Live from Baltimore, MD
Airdate: December 28, 1998
Attendance: 13,358 (11,233 paid, sold out)
Hosted by Tony Schiavone, “Iron” Mike Tenay, Larry Zbyszko, & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
What’s up with Bischoff and Flair after their scuffle last night? Will Konnan retain, or will BPP find a way to capture the World TV title? What happens when Kidman, Mysterio, Eddie, and Guerrera fly with the greatest of ease? What’s up with Disco? How will WCW recover following the PPV?
In the limousine following the PPV, nWo Hollywood celebrates Bischoff’s victory over Flair.
Opening montage.
Video airs featuring Bischoff’s transition from WCW boss to the power-hungry nWo boss.
Stills from the PPV are shown including the Bischoff-Flair match.
The, hopefully, FINAL Nitro Party video is shown. We get it, you love wrestling.
Nitro Girls dance in the ring in black.
Prior to the opening match, Miller grabs the microphone and spews his garbage. Suddenly, Jericho and Ralphus emerge and bring out Nobunaga.
Match 1: Ernest “The Cat” Miller (w/ Sonny Onoo) versus Shiima Nobunaga (w/ Chris Jericho & Ralphus)
Highlights:
Onoo not only joined Miller but also wore that APRICOT suit again. Before the bell, Miller clotheslined Nobunaga and ran his mouth some more. Nobunaga rolled him up and got 2. When Miller laid him out with a thrust kick, Nobunaga thwarted an Irish whip with a knee to the midsection. Miller responded by powerslamming Nobunaga, giving him a cross corner whip, and flattening him with a Feliner. 1-2-3. Miller won at 1:15.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Miller. As it will become apparent later, this was Jericho’s sole appearance on the show.
More stills from the PPV are shown including the main event.
We revisit Nitro from 12/14 when Flair suffered a “heart attack.”
Match 2: Norman Smiley versus Chavo Guerrero, Jr. (w/ Pepe)
Highlights:
Smiley vaulted Chavo but ate a dropkick. As Chavo dropkicked him again, Smiley spiraled down to the floor. He reversed an Irish whip, but Chavo dealt him a flying headscissors. When Chavo attempted an Acid Drop, Smiley countered with a belly-to-back suplex. He gave Chavo a cross corner whip and followed with a swinging slam.
After he tied Chavo into a pretzel, Smiley thwarted a sunset flip attempt with the Big Wiggle. HA! Smiley lifted him into a choke, but Chavo successfully scored with a sunset flip for 2. While he suplexed Chavo, Smiley got 2. He grabbed Pepe and shimmied for the Baltimore faithful only to eat a lariat from Chavo.
Backdropping Smiley, Chavo stymied him with a springboard bulldog. Chavo paid too much attention to Pepe, so Smiley made him pay. Also paying too much attention to Pepe, Smiley succumbed to being crotched on the top rope. OUCH!
Chavo converted to a belly-to-back suplex but was too consumed with Pepe. Taking advantage, Smiley locked the Norman Conquest on him and won by submission at 7:43.
Rating: **½
Summary: Literally too much horsing around, but at least it was entertaining.
Video airs of Raven’s “homecoming” with Mrs. Levy and Kanyon in Florida. He does nothing but gripe with his mom. What a brat!
Match 3: Booker T versus Fit Finlay
Highlights:
Why is this happening during the first hour? Regardless, Finlay attacked Booker T before the bell and dealt him a short-arm clothesline. When he unloaded a European uppercut, Finlay landed an elbow drop. The match segued to the floor, and Booker T made Finlay taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Parrothead chicken at Koco’s Pub.
As he rammed Finlay face-first into ring announcer David Penzer’s chair, Booker T tossed him back into the ring. Finlay rebounded with a slam and got 2. After the match returned to the floor, Finlay grabbed Penzer’s chair, but referee Mickey Jay stole it away from him. Booker T, back in the ring, leapfrogged Finlay and clobbered him with a flying forearm.
While he clotheslined Finlay, Booker T connected with a crescent kick. Finlay rebounded with a jawbreaker, yet the Baltimore faithful sought crab cakes. Mm. Feeding Booker T another jawbreaker, Finlay gave him a cross corner whip. Booker T avoided a charge and hooked a sunset flip for 2. Reversing a cross corner whip, Booker T ate a mule kick on his follow-through. Finlay clotheslined Booker T and got 2.
Showing some chemistry, each wrestler evaded a couple of moves before Finlay ruined Booker T’s late-night plans with an inverted atomic drop. He clotheslined Booker T over the top rope to the floor, joined, mounted the top turnbuckle, but got caught. Slamming Finlay down to the mat, Booker T flattened him with a leg lariat. He mounted the top turnbuckle and launched a missile dropkick. 1-2-3. Booker T won at 6:46.
Rating: ***
Summary: Solid back-and-forth match where one mistake by Finlay enabled Booker T to score the W.
10-10-321 sponsors the replay.
More stills from Starrcade are shown involving the Bischoff victory over Flair.
In the ring, “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews “Nature Boy” Ric Flair who brings his luggage to the ring. What’s going on here? Flair admits he “got (his) ass kicked last night.” As he contemplated retirement last night, Flair changed his mind and arrived in Baltimore.
He affirms Bischoff’s claim that he’s “broke” by showing off and bragging about his custom-made clothes. While some asshole holds up a “other channel jackass” sign, Flair removes his “$2000 alligator” belt.
He removes his “$30,000” Rolex watch and rips up $100 bills. Now, I know he’s lost it. Next, he launches “a Gucci shoe” per Okerlund. To both the crowd’s amazement and Okerlund’s shock, Flair removes his pants and is only wearing boxers and socks.
He cuts a promo on Bischoff and claims he’s “not leaving Baltimore” until they straighten things out. In addition, he will relinquish everything to Bischoff including his career if Bischoff beats him in a rematch. However, if Flair wins, he becomes President of WCW for ninety days. He runs down Bischoff including being up Hogan’s ass and handcuffs himself to the top rope. Before heading to commercial, he threatens to get “naked” should Bischoff turn off his microphone. Yikes!
Following a commercial break, Flair uncorks a “Meaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan wooooooo by God Gene,” yet Bischoff ultimately approaches the ring. Bischoff laughs, crows about taking Flair to the cleaners, taunts him mercilessly, yet accepts Flair’s challenge. What a memorable segment!
TV Rating: 6.15
HOUR #2!
Get your 1999 Nitro Girls calendar for only $15!
Speaking of the Nitro Girls, they dance at the entrance wearing silver. Storm gets a solo.
Match 4: Barry Windham versus Prince Iaukea
Highlights:
Why is this in the second hour? Iaukea leapfrogged Windham and followed with a dropkick. As Iaukea attempted another leap frog, Windham caught and guillotined him with the top rope. He dealt Iaukea a snap suplex and got 2. When he slammed Iaukea, Windham missed an elbow drop. Iaukea dropkicked Windham again but fell victim to a DDT for 2.
After he fed Iaukea a belly-to-back suplex, Windham tossed him to the floor. He joined and pummeled Iaukea before returning him to the ring. While Iaukea unloaded his own snap suplex, Windham reversed an Irish whip and planted him with a bulldog. 1-2-3. Windam won at 3:55.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Windham.
More stills from the PPV are shown including the main event.
At the entrance, Okerlund interviews WCW Security member Tom Atchinson who’s also a SWAT team member. The cattle prod that Hall used on Goldberg is revealed. Atchinson explains the use of one and fires off a shot. Inquisitively, Okerlund questions whether or not it would incapacitate Goldberg, and Atchinson confirms it. This is NOT second-hour material, Nash!
Ad airs for the video game WCW/nWo Revenge.
In the ring, Okerlund interviews DDP who believes Flair will destroy Bischoff. He also says he’d “love” to work for Flair. This wasn’t anything but a LIVE promo for the main event.
Backstage, Konnan talks to Disco while both Nash and Luger appear. Nash smacks Disco with tonight’s format sheet and questions why he was involved in the main event last night. Honestly that’s a good question. Nevertheless, he offers Disco a match, and should Disco win, he’s Wolfpack. Who will be his opponent?
More stills from the PPV are shown including Kidman’s victories to retain the Cruiserweight title.
Match 5: Kidman & Rey Mysterio, Jr. versus Eddie Guerrero & Juventud Guerrera (w/ Art Flores)
Highlights:
At the bell, the Baltimore faithful informed Eddie that he indeed “sucks.” Eddie steamrolled Mysterio and followed with a belly-to-back suplex. When he leapfrogged Eddie, Mysterio dealt him a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Eddie tagged out via slap to Guerrera, and Kidman joined him. As Kidman lifted him, Guerrera bulldogged him. He gave Kidman a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
After Kidman planted him with a belly-to-back suplex, Mysterio tagged in. Kidman dealt Guerrera a HARD cross corner whip setting up Mysterio for a Bronco buster. While Eddie lounged on the top rope, Guerrera tagged out. Eddie responded with another slap, yet he and Guerrera agreed to keep working together. Attacking the babyfaces, Eddie dropped Kidman with a brainbuster, and Guerrera slammed Mysterio.
Kidman backdropped Eddie, but Mysterio connected with a springboard dropkick to Guerrera. Due to momentum, Guerrera bumped into Eddie sending both rudos over the top rope to the floor. Kidman and Mysterio followed with stereo somersault planchas much to the delight of the Baltimore faithful.
Following a commercial break, Guerrera gave Kidman another cross corner whip yet came up empty again. Kidman planted Guerrera with an Acid Drop and made the HOT TAG. Reversing an Irish whip, Eddie ate a dropkick from Mysterio. Guerrera blocked a flying headscissors, but Mysterio rolled him up for 1 thanks to Eddie.
Powerbombing the BEJEEZUS out of Mysterio, Eddie only got 2 thanks to Kidman. With Mysterio atop Eddie’s shoulders, Guerrera scored with a springboard cross body block for 2. Nifty! Guerrera slammed Mysterio, and Eddie followed with a springboard senton splash. Trapping Mysterio in a Gory Special, Eddie converted to a helicopter slam for another 2. Eddie hoisted Mysterio over his shoulder, Guerrera launched a springboard leg drop crashing Mysterio to the mat, but he couldn’t get 3.
Illegally switching, Eddie got reversed on a cross corner whip, and the dreaded aura of heel miscommunication transpired. Guerrera tagged in and dealt Mysterio an elbow drop. Tagging in legally, Eddie gave Mysterio a pair of cross corner whips, but Kidman blocked the second one. Eddie charged but not only missed Mysterio but also conducted a meeting of the minds between himself and Guerrera.
HOT TAG Kidman. Backdropping both rudos, Kidman hoisted Eddie up so that Mysterio could deliver a springboard Thesz press for 2. Awesome! Eddie tried to powerbomb him, but YOU CAN’T POWERBOMB KIDMAN!
Nonetheless, Mysterio flew with a springboard leg drop to Eddie for another 2. All four wrestlers were in the ring, and the babyfaces rammed the rudos together with stereo cross corner whips. Powerbombing Eddie, Kidman got vaulted to the apron. Kidman mounted the top turnbuckle, but Eddie vaulted Mysterio leading to a rather dangerous mid-air collision.
Throwing Mysterio to the floor, Guerrera hit his own somersault plancha upon him. Eddie mounted the top turnbuckle and demolished the injured Kidman with a frog splash. 1-2-3. Eddie and Guerrera won at 13:51 shown.
Rating: ****
Summary: Spectacular match with tons of high-flying, stereo maneuvers by the babyfaces, and excellent chemistry between all four wrestlers. Bravo, gentlemen!
POINT OF ORDER: Unfortunately for Eddie, this would be his last televised match until June as he would suffer significant injuries in a single-car crash on January 1.
TV Rating: 4.8
HOUR #3!
We revisit the Flair-Bischoff confrontation from earlier.
nWo Wolfpack head to the ring with NEW World champion Nash leading the way. To a mixed reaction, Nash doesn’t feel too hot about how he won the title. A portion of the Baltimore faithful chants “Gold-berg” while Nash wants to “right the wrongs that happened at (the PPV.)”
Since “Disco wants to join the Wolfpack so badly,” he’ll face Bigelow tonight. If Disco wins, he’ll join the Wolfpack. If not, he must bugger off. Nash mentions Hall who must answer to him. Regarding Goldberg, Nash demands a title match against him next week and vows to beat him. Wow!
Match 6: Bam Bam Bigelow versus Disco Inferno
Highlights:
Bigelow manhandled Disco across the ring twice, gave him a cross corner whip, and followed with an avalanche. As he slammed Disco, Bigelow mounted the top turnbuckle but missed a diving head butt.
Disco connected with a pair of clotheslines and followed with a swinging neckbreaker. When he mounted the second turnbuckle, he launched a flying double axe handle for 2. Disco charged but ate a back elbow. After he stymied Bigelow with a Chartbuster, Disco only got 2. Bigelow no-sold a clothesline and dealt Disco one of his own. While he destroyed Disco with Greetings from Asbury Park, Bigelow pinned him at 2:44.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Bigelow as Disco’s dreams of being in a main event clique dry up.
At the entrance, the Nitro Girls dance in silver.
Backstage, Curt Hennig prepares Bischoff for the main event mocking Flair at every turn.
A pre-taped video of Flair’s cardiologist, Dr. Charles Brock, is shown. Brock describes Flair’s condition upon his “attack.” Continuing in full medical detail, Brock states that Flair did not suffer an MI but instead digitalis—a poison. Further medical evaluation continues.
POINT OF ORDER: While necessary to further the storyline, this was boring as well as ratings death. The average wrestling fan neither has the medical wherewithal to understand Brock nor cares for all the terminology. The bottom line should have been that Flair was drugged with something that temporarily incapacitated him. Obviously, Bischoff is to blame; however, it didn’t affect Flair last night nor will it tonight. So what’s the point?
Prior to the next match, BPP rattles off his catchphrase. Konnan makes his entrance, grabs the microphone, and spews his catchphrases. Interrupting him, Bagwell gets his turn and runs down Baltimore. While BPP and Bagwell stand atop adjacent second turnbuckles, Konnan decimates the nWo referee with a face plant. HA!
Match 7 for the WCW World TV title: Konnan (champion) versus Big Poppa Pump (w/ Buff Bagwell & nWo referee)
Highlights:
Much to BPP and Bagwell’s chagrin, referee Scott Dickenson substituted for the injured nWo referee.
Bagwell held Dickenson at bay for BPP, but Konnan prevented any carnage. When he unleashed a somersault clothesline, Konnan dealt BPP an inverted atomic drop. BPP responded with a cross corner whip where Konnan got nailed by Bagwell from the apron. SNEAKY!
As Konnan hammered Bagwell, BPP leveled him. He fed Konnan a double underhook slam, the match segued to the floor, and BPP made him taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Bayou Bandito at Water Street Tavern. Mm. After BPP distracted Dickenson, Bagwell gave Konnan the business on the floor. How dastardly!
Back in the ring, BPP unloaded a Steinerline and further distracted Dickenson. That enabled Bagwell to punish Konnan like he’d stolen his lunch money. While BPP ripped off Konnan’s Wolfpack t-shirt, he landed a pair of elbow drops. He tied Konnan to the Tree of Woe and distracted Dickenson again.
Ruining Konnan’s future soap opera plans, Bagwell roughed him up some more. BPP uncorked a belly-to-belly suplex and performed push-ups. Escaping a potential Snake Eyes, Konnan countered with an inverted DDT. BPP reversed a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through. Leapfrogging BPP, Konnan unfurled a thrust kick followed by a face plant. Konnan applied a Tequila Sunrise; however, Bagwell grabbed BPP’s boot to help drag him to the floor.
Before that could happen, Lex Luger arrived and yanked Bagwell off him. Unique timing on that one, no? Luger kept Bagwell at bay until BPP Irish-whipped Konnan spilling both him and Bagwell down to the floor. With Luger chasing Bagwell around the ring, BPP applied a Steiner Recliner. Konnan submitted; thus, BPP won at 6:51. WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!
Rating: **
Summary: Chicanery and tomfoolery enabled BPP to steal the title from Konnan.
At the entrance, the Nitro Girls dance in black or silver/black. Catch the Best of Nitro tomorrow night on TNT. It will be a spotlight on “Hollywood” Hogan. Why? Also, A spotlight on Goldberg happens on WCW Saturday Night.
Prior to the next match, Hall grabs the microphone, emphasizes how important money is to him, and runs down Nash.
Match 8: Scott Hall versus Brian Adams (w/ Vincent)
Highlights:
Why is this match in the third hour? Adams split Hall in two with a backbreaker and got 2. As he piledrove Hall, Adams landed a leg drop for another 2. He distracted referee Mickey Jay enabling Vincent to do some funny business with Hall. Nefarious!
When Adams applied a bear hug, Hall tried to escape. On the other hand, Adams converted to a belly-to-belly suplex and followed with a big boot. Adams couldn’t get 3, so he applied a “BOR-ING” trapezius hold. After Hall recovered, he attempted an Outsider Edge.
Adams countered with a back drop and a military-press slam. Impressive! While Adams prematurely celebrated atop the second turnbuckle, Hall nailed him from behind. He dumped Adams with an Outsider Edge and pinned him at 5:34.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Ugly HOSS match with ZERO redeeming value.
TV Rating: 4.41
During Bischoff’s entrance, he walks past the entrance and heads to an awaiting limousine. As he tries to enter, Steve “Mongo” McMichael emerges to stop him. Both Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko assist Mongo in carrying Bischoff to the ring. HA!
Match 9 (retirement versus Presidency): “Nature Boy” Ric Flair (w/ the Four Horsemen) versus Eric Bischoff
Highlights:
Buffer rambled and rumbled. When the Horsemen tossed Bischoff into the ring, Flair drove him WAY DOWNTOWN. The Baltimore faithful chanted “Bischoff sucks,” and Flair beat the absolute shit out of their nemesis including another trip WAY DOWNTOWN. As Flair manhandled referee Charles Robinson, he ripped Bischoff’s shirt off. My eyes! He chopped Bischoff from pillar to post until members of nWo Hollywood scampered down the aisle.
After the Horsemen met them there, the brawl was ON. Flair landed a pair of elbow drops to Bischoff, yet the Horsemen continued to thwart the onslaught of nWo Hollywood. While Giant walked right past the ringside carnage and into the ring, he headbutted Flair. This isn’t how Flair will retire, is it?
Suddenly, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Gorgeous George (not THAT one) emerge through the entrance as Arn Anderson sprinted to assist the Horsemen. Savage entered the ring wearing an nWo Hollywood shirt and joined in cahoots with him. Attempting to chokeslam Flair, Savage SWERVED Giant with a trip WAY DOWNTOWN.
Savage clotheslined Giant over the top rope to the floor to dispose of him. Suplexing Bischoff, Flair hooked a figure-four leg lock, and Bischoff submitted. Flair won at 4:05.
Rating: *
Summary: More storyline than match as Bischoff had ZERO chance of survival.
After the match, the Horsemen and WCW wrestlers celebrate as Flair has become President of WCW for ninety days. Flair obliterates Bischoff with another elbow drop and pins him just for the sake of humiliation. Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Zbyszko join the party to celebrate with Flair to end the show. What a moment for WCW!
Conclusion: I’m separating this into 3 parts:
The Good: Very entertaining episode with cohesion and a clean finish to spark future storylines. While the Flair-Bischoff finish was an appropriate ending for WCW, the cruiserweights stole the show earlier with their tag team adventure. The segment to set up the main event was also done perfectly, and the rating for it reflects it.
The Bad: The medical evaluation of Flair combined with the explanation behind the cattle prod segments, while noteworthy for storyline advancement, were immediate change-the-channel pieces that had no business opposing RAW.
The Ugly: The format of the show was scatterbrained. While the Booker T-Finlay match belonged within the last couple of hours, the Windham and Hall matches were pure first-hour crap or worthy of WCWSN. If anything, the medical and tactical pieces belonged in the first hour and not where they were stationed.
POINT OF ORDER: Remember that NBA lockout? It’s still ongoing at this point, so NBC needs SOMETHING to replace the All-Star Game in February and possibly more. Enter WCW. According to Meltzer, it’s a six-show deal. Wow! The NBA will become defunct if that’s the case.
Also, Benoit, Malenko, and Eddie are penciled into WCW for three more years despite wanting to leave. It appears that the only wrestlers getting money above their downside guarantee in the WWF are the main eventers which none of these three would become with an employment transition.
What’s on RAW is WAR?
TV Rating: 4.6
Stay tuned for RAW Is WAR 12-28-98!
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