Television Rewind Episode 5: WCW Nitro 9-04-95 Review

Introduction:
Hello everyone and welcome back to Television Rewind right here on CrazyMax. Today we are going back to the debut episode of WCW Monday Nitro. Nitro would turn out to be a groundbreaking wrestling program from the mid 90s until its demise in 2001. The first episode laid the ground work for what to expect of the show going forward so I really can’t wait to get this one going. We are at the Mall of America at the end of the summer of 1995. So lets get this show on the road.

Show Opening:

The show opens up with an outside shot of the Mall of America with Eric Bischoff bringing us in. Bischoff says this is the only place big enough to hold the first edition of Monday Nitro. We go ringside where Bischoff introduces Steve McMichael as the newest member of of the WCW broadcast team. Heenan then shows up and he shakes the hand of Mongo but he has a shocker in his hand and Heenan sells it like a champ. Bischoff tries to stir shit up by telling Heenan to say what he was saying the night prior about Mongo but Heenan plays it off.

Match 1: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Flyin’ Brian

The first match in Nitro history is a pretty solid pairing of Liger vs. Pillman. They had a great match at SuperBrawl 2 a few years prior to this so this was a damn good way to start off a brand new show. We get some arm ringers plus some nip ups and a quick start to this one. Brian gets whipped into the corner and Liger comes in with a front flip kick right to the face of Brian. Liger ends up hitting Brian with a moonsault off the top rope and gets a 2 count.

Liger gets a head lock on Brian but he’s not in it to long. Liger hits Brian with a knee to the gut and a chop. Brian gets whipped into the corner but he goes up and grabs Liger by the head and drops him with a head scissors then a couple of chops in the corner. Brian goes up to the top and goes for a hurricanrana but he totally botches it. Brian lays on his face but Liger flips over behind him and it made no sense how the move ended up that way.

Brian whips Liger into the ropes but Liger reverses and ends up hitting Brian with a drop toe hold then a surfboard. Liger sits up and ends up grabbing Brian by the face and pulls back. What a brutal looking hold that was. Brian gets whipped into the ropes but he hits Liger with a tilt a whirl head scissors. Liger ends up getting Pillman on the outside and then hits him with a senton off the apron. Liger goes for a suplex on Pillman back into the ring but Pillman reverses it and suplexes Liger to the outside. Pillman goes up to the top rope and comes down with a cross body on Liger on the outside.

We get back in the ring and Pillman goes up top again but Liger shakes the ropes and Pillman falls down on his nuts. Liger goes up top with Pillman and hits him with a super plex off the top rope. Liger goes for the cover and gets a 2 1/2 count. Liger gets up and goes up top quickly and goes for a cross body but Pillman nails him with a drop kick as he is coming down. That was a pretty awesome spot there as well. Pillman picks up Liger and throws him into the ropes and bends over but Liger stops him and drops him with a power bomb for a 2 count.

Liger picks up Pillman and puts him on the top rope and nails him with a hurricanrana off the top rope. Liger picks Pillman up again and puts him on the top rope again. This time Pillman blocks him and hits Liger with a tornado DDT for another near fall. Liger is going for a German suplex but Pillman reverses it and rolls up Liger for the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall……Flyin’ Brian!

Recap:
This was a pretty good opener because of the high flying action involved. Both guys worked well but you could tell Pillman was still a little rusty after the leg injury he suffered. Some of the moves were off but all in all a pretty good match to start off Nitro.

Backstage Promo: Sting

Sting says there is nobody that can walk that aisle like the Stinger can. Sting says there is no one who can lock on the Scorpion Death Lock better than the Stinger yeah!

Interview w/ Hulk Hogan at Hulk Hogan’s Pastamania

Bischoff tells Hogan he has Big Bubba in the main event. Hogan asks who is the greatest wrestler in the world today and the fans chant Hogan. Hogan says he has ate so many hulkaroos and hulkayous that he feels sorry for Big Bubba. Hogan says the first time tonight he is going to put the WCW Title on the line and with Pastamania running through his brain he is going to win the match. Hogan says when he is done dragging Bubba all throughout the mall he is going to give him some Hulkaroos. Hogan says he better tighten up the waste line because Hogan is slim and trim. Hulk Hogan asks what is Big Bubba going to do when Hulkamania and Pastamania plus all of his Hulkaroos run wild on you?!?

Match 2: WCW United States Title Match: Sting (c) vs. Ric Flair

Sting gets in the ring and after he takes off his coat they cut to the entrance area where none other than the Total Package Lex Luger is walking in. Bischoff asks what the hell he is doing here. Bischoff instructs them to get the cameras off of Luger as he stands in the aisle way watching the match. This is such a huge moment for Nitro already. Luger was on the WWF PPV the night prior then shows up Nitro the next day? This made you want to watch every Monday just to see what is going to happen or who might show up. Just a really great way to start off a brand new show. Crowd goes crazy chanting Luger as Bischoff continues to call for security and trying to get him out of here.

The bell rings and we finally get this second match under way. We got a really fast start with Flair running the ropes until Sting drops him with a nice looking gorilla press. Sting follows that up with a second gorilla press to Flair. Sting hip tosses Flair out of the corner and then drops him with a drop kick as Flair rolls to the outside to take a little bit of a break. Flair gets back in the ring and we get a test of strength between the two but Flair pokes Sting in the eye before they could really get it going. Flair then drives Sting into the corner and lays in the chops and right hands to Sting. Flair lays in a vicious chop and some punches but Sting no sells it and flexes right in the face of Flair and again Sting nails him with a gorilla press slam.

Both guys are running in the ropes but Sting gets hung up and Flair nails him with a cross body and both guys go over the top rope. Flair lays in the chops again on the outside and Sting no sells it again. Flair pokes the eye of Sting and then charges at him only to get caught in another gorilla press but this time Sting throws him in the ring. Sting goes for the Stinger Splash but Flair gets out of the way but Sting holds on to the top rope and doesn’t hit the turnbuckle so he ends up hitting Flair with a running bulldog type move from behind and lays out Flair again. This match has been fast paced and awesome throughout so far.

Sting comes charging in but Flair nails him with a back elbow to get control of the match as they head to commercial. When we get back from commercial Flair climbs up to the top rope but Sting slams him off the top. Flair gets whipped in the rope and Sting nails him with his 4th gorilla press slam. Sting goes for the cover and while he is doing that Arn Anderson comes walking out. Sting goes off the top rope and is going for a splash but Flair moves out of the way and Sting crashes to the mat. Flair picks up Sting and drops him with a standing vertical but Sting gets right up and nails Flair with a few clotheslines. Flair gets whipped into the corner and he goes up and over and gets nailed with a clothesline by Sting.

Sting climbs the middle rope and lays in the 10 punches to Flair. Sting hip tosses Flair into the other corner and puts him on the top rope. Sting goes up to the top with him but Flair pushes him off and Flair jumps down and whips Sting into the ropes and goes for a hip toss but they get blocked and then they get down on the mat into a head lock. Flair ends up on top of Sting and Sting bridges out of that into a backslide for a 2 count. Sting puts Flair on the top rope again and this time he goes up and nails Flair with a beautiful super plex off the top rope.

Sting gets up and he looks at Arn Anderson and Flair ends up hitting him with a chop block. Flair gets Sting in the figure four but Sting flexes and pounds his chest right in the face of Flair as if it is not hurting. Flair grabs on to the ropes as the ref calls for the break. Flair won’t let go of the hold so the ref calls for the bell. Your winner by disqualification and still WCW United States champion…..Sting!

After the bell rings Arn Anderson gets in the ring and breaks up the figure four. Arn and Flair then stare each other down until Flair punches Arn in the face. Arn gets pissed and drops Flair with a right hand and then he mounts him and lays in more rights. Arn and Flair brawl to the back into the security team breaks it up. Arn then turns around and goes back to the ring to get his jacket making it look like he was going to go after Sting.

Scott Norton Debuts:
Meanwhile, at the commentary table Scott Norton shows up out of no where and starts yelling at Heenan and Bischoff. Heenan says he has no pull and the guy he needs to talk to is Bischoff. Norton says he signed the contract and he starts pushing Bischoff around. Mongo gets in his face and Norton says that he had his big time career so he needs to step back. Norton then throws some chairs and gets right in the face of Mongo. Savage comes out of no where and slaps Norton from behind. Savage says that Norton wants some attention then how does the Macho Man sound. Norton says what are we waiting for and Savage says not sure so lets do it right now. Savage gets in the ring and starts hyping up the crowd as Bischoff asks for security to remove Norton.

Recap:
This was a pretty good match as well. We saw a ton of gorilla presses and then your typical action that these two deliver. The post match start with Arn and Flair was pretty good and it helped push the match at Fall Brawl. Also, Norton coming out of no where and going after Bischoff like that was another awesome debut on this show. It just progressed the whole anything can happen element and it makes you want to continue watching just to see what might happen. Savage coming out of no where was awesome as well. Just a really good match followed by two pretty good segments. Just a really good stretch of television there.

They show a highlight video on the incoming Sabu.

Gene Okerlund announces the winner of the Harley Davidson sweepstakes.

Backstage Promo: Michael Wallstreet

Wallstreet says that everyone wants to talk about the new generation but according to him it is the new generation is nothing more than the few generation. He says that is why he is in the WCW because its about power and money and this is where the best wrestlers in the world are. We got Vader, Hogan, Sting, Savage and now we got Mr. Wallstreet. Wallstreet mentions that he is sure the IRS will be looking at him closely but thats fine because as you go down the road of WCW people are going to know that Michael Wallstreet is a real player.

Match 3: WCW World Heavyweight Title Match: Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Big Bubba Rogers

They get a tie up and Hogan throws Bubba into the corner as Hogan flexes in front of him. They tie up again and this time Bubba gets Hogan in a head lock. Bubba hits the ropes and this time Hogan nails him with a shoulder block and Bubba falls to the mat and rests up against the ropes. Bubba calls for a test of strength and Hogan gets the upper hand momentarily until Bubba kicks him in the gut. Bubba gets Hogan in the corner and he lays in some big time right hands and then follows that up with a splash in the opposite corner to Hogan.

After the match Hogan is posing as the members of the Dungeon of Doom come out and attack Hogan. Zodiac, Kamala, and Kevin Sullivan all come out as Hogan starts cleaning house. Meng is getting in the ring when Luger comes out of no where and helps out Hogan. Hogan and Luger bump into each other and they square off. Savage and Sting come out to separate Luger and Hogan. Hogan tells Luger that he should go back where he came from.

In-Ring Interview: Hulk Hogan and Lex Luger

Hogan immediately questions Luger and asks him what he is doing here. Hogan says he has no business in his backyard Luger. Luger says he is going to make it clear right up front. He is here for one reason and one reason only. Luger says that people say that Hogan is the #1 wrestler in the business today. Luger says he is here to take the belt from Hogan. Luger begs Hogan to let him finish. Luger says that he has been down the same roads as Hogan and he has been where he has been. Luger says he has beaten the same people Hogan has beaten and he is sick and tired of playing around with kids. Luger says he is ready to get it on with the big boys and that includes Hogan. Whether it be next week or next month or five years from now he wants the belt.

Hogan shows Luger the belt and says this is the title and Hogan is the champion and it will stay that way forever. Hogan says he knows where Luger has been and he has been playing the games so he is going to have to give Luger his shot. Hogan says when you come to the WCW and you get Hogan’s face there is going to be thousands of Hulkamaniacs backing him. Hogan says as great as Luger is he has nothing to prove to Hogan. Hogan says he don’t have to wait until next week or next month. Hogan says stick that stinky palm hand of his out and shake his hand and he will put the title up for grabs next Monday on Nitro. Luger shakes Hogan’s hand and Luger says he is going to hit a home run. Hogan then pushes Luger and Luger retaliates as Sting and Savage separate the two.

Recap:
This was your typical Hogan match to a T. We got a lot of brawling and a little bit of action and then the hulk up and finish. Really nothing special happened during this match but that doesn’t it was terrible either. This is just your Hogan match and nothing more. Name value alone is the reason this was the main event here but the rest of the card really delivered. The post match stuff with the Dungeon of Doom was pretty good even though it didn’t last long at all. It furthered the feud for Fall Brawl so that was a success. The stare down and face off between Luger and Hogan was pretty damn awesome and I like the fact that they sent out Sting and Savage to separate the two. The interview itself was pretty damn good as well and I liked what Luger was saying. This was a really good way to end the show and it definitely made me want to tune in next week to find out what is going to happen next. Job well done WCW.

Show Closing:

They go ringside where Bischoff gives us the run down for next weeks show. He announces that the title match has been signed and it will be Hogan vs. Luger for the strap. Sabu will also be on the card as well as Michael Wallstreet. Bischoff says there is more action than you can get anywhere else. Bischoff wraps it up and thanks everyone for joining them on the debut episode of WCW Monday Nitro.

Show Recap:
This was a really good debut show if you ask me. We started off hot with the Pillman vs. Liger match that had a lot of good high flying maneuvers to get the crowd going. We follow that up with the two biggest names to come from WCW in Sting vs. Flair. We also got the shocking debut of Lex Luger, who was on the WWF PPV the night prior. The main event had the star power of Hogan and one of his buddies in the ring that can actually work. From top to bottom it is one of the funner shows to watch and the setting inside of the mall was pretty damn awesome as well.

I liked the surprise aspect of this show. You have Luger come out at the start of Sting and Flair because of the history the three guys have. Then you have him come back at the end of the show and appear to help Hogan even though he wants a title shot. A really good way to get a guy back in the mix on your show. We also had the debut of Scott Norton that was very well done as well. I liked the fact he went over Bischoff and demanded what he was promised. Another great way to get a guy over on his first appearance.

Well that about does it for another episode of Television Rewind. I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane with some history of WCW. This was a really fun show and definitely worth checking out if you haven’t seen it or if you have seen it but haven’t watched it in a while. Next up on the list is another episode of Television Rewind. We are heading back to the beginning of 1992 and visiting a Barber Shop of sorts. Anyways, look out for that one and continue to stick around here on CrazyMax as we dig deep into the annals of wrestling history and review some of the best and worst shows available to us. Thanks again for reading and I’ll see ya again soon.