Another big night of Nitro this week. Despite being pushed earlier due to the NBA playoffs, we still have a big WCW title match as The Giant takes on Ric Flair. Plus a street fight between Lord Steven Regal and the Belfast Bruiser. But opening action tonight is the WCW World Tag Team Championships. Sting and Lex Luger defending against Harlem Heat. After some early stalling, Sting and Booker start thigs off. Booker begins to work the shoulder, but Sting turns it around with some wringers of his own. Booker rolls out and catches Sting with a hook kick. Stink duck som clotheslines and sends Booker crashing to the mat. Body slam and a big elbow drop by Sting who covers for only one.
Tag to Luger as the champs hit a double elbow. Cover barely gets a one. Tag to Stevie Ray who begins clubbing the back of Lex. Luger avoids an elbow and hits some fast strikes in the corner. Tag to Sting as the pair hit a double clothesline. Cover for another barely one. Sting works the arm some more until Stevie rakes the face and rams him into the buckle. Tag to Booker who gets a headlock and shoulder block spot until Sting turns things around into a dropkick. Tag to Luger who hits an ax handle off the second buckle.
Tag to Luger who nails bothe Stevie and Booker with clotheslines. Powerslam on Booker who covers, but Stevie breaks it. He throws Sting outside and the heels work Luger with a double team powerbomb. Jimmy hart runs in and throws in the towel, but Stevie instead throws Hart in. Sting slides in behind and rolls up Booker for the win. Decent opener. Not exactly mile-a-minute, and some minor face in peril stuff, but for an opener, it did the trick.
Up next it's the Steiner Brothers taking on the team of Fire and Ice, Scott Norton and Ice Train. Ice Train and Rick start things off. Rick takes Ice to the corner then gets in a headlock and shoulder block spot. Ice jumps over and hits a nice powerslam. Big avalanche splash in the corner. He tries a second, but Rick catches him with a massive release German suplex. Tag to the Scotts. Norton denies a shoulder block, but Steiner comes back with a nice T-Bone Suplex, followed by a Belly to Belly.
Steiner goes up, but Norton catches him with a press slam. Clotheslines from Norton, but gets caught in a stun gun. Tag to Rick who ducks a clothesline, but gets caught in a shoulder block from Norton. Tag to Ice Train who hits a nice hiptoss, then takes out Steiner. Big boot by Train followed by a press slam. Steiner goes for an underhook suplex, but gets knocked out of the ring. Rick gets Ice Train with a clothesline and covers for the three, ending a quick, yet oddly satisfying brawl.
Mean Gene interviews Ric Flair (accompanied as always with Woman and Elizabeth). Flair tells the wrestling world to stand at attention. Flair says that he's not worried about a seven foot ignoramus named The Giant. Woman that the Giant is a small man in comparison to the champ. Elizabeth says that the Giant is nowhere the man that he is either.
We get a whole bunch of snow and CGI nonsense. Blood runs cold as Glacier is coming to WCW. Based on Mortal Kombat's Sub-Zero, Glacier is set to cool down Nitro. Also, this is the last Nitro of April, and, not to spoil too much, Glacier ain't coming until September. It's gonna be a long wait.
We cut right to the parking lot as Finlay and Regal brawl in their street fight. Finlay tries to boot Regal, but ends up kicking through a car window. Regal tries to throws Finlay into the glass but is unsuccessful. Finlay grabs a piece of concrete, bute Regal thumbs his eye and grinds his face in the pavement. Finlay smacks Regal's head into the back of a station wagon then throws a tire at his midsection. He smashes Regal into the front bumper then swings it at his back. Next is a slam into a truck hood. Regal comes back with kicks to the back of the head. He gets Finlay on a car and hits an elbow drop.
Finlay grabs a seatbelt and chokes Regal with it. Finlay goes to punch Regal, but hits the car instead. Finlay grabs Regal then throws him into the guardrail. Regal appears to be cut in the head as cameramen zoom back. Regal throws Finlay on the roof, and smashes it. Finlay throws Regal into a car mirror, then gets thrown head-first into a window. Regal fights back and smashes Finlay into a window, which shatters. Both men exchange punches then brawl with a bumper. Elbow on the car by Finlay. He tries a tombstone, but Regal reverses it. He tries a piledriver on the car roof, but Finlay back drops him. However, the second time is successful as Regal piledrives him on the roof. Cover gets the win for Regal in a bloody brawl. Definitely what I wanted from these two, especially after the flat match at Uncensored.
It's title time next. Ric Flair defends the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against The Giant. Yet again Ric goes over to Debra McMichael at ringside, which again angers an already heated up Mongo. Flair does some stalling to start, then tries a shoulder block to no luck. He chops Giant who no-sells it. Flair stalls some more and tries again with a shoulder block to no luck. Giant picks up Flair and hits him with a press slam. He throws Flair to the corner who has his patented tumble outside. Giant chases Flair around, who hides behind Woman and Elizabeth.
Flair gets a jumping thumb to the eye, but Giant still no-sells his offense. He throws Flair to the corner, but misses an elbow. Flair goes up, but gets thrown off. He follows up with a big suplex. He tries a chokeslam, but Flair grabs the ropes. With the referee distracted, he lands a low blow. Flair goes for punches but keeps getting shoved down. Flair is handed a roll of coins and nails Giant with it. Flair sets up the figure four leg lock, but Giant gets right up and grabs the throat. Chokeslam and a cover for the three. The Giant becomes a two-time WCW champion in a fun pseudo-squash.
Giant and Jimmy Hart celebrate in the ring as Mean Gene gets in the ring to interview them. Hart says that Flair gets to go home with the women while he goes home with the Giant. Giant says the belt's been his since Halloween Havoc, and like it or not, he is the fighting champion. He calls out Sting, Savage and Hogan and promises they'll all fall. We also learn from Bischoff that Giant's first defense will be at Slamboree against Sting.
A really good episode of Nitro this week. Lots of focus on the in-ring this week with some big title matches. Biggest of which saw a new WCW champion in The Giant in a fun sorta-squash match. I mean, Ric barely got any offense in, despite his heeling up. As for the rest of the card, good brawl with the Regal/Finlay street fight, while Ice Train and the Steiners was a quick battle of hosses throwing each other around. Also the opening tag title match was alright as well. Overall, as Slamboree approaches and Hogan has disappeared, Nitro is finally back on a roll. A B+ for this edition.
WHO WON THE WAR WEEK #30: NITRO
Raw's first show after a strong In Your House Pay Per View didn't quite deliver, especially within this new WWE Title angle involving Shawn Michaels and the Smith family. Add in a lack of quality matches to make for a dull hour. Meanwhile Nitro was far better with some decent matches, a big title change, and a feeling of freshness without Hulk Hogan. Win #16 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
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
April 22nd, 1996
April 29th, 1996
April 22nd, 1996
April 29th, 1996
No comments:
Post a Comment