WCW: Nitro Xtra
November 24, 1998
Grand Rapids, MI
Van Andel Arena

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Bill Goldberg (7/6/1998)
WCW U.S. Champion: Diamond Dallas Page (10/26/1998)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: Rick Steiner & Kenny Kaos (10/26/1998)
WCW World Television Champion: Chris Jericho (8/10/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Billy Kidman (11/22/1998)

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan. Keep in mind that this was taped after Monday Nitro, so it’s 11PM in Grand Rapids and the fourth hour of TV tapings tonight. Tony sounds exhausted. They still want to seem interested in Hollywood Hogan’s announcement on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Thursday night which seems to be the sole reason for the show.

• Scott Norton (w/Vincent) vs. Kaz Hayashi

Vincent carries with him Norton’s IWGP heavyweight title. Norton abuses Hayashi with a chop and absolutely destroys him with a POWERBOMB in :22.

• Disco Inferno vs. Scott Putski

Man, you can just hear the IDGAF in Tony’s voice by this point. Disco celebrates an armdrag, but then gets a running powerbomb from Putski. Disco kicks low and levels Putski with a swinging neckbreaker. A big atomic drop and clothesline puts Putski down. Flying elbow from Disco gets two. Putski escapes a chinlock and hits a back suplex. No heat whatsoever. Schiavone and Heenan discuss where Tony was for Starrcade 1989 since he wasn’t part of it and was working for the WWF – and it gets silly. Putski delivers a powerslam for another two-count. He follows up with an overhead suplex. Man, nobody cares. Disco hits a PILEDRIVER for the three-count. (3:27) Bleh. ½*

• Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Tokyo Magnum

It seems Pepe is giving Chavo match advice here. Once Chavo dropkicks Magnum to the floor, Chavo runs around the ring riding Pepe. Back in, Tokyo lands a dropkick of his own and delivers a snapmare and a kick to the shoulder. He dances and hits a moonsault off the second rope for two. Chavo comes back with a running clothesline and does a little dancing as well. The springboard bulldog takes down Magnum and a back suplex gets two. Chavo makes this match last longer than anybody cares to see. He avoids a super headscissors and puts down Tokyo with the TORNADO DDT for the win. (8:15) Let’s move on. See ya later, Tokyo Magnum. We hardly knew ye. *

WHY DOES TONY FEEL THE NEED TO KEEP REMINDING EVERYBODY IT’S NOT MONDAY?

• Stevie Ray (w/Vincent) vs. Van Hammer

FARRRRR OUTTTTTTT. Drugs had to be involved if somebody thought anybody would give a shit about this match or that it was worth airing. The SLAPJACK ends Hammer in 3:38. CRAP

• Juventud Guerrera vs. Prince Iaukea

Juventud shows off his new LWO t-shirt. He snaps off a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and chops Iaukea around. Iaukea stops a corner charge and hits a sliding X-Pac legdrop for two. Guerrera gets out of a chinlock and snaps Iaukea’s neck on the top rope to set up a springboard dropkick. Iaukea comes back with a powerslam and a snap suplex for two. He then violently headbutts Juventud in the nuts and he has to take a powder after that one. Back in, Iaukea hits another powerslam for two. He tries a move off the top and eats the boots from Juventud. Guerrera manages a hurracanrana and Iaukea reverses for a nearfall. He then backdrops Juventud to the floor and goes up top, but Guerrera hurries over to crotch him. He brings Iaukea down with a headscissors and covers him for two. The wheelbarrow bulldog connects as REY MYSTERIO JR sneaks down to ringside. While ref Charles Robinson gets knocked away somehow, he doesn’t catch Juventud getting tripped up on his face by Mysterio. This allows Iaukea to deliver a springboard somersault body attack for the win. (7:06) Just no heat whatsoever. Rey sticks around to let Juventud know what happened here. Does Iaukea have Kamala’s theme music? *½

• Wrath vs. Horace Hogan (w/Vincent)

Fresh off his loss to Kevin Nash the “night before”, he’s MAD and wants to start winning again. I mean, this Horace thing hasn’t really worked out anyways. Horace avoids a corner charge and clotheslines Wrath to the floor. We get some brawling on the floor. Back in, they flub a side slam, but Wrath manages the move anyways for a two-count. Wrath stalks Vincent around ringside while Horace hits him over the back with a chair. Umm, DQ? Back in, Horace puts his feet on the ropes for a two-count because the ref saw what he was doing. Yep, he hits Wrath with a chair and that’s fine, but don’t you dare get some Xtra leverage. Horace delivers a Samoan drop and heads up top, but no water in the pool. Wrath hits the jumping shoulder tackle and decides it’s time to end things with the MELTDOWN for the win. (3:36) WRATH IS NOW UNDEFEATED! Vincent gets a MELTDOWN as well for the lulz. ½*

This is the final Nitro Xtra which as you can see is a good thing to see end. Being that it’s Thanksgiving week, there’s no Thunder this week on TBS, so the next WCW show I’ll be recapping (unless I decide to do a RANDOM Saturday Night) will be the 11/30 Nitro to wrap up the month of November 1998.

Until then, so long for now.

WCW/nWo PRESENTS STARRCADE
LIVE ON PPV from the MCI Center in Washington, DC on Sunday, December 27!
MAIN EVENT: WCW World Championship: Goldberg (c) vs. Kevin Nash