Goldberg is due to be released soon but will have to rush back to the arena and get ready for his scheduled match.

• Diamond Dallas Page vs. Brian Adams (w/Vincent)

DDP is coming off his big win over The Giant at Starrcade, but since they don’t have a new storyline for him yet, here he is against an nWo scrub for the heck of it. Both men lockup to start when Adams goes to an arm wringer but DDP reverses it and his some shoulderblocks. Adams throws DDP to the mat, DDP trips him with a drop toehold and Adams offers a hand of friendship before slapping DDP in the face. Adams hammers away on DDP then whips him but DDP leapfrogs over him and gets in his own slap to the face. DDP peppers Adams with jabs then whips him but Adams bails out to the floor to regroup. DDP looks to go for a pescado but hesitates, waiting for Adams to get into position, then finally slings himself over the ropes to take out Adams and Vincent. DDP throws Adamans back in the ring but Vincent grabs him allowing Adams to take control. Adams whips DDP hard into a corner and pops him out through the ropes and Vincent gets in his shots on the floor before throwing him back in. Adams chokes DDP with his boot but DDP begins to fight back as we go to commercial.

Back from break DDP is powering out of a headlock when Adams throws him to the mat but DDP comes back with a clothesline. DDP gets a headlock, Adams shoves him off but DDP hits a shoulderblock. Adams goes for a hiptoss but DDP counters it and hits a swinging neckbreaker. DDP looks for the Diamond Cutter but Adams shoves him off so DDP wails on him in a corner. However Vincent distracts the referee while Adams nails DDP below the belt then drills him with a piledriver but only gets a near fall. DDP tries to fight back but Adams jabs him in the eyes then grabs him in a bearhug to make this match last even longer. DDP begins to fade as the referee checks the arm and it drops once, twice but DDP keeps it up the third time and escapes with an ear clap. Adams comes back with a tilt-o-whirl backbreaker for a two count then whips DDP for a hiptoss but DDP counters it into a bulldog. Both men are up when DDP begins to rally and caps off with a discus lariat. Adams goes for a whip, DDP reverses it and goes for a leapfrog but Adams catches him and hits an Atomic Drop. Adams whips DDP into a corner and charges but eats an elbow. DDP hops on the ropes when Vincent grabs him but DDP easily dispatches him then leaps off and catches Adams with a Diamond Cutter for the pin. (8:58) Boring match just to get DDP on the program and way too long given the result was never in doubt. DUD

~ We head back to the police station as the cops tell Goldberg of Elizabeth dropping the charges. Keep in mind this was almost 20 minutes from Elizabeth’s confession and you figure the news would have travelled faster or something. Anyway Goldberg demand the cops free him from the handcuffs and take him back to the Dome. Now the question is can he get back in time for his title shot. I bet this was done to try and hook the last few viewers before they turn over to see the Rock/Mankind match on USA (if they haven’t already).

~ Back from break Michael Buffer is in the ring ready to do the intros for the main event. Hollywood Hogan is out first in street clothesline with Scott Steiner by his side, while Nash brings Scott Hall in matching Wolfpack attire out to be in his corner. Incidentaly on Raw Jerry Lawler took his own shot at Nitro, saying Raw’s main event wouldn’t begin with just two minutes left, and sure enough here we are at two minutes to the top of the hour.

• WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: Kevin Nash © (w/Scott Hall) vs. Hollywood Hogan (w/Scott Steiner)

So here we have the battle of the nWo leaders on free TV instead of saving it for a pay-per-view. And this is Hogan’s first match since the previous October. Both men are in the ring as Nash mocks Hogan with the t-shirt tear. The two then engage in some stalling before Nash shoves Hogan. Hogan rears back and here comes the moment everyone remembers as Hogan barely touches Nash who goes down like he’s been shot. Hoan then covers and gets the 1..2..3 for the title. (1:41) After the bell Nash pops right up as he, Hogan, Steiner and Hall embrace and the nWo is whole once again. Plus Bischoff finally speaks up and congradulates the new champion.

We then cut outside as the police car carrying Goldberg arrives and Goldberg charges through the building into the ring to see what just happened. Steiner, Hall and Nash attack Goldberg one at a time only to get tosses aside. Hogan hits Goldberg with the belt and gets in his shots but Goldberg comes back with the spear.

Now this would have been okay had they just ended it here with Goldberg standing tall but here comes Lex Luger who acts like he’s on Goldberg’s side only to nail him from behind. Goldberg then sufferes a 5-on-1 beating and Luger puts him in the Torture Rack as Bischoff now won’t stop talking about it. The rest of the nWo pours into the ring while Goldberg is handcuffed to the bottom rope as Hall brings in the taser and zaps him a few times. The crowd starts throwing garbage in the ring as the nWo spraypaints their logo on Goldberg’s back and the title belt and that’s the lasting image as we’re out.

Conclusion: So just when it looked like WCW was making some headway over the last few months of 1998, here they are back to square one with the nWo back together and once again standing tall after beating down WCW’s top face in front of his hometown fans. If it wasn’t for the historical importance and notorious angle in the main event this would have been a very forgettable three hours. The in-ring action was unmemorable and packed with too much filler even with some watchable stuff and most of the angles just didn’t do it for me. Interestlingly enough Raw still beat Nitro out in the ratings as all of WCW’s moves blew up in ther faces, especially baiting-and-switching the main event they didn’t even deliver; in fact a number of fans came back to TNT after seeing Foley’s big win but after seeing the nWo coming out on top yet again they departed, never to return. In short this was the night that the WWF took the lead in the Monday Night Wars for good, and WCW wouldn’t come close to threatening them for the rest of their existence. Check out the infamous moment if you must but overall thumbs down.

Advertisement