Just to paint the picture. This Nitro was aired over two nights. There was a one hour special following an NBA playoff on the Monday and a two hour special on the Tuesday...
So the Monday hour starts with...
Opening video package - Okay
This was from a Savage promo on Thunder. He announces that Bret Hart is number one on his shit list.
Announcers talk while the Nitro Girls dance - What!?
They tell us that we're getting Chris Jericho vs Chavo Guerrero Jr for the Cruiserweight Championship and Scott Norton vs Goldberg.
Alex Wright then comes out and dances. Apparently this is his return, he's promptly led away by WCW staff.
Announcers talk while Larry Zbyszko leaves the table - Good.
Apparantly The Outsiders have been challenged by Sting & The Giant for the Tag Team Championships. They recap the division within the NWO and Savage's challenge to Bret Hart.
Kevin Nash & Randy Savage promo - Nash was great, Savage talked utter shit.
Nash did a survey with the live crowd asking if they came to see WCW or the NWO. This backfired as the reaction was equal for both.
Nash replied to Sting and The Giant accepting their challenge anytime anywhere. He explained that Hall had been on vacation and drinking pina coladas.
Nash announces that Randy Savage is officially part of the Wolfpac and threatens both Hollywood Hogan & Bret Hart.
Savage took the mic and spoke utter drivel about Hart & Hogan, he did this by talking about intergalactic bonds and a bomb going off in the middle of Hogan's body.
Nash decides enough is enough of Savage's mindless rant and takes the mic to announce the newest member of the Wolfpac... Konnan. Konnan comes out and talks crap and talks up the Wolfpac.
Video package - Good
Somehow, the recap of Hart costing Sting the World Championship is 10x better than the actual event itself.
Video package - Fine
It was a Juventud Guerrera interview about his name and his intended legacy.
Chris Jericho promo - Good fun
Jericho comes out wearing Juventud's mask around his neck on a necklace carrying the photo of Dean Malenko. He cuts a promo on Dean and congratulates him on his new job at Harry's Burger Palace. He also cuts a promo on his win over Juventud and dedicates this next match to Dean.
WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Chris Jericho vs Chavo Guerrero w/Eddie Guerrero - 1.25 / 5
The action started quick. Eddie starts shouting and Chavo and begins pulling his hair. Chavo then ducks Jericho who pulls up ahead of hitting Eddie, but Chavo dropkicks Jericho in Eddie. Jericho turns around and gets Chavo into the Liontamer for the win. The match itself was just too damn short.
Post match: Eddie squares up to Jericho, who explains that Chavo dropkicked him. Eddie then starts slapping Chavo about while Jericho shouts stuff from behind Eddie. Eddie then says "grandma is embarrassed by you" to finish the segment.
Video package - Good
Recaps Juventud losing the mask. Jericho was abhorrent during the unmasking. Once unmasked Juventud looked genuinely annoyed by the situation of losing his mask.
Video package - Ouch
We get a recap of Thunder where Buff Bagwell suffered a genuine injury after a botched bulldog by Rick Steiner. Buff was temporarily paralysed and you can even see him telling Rick Steiner "I can't move".
Announcers - Fine
They wonder what Bret Hart's intentions are.
Video package - Fine
More from Savage's Thunder promo on Bret Hart.
Hollywood Hogan, the Disciple & Eric Bischoff promo - Fine
Bischoff asks Hogan what's left for him because he's done everything. Hogan agrees and says he'll just keep being great. He turns his attention to Nash & Savage and talks shit. He then insults Konnan as their first choice for the Wolfpac and is generally racist towards him and Mexicans. He also addresses the Bret situation.
Video package - Fine
Recap of the moment Hart hit Piper.
Scott Norton vs Goldberg - 1 / 5
Norton looks like shit and was a f*cking terrible wrestler. The 1 is for Goldberg only.
Also, Goldberg wins and goes 77-0
Announcers - Hilarity
Zbyszko & Shiavone call Bret Hart selfish and an impact plater. Mike Tenay in a very genuine tone makes it clear he's bored of speculation and that everyone should shut up and wait for Bret to explain himself. They cut to Gene Okerlund who calls out Bret Hart for...
Bret Hart promo - Pointless
Okerlund asks why, Hart dodges the question.
Bret says it's nice to be in the house that Hollywood Hogan built. (Now we know where AJ got his schtick).
Bret takes a big shit on the whole business and says it's just a selfish money ride.
Bret eventually says that we'll all find out why he did what he did, but he'll only tell us when he's face to face with Hogan.
Okerlund sticks it on Bret, but the interview is clearly over. Bret leaves and that's the end of hour 1 which aired on the Monday)
We now go into hour two & three, which was filmed live on the Tuesday as a separate show.
Disco Inferno vs Chris Benoit 3.5 / 5
Perfectly acceptable wrestling.
I popped for the moment Benoit did a flying headbutt with pin that Disco kicked out of, and Benoit turned the kickout seamlessly into the crossface for the win.
Video package - Excellent
All about Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho promo - Good.
Jericho comes out with Malenko's music and mimicks him and cuts a promo.
WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Chris Jericho vs Psychosis - 3.75 / 5
Decent wrestling match, Jericho cleverly reversed a Frankensteiner into the Liontamer for the win. Another match which ended awesomely without overbooked bullshit.
Barbarian w/Jimmy Hart vs Rocco Rock - 0.0 / 5 DUD!
Match was whatever. Ref gets distracted, Hugh Morrus attacks Rock, Johnny Grunge then comes and attacks Morrus. The ref then uses his supreme booking powers to make this a tag team street fight, so we get...
Barbarian & Hugh Morrus vs Public Enemy - 0.0 / 5 DUDDER!
Morrus quickly gets put through a table and Barbarian big boot's a trash can into Johnny Grunge's face for the win.
Announcers - Okay
They tell us we're getting Bret Hart vs Randy Savage at Slamboree.
Video package - Good
Juventud highlight package.
Kidman vs Juventud Guerrera - 3.25 / 5
Kidman looks like an awkward teenager, Juventud looks a million dollars in comparison, but the match gets a 3.25 for the action. The post match was just bullshit.
Kidman hits a low blow in full view of the referee... so is this Raven's Rules?
Solid cruiserweight match otherwise. Juventud won with the 450 splash.
Post match: The Flock who were at ringside the entire match decide now is the time to attack Juventud.
Alex Wright Interview - Awful
Okerlund asks where Wright's been for 5 months. He says he was on vacation in Germany but that now he's come back to this pig sty. He calls WCW management morons. Alex begins dancing and Gene clearly wants none of it. He says it's too much and asks for the interview to be cut. It is.
WCW Television Championship
Eddie Guerrero w/Chavo vs Booker T - 3.5 / 5
Solid wrestling again!
Eddie uses such subtle cheating and his facials and eyes whilst doing it are spectacular. He is absolutely the best to ever do the whole "cheat to win" thing.
Eddie attempts to pin Booker with his feet on the ropes and Chavo tells the ref. Eddie turns and asks what the hell Chavo is doing. Eddie then turns into the Harlem Side Kick and gets Missile Dropkicked for the win.
Post match: Eddie berates Chavo.
Marty Janetty vs Saturn w/Kidman - 0.75 / 5
Marty Jobnetty.
Saturn wins with the Death Valley Drive in less than 5 minutes.
DDP interview / Raven video - Fine
DDP calls out Raven, instead he gets Kidman & Sick Boy. Kidman says Raven couldn't make it but that they have a video for him.
During the video Raven is against a wall, he insults Page's childhood.
Page then gives Sickboy a Diamond Cutter.
Video package - Good
It showcased Goldberg winning the US Title.
Jerry Flynn vs Goldberg - Gone in 60 Seconds.
Goldberg is 78-0 in less than 60 seconds.
Michael Buffer - Excellent
I would never get bored of his main event introductions.
NWO (Konnan, Brian Adams & Scott Steiner w/Vincent) vs WCW (Sting, Giant & Lex Luger) 0.0 / 5
The only thing about this match is that the crowd were hot for this one.
I full expected a clusterf*ck, this did not happen. Match wasn't much of a match. Konnan & Steiner attempt to tag Adams, but Adams drops off the apron and leaves. Steiner & Konnan then leave to Team WCW win by count-out.
The announcers guess Adams is either aligning with Hogan or quitting NWO all over.
Bret Hart face to face with Hogan. - Eh.
Now here's the clusterf*ck we expected.
Gene Okerlund, Bret Hart, Hollywood Hogan, the Disciple and Bischoff are all out in the ring.
Okerlund asks Hart what he wants to say. Bret says that he has always looked up to Hogan and he talks him up as being a big money draw.
Bret says "The reason I wanted Hogan to be champion is..." he's then cut off by Savage entering the ring and attacking him. The Disciple & Hogan get control of Savage, Hart then attacks him while Hogan and The Disciple hold him.
We go off air.
Summary
- Best episode I've watched yet, particularly for the matches in hour two.
- There were A LOT of video packages and recaps. They seem to recap Savage's promo's one line at a time over the full three hours, so much so, I stopped including them.
- Juventud Guerrera comes out of the show looking a million dollars with three video packages, a win and a great Cruiserweight Championship Match with Jericho.
- I f*cking hate Alex Wright's apperances. Not even in a "he's drawing heat from me". I just hate him and he should not be on my screen. Scott Norton can fuck off too, trash wrestler.
- Why the hell is the ref able to book matches and add stipulations? That irked me.
- Only one red mark for sheer WCW fuckery. So all in all a mostly enjoyable show.
Tale of the ratings
WWF Raw - 5.7
WCW Nitro - 1.72
They were not head to head and the ratings info doesn't state if this is for the post NBA show on the Monday or the 6pm show on the Tuesday.
XIV Reviews WCW Nitro (April 27th 1998)
XIV Reviews WCW Nitro (April 27th 1998)
Have A Nice Day!
Re: XIV Reviews WCW Nitro (April 27th 1998)
That's "Former IWGP Champion Scott Norton" to you sir!
NWK Reviews is closed for business for now.
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