Happy new year, everybody! But never mind your Auld Lang Syne, we've got some baggage to unpack after the prior week's Starrcade PPV. Ric Flair is the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and it doesn't seem as if he'll have much time to take a rest as he defends his championship tonight against, who else, Hogan-Sempai. Can I just go back to talking about the Raw Bowl again instead?
Also, why the hell is Pepe dressed like Mr. Hat?
Speaking of the shenanigans that befell Starrcade, opening action tonight is Arn Anderson taking on former champion "Macho Man" Randy Savage. It was Arn's involvement that cost Savage the title and thus Savage isn't waiting to get some payback. Arn sneak attacks Savage to start, getting in a few cheap shots in until Savage turns things around, throwing the enforcer out of the ring. He goes in on the attack, digging his fingers into the face and ramming into the barricade. Bischoff also takes this time to spoil the "toilet bowl" by saying that the Gunns won.
Both men get back into the ring as Both men exchange blows. Savage reverses a whip, but Arn tries for a sunset flip to no avail. Inverse atomic drop by Savage. He goes to the top and hits an ax handle. Cover only gets a two. He rakes Arn into the ropes and follows with an elbow. Arn gets a thumb to the eye and gets an arm breaker to the injured elbow. He slams Savage to the mat, dropping him on the bad elbow and sending Savage to the outside.
Savage smashes Arn into the barricade and returns to the ring. Arn comes back by working the arm. Arn begins to unravel Savage's tape and continues to damage the arm. He then takes Savage's arm and rams it into the pole. Arm Bar from Arn, using the ropes for leverage. Savage gets some punches in, but Arn takes im back down, continuing to work the arm. Savage punches Arn into the corner, but the arm is still sore. He tries a whip, but can't do it. Arn throws him to the corner, but Savage gets some boots in. He tries to attack, but gets caught in a DDT from Arn. Cover only gets a two as Savage gets the ropes. The referee gets knocked down. Arn tries to use the foreign object from last night, but Savage turns it around, hitting Arn with the object and getting the win. Benoit and Pillman yell at the referee as Savage celebrates.
Speaking of Benoit, he's up next against Lord Steven Regal. Finally we get some actual Regal on this blog. Bischoff once again spoils the Raw Bowl results. Arm drag takedown by Regal early as he keeps Benoit down on the mat. Benoit gets up, but Regal follows with some headbutts, which prove ineffective as Benoit takes him down. We cut to Hank Aaron in the front row as we see Regal land some European uppercuts. He locks in a headlock, taking Benoit back down to the mat. Cover attempts, but Benoit keeps kicking out. Some of the crowd chants Horsemen as Benoit tries to get up, only for Regal to get a drop toe hold.
After a quick STF hold, Regal takes Benoit to the corner for some chops. Benoit comes right back with a fast German Suplex. He tries to continue offense, but Regal turns things into a butterfly suplex. Cover attempts again, but Benoit kicks out every time. Benoit comes back with a clothesline and a throw to the buckle. He sets Regal up for a back superplex, but Regal gets in some elbows to the face. Benoit catches Regal for the electric chair drop. Benoit goes up for the diving headbutt, but Regal gets out of the way (as I wince at every single head shot Benoit takes). Regal tries a tombstone, but Benoit turns it into one of his own. Regal rolls outside as Benoit planchas over the ropes. Regal escapes, causing Benoit to crash and burn again. Regal covers for the win.
A really good match with a lot of focus on technical, mat based work. Both men worked well, the more hard hitting moments looked great (though again, any time Benoit gets his head smacked, I wince now), and the ending made sense as Benoit's poor decision making cost him the match. Shame that like a lot of these matches the time crunch hurts it, but we still got an entertaining affair.
Mean Gene is in the ring with Pillman, Arn and Benoit. Pillman is none too happy that his fellow Horsemen have been losing. Benoit tells Brian that the only way any wrestler can beat him is by sheer luck and that's all that Regal had tonight. Pillman chastises Arn for losing to a move from the Horsemen playbook, to which Arn responds saying that Pillman's been starting wards they don't need to fight. He says that they went too far with Orndorff and now the Dungeon of Doom. Speaking of the Dungeon of Doom, Sullivan and Zodiac try to make it to the ring before the Giant holds the two of them back and brings them back.
Up next, it's Sting and Lex Luger in action against the Super Assassins (with Colonel Parker). The assassins are the former Warlord and Barbarian (or as we knew him from TOTNG, Sione of the Headshrinkers). While this is going down, Sargeant Pittman is back at the announce position. Now he's asking Mongo to manage him. And once again, he is rejected. Back in the ring, Sting works both Assassins, double teaming them with clotheslines. However, that momentum gets stopped as one of the assassins throws Sting into the guardrail.
Barbarian Assassin gets Sting in a backbreaker hold. Sting slides out, but is quickly knocked back down. Quick back and forth tags as the assassins land a double shoulder block. Cover only gets a two. Tag to Barbarian Assassin Who puts in a headlock. Luger gets a tag, but the referee was distracted, allowing the assassins to Double Team Sting. Suplex and cross body combo by the Assassins who cover for two. Powerbomb by Barbarian Assassin who then goes up for a diving headbutt, but Sting escapes. Tag to Luger who throws Barbarian Assassin to the corner and lands a clothesline. Thumb to the eye by the Assassin who triers to whip Luger, but Luger throws the assassin into the other. Luger locks in a torture rack as Sting locks in the Scorpion Death Lock to get the win in a basic tag match. But what's important about it is that after months of saying they're on the same page, we finalyl get to see that in action.
Mean Gene is with Jimmy Hart and the Giant. Hart says that Hogan should have kept an eye on him because he's switching gears. One night you might see him with Ric Flair, the other he might be with Kevin Sullivan. Giant says that Hogan has beaten him emotionally and spiritually, and physically with the chair. He promises that Hogan will get his like he's never got it before.
it's main event time. Ric Flair defends his newly won WCW title against Hulk Hogan. Hogan, who last we saw was suspended for bashing everyone with a chair like the prick he is. Lock up, but Hogan shoves Flair to begin. Shoulder block by Hogan as Flair is unable to quell the balding orange menace. Headlock by Flair, but Hogan follows with another shoulder block. Hogan twists the wrist of Flair, but Flair gets him into the corner and lands a chop and a punch. Hogan backs to the other corner and takes some more strikes by Flair. Flair trips Hogan and then tries another whip, but Hogan blocks it, only to take more chops until he decides to no-sell.
Hogan gets in a few more strikes until Flair gets an elbow to the face. Flair goes up, but Hogan grabs him and throws him off the top buckle. He follows with a clothesline that sends Flair over the ropes. Hogan rams Flair into the barricade, but Flair blocks and hits a thumb to the eye. Flair throws Hogan into the barricade, but Hogan just no-sells it. I sense a pattern here. Rake in the eyes by Hogan and a throw to the buckle, complete with Flair flip. Hogan clotheslines Flair. Flair comes back with a thumb to the eye and a chop block. Flair begins to work the leg with a knee drop and a stomp. He wedges the leg on the bottom rope and drops his weight on it. Flair locks in a figure four, but Hogan turns it around. Jimmy Hart shows up to distract Hogan as Flair hits another kick to the leg. Flair continues to work the leg and makes a cover, which means, it's Hulk Up time. Hogan no-sells the offense and lands some punches on Flair. Boot and the dropped leg. Jimmy Hart distracts Hogan...
Allowing Arn to hit Hogan with the loaded fist. Hogan jumps right back up.
Hogan lays out Arn with the weapon, but gets caught by the referee, forcing a disqualification. He jabs all of the horsemen with the loaded fist. The foursome beg him off as Giant literally comes in with a wooden stool.
Savage makes the save as Hogan decks Giant with the weapon. The Dungeon of Doom try to keep Giant back, sending him up the ramp. Zodiac going against saying his normal "Yes" and "No" to saying "Friend" and Hurt. Brother Beefer is slowly returning. Mean Gene is in the ring with Hogan and Savage. Hogan says that Savage's business has become his business. He says that if the horsemen have any guts, they'll face them next week on Nitro. Savage says they have unfinished business and backs Hogan's statements. Hogan shows the loaded knucks and says that monkey see, monkey do, brother. He has to get through the Horsemen to chop down the big stinky giant, so he has to go to infinity and beyond with Savage next week.
A pretty solid episode of Nitro following Starrcade. Savage vs Arn was all right, Benoit and Regal was great despite the lack of time, Sting and Luger working together as a unit against the Assassins continues the intrigue involving this "best friends" angle. But man, I did not miss Hogan these past few episodes. Same annoying no-selling and annoying as hell antics take me out of this match. Also, Savage gets decked with the knucks and he's out like a light. Hogan gets decked and he pops right up. Get bent with that noise. Despite that, Nitro emerges with a B- rating.
WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #16: RAW
Granted, Nitro definitely had more star power this week, but I actually came out of the Raw Bowl enjoying it more than most of what WCW cooked up on this edition. Save for maybe the Billionaire Ted stuff, Raw was a more fun sit as the Raw Bowl match was pretty good despite the football bollocks. Part of me is glad to see the Mabel push officially end in eight seconds from Diesel, plus friggin Vader is on the way. We're tied up with eight a piece as Raw comes back stronger this week.
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