We are one one week away from the 1996 edition of Fall Brawl, and after the big shocker on last week's Nitro with The Giant's allegiance to the NWO, it's up in the air as to what else is in store as we approach the big event.
-PAT TANAKA VS SUPER CALO-
Super Calo, who will be getting a Cruiserweight title match against Rey Mysterio taking on Pat Tanaka, who is coming out to the theme song of Goldberg. I kid you not. But considering that WCW recycled themes all the time, I can't be surprised. Calo wrestling with shades on. Who is he, Mr. Hughes? Kicks and arm work early by Tanaka who gets a back kick to the face. Calo rus the ropes and hits a cross body followed by a second. Tanaka rolls out a Calo hits a plancha over the ropes that causes him to smash his knees hard into the guardrail.
Outside we see some kids in NWO T-shirts (the first use of the official NWO shirt on Nitro I belive) with bundles of papers as they enter the building. Back in the ring, Tanaka hits a cross body for two. Calo goes for a hurricanrana, but gets hit with a massive sitout powerbomb. He sets Calo up for a superplex, but Calo turns it into a sloppy cross body for the three in a rushed match. Tanaka looked more impressive than Calo which is never a good sign.
Mean Gene interviews Rick Steiner over Nick Patrick's DQ. Rick says he could have beaten Luger. Gene says that he'll get that chance against Lex. Speaking of which, Luger shows up. Lex says that Scott isn't here, tonight he's gonna be the total package as he makes his way to Fall Brawl.
Paid promotion by the NWO. An ad for the new NWO T-shirt. All proceeds going to the Ric Flair retirement fund.
We get a recap of Glaier's debut on Pro the day prior. Refer to the sidebar blog I covered a couple days ago.
-THE NASTY BOYS VS THE AMAZING FRENCH CANADIANS-
But never mind Glacier, IT'S THE FRIGGIN' QUEBECERS! Jacques Rougeau and the former pirate himself, Carl Oulette in WCW with one of the greatest tag team names ever, the Amazing French Canadians. Sadly sans Johnny Polo, but we'll be seeing him soon. But they're headed to Nastyville, meaning that this is going to be a full on mess. Jacques grabs the mic and goes to cut a promo telling them to stand up for the Canadian anthem for some good ol' Anti-Canuck heat. This allows the nasties to get in some Peal Harboring.
We see the youngsters with the NWO flyers from earlier in the crowd as Jacques nails Saggs with a Canadian flag. Larry grabs some flyers and throws them to the floor. Back suplex and a senton from the Canadians who cover for two. Tag to Jacques who lands a hairpull and slams Oulette on to Saggs. Jacques tages Oulette and throws Oulette off his shoulders for a senton followed by a second. Cover, but Knobbs mmakes the save. Rougeau distracts the ref as Knobbs uses the Quebec flag to nail on Oulette for the win. Less of a mess as usual for these matches.
Post-match, Gene interviews the Nasty Boys over their sneak attack last week on Harlem Heat. Saggs says that everyone's pointing the fingers at them over if they're with the NWO or WCW. All they care about is the tag titles and they're in the WCW. Knobbs says the same thing about the Hogan association that he has in the past few weeks. Not a bad promo, but kind of redundant.
-SGT CRAIG "PITBULL" PITTMAN VS SCOTT NORTON-
Ice Train throws the towel and then stares down Norton, a prelude to their submission match at Fall Brawl.
Mean Gene backstage with Luger, Arn and Flair. Sting is noticeably absent and Flair is pissed. Luger says he's been in war games with both of them, and he promises that Sting is here. Mongo and Benoit show up and say that the rats are already jumping off the ship. Benoit asks what's going to happen in the cage? Lex guarantees he's here, just not in the interview. Arn says that he's called ahead for a hospital room, because he might need it because they'll be guaranteed to be hurt at war games. Hogan tries to take him out with a bat and paint, but it didn't work.
-JOE GOMEZ VS JUVENTUD GUERRERA-
Headlock into a shoulder block from Gomez, but Juvi lands a dropkick and a springboard flipping dropkick that barely looked like it connected. Another dropkick sends Gomez crashing into the guardrail. Both men get to the apron and Juvi tries a springboard hurricanrana, but slips, so Gomez has to slingshot himself over the ropes to salvage it. Cover, but Gomez gets the ropes. Gomez gets in a back elbow and goes up top, but Juvi catches him. He goes for a hurricanrana, but changes to a backflip and a dropkick. Flipping Jiro Con Plancha gets the win in a super sloppy match. Juvi can flip, but just looked sloppy as hell.
Mean Gene interviews Nick Patrick over the Steiners/Sting & Luger tag match. Nick says he was deliberately struck in the match over the lies being told about him. He calls for Luger's suspension. Everyone thinks he's the mystery man of NWO, but it was the Giant. He promises that he is WCW and he'll call it through and through. Gene accuses him of new cars and rolexes, but Nick says he can prove these are all lies.
Hoga, Hall, Nash and Giant are outside in the rain placing NWO flyers on cars while Dibiase is at the limo talking to someone.
-LEX LUGER VS RICK STEINER-
Still absent are both Scott Steiner and Sting. Luger works the arm, but Rick turns it around. Headlock and shoulder block spot from Luger. Rick takes him down and seems confused as to where to focus pressure, so he just keeps him downed and starts more arm damage. Rick takes Luger down again, but Luger comes back with an elbow. Rick ducks a running forearm and lands a clothesline as we enter hour two. Luger does hit the loaded forearm and covers for two.
Luger jumps, but gets caught with a powerslam by Rick. Elbow drop and a cover only gets two. Luger fights back, but gets caught with an overhead belly to belly. Cover still just gets a two count. Rick tries a waistlock, but Luger gets the ropes. Lots of prime Luger yell selling as Luger gets clothesline again. Cover still gets a two. Luger explodes out of the corner with a clothesline of his own. He catches Rick with a powerslam and calls for the rack.
Nick Patrick shows up and motions Luger that something's happening out back. We hear a pre-recorded audio of Sting from the last few weeks coming out of the limo. Luger confronts Dibiase when all of a sudden Sting emerges from the limo and starts to attack Luger. The other NWO members lay into Luger. Even Dibiase gets in some boots in. Luger fights back, laying out the chauffeur and looks around for the NWO.
-WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: REY MYSTERIO JR. VS BILLY KIDMAN-
As the NWO have vanished in another limo, the rest of WCW are on the hunt outside for any sign of Sting or the NWO. Back in the arena, it's Rey Mysterio Jr. in action against Kidman. Headlock, but no shoulder block spot. Tenay and Bischoff as somber during this match. Rey hurricanranas Kidman out of the ring and whips him in the barricade, followed by another nice headscissors. Springboard, but Kidman catches him with a dropkick. Slam by Kidman who goes for a diving splash. Cover, but only a two. Rey flips the ropes, and hits a flipping senton for the win. Super quick match, but unlike the Juvi match, it was far more impressive with little to no sloppiness.
-PUBLIC ENEMY VS FACES OF FEAR-
Immediate Pearl Harboring from Meng and Barbarian leads to a brawl. Grunge and Rocco Rock start to come back, but Meng throws Grunge to the barricade. Springboard moonsault is blocked by Barbarian poorly. Braun the Leprechaun runs around the ring again, chasing Jimmy Hart. Yes, there's still a leprechaun on Nitro. Eventually things cool down and it starts acting like an actual tag match.
But never mind that, Mean Gene is with a very bothered Luger and Horsemen. Arn is in shock as the only constant in WCW was Sting. For the first time in his life, he's speechless. Luger says that he doesn't have any answers as his friend just stabbed him in the back. He is now more focused on War Games to get his hands on Sting. He promises to find Sting and leaves. Flair is sick of it. If Luger wants to ride, they can ride. When they lock the door of that cage, four of them will pay the price that god will know about. Arn promises to offer a spot to Mongo or Benoit.
Back in the ring, Meng hits a piledriver on Rocco Rock. Grunge tries to brawl with Meng, but gets a headbutt for his troubles. Rocco Rock gets a boot on Barbarian and tries a hot tag, but gets stopped. Tag to Mengas they hit a double headbutt. Cover, but Nick Patrick is slow to make the count for two. Rocco Rock escapes a chinlock, but gets caught with a knee to the breadbasket. Meng charges at Rocco Rock in the corner, but Rock escapes and finally tags in Johnny Grunge. Double headbutt, but that's a Tongan no-sell as expected. Double bulldog by Rocco Rock, but they no-sell.
They set Rocco Rock on the table for a Barbarian diving headbutt, but Rock escapes in time as Barbarian crashes through the table on the outside. He grabs another table and brings it in. Spinning neckbreaker by Johnny Grunge. Table gets set up and Meng is placed atop. Moonsault through the table. Meng recovers and the Faces of Fear and Public Enemy continue to brawl until Meng locks a Tongan Death Grip for the win in a mess of a match. Way too long for its own good. In the fracas, Heenan accidentally called Meng "Haku", which Bischoff later apologizes for. Considering WWF's current statements on air about "Diesel and Razor Ramon" coming back, it's easy to see why.
The rest of the Dungeon of Doom arrive to be interviewed by Mean Gene. The Dungeon of Doom which has since added Max Muscle and Konnan to the stable. Jimmy Hart says he's tired of everyone talking about him creating the Giant, now they have to destroy them. He says that Giant joining the NWO will be the end for him. Big Bubba makes his focus on Glacier, saying that he must be afraid for not showing up. "Come and get some of this, Karate Man!" Konnan says that he's seen the best gang wars and he's tired of the NWO's public service announcements. The toughest here is the dungeon. Sullivan says that last week, Savage was carried out by the faces of fear. If he wants to clear the debt, get rid of Tenta. But at War Games, he'd better get rid of the Giant. As for tonight, if Sting would turn, then who else can?
Another NWO paid announcement. Hogan talks about how Dibiase has more money than Ted Turner. Hogan isn't the WCW champion, he's the NWO champion. The fifth man also worked like a charm. The master plan has been going for a long time. Hogan's done this before. Dibiase says they want them in the cage, but they want their own segment and WCW will pay the bill.
-"MACHO MAN" RANDY SAVAGE VS JOHN TENTA-
Savage rushes the ring, but Tenta goes on him with stomps and clubbing blows. He bringsh im to the corner with more strikes. Savage tries to slam, but Tenta is too heavy. Dropkick sends Savage to the floor. Savage grabs a chair and goes to town, throwing the match out. Or I guess it's fine on the outside since Randy Anderson doesn't call a DQ. Elbow drop followed by a second.
Teddy Long tells Savage to come to the back and Savage follows. The NWO are back. The limo drives away as a second is there. And inside is just a box of yellow paint. So the boys just spray paint the limo. The Horsemen take to the announce position. Arn says the world is in shock, but there's nobody hotter than the horsemen. They paved the way ten years ago. Hogan wanted to be a horsemen, but he couldn't (but friggin Mongo was). Now they took Sting from WCW. He crawls in as the fourth man in the War Games, they'll take his head off. Flair says that it makes no difference. They're going to War Games. Eight guys ready to bleed and pay the price. Flair says that Hogan will walk the aisle. Bischoff says it was a mistake to bring Hogan to WCW and promises the Horsemen will get their shot at Wargames.
For a go-home Nitro, this was easily one of their best. While the in-ring was forgettable, the story of the night with the possible betrayal of Sting made it all worth it. Even down to Luger being attacked by Sting in the rain, making for a more dramatic feeling. Granted, I wish the doom and gloom mentality was turned down a bit as it took from a great Rey/Kidman match, but it also sold just how major it is that Sting may have finally turned to the dark side. And considering the NWO's last few months of decimating WCW, if it were the actual Sting, it would have been the final stake in the brand's heart. But we'll get more into that at Fall Brawl. While not as strong overall as last week, this was still a top notch Nitro. An A- rating.
WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #48: NITRO
Raw was a bland, forgettable affair this week in comparison to Nitro's very hot go-home show to Fall Brawl. Sorry, but Salvatore Sincere isn't as interesting a draw as the possibility of WCW's most tried and tested babyfaces turning heel. Easy 28th win for Nitro.
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
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
September 2nd-September 6th, 1996
September 9th, 1996
July 29th, 1996
August 12th, 1996
September 2nd-September 6th, 1996
September 9th, 1996
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