WCW: Monday Nitro
November 3, 1997
Philadelphia, PA
CoreStates Spectrum

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Hollywood Hogan (8/4/1997)
WCW U.S. Champion: Curt Hennig (9/15/1997)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: Rick & Scott Steiner (10/13/1997)
WCW World Television Champion: Disco Inferno (9/22/1997)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Rey Mysterio (10/26/1997)

HOUR NUMBER ONE! Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, and Mike Tenay. Tony announces that the Sting versus Hogan match has been signed for December. Weird that he never mentions the word “Starrcade”. The contract signing took place this past Tuesday night during the Assault on Devil’s Island TV movie starring Hollywood Hogan, Carl Weathers, and that blonde chick from all the Cinemax movies who married Gene Simmons. Anywho, Tony gives Hogan some credit mentioning that the premiere was one of the top four highest-rated cable TV movies in the history of our sport. After we see the same clips we saw last week of the movie, they re-air the contract signing. Now let’s get to the ring!

• Rey Mysterio & Steven Regal vs. Eddie Guerrero & Dean Malenko
  

Malenko and Guerrero – quite the bizarre and disinclined tag team. It’s like Battlebowl up in here. Although this is a tag match where team effort and working together is a basic key to victory, Tenay touts this as a little preview to World War 3 where it will be every man for himself. WHAT? 100% of the crowd feels that Eddie sucks. Holy crap. The guy is just in the ring. He hasn’t done a thing and he has elicited this level of response. Amazing. Malenko and Mysterio start us off with a fancy routine that leads to a stalemate. Guerrero applauds Malenko to the point Dean feels he’s being mocked, so he tags in Eddie when he’s not looking. Tag to Regal, he and Guerrero do a bunch of counters until Eddie cheapshots him with a dropkick to the knee. Meanwhile, Tony and Mike seem to think Sting will come back in December in tip top shape. Mysterio tags in and grabs a quick hurracanrana on Eddie for 1-2-NO! Rey gets launched by Eddie into Malenko as Mysterio headscissors him to the floor. Whoops. Back inside, Rey springboard dropkicks Regal by mistake. Eddie gives Mysterio one of his nasty powerbombs and heads up top for the Frog Splash, but Malenko tags him and slaps on the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF for the submission. (3:53) Guerrero doesn’t seem happy, Malenko has the same look on his face he always does, and Regal just thinks Mysterio is pathetic for giving up to a submission hold. Entertaining stuff which isn’t hard for these four to pull off, but not given enough time to really develop into anything special. **

NITRO GIRLS!

They show clips of Halloween Havoc where Roddy Piper was beaten up in the cage by Hollywood Hogan, Randy Savage, and Eric Bischoff. Tony tells us that Piper has nerve damage in his face from that attack.

• Fit Finley vs. Squire David Taylor
  

Raven and his Flock head down to their front row seats while Finley and Taylor exchange some standing holds. Finley bounces Taylor’s chest off the apron and then gives him a good forearm smash to the sternum. Taylor fires back with a neck tie headscissors. Taylor does a really cool press slam with Finley’s arms stretched out to look like Taylor has done all the lifting. He drops Finley down into a gutbuster. Taylor misses a crossbody out of the corner though. Finley catches him with a stiff lariat and puts down Taylor with the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER for the win. (3:00) Another real quick match with some cool moments. *

Eric Bischoff hijacks the broadcast via telephone to let the announcers know that it was Sting who finally agreed to face Hollywood Hogan and not the other way around. Hogan has challenged Sting on numerous and never received an answer. Secondly, he actually apologizes to Roddy Piper for the nerve damage in his face, but it must be consistent with the brain damage he already had when he agreed to face Hollywood Hogan in the first place. SNAP. Bischoff thinks Sting might have that same type of brain damage now that he has signed the contract to face Hogan. And thirdly, he and Hogan are basking in the glory of the success of Assault on Devil’s Island despite Vince McMahon putting the best of the best of Survivor Series on the USA Network up against the premiere trying to make Hogan look like a dolt, but Vince completely failed. Since it was such a success, there will be more Hogan movies on TNT. Next week, the entire nWo – including Kevin Nash – will be in the arena in Memphis. I believe the crowd is yelling “boring” right now.

I feel like this image will be used quite a bit once we get deep in 1998 and beyond for WCW.

• Yuji Nagata (w/Sonny Oono) vs. Psychosis
  

Sonny Oono looks to take out another one of his former clients. Nagata kicks Psychosis around to start. Psychosis fires back with a springboard dropkick and sends him rolling out to the floor. While Nagata is staggering, Psychosis flies over the turnbuckles for a somersault dive. He even gives Nagata a legdrop off the apron. Back in, that gets two. Psychosis catches Nagata with a dropkick in the corner and tries a hurracanrana, but Nagata hangs tough. Rolling Koppou Kick knocks Psychosis silly. After some chinlockage, they have an awkward moment with a powerbomb. Psychosis flips out of a German suplex and catches Nagata with a spinning heel kick. Oono is on the apron and despite chatting with the ref, he kicks Psychosis back into a backdrop driver to set up the NAGATA LOCK for the submission. (3:51) Well I figure this match had to happen, but I don’t think they have a ton of chemistry. Psychosis is too lucha and Nagata is too puroresu. *

In a dusty schoolhouse, Raven talks about how bad his childhood was. Oh geez. Tony and Mike tell him to get over it.

• WCW World Television Champion Disco Inferno vs. Perry Saturn
  

Of course here in Philly, the crowd pops for Saturn making his Nitro debut as he jumps the rail to face Disco – the antithesis of ECW. This was an absolute dissection of Disco’s left arm. Saturn goes from hold to hold cranking on that arm. Eventually, he weakens Disco enough for a Tiger Suplex and makes him submit to the RINGS OF SATURN to win the TV title. (6:37) This was BORDERLINE squash showcasing Saturn’s abilities. Raven and his Flock celebrate with Saturn as they win their first title in WCW. Stevie Richards gets thrown to the floor by Raven for over-cheering, I suppose. *½

This would be the happiest moment Perry Saturn would ever experience in his entire life.

Gene Okerlund brings out Ric Flair. He has walked around the whole arena three times today looking for Curt Hennig, but hasn’t found him. When he does, he will make sure what he does to him makes it on TV so the whole world can see it. Flair then dares anybody from the nWo to try and cut off the sleeves from the robe he’s wearing right now. Okerlund reminds him that World War 3 is coming, which puts the idea in Flair’s head that he could possibly be 14-time world champion. Two seconds later, he’s thinking about Hennig again. WOO!

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

NITRO GIRLS! If you happen to be paying attention, SEND US YOUR NITRO PARTY TAPES!

• Scott Hall vs. Chris Jericho
  

Hall is wearing a copy of the WCW world tag belts. He throws the toothpick in Jericho’s face and slaps him around while he’s got hold of a wristlock. Jericho kicks him away, but gets slugged down. Fallaway Slam sets up a potential OUTSIDER’S EDGE, but Jericho kicks off the top turnbuckle and sneaks an inside cradle on Hall for the upset win. (2:41) They have done this several times this fall, but it doesn’t seem to be losing its effect. Afterwards, Hall continues to give Jericho the OUTSIDER’S EDGE until Larry Zbyszko comes down to the ring. He’s got a contract in his hand hoping to get Scott Hall to sign a match with him – if he’s a real man. Hall walks out on him telling the camera that Zbyszko can’t even beat Bischoff while Larry Z describes what a coward Hall is for running away from an old man. ½*

• Lucha Libre Battle Royal
  

The combatants include: Juventud Guerrera, Damien, Lizmark Jr., Silver King, El Dandy, Ciclope, and Los Villanos. After about two or three minutes, nothing really happens until the Giant comes out and CHOKESLAMS EVERYBODY. He cuts a promo on Kevin Nash saying that he hopes the World War 3 battle royal comes down to just them because he’s going to send Nash into the crowd. No rating.

• Ric Flair vs. Alex Wright (w/Debra)
  

This is the type of Alex Wright match you would expect to see on a random episode of Saturday Night in the spring of 1995 when WCW was trying to see if they could get Alex Wright over as a babyface. Here in 1997, now Wright is the heel and Flair is the overwhelming favorite and it feels right. Wright corners Flair to start, but Flair fights out with chops. WOO! With Wright on the floor, Flair is feeling real good about himself and motions to Debra that he could make her feel pretty good about him too. WOO! Wright considers walking out on this match, but decides he would like to go to the PAY WINDAH IF YOU WILL and returns. Back in, Wright catches Flair with a spinning heel kick and beats him up in the corner some more. He nails Flair with a dropkick and a series of elbow drops gets two. He delivers a couple suplexes, but Flair chops back and lands the Rolling Knee Drop. They go to the floor for some brawling. Flair gives Wright a back suplex out there. Back in though, Wright snaps Flair’s neck on the top rope and takes over. He whips Flair in the corner for the Ray Stevens bump as he tumbles out to the floor. Wright wants a pescado, but Flair moves out of the way. WOO! Back in, Flair crotches Wright on the top rope and chops him down. He nails one of his picture perfect vertical suplexes to set up the FIGURE-FOUR to get the submission victory. (7:43) Debra waves Flair off and goes to check on her little boy toy. Not that she was ever really that good in WCW, but she is just lost out there right now without Mongo. *½

• Ray Traylor vs. Steve McMichael
  

Speaking of Mongo. They trade some wristlocks to start. Mongo switches over to chopblock the knee and clotheslines Traylor to the floor. Back inside, Traylor goes after the leg for a few moments. As they clothesline each other, Bill Goldberg walks out and the crowd erupts. He’s got wearing Mongo’s Super Bowl ring given to him by Debra back at Halloween Havoc. While Mongo is totally distracted by him, he turns back around into the ANGRY WHITEMAN SLAM for the three-count. (4:46) One of the only pinfall wins on Nitro for Ray Traylor. ¾*

Gene Okerlund welcomes Diamond Dallas Page to the ring. DDP explains that he is literally living out his dream right now and loving every minute of it. When he heard that Halloween Havoc drew more eyeballs than any other PPV in the history of our sport (HAHAHA), he knows the people are digging it too. Last week, he wrestled Hollywood Hogan who couldn’t get it done the night after he got his butt kicked by Randy Savage. That should tell you how jacked he is right now. Okerlund asks DDP for comments on World War 3. DDP of course plans to win the battle royal and hopes Hollywood Hogan is the champ come Superbrawl VIII so he can bang him and win the WCW world title.

NITRO GIRLS!

• Philadelphia Street Fight: WCW World Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner (w/Ted DiBiase) vs. Public Enemy
  

They fight all over the place for a few minutes. Nothing of note really happens. They head back to the ring for the finish where Grunge sandwiches Rick Steiner in between two stacked tables, only for DiBiase to halfway pull Rick out of the way as Grunge goes flying through said tables. Rick gets cut up a bit as Scott jumps on Grunge for the pinfall so we can get out of here. (5:43) The crowd boos the finish, but what won’t these Philly people boo? ¾*

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Video package airs with 1996 footage showing us what the WW3 battle royal is all about. Luger going against four of the nWo guys at the end is still pretty awesome.

• WCW U.S. Champion Curt Hennig vs. Lex Luger
  

Lex has a shot at becoming a five-time US champ here. I actually probably would have given Luger the belt so that Flair and Hennig could continue their feud without the belt being in the way. Waistlocks and headlocks to start. Hennig chops Luger in the corner. Hennig whips him across, but then Luger comes out of the corner sprinting towards Hennig with a clothesline. Commercials! When we come back, Luger yanks Hennig back into the ring to get him to stop jawing with a ringside fan. It’s all a ploy though as Hennig snaps Luger’s neck on the top rope. Hennig chokes Luger on the ropes and catapults him throat-first into the bottom rope. Hennig neck snap gets two. He just does a great job working the neck here. Luger makes a comeback by reversing a whip into the corner. Couple atomic drops later and Luger runs him down with more clotheslines. Bionic Forearm calls for the TORTURE RACK, but Hennig grabs hold of the ropes and everybody including the ref falls out to the floor. Hennig goes to find a chair when Ric Flair appears to attack him. He rakes Flair in the face and gets back in the ring only for Luger to hoist him up in the TORTURE RACK. Before he can submit, Flair punches Hennig in the face as the ref calls for the DQ. (7:43 shown) As Flair chases Hennig to the back, Luger stops Flair to find out why he got him DQ’ed. Some good neck work from Hennig, but then it turned into the usual delusional Flair interference ending. *½

IMO, not the best show for a Philly crowd. Felt like a lot of filler or business as usual with a lack of star power.

WCW presents World War 3 from the Palace in Auburn Hills, MI on November 23 LIVE on PPV! Here is the card as it stands on November 3:
MAIN EVENT: 60-man three ring battle royal
(WINNER FACES THE WCW WORLD CHAMPION AT SUPERBRAWL VIII ON FEBRUARY 22!)