WCW: Monday Nitro
November 24, 1997
Saginaw, MI
Wendler Arena

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: Perry Saturn (11/3/1997)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Eddie Guerrero (11/10/1997)

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

We start off with our pals from the nWo. No Kevin Nash yet. Eric Bischoff announces that Curt Hennig is still the U.S. champ and Scott Hall made history (along with two other guys) by defeating 59 of the top athletes in the world to win World War 3 to become next in line for Hollywood Hogan’s world title (Hulk doesn’t seem to mind). Speaking of Hogan, he feels the deck is now stacked after the nWo won WW3 and when you’re nWo, you’re just too sweet. Because he’s feeling so sweet right now, he will put the world title up against anybody – TONIGHT. The Giant answers the challenge, but JJ Dillon says he isn’t medically cleared to wrestle due to his broken thumb. Giant will sign whatever paper he needs to sign because he wants a piece of the Blonde Bomber. JJ will draft some paperwork if Giant is willing to waive WCW of any further damages done to him. With that said, the match is set. Hogan seems pretty confident about this.

• WCW World Tag Team Champions The Steiner Brothers (w/Ted DiBiase) vs. Disorderly Conduct
  

More known for their teamwork as WCW Saturday Night JTTS, here are Mean Mike and Tough Tom to make the Steiners look good on their home turf. DiBiase tells Scott Hall and Kevin Nash that if they want the REAL belts, come and get them. All the usual Steiner brothers offense leads to the STEINER BULLDOG on Tough Tom. (3:44) While they only have one Nitro appearance, they job around occasionally on Saturday Night until March 2000. ½*

NITRO GIRLS! AC Jazz does a backflip off the top turnbuckle!

• Meng (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Booker T (w/Jacqueline)
  

IIRC, this is the last appearance on Nitro for Jacqueline as they are trying to give Booker a babyface singles run. Booker lands his jumping forearm smash and spinning heel kicks Meng to the floor. Back in, Meng takes over with chops and a backdrop, but Booker NO-SELLS and SPINAROONIES up to connect with a Harlem Side Kick. He tries another spin kick on Meng, but Meng catches him and slam dunks him down. If that’s not bad enough, Meng then gives him a powerbomb for two. However, Meng misses an elbow drop and then a charge in the corner. He telegraphs a backdrop though and Meng tries another powerbomb, but Booker sunset flips out of that and rolls up Meng for the three-count. (2:57) A win’s a win, I always say. Meng doesn’t give a crap about a three-count because he clamps on the TONGAN DEATH GRIP. Stevie Ray heads down to save his brother with a wooden chair (because wooden folding chairs are so common) and breaks the chair over Meng to no avail. My man Barbarian appears and KICK OF FEARS Stevie Ray into a TONGAN DEATH GRIP. I am marking out right now, folks. Next week, Harlem Heat and the Faces of Fear. BOOK IT! *½

We take a special look at the movie Alien: Resurrection starring Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder premiering November 26. Alien: Resurrection – at least it’s not Alien 3!

They replay JJ Dillon’s ultimatum given to Raven last night at WW3 – sign a contract with WCW or you’re outta here. Afterwards, JJ and Gene Okerlund head over to where Raven is sitting. Dillon wants to know why the contract he got back from Raven was scribbled on and had a bunch of writing on it. JJ felt it was unprofessional conduct. Raven says he added his own stipulations to the contract: he will wrestle when he wants, get paid what he wants, wrestle who he wants, and only compete in no-disqualification settings. Scotty Riggs comes down and brushes passed JJ to sit down with the rest of the Flock. Both JJ and Gene want to know what is going on with Riggs, but we don’t have time for that right now. Let’s get back to the ring.

• Chris Benoit vs. Sick Boy
  

Originally as announced Benoit versus Raven, but Raven grabs Sick Boy by the hair and sends him into the ring to face Benoit instead. Sick Boy shows off his springboard abilities to start. Benoit quickly grows tired of that and starts chopping Sick Boy down to the mat. They fight to the floor over by Raven and his boys. The yet-to-be-named Lodi is very active over there – standing up cheering on Sick Boy. Back inside, Sick Boy misses a springboard legdrop and Benoit runs him down for the Swandive Headbutt. He calls for the Crippler Crossface, but the Flock hit the ring to be taken out immediately. CRIPPLER CROSSFACE to Sick Boy gets the tapout. (3:36) Benoit fights off Kidman and Lodi, but gets nailed by Perry Saturn and his TV title. The RINGS OF SATURN is locked in while Raven pouts in the corner looking all Charlie Manson-like.

The Following Announcement Has Been Paid For By the New World Order: Clips of Scott Hall and Eric Bischoff intimidating Larry Zbyszko over the past several weeks dating back to the big beatdown at Halloween Havoc.

Well, Larry Z has had enough. He heads to the ring and once again DEMANDS Scott Hall accept his challenge for a fight. The nWo music hits and propaganda papers start to fall from the ceiling. There had to be several reams used on this one. It appears that the pieces of paper have a photocopy of Eric Bischoff standing victorious over Zbyszko at Halloween Havoc. Once everyone has a copy, Bischoff comes out and insults Larry Z some more – calling old, fat, and ugly. Since Hall is too much of a coward to face him, Zbyszko challenges Bischoff to a fight instead. When Bischoff finally accepts the match, they go after one another while security keeps them apart. Bischoff is such a dick in this segment. Good stuff.

NITRO GIRLS!

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

• Prince Iaukea vs. Alex Wright (w/Debra)
  

They mention that Prince Iaukea is now back from a three-week tour with New Japan. Wright seems pretty disinterested in Debra tonight and understandably so since she basically forced him to fight her angry football player ex-husband. He does just fine against Iaukea until Debra gets up on the apron to cheer on her man. Apparently, her dress supposedly gets caught on the turnbuckle. I don’t understand how that could happen. Tony and Bobby act a little uncharacteristically pervy about how good Debra looks tonight. During all the distraction, Iaukea nails Wright with a flying body press for the win. (3:15) Alex gets on the mic and fires Debra. See ya over in the WWF, Deb – you know, where you’ll be treated with respect. ¾*

• Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth) vs. Disco Inferno
  

Elizabeth proves to be the ONLY valet left in WCW after tonight. I got no idea why this match is happening other than for Disco to take the bullet for some of Elizabeth’s interference to prove how “active” she is now. Savage has no problem with Disco whatsoever. However, two MACHO ELBOWS get the win. (2:17) Afterwards, Savage hits one more MACHO ELBOW, dumps the ref on the floor, and then tags Disco with nWo. Liz puts her foot on Disco and Savage counts to three to add more insult to injury. HA! How about one more Macho Elbow? ½*

They pan over a blown up cover of WCW Nitro for PS1 and Tony calls the game WCW versus nWo World Tour. Whoops. When we come back from commercial, Tony gets a second shot at it and calls the game correctly now.

We watch a Nitro Party video. If I’m not in any of them and nobody is having sex, I don’t care.

• Brad Armstrong vs. Dean Malenko
  

Armstrong seems to be having a little bit of an attitude as he comes out to the ring. You might even say he has a Brad Attitude. No? Okay. They trade some mat stuff to start. Armstrong blasts Malenko with a Rocker Dropper, but doesn’t go for a cover. He follows up with some basic moves and goes for the pin, but Armstrong complains to the ref about the cadence of the count. Malenko comes back and clamps on a chinlock. When Armstrong begins to stand up, Malenko pulls back on the arms. As they go from corner to corner, Armstrong rolls through a flying body press for 1-2-NO! Armstrong counters a hiptoss and goes for the Russian Legsweep, but Malenko escapes and backslides him for two. Armstrong catches Malenko charging at him in the corner and blocks with a boot. He sunset flips Malenko, but Malenko rolls through and locks in the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF for the tapout. (5:28) Good little match, but the crowd did not care. **¼

Gene Okerlund brings out Steve McMichael. He laughs about Debra being fired by Alex Wright. Debra comes out and tries to sweet talk Mongo to get the team back together. She would do ANYTHING to be back with Mongo. Realizing that everyone’s mind just went dirty, she changes her words around to say she will do whatever it takes to be back with Mongo, which sounds more wifey than dirty. Mongo tells her to get the hell out of here. Well, that’s that. Gene reminds him that she will do *anything* to get back together because Gene is just as pervy as the rest of these announcers.

MORE NITRO GIRLS!

• Buff Bagwell vs. Chris Jericho
  

Bagwell tries to embarrass and outwrestle Jericho to start. Jericho eventually catches Bagwell with a spinning heel kick and clotheslines him to the floor. With Bagwell reeling, Jericho planchas onto him and then runs him into the steps. Back in, Jericho hits a stalling suplex for the Lionsault for 1-2-NO! Bagwell then blocks a headscissors and hotshots Jericho. Bagwell takes over and feels Jericho just isn’t buff enough. Jericho surprises Buff with a sunset flip for two. Bagwell shoves the ref for DARING to count two on him, so the ref shoves him back into a schoolboy rollup by Jericho for 1-2-NO! Jericho stops the Buff Blockbuster and delivers a top rope headscissors. Cover gets two. He continues the offense with a series of running corner clotheslines, but Bagwell picks his boot up to block the third one. BUFF BLOCKBUSTER time. Cover, 1-2-3. (6:58) Well, he didn’t get all of that finisher, but whatevs. Another good little match. **¼

Still shots of Hennig/Flair from WW3 gets shown. They say that Ric Flair will be taking a few weeks off due to an ankle injury.

• WCW U.S. Champion Curt Hennig vs. Ray Traylor
  

Tenay announces he is putting together a video documentary on Brian Pillman. The profits from the video will go to Melanie Pillman and her family. Cool! Hennig is still selling a knee injury from last night. He tries to stall for a bit, but that brings Traylor to the floor to abuse him around ringside. Inside the ring, Traylor avalanches him in the corner and uppercuts Hennig to the floor. In the ring though, Hennig avoids a corner charge and starts working the back. Meanwhile, Schiavone gives Heenan a bunch of crap for respecting Hennig as an athlete. Traylor punches Hennig back, but misses a splash. He connects with an enziguri though as the crowd starts to get behind him. Traylor bounces Hennig’s face off every turnbuckle in a corner. He posts the balls of Hennig and then delivers the BOSSMAN SLAM. Cover, 1-2-NO! Looks like Scott Hall is a little late breaking up the pin for the DQ. (6:32) Konnan, Bagwell, Scott Norton, Randy Savage and Elizabeth all appear to join in on another beatdown of Traylor. Tenay remarks how Traylor has literally no allies in WCW. Savage delivers a MACHO ELBOW and once again Traylor gets tagged with nWo. *½

They give us the lowdown on what’s been happening with the Giant over the past seven days.

• WCW World Champion Hollywood Hogan (w/Vincent) vs. The Giant
  

While Vincent is protesting Giant’s cast, Giant wallops him with the cast itself. Hogan immediately goes after the hand. Before anything really gets going, Eric Bischoff and Rick Rude take over the announce table. This continues on until Giant starts nailing Hogan with the cast, sells the hurt hand, and fights through the pain to give him a CHOKESLAM. He can’t make the cover though as “Sting” heads down to the ring. He pulls Giant’s hurt hand under the bottom rope and takes the bat to it for the DQ. (4:31) Once again, Kevin Nash pulls up the Sting mask and reveals his smiling face to the crowd. The plaster cast gets broken as Nash and the rest of the nWo head down to stand over the fallen Giant. It looks Sting is going to descend from the rafters, but it’s actually a very heavy dummy who falls through the ring. Nash and Hogan then proceed to beat up the dummy for laughs until we go off the air. Crowd REALLY wanted to see Sting come out here tonight, but they wisely hold off here. ½*

Until next time, so long for now.