WCW: Monday Nitro
May 25, 1998
Evansville, IN
Roberts Municipal Stadium

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Hollywood Hogan (4/20/1998)
WCW U.S. Champion: Bill Goldberg (4/20/1998)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Giant & Sting (5/17/1998)
WCW World Television Champion: Fit Finley (5/4/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Dean Malenko (5/17/1998)

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

SIDE NOTE: The show has now gone from a TV-PG rating to TV-14.

To celebrate the end of the NBA Playoffs on cable television, we start tonight’s three hour Nitro with the Nitro Girls. Tony explains how insane it sounds that tonight’s main event will be the Giant & Sting against Lex Luger & Sting. If you watched Thunder, you know that the nWo Sting is back.

Raven comes out with his riot squad while the crowd chants how much he sucks. He calls his Flock into the ring as he discusses Mortis and Saturn. As for Mortis, Raven is looking to go after him now. HE WILL BE THE NIGHTMARE IN YOUR DREAMS. Talk turns to Saturn. Raven feels betrayed by Saturn after all he’s done for him since they were kids. He confesses Saturn’s friendship means everything to him. Raven will even fire the Flock if that’s what it means to keep Saturn by his side. Raven gives the Flock the Donald Trump treatment. When Lodi dares question Raven, he gets the EVENFLOW DDT. Raven calls out to Saturn, but no Saturn.

Glacier finally releases some comments about the standing side kick. He was hyped up big leading up to his debut in 1996 because he was *that* good. He was given the most awesome entrance and exit in wrestling because he was *that* good. The devastating Cryonic Kick had its imitators, but he’s disappointed the main imitator is Saturn. Now Glacier wants to fight and will destroy the myth of Saturn. Is Saturn a mythical character? I had no idea.

NITRO GIRLS~!

• WCW World Television Championship: Fit Finley (c) vs. Mike Enos
  

Tenay announces the “best of seven series” between Chris Benoit and Booker T will settle the dispute over who is the #1 contender to the TV title. So JJ Dillon announced on Thunder that Booker T was the #1 contender but because Benoit didn’t like it, they changed their minds? Looked like a typical Finley squash until Enos got some time to shine. He either tried a backbreaker or his feet went out from under him for a powerslam – either way, Finley lands on his femur in a bad way. Finley kicks at the leg and then finishes him off with a TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER. (3:55) That had to at least leave a bruise. ¾*

Gene Okerlund hypes the WCW Hotline. Mike Tenay has a report on the background between Hollywood Hogan and Bret Hart.

• Saturn vs. Glacier
  

Finally going to get this showdown. They trade legsweeps on each other to start. Tit for tat storytelling here. It’s interesting to see Glacier trying to heel it up though. Raven appears on the ramp as Saturn looks to put away Glacier with a flying splash, but hits knees. Double KO ensues. Van Hammer comes up from behind Raven and beats him up. The Flock does nothing to help. While Hammer is on the apron arguing with Glacier, he gets a CRYONIC KICK to the mouth. Raven was holding onto Hammer’s legs sort of messing up the spot as Hammer hits the floor. Meanwhile, Saturn grabs Glacier for the DEATH VALLEY DRIVER for the win. (4:16) Afterwards, Raven drops Hammer with the EVENFLOW DDT while Saturn walks out leaving Raven to wonder what else he needs to do to get Saturn back on his side. *½

nWo Hollywood interrupt the show. We see the Giant, Vincent, and Brian Adams coming out to the ring. Giant calls Kevin Nash a coward for bringing a lead pipe to Nitro. Leave Konnan and Randy Savage in the back and they can have it out. Giant tries to get under Nash’s skin calling himself the “original” Big SEXY~! COME GET SOME, NASH. The crowd wants to see it. Here comes Kevin Nash to answer the challenge. Nash says there’s nothing he’d rather do than take care of “Hogan’s three fluff boys”. Daaang. As would happen, Nash gets his tail whooped until Konnan and LEX LUGER comes out for the save. Now Lex isn’t wearing an nWo Wolfpac shirt, but I’m afraid he’s about to. Curt Hennig and Randy Savage appear in the ring as well. Konnan tosses his nWo Wolfpac shirt to Lex and Lex puts it on thus joining the crew. And just like that, it makes one wonder what Sting is going to do now.

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

• Chris Jericho vs. El Dandy
  

Jericho carries out with him the “Conspiracy Victim” sign above his head and I think we will have to get used to that until he gets some justice. This one is over in no time as Jericho wins with the LIONTAMER in 1:00. Now it’s time for Jericho to get some justice. He tries to insult JJ Dillon – the president of WCW – out to the ring to hear his case. When JJ Dillon comes out to meet him, Jericho has nothing but compliments for the guy. Hilarious. He shows that Dean Malenko was not supposed to be in the cruiserweight battle royal at Slamboree. Since JJ finds no precedence for this type of match where a decision has been overturned, the decision stands and Malenko is still the cruiserweight champ. Jericho goes back into “conspiracy theory” mode and pleads with Dillon on his way back to the locker room.

• Konnan vs. La Parka
  

This match gives our esteemed commentators another chance to talk about Lex Luger joining the nWo Wolfpac and all the ramifications. After La Parka makes a big dive on Konnan, they go back inside where Konnan makes his comeback and hits the 187 leading to the TEQUILA SUNRISE for the win in 3:03.

NITRO GIRLS~!

They air a cool little interview piece with Kanyon. Mortis died when Raven gave him the EVENFLOW DDT on concrete on February 12 and Kanyon was born on May 17 when he delivered the “Chairshot Heard ‘Round the World” at Slamboree. He says he will get to Raven again and again and again – and Raven will never see him coming. Awesome.

Gene Okerlund brings out Roddy Piper to the ring. Gene doubts Piper and Randy Savage can co-exist at the Great American Bash against Hollywood Hogan and Bret Hart. Piper claims Savage has a serious problem and that’s him as his tag partner. He makes a bunch of Village People jokes until Randy Savage has had enough. Elizabeth comes out to try and wrangle him, but that never works. They go back and forth and it’s great. Piper calls Savage “seriously mentally disabled”. Savage doesn’t find any of this funny, but wants Piper as his partner in the “tag team match from hell”. Here comes Bret Hart to stir the pot trying to create some mistrust between them. He claims he had Piper in his back pocket during the Slamboree match, but Piper denies all of it. Savage wants to fight Piper anyways and throws a chair in the ring. Piper calls Bret a liar and decides he and Savage be a team at the Great American Bash. If Savage still wants to fight him after the match, they can fight it out.

• Juventud Guerrera vs. Kidman (w/Lodi)
  

Another chance for Juventud to battle the Flock. After a collar and elbow struggle, they trade chops on each other. They run the ropes and Juventud finds himself in a BK Bomb. Guerrera fights back with a clothesline and rips off the shirt for chops to the chest. He sends Kidman to the floor with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and then wipes him out with a no-hands plancha. Awesome. Back in, Lodi distracts Juvi for a moment allowing Kidman to nail an X-Factor. Kidman shows just how big of a heel he is with stomps and chokes. He drills Juventud with a nice dropkick and slows things down with a chinlock. As Guerrera fights up, he’s cut off with a clothesline. The crowd is eating this up. Slingshot legdrop gets two. Juventud hits his hope spots, but can’t string together any offense for now. They do a suplex reversal spot that puts Guerrera on the apron. He slings Kidman down by his hair and comes off the top with a flying spinning heel kick for 1-2-NO! Kidman does this powerbomb facebuster move that lands him a nearfall. He finds a release German suplex on Juventud and heads up top for the SEVEN YEAR ITCH, but Juventud is back standing and dropkicks Kidman in mid-air. JUVI DRIVER sets up the 450 SPLASH for the win. (9:24) These two were on point for the whole match. They had the crowd in the palms of their hands for ten minutes there. Just excellent stuff and easily the best Nitro match since March. ***½

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

Now that Chavo is embracing his uncle Eddie, Eddie doesn’t like it and doesn’t want him around. Despite this being Eddie’s match, Chavo will sub for him. Eddie seems to be playing along with Chavo’s game now. Dragon does his headstand spot and kicks Chavo around. He stretches him out on the mat and Chavo takes a breather. Chavo avoids the DRAGONRANA, but Eddie helps Dragon apply the DRAGON SLEEPER. Chavo almost immediately knees his way out and chokes Dragon in the ropes to let Eddie know he’s blatantly “cheating to win”. Guerrero lands the TORNADO DDT on Dragon and gets the upset win. (4:40) Afterwards, Chavo is so pumped that he wants to pick a fight with Eddie. He has lost it. Unfortunately, nobody really cares about Ultimo Dragon anymore. **¼

Gene Okerlund wants to get a word with these two knuckleheads. Eddie thinks he should get Chavo an appointment with a shrink. JJ Dillon appears and announces Chavo Guerrero Jr. against Eddie Guerrero at the Great American Bash. Eddie throws a tantrum while Chavo is still daring his uncle to pop him.

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

• WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Dean Malenko (c) vs. Lenny Lane
  

Glorified squash for Malenko here. Lenny Lane has fleshed out his personality here – he’s obsessed with his own abs. Heenan makes a joke about Lenny’s mother Lois. Anyways, Malenko counters a sunset flip and locks in the TEXAS CLOVERLEAF for the win in 4:34.

• WCW U.S. Heavyweight Championship: Bill Goldberg (c) (89-0) vs. Johnny Attitude
  

Johnny Attitude has shaved his head and mocks Goldberg’s entrance. Hmm. I wonder if Duane Gill is watching. Heenan can’t wait to see what happens to this jabroni. Tenay brings up Karl Malone talking about Goldberg on the radio. Attitude runs at Goldberg like he wants to do a spear. Goldberg NO-SELLS and it’s all down hill from there for Johnny. JACKHAMMER wins at 1:10. There’s win #90.

• Best of Seven Series – Match 1: Booker T vs. Chris Benoit
  

Schiavone announces matches #2 and #3 will air respectively on Thunder and Saturday Night this week. The collar and elbow tie-up sends both guys in the corner. Benoit delivers the chop and pisses off Booker as he unloads on Benoit with forearms and kicks. A backdrop and a jumping forearm smash sends Benoit running to regroup. Back in, Booker blocks a German Suplex with a victory roll and drills Benoit with a clothesline to send him out again. In the ring, Booker avoids the Crippler Crossface and hits the Hook Kick. The offense of these two just flows so well. Benoit hangs Booker out to dry and kicks him out to the floor. Back in the ring, he runs Booker over and follows up with a Snap Suplex for two. When Booker fights out of a chinlock, Benoit gets *rough* with chops and a Dynamite Kid clothesline. Booker escapes another chinlock and finds himself getting chopped again. More chinlockage. This time when Booker comes out of it, Benoit hits him with a backbreaker and goes for it all with the SWANDIVE HEADBUTT only to miss. Here comes Fit Finley to watch from the ramp. As Booker mounts his comeback with a Spinebuster and a flapjack, they go through this awesome sequence ending with an Ax Kick. Booker hits the Side Slam and goes up for the Harlem Hangover, but misses his coup de grace as well. Benoit yanks Booker into the CRIPPLER CROSSFACE in the middle of the ring to get the tapout and the win. (11:35) A great start and a great finish, but they need to work on the middle a little bit more. Too much reliance on chinlocks. Overall, a good match though. It’s Benoit and Booker T. You can’t hate it. ***¼

Tony responds to the meme of calling every Nitro main event the “biggest main event in the history of our sport”, but says this is the “most important main event in the history of our sport.” WHAT.

• Sting & Lex Luger vs. The Giant & nWo Sting
  

Just like at Thunder, Giant has both tag belts with him. Our esteemed commentators build up all sorts of distrust between Luger and Sting that doesn’t seem to be evident. The nWo Sting gets immediately dumped out so that Lex and Sting can double-team the Giant. After they beat Giant in the corner, Luger hits him with a corner clothesline followed by a Stinger Splash to send Giant stumbling over the top rope to the floor. Back inside, the nWo Sting gets owned for a few minutes by Sting and Luger. The nWo Sting yanks Lex to the floor to turn the tide. Luger plays face in peril for another minute with the Giant in total control. When the nWo Sting comes in, he makes the foul up and Lex hot tags Sting. He hits the Stinger Splash and the SCORPION DEATHDROP for the win. (6:03) Crowd went nuts for everything Sting did here. Sting and the Giant lock eyes until the nWo Wolfpac head down. That’s Kevin Nash, Konnan, Curt Hennig, and Randy Savage. Konnan has a t-shirt for Sting now. Sting gets out of the ring and stands on the steps really considering the offer. He steps back into the ring and the crowd goes nuts again. They toss the shirt to him hoping he will make the jump, but WE’RE OUTTA TIME~! ¾*

Until next time, so long for now.

MAIN EVENTS
Hollywood Hogan & Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper & Randy Savage
Roddy Piper vs. Randy Savage
WCW U.S. Heavyweight Championship: Bill Goldberg (c) vs. Curt Hennig
WCW World Television Championship: Fit Finley (c) vs. Booker T or Chris Benoit
Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero