Nitro Charged: WCW Monday Nitro: August 19th, 1996

-V.K WALLSTREET VS HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN-

We open Nitro with a rematch from Clash of the Champions. After the mess with the wrist tape cost Hacksaw the match last week, he wants one more shot against Irwin. Wallstreet pulls Hacksaw to the outside, but Hacksaw smashes him into the apron and throws him back in. Wallstreet ducks a clothesline, but gets hit by two that follow. Atomic drop sends Irwin tumbling. Hacksaw, like a goof, plays to the crowd, allowing Wallstreet to get a cheap shot. Wallstreet gets in control with a ram to the buckle and a chinlock. Elbow drop and a cover only gets two.

Wallstreet locks the chin and keeps using the ropes. Hacksaw recovers until he misses a shoulder block in the corner. Leg drop and a cover only gets two for Irwin, who returns to the chinlock. We get the arm drop spot, but Hacksaw recovers at the third.  He gets some body shots and a big clothesline. Irwin misses an elbow, as Hacksaw begins no-selling and laying in punches. Irwin rams him into the buckle then tries a suplex, but Hacksaw reverses with one of his own.

He goes for the wrist tape again and gets caught by Nick Patrick. Irwin steals the tape and tries to use it, but Hacksaw pulls out a second roll of tape to deck Irwin. Cover and the three. Dull match, but the ending was fun.

Mean Gene interviews Hacksaw post-match. A bit of a replay on Hacksaw's comments on Hogan and the NWO from a couple weeks ago. He wants to talk to "Terry" as a man. He wonders what kind of man he is. Suddenly, Randy Savage heads to the ring. He tells Hacksaw that they're on the same frequency. He is going to get some of Hogan. Gene asks Savage about his match with Giant tonight, but first recaps Hogan's attack on Savage last week on Nitro. From now on Savage is not laying back a little bit. The Giant said that if Savage stepped aside, he'd make it okay, but nothing's okay. He's got a problem with Hogan, but tonight, he has a problem with The Giant.

-CHRIS BENOIT VS "EARLE" ROBERT EATON-

Flanked by Woman and Elizabeth, Benoit takes on Bobby Eaton in our second match of the night. Benoit starts with a full beatdown on Eaton. Headbutts, stomps and more. He tries an abdominal stretch, but Eaton escapes. Benoit throws Eaton to the outside and smacks him into the post. He breaks the count out and then hiptosses Eaton to the floor. They make it up the rampway as Benoit returns to the ring, allowing Woman to get in a cheap punt to Eaton. Benoit brings Eaton back in, but Eaton gets in a cheap shot. Benoit hits an elbow to the face and covers for two. An exchange of strikes until Eaton goes for some chokes. Benoit tries to come back, but gets hit with a neckbreaker. Eaton goes up top for a diving leg drop, but Benoit avoids. Benoit comes back with a flying headbutt. Cover and the three in a solid brawl.

Week 17. And no, we're not there to Glacier's big debut just yet, but we are closing in. At the very least we have a month's worth of content to cover before we can finally talk more in length about this debut.

 Mean Gene is backstage with Sting and Luger who will face off against Arn Anderson and Ric Flair. Lex says that they have a surprise in store. They've faced the Horsemen hundreds of times, but tonight they promise a big plan. Sting is living life with a different attitude. Life in WCW has never been a cakewalk for any of them, but he still can't stand the Horsemen. They hype the surprise for later tonight as they just leave.

-DISCO INFERNO VS SCOTT NORTON-

Norton attacks Disco early. Disco avoids a splash in the corner and hits some weak punches. He dances around, but gets laid out with a clothesline. Disco flops around and exits the ring, only to get hit with a big chop and thrown back in. Disco continues to strike, but Norton keeps no-selling. Norton lands an elbow and keeps on Disco. More no-selling and an elbow to the face. Big corner attack from Norton. He yells at the camera to send a message to Ice Train. Disco jumps over Norton and tries a DDT, but Norton throws him off. Shoulder breaker and an armbar (the flashback) gets the win for Norton in a squash.

Speaking of Ice Train, Mean Gene interviews him and Teddy Long. Teddy thanks everyone for their well wishes for the assault last month. Scott Norton didn't beat Ice Train, the referee gave it to him. That referee? Nick Patrick of course. We also get a recap of the sneak attack at Clash of the Champions, Ice says that Norton can't sneak attack him all the time.

-DEAN MALENKO VS LORD STEVEN REGAL-

Early ground work from both men, with Malenko getting the better. Regal turns things around into an armbar and we go to break.Of course. They go to break in the match with two good workers. When we return, it's more fast counters from both men with neither having full control. Regal eventually recovers with an enziguri. Cover only gets a two. He then begins stretching Malenko, then follows with a European uppercut. Cover only gets a two as Tony suspects a fast count from Nick Patrick.
Regal locks in a full nelson and grounds him again, then takes him to the corner. Malenko reverses a whip and hits a springboard kick to the back of the head. German Suplex followed by a second. Cover, but still a two. Regal tries to ground Malenko, but he keeps kicking out. Regal trips the leg and covers for two. Another roll up for two by Regal. Roll up by Malenko gets the win in a really good (albeit rushed) mat match.

Mean Gene interviews the horsemen. Arn says that he never needed anyone to like him as long as the Horsemen are behind him. Arn says that all he needs is guts. Don't think with all the turmoil going on that the result will be any different than normal. With the Horsemen winning. As the timer ticks down for hour two, Flair says they believe in wine, women and song and tonight, Luger and Sting will walk that aisle and any attempt to style and profile, but Flair and Arn will rock and roll. Pyro goes off mid-promo as hour two starts. Flair says that Hogan better be watching because between Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan and Hogan, Flair's got more showtime than they got shower time.

-THE NASTY BOYS VS PUBLIC ENEMY-

Rock and Grunge bring the table to ringside as we get things started. Knobbs and Saggs immediately beat on Public Enemy as the bell rings. I mean, this is a Public Enemy/Nastys match, did you think this was going to be anything but a messy brawl? Saggs hits a backbreaker on Rock while Knobbs beats on Grunge outside. Rocco Rock flips the ropes, but Saggs clotheslines both of them over the ropes. Facebuster by Knobbs to Grunge followed by some elbows. Cover gets a two. Grunge hits a neckbreaker and covers for two. Saggs and Rocco Rock fight around the table while Grunge goes for an elbow drop to the outside, only to miss as Knobbs avoids. Saggs and Rock return to the ring as Saggs hits a clothesline. Trip by Grunge as they follow with an assisted flip senton. They set Saggs on the table and hit that weird flipping spot, but Saggs avoids, sending them through. Elbow by Knobbs gets the win in a mess of a brawl as you'd expect.

Mean Gene interviews Knobbs and Saggs yet again about the NWO. Saggs says that anyone who enters Nastyville leaves like Public Enemy. They're as nasty as they need to be when they want to be. Knobbs acknowledges that Hogan is still his friend despite, but is more focused on taking the WCW Tag Titles from Harlem Heat.

-DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE VS CHAVO GUERRERO JR.-

We get a recap of Eddie winning the Battlebowl ring last week at Clash of the Champions and the assault from Page that followed. This is leading to our match tonight with Page and Chavo. Chavo avoids some clotheslines and hits a pair of dropkicks sending Page to the outside.  Plancha over the ropes as Chavo goes head-first to the floor. Despite, he gets Page in the corner with punches and a tackle. Page shoves him off, but Chavo charges again as Page avoids, sending him crashing into the post. Page begins to work the injured shoulder. Page goes for a corner splash, but Chavo avoids and rolls him up for two. Page continues to claw at Chavo and takes him into the corner, then continues the arm work. Chavo gets another roll up, but Page kicks out. Arm drag followed by a sitout powerbomb. He declines a cover to go for a big belly to belly suplex. Cover, but he still neglects a cover. He goes for a Diamond Cutter, but Chavo backslides for the three.

Page still lays him out with a Diamond Cutter post-match. He grabs Nick Patrick's belt and starts whipping Chavo. Referee Randy Anderson stops Page, then asks why Patrick didn't stop him.  Mean Gene then interviews Nick Patrick saying he didn't stop the assault. Patrick says that if a cop was alone, would he charge in alone or wait for backup? That's what makes Randy Anderson and himself such a great team, they're there for each other. Gene mentions  the accusations, but Nick Patrick says that it's the media's  fault. Holy crap, it's the Fake News excuse in 1996.

-WCW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: AMERICAN MALES VS HARLEM HEAT-

So it's been eight months since American Males had their big upset win over Harlem Heat to win the tag titles. So this is Bagwell and Riggs' second chance to become tag champions. Meanwhile, despite Harlem Heat's string of success, it's been Colonel Parker that's nearly led to their demise.  Sneak attack from Harlem Heat early on. Nick Patrick is ref again, meaning he's being lenient to shenanigans. Stevie stomps on Riggs then chokes him in the ropes as Nick Patrick actually forces the break. Tag to Booker who tries to ram Riggs in the corner, but gets countered. Booker gets a boot out of the corner and covers for two.

Booker slams Riggs and goes for an elbow, but misses, but he spins up with a Spinarooni. Tag to Stevie who hits a weak looking side kicks. Bagwell tries to get in as Harlem Heat keep assaulting Riggs. Stevie hits a big suplex. Tag to Booker who goes up top, but Riggs lands a dropkick. Tag to Stevie and a tag to Bagwell who lands a dropkick and a series of slams. He lays out Stevie, but Booker recovers with a pumphandle slam, but Bagwell gets in a cross body. He throws Stevie into Booker and rolls him up for two. Bagwell throws Booker to the guardrail as Riggs hits a dropkick. However a distraction leads to Booker throwing Bagwell into a waiting powerslam. Cover and the three in a pretty good quick match. Tons of face in peril, but still delivered a decent final minute.

-STING AND LEX LUGER VS RIC FLAIR AND ARN ANDERSON-

Sting grabs a mic early on and invites Mongo and Benoit to the ring. Okerlund, sans jacket is now in the ring awaiting the surprise. Sting says that they can beat each other up, or they can recognize the fact that there's a major problem in WCW. They can't trust the Horsemen, but they know that all the blood and sweat has been shed in WCW. War Games is in 30 days and they should work together to face the NWO. Arn says that Luger can't bring the jigglin' pecs to War Games, but if he brings the muscle, it's a different story. Luger asks them if he and Sting have never given 100% at War Games. Arn asks if Sting can put aside the Little Stingers and go dirty for War Games. Sting accepts.

Flair says that he knows the two of them better than anyone. If Mongo and Benoit will step aside, he'll walk a path with them. Benoit says he's waited to become a horseman for this opportunity. Regardless, he'll stand by their decision. Mongo says he's willing to sacrifice, but he'll be watching and promises retribution to Sting and Luger if they don't hold up.

We get a paid announcement from the NWO as we see Hall and Nash in Italy-Err, Denver. They said they told everyone so about what happened at Sturgis. They mock The Giant and Booty Man. The NWO is not about friendship, it's about business. But they do have interest in the Booty Babe.

-THE GIANT VS "MACHO MAN" RANDY SAVAGE-

Savage Pearl Harbors Giant with a series of chair shots up the entrance way. Randy Anderson snatches the chair away, allowing Giant to pound in Savage's chest and throw him into the post. He presses Savage over the ropes and into the ring. Giant continues the assault as the match is thrown off. Chokeslam is countered by a low blow from Savage. Jimmy Hart tries to use a chair, but gets thrown out. Savage grabs the chair and clatters the members of the Dungeon of Doom that try to intervene.

Savage runs off as The Giant is livid. He hops out of the ring and moves faster than I've ever seen Paul Wight movie. And that's how we end Nitro this week with the speculation on if Giant has caught him.

Nitro was pretty standard stuff this week up until the end. That being said, we still had a decent brawl with Benoit and Eaton, a decent tag match with Harlem Heat and American Males, good mat wrestling with Malenko and Regal, and the first major build towards Fall Brawl. That being said, there was a lot of filler and outside of the Sting/Luger alliance with the Horsemen, nothing really felt like it progressed. Making this an average edition at best. A B rating for this week.

WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #46: RAW

Nitro was a good show this week, but it had a lot of dull filler for the two hours. Specifically Hacksaw/Irwin and Norton/Disco. Meanwhile, Raw used its hour well with the Owen/Bulldog match and the issues within Camp Cornette, as well as the final four battle royal and Paul Bearer's heel turn. Overall, it felt like the ripples of Summerslam were still prevalent, earning Raw win #20

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
August 5th, 1996
August 19th, 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
August 12th, 1996