WCW: Monday Nitro
September 21, 1998
Boston, MA
Fleet Center

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Bill Goldberg (7/6/1998)
WCW U.S. Champion: Bret Hart (8/13/1998)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Giant & Scott Hall (7/20/1998)
WCW World Television Champion: Chris Jericho (8/10/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Billy Kidman (9/14/1998)

An intoxicated Scott Hall is shown walking around backstage carrying a paper sack with sounds like glass inside. He finds Doug Dellinger and tells him to go find out who wrecked his car. You know you’re in the nWo, right? Why should Dellinger help you? Dellinger suggests Hall go find some coffee, but Hall doesn’t like being told what to do – especially by a guy like Doug Dellinger. Ehh, who can blame him? Hall sarcastically tells Dellinger that his car will be easy to find because it’s the one that’s wrecked. Sounds like Scott Hall is ready to wrestle tonight.

NITRO GIRLS!

HOUR NUMBER ONE! Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Larry Zbyszko. Tony announces Scott Hall will be in the main event teaming up with the Giant against Kevin Nash and Lex Luger. Will the WCW world tag titles finally get defended tonight? Just maybe?

Our esteemed three get interrupted by the ring filling up with smoke. As the smoke clears, the Disciple is facedown in the ring. Hollywood Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and the rest of the nWo B&W who bothered to be here this week run down to get Hogan’s buddy when the ring fills up with smoke again and the lights start to flicker. Once the smoke dissipates, the Disciple is gone. It appears the Warrior is up in the rafters. I mean, we know what it did for Sting. Anyways, we’re supposed to believe the Disciple is on his knees with his head down next to Warrior, but it’s clearly a blow up doll made to look like the Disciple. Hogan is PISSED and wants to get his hands on Warrior right now. Warrior continues with his diatribes and riddles, but Hogan just thinks Warrior is scared to face him. Some odd camerawork going on here. Apparently, Warrior wants Hogan to keep out a close eye tonight as the OWN revolution continues heading into Halloween Havoc. FEEL THE POWER OF THE WARRIOR. Hogan doesn’t give a shit about any of that. He just wants to get his hands on Warrior.

• Fit Finley vs. Barry Darsow

This is the first we’ve seen Finley in a couple months. Tenay lets us know he was out with an “inner ear problem” as well as working in Europe. Some wristlockage traded to start. These two love their joint manipulation. Darsow fires back with a shoulderblock that rocks Finley. He winds up getting forced down to the mat. As Darsow gets up, Finley fires back with European uppercuts and a shoulderblock of his own. Elbow drop gets two. Darsow jabs the throat and chokes him in the ropes. He catches Finley with the drop toehold where Finley tries to fight it off, but winds up going down anyways. I love the small stuff Finley does to make it seem like a battle. Darsow wants a piledriver, but Finley doesn’t care for that. He backdrops out and lands the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER for the win at 3:45.

• Wrath vs. Nick Dinsmore

Whoa, Nick Dinsmore in the house. You’ll know him best as Eugene in WWE. He’s a fresh faced looking babyface if there ever was one and BOY is he pumped. Who wouldn’t be? At this point in his career, he’s known for being a OVW Southern Tag Team Champion with Rob Conway throughout 1998. While naturally he’s green, he does a great job with his level of experience making Wrath look like a world beater. The MELTDOWN ends Dinsmore in 2:12.

We get a pretty cool video package for the upcoming Goldberg versus DDP match at Halloween Havoc. Eww, did they just say the WCW/nWo World Title?

• Rick Steiner vs. Rick Fuller

Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men is IN DA HOUSE with an nWo Wolfpac t-shirt. Hey, this isn’t Philly! Much bigger deal in 1998 than 2021, but you could say the same about literally everybody on this TV show if you want to be that big of a DICK. Have we heard Rick Steiner’s new “WELCOME TO THE DAWG POUND” music before tonight? I can’t keep up with that kind of stuff. Steiner grounds and pounds and then hits the STEINER BULLDOG for the win in 0:58. Afterwards, Rick Steiner says Goldberg’s win streak is nothing when you put it next to his win streak against his brother Scott. At Halloween Havoc, Rick will be 9001-0. He calls Buff a “little girl” who will be put into his ambulance for real next time. We hear the eerie Chucky laugh. Our esteemed three have no idea what’s going on, so why should we?

Voodoo Chile hits and Hollywood Hogan along with his pal Eric Bischoff storm to the ring. Stevie Ray and Vincent join the twosome. Hollywood Hogan calls out the Warrior to settle this once and for all. Warrior appears at the ramp and tells Hogan to follow him back to the dressing room. Okay then. They follow after him a dressing room that’s been VANDALIZED by Warrior with the OWN symbol on the wall – complete with sparklers! Hey, the mirror reflects the OWN symbol to show NWO, which makes Hogan so mad, he picks up a chair and throws it at the mirror. Oh boy. They go into another room and find the Disciple laid out on the floor. Man, this guy really needs to cut back on the somas. As Hogan checks on Disciple, you can clearly see someone spraying smoke into the room.  When the smoke clears, the Disciple is gone again. Hogan goes over to the mirror. Does he think Warrior and Disciple are traveling THROUGH the mirror? We’ll find out.

• Raven & Kanyon vs. Los Villanos

Kanyon tells the people to shut up and listen to Raven. Of course, that goes over like a wet fart. Raven complains how he’s been treated by his former Flock members and has decided Los Villanos IV & V will pay for their transgressions. Before this one even gets going, they do a mistimed powerbomb/neckbreaker spot on Villano IV and he lands on his neck the wrong way. Raven immediately jumps on him to check on him. Ref Nick Patrick calls for the bell at 0:48. Kanyon dumps out Villano V to the floor and he’s still trying to play wrestler. Out come the trainers. Tony calls it “prophetic” about how Raven commented someone was going to pay for the Flock leaving him. What’s REALLY insane is that there are results for him in tag matches for two more house shows at the end of the week. Villano IV gets helped to the back, but he doesn’t do a stretcher job, so that’s good.

Backstage, we see Disco Inferno trying to make weight to wrestle for the WCW Cruiserweight title tonight. It’s interesting because in the near two and a half years in the history of the title, nobody was shown to try and make weight.

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

Alex Wright comes out, insults Americans, insults Diamond Dallas Page, and wants his WCW world title shot for Halloween Havoc. This is going to go over real well.

• Diamond Dallas Page vs. Alex Wright

DDP comes out putting his wrist tape on to make this seem more impromptu. He enters in through the crowd, but Wright whips the crap out of him with his leather jacket. He whips DDP from corner to corner and delivers the missile dropkick. He tries another corner whip, but DDP reverses. He flips Wright over his shoulder and drops him with the DIAMOND CUTTER for the win in 1:27.

Gene Okerlund meets up with Diamond Dallas Page in the ring. DDP hypes the match he has booked for Halloween Havoc with Goldberg. Don’t blink – because you just might get BANGED. Somewhere in the building, there was an explosion. And why not?

NITRO PARTY VIDEO from Wisconsin. Mug Root Beer – the foam went straight to their brains.

NITRO GIRLS!

• Ernest Miller vs. Lenny Lane

Tenay uses this match to hype Boxing on TNT for tomorrow night. Miller says by law he has to say he’s a three time karate champion who can take Lane apart with his bare hands, so Miller gives him five seconds to leave. Lane decides to leave, but the Cat stops him. Lane seems to be in on the deal putting Miller over as a three-time karate champion. Miller kicks him in the face anyways, but then Lane rolls him up for two. Lane stands up into a side kick as a drunken Scott Hall (with the WCW world tag belt around his waist!) comes down to the ring. Hall tries to get up into the ring to interrupt the match, but nWo-ite Dusty Rhodes pulls him off the apron to try and talk some sense into him. Hall wants to argue, but goes back to the locker room with Dusty anyways. FELINER ends Lane in 2:39.

Disco Inferno is still doing cardio to try and make weight. CAN HE DO IT? Yes, he makes weight.

Hey, what’s up with the Chucky laugh? WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Neither Schiavone nor Tenay have seen “Child’s Play”.

They take us back to Fall Brawl when Chris Jericho “beat” Goldberg and then cut a promo on Goldberg on something called “Backstage Blast” talking with some guy named Jimmy Barrett. I would have lost it if Jericho had called him Jimmy Buffett.

Bobby Heenan has taken over Larry Z’s seat for the rest of the show, so it must be 9:30PM EST. If you’re not watching wrestling, you could be watching a blowout between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants on Monday Night Football. You could also either be watching the first episode of Will & Grace or the second half of Ally McBeal!

• Saturn vs. Jerry Flynn

Tenay makes sure to mention Saturn is from Boston. Some headlocks and hammerlocks are traded to start. Flynn chops back, but Saturn returns the favor. An inverted atomic drop sets up a springboard elbow smash for two. Saturn blocks a head kick and tries an STF. He hits a Thesz Press out of nowhere. Flynn applies a kneebar, but Saturn gets in the ropes. They brawl in and out of the corner. Saturn finds a ringside table and sets it up longways between the ring and the guardrail. Flynn kicks Saturn off the apron and delivers a plancha. Saturn comes back with a Northern Lights suplex, but Flynn is back on top of him with a legsweep and mounts Saturn for punches. There’s some corner kicks from Flynn. He judo tosses Saturn into a cross armbreaker, but Saturn reaches the ropes. Saturn then backs Flynn into the corner and mounts his comeback with suplexes. To the floor, Saturn finally gets Flynn beaten down enough to lay on the table so he can splash him from the top rope. BOOM. Saturn rolls him into the ring and delivers the DEATH VALLEY DRIVER for the win. (6:05) Saturn should be MORE over than he is right now. I really think a TV title feud with Chris Jericho would be something worth doing in the near future. **

Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell head to the ring. Scott talks about his body, how he’s got a big arm, and everybody knows he’s a winner. He makes a reference to Bill Buckner to laugh at the Red Sox. I think Scott is being told what to say here. Steiner doesn’t really strike me as a sports fan because he doesn’t seem to really believe what he’s even saying. Bagwell pretends to be Bill Buckner. What a goof. In short, BOSTON SUCKS. Crowd calls for Goldberg. Tonight, Steiner and Bagwell are out here at Hogan’s orders to find out where Bret Hart stands. Tony is even calling out the inconsistencies in his own show because Bret told us where he stood last week in a promo with Roddy Piper. Even though Scott has an arm injury, he calls out Bret to let the nWo B&W where he stands. The U.S. champ Bret Hart comes out, but he’s still limping on his right knee. Steiner and Bagwell jump Bret and choke him with an nWo B&W wifebeater until STING runs down for the save. RICK STEINER comes down and beats his brother back to the locker room while Bagwell leaves Scott in the dust.

• WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Billy Kidman (c) vs. Disco Inferno

Disco is WIPED from working out all night to try and make weight for this cruiserweight title match. He turns around into a standing dropkick from Kidman to start and almost gets pinned. Slingshot legdrop to the neck gets another two-count. Heenan – “No wasted motion from Kidman.” No quicker did those words leave his mouth when Kidman gets up on the middle rope and screams AHH. KIDMAN IS AWESOME, says Tony. He runs Disco into the corner for the chest-first bump and then runs him down with a clothesline for two. Disco goes to the eyes and grabs a headlock. He starts running the ropes and runs out of steam until he collapses. Does the crowd know what’s going on? Disco heads out for a breather and gets wiped out with a pescado. Back in, Kidman delivers a slingshot headscissors for two. Kidman applies a chinlock to wear Disco down some more. Disco fights up, but runs into a knee. Kidman hits a legdrop off the second rope for another nearfall. I’m not sure this is getting Kidman over if this is what they want. Commercials! When we come back, Kidman delivers a flying splash for two. Here comes Lodi to try and get Kidman back in Raven’s Flock. Disco wakes up and grabs Kidman for a Jumping Piledriver, but the slow cover costs him the title. Lodi gives up and just heads to the back. Disco stays true to his name and dances to waste time. Tony – “YOU NEED YOUR ENERGY TO WRESTLE!” Of course, Kidman comes back and hits the Tornado Bulldog for two. However, Disco sees a backdrop coming and catches Kidman with a swinging neckbreaker for a two-count. He wants another piledriver, but YOU CAN’T POWERBOMB KIDMAN occurs instead for another nearfall. Okay, you’re losing him. Disco fights back with an inverted atomic drop, but runs into a BK Bomb. That sets up the SHOOTING STAR PRESS for the win. (10:42) Our esteemed commentators are already talking of a rematch from these two. Not really a bad match. I don’t think this match hurt Kidman by any means, but I’m not really sure what good it was supposed to do for him since it took him so long to beat a goofball character like Disco who is not only a goofball, but a guy who did cardio for SEVERAL hours prior to the match. My guess is they are trying to get more cruiserweight guys over due to so many injuries lately. **½

We hear the Chucky laugh again for the third time tonight.

NITRO GIRLS! Tygress gets her own personal routine. Who says WCW is racist?

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

• Konnan vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/Pepe)

Yep, it’s Pepe time, baby. Chavo takes offense to Konnan thinking he’s the only that’s “raza” around here. He does the Konnan shtick and the people fall for it. Chavo even thinks he could be nWo Wolfpac, but Konnan doesn’t think so. Chavo decides he’ll go over Konnan’s head and talk to Kevin Nash. He starts pushing Konnan back and gets wiped out with a clothesline. Here comes the Rolling Lariat. The low dropkick sends Chavo out to talk with Head. I mean, Pepe. Back in, Konnan twists him around into a hiptoss. Chavo mirrors what Konnan just did and the crowd doesn’t care. He then surprises Konnan with a dropkick to the knee. Pepe makes another appearance as Chavo “rides” him around the ring. Konnan comes back with a gorilla press slam and then launches Chavo onto the top buckle. He stretches Chavo on the mat. Chavo goes to the eyes and catches Konnan with a running forearm smash in the corner. Big jumping dropkick gets two. Chavo grabs a chinlock as we go to break. When we come back, Konnan fights out and avoids a corner charge causing Chavo to run his shoulder into the post. They go to the floor where Konnan drops a chair over Chavo’s shoulders. More ringside violence ensues. Makes you wonder how long that Kanyon and Raven versus Los Villanos match was going to go. Back inside, Konnan hits the K-Factor for two. He then follows up with the 1-8-7 to set up the TEQUILA SUNRISE for the submission. (10:41) Not a bad match, but it was way too competitive for Konnan. *½

From Nitro 9/14/98, they replay Eric Bischoff sending Eddie Guerrero to New Japan as a punishment for refusing to wrestle.

Get your “Eyes of Ice” Dean Malenko t-shirt for only $20 bucks.

Eric Bischoff and Elizabeth (in leather chaps!) head down to the ring. Bischoff comes out and brags about bringing WCW to become the number one wrestling company in the world. Part of the reason for the big success of WCW is getting rid of the Four Horsemen. He tells the people of Boston that Ric Flair won’t be here tonight because he ran his big mouth off last week and said some things he shouldn’t have said. Since Arn Anderson “lost” the arm wrestling contest, Ric Flair won’t be wrestling in WCW even though WCW has a contract set in place with Ric Flair. Bischoff can’t stop Flair from grabbing a microphone, but he can stop Flair from wrestling again. WHAT. Bischoff reminds us that he’s in charge, which means he decides where, when, and who everybody wrestles around here. Well, speaking of the Four Horsemen, here they come. Ric Flair is much more calm and reserved this week. Bischoff orders Doug Dellinger and WCW security to stop them. When Bischoff mocks North Carolina, Dellinger and WCW security steps aside and lets the Four Horsemen go to the ring. YOU DANG RIGHT. Flair stands tall with the mic in hand while the rest of the Horsemen back him up. He reminds the audience that Bischoff lied because Ric Flair is here tonight. Bischoff said the Four Horsemen are dead, which means Bischoff lied again. Crowd boos for Mongo. I mean, the ’85 Bears did beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Moving on. Flair puts over each guy for getting him to BE A MAN and be a HORSEMEN again. He lets Bischoff know they are just here to talk. Flair starts talking about Bischoff abusing his power and off comes the jacket. Oh boy. Bischoff then starts daring Flair to hit him on the chin. The crowd wants to see it. Flair wants to punch him and Elizabeth wants to ride Space Mountain, but neither one will happen tonight. WOO! Flair confronts Bischoff about not letting him be at his son Reid’s wrestling tournament and tells him flat out to SUCK IT. If Bischoff says Flair is too old, Flair thinks Flair is too GOOD. Bischoff tries to make Flair mad for not saving his money, but Flair says Bischoff is sitting at the top because guys like Flair carried the load. Flair reminds Bischoff that he was selling out arenas coast to coast when Bischoff was buying his first condom in a gas station bathroom. He also reminds us that Space Mountain is the oldest ride in the park, but it still has the longest line. Talk turns to Hollywood Hogan. Bischoff tells Flair that he only wanted Hogan around to try and get to Hogan’s level. Flair wants to cut a promo on Hogan, but Bischoff decides to cut him off. Flair lets Bischoff know they will be in Norfolk for Thunder. To end the segment, the Four Horsemen corner Bischoff and put the four fingers in his face. Good segment that piggy-backed off what we saw last week, but it’s just the wrong crowd. Probably should have waited for Norfolk and kept the Four Horsemen segments down south where they belong.

• Kevin Nash & Lex Luger vs. The Giant & Stevie Ray

Stevie Ray is the sub for Scott Hall, but Michael Buffer doesn’t seem to think so. Giant is also the “master of the powerslam” according to the Buff man, so who knows what he’s smoking tonight. A drunken Scott Hall shows up at the desk because nobody sure doesn’t want to see this match. He argues with Tony over not being in a condition to wrestle, but Hall comments that there’s no alcohol policy in WCW. He claims he’s tired of carrying Kevin Nash and goes to the ring to show everybody how tough he is. Hall gets in the ring, throws out ref Nick Patrick, and challenges Nash. (4:30 or so) With the ref thrown away, Nash still decides he needs to tag Luger to get in the ring. I don’t see how it matters at this point. Hall throws a punch and Nash sidesteps him as Hall falls facedown on the mat. As Nash checks on Hall, Giant jumps Nash while Stevie Ray pulls Luger out. Crowd seems to want Goldberg, I think. Hey, it’s ROSH HASHANAH, you jerks! Luger sends Stevie Ray off into the ringpost, arms himself with a chair, and joins Nash in the ring. Giant heads to the floor with Stevie Ray, leaving Hall to throw a toothpick at Nash. As he charges Nash, Hall misses and falls over the top rope to the floor. Oh boy. As Giant and Stevie Ray get Hall up the aisleway, Nash challenges Hall to a match at Halloween Havoc. N/R

Hollywood Hogan and Eric Bischoff head to the ring to once again challenge the Warrior. Out comes the Warrior down the ramp, but here comes the Disciple as well. He slowly turns around to show O.W.N. on the back of his leather vest as the show comes to a close.

The saga continues. Until next time, so long for now.

World Championship Wrestling presents “Halloween Havoc”
LIVE on October 25 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
ONLY ON PAY-PER-VIEW

DOUBLE MAIN EVENT: WCW World Heavyweight Championship:
Goldberg (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page
DOUBLE MAIN EVENT:
The Warrior vs. Hollywood Hogan
Kevin Nash vs. Scott Hall
No-DQ Match: Rick Steiner vs. Scott Steiner