WCW: Monday Nitro
March 23, 1998
Louisville, KY
Freedom Hall

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Sting (2/22/1998)
WCW U.S. Champion: Diamond Dallas Page (12/28/1997)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Outsiders (2/22/1998)
WCW World Television Champion: Booker T (2/22/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Chris Jericho (1/24/1998)

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

ROWDY RODDY PIPER steps out of the tunnel to start off this bad boy. This crowd just absolutely adores him and he takes a moment to soak it in as he should. He calls out to the crowd telling him he was “born a wildcat”. Those cheers quickly turned to boos. For those who don’t know about college sports, the Kentucky Wildcats are based out of LEXINGTON, Kentucky. Their in-state rivals are the Louisville Cardinals and tonight Nitro hails from LOUISVILLE, Kentucky. He does realize he is at the home of the Louisville Slugger baseball bat company though so there’s some progress made. Piper says God bless Harry Caray! This famous baseball commentator passed away a month earlier. Piper has been brought back into WCW as a consultant. Wasn’t he the commissioner the last time he was here? If JJ Dillon is chairman of the board of directors, who is the commissioner? Is that role no longer necessary? Anyways, the nWo is out of control and Piper says there will be no more bats in WCW. While the crowd boos, Gene thinks that’s great news. There will be no more bats until Spring Stampede. Piper wants to hang a bat over the middle of the ring and put him and the Giant in the ring against Hollywood Hogan and Kevin Nash. Since the nWo likes to play with bats, we’re going to have the first ever bat match. He thinks the Giant has a big heart, but Piper says he’s going to show him how to get NASTY. Giant will smash Nash while Piper will give Hogan a new slogan. He also wants to settle “the real giant” debate once and for all tonight: the Giant takes on Kevin Nash here on Nitro. Before he goes, Piper brings up Randy Savage. He suggests Savage and Hogan must be having a lover’s quarrel. Piper really doesn’t care who is the head of the nWo. He wants revenge for Halloween Havoc and wants a match with Savage – tonight!

NITRO GIRLS~!

They replay the MTV Live incident between DDP and Raven.

• Ultimo Dragon vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/Eddie Guerrero)
  

Dragon handspring elbows Chavo out to the floor, but pescados down into a kick from Chavo. Back inside though, Dragon fights off a waistlock and quebradas Chavo for two. Nice German suplex by Chavo gets two. Bridging suplex scores another nearfall. Chavo heads up top and gets kicked. Great camera shot that shows Eddie’s disappointment in his nephew. Chavo tries to come back with a suplex from the apron, but Dragon flips out into the DRAGON SLEEPER for the tapout victory in 2:11.

Gene Okerlund meets Los Guerreros in the ring. Eddie voices his disappointment in Chavo not listening to his advice. Eddie apologizes to the audience and then forces Chavo to apologize to his grandma for embarrassing the family with another loss. Chavo gives a forced “I’m sorry” to the matriarch of the Guerrero family. Eddie says he has a match tonight against another Japanese wrestler probably much more tough than Ultimo Dragon and tells Chavo he’ll show him how a Guerrero does it. He smacks Chavo on the back of the head with his towel as they head to the back.

Hollywood Hogan and Eric Bischoff come down to respond to Roddy Piper’s decisions. The nWo isn’t afraid of the Giant or Roddy Piper with or without a baseball bat. He makes fun of Piper’s kilt. Hogan then says he and Kevin Nash love the idea of the bat match. Hogan even tells us he’s a switch hitter. I’m assuming that Hollywood Hogan the character, not Terry Bollea. Hogan says that Rupert Murdoch is considering signing Hogan to the LA Dodgers if he buys the team. Again, I’m assuming Rupert Murdoch wanted to sign Hollywood Hogan the character to the LA Dodgers, not Terry Bollea. “Hogan sucks” chants are getting louder and louder. Hogan calls them idiots who like seeing Piper in a skirt. Hogan makes some more baseball references and talks about the Giant versus Giant match for later in the show. He says that he and Nash are like brothers which is a WORRRRRRKKKKKKK and not a shoot. To show how committed he is to Kevin Nash, Hogan wants to make this a handicap match with the Giant. When he and Nash get finished with the Giant’s stinky, wart-infested carcass, it’s going to be just too SWEET. Hogan and these classic nWo catchphrases that someone else invented feels like everyone doing Borat impressions or doing Chappelle imitating Rick James impressions. It just isn’t cool. Even if he didn’t, I *believe* Hogan made up the “WHATCHA GONNA DO?” phrase because of the way he delivered it. When he does the “4-Life” and “Too Sweet” phrases, it just doesn’t work as well. Maybe it’s just how it sounds in my ears. Who knows.

Gene Okerlund hypes the WCW Hotline. Someone who has been away from the wrestling scene has the okay to return, but WILL HE? It’s a sizzling story!

• Scott Steiner (w/Buff Bagwell) vs. Wayne Bloom
  

Buff measures Steiner’s bicep and says he’s now up to 28 inches. He was 27 inches last week! This is the perfect time to debut the name “Big Poppa Pump”. And yet, he has the word “Superstar” on the front of his singlet – obviously a homage to Superstar Billy Graham. Tenay calls this the biggest Nitro in history. The reasoning behind that is Nitro keep getting bigger EVERY WEEK! After a super Samoan drop, he applies the STEINER RECLINER for the win in 3:05.

NITRO GIRLS~!

• Psychosis vs. Lodi
  

Schiavone mentions how a bowling alley is hosting Nitro Parties every week. What a wacky world of wrestling, folks. Lodi is too much of a doofus to capitalize on anything he does. While up on the top turnbuckle, he takes a dropkick from Psychosis that sends him crashing to the floor. Psychosis then does one of his CRAZY corkscrew moonsault planchas on top of Lodi. Back in, Psychosis delivers a sitout gourdbuster and the GUILLOTINE LEGDROP gets the win in 2:56.

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

• WCW World Championship: Sting (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page
  

Big tie-up to start lands both men through the ropes and out to the floor still all tied-up! Back in, they trade arm wringers as Page starts up with the shoulder butts. Sting quickly goes for the Scorpion Deathlock, but DDP kicks him off. He goes for it again, but Page grabs the ropes. Swinging neckbreaker by Page gets two. He wants the Diamond Cutter, but Sting shoves him off as they come to a stalemate. Page nails Sting with the Pancake Slam for two. Sting elbows out of a chinlock, but gets cornered for some ten-count corner punching. Sting refuses to accept that and hotshots DDP off him. Now Sting grabs a chinlock. As DDP starts to fade, his arm drops once – but not twice! He elbows out, but Sting catches him with a jumping clothesline. DDP reverses a corner whip and grabs Sting as he staggers backwards. Sting goes to elbow out, but DDP ducks and drills him with a belly-to-belly suplex for two! He wants another Pancake Slam, but Sting backdrops out. They trade fisticuffs. Sting wins that battle and starts up with the face slams. Make that three of them! He wants a Flying Splash, but DDP brings up the knees! As Sting wobbles up to his feet, DDP tosses him into a corner and slugs away. He wants a Diamond Cutter, but Sting has the ropes hooked. He tries again, but Sting comes out of the corner with him and counters to the SCORPION DEATHDROP. Cover, 1-2-3! (11:00) Easily Sting’s best match since his return. After the bell, Sting shows there’s no heat between the two by flashing the illuminat – I mean, the Diamond Cutter sign to the crowd before embracing DDP. ***½

NITRO GIRLS~!

Now time for a Nitro Party video.

• Lex Luger vs. Rick Fuller
  

YES. A Rick Fuller sighting. Tony states he’s 375 pounds to Lex’s 275. Something tells me that is a lie. Of course, Larry Z makes a point to say that Luger has 0.001% body fat, which that definitely is a lie. I know he’s just trying to stress how Luger has an incredibly chiseled physique, but you have to have at least 2-5% body fat to even LIVE. Fuller overpowers Luger with brawling tactics before Lex makes his comeback and hits the Bionic Forearm to set up the TORTURE RACK for the win. (3:15) I love how the commentators still wonder in 1998 if Luger can rack these big guys. He’s racked the GIANT before. YOU WERE ALL HERE FOR IT. End of discussion.

• Eddie Guerrero (w/Chavo Guerrero Jr.) vs. Kaz Hayashi
  

Chavo wears the “My Favorite Wrestler Is Eddy Guerrero” t-shirt out to the ring. When he holds the ropes open for Eddie at his command, Eddie instead leaps over the ropes just to be a douche. We first saw Kaz Hayashi on the February 23 episode of Nitro where he lost to his mentor Ultimo Dragon. Bobby Heenan has replaced Larry Z at the commentary table. Guerrero treats Hayashi like just another ham and egger until Hayashi flips out of a suplex and headscissors Eddie to the floor for a twisting plancha. Hayashi took a nasty fall into the guardrail. Eddie looks like he’s hurting after that one. Back inside, a missile dropkick onto Eddie gets two. Kaz tries another missile dropkick, but flies down onto Eddie’s knee for a backbreaker. AND IT BEGINS. Eddie follows up with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a pumphandle backbreaker to really teach this kid a lesson. Guerrero responds to the “Eddie Sucks” chants by kicking Hayashi some more. A superplex sets up the FROG SPLASH for the win. (5:07) Dragon comes out to check on his protégé – totally blowing passed Los Guerreros. It looked like maybe Eddie was telling Chavo to jump Ultimo Dragon from behind. When he refuses, Eddie slaps him across the face. THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH A MAN CAN TAKE! **

They replay the Bret Hart vignette they aired on Thunder.

• Konnan vs. Prince Iaukea
  

After Konnan makes his entrance, he gets a fancy vignette as well to show how violent he is. I guess WCW is trying to work on their relationship with Konnan. This reminds me of the Juventud Guerrera match from UnCeNSoReD where Konnan did almost all the work and got pinned in the end – because that’s exactly what happened here. When Konnan goes for the 187, Iaukea avoids the move and hits a Northern Lights Suplex for the upset win. (5:44) As we continue on this ridiculous trek towards Iaukea’s random cruiserweight title shot coming up at Spring Stampede, Tony calls this Iaukea’s biggest win since he won the TV title last February. Why do they keep giving this guy a chance again? **

• WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Lenny Lane
  

Lane interrupts Jericho’s promo and tells Jericho he owes him $1000 for that awesome double cross they pulled on Dean Malenko on the Thunder before UnCeNSoReD. Jericho refuses to pay and tells Lane he owes him $1000 because he can’t get the stink out of those tights Lane wore. He also wants his Loverboy tape back too. How many times can you listen to “Working for the Weekend” anyways? When Jericho tells Lane to let him have it, of course Lane lets him have it by slapping across the chops to kickstart the match. Lane looks for the quick win with some power moves, but Jericho comes back with a spinning heel kick. The butterfly backbreaker leads to the Liontamer, but Lane counters with a victory roll for two. Lane delivers the Full Nelson Facebuster for 1-2-NO! He tries a floatover in the corner, but Jericho catches him in mid-air and delivers a spinebuster into the LIONTAMER for the win. (2:48) Chris Jericho continues to be the most entertaining man on this program. *½

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

• Handicap Match: The Giant vs. Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash (w/Eric Bischoff)
  

Hogan works most of this match making Giant look like a monster. He goes down trying a shoulderblock. He can’t slam the Giant and takes a slam himself. Giant chops him in the corner and whips him across for a good old fashioned boot choke. Hogan rolls out to get some advice from Bischoff and Nash. Back inside, he knees Giant and starts punching on him. Giant turns the tables on Hogan and delivers a backbreaker. Hogan rolls to the floor after that one. Back in, Nash finally wants a piece of the Giant. They lock up and as Nash gets cornered, Hogan comes down the apron and pulls Giant off Nash so Nash can slug him a whole bunch. These blows are really having their effect. They trade corner clotheslines, but Giant comes out on the winning end with a headbutt. Hogan jumps Giant from behind so he and Nash can double-team. Giant shoves them both away when he’s had enough. Just as the Giant GOOZLES Nash, the Disciple appears and nails Giant for the weak DQ. (6:23) This was actually a pretty fun handicap match until they cop out with the ending. Hogan did PLENTY of selling for the most part to make the Giant look like an unstoppable monster. Disciple tries to drop the Giant with the APOCALYPSE and fails. Bischoff’s kicks on the Giant are about as useful as a poopy-flavored lollipop. Giant decides not to chokeslam Disciple and GOOZLES Bischoff for a much more satisfying CHOKESLAM. Once again, WCW continues doing the same things they have already done. *½

NITRO GIRLS~!

• WCW World Television Championship: Booker T (c) vs. Chris Benoit
  

Nitro is about to get GOOD with the springtime Booker-Benoit feud. Headlocks and shoulderblocks to start. When Benoit has enough, he stomps the crap out of Booker in the corner. Booker comes firing back with a powerslam. Hammerlocks and wristlocks follow. As Benoit does the bridge, he stands up only to receive the Hook Kick. Benoit hits a release German suplex and wears down Booker with a chinlock. When Booker stands up, Benoit unleashes his signature chops. Booker fires back with a flapjack, does the SPINAROONIE, and the Harlem Side Kick connects. He heads up top looking for the Missile Dropkick, but Benoit is there to stop him with a superplex. Benoit delivers the Rolling Germans, but both men are spent. Benoit is up at the count of eight. Booker reverses things on him and hits the 110th Street Slam. Slow cover gets two. Booker tries the Jumping Side Kick, but crotches himself. Classic Booker. Northern Lights Suplex on Booker gets two. They trade blows in the middle of the ring and the bell suddenly rings as ref Mickey Jay stands in between the two telling them to stop fighting. (7:34) They tell us it’s a ten minute draw and the crowd lets WCW know that’s BS. Good match until the sudden finish. **½

• Curt Hennig (w/Rick Rude) vs. Davey Boy Smith
  

Rick Rude comes over to the commentary table and makes Mike Tenay give him his headset. Heenan of course sucks up to Rude. Hennig goes after Bulldog’s left momentarily, but Davey Boy comes right back clotheslining him. Realizing his pal is in trouble, Rude heads back to ringside as we go to commercial. When we return, Davey Boy delivers the RUNNING POWERSLAM and grabs Rude while he’s on the apron. Rude manages to hold onto the Bulldog and handcuff him to the top rope at the same time. The incredible strength that man possesses! The ref calls for the DQ. (5:38) Bret Hart saves his brother in law from the number Hennig and Rude are doing on him. He atomic drops Rude out of the ring and puts Hennig in the SHARPSHOOTER until the rest of the nWo B-team come out and take bumps for Bret. WCW Head of Security Doug Dellinger must have some kind of universal handcuff key as he helps free the Bulldog. I really gotta get me one of those. Once they retreat, Bret gets on the mic and tells the world that wherever he sees injustice, he’ll be there. Bret Hart is the Tom Joad of WCW. At least for now. This was an awful match. ½*

They replay what happened with Bill Goldberg this past Thursday on Thunder when he wiped out the nWo B-team all by himself.

• Bill Goldberg (59-0) vs. The Renegade
  

As he comes out to the ring, Renegade tells the camera that he knows how to beat Goldberg. By the way, it was 56 wins after his victory over Wayne Bloom on last week on Thunder, so they must be counting house show wins as well. He beat Brad Armstrong on three shows from Friday to Sunday. Renegade reverses a corner whip on Goldberg and delivers a handspring back elbow that has no effect on him. As Renegade turns back around to look at Goldberg, he’s SPEARED to the mat. The JACKHAMMER takes Goldberg to win #60 in :42. So much for Renegade’s plans.

• Roddy Piper vs. Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth)
  

Of course this won’t be much of a wrestling match and there DEFINITELY won’t be a clean finish. They trade punches on each other. Piper whips Savage with a belt. They go out to the floor for more brawling. Piper peels the ringside mats back and considers a piledriver, but Elizabeth runs her claws over his back to get him to stop. Piper ends up grabbing Liz and plants a big wet one on her. When he finishes the kiss, Savage runs him down and takes Piper back in the ring. As Savage goes for a slam, Piper slips off his shoulders and locks in the SLEEPERHOLD. Elizabeth gets up on the apron, but Savage backs Piper into her by accident. Whoa! Savage escapes the hold with a jawbreaker. Hollywood Hogan and Kevin Nash head down to the ring. The ref gets thrown away into the guardrail for the apparent DQ. (3:55) Nash has brought a ball bat with him and goes to whack Piper, but Hogan grabs the bat away. That causes some shoving to start between Hogan and Nash. Hogan swings at Savage as Savage ducks out. Sting comes out with his own bat and scares the piss out of Hogan. Piper stands side by side with Sting until Savage knees Sting out of the ring. He goes after Sting while Hogan and Nash double-team Piper in a corner. Giant saves Piper and takes the bat away from Hogan. While Hogan and Nash bail, Giant grabs the other bat away from Savage as well. Now Sting, Piper, and the Giant stand tall in the ring while Nash, Hogan, and the Disciple deal with Savage in the aisle. It was exactly how you expected it would be, right? ½*

Until next time, so long for now.

WCW/nWo Spring Stampede LIVE ON PPV premieres April 19
from the Denver Coliseum in Denver, CO.
MAIN EVENT
WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Sting (c) vs. Randy Savage
WCW U.S. Heavyweight Championship: DDP (c) vs. Raven
Bat Match: The Giant & Roddy Piper vs. Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash