We open Nitro rather abruptly as Sting and the Giant are staring each other down. Apprently Jimmy Hart had paid off Harlem Heat and the Giant for a tag match that never happened. Instead the Giant spits at Sting, which prompts the Stinger to go in on the offensive. Sting clips the knee then hits a diving chop block off the top. Giant begins to no-sell offense. Sting ducks clotheslines and tries a cross body to no avail. Giant lands an elbow drop then throws Sting to the outside. He continues to throw Sting around, then tosses him back into the ring. Giant tries a chokeslam, but Sting turns it into a kick that sends the big man falling off the apron.
Lex Luger arrives to Sting's side as this match is suddenly thrown off. Giant and Hart make their leave as Giant yells to the camera, saying that the only reason Sting is alive is that Luger was there. Cut right to the Nitro opening credits. We get the recap from moments earlier as Jimmy Hart hands Booker nad Stevie Ray some sort of envelope to quit their match.
Our next mat is a triangle tag match. The Steiner Brothers, the Road Warriors and the Nasty Boys. Rick and Knobbs start things off as both men hit some stiff strikes. Rick ducks a clothesline and catches Knobbs in a powerslam. Elbow and a cover, but Saggs makes the save. Dropkick by Steiner while Animal sneak tags Rick. Clothesline and elbow from Animal. He tries a dive, but gets a throat full of ropes. Tag to Saggs who lays in strikes on Animal. Hawk gets a sneak tag as does Scott, who hits a pumphandle slam. Hawk ducks a clothesline, but both men collide with clotheslines.
Hawk charges to the corner, but Scott avoids, causing him to crash into the post. Steiner whips Hawk, but Hawk turns it into a neckbreaker. Fist drop and a cover, but Scott kicks out at two. Tag to Animal who hits a shoulder block. Animal ducks a clothesline from Scott, but gets hit hard by Rick. Tag to Rick, who locks in a reverses facelock until Hawk makes a save. Scott comes in and hits a belly to belly, but Saggs starts laying in elbows and a leg drop. Tag to Knobbs and a tag to Rick. Rights by Rick who hits a forearm. Cover, but Knobbs kicks out.
We get a brawl on the outside with all three men around ringside. Order is restored as Scott tags in Rick as the Steiners try to double team Animal. Animal tags Hawk who hits a shoulder block that sends Rick spinning. Hawk transitions into a front facelock then adding a leg grapevine. Tags to Animal and Scott who try a test of strength. Knobbs tags in and attacks Scott. Scott however hits a big clothesline. Suplex from Knobbs who covers, but both Hawk and Rick break it. Tag to Saggs who lays headbutts and strikes. Rib breaker from Saggs who covers for two. Tag to Knobbs who hits a clothesline and an elbow. Cover, but Animal makes the save. Another fracas from the teams as the LOD battle with Saggs while the Steiners work Knobbs.
When we return from a commercial break, it's Animal and Rick. Double collision from both men. Hawk and Saggs make tags as Hawk begins to no-sell offense. Whip and a powerslam from Hawk. Tag to Knobbs who gets a boot and a clothesline. Splash and a cover, but Rick breaks it. Tag to Knobbs who hits a bulldog. Cover, but Rick breaks it, hitting a nice German suplex. Tag to Scott and tag to Saggs they brawl some more as Saggs lands an elbow. Tag to Animal who hits an ax handle to Scott. Tag to Rick who brawls some more with Animal. Knobbs comes in and hits a slam, Knobbs and Rick get knocked out of the ring.
Out of nowhere Public Enemy show up with Johnny Grunge dressed as Brian Knobbs. Rocco Rock beats down Knobbs while Grunge tries his hand at twin magic. Scott covers "knobbs" to get the win as the Public Enemy play mind games with the Nasty Boys. As for the tag match, it was fun. Nothing technically sound within, but for three teams beating the hell out of each other for about fifteen minutes, it delivered. Bizarre ending with the Public Enemy, but it furthers their issues with the Nasties, so I don't have that much of an issue.
Up next, it's a tag match. Kevin Sulivan and Arn Anderson taking on Hulk Hogan and The Booty Man. Heenan drops a comment that this will be his last night on Nitro. April Fools! At least someone knew what day this was. Right hand by Booty to start followed by an atomic drop. Punches from Hogan and Booty who then atomic drops Sullivan out of the ring. Arn drags Booty to the outside and smashes him into the barricade. Arn argues with teh Booty Babe, allowing Hogan to hit a clothesline. Double big boot from the faces on Arn.
Sullivan comes in and gets a boot of his own. He goes up top, but gets thrown off at the hands of the Booty Man. High Knee from Booty sends Sullivan rolling outside. Booty grabs him, but Sullivan rakes the face. Tag to Arn wo begins arm work with a wringer. Ice cold tag to Hogan. Hogan blocks a chop and hits several punches. Arn reverses a whip, but Hogan gets in the elbow to the face. Arn hits an elbow, but Hogan then grabs him and hits a stun gun off the ropes. Cover, but Sullivan tries to break it with an elbow drop, only to end up hitting Arn. Hogan throws Arn into the boot of Booty and makes the tag. Double clothesline. Cover from Booty only gets a two.
Sunset flip on Arn. Sadly no "Aloha Arn" as he quickly tags in Sullivan who hammers down on Beefcake. Tag to Arn who allows Woman to rake the nails into the eyes of Booty. Hogan distracts the referee as Sullivan throws Booty to the outside. Arn brings him back in to to the ropes and catapults him throat-first. Sullivan comes back in and both he and Booty collide. Another tag to Hogan that feels frigid as Hogan goes on his basic assault.
Boot to Sullivan followed by one to Arn who rolls to the outside. Woman hands Sullivan her shoe, while, like a babyface would, Kimberly takes one of her shoes off and hands it to Hogan, who clocks Sullivan with it to get the win in a rather dull match. Not even a lot of the basic Hogan stuff like Hulking up or anything. Felt really like a "I want to get the hell out of here as soon as possible" feeling.
Post-match, the heels attack the Booty Man as Hogan sends them in retreat. Mean Gene gets into the ring to interview Hogan. Hogan says that tonight was a 'shoe-in'. By hook, or by crook, every time the heels are getting the last laugh. Booty says that he's got something on the back burner thats going to give them the last laugh and asks to partner with Hogan again next week. Booty says that he won't divulge, but he promises satisfaction. Hogan gladly accepts this proposition.
Main event time. The WCW Title is on the line as Lex Luger challenges Ric Flair. Luger is still Tag Team and Television champion and is fixing to complete the hat trick. Flair notices Mongo's wife Debra in the crowd, which stymies the announcer. Luger shoves Flair off with ease and flexes. Shoulder blocks follow as Flair's attempts are ineffective. Luger grabs the arm as Flair screams in agony. Press slam from Luger sends Flair rolling to the outside, wincing in pain. Flair gets back in and cheap shots Luger with a kick. But Luger comes with back with a second press slam, then plays to the crowd.
Flair gets in some strikes (complete with Luger selling). Luger reverses a whip, but Flair comes back with an elbow to the face. Flair goes up, but gets thrown off as usual. Luger hits a pair of clotheslines, one sending Flair over the top rope. Flair throws a tantrum and starts to head up the entrance way. He stops midway and heads back to the ring. Flair gets the patented thumb to the eye and starts the corner chops. Luger comes back with punches of his own. Third press slam sending Flair throat-first into the ropes. Clotheslines, one to the back of the head and two to the front. Luger gets distracted outside by Woman and Elizabeth, allowing Flair to knee him off the ropes. More face raking from Woman blinds Luger.
Luger gets back in as Flair stomps him down and chokes. Even more raking from Woman allowing for Flair to start working on the knee. Figure four locked in from Flair. Flair starts slapping Luger, to which Lex then no-sells and flips the hold over forcing Flair to make the break. Flair throws Luger to the outside and whips him into the barricade, but Luger no-sells and hits a clothesline.
Sunset flip from Luger (!!!). Flair tries to grab the ropes, but the referee kicks his hand away, giving Luger the chance to cover for two. Flair didn't even touch the ref, what the hell? That was a legal break! Luger backslides Flair for a two, then throws Flair over the buckle. Flair then goes up and dives, only to be caught and slammed. Luger then hits a really good superplex off the top rope. Luger hits a powerslam.
Luger locks in the rack while the ref is distracted. Woman grabs a cup of coffee and splashes it in Luger's face. At least it's not another shoe. This gives Flair the chance to roll Luger up for the win. Sting immediately heads to the ring to check on Luger as the heels bail. A really good main event to end this episode of Nitro. Luger putting on a surprisingly good amount of work. Whether that was from Flair carrying him (he was doing a lot of jaw jacking in the match), or Luger actually trying to put in the work. Either way, my constant case of being impressed by Lex Luger continues. Plus, I liked the creative ending with the coffee. After weeks of shoe-releated assaults, this was a fresh way to pull some heel tactics.
Another really solid episode of Nitro this week. I like this sudden sense of action kicking off right from minute one with the stuff involving Sting and Giant. I like the triangle tag match as it worked well as the brawl it intended to be. Luger and Flair was excellent, definitely thanks in large part to Luger who is in the roll of his career at this point in 1996. The only detriment is that this Hogan/Booty/Arn/Sullivan stuff feels like it's never ending and I'm so sick of these shoe-related outcomes. That aside, this was a fun edition, deseriving of at least an A-.
WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #27: RAW
While both shows were strong this week, Raw was far more important considering it was the debut of Mankind, who right off the bat feels like a major threat in the company. While Nitro's in-ring was better for the most part, Raw felt like it kept a lot of the momentum going after Wrestlemania XII. Enough to earn Raw its 13th win.
RAW:
September 25th, 1995
October 2nd, 1995
October 23rd, 1995
November 13th, 1995
November 20th, 1995
December 4th, 1995
December 11th, 1995
January 1st, 1996
January 22nd, 1996
February 19th, 1996
February 26th, 1996
March 11th, 1996
April 1st, 1996
April 1st, 1996
NITRO:
September 11th, 1995
September 18th-21st, 1995
October 9th, 1995
October 16th, 1995
October 30th, 1995
November 6th, 1995
November 27th, 1995
December 18th, 1995
January 8th, 1996
January 15th, 1996
January 29th, 1996
February 5th, 1996
March 18th, 1996
March 25th, 1996
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