We have a packed episode of Nitro on our hands as we're live once more from Disney/MGM. The Giant will defend his title, The American Males will face The Steiner Brothers and Rey Mysterio Jr. will defend his Cruiserweight Championship against Eddie Guerrero. But the focus is once again on the NWO as we see Hall and Nash ambush Sting as Luger was taken elsewhere.
-"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan VS Mike Enos-
Conspicuous by his absence, no Colonel Parker in the corner of Enos as we get into our opening match against Hacksaw. Enos sneak attacks Hacksaw and works him in the corner until Hacksaw comes back with a clothesline that sends Enos over the top rope. Loud "USA" chants, despite the fact that both men are American (yeah, yeah, Hacksaw, but still). An exchange of headbutts and strikes with Hacksaw turning it into an atomic drop. He goes for a clothesline but Enos pulls the rope, sending him tumbling.
Very gingerly body slam on the outside from Enos. Enos keeps control in the ring, landing a leg drop. He works the chin until Hacksaw recovers and brings Enos in the corner with some punches. Enos gets a boot and returns into the chinlock. We get the arm drop spot, with Hacksaw recovering at the third drop, as usual. But Duggan's attempt at recovery is met with a knee and some headbutts from Enos. Hacksaw recovers, only to collide into Enos. Enos whips him, but Hacksaw gets in a sunset flip (full on mooning Enos) for a two. Neckbreaker from Enos and a cover for two. Enos tries an ax handle, but Hacksaw avoids. Hacksaw no-sells some strikes and hits more punches. Enos comes back with shots of his own until the referee stops him. This allows Hacksaw to use the taped fist for the win in a long, boring match.
Mean Gene is in the ring to interview Hacksaw about the NWO. Hacksaw's take is the same as everyone else's, "why Hogan, why?" He says that he's such a friend of Hogan that his oldest born's first word was "Hulkster". He doesn't want to fight Hogan, he just wants answers.
-Ric Flair, Chris Benoit and Steve "Mongo" McMichael VS Sting, Lex Luger and "Macho Man" Randy Savage-
I guess those concerns last week about Flair no-showing have gone away quick as Tony and Larry believe that this is an example that Flair wasn't coerced by the NWO. And thus, we get our six-man tag that was due for last week. Savage goes right for Flair until all six men start brawiling. Everyone continues to go after each other as we go to commercial break.
WEEK FOURTEEN! Have we entered the realm yet? Not even close my friends.
After the break, things finally settle. Benoit and Sting start with Sting getting control. Tag to Flair. Sting tries a tag to Savage, but Flair knocks him off the apron. He's met with a flair flip over the ropes, a knock by Luger and Savage finally getting his hands on Flair as the two brawl at the buffet table. Flair ends up back in the ring to take a press slam. Thumb to the eye by Flair, but Sting comes back finally tagging in Savage. Instead of, I don't know, calming down the psychotic Randy Savage, Flair jumps out the ring and kisses Elizabeth on the lips.
Savage lays in some punches in the corner. Flair lands a chop, but Savage knocks him. Flair makes his exit up the ramp and tries to hide from Savage, only for Savage to grab him and throw him right back in. Tag to Mongo and a tag to Luger. Stalemate from both men early on. Mongo goes for a headlock, but Luger shoves him, sending him flopping out of the ring. Headlock again from Mongo as he tags in Flair. Chops, but Luger no-sells. Press slam to Flair and a clothesline to Benoit. Stalling suplex and a cover for two from Luger.
Tag to Benoit who beats down Luger in the corner. Savage comes in and starts brawling with Luger. Tag to Flair. Luger ducks a clothesline and lands one of his own. Tag to Sting who bits the forehead and hits a hiptoss and dropkick. Flair gets an eye rake and goes up top, but gets caught in a superplex. Cover, but Benoit makes the save. Flair throws Sting out, but Sting comes back with a sunset flip over the ropes. Flair tags in Mongo who lands an elbow drop. Throw to the corner and a clothesline followed by a backbreaker. Tag to Benoit who hits an elbow to the face. Cover for two. Back suplex and a cover for two again. Tag back to Flair as the Horsemen keep on Sting. Sting fights back, but Flair takes him down, only for Sting to backslide. Benoit makes the save.
Chop block by Flair who locks in a figure four leg lock. Sting manages to roll it over until Flair breaks it with the ropes. He tries again, but Sting rolls him up for two. Tag to Benoit who continues to damage the leg of the Stinger. Snap suplex and a cover for only two. Benoit locks in a Lion Tamer, but Luger breaks it. Tag back to Flair, as Sting no-sells. Jimmy Hart shows up screaming that the Outsiders are in the back. Back in the ring, he tries to scream at the superstars about the Outsiders. Luger, Sting and Savage exit.
Sure enough, Hall and Nash are back by the trailers attacking Arn Anderson and the American Males. Rey Mysterio Jr. leaps at Nash, only to get caught and thrown into the trailer like a lawn dart.
Hall and Nash enter the limo to make their leave and Savage, the mad man he is, leaps atop the limo and starts to punch at it. Fair dos to Randy, he manages to stay atop the car without tumbling. Everyon else surveys the damage as it's chaos in the back. Mongo particularly screaming about those damn Outsiders. Eddie tells Sting that Rey said that there were four men here, not two.
After a commercial break, it's still chaos as everyones is still trying to get their bearings. Ambulances and a firetruck arrive as Rey is still saying that he's seen four men. Everyone tries to get an understanding to it, but it's impossible to get an answer through all the commotion. Zybysko tries to just deny it as "he's just speaking Spanish".
As they get Rey to the ambulance, the EMTs remove his mask, which is a shock in itself. I mean, I thought they waited a few more years until they did that. But for what so far has been a serious as hell situation, this somehow adds to it big time. As the paramedics wrap up Scotty Riggs, Tony makes the stupid statement that we won't see Mysterio and the Males in action tonight. Tempers flare more with Meng and Benoit as they shove each other. Cut back to Tony and Larry at the table as we cut to commercial.
Bischoff and Heenan are ready to move in for the second hour. Heenan shoots, saying he has had neck surgery and still lives with nerve damage in his arms. He says it's not worth it to stay here tonight to broadcast. He asks for security or someone to keep an eye on him. Bischoff can't guarantee security and so Heenan makes his exit. Back to the scene of the crime as Arn is finally being placed on the stretcher. Crowd starts to chant "Boring", which, for as greatly built as this segment is, I gotta admit that this is going on a bit too long without any in-ring action to keep the crowd's attention.
-High Voltage VS The Steiner Brothers-
After the wrestlers are finally being taken away on the ambulances, we finally get some in-ring action. A visibly shook Steiners taking on the debuting High Voltage, Kenny Kaos and Robbie Rage. Yes, those are their actual wrestler names. Scott and Rick still aren't all that focused, as they continue to check the back. Eventually, things do get started with Scott taking down Kaos with an arm bar. More fireworks going off in the background as Rick paces the ring. Body slam by Scott who then goes to Rick and tells him to focus. Tag to Rick who is still unfocused, allowing Kaos to get cheap shots. Tag to Rage as High Voltage hit double dropkicks and elbows. Tag to Kaos as they hit a double suplex. Tag back to Rage who slams Rick and goes up, landing a nice flying shoulder block. Cover for one.
Tag to Kaos who hits a cross body, only for Rick to drop him on his damn head! Tag to Scott who cleans house with both members of High Voltage. Underhook slam by Scott. Tag to Rick who slams Rage in the corner and follows with a clothesline. He takes out Kaos. Tag to Scott who lands a Screwdriver for the win.
-Big Bubba VS Eddie Guerrero-
So instead of a cruiserweight title match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio Jr, we get Eddie against Big Bubba Boss Man instead. Bubba mocks Eddie until he gets caught with a slap and a dropkick. Eddie teases a dive off the buckle to the outside, but thinks against it. Big pancake slam from Bubba who follows with some slaps to the face. He presses and slams Eddie into the ropes and follows with an elbow. Cover, but Eddie kicks out at two. He tries another cover, but Eddie keeps kicking out. Eddie takes out the leg of Bubba, but gets caught with an uppercut. Eddie catches Bubba with a dropkick, but Bubba comes back with a clothesline. Cover, but Eddie kicks out. He starts the choke, the ref forces a stop. He locks in a chinlock, twisting the head in the process. Bubba keeps the pressure for a while longer, throwing him in the corner a couple times. He then applies a bearhug into a spinebuster. Cover only gets a two.
Eddie rolls Bubba up for two, but Bubba keeps on him with a boot and a few more shots. Knee to the throat, choking Eddie until the ref forces a break. He returns to the chinlock. Eddie eventually escapes and goes for a cross body, only to be slammed by Bubba again. Bubba throws him in the corner again and goes for something off the top, but Eddie counters with a tornado DDT. He knocks Bubba down again. Bubba throws him throat-fist into the corner. Jimmy Hart throws the megaphone at Bubba, but he has a hard time picking it up as Eddie rolls him up for three in a pretty dull match honestly.
We get our first black and white "paid announcement from the NWO". Hall, Nash and Hogan say that it's a New World Order and there's nothing you can do about it. They're New, they're taking over the World of wrestling, and they make the Orders. Billionaire Ted and all his men can't put WCW back together again. They suggest that they'll take whoever they want when they want them. Hall and Nash mock Luger an Sting. Hogan also forgot about wrestling the Giant at Hog Wild. In one given night, they get to beat up the best that WCW has. The Giant is the last hope of surviving the NWO. But at August 10, the Outsiders become the Insiders.
It's a really cool video package, something that feels completely fresh in this era with a mixture of them still being in character and more or less taking the piss out and having fun. But I do have to ask that for a company that not a half hour ago just suffered the worst assault from the NWO so far, it's awful nice of the WCW t give them free air time to gloat and spew their propaganda. I mean, I do know why this is, and we'll get to that when the time comes, but it can't be overstated.
-WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Greg "The Hammer" Valentine VS The Giant-
With Arn Anderson out thanks to the assault of the NWO earlier in the night, I guess the best alternative to face The Giant tonight was Greg Valentine. Valentine goes for a grapple, but gets thrown off. Shot to the face by Valentine with some clotheslines, but Giant lays him down with one of his own. Giant chokes Valentine with his boot, then tries a corner splash, only for Valentine avoids. Valentine hits one top rope ax handle, but his second attempt is met with a chokeslam from an angry Giant. One more chokeslam and a cover gets the win for the WCW Champion.
Giant talks into the mic and tells Hogan to pay attention real close. Mean Gene enters the ring to interview the champion. Giant mocks Hogan's "Lemme tell you something, brother", only to stop and remind the people how easily Hogan conned America. The problem was, Hogan never believed it himself. He started the NWO with his two piranhas because he could never be the big fish in WCW. While Hogan makes movies, he's been defending the title with every bone in his body. He promises to chokeslam Hogan at Hog Wild. Jimmy Hart says that he eats and sleeps professional wrestling. He promises at Hog Wild they'll take him out.
And we end on the greatest final image to any wrestling show, Rey Rey being thrown into the trailer again with the awkward freeze frame and copyright info. A perfect end to one hell of a Nitro.
This was a really big episode of Nitro. Not so much for the in-ring as it wasn't super amazing. Save for what we got of the six-man tag. That was a match where everyone got a chance to be great. The story with the NWO's attack, how serious it was built up to be, Rey claiming a fourth man was involved and for the first time since Bash at the Beach that the NWO has come off as the looming death of the company, it was compelling television to be sure. Might have went a bit too long with getting everyone in the ambulances, but I still like what they were setting out to do. In the end, this is a must-watch edition for sure. Not perfect, but still compelling. An A- grade.
WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #43: NITRO
No real contest this week. While Raw had somewhat better matches this week with Austin and Undertaker as the highlight of the week, Nitro used its two hours perhaps to the best of their abilities for the first time since at least the first two hour show back on May 27th. The NWO storyline has been boiling in recent months, but this night was the night it finally felt like the threat on WCW's life is more apparent than ever. The WWF really need a hail Mary to keep up. Nitro gets win #25.
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
May 27th, 1996
June 23rd, 1996
July 15th, 1996
July 22nd, 1996
April 1st, 1996
April 15th, 1996
May 27th, 1996
June 23rd, 1996
July 15th, 1996
July 22nd, 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
April 22nd, 1996
April 29th, 1996
May 6th, 1996
May 13th, 1996
May 20th, 1996
June 3rd, 1996
June 10th, 1996
June 17th, 1996
July 1st, 1996
July 8th, 1996
July 29th, 1996
July 29th, 1996
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