Monday Nitro – August 24, 1998

Date:
August 24, 1998

Location:
United Center, Chicago, Illinois

Attendance:
17,094

Commentators:
Mike Tenay, Bobby Heenan, Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko

Reviewed by Tommy Hall

We’re
closing in on Fall Brawl and the main event is coming into focus a
little bit more. The main story coming into tonight ties into the
PPV as Warrior is promising to begin a revolution tonight, whatever
that means. He’s officially on DDP’s team to face Hogan and Hart for
the Black and White and whoever is on the Wolfpack’s team. This
three team stuff with one winner idea for WarGames is annoying.
Let’s get to it.

We
open with a black limo arriving with the Black and White coming out.
It’s just Hogan, Bischoff, Liz and Disciple here and we get a long
tracking shot of them coming all the way into the arena. Once
they’re finally in the ring, Eric holds up a pen and says it’s what
lets him keep in charge of WCW and the NWO. He ran Vader and Johnny
B. Badd out of WCW and he’ll keep anyone he wants out as well.

Hogan
takes the mic and talks about how he owns the world of wrestling and
is more powerful than anyone. He can’t wait to get in the ring at
WarGames and take everyone out one by one. Hogan promises to take
the title back from Goldberg for awhile and that’s that. Shortest
opening segment in a long time.

Opening
sequence.

Enos
fires in some knees in the corner but Wrath shrugs them off and chops
away in the corner. They head outside with Enos being sent into the
barricade and chopped even more. Wrath throws him back inside for a
slingshot clothesline for two but Enos comes back with a powerslam
for the same. Mike shoulders him in the corner but misses a second
attempt. Wrath’s Meltdown (pumphandle powerslam) is good for the pin
in a short match.

We
look at part of Warrior’s speech last week, leading into the
announcers talking about WarGames.

The
Nitro Girls dance in the crowd.

Nitro
Party winner.

The
announcers immediately start talking about the Horsemen, despite most
of the team losing almost every major match they’ve had in the last
few weeks. Dean takes Kaz down by the arm and grabs the leg before
putting on a reverse chinlock. Off to a headlock on Hayashi but he
comes back with a knee to the ribs and a quick running senton. Dean
easily takes him back down and puts on a figure four around the neck
as we take a break.

Back
with Dean winning a quick slugout but being sent to the floor. Kaz
hits a very nice corkscrew plancha and gets two off a German suplex
back inside. Hayashi goes up but his moonsault hits knees. A leg
lariat (clearly misses Kaz by about six inches) sets up the Tiger
Bomb and the Cloverleaf to give Dean the win.

Rating:
C. Not a terrible match though
I have no idea why they needed a break in there. Kaz was another in a
long list of talented cruiserweights who got lost in the crowd
despite being able to put on good matches. Malenko looked a bit off
tonight but when you’re as sharp as he is most of the time you can
miss once in awhile.

Video
on the Wolfpack.

Here’s
the Wolfpack minus Sting with something to say. After the
catchphrases, Nash talks about Hogan running his mouth week in and
week out, even though he can’t run with them. Nash says if Hogan
wants a war, he’s got one. He talks about coming here for a war two
years ago and his goal is to run the company. If he has to run off
Hogan and Bischoff and become world champion to do it, then that’s
what he’ll do. That brings him to Goldberg who has speared him twice
in a row now.

After
the first time, they had a beer and everything was cool. The second
time there was no beer so everything isn’t cool. However, if
Goldberg wants to make things right, he can team up with Nash tonight
against someone whose names are cut off by Goldberg’s music. We get
the long walk from the back to continue a motif tonight. Goldberg
comes to the ring and says he’ll team up with Nash if that’s what
Nash wants. Nash wants Hogan and Giant tonight.

Konnan
went to the back during the break and comes out again for reasons I
still don’t understand. A headbutt puts Neidhart down as Tenay
explains what Arriaba La Raza means. Konnan grabs an armbar but
Neidhart fights up and clotheslines Konnan to take over. Neidhart’s
straps come down, making his back rakes all the more vicious. A
middle rope knee drop only hits the mat though and the Tequila
Sunrise gives Konnan a fast win.

Tony
brings out Stevie Ray for a chat about the Black and White
surrounding him at the end of Thunder. Stevie won’t comment on what
they were saying to him but he’ll deal with the Giant in due time.
As for the TV Title, Stevie is coming for Jericho soon but here’s an
angry Booker T for his return. Booker says he’s been out of the
country healing so he could come back and give the fans 110%. He
can’t even leave his house to get his paper without people asking him
about Stevie Ray.

Booker
worked hard to get the TV Title and would like an explanation from
Stevie about the title. Stevie says he defended the title because it
got between the team. Booker was out for six months (it’s been like
two) and Stevie did what he had to do. Tony informs Stevie that
Booker is the #1 contender to Bret Hart’s US Title, ticking Stevie
off. Booker says he’s coming for the title and wants Stevie to have
his back.

Nitro
Girls.

After
a break Tony is in the ring and calls out DDP. He has a pen of his
own and wants to shove it through Bischoff’s ear. Page runs down
Hogan as usual and says if someone wants to step up as the third
member of Team WCW, do it right now. This brings out Roddy Piper and
I cringe a little bit inside.

Piper
praises Page for doing a good job lately while he’s been in
Hollywood. While he was out there, Piper heard people at Time Warner
making fun of Bischoff’s power trips. Piper says he’s the only man
that Bischoff can’t fire before implying Hogan and Bischoff are
women. He’ll join Page in WarGames and promises to get Warrior to
join them. Wasn’t he on the team already?

Hour
#2 begins.

Mongo
takes him into the corner but Riggs actually takes over and stomps
him down into the corner. McMichael is sent out to the floor and
taken down by a clothesline from the apron as this has been one sided
so far. Back in and the announcers talk about Saturn vs. Raven with
the Flock’s freedom vs. Saturn being back in the Flock as the stakes.
A dropkick puts Mongo down again and Riggs stomps away at the chest.

We
hit the chinlock on Mongo who slaps the mat like he’s tapping but the
referee says nothing. McMichael fights up but a knee to the ribs
drops him again. Riggs mocks the Horsemen sign and avoids an elbow
as Mongo can’t get anything going. A boot in the corner stops a
charging Riggs and it’s a pair of three point tackles and the
tombstone to give Mongo the win. Those were the only major offensive
moves he hit all match.

Rating:
D. This was basically a Riggs
squash until the last thirty seconds. The Horsemen losing nearly
every match they’re in sounds like something Bischoff would be behind
to bury the team even further, because why would he care if the fans
keep chanting for Flair? Granted having Mongo in there isn’t helping
anyone. The guy just isn’t that good.

Post
match Horace blasts Mongo in the head with the stop sign and the
beating is on until Malenko makes the save. Saturn comes out as well
but is quickly sent back outside, leaving Mongo and Malenko to hold
up the Horsemen sign.

More
Nitro Girls, this time in leather.

They
trade chops in the corner as Fuller has already survived longer than
anyone has against Norton in weeks. Norton comes back with a Samoan
drop but gets kicked in the face, only to pop back up and chop it out
again. Scott blasts him in the face to take over again and a
powerbomb is enough to end Fuller.

Here’s
Scott Steiner with his doctor to make fun of Chicago and Michael
Jordan. The doctor says Steiner can’t wrestle tonight but Scott
wants Rick out here right now. This of course brings out Buff
Bagwell dressed as Rick as the crowd can be heard groaning. Scott
offers a doggie treat to get out of the fight, causing Buff to roll
over and play dead for the pin.

They
finally lock up after about a minute of stalling before taking their
time with some lockups. Luger grabs a headlock as Heenan defends
Bischoff for reasons of general weaselness. Luger sends Adams to the
floor with some posing as the stalling continues. Back in and Luger
hiptosses Adams down but a Vincent distraction lets Brian get in a
right hand to take over. Luger is kicked to the floor and sent into
the steps for two before it’s off to a headscissor choke from Adams.

Back
up and Luger is whipped into the corner but comes back with right
hands to a big reaction. Not that it matters though as Adams
suplexes him down and puts on a nerve hold. Another comeback is
thwarted by a gorilla press gutbuster for two but Adams misses a knee
drop. The clotheslines and forearms are good for two, followed by a
powerslam and the Torture Rack for the submission.

Rating:
D+. Slightly better than the
previous match but that’s mainly because the fans were more into the
hometown Luger. The match was again close to a squash until the
comeback at the end which doesn’t make for the most interesting match
in the world. Adams getting this high of a spot on the card
continues to astound me.

More
clips of Warrior from last week.

Here’s
Warrior to talk about how the Revolution that starts tonight. He
talks about emulating the best in
any field, such as when he emulated Hogan as champion. Warrior rants
about Hogan selling out to mediocrity and self pity which is the most
coherent thing he’s said in a long time. He does get in a good line
by saying Hogan went from being one in a million to being one of the
millions.

After
pausing for no reason in particular, Warrior asks for patience before
he takes out Hogan. Tonight is the beginning of the One Warrior
Nation Revolution, which means he’ll destroy Hogan. A revolution
isn’t based on cowardice and that’s all Hogan needs to know. I have
no idea what this was supposed to accomplish.

Hour
#3 begins.

Jericho
is defending and takes over a minute to get down the aisle due to
jawing with fans about their signs. He takes one away and kicks it,
falling flat on his face in a funny moment. Feeling out process to
start with Hennig grabbing the hair and stopping a takedown attempt.
Curt: “Two points!” They jockey for position until Henig goes to
the ropes for a breather.

Jericho
slaps him in the face, sending Hennig into a frenzy of headbutts and
chops. Chris chops him into the corner as this gets very physical
all of a sudden. Now it’s Hennig with chops of his own, setting up
the Hennig neck snap for no cover. Jericho comes back with a
spinning kick to the chin and some choking in the corner.

Curt
takes out the knee to send Jericho outside for even more chops, only
to have Jericho take him back inside to kick at Hennig’s legs. A
springboard dropkick sends Hennig outside and a middle rope version
of the same move drops Curt inside. Hennig misses a dropkick and
gets caught in the Liontamer but Hennig is right next to the ropes.
The PerfectPlex is countered into a small package for two and they
slug it out as the time limit expires at…..6:10? At least make it
close people.

Rating:
C+. I was digging the heck out
of this match with both guys working hard out there. Jericho seems
like the kind of guy that would have a blast working with a guy like
Hennig and he was on his game tonight. Really fun match which shows
what happens when guys work hard. The lack of time makes me sad for
a change.

Hennig
gets the better of Jericho and here’s Giant for the double team, but
Giant shoves Hennig down instead to save the Canadian. Curt is
furious.

More
Nitro Girls.

Booker
T asks Stevie to have his back tonight but Stevie sounds mad.

Bret
is defending. Before the match Bret grabs a mic and says he’s tired
of being told he used to be a nice guy. The fans are the ones that
have corrupted the heroes, which is why Bret went to the one man he
could trust: Hulk Hogan. However, there’s a problem in the form of
Sting. Bret says Sting is his buddy, so how can he pick between
Sting and Hogan. The fans are to blame for his problems though.

Booker’s
music plays but he never shows up. We go to a break and come back to
see Stevie standing over a fallen Booker and saying Booker and JJ
Dillon turned their backs on him. Stevie comes into the arena to
take Booker’s place but yells at Bret instead of fighting him. Bret
denies having anything to do with the attack as the NWO comes out
with a shirt. Bret says there’s no reason for Stevie to take his
frustrations out on him before offering Stevie a spot on the team.
Since Stevie is a midcard guy who is starting to get some traction,
he accepts.

After
about five minutes of entrances, we finally get down to Nash vs.
Giant but the fans are all over Hogan. Giant shoves him into the
corner to start but Nash avoids a big forearm. A headbutt staggers
Kevin back and a big boot drops him to the mat. Giant misses an
elbow though and Nash hits the framed elbow in the corner. Both guys
hit clotheslines at the same time with no one going anywhere so they
both hit big boots to drop the other.

It’s
off to Goldberg vs. Hogan with the champion shoving Hogan down over
and over. Hogan gets in some knees to the ribs and chokes to take
over but Goldberg shrugs off being rammed into the buckle. A few
shoulder blocks put Hogan down but Disciple hits Goldberg in the back
with the title belt to change the moment. Hogan chokes away in the
corner while Nash and Giant go at it on the floor (Tony calls it
double teaming because he’s not that bright) as Hennig and Disciple
come in for the no contest.

Rating:
D+. This was more spectacle
than match and that’s fine for the most part. They’re clearly
setting up the idea of the team battle at Fall Brawl which is more
than you usually get out of a Nitro main event. I’d still like to
see Giant pin Nash just one time to make up for the last nine months
or so but I can’t imagine it happening.

Luger
and Konnan come out to even the odds until Goldberg and Hennig are
the only ones left. Goldberg spears him down and Jackhammers him for
the pin as this turns into an ECW show for a few seconds. Nash
accidentally knees Goldberg in the face and Giant sends him to the
floor as Warrior, Page and Piper come out to clean house and stand
tall. Goldberg and Nash have a staredown to end the show.

Overall
Rating: D+.
That was a really strong ending actually with an actual focus for a
change. It’s not really surprising that WCW
was actually winning a bit at this time with WarGames coming up and
the Warrior offering something interesting. Unfortunately at some
point he has to actually wrestle and it was all going to come down.
Anyway though, less bad show than usual but all the nonsense earlier
on brings down a good last hour.

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