WCW: Monday Nitro
January 11, 1999
Knoxville, TN
Thompson–Boling Arena

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Hollywood Hogan (1/4/1999)
WCW U.S. Champion: Bret Hart (11/30/1998)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: Vacant (1/7/1999)
WCW World Television Champion: Scott Steiner (12/28/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Billy Kidman (11/22/1998)

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

We start off with some Gene Okerlund who is standing in the ring. He calls out to the WCW President RIC FLAIR to join him. Gene wants to talk about the Souled Out match with Ric and his son David Flair battling Curt Hennig and Barry Windham, but Flair would rather stick it to Eric Bischoff and go crazy with the MEEEEAN WOO BY GOD WOO BY GOD WOO GENE WOOOOOOOOOO. Ric and “Big Dave” are looking forward to getting a piece of Hennig and Windham at Souled Out. And that’s all we get. Flair brings up Hollywood Hogan. He, Ted Turner, and Harvey Schiller had a discussion about what to do with Hogan – and they decided he’s still the WCW world champ. However, since Hogan is signed to a contract into 2001, the presidential bid is over and the movie career is on hold, because Flair is going to put Hogan to work. In other news, Ric Flair reinstates JJ DILLON as the “Chairman of the Executive Committee” – and he’s getting a new car and a woman limo driver. WOO! Boy, we are going back to 1996, eh? Dillon mentions that Hogan’s first title defense will be at SuperBrawl on February 21 in Oakland, CA. They won’t reveal who the opponent will be, but it will be selected by the Executive Committee and not by the nWo. Well, that’s good to know. The crowd wants GOLDBERG, but that guy’s not really over or anything. Dillon announces that there’s a main event settled for Souled Out – a ladder “stun stick” match. Gene ruins the announcement by revealing that GOLDBERG is the opponent for Scott Hall before Dillon can mention it. Whoops. And finally, Flair calls out the LWO, now led by Juventud Guerrera since we’re missing Eddie Guerrero and his bodyguard. Flair says that they need to get back on the WCW bandwagon. He will give them money, cars, women, and all they need to do is hand over their LWO t-shirts. I’d pay money to see a series of skits of Flair and Juvi in Tijuana. Everybody can’t get their shirts off fast enough. This is probably the most time Flair has ever given these boys from down Mexico way. Rey Mysterio of all people is pointed out as the only one to walk out still wearing the LWO t-shirt. DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING. Oh, and then Flair books himself in a match with Curt Hennig tonight. They are gonna DANCE ALL NIGHT, DANCE A LITTLE LONGER – later tonight. WOO!

They show an AWESOME video package called “TRADITION” with clips of NWA legends over the years with excerpts from some of Flair’s recent interviews chastising Hollywood Hogan and Kevin Nash for what they have done.

Schiavone announces that Eric Bischoff has been relieved of duties commentary-wise and later tonight we’ll see some of the meetings from last week and what his new job will be.

Back up the ring, Gene Okerlund brings out PERRY SATURN. Saturn first sucks up to Ric Flair and then says that last week, Chris Jericho and Scott Dickinson conspired to screw him in their match last week and he wants a rematch. Out comes CHRIS JERICHO and RALPHUS – who refers to Saturn as “PS” like we’re in TNA that doesn’t exist yet. He throws out a “Gene Mean” to continue the funny. Jericho says that twice he’s had his hand raised in matches with Saturn. He says that Saturn’s whining and crying like a schoolgirl – he should be wearing a dress, in fact – hey, that gives him an idea. He’ll give Saturn a rematch, but if he beats him a third time, Saturn will have to wear a dress for the rest of his career. Saturn raises eyebrows by saying “I do a lot of things, but drag isn’t one of them.” Jericho calls himself the greatest showman in WCW, the leader and role model of the Jerichoholics, and if he wants the rematch, he has to accept the stip. Saturn takes the bait and agrees to the stipulations. Jericho thinks due to Saturn’s ego, he’ll never EVER be able to handle wearing a dress in the center of the ring, because Saturn doesn’t have the personality for it, he doesn’t have the attitude for it, and most of all, he doesn’t have the legs for it, Daddy-O. And that’s that. Jericho and Ralphus head back to the locker room. Saturn promises there’s no way he’s losing this match. Good to know.

• Perry Saturn vs. The Cat (w/Sonny Oono)

Scott Dickinson appears in the aisle to tell Randy Anderson that he’s needed by JJ Dillon backstage, and he’ll be refereeing this match. It’s all Saturn at the start, but we all know it doesn’t matter with that evil ref in there. Dickinson calls the match right down the middle and forces a break at the five count, but Saturn turns to Dickinson and the Cat takes him down with a kick to the nuts. Cat goes to the knee as they head to the outside. Oono gets some shots in, but they are LAME and Saturn stalks him around ringside until the Cat comes back and kicks at the knee some more. Back in, Cat puts Saturn down with a crescent kick and messes with the crowd. Cat goes back to the knee. Saturn stops a corner charge and delivers a belly to belly throw. He slams Cat and heads up top for a flying splash, but ref Scott Dickinson is talking to Oono. Saturn of course walks over and puts his hands on Dickinson. He spins Dickinson around and gets DQ’ed as CHRIS JERICHO appears and then waffles Saturn with a shovel. (4:28) Ralphus hands Jericho a dress and as Dickinson looks on and makes no attempt to stop him, Jericho tries to put it on Saturn. When he tries putting Saturn’s head through an arm hole, he gives up and the segment ends. *

NITRO GIRLS~!

We get some footage of Eric Bischoff at the WCW office in Atlanta. Someone took his parking space, his key card doesn’t work to get into the building, nobody at the front desk seems to be too concerned with who he is. Flair makes him wait and wait and wait. Bischoff says he’s been with WCW since 1991 when Ric Flair and Jim Ross was running WCW, but they couldn’t put 400 people in a building if they were giving away money. Yikes. Finally, the legendary JANIE ENGLE makes an appearance and takes Eric Bischoff back to see Ric Flair in Eric’s old office. Flair asks Bischoff if he had anything to do with the whole Nash/Hogan conspiracy. Bischoff denies. Flair says he has some plans for Hogan and Nash, but he’s not going to tell Eric what they are. Over the next ninety days, Flair will make Bischoff’s life miserable. He gives Bischoff a cardboard box with all his stuff and says he wants to show him his next venture. Flair calls off the limo and tells Eric he’ll be riding with the truck driver who takes the ring to Knoxville for tonight’s show to set up the ring, so now Bischoff has joined the ring crew. Of course, there’s a Georgia man driving the truck, which means we get to see Eric do his Georgia impersonation.

Back in the arena, Gene Okerlund brings out CHAVO GUERRERO JR. (with Pepe, naturally) because it’s Pepe’s birthday. There’s a table set up in the aisle with a birthday cake on it. Chavito and Gene lead the crowd into a singing of “Happy Birthday” to Pepe when NORMAN SMILEY interrupts to stop the song. Smiley says he’s hurt that the party was planned without him, and he wants to make amends with Pepe with a handshake. While Chavo doesn’t seem to like the idea, Pepe is good with it (according to Chavo). All Norman is asking for is a chance. Of course, Smiley beats up Chavo and rubs his face in the cake. To make things worse for Chavito, Norman gives him the AWESOME SWINGING SLAM on the table. Larry Z – “Well, that takes the cake.” Get him out of here. We see some BIG WIGGLE from Smiley and the cake gets tossed onto Chavo. Norman grabs Pepe and rides away off into the sunset.

We go backstage to see Smiley riding Pepe FOR REAL. What’s a wood chipper doing outside the building? There’s not a tree anywhere near this building. Smiley then throws Pepe into the wood chipper! Well, it’s always a shame when they die on their birthday. Rest in peace, Pepe. Chavito is inconsolable right now. First his uncle almost dies in a car wreck, and now his best friend is gone. WHAT A HEEL. You also have to hand it to Chavo and Norman here for committing to the insanity, which made this somehow work.

Reserve your spot on the WCW/nWo Bruise Cruise ’99 from May 17-21. There will be a PPV taping for the Nitro Girls! You might see a nip slip…or two?!

Tony isn’t being sarcastic here, but he sums up tonight on Nitro, and WCW in general: “Well, Eric Bischoff is putting up the ring, we’ve tried to put a dress on Saturn, we’ve sung happy birthday to a stick horse and destroyed him, what’s next? Oh I know, let’s check in on Raven.”

Over at Raven’s mom’s house, Raven and Jim (yeah, it’s the Sandman) talk about Kanyon, which leads to Raven to go look for his high school yearbook in the garage – and instead he finds a lot of pictures of Roddy Piper for some reason.

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

We see about a half dozen Harleys flank a black limo which means it’s time for HOLLYWOOD “JNCO” HOGAN and the rest of the nWo Wolfpac to show up. The nWo B&W B-Team meet them at the limo. Apparently, there were some miscommunication which is why they weren’t in the limo with them. Yeah, okay. Hogan’s Harley buddies are supposed to be the HELL’S ANGELS, and they are going to be the “backup” in question. Off to the ring we go. What are the odds these guys are ACTUALLY part of the Hell’s Angels? Kevin Nash has trouble getting his mic to work. Instead, Hollywood Hogan gets to talk. Hogan claims he fought hard to win the WCW world title from Kevin Nash and admits he is under contract to WCW and he’ll beat anybody from WCW that Ric Flair puts in front of him. As far as Hollywood’s career goes, he’ll be both the WCW world champion and the POTUS. Now over to Big Kev, he wants to know why this is Big Orange country when everybody’s wearing red and black tonight. Nash brings up his main event match tonight with the Giant to prove he’s the REAL giant. Scott Steiner gets the mic and he’s got Diamond Dallas Page tonight. If Tony Schiavone calls DDP the “People’s Champion” again, Steiner will puke because DDP is white trash. Steiner then claims he’s going to take DDP’s wife to show her what it’s like to be with a real man. Dang, we are going back to the “glory days”, eh? LEX LUGER seems to think that was committing adultery is hilarious. Back over to Hulk, nobody in WCW can handle the Hell’s Angels and then starts namedropping his Hell’s Angels friends. He could have said pretty much anything and I would believe they were part of that whole crew.

They take us back to Nitro, 1/4/99: Goldberg and members of the Atlanta Falcons look to challenge the nWo to a fight after Nitro went off the air, but Hogan and company obviously wasn’t interested.

WCW/nWo Magazine ad – exciting coverage of Hogan’s totally official retirement!

• Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Kaz Hayashi

Mysterio is still wearing the XXXXXXL LWO t-shirt, which Tony thinks is now Rey’s way of rebelling against – I don’t know – something. Headlocks and shoulderblocks set up some rope running culminating in a satellite headscissors on Hayashi. Mysterio does a fake dive through the ropes and comes back around to send Hayashi onto the apron. Hayashi fires back and heads up top to catch Mysterio with a missile dropkick. Hayashi lands a hard chop on Rey, but Mysterio trips Hayashi through the ropes and into the guardrail. With Hayashi stunned, Rey delivers a somersault plancha. Back in, there’s a slingshot headscissors by Mysterio. Hey wait, what is LEX LUGER doing here? He grabs Hayashi and starts beating him up on the floor. (1:58) There’s a whip into the guardrail. Luger heads into the ring to confront Mysterio. Luger tells Rey to take of the LWO t-shirt. When Rey refuses, Lex pummels him to the mat and rips the shirt off himself. He then throws Rey over the top rope, but Mysterio lands on the apron and hits Lex with a SPRINGBOARD DROPKICK. He pounds on Lex and runs to the top rope to level Luger with a flying body press! WHAT. Rey thinks he’s going to give Lex Luger a headscissors and Luger overpowers Mysterio to give him a backbreaker across the knee. Now Lex is PISSED. He stomps the crap out of Mysterio and applies the TORTURE RACK.

Out comes KONNAN. Apparently, he’s still in the nWo Wolfpac. He convinces Luger to break the hold and asks him what does he think he’s doing. Luger tells Konnan that Rey isn’t supposed to be wearing that shirt. KEVIN NASH, SCOTT HALL, SCOTT STEINER, and BUFF BAGWELL head out. Nash takes the mic and says “Konnan – LET ME SPEAK ON THIS!” and then the nWo administer the beatdown. HAHAHA. The rest of the nWo come out to join in on the fun. Hall and Nash hold Konnan down with their feet and stab him with the stun gun. Nash and Hogan do the honors and spray paints “NWO” on Konnan’s head and body. Crowd REALLY wants Sting to show up. Tony has to remind us who Sting is for some reason. Good segment by itself and there was tons of heat – if only it had led to something greater. OH yeah, there was a match somewhere here in the seven minutes of wrestling we’ve seen in the nearly total 90 minutes of Nitro. Mysterio and Hayashi (being a student of Ultimo Dragon) could have had some awesome wrestling, but never really got the chance. *½

Gene Okerlund talks with THE GIANT in the ring. He comes out to the nWo theme music, but I don’t think this guy is nWo anymore. First he’s going to prove he’s the ONE – TRUE – IMMORTAL – GIANT by beating Kevin Nash, and then he’s coming after the rest of the nWo. Something tells me he won’t be doing either of those things.

• Booker T vs. Lenny Lane

Booker is just here to make all the white people RAISE – THE – ROOF. He runs through his offense and Lane makes it look GOOD. Booker wins with the Harlem Sidekick for the win at 3:55.

“Hollywood & Kevin Nash: A Special Moment” – bringing back the nostalgia and love for the nWo black and white herky-jerky cuts editing. It’s entertaining as they put each other. Nash makes a Zapruder film joke mentioning how he fell “back and to the left” during the Finger Poke of Doom that legitimately cracked me up. Nash reveals that the CAT scans are negative and the internal bleeding from last week has stopped, but he still can’t raise his left arm. This is a total 1996-style skit which is just another indication of what a step backwards last week was, but on its own it’s pretty funny.

Back over to our esteemed commentators, Tony wants to know if Flair is in charge of WCW how they can allow something like that air. IT’S A GOOD POINT. WHY IS TONY SCHIAVONE THE ONE TO POINT OUT ALL OF THESE PLOT HOLES? They take us back to earlier tonight when the Hell’s Angels showed up to “protect” the nWo. Tony then thinks the nWo are stronger than ever – even *with* Ric Flair in charge. Oh boy.

• WCW World Television Championship: Scott Steiner (c) (w/Buff Bagwell) vs. Diamond Dallas Page

Champ comes out first, and we are “treated” to an extended sequence of a random audience member fondling Scotty’s pecs. Tenay tells us DDP has “walking pneumonia”, which may explain why he’s always walking funny. This has a BIG FIGHT feel and doesn’t feel like a cold match even though these two have never crossed paths, but Steiner is so hated and DDP is so beloved that it works. Steiner and Bagwell react to the “DDP” chants to start. Once DDP and Steiner lock up, Steiner throws DDP off into the corner twice, but DDP armdrags Steiner on the third lock up. Steiner grabs ref Charles Robinson by the shirt and yells at him. They switch to headlocks and shoulderblocks. Steiner wins that exchange. DDP goes for the shoulder butt on the deltoid, but Steiner throws him down by his hippie hair. Now they trade slaps – and the crowd goes insane. DDP actually puts down Steiner with a shoulderblock and while Steiner blocks a hiptoss, DDP turns it around into a swinging neckbreaker to send Steiner rolling out to the floor. Back in, Bagwell joins Steiner to go after DDP, and they both wind up getting slugged and given atomic drops before they get clotheslines. DDP sets up Steiner for a superplex, but Buff holds onto Steiner so DDP falls to the mat. Steiner then comes off the middle rope with a Steinerline. AWESOME. He then dumps DDP out to Buff to get choked. Steiner joins DDP on the floor for a whip into the guardrail. Back inside the ring, Steiner keeps DDP down by kicking him in the head. Another Steinerline sets up the Smooch Elbow Drop. He chokes DDP in the ropes and Buff has some fun, too. Belly to Belly Suplex by Steiner gets two. He grabs Robinson by the throat because of the count. Tenay points out the irony of Buff wearing an Atlanta Falcons hat. Steiner continues to abuse DDP down in the corner, but DDP fights up and slings Steiner into the corner. Unfortunately, DDP runs into a boot and Steinerlines him down. Back to the floor we go, Steiner sends DDP into the steps. Back inside, Steiner catches a kick and spins him around only to met with a clothesline. DDP lands on top of Steiner for a quick two-count. Steiner stuns him with a jawbreaker for two. Butterfly slam gets two as well. Steiner does this bit that’s too hot for TV as he humps DDP’s face. Not to be Steiner’s BITCH, DDP fights up again and catches Steiner with a boot out of the corner. An inverted atomic drop and a discus lariat leads to the Pancake Slam. He calls for the Diamond Cutter, but Steiner shoves DDP off into ref Charles Robinson. VINCENT is out here for some reason. Buff smushes some white powder into DDP’s face. As Vincent gets in the ring to check on Steiner, Steiner shoves Vincent into DDP to take a DIAMOND CUTTER. With DDP still blinded, Steiner grabs a chair and whacks him a few times. He applies the STEINER RECLINER and Buff wakes up ref Charles Robinson to raise DDP’s arm three times for the TKO. (10:22) So now I guess Steiner is going to wreck DDP’s wife with his penis. This was good stuff until the corny finish. You didn’t need Vincent out there because you didn’t need to do a Diamond Cutter at all in the first match. Steiner shoving away the Diamond Cutter into the ref was enough to put into your head that *IF ONLY* DDP got off the Diamond Cutter would Steiner have been defeated. Once Robinson is down, you could throw powder in DDP’s face and then beat him with a chair before doing the knockout finish. ***¼

They show a pre-taped Goldberg interview. He made a mistake, going into the match at Starrcade thinking it was going to be one on one. But he earned an education – he will learn from that mistake. And it will never happen again.

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

Next up, they take us back to earlier today when Eric Bischoff helps set up the ring – and gets barked orders at him by the head guy Klondike Bill. This goes on FOREVER.

They show us the finish to Goldberg and Kevin Nash from Starrcade over a sepia tone filter and then remind us of last week’s Nitro when Goldberg got his ass beat by the nWo in a *BIG* way. DARK DAYS ARE AHEAD.

More of the same clips of Eric Bischoff setting up the ring with Klondike Bill.

• Scott Hall vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Hall asks the crowd who wants to see Goldberg get one more shot with the taser gun for his survey. Surprisingly, he doesn’t bring it out with him for this match. Why is this match happening again? Hall throws the toothpick and Bigelow punches him down. Tony assumes that Ric Flair has signed Bam Bam Bigelow, but can’t confirm anything. WHAT. Bigelow absorbs the shoulder butts and clotheslines Hall down. Hall wants a test of strength and thumbs Bigelow in the eyes to force him into a corner. Bigelow comes right back with an avalanche, but Hall avoids the diving headbutt. Bigelow isn’t phased and gives Hall a STALLING vertical suplex. Hey look, here comes DISCO INFERNO to ringside. Bigelow delivers a Samoan drop to Hall and heads up top. Meanwhile, Disco slides a stun gun to Hall. WRATH shows up and shoves Bigelow down to the mat. Remember they went to a double-countout brawling in the aisle last week on Nitro? Anyways, Bigelow slugs Wrath and goes over to Hall. Disco is distracting the ref. As Bigelow picks up Hall for the Greetings from Asbury Park, Hall sticks Bigelow in the gut with the stun gun. Bigelow collapses and Hall gets the three-count. (3:40) Disco and Hall walk out arm in arm. WHAT’S GOING ON? *

Another pre-taped Goldberg interview. Nash knew he was a defeated man. He thinks Hall’s a loser. The biggest surprise to Goldberg was Luger. Now that he has his doctorate in being screwed, class begins on Sunday night at Souled Out.

During the break, Bam Bam Bigelow is PISSED backstage and demands a match with Wrath at Souled Out. JJ Dillon is now in the process of making that happen.

They show a clip of Souled Out 1998 when Kevin Nash powerbombed the Giant on his dang neck!

NITRO GIRLS~!

• Ric Flair vs. Curt Hennig

Hennig comes out to the nWo theme and not the Wolfpac theme, so it would seem his days apparently are numbered. If you don’t count his two matches with Bischoff (and how can you really?), Flair’s last competitive TV match was against CURT HENNIG on Nitro back on March 9, 1998. Headlocks and shoulderblocks to start. Hennig starts to WOO in Flair’s face and gets slapped. Flair returns the favor with a WOO of his own. DANCE ALL NIGHT, DANCE A LITTLE LONGER. Back in, they trade chops – and Flair wins that battle. Hennig whips him across for a backdrop. Here comes Barry Windham. He’s followed by “Mr. Personality” David Flair. Commercials! When we come back, Flair is in charge until he goes up top. Hennig slams him down and applies the Figure-Four. The crowd gets behind Ric and he punches Hennig square in the nose to break the hold. That works. Hennig chops the crap out of Flair and whips him across for the Flair Flip out in front of David. On the floor, Hennig and Flair trade shots. He gives Hennig a solid uppercut to the nuts and chops Hennig up against the guardrail to take him off his feet for the CLASSIC Hennig sell. Fantastic. Back in, Flair gives Hennig a stalling vertical suplex. Both guys have the wind knocked out of them. Double-KO spot ensues. Flair does a ten-count punch (and chops on #10) and throws Hennig out to the floor in front of David. DO SOMETHING. The crowd is DEMANDING it. Windham blindsides David as he and Hennig put the boots to the kid. Out comes Ric. He chops away Hennig and Windham. Back in the ring, Flair chopblocks Hennig and applies the FIGURE-FOUR! However, Windham nails Ric and we’ve got a DQ. (7:02 shown) As Hennig and Windham do a number on Papa Flair, David trips them up from the floor. He tosses a chair into the ring to his dad and gets inside to scare away Windham and Hennig. Flair has to tell his son to rip off his shirt and throw it down because he’s SO PISSED. Poor David is just not ready – at all. I had forgotten how cringe this was. **

More of the Goldberg pre-taped interview. Goldberg tells Scott Hall he’s first. DON’T BE LATE.

NITRO GIRLS~! FYRE! FYRE! FYRE! FYRE! FYRE! FYRE! FYRE! FYRE! FYRE!

• Kevin Nash (w/Scott Hall) vs. The Giant

Giant comes out to the old nWo theme. This is the LAST match in WCW for the Giant. The best is yet to come for that big man. They lock up and Nash forces Giant into the corner, but Giant blocks a punch and headbutts Nash back into a corner. Big running lariat catches Nash. Nash returns the favor and boots down Giant for only a one-count. The elbow drop off the ropes on Giant gets two. A pair of Bossman Straddles ensue. Hall paintbrushes Giant from the floor. Nash punches Giant silly in the corner, buries the knees, and delivers the back elbow. Hall gets some more shots in while ref Billy Silverman chastises Nash. As if it can’t get worse for the Giant, Nash delivers a standing body slam. WHOA. Both men slow to get up, but Nash is still in control. Big boot catches the Giant. Hall tells Nash to put him away. It’s Jackknife Powerbomb time, but Giants knows its coming and backs Nash into the corner. He punches and boots down Nash. In comes Hall, Giant is ready for him. He piles Hall and Nash in a corner for some Andre the Giant booty action. With their heads together, Giant unloads on them both with one headbutt. Nash rolls out while Hall takes the CHOKESLAM. Meanwhile, Nash grabs a big wrench from under the ring that Bischoff was using while he was setting up the ring. As Giant goes to grab Nash, Nash wallops him with the wrench, and Giant is KO’ed. Ref Billy Silverman doesn’t see anything, of course. Cover by Nash, and there’s the three-count. (6:30) ERIC BISCHOFF makes his way over to the commentary table where he proclaims Nash “the nWo corporate giant.” The rest of the nWo come out to congratulate Nash on his victory. Giant gets the stun gun and spray paint treatment on his way out of the company. See ya in the WWF, Mr. Giant. *½

Until next time, so long for now.

WCW / nWo PRESENTS: SOULED OUT
LIVE on January 17 from the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia! ONLY ON PPV!
MAIN EVENT: “Stun Gun” Ladder Match: Goldberg vs. Scott Hall
Ric & David Flair vs. Curt Hennig & Barry Windham
“Loser Wears A Dress” Match: Perry Saturn vs. Chris Jericho
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Wrath