WCW Monday Nitro
May 5, 1997
Lakeland, FL
Jenkins Arena

The current WCW champs were as follows:
WCW World Champion: Hollywood Hogan (8/10/1996)
WCW U.S. Champion: Dean Malenko (3/16/1997)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Outsiders (10/27/1996)
WCW World Television Champion: Ultimo Dragon (4/7/1997)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Syxx (2/23/1997)
WCW Women’s Champion: Akira Hokuto (12/29/1996)

SPECIAL NOTE: Because of the NBA playoffs airing on TNT, the next three weeks of Nitros will be only one hour.

Last week at the end of the show if you remember from the five months ago that I last recapped a Nitro from 1997, Roddy Piper stood in the ring apparently thinking FOREVER about the nWo flyers that fell from the ceiling that said ‘Tradition bites’ while Ric Flair was taking a beating in the aisleway at the hands of Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Syxx. Why did it take him so long to make the save? What does this mean for Slamboree?! We’ll find out TONIGHT! Maybe. Who knows. It’s Nitro.

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Larry Zbyszko.

Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, and Kevin Greene appear at the commentator’s area. Before Piper can even start talking, an nWo Tradition Bites banner rolls down behind them. HA! As Kevin Greene tears it down, another banner rolls down in front of Piper and Flair! HAHA! They just can’t take it anymore and head to the ring. Hit play on that intro video!

The nWo flyers are everywhere just like last week! They even have the Tradition Bites banner hanging from the rafters now! This just further pisses off these three. Out comes authority figure JJ Dillon to remind us all that the Outsiders and Syxx asked for 75% of the gate in order to show up. That leaves only 25% for the rest of the card, but apparently it all goes to Team Piper. Hmm, okay. Now give the stick to Flair. He wants Syxx BAD, brother. Apparently this went too long because Public Enemy’s music hits and it’s time to WRASSLE!

• Public Enemy vs. Hugh Morrus & Konnan (w/Jimmy Hart)
  

Schiavone takes us back to last week when Public Enemy joined with the Steiners to beat up on the Dungeon of Doom. Both teams bring out tables for a total of THREE tables, which means somebody is going through a table. If that’s not great recapping for you, I don’t know what is. Basically just an ECW brawl, which is what Public Enemy does best. Grunge sets up a double stack of tables and puts Konnan in the middle before making a dive, but Jimmy Hart pulls him out of the way just in time. Two tables down, and one to go. So Johnny Grunge is done. Inside the ring, Rocco Rock fights off a double-team and looks to splash Konnan off the top rope through a table, but Morrus puts a stop to that and gives Rocco a superplex onto Konnan and through the third and final table. Cover, 1-2-3. (3:39) Looks like the Dungeon of Doom wins. BUT AT WHAT COST?! ¾*

• WCW Cruiserweight Champion Syxx (w/the Outsiders) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
  

Rematch from two weeks ago after Kevin Nash JACKKNIFED Mysterio. Despite Syxx and the Outsiders all being champions, nobody has a belt with them. Schiavone still seems to think this is a title match. Like a HUGE dick, Syxx attacks before the bell and tries the Bronco Buster. Feet meet balls, however. Mysterio gets all fired up, so Nash distracts the ref while Scott Hall gives Mysterio the OUTSIDERS EDGE. The BUZZ KILLER from Syxx wins via KO in 54 seconds. Authority figure JJ Dillon and WCW Monday Nitro t-shirt wearing ref Nick Patrick head out to try and restore some order. Right behind them is the new World order. Well, Eric Bischoff and the B-team anyways. When he tries to interject himself, Patrick gets tossed out by Nash. Bischoff asks Dillon what he thinks he’s doing because he’s got no stroke around here. Syxx FINALLY releases the hold and yells in JJ’s face that if JJ thinks he’s going to pull the same crap he did with McMahon, he’s got another thing coming. SNAP! Those words could have been turned into an angle, but here I am thinking better of WCW than WCW could actually produce. ¼*

Time for “On the Road with Lee Marshall”. That nerd is in Baltimore MD this week probably sitting in his hotel room watching Nitro talking about the major tourist sites in the town he didn’t visit. He says next week when Heenan comes to Baltimore, being offered crabs is a good thing. Bobby wants to knock him out. I would SO love to see that.

As if we haven’t already seen enough nWo tonight, out comes Hollywood Hogan and Eric Bischoff. Crowd wants Sting. Since the nWo Wolfpac are taking care of Team Piper, Hogan says he doesn’t mind treating Sting like yesterday’s trash and calls him out. Where is he? Nowhere to be found. Maybe next time.

• Lord Steven Regal vs. Meng
  

Last week, Regal tried to save Chris Benoit from Meng and the Dungeon of Doom, but winded up taking the TONGAN DEATH GRIP! They brawl back and forth literally thirty seconds before Regal sees Kevin Sullivan at ringside and jumps him outside the ring. Just a whole big ruckus until we go to commercial. Ehh, no rating.

Nice video package for the Savage-DDP feud is shown.

That sets up Diamond Dallas Page and Kimberly to talk with Gene Okerlund. Whoa! Kimberly just about fell in those heels. DDP says Spring Stampede and his win over Randy Savage was the defining moment in his career. As for Randy Savage, DDP defines you! BAAAANG! Kimberly thinks Randy Savage is going to screw with DDP by making him think she digs the Macho Man? Not a chance. As they start to leave, Randy Savage and Liz show up in the audience as usual. Savage is on crutches, by the way. More junk is spoken. DDP just says Diamond Cutter. Savage threatens Page again, but doesn’t follow through.

• Jeff Jarrett (w/Debra) vs. Alex Wright
  

Looks like some seeds are being planted for the upcoming Alex Wright heel turn that you are ALL excited about. Real quick JTTS match. As Wright stomps Jarrett in the corner, Debra hops up on the apron and distracts Wright as he takes a chopblock from behind. FIGURE-FOUR gets the win at 1:26. Somehow they used this match to hype Steve McMichael v. Reggie White at Slamboree.

NASCAR driver Mark Martin will be coming on the program in two weeks for a “huge” announcement. WCW, you’re not making the convincing argument you think you are.

• Glacier vs. Lizmark Jr.
  

I like Glacier’s music because it always reminds me of WCW/nWo Revenge. This one is over in REAL short order as Lizmark back flips off the top rope right into the CRYONIC KICK to end this one in 20 seconds. This leads to more important matters as Mortis and Wrath with James Vandenberg at the helm attack Glacier and give him their finishers. They even beat him with the green harlequin staff. No rating.

• Harlem Heat (w/Sister Sherri) vs. The Giant & Diamond Dallas Page
  

No match. Before DDP and Kimberly can make it to the ring, Randy Savage and Liz appear from the side of the stage. DDP steals away one of his crutches and Savage drops the other. As DDP stalks Savage back towards the commentators area, Hollywood Hogan comes up from behind to CRACK the other crutch over DDP’s back! He continues to beat the heck out of DDP while Savage grabs Kimberly by the hair! Neither the Giant nor Harlem Heat can make the save because the rest of the new World order are laying a beating on them as well! Team Piper comes out to try and help, but they are incredibly outnumbered. Flair doesn’t really care about anyone but Syxx, who gets stuck in the FIGURE-FOUR. Greene gets dumped and Piper gets double-teamed by the Outsiders. Hollywood Hogan and Randy Savage take over the announce table and make fun of the WCW guys – including Sting who doesn’t appear as we go off the air.

WCW presents Slamboree on May 18 in Charlotte NC!
Here is the announced card as of May 5 1997:

MAIN EVENT:
Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, and Kevin Greene vs. Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, and Syxx
WCW U.S. Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko vs. Jeff Jarrett
WCW World Television Champion Ultimo Dragon vs. Lord Steven Regal
Steve McMichael vs. Reggie White
Rick & Scott Steiner vs. Hugh Morrus & Konnan
Madusa vs. Luna Vachon
Chris Benoit vs. Meng – Death Match
Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Yuji Yasuraoka
Glacier vs. Mortis