WCW: Monday Nitro
April 6, 1998
Miami, FL
Miami Arena

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.

SOMEONE IS HURT BACKSTAGE! Randy Savage is down. WCW security, Elizabeth, and Miami’s Finest are surrounding him (even though he’s nWo?) and an ambulance has arrived. Tony has no idea what has occurred. The EMTs put a neck collar on him to prepare to take him to the hospital.

• Psychosis, El Dandy & La Parka vs. Tokyo Magnum, Judo Suwa & Nobunaga
  

DRAGON GATE INVADES NITRO~! That’s right – we have Suwa and CIMA here wrestling in 1998 as students of the Ultimo Dragon. Tokyo Magnum and La Parka have a dance-off to start. Crowd LOVES La Parka. The rudos all stomp Tokyo. La Parka and Psychosis give Tokyo a double suplex as El Dandy flies in with an elbow drop. Awesome. Nobunaga tries to get fresh with these boys, but El Dandy and Psychosis deliver a low kick so that La Parka can kick him in the face. Suwa gets held up in the air by El Dandy and La Parka so that Psychosis can give him a missile dropkick. Tag to Magnum, La Parka kicks him mid-dropkick. Hilarious. Several miscues of rudos miscommunication occurs. Magnum finds it to be quite funny. A springboard into a headscissors on Psychosis gets two. La Parka misses a charge in the corner and takes his signature bump. We get a plancha train until Psychosis flies into Nobunaga only to get slam dunked for 1-2-NO! A flying spinning heel kick gets two as well. Nobunaga tries a springboard, but Psychosis dropkicks his feet out from under him and delivers the GUILLOTINE LEGDROP for the win. (4:39) La Parka pays Psychosis back for the miscommunication errors earlier with a NASTY chairshot. El Dandy looks confused, but La Parka lets him know why he did what he did. NOBODY KICKS LA PARKA IN THE BALLS. Fun stuff. **

We check on Randy Savage. No new information. The EMTs are still messing with him.

• WCW World Television Championship: Booker T (c) vs. Disco Inferno
  

Disco turns his back on Booker and gets decked. Big backdrop by Booker. He chops Disco up against the ropes and delivers the running forearm smash. They go through an armbar routine that leads to the Hook Kick. The hiptoss across the ring bit takes Disco over the top rope to the floor. Disco snaps Booker’s neck on the top rope and charges Booker for a swinging neckbreaker for two. Disco stomps a mudhole in Booker, but misses a corner charge and receives a spinning heel kick. Disco still manages an atomic drop and a clothesline, but only gets two. He applies a chinlock and when Booker starts to come back, Disco slams Booker for a FLIP FLOP AND FLY fist drop (?), but Booker moves. Harlem Side Kick misses, but Booker catches Disco charging with a flapjack. SPINAROONIE~! Booker nails the Harlem Side Kick, delivers the SCISSORS KICK, and drills Disco with the 110th Street Slam. That sets up the MISSILE DROPKICK for the win. (5:22) Great showcase match for Booker. The crowd was just 110% behind him. **

NITRO GIRLS~!

We get a video package on the nWo dissension. Can Hollywood Hogan and Kevin Nash work together against the Giant and Roddy Piper?

• Kidman vs. Lenny Lane
  

Kidman catches Lane with a dropkick to start and sends Lane into the corner for the running clothesline off the ropes. He follows up with the slingshot legdrop. Lane crotches Kidman on top rope and hits a springboard back elbow knocking Kidman down. Kidman comes off the top, but gets caught in a powerslam for 1-2-NO! Lane launches Kidman in the air and hits a running bulldog for two. Flying corkscrew senton connects for two. Screw all that though. Kidman hits the BK Bomb and delivers the SEVEN YEAR ITCH for the win. (3:27) Tony calls Kidman’s finisher the “Northern Lights”, but give him credit for not mentioning Randy Savage one time during this match. Kudos, my friend. *

Gene Okerlund touts the WCW Hotline. I don’t even know what he’s talking about. JJ Dillon appears and Miami boos him. What’s the condition of Randy Savage? He knows nothing. There will be footage shown of what happened a little later on though. I love how the WCW commentators are all of a sudden very concerned about “drawing conclusions”.

• Konnan (w/Vincent) vs. Norman Smiley
  

This is the first we’ve seen of Smiley in a few months. Wristlockage to start. As Konnan gets armdragged out of the ring, he finds a sombrero and puts it on his head. Back inside, Konnan goes to the eyes and hits the Rolling Lariat. Vincent reaches in and chokes on Smiley. Konnan telegraphs a backdrop. Smiley fires back with a WEAK pumphandle slam. Konnan comes back with a nasty half crab as he puts his shin on the back of Smiley’s head. He then destroys Smiley with the 187 and applies the TEQUILA SUNRISE for the win at 4:12. ¾*

These EMTs guys are just now finished putting Randy Savage in the ambulance. Good grief.

NITRO GIRLS~!

• WCW U.S. Heavyweight Championship: Diamond Dallas Page (c) vs. Buff Bagwell
  

BUFF HAS A NEW MUSTACHE. Not sure how that will help you against DDP, but let’s see what happens. So since Buff beat Raven by countout last week on Nitro, he gets a title match against DDP? Buff armdrags DDP away and poses for the crowd. DDP runs him over with a shoulderblock. Bagwell connects with a dropkick, but DDP NO-SELLS and clotheslines Buff over. Swinging neckbreaker catches Buff. Bagwell stops a ten-count corner punch before it gets started with a low blow right in front of the ref. Clothesline. Pose. Stomp. Pose. Choke. Pose. DDP escapes a chinlock and tries the Pancake Slam, but Buff flips out and hits a swinging neckbreaker for 1-2-NO! Buff gets in a shoving match with the ref allowing DDP to roll him up for 1-2-NO! DDP fires back on Buff and delivers the Pancake Slam this time. When he calls for the Diamond Cutter, Raven starts yelling at him from the crowd. DDP goes after Buff leaving him behind to win the match by countout. (4:56) Buff demands the U.S. title and bullies Dave Penzer into giving it to him. What Buff doesn’t know is that DDP has returned to BANG him. **

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

So they air the footage of the Randy Savage incident. We see Savage down, a red Dodge Viper speeding away, and Vincent and the Disciple showing up telling the cameraman that this is nWo business. Immediately after, WCW security and Elizabeth arrive on the scene. Disciple grabs Elizabeth and tells her that “he ain’t so macho now”. The rent-a-cop there does nothing to stop him. Something’s fishy here!

Back in the arena, Hollywood Hogan and the nWo b-team come out. Hogan says there’s no need for a survey tonight because this is nWo country. He apologizes for not getting here sooner, but he encountered some traffic and hit a couple speed bumps on the way here. Har har har. He tells everybody to stop trying to split up his alliance with Kevin Nash because they are like brothers, brother. I had failed to mention that Kevin Nash faces Sting tonight for the world title. After Nash wins the title tonight, he will give it back to Hogan. And after tonight, he and Nash will be putting all their energy into preparation for the bat match with Roddy Piper and the Giant. Because when you’re nWo, you’re just too sweet.

• Bill Goldberg (68-0) vs. Hammer
  

Hammer gets speared coming off the middle rope. JACKHAMMER. Good night Hammer at 1:38. Did Larry and Mike just make a sex joke? The Flock enter the ring and Saturn puts Hammer in the RINGS OF SATURN. YOU DO NOT WANT TO DISAPPOINT PERRY SATURN.

Gene Okerlund is in the ring and brings out Roddy Piper. He knows Hogan and Nash aren’t getting along and says there’s more possibilities for how this bat match will go than Bill Clinton has girlfriends. He brings up beating Goldust with a ball bat and made a man out of him. Roddy, have you seen him lately? He’s hardly a man now. Piper has his eyes on Hollywood Hogan and mentions there ain’t enough room in this sport for the both of them.

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

Eddie mentions several instances where their family is suffering because Chavo is a loser. Eddie makes Chavo wrestle this match in his place because Eddie tells Chavo what to do now. Chavo is wearing his street clothes, too. Despite not being prepared, Chavo does pretty well to start. He hits Dragon with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and stretches Dragon out with an ab stretch and a pumphandle backbreaker. Dragon fires back with a back suplex and Eddie puts a towel over his face to cover his shame watching his nephew. Chavo stops the flying headscissors and hits a brainbuster for two. Dragon shrugs away the Tornado DDT and applies the DRAGON SLEEPER for the tapout. (4:13) Good effort, good try. Eddie smacks Chavo around with the towel afterwards. We’re just waiting for Chavo to fight back. **½

NITRO GIRLS~!

We go back to UnCeNSoReD to see Gene Okerlund calling Dean Malenko a loser. When Gene finishes talking, Dean says he’s going home. Our esteemed commentators speculate on what the future holds for Malenko. This seemed random.

• Lex Luger vs. Barry Darsow
  

Tony tells us Ric Flair will make an announcement on Thunder this week. You CANNOT miss what he will have to say. Darsow works the bionic arm. GENIUS! It’s only took someone ten years to try that. Nevertheless, Luger finishes with the usual at 3:44.

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

They show us footage of Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart having troubles with Curt Hennig and Brian Adams.

• Davey Boy Smith & Jim Neidhart vs. Curt Hennig & Brian Adams
  

Since nothing has been settled, here’s the rematch. Rick Rude takes the third headset away from Tenay to add some extra special commentary. Hennig and Adams BUM RUSH THE SHOW to start, but DBS and Neidhart fight back and clean house. Back in, Neidhart NO-SELLS for Hennig and hits him with a nasty clothesline. He picks up Hennig by his hair and tags Bulldog. Tag to Adams, Bulldog reverses a suplex and hits the Hourglass Suplex. He tags in Anvil and slingshots him into Adams. Neidhart gets cornered on the wrong side of town, but Adams telegraphs a backdrop and that allows Neidhart to tag out. Bulldog has the same trouble and gets stuck with a piledriver. Rick Rude is going out to ringside. Commercial break! When we return, Adams punishes Bulldog with a bearhug and press slams him for two. Crowd chants boring and Adams goes for a front headlock. Warm tag to Neidhart, he bites on Hennig and punches on Adams. Rick Rude gets up on the apron and knees Neidhart into the HENNIGPLEX for the win. (7:29 shown) Why did they think this was a “two segment” match? Bret Hart comes out to save his brother-in-laws – thus once again making his family look like dill holes who need his help. Bret gets on the mic and tells the nWo there’s a new sheriff in town. The days of ganging up on guys is over. The crowd BOOS him! *

• WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Juventud Guerrera
  

Jericho dedicates this episode of Monday Nitro to Dean Malenko. PLEASE COME BACK, DEAN. He calls Malenko the second best wrestler in the world today. Jericho wonders why Prince Iaukea deserves a cruiserweight title match at Spring Stampede. It’s a valid question. Guerrera starts off SUPER intense and all over Jericho. He makes a misstep with a spinning back kick and gets DRILLED with an elbow smash. Crowd thinks Jericho sucks. They don’t like much of anything tonight. A clothesline and the C’MON BABY gets two. A pair of backbreakers gets two. Flying splash by Jericho gets two. Juventud fires back with a dropkick and a hurracanrana gets 1-2-NO! Jericho tries his powerbomb, but Juventud counters with a DDT for 1-2-NO! Crowd thought it was a three-count. Anywho, the Juvi Driver connects, but Jericho trips him up top. Juventud flies down into his arms and tries a headscissors, but Jericho blocks the move and applies the LIONTAMER. Guerrera won’t tap because he NEVER SURRENDERS. Prince Iaukea appears at ringside and throws a towel in the ring to get Jericho off Juvi. (6:08) Well that hardly seems fair. Some rando comes along and throws a towel in the ring on your behalf and you lose? Iaukea and Jericho fight it out. Iaukea takes out Jericho with a backdrop and a clothesline. Why is Iaukea this close to the cruiserweight title?! To me, Juventud is the real number one contender and a match I’d rather see at Spring Stampede. I don’t get it. ***

• Scott Steiner (w/Vincent) vs. Sick Boy
  

I can neither confirm nor deny if this is the first time Steiner is called Big Poppa Pump here. Vincent is carrying a trophy with him to the ring. Lots of choking from Steiner here. He puts Sick Boy in the tree of woe and crimps on his neck. Clothesline and elbow drop connects. Sick Boy punches back and delivers a springboard dropkick, but Steiner is hardly phased. The Belly to Belly Suplex sets up the STEINER RECLINER for the tapout at 2:58. Vincent brings the trophy into the ring and we still have no idea what the significance of the trophy is. ½*

• WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Sting (c) vs. Kevin Nash
  

Kevin Nash wears a Randy Savage t-shirt to the ring. He gives his side of the state of the nWo. Nash says its no mystery to him that the Dodge Viper belonged to Hogan. He also ain’t giving Hogan the world title when he wins tonight. Well, he will. It will take another nine months, but it’ll happen. Nash says there’s a good chance at Spring Stampede, he’ll grab the bat and beat the hell out of all of them. Konnan joins Kevin Nash to show where his allegiance lies. Posedown to start. Nash pushes Sting back into a corner and puts the knees, the boot choke, and the elbows to him. Sting rebounds with a bunch of clotheslines. He nails Nash with a standing dropkick and sends him over the top rope to the floor. As soon as Nash recovers, Sting gets pulled out and left behind to get beaten up by Konnan. Back inside, Nash hits the Bossman straddle. A short-arm clothesline gets two. Nash hits a backbreaker and bends Sting over his leg for another nearfall. Sting gets caught in a neck vice. The crowd gets behind Sting and wills him up to his feet. Sting runs into a knee though and gets a corner clothesline from Nash. Sting avoids another charge and starts working on the knee leading to the SCORPION DEATHLOCK. Konnan helps Nash reach the ropes though. Oh boy. Nash thumbs the eyes and Side Slams Sting for two. Back to the neck vice. Sting fights up again and for some reason Konnan gets inside the ring to get squashed by a Stinger Splash taking him and Nash out at the same time. Two more Stinger Splashes for Nash! Nash reverses a corner whip though and goes for the Jackknife Powerbomb, but his back hurts. Those must have been some VICIOUS Stinger Splashes. Hollywood Hogan appears and starts beating on Sting for the DQ. (10:43) Nash pulls down the straps and then pulls Hogan off Sting! They get into an argument and when Sting puts his hands on Hogan, the rest of the nWo comes out to jump Sting. Roddy Piper and the Giant come out to save the day while Hogan and Nash continue to argue with each other to close out the show. **

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
WCW World Television Championship: Booker T (c) vs. Chris Benoit
WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Prince Iaukea
Bat Match: The Giant & Roddy Piper vs. Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash
Davey Boy Smith vs. Curt Hennig