WCW Monday Nitro 07-27-98

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

Can DDP derail the nWo Hollywood train by defeating Hogan? Will Adams dethrone Goldberg for the World title? How will Sting fare against Hall? It’s Malenko’s last chance to beat Jericho. Can he pull it off?

nWo Hollywood enters the ring while Scott Hall cuts a promo on Nash. For the PPV, Hall challenges nWo Wolfpack to a battle royal. Brian Adams takes the microphone, runs down the San Antonio faithful, and refers to Goldberg as a “fluke.” Probably Adams’ best promo.

Following a commercial break, Raven and the Flock are in the ring, and he spews his narcissism toward the San Antonio faithful. Thankfully, Saturn joins him in the ring and calls Raven “a spoiled rich kid.” Suddenly, Kanyon blends in only to eat a T-bone suplex from Saturn. Raven eggs him on, so Saturn preps him for a Death Valley Driver. Instead, Kanyon spoils the fun and dumps Saturn with a Flatliner. Raven bails without a scratch. Who are we supposed to root for in this scenario, Raven?

Duggan reversed an Irish whip and fed Barbarian a back elbow.
When Duggan clotheslined him, Barbarian no-sold it.
However, when Duggan came off the ropes with another clothesline, Barbarian went down in a heap.
Duggan laid in the double axe handles, but Barbarian rebounded by nailing him in the midsection.
As Barbarian distracted referee Scott Dickenson, Hart gave Duggan the business. SNEAKY!
Barbarian slammed Duggan but missed an elbow drop.
After Duggan fed him a ten-punch count-along, he slammed Barbarian.
Hart jumped onto the apron and grabbed Duggan from behind.
While Barbarian unleashed the kick of fear, he inadvertently blasted Hart.
Duggan rolled up and pinned Barbarian at 2:42.

Summary: As a curtain jerker, Duggan’s not a bad choice because he inspires the crowd and receives a good pop in return.

After the match, Hugh Morrus storms the ring, and he and Barbarian double-team Duggan. Meng joins the fray and puts the Tongan death grip on Morrus. When Barbarian tries to intervene, Meng cannot be stopped. That’s until Duggan returns with his 2x4 and WHACKS Barbarian. Do we have a face turn for Meng? Duggan extends his hand in friendship, but Meng responds with a Tongan death grip. Can’t fault him for trying.

nWo Nightcap: Eric Bischoff and Elizabeth walk over to the Nightcap set. As he tells TERRIBLE jokes, Bischoff begins spouting horrible potshots at Jay Leno. Next, he introduces “Hollywood” Hogan who tells Leno to back off. The San Antonio faithful is so invested in this that they chant “Gold-berg” at him. What a colossal waste of time.

Nitro Party Pack winning video is shown although the winner’s name isn’t revealed.

In the ring, “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews DDP who tells Hogan: “You suck!” DDP wants a piece of Hogan TONIGHT and exits through the San Antonio faithful.

Allegedly, there was a piece on the Jericho-Malenko feud, but that’s been ERASED by the folks at the WWE Network.

Prior to entering the ring, Hall, Norton, and Rhodes disturb the broadcast team, and Hall cuts another quick promo on Nash before calling out Sting. Rhodes runs down Zbyszko as an announcer.

Match 2: Scott Norton (w/ Scott Hall & the “American Nightmare” Dusty Rhodes) versus Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart

Neidhart clotheslined Norton who barely budged.
As Neidhart came off the ropes, Norton kicked him in the midsection and powerbombed him.
1-2-3.
Norton won at 0:15.

WCW Security enters Goldberg’s dressing room, but it’s been vandalized and infiltrated by graffiti. Dillinger must have been sleeping on the job again.

Bret Hart with the US title belt with him heads to the ring. When he addresses what happened to Sting last week, Bret respects Sting and wants to be friends. Mmmm…mind games.

Match 3 for the WCW Cruiserweight title: Chris Jericho (champion) versus Dean Malenko

Before Malenko could enter the ring, Jericho dropkicked him back to the floor.
He rammed Malenko back-first into the steel railing, mounted the top turnbuckle, leaped, but ate a dropkick.
When Malenko missed a second dropkick, Jericho attempted a somersault rollup.
Malenko rolled through, gave Jericho a cross corner whip, and attempted a monkey flip.
As Jericho placed him atop the top turnbuckle, he slapped the taste from Malenko’s mouth.
He joined Malenko, got shoved down to the mat, but landed on his feet.
After Malenko attempted a sunset flip, Jericho rolled through and hooked a LionTamer.
Immediately, Malenko grabbed the bottom rope and stood on the apron.
That allowed Jericho to leap to the second turnbuckle and dropkick Malenko to the floor again.
While Jericho launched a plancha onto Malenko, Nitro took a commercial break.
Following the break, Malenko scored with a spinning heel kick.
He gave Jericho a cross corner whip that reverted to the original corner but ate boot on his follow-through.
Feeding Jericho a release German suplex, Malenko got 2.
He whipped Jericho into the corner and followed with a corner clothesline.
Upon escaping a vertical suplex, Jericho dealt Malenko a reverse suplex.
He nailed a Lionsault and got 2.
Countering one another back-and-forth, Malenko delivered a double underhook powerbomb.
Malenko locked him in a Texas Cloverleaf, but Jericho reached the bottom rope instantly.
Without question, the San Antonio faithful was LOVING this match.
Malenko slammed him, mounted the top turnbuckle, but Jericho crotched him.
Joining Malenko atop the top turnbuckle, a superplex appeared on the horizon.
On the other hand, Malenko blocked it with a super DDT. Wow!
Do we have a new champion?
1-2-NO!
Jericho grabbed the bottom rope.
Exiting the ring, Jericho fished for a foreign object from his boot.
Jericho returned to the ring, but Malenko took advantage.
Inadvertently nailing referee Mark Curtis, Malenko checked on him.
That allowed Jericho time to prep a haymaker that would knock Malenko’s lights out.
Instead, Malenko ducked and folded Jericho in two with a belly-to-back suplex.
Malenko grabbed the brass knux and BLASTED Jericho with them.
In the meantime, Curtis was still recovering in the corner.
When he noticed the knux on Malenko’s hand, Curtis called for the bell.
Jericho retained via DQ at 6:24 shown.

Summary: Amazing match with tremendous chemistry. They acknowledged previous encounters by countering one another’s moves flawlessly. With a better ending, this match could have been epic. As it is, it’s one of the best matches on Nitro in a long time.

Backstage, Okerlund stands alongside Doug Dillinger and a security guard protecting Goldberg’s dressing room. Better late than never.

Match 4: Curt Hennig (w/ “Ravishing” Rick Rude) versus Steve “Mongo” McMichael

As Mongo entered the ring, Hennig ambushed him.
Mongo hip-tossed him across the ring, but Hennig sought refuge outside the ring.
When Mongo grabbed him, Hennig guillotined him with the top rope.
He punted Mongo twice and maneuvered him to the floor.
After Hennig distracted referee Charles Robinson, Rude rammed Mongo face-first into the apron. How dastardly!
Mongo rebounded by guillotining Hennig with the top rope and powerslamming him.
While Rude distracted him, Mongo got nailed from behind by Hennig.
To finish him off, Hennig hooked a Hennigplex.
1-2-3.
Hennig won at 1:38.

Hogan, Bischoff, and the Disciple head to the ring. As he accepts DDP’s challenge, Hogan runs him down.

We revisit the main event of Bash at the Beach ’98 to boost ratings. Gleefully, I skip through it.

From the locker room, WCW Security escorts Goldberg to the ring to be interviewed by Okerlund. Goldberg states that nWo Hollywood crossed a line, and he’ll make Adams pay for it.

At the entrance, Okerlund interviews Arn Anderson who subtly mentions Flair being stuck at home. He chastises Malenko for losing to Jericho and Mongo for losing to the guy who turned on the Horsemen last year. Ultimately, he advises them to let the Horsemen be. As usual, great promo from Arn.

Although smoke from the fireworks clouded the ring, Sting rammed Hall face-first into the mat.
Sting attempted a cross body block, but Hall caught and dumped him with a fallaway slam for 2.
When Sting reversed a cross corner whip, he fed Hall a Stinger splash.
Hall turned around, and Sting dealt him another Stinger splash.
As Hall staggered to an adjacent corner, Sting hit the trifecta.

Sting planted Hall with a Scorpion death drop, yet Bret sauntered toward ringside.
After Sting hooked a Scorpion death lock on Hall, he released it to deal with Bret.
Sting blasted Bret, but Hennig and Vincent came out to annihilate Sting.
While the bell rang, Hall won by countout at 3:12.

Summary: More storyline than match as the Bret involvement cost Sting dearly.

Following the match, nWo Wolfpack arrives to aid Sting, and Nash boots down Vincent. He jackknife-powerbombs Vincent while Bret remains uninvolved in the corner. As Nash turns his attention to him, Hall hammers him down I-37 SOUTH. With Sting and Bret in the ring, Sting deals Bret his trick knee and attempts to lock the Scorpion death lock, but Bret scampers away instantaneously.

We revisit last week when Buff Bagwell flushed any resemblance of a main event push down the drain. When we return to San Antonio, Okerlund calls out Big Poppa Pump, and BPP pushes Bagwell in a wheelchair down the ramp until he crashes. How absolutely sickening! BPP feigns trying to help him as Bagwell poses to unveil the ruse. After Bagwell reveals his fusion scar, BPP cuts a promo on Rick.

Abruptly, JJ Dillon arrives and chastises Bagwell for being slimy. He turns his attention to BPP and sanctions Steiner versus Steiner for the PPV.

Match 6 (non-title): WCW World champion Goldberg versus Brian Adams (w/ Vincent)

Adams attacked Goldberg before the bell and guillotined him with the top rope.
As he mounted the top turnbuckle, Adams uncorked a flying shoulder block for 2.
He suplexed Goldberg for another 2.
When the Alamodome rang out a “Gold-berg” chant, their hero countered another vertical suplex attempt with a swinging neckbreaker.
Goldberg followed with a spear, and Vincent strolled into the ring.
After Goldberg deposited Vincent quickly, he fed Adams another spear.
He dealt Adams a Jackhammer and pinned him at 1:35.
As a result, Goldberg became 121-0.

Summary: Adams tried a different approach than previous Goldberg opponents, but that didn’t stop the World champion from retaining in quick and well-appreciated fashion.

Michael Buffer rambled and rumbled.
When DDP hit the ring, Hogan began to destroy him instantly.
Hogan fed DDP a belly-to-back suplex for 2, and a member of the San Antonio faithful sent their Charmin flying into the ring.
As the San Antonio faithful chanted “Hogan sucks,” their nemesis clotheslined DDP for another 2.
Hogan slammed DDP but missed an elbow drop.
After DDP rebounded with a discus clothesline, he tried to clothesline Hogan over the top rope, but Hogan sandbagged him.
The match segued to the floor, and DDP made Hogan taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like a WTF burger at Whiskey Cake.
While he rammed Hogan face-first into the apron, DDP blocked a shot to the steel railing by both Hogan and Disciple.
Back in the ring, Hogan reversed a cross corner whip and followed with a corner clothesline.
Hogan delivered a big boot, but DDP managed to return to his feet.
Escaping a slam, DDP flattened Hogan with a Diamond Cutter.
Hennig stormed the ring and creamed DDP with a double axe handle.
Due to interference, DDP won by DQ at 4:17.

Afterward, nWo Hollywood congregates in the ring to disembody DDP. nWo Wolfpack arrives to save DDP’s bacon. Remarkably, Goldberg sprints to the ring and eliminates Hall. As Disciple gives him a try, Goldberg dismisses him. Hennig bounces off Goldberg and out of the ring. When Giant steps into the ring, he chokeslams Goldberg as Nitro leaves the air. Methinks the overrun had some timing issues.

Conclusion: Speaking of timing issues, the show had some severe ones. With only two very short matches in the first hour, it’s a wonder how WCW maintains its audience when RAW hits the air. Nevertheless, another schmozz finish to a PPV-quality main event would lead you to believe that these two would reconvene in the near future. Sting’s obsession with Bret led to his demise against Hall albeit by countout. Also, Goldberg remained undefeated by dispatching Adams in very short fashion. Malenko screwed up his chance to beat Jericho while Hennig mowed down Mongo. In effect, this prompted Arn to dismiss their idea of a Horseman reformation.