WCW Monday Nitro
October 13, 1997
Tampa, FL
Ice Palace

The current WCW champs were as follows:
WCW World Champion: Hollywood Hogan (8/9/1997)
WCW U.S. Champion: Curt Hennig (9/15/1997)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Outsiders (10/27/1996)
WCW World Television Champion: Disco Inferno (9/22/1997)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Eddie Guerrero (9/14/1997)

HOUR NUMBER ONE! Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, and Mike Tenay.

We kick off the show with Hollywood Hogan (without the belt), Eric Bischoff, and Randy Savage wearing a neck collar. Tony announces that the Steiner brothers will face the Outsiders tonight over the WCW world tag titles. Bischoff wants BUT DOESN’T WANT the fans going to Raw to take “Assault on Devil’s Island” posters. He hates the fact that interim WCW commissioner Roddy Piper can tell the Outsiders to put up the tag titles against the Steiners. He also wants to point out that what Roddy Piper condoned last week concerning DDP and Randy Savage is nothing short of a leader out of control. Over to the Hulkster, brother. When you mess with the nWo, you mess with the nWo 4-LIFE. I don’t think he understands the catchphrase. Hogan is also pissed that Roddy Piper never gave back the nWo world title from last week. Before the night is over, he will get his belt back and DDP is going to get dropped like a bad habit. When you’re nWo, you’re just TOO SWEEEET. Tony’s whiny reaction is quite hilarious, I must say.

Flashback to last week when Diamond Dallas Page BANGED Randy Savage on the concrete.

• WCW Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero vs. Psychosis
  

Tony changes Disco versus Jacqueline at Halloween Havoc to a non-title match. Tenay says that Sonny Oono is conspicuous by his absence. Psychosis levels Eddie with a flying leg lariat and then baseball slides into Eddie to take him to the floor for a flying senton splash. Back inside, Guerrero avoids a flying splash and delivers a gutbuster. Psychosis flips out of a powerbomb and hits a leg lariat. Enough of this, Eddie stops Psychosis up top for the superplex and follows up with the FROG SPLASH for the win. (3:43) Off night, I would say. Psychosis might have destroyed his hips and tail bone on that senton splash. Afterwards, Eddie tries to rip off the mask to put over the Halloween Havoc match. *½

Lucha Libre y el Mexicano Luchadores: They show off the importance of the masks in Mexico. When they interview some of the luchadores, they give them some super WASP-y voiceovers. Eddie Guerrero – in English – sort of threatens revenge on El Hijo del Santo.

WCW Commissioner Roddy Piper comes out to the ring to meet Gene Okerlund. No belt with him. He stands by DDP and calls what happened to Randy Savage justice. As for Hollywood Hogan, Piper feels he doesn’t deserve it and put it where Hogan won’t find it. Concerning Hall and Nash and their tag belts, they will still have to defend the belts against the Steiners or be stripped.

NITRO GIRLS!

• Steve McMichael vs. Steven Regal
  

Mongo throws Regal around for a while and then Regal returns the favor. Total clash of styles here. The finish gets a little awkward. MONGO SPIKE ends Regal. (3:38) No mention of Jarrett here. ½*

Debra meets with Gene Okerlund in the aisle. They announce that Jeff Jarrett is no longer with WCW. McMichael stops by to say he told you so about Jarrett. Now get back in that kitchen, Debra! She’s not stopping though because she’s got a surprise opponent for Mongo at Halloween Havoc.

WCW Saturday Night! Watch it IF YOU WEEL! 6:05PM eastern! TBS! Glacier, Ernest Miller, Alex Wright, Rey Mysterio, and Steve McMichael will all be in action! Don’t miss out! It’s the MUTHASHIP! PAY WINDAHS, CLUBBERIN, AND PLUNDAH, BABY!

• Chris Jericho vs. Yuji Nagata (w/Sonny Oono)
  

Since apparently Psychosis fails at beating Ultimo Dragon, Oono’s bringing in Yuji Nagata in for a shot at Halloween Havoc. Jericho shows off his submission skills applying an octopus hold. Nagata fights out and hits a backdrop driver. Jericho fires back with a missile dropkick and applies a choke swing (!!) for two. That was different. Nagata drills Jericho with a T-bone suplex and then forearms Jericho off the apron onto the guardrail. DANG. Jericho reverses a whip though into the ringpost and slams Nagata down. Sonny Oono gets involved and pie-faced to the floor. Back in, Oono trips Jericho up top, allowing Nagata to kick at the legs so he can apply the NAGATA LOCK for the win. (4:06) Look out, Ultimo. **

Elsewhere, Raven sits in a baby’s bedroom talking about how bad life is. He’s a tortured soul, you guys. Quote the Raven, nevermore.

• Bill Goldberg vs. Scotty Riggs
  

Raven, Perry Saturn, and who we would come to know as Sick Boy are sitting at ringside. No Stevie Richards, Mike Tenay. Goldberg hits the SPEAR in the first thirty seconds, but continues onward. Riggs avoids a jumping elbow drop and dropkicks Goldberg to the floor. Tenay mentions how Gene LeBell is interested in training Goldberg. Riggs tries a pescado, but Goldberg catches him and presses him onto the guardrail. Back in, the JACKHAMMER ends Riggs. (2:36) This is the last of the “long” Goldberg squashes.

NITRO GIRLS!

HOUR NUMBER TWO! Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan.

• WCW World Tag Team Champions The Outsiders vs. Rick & Scott Steiner (w/Ted DiBiase)
  

Well, it’s not Kevin Nash. Syxx subs for his nWo Wolfpac brother. nWo wins another survey, says Hall. Sign of the night: “Syxx Lixx Dixx”. Probably made by the type of guy who writes on bathroom stalls. Steiners clean house to start. Back in, Scott stops a monkey flip from Syxx and slams him down on his face. They tag out and Rick is all Steinerlines. Off the second rope, Rick gets caught for a Fallaway Slam. Hall and Syxx put Rick on their side of town. Syxx delivers his signature kick combo in the corner, but Rick blocks the Bronco Buster with a boot to the balls. Hot tag to Scott, butterfly slam to Hall! Press Slam to Syxx! STEINER DDT to Syxx! Cover, 1-2-NO! Hall pulls out Charles Robinson and shoves him into the guardrail. Here comes Larry Zbyszko to yell at Hall. With Hall’s attention away from the Steiners, Scott comes up behind Hall and throws him back into the ring for the STEINER BULLDOG. Larry Z slides in and fast-counts Hall to crown new tag champs. I think? (5:57) You know, just because you’re a special referee for ONE MATCH doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want whenever you want. Of course, our esteemed commentators are super giddy. *½

Tony gives us an injury update on Randy Savage: WHO CARES?

NITRO GIRLS!

• Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio
  

Tony explains the logic behind Zbyszko being able to count pinfalls whenever and wherever he wants to. Bobby thinks that now it seems since Bischoff can’t overturn that decision that Larry Z has more power in WCW than he does. This is the first we’ve seen of Deano Machino in a few weeks. Feeling out and stalemates to start. Seriously, no impact moves for the first couple minutes. Just two guys who know each other so well and they play off that fact. Malenko finally blocks a headscissors with a side slam. After a headscissors, Malenko works the neck some more with a powerbomb for two. Rey comes back with a corkscrew moonsault and sunset flips away from a powerbomb for a nearfall. He continues the offense with a SPRINGBOARD HURRACANRANA, but Eddie Guerrero sneaks in and out pulling off Rey’s mask, causing Rey to let go of the pinfall. Malenko manages to apply the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF and gets the tapout. (4:54) Oh that dastardly Guerrero. Eddie holds up the mask over at the ramp – “MISSING SOMETHING?” **

Diamond Dallas Page cuts a promo from the WCW Power Plant to show how he’s still a blue collar dude despite all his success in 1997.

WCW Commissioner Roddy Piper comes out to explain that Larry Z became a sanctioned referee a week ago, so the title change stands. Eric Bischoff and Randy Savage interrupt. When Piper takes this as a threat, he starts to take off his belt to fight these two. Well, that’s when the nWo B-Team head down to stand by Savage and Bischoff. With Piper’s back turned to the ramp, a fake Sting comes out and it turns out to be Hollywood Hogan. The nWo beat the crap out of Piper and laugh about it well into a commercial break. WHERE IS WCW NOW?

• Scott Norton (w/Vincent & Buff Bagwell) vs. Ray Traylor
  

This Ray Traylor return is already lost on everyone. While they throw each other around, we see a heroin-addicted Billy Kidman come out and sit beside Raven and his flock. Last comeback by Traylor sees the Bossman straddle and the slide out and an uppercut. Back inside, Bagwell distracts Traylor and tosses a can of spray paint to Norton. WHAM BAM THANK YOU SIR. Norton gets the pinfall. (4:40) Afterwards, Traylor gets the nWo sprayed on his back.

• WCW World Television Champion Disco Inferno vs. Alex Wright
  

Wright looks for a rematch to get his TV title back. He nails Disco with a spinning leg lariat and then beats him with his leather jacket. Disco punches him back, but runs into a powerslam. Alex continues to beat up Disco and hits the slingshot splash for two. Disco slams Wright off the top when Jacqueline heads down to cause some distraction. Wright rolls up Disco, but Disco counters and wins with a handful of tights. (5:48) Disco and Jacqueline argue all the way backstage. Bleh. ¾*

NITRO GIRLS!

• WCW U.S. Heavyweight Champion Curt Hennig vs. Diamond Dallas Page
  

Page pounds the shoulder and goes for the Diamond Cutter early, but Hennig escapes to the floor. Back in, Page is all about the headlock. Hennig breaks loose and shivers him from behind. Lots of kicks to the gut and a Hennig knee lift. Standing dropkick gets two. He grabs a chinlock and uses the ropes for leverage. DDP fights out into a sleeper, but saves the day with a jawbreaker. HERE COMES RIC FLAIR. DDP hits the Pancake Slam, but Hennig delivers a jawbreaker. Whoa, WCW security is doing everything they can to hold him back from the ring. As DDP rolls up Hennig, Flair gets loose and interrupts the pinfall even though ref Randy Anderson counts three. (7:28) Flair then chases Hennig back to the dressing room. It looks like DDP has won the US belt, but ref Randy Anderson doesn’t feel the same way. **¼

WCW Commissioner Roddy Piper comes out and awards DDP as the winner and new U.S. champ, I suppose. Here come the new World order to beat up on the two. Elbow drops and legdrops are everywhere. Fake Stings are everywhere. What is happening? They beat up all of the fake Stings except for one. Buff punches him one time and does his pose, but Sting doesn’t sell and gives him the SCORPION DEATH DROP. Hogan pisses his pants and cowers out of the ring with the rest of the nWo. Sting stands by Roddy Piper and HANDS him the WCW world title belt to close out the show. Awesome.

WCW and Slim Jim presents Halloween Havoc on October 26 from Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Here is what the card looks like as we speak:

MAIN EVENT: Cage Match – Hollywood Hogan vs. Roddy Piper
WCW U.S. Championship: Curt Hennig (c) vs. Ric Flair
WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Title vs. Mask – Eddie Guerrero (c) vs. Rey Mysterio
Last Man Standing: Diamond Dallas Page vs. Randy Savage
Special Referee – Larry Zbyszko: Lex Luger vs. Scott Hall
Steve McMichael vs. Debra’s Mystery Opponent
Ultimo Dragon vs. Yuji Nagata
Disco Inferno vs. Jacqueline