More pummeling from Arn and Sullivan until Hogan just no-sells and knocks them both down. Slam to Arn and a rake in the eye to Sullivan. Hogan boots Arn outside. Sullivan hits Hogan with a chair, who no-sells it and starts bashing both men with the weapon. He throws Sullivan into Arn then brings Arn back in. Arn shoves Hogan back out as Sullivan rams him into the barricade. Jimmy Hart gets some cheap shots as the pair continue to beat Hogan down. They bring Hogan back in and go for a spike piledriver, but Hogan catapults Arn into Sullivan. Back suplex to Arn followed by a slam and a leg drop gets the win, of course, for Hogan. Yuck.
Hogan throws Woman into the ring then forces Elizabeth in. Eric Bischoff cheers on this possibility of the face Hogan beating up two women LIKE A FACE WOULD. Woman hides behind Elizabeth as Hogan grabs him. But he chooses to go with Jimmy Hart instead. Hart panics and tries to throw powder in Hogan's face only to completely miss. Hogan rips Hart's jacker and hits an atomic frop. He hits a boot on Hart and beats him down some more.
The Giant shows up, coming off as a bigger babyface than Hogan ever has, and chokeslams Hogan, saving his maimed manager.
BUT OF COURSE HOGAN NO-SELLS IT LIKE THE GARBAGE HE IS! Hogan punches around the Giant and hits a boot, an eye rake and a body slam. He calls for a second as Gene Kokerlund sneaks up from behind.
Hogan goes to body slam Gene, then pretends like he didn't know what was going on, allowing Giant and Hart to escape. Gene finally talks to Hogan as the microphone is clearly broken after that situation. Hogan says that Hulkamania are back on a roll. Whatcha donna do, yadda yadda yadda. Babyface Hogan needs to die, and soon. This creative control, murking every talent like jesus ascended is hard to stomach at this point. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the world revolves around Hogan-Senpai. Well stop the world, I want to get off!
But thank the lord above, this is the last we see of Hogan for months as he's off to film a movie. No injury angle. No storyline reasons for him to be taking this time off. Just business as usual as Creative Control Terry gets to go around no-selling moves, threatening to beat women up and making stars out of nobody because "I gotta go over, brother! They got Warrior no-selling moves at Wrestlemania, Dude. Ol' Hulkster's gotta one-up him." Despicable, but at least it's a silver lining that we're nearing the end of babyface Hulk Hogan. See you in July Terry.
Up next, it's an "Anything Goes Street Fight, One Fall to a Finish, Falls Count Anywhere" (well, that's a helluva way to put it) againt Public Enemy and the Nasty Boys. It was recently revealed that it was Johnny Grunge and "Flyboy" Rocco Rock who had attacked the Nastys before their match with the Road Warriors a month ago. And of course two weeks ago they used bizarre twin magic to cost the Nastys the win in that triangle tag match.
Knobbs and Saggs sneak attack Public Enemy with trash cans and chairs before either team make it to the ring. Rock gets a flip plancha over the ropes on Saggs as he gets weapons. Knobbs lands a clothesline to Grunge then grabs a plastic trash can. He places the can over grunge and the start punching it (which seems like it wouldn't hurt much) then hit a double clothesline. Trash can lid shots from Rock who then dives with the can on to Saggs. Meanwhile Grunge starts smashing a can over Knobbs. All four men continue to brawl some more with Knobbs sending Grungle face-first into the steel.
The Nastys grab the table pieces as Saggs throws Rock into one piece. Grunge grabs another and smashes it over Knobbs. Rock goes for a seated senton using a can lid, but Saggs escapes. More lid and table smashing from Knobbs. A cameraman gets knocked out of the way while Rocco Rock hits a chair shot to Knobbs, then follows with a bulldog into an open chair. Knobbs comes back by throwing Rock off the apron into the barricade. After more can and chairs, Rock throws a piece of table into the ring, however Knobbs throws Grunge into it. He chokes Grunge with his boot while digging the table into him.
Rock sets up an unbroken table then brawls with Saggs using a chair. Diving clothesline by Knobbs, who covers, but Grunge gets his foot on the rope, which shouldn't count if it's no-DQ. Rock smashes Knobbs with a chair, then hands it to Grunge who continues to smash Knobbs. Rock sets up another table in the ring and places Knobbs on it. Leg drop by Grunge is avoided by Knobbs. Saggs gets rid of Rock as Knobbs covers Grunge for the win.
To add a bizarre exclamation point to this bizarre garbage match, Public Enemy attack the Nastys post match, then set Knobbs on a table. Rock goes for his flip over the ropes, but Grunge takes the impact as both fall on Saggs through the table. This match was a mess that went on way too long for something that was just nothing but head shot after head shot. Then again, I shouldn't be shocked considering the four involved. I really have to stop expecting scientific mat work.
Up next, it's Earl Robert Eaton in action against "Macho Man" Randy Savage. A Randy Savage, mind you, who is in a foul mood lately since Elizabeth has taken half of his money. Savage chases Eaton around ringside as we go to break. When we return, Savage begins to pummel Eaton in the corner and in the ropes. Savage throws Eaton over the ropes then tosses him into the post. Bischoff makes a quick mention of Savage's guest spot on "Dial M for Monkey" (Rasslor!) and mentions that Elizabeth is already trying to cash on that as well. Cover by Savage only gets two.
Thumb to the eye by Eaton who then throws Savage to the outside (while Fred Flintstone watches in the audience). Eaton brings Savage back in. Another rake to the face and a chop block. Eaton begins work on the leg while mocking Ric Flair. He goes for a figure four and locks it in. He then pulls out a Four Horsemen T-Shirt and sticks it in Savage's face, because if there's any bear you really want to poke, it's a bear named Randy Savage. Savage flips the lock, forcing Eaton to break. Savage throws Eaton throat-first into the ropes then tries to choke him. Slam by Savage.
Geaves grabs Savage's leg as he goes for an elbow drop, so Savage grabs his powdered wig and chases him off. Eaton tries to sneak attack Savage, but Savage back drops him on the floor. He brings Eaton back in, slams him and hits an elbow for the three count. Savage throws the ref out of the way and goes for another elbow on Eaton. Several WCW stars try to stop him, but he still hits an elbow. Eventually, Savage ends up handcuffed and dragged out of the ring. A decent enough match. Good heel work from Eaton, but overall it feels like every basic Savage match. The real story of course is the end angle as Savage's descent into madness continues.
Main event time as the WCW Tag Team Titles are on the line. Sting and Lex Luger defend against The Giant and Ric Flair. Flair once again draws his attention to Mongo's wife Debra in the crowd. Flair and Sting start off. Lots of "wooos" from Flair and Sting (as Giant also chimes with a "WHAAAHH"). Stalemate and stalling for a bit until Sting begins leapfrogging Flair and hits a big powerslam, followed by a gingerly dropkick that knocks Giant to the floor. Sting press slams Flair at Giant, who throws Flair back in.
Luger then press slams Flair to the outside on Giant, who again throws Flair back in. Flair is understandably pissed at the Giant and chops him foolishly. He runs away as the Giant chases him to the back while we go to break. When we return, Flair is back in the ring as Luger slams him. Giant chokes Luger while Flair chop blocks him. Tag to Giant who kicks Luger around (complete with Luger's amazing selling). Mongo makes a rather tasteless (and already dated) Rodney King joke as Giant continues his beat down on Luger.
Suplex on Luger by Giant who then tags in Flair. Flair hits a chop, then throws Luger into the outside, allowing for Woman to grind the eyes. Giant throws Luger back in allowing Flair to choke Luger with his boots. Knee drop and a cover by Flair only gets a two count. Flair continues to punch the head of Luger then tags in Giant. A few hard whips into the buckle (as Luger oversells the hell out of them). Tag to Flair who works the leg, then locks in a figure four. The referee catches Woman aiding Flair. Eventually Flair breaks the hold and starts shoving referee Nick Patrick who shoves right back.
Tag to the Giant who press slams Luger. He then walks over Luger and tags Flair back in. Luger tries to come back with a clothesline, but Flair gets in an elbow. Flair goes up, but Luger throws him off the buckle. Hot tag to Sting who pummels Flair and hits yet another press slam and dropkick. Flair bump over the ropes that gives us our second cameraman bump tonight. Sting then sets Flair up for a superplex, landing with great height. He goes for hte Scorpion Death Lock while Luger brawls with the Giant. Woman throws another cup of coffee at Luger, who ducks it, only for the coffee to hit Sting, causing a DQ.
Post-match, Giant lays out both Sting and Luger with massive chokeslams. But unlike Hogan, they don't just bounce back and no-sell them. Flair covers Sting and makes the count, despite the match being thrown out. A good match, despite a heavy focus on "face in peril". Lots of fun spots, and yet another chapter in the seemingly unending saga of "did Luger do that on purpose"? Although in this case it really could have been an honest mistake.
Overall, this week's Nitro certainly improved as it went along. From the doldrums of babyface Hogan once again running roughshod on everyone like the red and yellow dingus he is, to a garbage hardcore brawl that went on for way too long, to a decent affair between Savage and Eaton that continued building up Savage's insanity, to a solid tag main event that continues to play to the shades of gray that Luger has shown since coming to WCW. While the show got better, I still can't in good conscience give it a strong rating after the Hogan shenanigans soured the episode massively. Thank goodness he's gone. Final rating for this Nitro is a C.
WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #28: RAW
Nitro started off rough, but recovered okay enough, but Raw was consistently decent throughout this week. A good match with Mero and Cassidy and the Savio/Goldust match complete with Dusty Finish just nudged Raw to good showing territory for this week's edition. While not as hot a week for either show, Raw didn't anger me like Nitro did with the Hogan nonsense. Win #14 for Raw as things are all tied up.
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 15th, 1996
April 1st, 1996
April 15th, 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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