Emanating from Jacksonville, Florida, we have us another edition of Nitro. It's a "fans call the shot" edition where fans can choose the two men who will face off in the main event. I guess in this case...
HEY KIDS! ERIC WANTS YOUR DOLLAR!
Opening action on Nitro is Cobra taking on The Giant. Notable audio error as the Dungron of Doom music plays first. This is technically Giant's title defense despite the fact that he still isn't officially WCW champion.
This is it. This... this is literally the entire match. Well, my night's been pretty easy so far.
Gene Okerlund is in the red locker room (despite not looking too red) With the heel contingent of wrestlers that the fans can vote for in tonight's main event. We got Scott Norton, Sharkquake, Flair, DDP and Big Bubba Boss Man. Also the Bluebloods sipping tea in the back. Over in the blue locker room we have The Nasty Boys, Johnny B. Badd, Mr. J.L, Sting, Dave Sullivan, Alex Wright and Hacksaw. While Sharkquake and Norton are at each other's throats...
Hacksaw's just throwing his wood around (phrasing).
Up next, it's a banner night for the Dungeon of Doom as Taskmaster takes on The Renegade. Renegade runs into the ring and lays out Sullivan with multiple clotheslines. A distraction from Jimmy Hart helps Sullivan gain control. Hart keeps yelling that Renegade could have been "the next Hulk Hogan" (HA!) as Sullivan brings Renegade back in. Sullivan lays in some chops, then tries a slingshot senton, only for Renegade to avoid and land some strikes, including a handspring elbow. Sullivan avoids contact from a corner boot, which ties up Renegade allowing for some shots by sullivan. He follows with a double knee drop off the top rope for the win in a super rushed match.
Post-match, Jimmy Hart washes the R off Renegade's face, still telling him that he could have been the next Hogan. Not the next Warrior, mind you since, you know, that's the gimmick. All his is now is just plain, old Rick. Holy six feet under burial, Batman.
Another heel promo building up for the poll for tonight's main event. Sharkquake and Norton brawl, causing the lights to go out. Flair improvs as the lights go on by saying that like god, the lights go off and on at his command. He is just the frigging best.
Up next, we have Chris Benoit in action against Eddy Guerrero. Well, their last one-on-one was awesome stuff, so I'm ready for this. Sneak attack by Benoit early on followed by an elbow to the face. Snap suplex connects with ease, followed by some hard chops and a back suplex. He stomps down Eddy and follows with a spinebuster into a lion tamer. Really hot open with Benoit looking super aggressive. Befitting of a Canadian Crippler.
But let's cut away from this match to focus on the Japanese buffet table in the crowd as Sonny Oono is with several Japanese names, including Jushin Liger. Bischoff and Mongo still can't grasp what Heenan is up to since he sold WCW Saturday programming to Oono last week.
Back in the ring, Benoit goes for a powerbomb, but Eddy counters with some athletic arm drags and a tilt-a-whirl slam. Great house of fire comeback. Eddy gets an elbow, which sends Benoit to the outside. Benoit avoids a running plancha, which forces Eddy to change his plans and dive off the top buckle on to Benoit. Eddy brings Benoit back in and hits a brainbuster. He goes up top, but Benoit recovers, landing a superplex, landing on the back of his head (which I gotta admit, makes me cringe in hindsight). Cover only gets a two. Hard powerbomb to Eddy and a delayed cover for two.
Short arm clothesline from Benoit. He tries for something off a whip, but Eddy gets a roll up for two. Benoit whips hip again, but gets caught in another variation of a roll up for two. German suplex by Benoit only gets a two, so he tries for a second, but turns it around into a northern lights suplex for two. He tries a full nelson suplex, but Eddy makes it to the ropes, so he suplexes Eddy into the ropes instead. He tries a suplex over the ropes but Eddy escapes as the two brawl. Back suplex is turned into a cover by Eddy, who gets the three despite Benoit getting his feet on the ropes. Excellent match, just as great as their last. Definitely felt far more aggressive than their last affair, that's for certain.
The votes have been tabulated and the results are, to the shock of nobody, Sting vs Ric Flair. Sting attacks Flair early on, laying in some fists. He follows with a press slam and some corner punches. Clothesline to the outside from Sting. Flair tries to come back with chops, but no avail. As he begs Sting off, the Stinger continues his outside assault. Flair comes back with a suplex to the outside, but Sting no-sells. Sting leaps at Flair, but Flair dodges, causing Sting to crash face first into the steel barricade.
When we return from commercial break, Flair is in full control, landing some hard chops and a boot to the ribs. Back suplex by the Nature Boy, who then goes for the patented figure four leg lock, using the ropes for leverage. Sting pulls Flair to the middle of the ring and turns the hold around, but Flair is quick to escape. More no-selling from Sting who takes no damage from the strikes of Flair. Another press slam by Sting and a hiptoss, followed by a dropkick. But Flair comes back with a thumb to the eye and a throw to the outside.
Ax handle off the apron by Flair, followed by a rake at the eyes. Flair goes for a chair, but the referee grabs it away from him. Sting and Flair are back in as Flair uses the ropes for a cover, only for Sting to constantly kick out. Another cover by Flair is turned around into a backslide by Sting for a two count. Flair goes up, but he gets caught and slammed to the mat. He begs off Sting, but Sting lays in multiple hard shots in the corner. The referee tries to interfere, but Sting just sets him up on the top rope. This gives Flair enough time to hit him with what appears to be brass knuckles. Elbow drop by Flair, who covers, but Sting still kicks out.
Flair tries a chop, but Sting is back to no sell mode. Another press slam followed by a superplex. He goes right into the scorpion death lock for the win. However, much like Bret Hart and Jerry Lawler at Summerslam 1993, he doesn't let go of the hold. Referees and wrestlers try to get him to let go of the hold. He breaks the hold, but eventually goes back for it. Luger arrives, and gets in Sting's face, which makes the Stinger immediately break the hold. Sting and Luger leave together.
A really good match. Better than their Nitro debut match. Far more back and forth, a few more spots than just press slams (though there were several here), and with the recent intensity of this feud since Halloween Havoc, the ending makes perfect sense as Sting doesn't just want a win over Flair, he wants to destroy the Nature Boy. The lack of Pillman and Arn is surprising, but I'm glad they weren't involved honestly as we got a solid back and forth main event out of it. And we continue to add more layers to Luger as now the question of where Sting's allegiances lie become more evident.
Mean Gene is with Giant, Taskmaster and Jimmy Hart. Hart says that while Hogan was making "B Grade" movies (wow, what a shot) he was using his power of attourney behind the scenes. He signed the title match at Halloween Havoc and says that he added the stipulation that if Hogan lost the match by DQ, he would lose the title. So now it's in writing, the Giant is the WCW champion. Okerlund anticipated this, so he brings an attourney to the ring. Unfortunately, Jimmy Hart is partially correct. But Giant is still not the world champ, as commissioner Bockwinkel has stated that because of the shenanigans at Halloween Havoc (I.E Mummy Bumming), the title is now vacated and will be defended in the 60-man world war 3. They try to take the belt, but Giant is against it. Sullivan is confident in Giant's abilities in the battle royal, so he gives the belt back as Nitro comes to a close.
This was an excellent edition of Nitro. Two great matches with Sting/Flair and Benoit/Guerrero, the former continuing to go down multiple odd paths now that Sting and Luger seems to be in collusion. Lots of crazy shenanigans like the quick squash with Giant and Cobra, Jimmy Hart kicking Renegade to the curb, and the wackiness from the heel and face locker rooms as the voting was underway. Everything felt unpredictable and fun, which is definitely something that the 1995 product so often sorely lacks. and for that, I have to give this Nitro a strong A+. A perfect use of an hour.
WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #9: NITRO
Perhaps it was too obvious, but yeah, Nitro crushed Raw this week. Granted, Raw was still pretty good with the Marty/Bulldog match and Bret/Hakushi vs Lawler/Yankem, but it just couldn't hold a candle to that excellent episode of Nitro. The WWF's been slagging lately while Nitro is a well oiled machine, earning their 6th win so far.