Monday Nitro – August 4, 1997: WCW Actually Gets It Right
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Nitro #99
Date: August 4, 1997
Location: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, Larry Zbyszko, Bobby Heenan
Oh and this is a three hour show.
Buffer welcomes us to this special show. This whole 99 or 100 thing is going to bother me but the best I can figure out is that WCW is just lying.
Curt Hennig vs. Mortis
Video on Sting not talking for the last year or so.
Dean Malenko/Jeff Jarrett vs. Hector Guerrero/Chavo Guerrero
Chokeslam, chokeslam, chokeslam, about 90 seconds, interview time.
Savage pops up on the stage and says bring it before running from a fast walking Giant.
High Voltage vs. Public Enemy
Alex Wright cuts in on the Nitro Girls dancing. The Girls leave and Alex talks some trash about Jericho, who he faces on Saturday.
Scotty Riggs vs. Alex Wright
Non-title here. Wright sends Scotty to the floor almost immediately and hits a double ax off the apron. A suplex on the floor keeps Riggs down but he sends Wright into the barricade to get himself a breather. Back in and Alex takes over again before dancing a bit. They both hit cross bodies with Scotty falling on top for two. They head up top and Alex headbutts him down before hitting a missile dropkick for the pin.
Hour #2 starts.
Chris Benoit vs. Syxx
Rating: C+. This was a nice fast paced match that had to be brought down by a stupid ending. This was done to further the tag match on Sunday which at least had a purpose. Not much to see here but Benoit was fast paced as usual and Syxx continues to be much better against smaller guys. Not bad at all here.
More dancing.
Booker T vs. Vincent
Nothing match as Booker beats up Vincent and side kicks him for the pin in maybe 45 seconds.
Wrath vs. Barbarian
Meng comes out to stare down Wrath. Wrath bails.
More dancing.
Lee Marshall does his thing.
Konnan vs. Psychosis
Glacier/Ernest Miller vs. Damien/Silver King
Rating: D. At the end of the day, Miller was so unbelievably boring in this role and it took a long time to get him to a level where anyone cared about him. Silver King and Damien actually got a win or two so they were only somewhat jobbers to the stars. Not much to see here though.
Hour #3 begins and the Nitro Girls dance on the announce table.
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Ric Flair
Page clears the ring post match.
Hector Garza/Lizmark Jr. vs. Villanos
This would be IV and V for you Villano enthusiasts. Garza and IV start things off and things speed up quickly. Hector moonsaults out of the corner and clotheslines IV down before hitting a superkick. Off to Lizmark for a dropkick but V comes in and ducks the same move. Some armdrags put V down but the Villanos double team Lizmark to take over. Back to Garza who gets caught in a double gutbuster.
Rating: C. This was fine but it was nothing more than a bridge between the big stuff later on in the show. Garza had the making of a big star and was getting over pretty well in the earlier days of TNA before getting busted for steroid possession. The other three guys never amounted to anything in the States.
WCW World Title: Lex Luger vs. Hollywood Hogan
Dang man how long has it been since Hogan wrestled on Nitro? They trade hammerlocks to start and Hulk heads to the ropes. More feeling out until Hogan pounds away in the corner to take over. The fans are WAY into this here. Hogan keeps beating on him and drops a bunch of elbows. A clothesline in the corner has Lex in trouble and Hulk chokes away. Luger comes back and rams the champ into the buckle a few times to get himself a breather. Hollywood takes his head off with another clothesline and we take a break.
The locker room empties out for the celebration. The fans go NUTS too. Everyone goes to the back and we see Giant and Luger polishing the belt to get the NWO paint off as champagne is flowing everywhere.
Hogan loses his mind in the other locker room.
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