Live from Denver, CO
Airdate: August 3, 1998
Attendance: 7,697 (sold out)
Hosted by Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, “Iron” Mike Tenay, & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
Can Sting and Luger capture the World tag team titles? How will Bret factor into it? And just how is Jay Leno involved with WCW? How far will Hogan and Bischoff stoop to get Leno involved?
Opening montage.
In the ring, the Nitro Girls dance in gold.
Due to “an (ongoing) meeting with Time-Warner executives,” Zbyszko will join the show later. Heenan stepped in for him.
Missing from the show is an important clip of Eric Bischoff and “Hollywood” Hogan storming The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Check it out here.
In the ring, “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews DDP who cuts a promo on Hogan and Bischoff. He promises that Leno will “smack (him) around like a little girl.” OK, that didn’t age well.
Prior to the first match, Hart challenges DDP to a match against Barbarian.
Match 1: Diamond Dallas Page versus the Barbarian (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Highlights:
- DDP blocked a hip toss and fed Barbarian a swinging neckbreaker.
- When he dealt Barbarian a discus clothesline, DDP attempted a Diamond Cutter.
- Barbarian blocked it, and DDP tried to deliver a ten-punch count-along.
- As Hart jumped onto the apron to distract referee Scott Dickinson, Barbarian nailed DDP down near the Jersey Shore.
- Barbarian distracted Dickinson so that Hart could give DDP the business in the corner. SNEAKY!
- After he gave DDP a cross corner whip, Barbarian ate boot on his follow-through.
- Barbarian attempted a short-arm clothesline, but DDP ducked and nailed him with a clothesline.
- While he annihilated Hart who had returned to the apron, DDP ducked a Mafia kick.
- Barbarian attempted a slam, but DDP escaped and tried another Cutter attempt.
- Blocking it again, Barbarian tried another slam, but DDP escaped once more.
- DDP wanted to plant him with a Cutter, but Barbarian blocked it a third time.
- Through sheer will on the fourth try, DDP dropped Barbarian with a Diamond Cutter.
- 1-2-3.
- DDP won at 3:28.
Rating: **
Summary: Showcase match for DDP, but Barbarian wasn’t going down easy.
Nitro is sponsored by Valvoline.
Zbyszko takes his bows, joins the broadcast table, and discusses his meeting with Time-Warner. The end result is “to keep people who do not belong on the set off the set.” Methinks no more nWo invasions.
We revisit last week when Adams cuts a promo on Goldberg, nWo destroys Goldberg’s locker room, Goldberg responds, and he crushes Adams like a bug.
Next, we revisit last week again when DDP cuts a promo on Hogan, Hogan rebuts, and DDP comes THIS CLOSE to beating him. Ultimately, Goldberg jumps into the ring only to get chokeslammed by Giant.
nWo Nightcap: Bischoff is back, and Elizabeth joins him on the set. As he tells REALLY BAD jokes, Bischoff runs down both Leno and Kevin Eubanks. More jokes at Leno’s expense are told, and he introduces Hogan. When Hogan describes “the shove heard ‘round the world,” he cuts a promo on DDP. Thank goodness this was the last one.
Video airs featuring Bret.
Prior to the next match, Disco Inferno grabs the microphone and touts Magnum.
Match 2: Psicosis versus Tokyo Magnum (w/ Disco Inferno)
Highlights:
- Psicosis ambushed Magnum before the bell, and for some odd reason, Scott Norton approached ringside.
- As he entered the ring, he nailed Psicosis.
- Referee Mark Curtis called for the bell, and Psicosis won by DQ at 0:22.
Rating: NONE
Summary: Fodder for getting Norton over.
After the bell, Norton powerbombs Psicosis and Magnum consecutively. Disco jumps onto the apron to question the situation but backs off immediately. As Norton grabs a microphone, he challenges everyone.
Despite Hart’s objections, Morrus approaches the ring to challenge Norton.
Match 3: Scott Norton (w/ Vincent) versus Hugh Morrus (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Highlights:
- Right off the bat, Norton powerbombed Morrus and exited the ring.
Rating: NONE
Summary: Project insert Norton to fill time has been completed.
Again, we revisit last week when Bret plays mind games with Sting. Afterward, he inserted himself into Sting’s match and paid for it. Later, Sting applies the Scorpion death lock on him, but Bret squirms away.
HOUR #2!
Schiavone apologizes for not naming the contestant who won last week’s Nitro party pack. It was Lee Oliveri from Leesburg, Florida. Meanwhile, the Nitro Girls dance at the entrance. Promo for the Nitro Party contest follows.
In the ring, Okerlund interviews Goldberg who’s ready to dish out payback against the nWo in the battle royal at the PPV. Goldberg drops his name, and Sting arrives to get in his face. That’s quite a PPV main event. Why isn’t it on the card this Saturday? While pamphlets drop from the rafters, Giant calls out Goldberg, and he along with nWo Hollywood stand at the entrance.
Like A COMPLETE MORON, Goldberg heads into the lion’s den. To make Goldberg look good, nWo Hollywood fights him one-by-one so Goldberg annihilates all of them. He chases Giant backstage as Bret emerges to talk to Sting. He and Sting engage in the aisle, but Sting abruptly walks away.
Following a commercial break, Sting saunters backstage and finds Luger OUT COLD. Without helping him, Sting walks away, but WCW Security checks Luger’s condition. Is there a beef between Sting and Luger? Where’s Sting going?
Match 4: Brian Adams (w/ Vincent) versus “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
Highlights:
- Duggan reversed an Irish whip and clotheslined Adams.
- As he nailed Adams with a pair of clotheslines, the second one sent Adams over the top rope to the floor.
- Duggan floored him with a series of double axe handles, but Adams responded with an inverted atomic drop.
- When Adams distracted referee Mark Curtis, Vincent left his mark upon Duggan. How dastardly!
- Duggan rebounded with a ten-punch count-along and clotheslined Adams.
- After Vincent jumped onto the apron, he grabbed Duggan from behind.
- Adams charged but blasted Vincent instead of Duggan with a big boot.
- While Duggan crotched Adams on the second rope, he fed Adams a lariat.
- Vincent mounted the top turnbuckle and leaped with Duggan’s 2×4.
- Catching Vincent in the midsection, Duggan walloped him with the 2×4.
- Adams hammered Duggan from behind and piledrove him.
- 1-2-3.
- Adams won at 3:10.
Rating: *
Summary: Since Adams had a title shot last week, I didn’t see his losing this match. Duggan, ever the pop magnet, is a good opponent for him as he maintains the Denver faithful’s interest.
Master Lock sponsors the replay.
Rating: 4.1
Back in the locker room, Okerlund knocks on a closed door, but no one answers. Bret sneaks up on him, continues his mind games surrounding Sting, and volunteers to be Sting’s partner in the main event.
Following a commercial break, Okerlund sits atop and shills his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
After a video that was removed by WWE Network, Raven and the Flock enter the ring. Raven announces that the match between Kanyon and Sick Boy is cancelled. To a chant of “Raven sucks,” Denver’s nemesis cuts a promo on Saturn. Lodi tries to cut a quick promo on Saturn, but Raven beats him up and breaks his finger. When Saturn arrives, Raven flees. Lodi remains in the ring, and Saturn continues to torment his hand. He demolishes Lodi with a Death Valley Driver to end the segment.
Backstage, Okerlund discovers Bret talking with Hall. Before Okerlund can get a word, he runs out of microphone cord to get close enough. HA!
Closed captioning is sponsored by Compuserve.
Where’s the wrestling?
Rating: 3.9
Nitro Girls dance at the entrance in magenta. In the meantime, Heenan rejoined the broadcast table.
At the entrance, Okerlund interviews JJ Dillon and Dean Malenko. While Malenko admits that Jericho was “the better man,” Jericho joins and antagonizes him. Dillon states that during Jericho’s title defense against Guerrera at the PPV, there will be a special guest referee—Malenko. Enraged, Jericho is beside himself.
Match 5: Eddie Guerrero versus Juventud Guerrera
Highlights:
- Eddie reversed an Irish whip but ate a dropkick.
- When Eddie fed him a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, he dealt Guerrera a belly-to-back suplex.
- Eddie attempted another tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Guerrera countered with a flying headscissors.
- As Eddie hoisted him atop the top turnbuckle, Guerrera shoved him down to the mat and uncorked a spinning heel kick.
- Eddie sought refuge on the floor, but Guerrera met him with a tope con hilo. Woohoo!
- After Guerrera gave him a cross corner whip, Eddie vaulted him face-first into the top turnbuckle.
- Eddie tried to powerbomb him, but Guerrera countered with a DDT for 2.
- While he migrated to the apron, Guerrera delivered a springboard dropkick.
- Eddie countered a Juvi Driver with a shoulder breaker, mounted the top turnbuckle, and connected with a frog splash.
- 1-2-3.
- Eddie won at 4:12.
Rating: ***
Summary: Best match of the show thus far, but doesn’t Guerrera have a title match at the PPV?
Rating: 3.9
I would add a promo for the PPV on Saturday here, but it was pilfered from this recording.
Okerlund sits atop his motorcycle at the entrance and shills it again.
Before Stevie Ray can make his entrance, Okerlund stops to question him about carrying the World TV title belt. Stevie Ray claims that he has a power of attorney document that is signed and notarized. Although Okerlund questions the notarization of the document, Stevie Ray begs to differ.
Match 6: Stevie Ray versus Lizmark, Jr.
Highlights:
- The Denver faithful chanted “We Want Booker,” but his brother flapjacked Lizmark.
- As he hung Lizmark out to dry, Stevie Ray unleashed a big boot.
- That caused Lizmark to taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Mighty Mushroom at 5280 Burger Bar.
- When he gave Lizmark a cross corner whip, Stevie Ray ate boot on his follow-through.
- Lizmark vaulted to the top turnbuckle and launched a cross body block for 2.
- After he gave Stevie Ray a cross corner whip, Lizmark ate a back elbow.
- Stevie Ray fed him a spin kick followed by a powerslam.
- While Stevie Ray attempted to deal Lizmark a Slapjack, Chavo Guerrero, Jr. emerged with a microphone while wearing Stevie Ray’s arm covers.
- He located a notary stamp in Stevie Ray’s bag to reveal the ruse.
- Rambling, Chavo claimed he now “can make a driver’s license.” HA!
- Stevie Ray chased him backstage, and Lizmark won by countout at 3:12.
Rating: *½
Summary: Couldn’t they have finished the match before the interruption?
HOUR #3!
Prior to the next match, Konnan runs down his catchphrases.
Match 7: Curt Hennig (w/ Scott Norton) versus Konnan
Highlights:
- Hennig tried to attack at the bell, but Konnan gave him a cross corner whip followed by a hip toss.
- When Konnan clotheslined Hennig, Norton distracted referee Billy Silverman.
- That allowed Hennig to boot Konnan WAY south of the border.
@confusinggrapes 🎵 South of the Border 🎵 #tonysoprano #juniorsoprano #unclejunior #thesopranos
- As Konnan reversed an Irish whip, he clotheslined the BEJEEZUS out of Hennig.
- He fed Hennig a seated dropkick, leapfrogged him, dealt him a side kick, and rammed Hennig face-first into the mat.
- After Konnan hooked a Tequila Sunrise, Norton jumped onto the apron.
- Konnan knocked him back down, but Hennig reversed an Irish whip enabling Norton to batter Konnan from behind. Evil!
- While Hennig hooked a Hennigplex, he pinned Konnan at 3:54.
Rating: *
Summary: Once again, the numbers game catches up to the opponent of nWo Hollywood.
Following the match, Kevin Nash enters the ring chasing Hennig and Norton away.
1-800-COLLECT sponsors the replay.
Rating: 4.4
Nitro is sponsored by Burger King.
Match 8 (non-title): WCW Cruiserweight champion Chris Jericho versus Rey Mysterio, Jr.
Highlights:
- Jericho ambushed Mysterio prior to the bell and dropkicked him.
- As the Denver faithful showered him with a “Jericho sucks” chant, their nemesis obliterated Mysterio with a jumping back kick.
- Jericho gave Mysterio a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- When Mysterio fed him a flying headscissors, Jericho sought refuge outside the ring.
- Mysterio wasted no time in dealing Jericho a springboard plancha.
- After he dropkicked Jericho, Mysterio returned him to the ring.
- He delivered a rapid leg drop, and Nitro took a break.
- Following the break, Mysterio connected with an Asai moonsault and got 2.
- Jericho vaulted him to the apron, so Mysterio attempted a springboard cross body block.
- Catching Mysterio, Jericho military pressed him into a shoulder breaker for 2.
- Mysterio migrated to the apron, but Jericho dropkicked him down to the floor.
- Mounting the second turnbuckle, Jericho hit a missile dropkick sending Mysterio back-first into the steel railing.
- Jericho attempted to suplex him, but Mysterio blocked and gave him one of his own.
- Flying with a standing moonsault, Mysterio got 2.
- Jericho rebounded with a clothesline and tied Mysterio up like a pretzel.
- Giving Mysterio a cross corner whip, Jericho followed with a corner clothesline to the back of the neck.
- He gave Mysterio another cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- Getting vaulted to the second turnbuckle, Mysterio bombarded Jericho with another flying headscissors.
- He guillotined Jericho with the top rope, migrated to the apron again, and squished him with a springboard inverted splash for 2.
- Reversing an Irish whip, Jericho spun Mysterio with a German suplex. In the process, Mysterio landed on his front rather than his back, and Jericho got 2.
- Jericho sent Mysterio into the corner, and a Mysterio flip occurred.
- Attempting a springboard dive, Jericho came up empty and SPLATTED on the floor.
- Mysterio returned Jericho to the ring via flying headscissors, but Jericho responded with a double underhook backbreaker.
- Ramming Jericho face-first into the mat, Mysterio migrated to the apron.
- Mysterio tried a West Coast Pop, but Jericho yanked referee Mark Curtis into the line of fire.
- As you might anticipate, Curtis was OUT COLD.
- Jericho countered another flying headscissors with a powerbomb and attempted a LionTamer.
- Countering into a cradle, Mysterio only earned a false count due to Curtis’ incapacity.
- Suddenly, Malenko slid into the ring.
- 1-2-3.
- Mysterio won at 8:58 shown.
Rating: ***½
Summary: Great chemistry between these two as they’ve battled many times. Malenko screws Jericho here, but what will he do in Sturgis?
Afterward, Jericho pulls up the mats, wipes out ring announcer David Penzer, and grabs the Cruiserweight title belt.
Rating: 4.4
Nitro Girls dance at the entrance wearing silver.
We revisit last week when Dillon sanctions a match between the Steiner Brothers at the PPV.
Big Poppa Pump heads to the ring with a microphone and describes being humbled by his mother over the phone. Upon removing his nWo Hollywood t-shirt, BPP emphatically quits the group. Do we have a face turn? He apologizes to the fans and Rick. As Rick’s music plays, Buff Bagwell emerges wearing headgear with collar and barking like a dog. BPP treats his “brother” like a dog and asks who’s the better brother. “Rick” barks.
Bagwell quickly drops the “Rick” character and chastises the Denver faithful. When Bagwell asks BPP to cry like he’s done in the past, Rick slides into the ring with a steel chair. He blasts BPP with it and chases after Bagwell. Adams, Norton, and Vincent check on BPP as Rick jogs backstage feeling somewhat vindicated.
In the ring, the Nitro Girls dance, but Bischoff quickly heads to the ring to stop Kimberly. He besmirches and holds his authority over her. In response, Kimberly slaps the taste from his mouth. nWo Hollywood members grab her, but DDP bolts to the ring to rescue his wife. Obviously, the numbers outweigh any attempt by DDP, and Hogan slaps him.
While the Denver faithful chants “Gold-berg,” Bischoff continues to berate her. Hogan takes the microphone, infers she’s been cheating with members of nWo Hollywood, and pummels the still-restrained DDP. Before Hogan allows Kimberly to console her husband, Giant chokeslams DDP. Kimberly checks on DDP, but Hogan yells at her to be with a real man.
Schiavone apologizes for the rather mature segment yet shills Travis Tritt who will perform following the WCW show in Sturgis. Folks, I’m no country music lover, so that would not entice me to buy the show. Of course, neither would Jay Leno, but I’ll save that for later.
We revisit the Goldberg promo as well as Sting’s appearance from earlier.
Rating: 5.0
Nitro is sponsored by Master Lock.
Prior to the main event, Hall grabs the microphone but fails to perform his survey. I’ve heard that happens to guys of his age.
Match 9 for the WCW World tag team titles: Scott Hall & the Giant versus Sting & the “Total Package” Lext Luger Bret “Hitman” Hart
Highlights:
- Buffer rambled and rumbled.
- When Bret emerged, Buffer almost lost his shit trying to figure things out.
- It must be 1997 because Sting just rappelled from the rafters while wearing white face paint.
- Before the bell, Sting shoved Bret with his baseball bat.
- Bret tagged Sting into the match, and Sting pounded on the nWo. Yep, it’s 1997.
- As he rammed Hall face-first into the mat, Sting clotheslined him.
- He attempted a Scorpion death lock, but Hall scurried away.
- After Hall reversed an Irish whip, Giant nailed Sting from behind. Crafty!
- Hall clotheslined Sting and tagged in Giant.
- While Giant fed Sting a side-Russian leg sweep, Hall tagged in and got 2.
- Hall gave Sting a cross corner whip followed by a corner clothesline.
- Upon Hall’s distraction of referee Mickey Jay, Giant choked Sting across the second rope. Devious!
- Sting tried a cross body block, but Hall caught and dealt him a fallaway slam for 2.
- Trying to tag himself in, Bret got bumped down to the floor.
- Sting reversed a cross corner whip and delivered his own corner clothesline.
- Clotheslining Hall, Sting nailed an incoming Giant prior to hammering his fastballs out of Coors Field.
- Sting clotheslined Giant over the top rope to the floor, and Jay checked on the largest man in pro wrestling.
- Returning to the ring with Sting’s bat, Bret attempted to blast Sting with it but hammered Hall instead.
- Bret ditched the bat, Jay returned, and Sting pinned Hall at 6:28.
- WE HAVE NEW CHAMPIONS!
Rating: **
Summary: The story lies between Sting and Bret, and with that, they became champions.
After the match, Giant headbutts and powerslams Sting while Bret grabs the World tag team title belts. Giant shoves down Jay, and Schiavone believes Jay has reversed his decision. Before the show leaves the air, Goldberg arrives and spears Giant to a tremendous roar from the Denver faithful.
Rating: 4.2
Conclusion: WCW certainly stopped the complaints about the number of matches within not only the first hour but the entire three hours. However, the problem remained regarding the matches being too short (e.g. none went over ten minutes), so there was way too much talking. I truly believe that WCW has lost its way.
What made WCW different from WWF was not just realistic storylines but also solid matchups on Nitro. Now, they’re three minutes, and WCW jumps back to either storytelling or shilling something.
Nevertheless, WCW chose controversy, a character change for Sting, the continuation of Bret’s manipulation, Hogan and Bischoff’s manhandling of both Kimberly and DDP, and the Goldberg-Giant dynamic. Oh, let’s not forget that Malenko borrowed his referee license for the upcoming PPV to help Mysterio upend Jericho in a non-title match.
While WCW gets it that pro wrestling is male soap opera, they don’t gel the storylines enough to make things clear for the viewer. This will cause the casual viewer to watch RAW and its cohesive storylines and ability to follow through properly.
This episode was shortened greatly because WCW either had Jay Leno or Travis Tritt in its promos for the PPV; thus, the WWE Network removed them.
What’s on RAW is WAR?
Final TV Rating: 4.2
Stay tuned for RAW Is WAR 08-03-98!
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