From Miami, Florida, it's Monday Nitro. We have a stacked card tonight as Ric Flair defends his WCW title against Sting, Hulk Hogan against Meng, and our opening contest, Randy Savage taking on longtime rival Lex Luger. Speaking of Savage, he'll face the winner of tonight's Sting/Flair WCW title match very soon. Luger throws a chair in the ring, which Savage catches, only to be caught with a cheap shot by Luger. Luger then throws Savage through the ropes to the outside. He throws Savage face first into the steel steps. Savage tries to get in, but eats a knee to the face.
He drags Luger out and rams Luger face-first into the guardrail and gets some turnabout with a face-first ram into the stairs. He brings Luger back in and hits an ax handle for two. He chokes Luger in the ropes as the crowd cheers for Luger. He whips Luger to the corner and hits an elbow, covering for two. Savage pummels Luger in the corner, despite the referee's discretion. He drops an elbow to the chest of Luger and hits a fist. Cover gets a two. Savage gets a cheap shot in the eyes of Savage and snapmares Savage, hitting some elbows. Cover by Luger for two. Savage drops Luger throat-first into the ropes. Savage goes for the Elbow, but Luger dodges. Torture Rack gets the win for Luger in a pretty hot opener.
Up next, it's supposed to be the Dungeon of Doom taking on Arn and Pillman, but instead, both factions come ot the ring together. This includes new U.S champion One Man Gang. Arn says that he and Sullivan have had a meeting of the minds. They respect the name of the Horsemen, and any match is a match the Dungeon can't win, so they're putting an end to this match before it starts. Sullivan praises Ric Flair for being a 12-time champion and be allows him to borrow the services of The GIant at Clash of the Champions. He turns his focus to Pillman and says that he has no respect. Arn says they do respect them, but Pillman tries to interrupt.
This results in Arn slapping the hell out of Pillman. Arn tells him to shut up and reminds the Dungeon that they do have their respect. Pillman is pissed as both stables make their exit.
Tag team action next. American Males taking on Public Enemy. Fly Boy Rocco Rock and Johnny Grunge made their names in ECW as a pair of fat white hip hop fans. It turned out to be a massive success for the early days of ECW, including a memorable moment where they invited so many fans into the ring that the ring collapsed. Despite plans to go to WWF after a tryout in 1995, they chose instead to go where the big boys play and thus make their debuts in this edition of Nitro. Double whips and double back drops by Marcus and Riggs who then clothesline both members of Public Enemy to the outside. Rock and Grunge drag the males outside and throw them into the barricade. They then work on Riggs. Riggs dodges a double clothesline and Bagwill follows with a flying press to both men.
Double dropkicks by the males send Public Enemy back outside. ECW chants can be heard as we finally calm things down. Grunge and Riggs start. Grunge reverses a whip, but gets caught in a sunset flip. He escapes, but takes a dropkick from Riggs. Cheap shot by Rock, but Riggs comes back with a hair-pull takedown. Tag to Bagwell who hits a back body drop on Grunge and one for Rock. Dropkicks and clotheslines from Bagwell to both men. Powerslam to Grunge and a shot to Rock. Cheap shot by Rock and a clutch of the tights gets the win for Public Enemy. Post-match, Rocco Rock attacks Bagwell on the outside as Grunge gets a tables.
They place Bagwell on the stacked tables, and Rocco Rock hits a flipping senton off the top rope, crashing through Bagwell and the two tables. Definitely good to see the more hardcore style of Public Enemy is intact.
Up next, the WCW title is on the line. Sting challenges Ric Flair for the WCW World Championship. Jimmy Hart still in Flair's corner as this arrangement with the Dungeon of Doom is still intact. Sting shoves down Flair a couple times to start as the Stinger is very energized tonight. Takedown attempts by Flair lead to no avail as well. Flair lays in a right and throws Sting outside, but Sting jumps right back in and takes Flair to the corner. He hits some corner punches and a hiptoss followed by a dropkick. Press slam by Sting follows. Patented Flair corner flip and a clothesline from Sting leaves Flair down on the apron. Sting follows with a suplex over the ropes back into the ring. Cover, but barely a one.
Thumb to the eye by Flair who follows with a big chop. He takes Sting ot the corner and hits another chop and a right. He goes back into another corner and lands a chop and some more fists. Bischoff shills Jim Belushi on WCW Saturday Night as Sting hits a massive superplex off the top turnbuckle. He tries a splash, but Flair gets his knees up. Both men are down as we go to break.
Sting escapes a back suplex and goes for a diving attack, only to eat the ropes as Flair avoids contact. Flair follows up with a knee drop with the exposed knee. Cover by Flair who tries to use the ropes, but no luck in keeping Sting down. Flair throws Sting into the ropes and then outside of the ring. This gives Jimmy Hart time to get in a quick punt to the ribs. Sting returns to the ring as Flair gets in a whip and a chop. Cover only gets two as Sting shoves Flair off. Bit chop and a whip to the corner, but Sting explodes out the corner with a clothesline.
Sting reverses a whip and locks Flair into the sleeper, but Flair catches him with a back suplex. Sting and Flair exchange shots, but Sting is the victor of the battle. He tries a dropkick, but Flair avoids. Sting tries a figure four, but Sting rolls him up for two. Flair tries a hiptoss, but Sting turns it into a backslide for two. Sunset flip attempt by Sting who pulls down the drawers of Flair. Flair tries to punch down, but gets nothing. Big press slam by Sting. Elbow to the face by Flair who then goes up top, only to be thrown off in patented Flair form. Sting no-sells the chops and slams Flair again.
Lex Luger shows up and starts arguing with Jimmy Hart. Sting tries to splash Flair in the corner, but Luger gets in the way, smacking Sting with the megaphone. Flair takes the opportunity to lock in the figure four for the win. A really good title match and the best Sting/Flair match I've seen since I've covered WCW. Plus we continue the never ending saga of "but whose side is Luger really on?", which is funny since we just had a segment last week trying to play up how great a team they can be and this happens. These conveniences keep piling up.
Hogan and Savage chase Luger out of the ring as he and Flair make their escape. Mean Gene makes his way into the ring as the three check on Sting. Hogan asks Sting if finally this is all making sense. Savage tells Sting to wake up. Sting, still the vigilant idiot says that he had no idea that Luger did it, and is going to talk to him to see if it's true. On to the Clash where the Mega Powers will take on Flair and Giant, but they have a problem. Hogan's on a roll, but Savage has lost to Luger four times, and as such the WCW title that still has his name on it (LITERALLY!) should be his again, but Savage has the title match before him. Savage says they've been to hell and back, and he got a shot because he deserves it. He lost to Luger, but he still has a shot next week in Vegas anyway. Hogan cries and moans about it not being his title shot but Savage just leaves.
But we're not done with whiny pants Hogan and our main event is up next as he takes on Meng. Eye rake by Meng followed by some blows to the back and a headbutt that takes Hogan to the outside. Sullivan gets in some cheap shots on the outside. Meng grinds Hogan's face to the mat, then takes him to the corner to land some big chops. He rams Hogan face first into the buckle then chokes him. Sullivan gets in a cheap chop as the ref is distracted. Meng places pressure on the neck of Hogan. Hogan breaks free, but gets caught with a chop to the throat.
Meng continues with some more strikes and another choke. Meng hits a body slam and tries a diving headbutt, but Hogan avoids. Hogan, like a face, rakes the eyes of Meng and hits some punches. Clothesline in the corner and more punches from the Hulkster, but he gets caught by a spike shot from Meng. Cover, but here's Hogan to Hulk right up. Punches, and a boot. Sullivan tries to interfere, but Savage makes the save. Hogan then uses the spike, like a babyface and gets the win in every Hogan match you've ever watched. Not as yuck level as usual. Hogan and Savage celebrate as we end another edition of Nitro.
A really good episode of Nitro, even if we're still stuck in the middle of this "can Luger be trusted" angle that never seems to want to end. Despite that, Luger vs Savage was good, Sting vs Flair for the title was really good, Public Enemy made a strong debut complete with a memorable table spot, this alliance from the Horsemen and the Dungeon is intriguing, especially with how out of line Pillman has been lately. Only detriment, Hogan complaining. But that's what you get any time he's on TV, so it's par for the course. Overall, I give this show an A-.
I'll give Raw credit for trying to change its look and feel, even if I cringe at the Sunny stuff a little bit. Marty vs Owen was good as was the Ringmaster debut. I also am intrigued by the Goldust/Razor angle even if the homophobic stuff bothers me. But Raw just felt pretty average in comparison to a solid edition of Nitro that feels like it's firing on all cylinders with better matches, especially this week (even Hogan's match wasn't as bad as usual). Nitro continues the lead back with its tenth win.
WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #18: NITRO
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