Monday Nitro 9-18-95 Review

Monday, September 18th, 1995 
Freedom Hall
Johnson City, Tennessee

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Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan and Steve McMichael are here to kick it off. Bischoff says that there is an emergency in the back and we go to Mean Gene with an ambulance pulling in. Out comes Kevin Sullivan and Giant. Gene says that if Giant's father was alive, he'd be ashamed. Giant is in Waterboy mode here. 

WCW Tag Team Championship Match
American Males vs. Blue Bloods Harlem Heat

Bobby Eaton was on the way out and Harlem Heat attacks him. Heenan assumes that they already knocked out Steven Regal. Heat are the new champions, winning the title just last night at Fall Brawl. They say they are going to give these two punks a title shot tonight. Sure. They tell us that Nick Bockwinkle is not here, so they're not sure how it will be handled. The Males play the plucky underdogs, as you would expect. Booker is able to hit a big scissor kick and the Heat are dominating. Booker hits a big kick and gets a 2 count on Riggs. We then see a big sign in the crowd that says "We want it Raw!". Bagwell makes a hot tag that isn't so hot. Out comes Colonel Parker and he starts making out with Sherri. He carries her away and Bagwell reverses a body slam into a pin on Booker and they pull of the upset to become new champions. The Heat were clearly the over team, but there is storyline going on and obviously they wanted something at least remotely shocking every week to begin with. I can live with that booking. 

Match Rating: *

Mean Gene is in the ring and brings out Ric Flair. He says that Arn Anderson broke the code by bringing an outsider into their match. He's going to chop Brian Pillman so hard that Boomer Esiason is going to feel it in Long Island. Flair also drops the first curse word. 

This week on Saturday Night it's going to be the rematch everyone wants to see when Sgt. Craig Pittman takes on Cobra. Sometimes I'm glad I can't watch that show. 

Paul Orndorff vs. Johnny B. Badd

Orndorff comes out to new annoying heel music that I had no idea existed. Orndorff looks pretty old at this point. He was just about to turn 46 here, but he looks older than that. Badd apparently had 9 stitches put in after his match with Pillman at Fall Brawl. We get a commercial break before anything exciting happens. Basically nothing happens here and we then get a crap finish that takes forever to get to, where Orndorff counters and grabs the legs for the pin. It didn't seem like anyone was really happy with that. This stunk.

Match Rating: 1/4*

We then go to Randy Savage doing bench presses on the beach until Kevin Sullivan attacks him by pushing the bar on his throat. Then a couple of lifeguards and Ric Flair gently lift him off and he just gladly goes away. That was awful. That brings Mean Gene out and he brings out Savage. Savage says "Thanks, but no thanks" to Flair helping him. He says that he'll take care of Taskmaster himself. He then says that Hulk Hogan is a terrible judge of character, which is obvious based on him being the mascot of the garbage man that just was voted President. He says that Lex Luger had a personal agenda and that he was hit with a cheap shot at Fall Brawl. Luger comes out and wonders if Savage is jealous of him. Luger says that the reason he's here is because he was sick of playing with kids, he wants the big boys. Out of context, that sounds pretty bad. Savage says right here, right now. That's code for we're going to commercial because it's not happening. This was the first positive of the episode so far. 

We go to a pre-tape interview with Mean Gene, Hulk Hogan and his motorcycle. This was from before Fall Brawl. We then get the absolute cheesiest video of the Giant smashing Hogans motorcycle. They then show Giant coming down to save Kevin Sullivan from Hogan. This was horrendous. 

Brian Pillman vs. Ric Flair

These two go right at it and Pillman misses with a dropkick. The announcers are shocked by Pillman's aggressive new attitude. I blame Flair's haircut. Pillman slams Flair off the top rope, but then misses with a splash. We get a collision spot and both men are down. Flair is able to hit a suplex and puts on the Figure Four and Pillman taps? Sure. He then says that he's waiting on Arn Anderson. This match was nothing. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

The announcers wrap up the show and we'll have Randy Savage vs. Kevin Sullivan next week and Alex Wright vs. Disco Inferno. Bobby Heenan tells us that something's going on in the back, Eric Bischoff agrees and we never see anything. Sounds about right. 

This episode was nowhere near as good as the last two by a mile. Outside of the Savage/Luger spot, this was extremely dull and even had a bad Pillman/Flair match. 

Overall Rating: 38%

Fall Brawl 1995 Review

Sunday, September 17th, 1995
Wells Fargo Arena
Des Moines, Iowa

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Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan are the hosts tonight and they tell us that the Giant ran over Hulk Hogan's motorcycle with a monster truck. Absolutely devastating. 

United States Championship #1 Contender Match
Brian Pillman vs. Johnny B. Badd

Two of my favorites from this era, despite the Badd gimmick being so lame. It's about time that I get to defend Marc Mero the wrestler. I don't care what people say, he was good in the ring. This is also the beginning of the Pillman loose cannon era or at least it should be shortly. It will be interesting to watch the pay per views after this, since I just jumped into this timeline and none of the stories really make sense out of the couple they have promoted on the first two Nitro episodes. We get mostly 50/50 wrestling here, with both being faces and they are obviously going to be getting some time here. Badd hits a nice slingshot leg drop and gets a 2 count out of it. Badd hits a suplex off the apron and sends to the floor. Badd then follows that up with a dive over the top. They go back in the ring and Badd goes up top. Pillman nails him with a dropkick in midair for a 2 count. We get an announcement that there are 3 minutes remaining in the time limit. Pillman goes for a tornado DDT, but Badd throws him away. Things kind of slow down again, which is a little surprising. Badd gets out of a submission around the 30 second mark and then hits him with the Tutti Frutti. He covers him and thinks he won, but Pillman's leg is under the ropes. Pillman gets a pin attempt, but the bell rings that the match is over. The referee tells Michael Buffer that they will go into overtime. They say that since this is to determine the #1 contender for the United States Championship, we have to have a winner. Pillman goes up top and both men throw dropkicks at the same time. Pillman locks in the sleeper hold in the middle of the ring. Badd gets out of it and hits a top rope sunset flip for another 2 count. Badd goes for a powerbomb, but Pillman counters it for a hurricanrana. After that's not enough, Badd hits a top rope hurricanrana and Pillman still gets his shoulder up. Pillman hits the tornado DDT and this time Badd gets his shoulder up. Badd sends Pillman into the guardrail and then goes for the Bad Mood, but Pillman gets his knees up. This is where WCW just wasn't as good as WWF during this era. There are just so many spots where the guys feet are under the ropes and just awkward pauses like that. They hit a double crossbody and even though it looks like Pillman got the better of it, Badd gets the pinfall and the victory here. The guys fought hard, but it's hard to ignore the little things that made it a little clunky at times. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

Ric Flair is with Mean Gene and he's talking about everything that he and Arn Anderson have gone through together. A pretty restrained interview and appropriately so. 

Cobra vs. Sgt. Craig Pittman

Some guy comes out instead of Pittman to distract Cobra. Pittman then comes down from the ceiling and then slithers in the ring. Pittman then chokes him out until the bell rings and then tosses the foreign object out of the ring. Cobra goes off the top rope, but Pittman counters it. He puts the Code Red on and that's all. This was terrible and had no reason to be on this show. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

They show Paul Orndorff snapping in his locker room because he's questioning if he's Mr. Wonderful anymore. Gary Spivey, who is apparently a psychic, comes in and talks to him. He tells him that he's Mr. Wonderful. This goes on forever and is as pointless as it sounds. 

WCW World Television Championship Match
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Renegade

Page attacks Renegade as he's still showing off his title belt. It doesn't last long until we are forced to watch Renegade's offense. Page is able to sidestep a crossbody and then chokes him on the top rope. Page hits a swinging neckbreaker and the announcers are hyping this being Renegade's longest match to date. I can't imagine why. DDP goes for a Diamond Cutter, but Renegade pushes his way out of it. He rolls him up and gets a 2. Max Muscle gets on the apron and Renegade throws DDP into him. He hits a powerslam and then dives off the top rope onto Muscle. DDP hits a Diamond Cutter back in the ring and wins the title belt. I mean, Renegade sucked so bad that they had no choice here. DDP tried his best, but you can only do so much.

Match Rating: 1/2*

Heenan and Schiavone talk about how Col. Parker and Sister Sheri have gotten together finally. 

WCW Tag Team Championship Match
Harlem Heat vs. Bunkhouse Buck & Dick Slater

I like both teams, but this pairing feels odd to me. My instincts are right and this one is putting both myself and the crowd asleep. It's just a couple of moves, rest hold, repeat. Stevie Ray finally gets a tag in and hits a few power moves. Then in the second ring, we have Sheri and Parker making out. Out come the Nasty Boys and they interfere and it allows Harlem Heat to pick up the win and become new champions. This match felt like 100 minutes long and I don't think I even wrote 100 words on it. It stunk.

Match Rating: 1/2*

Mean Gene interviews the losing team and Bunkhouse Buck is confronting Col. Parker about what happened. Parker tells him that he'll get another match, so go away. When Parker goes on his monologue, for some reason Gene can't hide his smile. 

Halloween Havoc is coming back to Detroit. 

We go back to Gene and he's with Arn Anderson, but first we get a video package. WWF was a lot better at those during this era than WCW. Anderson gives a solid promo, but the feud still seems a little off. 

Arn Anderson vs. Ric Flair

Was this a match that fans wanted to see? I don't mean that sarcastically, just genuinely curious. They show a bunch of WCW wrestlers at ringside watching the match. We get the slow, important match beginning. Flair gets the first big break of the match, dumping Arn to the floor and then hitting a double ax handle off the top rope. They continue to go pretty standard here, mostly being 50/50. Arn gets Flair into the tree of woe and after goes for a DDT. Flair is able to hold onto the rope to counter and then goes up top. Naturally, Arn throws him off the top and drops a knee for a 2. Flair comes back and puts on the Figure Four in the center of the ring. Arn is able to eventually reverse it and Flair gets out of the hold. Flair goes for it again, but Arn counters into a small package and gets a 2 count. Now Pillman comes up on the apron while the referee is checking on Flair. He hits him with a right hand and a kick to the head. Arn hits a DDT and picks up the victory. The match was solid, but because of the finish they went with, it never got to that final act. 

Match Rating: ***

It's time for the hype video for WarGames and it's as horrible as you would expect. There is no way that anyone could have possibly thought this was good in 1995. 

Gene is with Hogan and team and they are all dressed in camo gear and face paint. If you thought Hogan couldn't look any dumber, you obviously didn't see him at Trump's rally. 

WarGames Match
Zodiac, Shark, Kamala & Meng vs. Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Sting & Lex Luger

If Hogan's team wins, Kevin Sullivan must face Hogan in the cage. Shark and Sting start things off. You would have thought Meng would have made more sense, but this is likely to stink no matter what. Not much happens outside of Sting failing at hitting a body slam. This will shock you, but the heel team gets the advantage with Zodiac. Even less happens here until Savage comes in as the fourth entrant. I take that back, nothing happens again. Let's see if Kamala can do anything. Yeah, I can't believe I typed that either. Luger comes in next for Hogan's team and he hits a double clothesline on Kamala and Shark. We get some infighting with Luger and Savage after a mistake is made and Sting has to break them up. Meng is in now and the Dungeon of Doom is in clear control. It's Hogan time and we naturally get a cheesy spot where Hogan hits Zodiac with right hands and he bounces off the ropes back and forth. All I know is that there are less than 10 minutes left in this show. Hogan puts on a pathetic camel clutch on Zodiac and that's enough for the win. This was a terrible WarGames, as you would expect. After the match, Kevin Sullivan tries to leave and allows for one person to hold him back with little to no attempt. Sting comes out and throws him back into the ring. Even more comically is that Meng and Zodiac walk right by them as it's happening. Hogan just throws Sullivan into the cage multiple times. They go out of the cage and he throws him into it a few more times. Hogan hits the big boot and then out comes the Giant. Giant "chokes" Hogan and of course Hogan gets out. Giant does get back and then does the fake breaking of the neck. Hogan's squad comes back out and check on him while Giant heads to the back. This was all just so bad. The crowd was semi into it, I guess. 

Match Rating: 3/4*

After some good episodes of Nitro, this was an absolutely terrible show. Yes, Pillman/Badd was good and Arn/Flair was solid, but the rest was pure trash. It felt like 6 hours instead of 3. No thank you.

Overall Rating: 34%