With Raw airing on a Thursday this week, Nitro once again is unopposed on Monday Night, It's September 18th, 1995 and Monday Nitro is live in the Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City Tennessee. We kick off the show with an ambulance entering the building with Taskmaster and Giant in tow. Giant is happy with how he sent Hogan out of Fall Brawl in an ambulance the night prior and claims to be the one true immortal. His daddy Andre would be proud to have seen what happened to Hogan at the hands of his gigantic sonny boy.
Opening action tonight The Blue Bloods, Bobby Eaton and Steven Regal taking on The American Males, Marcus Bagwell and Scotty Riggs. Just a note, American Males have the greatest bad theme of all time. Or at the very least among the top contenders. However, Harlem Heat take out Eaton and Regal before hand and head to the ring to confront Bagwell and Riggs. Booker gloats about winning the tag titles and he and Stevie decide to put their new titles on the line right now.
Tag to Booker T who lands a beautiful jumping kick to Riggs. Cover only gets a two however. Riggs tries a sunset flip, but Stevie Ray gets the tag. Body slam by Stevie who tags in Booker. He tries a flipping leg drop, but misses. Riggs fights out of the corner and tags in Bagwell, who lays in some dropkicks to both men, until Stevie blocks it. Colonel Parker arrives and takes Sherri, who was about to nail Bagwell with a shoe. In the fracas, Bagwell coulters a slam with a cross body for the three. New tag champions, The American Males.
Not a bad opener. It did a better job at showing how good a team Harlem Heat are moreso than Scotty and Marcus, who really didn't impress that much in the match. But for the big upset win and to continue this angle with Sister Sherri and Colonel Parker, it does the job well enough.
Mean Gene is in the ring to interview Ric Flair. Ric's facing Pillman tonight, but in terms of the incident of the prior evening, he says that Arn broke the code, by bringing an outsider into the forbidden land of the Horsemen. He promises to chop Pillman so hard that Boomer Esiason will feel it in Long Island, and then he'll find Arn and kick his ass, brother. Another excellent manic Flair promo.
"Woooooooooooooonderfuuuuuuuuuuuuuul! They call him Mr. Wooooooooooooooonderfuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuul!" It's the new and improved "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. if I said the American Males had the best bad theme, well Willie's a Stinkin' Liar, because this one is the true taker of the crown. It's Orndorff in action against Johnny B. Badd. Orndorff's right arm isn't so wonderful, as it looks weak and atrophied. Nonetheless, he starts strong with some stomps and chokes early on to Badd, taking him in the corner. The referee pulls Orndorff back, and after some jaw jacking, he gets caught with a hiptoss and body slam by Badd. Badd goes up, but gets caught by a boot from Orndorff as we go to break.
When we return, Badd tries a splash, but gets caught with some knees by Orndorff. Orndorff goes up, but misses a splash as Badd gets out of the way.Some lefts by Badd sends Orndorff to the outside. Plancha by Badd, who follows with an ax handle. Cover, but Ortndorff kicks out. Piledriver attempt by Orndorff is countered with a back drop by Badd who lands some clotheslines. Orndorff counters a piledriver, but Badd goes for a sunset flip, only for Orndorff to put his weight down and get the three.
A pretty standard match. For all my complaints of Pillman/Badd being too long, my complaint this time around is the match didn't have enough time to show how good he can go. Orndorff looked pretty good and everything in the match was pretty crisp and looked good. Overall, nothing special, but at least the new outlook for Mr. Wonderful is working out so far.
We cut to behind the scenes antics from the filming of a Baywatch episode as Savage is busy lifting weights, only fo Taskmaster to come up from behind and choke him with the barbell. And the girls looking on react to this sinister attack with laughter and smiles. I guess you can't send for the man if he's being choked out. He throws some Sand and lays in some shots until he's dragged off by Flair.
Cue Mean Gene in the ring to interview Randy Savage in a blinding red and white outfit. He says thanks but no thanks to Flair for the assist, and in terms of the snake the Taskmaster, he'll cut the head off him. When it comes to Hogan, he doesn't know if he's in the hospital or at home, but the strong will survive, much like Hogan. He brings up how Hogan's a terrible judge of character and is convinced that Luger intentionally attacked him at Fall Brawl. Savage is drawing a line in the sand, you're either with him or against him. He promises that the Dungeon of Doom will soon have Luger, Jimmy Hart and Sting involved.
Luger arrives to defend himself involving the personal agendas. He says that Savage is would up because of jealousy. He claims that Savage wants to also be WCW champ, hence having a personal agenda. Savage agrees with Luger, but he's still convinced it was a cheap shot. Luger challenges Savage to a fight and Savage is ready to accept, but tonight is not the night for that. Awesome promo from Savage. God I missed hearing him after a year of not being involved in the blog.
After recapping the Hogan motorcycle incident and the attack on Hogan at Fall Brawl, it's time for our main event. It's Brian Pillman taking on Ric Flair. Pillman takes Flair in early with some chops, but Flair shows him who the man is with some hard chops of his own. Some eye pokes by Pillman, but Flair is right back with some fists and a toss out of the ring. Flair goes up and his an ax handle to the outside on to Pillman. He lands some more hard chops on the outside and continue to strut his stuff. Flair brings Pillman back into the ring, but Pillman is quick to drop the neck on the ropes and bring Flair back in with some hard chops.
Flair gets flipped over the buckle, but he ducks a clothesline and hits one of his own. Flair goes up for an ax handle, but Pillman lands a dropkick. He covers using the ropes, but Flair kicks out. Pillman begins to work the arm by smashing it into the steel buckle and into the barricade. However, Flair comes back with some chops and a drop neck first into the barricade for a taste of Pillman's medicine. Pillman goes for a Sunset Flip, but Flair is quick to lands a fist, and several more square on the forehead of Pillman. Pillman hits a chop, but Flair gets a boot in. He goes up, but Pillman throws him off. Pillman goes up for himself, but Flair dodges a flying knee drop. Flair goes for a figure four, but Pillman rolls him up for two. Shoulder block by Pillman takes both men down. Flair hits a back suplex and locks in the figure four for the win.
A really good main event. Flair looked great as always, Pillman got in some great offense. The match lasted as long as it needed. And unlike the personal respect-based match that was Flair and Anderson, this match being more of a brawl made perfect sense. Overall, two of the greats putting on a great match. Not a bad way to end a night of wrestling.
Making good on his word to beat Pillman, Flair now wants Arn Anderson. He says that if it's not tonight, then on next Monday on Nitro, Arn is gonna get his ass kicked by the Nature Boy. As Bischoff runs down the card, Heenan tries to tell him that something is going on backstage. We don't get our answer as to what as we end this week's edition of Monday Nitro.
A really good episode of Nitro. The title change at the beginning was a great surprise even if I don't think it really made American Males look that good in victory. Flair being a mad man gunning for revenge on both Arn and Pillman is intriguing, Giant gloating in his destruction of Hogan was satisfying, as was his match with Pillman. I like the continued paranoia of Randy Savage and his feud with Luger. But most importantly, I gotta gush over just how amazing Orndorff's theme was.
For a show after the mediocre Fall Brawl, this was a great way to capture my interest. An A- is the right rating to give.