WCW Monday Nitro 06-22-98

Hosted by Tony Schiavone, Larry Zbyszko, “Iron” Mike Tenay, & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

Who will be in tonight's main event? What’s the BIG announcement? Who wins the battle of the Western Canadians? What’s new with Eddie and Chavo? Don’t be afraid! Come on in and enjoy the show!

Once again, we revisit the chair-a-thon courtesy of “Hollywood” Hogan and the “Worm” Dennis Rodman.

In the ring, “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews DDP who uses the word “scum” as someone’s nickname. He cuts a promo on Hogan integrating the Karl Malone-Dennis Rodman rivalry from the NBA. Per his contract, he leaves through the Jacksonville faithful.

Nitro Girls dance in the ring wearing neon tops with black shorts. Next, a Nitro Party video from Rob Slusser who hails from Charlotte, NC but is also a student at NC STATE. Woohoo!

Disco fed Denton an inverted atomic drop followed by a clothesline.
When he slammed Denton, Disco dealt him a fist drop.
Denton rebounded with a swinging neckbreaker and corrected Disco’s spinal alignment with a unique version of a neckbreaker.
As the Jacksonville faithful chanted “Dis-co,” their hero got slammed.
Denton mounted the top turnbuckle, but Disco caught and slammed him down to the mat.
After Denton reversed a cross corner whip, he delivered a corner clothesline.
He gave Disco a cross corner whip but ate a back elbow on his follow-through.
While Denton returned the favor with an inverted atomic drop of his own, Disco piledrove him.
1-2-3.
Disco won at 3:27.

Summary: Showcase match for Disco, but Denton was game. It’s too bad he couldn’t perform his loaded boot gimmick and steal a victory.

In the ring, Okerlund interviews Carolina Panthers linebacker Kevin Greene who puts over the Jacksonville Jaguars and quarterback Mark Brunell to a decent pop. Okerlund asks him football questions which the wrestling audience couldn’t give two shits. Nevertheless, Greene puts over the Four Horsemen as well as Goldberg.

Suddenly, Curt Hennig and “Ravishing” Rick Rude interrupt the interview, and Hennig cuts a promo on him. Unfortunately for Greene, it’s a setup as Giant ambushes him from behind. nWo Hollywood triple-teams Greene and challenges all comers. Greene recovers and calls Giant “fat boy.”

During the commercial break, a melee occurred in the locker room as Greene and Giant must be separated by the wrestlers. JJ Dillon steps in and sanctions a match between Giant and Greene TONIGHT.

Nagata slammed him, but Magnum responded with a spin kick.
As some fans equated Hogan to wet leather, Nagata sent Magnum to the floor to get schooled by Onoo.
Nagata tied Magnum into an Indian death lock and followed with a standing leg drop.
When he gave Magnum a cross corner whip, Nagata came up empty on his follow-through.
Magnum dropkicked him, hoisted him atop the top turnbuckle, joined, and uncorked a super huracanrana for 2.
After Nagata reversed a cross corner whip, Magnum leaped to the top turnbuckle and flipped over him.
Nagata retaliated with an abisegeri and fed Magnum an exploder suplex.
While he trapped Mangum in a Nagata lock, Nagata won by submission at 4:26.

Summary: Showcase match for Nagata, but Magnum’s character and selling have some juice to them. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville faithful provided a passing interest in the match rather than remaining silent.

Backstage, Stevie Ray pummels Benoit until WCW Security restrains him. Since Benoit’s rather quiet, I’ll bet he let a popcorn fart escape.

Horace and Sick Boy attacked Public Enemy before the bell, and Sick Boy fed Rocco a swinging neckbreaker.
When the Flock double-clotheslined Grunge, Rocco ducked a second one and dealt the Flock a springboard cross body block.
Grunge double-clotheslined the Flock, and the latter sought refuge on the floor.
As Grunge tagged in, Public Enemy double-pancaked Sick Boy for 2.
Tags were exchanged on both sides, and Public Enemy delivered a double back elbow followed by a double elbow drop to Horace.
After Rocco obliterated him with an elbow smash, Horace reversed an Irish whip and hit a stungun.
Horace baited Grunge into the ring causing the distraction of referee Billy Silverman. That enabled the Flock to decimate Rocco mercilessly. How dastardly!
While Horace clotheslined him, he planted an elbow drop upon Rocco for 2.
Sick Boy tagged in and gave Rocco a HARD cross corner whip to injure the back.
Securing a sunset flip, Rocco got 2.
Sick Boy rebounded with a clothesline for 2.
Tagging in, Horace gave Rocco a cross corner whip followed by a sidewalk slam.
Horace baited Grunge into the ring again causing not only another distraction but also an illegal switch. Crafty!
Clotheslining Rocco over the top rope to the floor, Sick Boy gave Rocco a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
Sick Boy gave Rocco another cross corner whip yet came up empty again on his follow-through. Methinks they repeated the spot.

Hot tag Grunge.
With Silverman distracted for a THIRD time, Lodi tossed a STOP sign to Horace who blasted Rocco on his windup.
Inadvertently, Horace BONKED Sick Boy when Grunge ducked.
Rocco rolled up Horace and got 2.
Reversing an Irish whip, Horace planted a knee into Rocco’s midsection sending him between the ropes to the floor.
Horace mistakenly nailed Sick Boy with the STOP sign again, and Rocco mounted the top turnbuckle.
Soaring with a flying shoulder block, Rocco creamed Horace who also felt the effect of the STOP sign.
1-2-3.
Public Enemy won at 8:19.

In the ring, Okerlund interviews Bret who’s not thrilled with any Canadian-on-Canadian violence. He briefly touts Benoit’s tour of the Hart Dungeon yet feels Benoit’s been corrupted after being in America. Was Bret reading from a cue card? Drop me a line.

Goldberg gave Fuller a cross corner whip, charged, but applied the brakes before coming up empty.
As Fuller fed him a standing spin kick, Goldberg overcame Fuller’s attempted next move and speared him.
He dealt Fuller a Jackhammer and pinned him at 1:31.

Summary: Showcase match for Goldberg who is now 102-0. For those curious, the taped chant was in FULL effect.

Tenay polls the Jacksonville faithful outside the arena prior to the show, and some young humanoid is clearly drinking the DDP Kool Aid. While the Jacksonville faithful chants “Gold-berg,” the craze of two fans of Rodman figuratively vomits all over the screen.

nWo Wolfpack emerges to the delight of the Jacksonville faithful while Nash and Konnan rile them up. As Nash makes a South Park joke, Sting interviews a blow-up doll. WTF? Nonetheless, he challenges anybody to a title match. Bartender, I’ll have what he’s having.

During his entrance, Wright approached the ring girl and PLANTED one on her. Methinks her favorite dish could have been Wiener schnitzel.
During Eddie’s entrance, Chavo surprised him, yet Eddie wanted NOTHING to do with him.
The Jacksonville faithful notified Eddie that he indeed sucks, and Wright slammed their nemesis.
When they botched a back elbow by Eddie, Wright gave him a cross corner whip followed by a backbreaker for 2.
Eddie responded with a clothesline, but Wright suplexed him with a bridge for another 2.
As he mounted the top turnbuckle, Wright whiffed on an atomic stomp, but Eddie didn’t with a brainbuster.
Chavo’s voice boomed throughout the arena while he egged Eddie on.
After Chavo’s cheese fell completely off his cracker, Wright connected with a hangman’s neckbreaker to Eddie.
1-2-3.
Wright won at 4:56.

Summary: Good match until the storyline kicked in. Obviously, the Eddie-Chavo angle continues to the dismay of Eddie.

Afterward, Chavo enters the ring and offers support to Eddie who doesn’t want it. When Eddie calls him “wacko,” Chavo retorts “No, Chavo. C-H-A-V-O” and sings it like the song Bingo. HA!

Konnan fed Riggs a somersault clothesline followed by a seated dropkick.
As Riggs reversed an Irish whip, he dealt Konnan a stungun.
Riggs dropkicked Konnan, tossed him down to the floor, and nailed him with a plancha. Woohoo!
Back in the ring, Riggs gave Konnan a cross corner whip followed by a knee to the midsection.
They botched a leap frog from Konnan who planted Riggs face-first into the mat for 2.
When Konnan converted a camel clutch into a cradle, he got another 2.
Lodi jumped onto the apron, but Konnan hammered him.
After Riggs clotheslined him, he powerslammed Konnan for 2.
Riggs mounted the top turnbuckle, leaped, but Konnan swatted him down.
While Konnan applied the Tequila Sunrise, Riggs tapped out at 4:47.

Summary: Riggs brought the goods but came up short against the Wolfpack star.

While the broadcast team gushes over the PPV main event, some knucklehead holds up a sign that reads: I left my wife for Nitro. I’m sure her lawyer not only took the guy to the cleaners but also gave him directions.

They brawled for what seemed like an eternity until the commercial break.
Following the break, Stevie Ray fed Mongo a leg drop for 2.
He slammed Mongo, dealt him a knee drop, and got another 2.
As he delivered a bicycle kick, Stevie Ray ate a knee lift.
Mongo hit an elbow drop and followed by a knee drop.
When the match segued to the floor, Mongo blocked a shot to the steel railing and made Stevie Ray taste it instead. It must have tasted like the Big Red at Miller’s Ale House.
Stevie Ray reversed an Irish whip and sent Mongo into the steps with a clear THUD. OUCH!
After Stevie Ray tossed down ring announcer David Penzer and confiscated his chair, Benoit stormed the ring and prevented Stevie Ray from using it.
Benoit tried to WHACK Stevie Ray with the chair, but Booker T jumped into the ring in street clothes and took it away from him.
While Harlem Heat exited the ring, the Jacksonville rang out a LOUD “We Want Flair” chant.
Sports entertainment finish at 7:03 shown.

Summary: Horrendous match between two guys who’ve been on extended layoffs.

Eric Bischoff and Elizabeth lead nWo Hollywood to the ring, and Bischoff makes jokes at Randy Savage’s expense. Hogan cuts a promo on Savage before spewing his usual garbage.

Slo-mo replay of Bischoff destroying Savage’s knee along with a chair from Hogan is repeatedly shown.

We revisit Benoit’s trying to pair up with Booker T in addition to Stevie Ray’s taking exception. WCW answers my earlier question by showing Mongo’s return last week and getting in Stevie Ray’s face. Perhaps these guys could have used an agent to tell them what to do before desecrating wrestling for five minutes.

Please forgive me while I salivate.

Bret slammed Benoit but missed an elbow drop.
As Bret demolished him with a DDT, he headbutted Benoit.
Speaking of Benoit, he gave Bret a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
Bret fed Benoit an inverted atomic drop followed by a clothesline.
When Bret mounted the second turnbuckle, he missed another elbow drop.
Bret guillotined him with the top rope, took the match to the floor, and rammed Benoit back-first into the ring post.
After Bret piledrove Benoit, he got 2.
Following a commercial break, Bret earned another 2-count.
Bret connected with a side-Russian leg sweep but couldn’t get 3.
While Benoit escaped a slam attempt, he tried an O’Connor roll to no avail.
Instead, Bret rolled him up for yet another 2.
Benoit delivered a pair of German suplexes, but Bret escaped a third attempt.
Reversing a standing switch, Benoit hooked a dragon suplex but couldn’t earn a count.
Benoit hit a snap suplex, mounted the top turnbuckle, but missed a diving head butt.
Mounting the top turnbuckle, Bret got caught.
Benoit joined and launched a top rope superplex for 2. Wow!
Obliterating Bret with a short-arm clothesline, Benoit got another 2.
Bret attempted a vertical suplex, but Benoit countered with a Crippler Crossface.
Will Bret submit?
Nope, he grabbed the bottom rope.
Stevie Ray approached the ring and distracted referee Billy Silverman.
With Benoit distracted as well, Bret clocked him from behind with a foreign object.
Bret pulled Benoit on top of him and kicked out at 2. I smell shenanigans.
Trapping Benoit in a Sharpshooter, Silverman counted the unconscious Benoit out.
Bret won at 12:24 shown.

Summary: Like sodium and chloride, these guys make good chemistry. Unfortunately, the distraction finish tarnishes the ending, and Benoit jobs again. Regardless, for a non-PPV TV match, I'll give it a...

We revisit the earlier Greene interview followed by the nWo ambush. Next, we see the backstage pull-apart until Dillon sanctions the match.

Buffer rumbled.
Since it’s become customary for him, Giant emerged while smoking a cigarette.
Greene hightailed it to the ring, got into a three-point stance, and bowled over Giant at the onset.
When Greene charged, Giant clotheslined the BEJEEZUS out of him.
Giant landed an elbow drop and pantomimed a tobacco toke.
As Greene evened the score with a low blow, he hit two four-point stance shoulder blocks to Giant in the corner.
Suddenly, Hennig and Rude stormed the ring to attack Greene.
Referee Jimmy Jett called for the bell, and Greene won by DQ at 1:13.

Following the “main event,” Giant, Rude, and Hennig triple-team Greene while the Jacksonville faithful allegedly chants “Gold-berg.” More members of nWo Hollywood join the party, and Greene gets pummeled to smithereens.

Abruptly, Goldberg emerges and hits the ring. He runs over Vincent like a Mack truck. When Adams and Disciple make their way toward him, Goldberg double-spears them. nWo Hollywood scatters like flies as Goldberg saves Kevin Bacon, er, I mean Greene.

The entire arena allegedly chants “Gold-berg,” and Greene grabs the microphone. Upon calling Giant “big boy,” Greene acknowledges Hennig as Giant’s partner. He ups the ante by naming Goldberg as his partner at the PPV. The inauthentic “Gold-berg” chant serenades the ending.

Conclusion: While I realize the highlight of the episode was the infamous press conference, WCW trotted out a current NFL player, inserted him into the main event, and turned him into nothingness for the sake of Goldberg. Meanwhile, the Bret-Benoit match was almost everything and a bag of chips due to the heel chicanery. Without question, the Stevie Ray-Mongo match should have been taped for WCW Saturday Night. It had no business being on live TV. Lastly, the Eddie-Chavo saga had a brief but entertaining chapter.