WRESTLE-NET: COVERAGE OF THE MONDAY NIGHT WARS!Monday 4th January 1999 [/color]
- The show starts off with a video package hyping up tonight's epic rematch, which was boasted by the voice-over man to be the 'Rematch of the Century', yeah right. Anyways, the usual opening video package, showing us a city being set alight for no reason whatsoever as we see many shots of WCW and nWo wrestlers and superstars fighting and in action in the background.
We cut to the live arena and trust me, it looks absolutely massive. The stage looks like an ant from an aerial shot shown by the cameraman. Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko and Bobby Heenan introduce us to the show and run down the card.
- The announcers remind us of something that hardly any of the viewers remember them telling us about regarding something to do with a winner of some prize having a skybox in the Georgia Dome. We cut there to see a bunch of idiotic hicks from Arkansas or somewhere dancing around as Mean Gene Okerlund runs after them with a microphone like a zookeeper. The Nitro Girls dance in some sort of leather bondage outfit, sorta like that what Chyna wears.
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Kendall Windham defeated Prince Iaukea in 4:39. This was a tragic opening match to kick off what was supposed to be the biggest Monday Nitro of the final year in the millenium, it is such a shame that this match kicked things off for World Championship Wrestling, here in 1999. Kendall is the brother of Barry Windham, two men who
used to be good at wrestling but they're so bad now I just have to call them the 'Blown-Up Boyz'. Hopefully him and Barry don't get given the vacant WCW World Tag Team Championships. Kendall, like my nickname for him, was blown up about a minute into the match and he just really went out there with sluggish strikes and a messed up bodyslam. Prince Iaukea is terrible in the ring, he has 'jobber' written all over here. Anyways, Iaukea looked like he had Windham done with the super kick but then Barry Windham ran down to the ring, distraction effected Iaukea's chances of winning, lariat by Kendall and it was over.
1/2*- Following commercials, which will unfortunately fill up half of this report, we are taken to a blast from the past (That's literally what WCW titled it), in which we look back to see the rivalry between Ric Flair and Eric Bischoff that all came to an end last week on Monday Nitro. Flair is now the President of World Championship Wrestling. Good job he isn't booking this show. We go to another commercial break. Gah. During this commercial break I just happened to flick over to a certain USA Network to see what our competition, the World Wrestling Federation was up to. It turned out to be a
great match between Goldust and Mark Henry. It's a shame that an Olympic star is now a smaller guy's bitch. I'm talking about D'Lo.
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Booker T defeated Johnny Stamboli[/color] in 3:59. This match was actually not all that bad. These two put on a decent show for what it was. It wasn't long, but then again why should it be, I mean Stamboli is hardly recognised by anybody, only about a tenth of the capacity crowd tonight knew him. The crowd were into Booker T and popped whenever he did a move. Booker hit some impressive sidewalk slams and suplexes, pretty basic if you were to ask me, and you are. I mean you are reading
my report on tonight's show right? Anyways, Stamboli only got a few punches in but eventually Booker nailed Stamboli with a sweet missile dropkick followed up with the Book-End for the win.
**1/4- Following an advertisement by another of AOL Time Warner's bitch companies, we cut back to the live arena where the theme of Ric Flair played into the ring. This audience are so hot tonight, you could hardly hear that rubbish opera song. This crowd would not stop cheering for Naitch. The announcers pushed him to the moon with compliments, saying that Flair saved them from becoming Eric Bischoff's bitch. Flair was accompanied by talented female wrestlers, Mona and Madusa, both who haven't had a whole lot to do lately in World Championship Wrestling. Charles Robinson, Arn Anderson and David Flair also came out. Flair adressed the fans at some sort of 'presidential' stand, joking about how he did not sleep with 'that woman' in reference to Mr. Clinton. Flair adressed numerous situations, positioning his son, David as an officially active wrestler on the WCW main roster, rather than being a member of NWA-Wildside. Flair gave Arn Anderson the power of being the Commissioner of WCW, Charles Robinson the title of head official, dumping Nick Patrick. Flair then moved on to say that he brought Mona and Madusa out here to announce the start of a womens division in WCW. Flair boasted that he'd bring in many talented female athletes to come in for a tournament to decide the first WCW World Women's Champion. Flair then made a tag team tournament, starting with tonight in which the winning team would become new WCW World Tag Team Champions. Filled thirteen minutes.
- Eric Bischoff is seen in the backstage area looking on from one of the monitors. He looks ticked off as Bischoff rams his fist into the monitor and storms off to the nWo locker room, according to the announcers. We go to more commercials. This time, on my sneaky route to WWF RAW is WAR, it was the more untalented stars in the WWF, Test and The Godfather going at it. Pfft.
- More Nitro Girls dancing on the ramp, this time dressed in yellow. It reminded me of my love for bananas.
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Billy Kidman, Rey Mysterio Jr and Blitzkrieg defeated Chris Jericho, Chavo Guerrero Jr and Elix Skipper[/color] in 8:32. This match was, unlike the past two matches on this big-ass edition of Monday Nitro, was fast-paced and actually lengthy. These six light-heavyweights (well, if you'd call Chris Jericho that) tore up the Georgia Dome and a lot of the audience were into it as a pig finally finding mud. Back and forth action between the two teams and this match also further elevated the skills of young and talented rookie in WCW, Elix Skipper. I could see him as WCW World Cruiserweight Champion near the end of the year. Chavo was acting truly heelish here tonight, he seems to have had a change of heart and has taken up Uncle Eddie's habits, hopefully not out of the ring with his drug addiction, though. Kidman and Chavo started off, and immediately, I knew these two would be feuding. Chavo out-wrestled Kidman with some truly technical-based moves, basic arm-drags and headlocks et cetera. Mysterio Jr got a tag, as did Jericho and Jericho worked at Mysterio for three minutes or more. Skipper was in when Blitzkrieg got the tag, good cruiserweight action with those two like on Saturday Night. Everybody got in there, Kidman had the tag as did Chavo. Kidman got rolled up and that was it. Chavo had pinned the Cruiserweight Champion.
**3/4-
Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko defeated The Faces of Fear[/color] in a WCW World Tag Team Championship Quarterfinal match in 7:34. This was a slow-paced match between two teams of relatively different styles. While Benoit and Malenko were more based into technical and aerial-style moves and attacks, the Faces of Fear were more of a pair of brawlers rather than anything else. Anyways, this match was back and forth just like the six-man tag team match, but it was weird that there was zero breathing space between matches. I mean, this just popped up after two seconds of seeing Chavo Guerrero Jr celebrating. Meng and Malenko started off, huge mismatch there, Meng dominated Malenko, working on the arm and wrist of Dean. The Barbarian got the tag and the two members of Jimmy Hart's First Family worked on Malenko. Benoit with a tag and some quick offense before The Barbarian took him out a few times. Benoit ducked the super kick and Chris made him tap out in the Crossface.
*3/4- We go to the commercial break, again. I'm getting bored of this, me having to go watch WWF. I mean if I were WCW, I'd say screw you to AOL Time Warner's need to show off adverts, hardly anybody watches that anyway. It lets WCW viewers escape to go watch WWF, the competition.
- Hollywood Hogan came out to a suprisingly loud babyface-style reaction. Hogan only came out to do a quick interview with Mean Gene Okerlund in which Okerlund asked Hogan what he was up to now that he had retired and left the wrestling scene. Hogan cut a promo in which he apologized for being somebody he wasn't and that was a big fraud mastermind stood behind Eric Bischoff, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash in a faction obsessed with stealing WCW. Hogan said that if it wasn't for WCW, he wouldn't of even been in the New World Order, he'd of been in WWF losing to a rebel wearing leather. Oooh spot the reference, yeah baby. Hogan says that he will most likely go back to Hollywood, may get into politics as well. Mean Gene told him to enjoy him on all of his future endeavor. That killed eight minutes.
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Curt Hennig and Barry Windham defeated Juventud Guerrera and Psychosis[/color] in 6:17. This, unlike the opener was a decent match, even Barry Windham wasn't as bad as he usually is. He made me forget all about how much of a blown-up fat guy, Kendall was. Hennig was in seemingly great shape, physically, and even more suprising, his style of wrestling worked and meshed in perfectly (more spot the reference) with Psychosis and Juventud Guerrera's in-ring abilities and style. Anyways, onto the actual wrestling inside the ring in detail. Windham and Psychosis started things off, some nice brawling from Windham, this sort is what Barry never screws up on, he never has, unlike his lesser-talented/cared about brother, Kendall. Juventud got the tag, some nice attempted aerial attacks made by Juvi before Curt Hennig got a tag and regained control for his team. Hennig worked on the neck, as did Windham as the two traded goes in the ring. Psychosis gets the tag, nice momentum in there for him as he takes down Hennig repeatedly. The official attends to an apparently injured Barry as the official helps him take off his cowboy boot. Curt takes the boot and clobbers Psychosis with it, the official covered and it was over. Barry acted like nothing happened afterwards.
**1/4- We go to the commercial break. When we return, Diamond Dallas Page is making his way down to the ring, he gets a fairly heelish reaction, but still some fans are cheering him. DDP climbed into the ring and announced that tonight would not only be the night that Kevin Nash dethrones Bill Goldberg and retains the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, but also for three men reunited in WCW to become the best thing here. Page introduces Kanyon out to the ring as well as his 'big buddy', former ECW Television Champion, Bam Bam Bigelow, all three of them being the New Jersey Triad.
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Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Perry Saturn[/color] in 7:50. This match wasn't much of a squash, really. Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon returned to the backstage area, the announcers put Bam Bam, Kanyon and DDP making note that all three men hail from New Jersey. Obviously, Tony, Bobby, Larry. I mean DDP
did just call them the New Jersey Triad. Perry Sautrn put up a valiant fight in this one, these two men weren't too sluggish but they weren't at their A-game here tonight. It was above the halfway mark in terms of star-ratings, but it still had some sweet spots in there. Saturn was given some thunderous headbutts courtesy of Bigelow, Saturn in return tried to chop big man, Bam Bam down with arm-submissions, even applying a convincing triangle choke. Bam Bam's overpowering of this move caused the crowd to lift however, and this was halfway into the match. Saturn was worked on, Bam Bam opening up a bite-sized cut on his forehead, Bigelow trying to make it worser and bigger. Bam Bam finished it off with a Diving Headbutt for the win.
**- A video hypes up Glacier. Why? I don't know, I mean he's an active wrestler on the roster. It shows some of his skills from past in-ring experiences. Probably a way to pad time on this program. Must be difficult producing a three-hour show when 40% of it is wrestling and 60% is advertising.
- Scott Steiner climbed into the ring and cut an ever-so-brief promo about how he was going to prove himself as the greatest WCW World Television Champion of all time, telling of his uncaring for brother, Rick.
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Scott Steiner defeated Disco Inferno to retain the WCW World Television Championship in 6:12. There was not a whole lot to say about this match. These two put on a fairly good performance, but really, this whole match was considered a filler and a piss-break for fans in the Georgia Dome. These two did some slow, old-school styled wrestling in there, only to get almost little reaction from the crowd. Steiner was more over than Disco, so that may be the explanation. Steiner controlled Disco but at least Inferno had some offense. Inferno fought back on numerous occasions, there was some good technical moves shown by Inferno during this match, also, hitting a hurricanrana legsissors, but Steiner really no-sold it. The announcers kept wondering if this match would go to a time limit draw, due to Television Championship rules being at a fifteen-minute time limit. Buff Bagwell was at ringside, Disco wanted a piece of him. Steiner with a belly-to-back suplex, the Steiner Recliner finished it. Post-match though, Booker T came onto the ramp, confronting Scott Steiner before Buff Bagwell got in Booker's face. Booker knocked down Bagwell with an axe kick before staring down Steiner. Feud alert~!
**- We go to some nightclub where the Latino World Order were hanging out. This segment was obviously pre-taped being that Eddie Guerrero was injured in a major car accident on January 1st. La Parka was doing his 'La Parka Polka', Silver King and El Dandy were talking in Mexican while drinking wine and Eddie was busy going after women only to fail numerous times.
- More commercial ad breaks. An ad for this year's WCW Souled Out aired, I wonder how WCW are going to fit in all of this for their pay-per-view on January 17th, when they're busy with a pay-per-view card worthy edition of Monday Nitro?
- More 'blast from the past' between Bill Goldberg and Kevin Nash, showing of their Starrcade clash eight days ago.
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Diamond Dallas Page defeated Lex Luger[/color] in 9:19. This as a fair match, though it was your average match between two men of the same position on the card. These two didn't have a whole lot of chemistry. Like the WCW World Television Championship match, these two didn't do a whole lot but old-school wrestle. Lex Luger obviously had to overpower the New Jersey Triad member repeatedly, being that Luger was supposed to be the bodybuilder, but Luger hardly sold either. He didn't do that much of a good job selling, to be honest. DDP was alright, but he was dragging Luger along. Luger was sluggish, but still the crowd popped for him good enough. Dallas Page really showed here that he should be pushed further up the card to feud or fight for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, especially if Kevin Nash is your current champion. DDP should of won at Halloween Havoc if I had it my way. Kanyon was with DDP from the midmatch point, walking down the ramp as Luger continued his offense. Luger eventually got set up for the Torture Rack but Kanyon got on the apron. Luger dropped the submission move and went for him, but DDP hit the Diamond Cutter out of nowhere for the three count.
*1/2- We see an ad during the (no suprise here...) commercial break, in regards of WCW Thunder. It hypes up British Bulldog being in action against Kanyon for a shot at Bret Hart's WCW US Heavyweight Championship at Souled Out.
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Wrath defeated Hardcore Hak[/color] in a falls count anywhere match in 6:15. This match was just a method of padding the main event in case of Diamond Dallas Page vs. Lex Luger being better and out-doing Bill Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash. Well, DDP/Luger was a failure in match quality/overness, so this was really pointless. The audience weren't too much into either men, either which effected it worser. This was a huge cluster full of weapons in which both men repeatedly drilled each other with trash cans, singapore canes among the comical kitchen mop as well as our favourite weapon here at Wrestle-Net, the shovel. Oh, and the infamous neverbreak table was involved too. Lack of selling by Wrath and forcable lack of blood made this match look foolish. Sand---I mean, Hak, could of had the match done with following a piledriver onto the table that
did not break. But Raven came in, delivered an Evenflow DDT to Hak and Wrath covered him.
*1/4- Former Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville is in the crowd. WCW send out Norman Smiley to greet him. Why? Because Smiley is a babyface? Probably.
- The interview segments that aired on WCW Saturday Night with Kevin Nash and Bill Goldberg were both replayed.
- The 'blast from the past' segment showed Nash vs. Goldberg from Starrcade, it is now 10:32, Nitro ends at 11:00.
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Kevin Nash defeated Bill Goldberg[/color] to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship in 17:34. I have got to say that no matter who 'Big Sexy', Kevin Nash has faced during his entire career, this has got to be one of his greatest matches to date. I have also got to say that for Goldberg, kudos and congratulations for both of these men, the match of the night by a long shot. These two made the show promotionally and I personally believe it payed off, heck, it could of payed more to WCW. This match was awesome and when the official rating for Monday Nitro comes in, it should be through the roof or at least 0.5 below WWF RAW. These two sold each other, too, they really went through with this match, everything was sold superbly. Nash and Goldberg went with test of strength mini-matches to kick off before both men did some real brawling unlike Kendall Windham, unlike Wrath and Hardcore Hak. This match was in and out and had many false finishes and near falls. Nash got hit with a Spear, Goldberg got Jackknifed. Anything and everything went into this match and suprisingly, both men got the loudest pops, I thought this Goldberg-loving Georgia Dome would of walked all over Nash but obviously not. The finish came when Scott Hall attempted to run down and cost Goldberg the match like at Starrcade, but Nash took him out. And while this was going on, Goldberg was getting set for the Spear, only to be tripped up by Hollywood Hogan! Hogan walked up the aisle as Nash asked Hogan what he was doing. Nash controversially hit the Jackknife and it was game over.
***3/4- Nash celebrated with the WCW World Heavyweight Championship post-match to a fan-favourite reaction. Bill Goldberg returned to his feet, Nash turned around to see Goldberg immediately in front of him. Goldberg offered his hand to Nash in which Kevin accepted, shaking his hand and the two embraced. Scott Hall ran in, his tazer in hand only to get nailed with the Spear. Nash and Goldberg celebrated as pyro went off. We go off the air.
- Overall, I'd call this one to be a fair show, it had a bad start with some sluggish and boring skill from WCW's undercard roster, before being raised through the roof with Booker T's squash match victory and the six-man tag team match. Ric Flair's announcement promo was great, his promo was well-delivered. The New Jersey Triad's introduction to WCW could be interesting, maybe the start of Diamond Dallas Page's road to the top. The storyline with Hardcore Hak and Raven could be a winner if Wrath is removed from the picture. The DDP/Luger match was a decent bout but the main event was amazing. It payed off, truly did. This show was a mixbag of good and bad, but the pros outnumbered the cons.
**1/2[/center]