WCW Nitro #59: October 28th, 1996. (Rewatched 13 June 2020).

We are 24 hours removed from the last WCW PPV:  WCW Halloween Havoc 1996!  This episode took place on October 28th, 1996, and was held at the America West Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. Or, as it's called now, the Talking Stick Resort Arena.  There were also some members of the Suns in attendance, of course wearing nWo gear.  Because honestly, who wasn't wearing nWo gear back then?  The show was pretty solid from top to bottom, so let's get into it and talk about Nitro!

The Show:

WCW World Television Title Match: Lord Steven Regal (c) defeated Juventud Guerrera (3:20)
- During this match, they showed Crow Sting sitting up in the rafters.  This is when the Sting storyline gets interesting.  Back to the match though, man, Regal looks very young here.  That was an easy win, though.

Singles Match: Diamond Dallas Page defeated Mike Enos (4:37)
- It doesn't get any better than DDP in the 90's.

WCW World Cruiserweight Title Match: Dean Malenko (c) defeated Jim Powers (w/ Teddy Long) (5:04)
- Dean Malenko is one of the greatest of all time.  It's been such a joy watching him again.  Jim Powers reminds me a lot of a more jacked up Chad Gable from WWE.  Spoiler alert, it looks like he's getting. Push, but this guy will never win a championship in WCW.  Psychosis came out during the match to watch.  I used to love playing as him in the WCW video games back in the day.

Singles Match: Jeff Jarrett defeated Ricky Morton (4:34)
- Jeff Jarrett and 1/2 of the Rock N' Roll Express.  It doesn't get any better.  Jeff Jarrett has a lot of passion for sure.

Tag Team Match: High Voltage (Kenny Kaos & Robbie Rage) vs. The Amazing French Canadians (Carl Ouellet & Jacques Rougeau) - No Contest (3:43)
- The Nasty Boys came out and interfered and cut a promo at the end.  Looking back on this, I don't see why they didn't have them join the nWo.  It would have made sense.  They would have fit well.

Singles Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Jimmy Graffiti (3:24)
- Short and sweet.

Singles Match: Chris Benoit (w/ Woman) defeated Eddie Guerrero (8:23)
- I can't get excited about matches with Benoit in them.

Nick Patrick Segment
- There was a segment with Nick Patrick and his "lawyer" after the last match.  You don't see a ref getting this much attention as he has the past several weeks.  Chris Jericho came out and I was waiting on him to call Nick Patrick a "stupid idiot".  Then, Teddy Long came out and called Patrick a "scam artist".

Singles Match: Booker T (w/ Sister Sherri) defeated Lex Luger by Count Out
- I could watch these two legends all day.  You can't beat a main event like this!  During the match, they were talking about Piper and Bischoff said "Last time we saw Piper he was the acting president of the WW....I don't know."  I guess he's scared to say "WWF" on TV.  This match ended with a count out after Luger ran off to chase Sting when he saw him in the crowd.

Hogan/Piper Segment
- They re-ran some of the segment with Piper from Halloween Havoc again.  It was a long, awkward promo.  After that, Hogan came out to the ring to issue his response.  Hogan bragged about how awesome the nWo is.  About how awesome he is.  Then ended the show with some poses.

WCW Halloween Havoc 1996: October 27th, 1996 (Rewatched 29 May 2020)

Tonight's the night, WCW Halloween Havoc 1996! This pay-per-view took place on October 27, 1996. It occured at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada! Top to bottom, this card was stacked. Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio Jr, DDP, Eddie Guerrero, The Giant, Jeff Jarrett, Syxx, Chris Jericho, Lex Luger, Arn Anderson, The Outsiders, Harlem Heat, Hogan, Savage, and even the debut of Rowdy Roddy Piper! I mean, you can't ask for a better card than that. All of those names are some of the all time greats.

On the WWE Network, the event was about 3 hours long, and did not seem to drag at all.  The WCW vs nWo storyline continued, and now, after the event, the nWo controls the WCW World Title, and the WCW Tag Team Titles. 

So, how good was the show?  It was awesome.  I'm a big WWE fan now, but nothing came close to WCW in the 90's.  Even comparing this to modern WWE, this still is vastly better.  So, let's get into it and talk about the show!

The Show:

Dean Malenko defeated Rey Mysterio, Jr. to win the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship (18:32)
- This is what "Fight Forever" chants are made for.  These guys put on a heck of a match.

(Battle For The Ring) Diamond Dallas Page defeated Eddy Guerrero (13:44)
- This was a match for the Battlebowl Ring, which was apparently something people in WCW wanted back in the 90's, for some reason.  I never get tired of watching these two fight, though. 

The Giant defeated Jeff Jarrett by disqualification
- For some reason, The Giant has Ric Flair's United States Championship, which he didn't earn.  It was vacated after Flair's injury but I guess WCW management never took it back.  That was a fun little match though.  Giant's a big man, so nice it wasn't a squash.

Syxx defeated Chris Jericho (9:49)
- I gotta admit, this was pretty fun.  Watching young X-Pac and Y2J fighting in WCW.

Lex Luger defeated Arn Anderson (12:22)
- This has been a heck of a card.  I was really excited for this one - two of the all time greats.  The match ended with Arn in the Torture Rack and being carried out on a stretcher.

Steve McMichael and Chris Benoit (w/ Woman and Debra McMichael) defeated The Faces of Fear (Meng and The Barbarian) (9:23)
- I can't root for Chris Benoit, so naturally I was all in for the Faces of Fear and was hoping they would win.

The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) defeated Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) (w/ Sister Sherri and Col. Robert Parker) to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship (13:07)
- Two of the best tag teams of all time, it doesn't get any better than this.  And now the nWo is, to use an Undisputed Era phrase, draped in gold. 

Hollywood Hogan defeated Randy Savage to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (18:37)
- It's not like we didn't know the outcome of this going into it.  The nWo was the hottest thing going.  No way would they take the strap off Hogan this soon.  Hogan was looking silly as heck with those hair plugs though.  The announcers even made a joke about it.

Roddy Piper Debut
- After the match, Rowdy Roddy Piper made his debut.  It was pretty awesome, but the promo went on forever and felt awkward at the end.  Heck, WCW even cut it off and ended the show.  But I'm very interested to see this feud develop!

WCW Nitro #58: October 21st, 1996. (Rewatched 26 May 2020).

Today, we're rewatching WCW Nitro #58, from October 21st, 1996! This episode happened at the Civic Center in Mankato, Minnesota. This is the go-home show before Halloween Havoc 1996, set to occur on October 27th, 1996.  This episode was packed with great talent - DDP, Lex Luger, Macho Man, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, and more.  It was also full of great tag team action, something WCW absolutely excelled at.  So, let's get into the show and talk about Nitro #58!

The Show:

Chris Jericho defeated Bobby Eaton (7:05)
- Cool to see Bobby Eaton in action.  If you don't know, he's one half of The Midnight Express.  A fun little match though, I love watching Chris Jericho's character development.

Dean Malenko defeated Jimmy Graffiti (6:38)
- Jimmy Graffiti may not sound familiar, but he was part of The Heavenly Bodies tag team, which was active in WWF for quite a while, also in WCW as part of Raven's Nest.  But wow, Dean Malenko is one of the all time greats.

Diamond Dallas Page defeated Sgt Craig Pittman (w/ Teddy Long) (2:54)
Man, 90's DDP had some personality on him.

Jeff Jarrett defeated Ron Studd (1:28)
- Man this show is so money.  Jarrett, DDP, Malenko, Chris Jericho - just top to bottom, you can't beat who's on this show.  But then again, I'm ready for Slap Nutz Jarrett.  The match started by Ric Flair coming down to the ring and having a strut-off with Ric Flair.  It was awesome.

Lex Luger defeated Road Block (3:47)
- Road Block had to be the dumbest gimmick in WCW at the time.  It was a guy, who came to the ring....wait for it....with a road block.  Lex made quick work of him.

Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (w/ Col. Robert Parker & Sister Sherri) defeated The American Males (Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs) (9:33)
- I'm ready for nWo Buff Bagwell.  That's when I think he did his best work.

The Faces of Fear (Meng & The Barbarian) (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated The 
Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) (5:18)
- Two great tag team matches, back to back.  That's one thing WCW nailed back in the 90's, was the tag team division.

Mr. JL vs. nWo Sting ended in a no contest (1:40)
- Now, Mr. JL is going by JL.  JL is basically El Generico before El Generico.  This match ended with the Crow sting showing up.  Black trench coat, white face paint, it's about to get awesome.

Chris Benoit v Macho Man (Match didn't start)
- Mach came out in his street clothes, wearing all black.  This match never started, Macho did a promo and that was that.

WCW Nitro #57: October 14th, 1996. (Rewatched 22 May 2020).

Today, we're going to be talking about WCW Nitro #57!  This episode of Nitro was in my backyard, at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.  Yes, during the show, they even said that Jerry Lawler helped promote it and "put butts in seats".   The Mid-South Coliseum was closed in 2006, but I've heard there have been plans to restore and re-open it.  Back to Nitro, this was a fun show.  Lots more WCW/nWo tension, and more building of the Macho Man, ohhhh yeaahhhhh!  So, let's get into the show!

Singles Match: Dean Malenko defeated Brad Armstrong (5:22)
- I love me some Dean Malenko.  One of the all time greats.

Singles Match: Jim Duggan defeated M. Wallstreet (4:34)
- I really dig Hacksaw Jim Duggan.  It's been so much fun watching him wrestle again.  He was always one of my favorites growing up.

Singles Match: Hugh Morrus defeated Jim Powers (w/ Teddy Long) (6:34)
- WCW really likes Jim Powers, he's been on TV a lot lately.  During this match, Tony actually thanked Jerry Lawler for promoting the show and packing the event.

Singles Match: Lex Luger defeated Greg Valentine (6:35)
- Nothing beats watching these two legends fight.

Macho Man Promo
- Mach was interviewed by Bischoff, and Bischoff aired a promo of Miss Elizabeth, in which she apologizes for siding with Hulk Hogan.

Singles Match: Eddie Guerrero defeated The Cheetah Kid (2:41)
- No clue who the Cheetah Kid is.  I can't find anything about him online.  Some websites say Rocco Rock of Public Enemy used to go by The Cheetah Kid, but that definitely isn't Rocco Rock.

Singles Match: Jeff Jarrett defeated Big Bubba Rogers (w/ Jimmy Hart) (6:43)
- Pretty cool seeing these two former WWF guys in a match against each other.  I forget how much WCW took in former WWF talent back in the 90's.

Non Title Tag Team Match: Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (w/ Col. Robert Parker & Sister Sherri) vs. The Faces Of Fear (Meng & The Barbarian) - No Contest (7:17)
- I had no idea the titles changed, but apparently Public Enemy lost the titles to Harlem Heat on WCW Saturday Night on 10/1/1996.  I haven't been watching Saturday Night in my rewatch.  And, of course the show ended with WCW vs nWo again, as usual!
 

WCW Nitro #56: October 7th, 1996. (Rewatched 22 May 2020).

Today, we're going to be talking about WCW Nitro #56!  This episode of Nitro happened on October 7th, 1996.  It occured at the Savannah Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia.  This was a pretty fun little episode.  There was lots of WCW/nWo tension, and of course - the debut of Jeff Jarrett, who recently left the WWF.  Macho Man has also been getting a lot of air time, which I love, because he's one of my all time favorite wrestlers.  Top to bottom, a great Nitro.  So, without further ado, let's dive into the action!

The Show:

WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (w/ Col. Rob Parker & Sister Sherri) defeated Public Enemy in a non-title match
- That was a fun match - classic tag team wrestling, something WCW excelled in.

Diamond Dallas Page defeated Jim Powers
- They played a promo during this match in which DDP called Eddie Guerrero "burrito boy".  I don't think that would fly nowadays.

Macho Man Promo
- Macho Man did a promo talking about how awful the nWo NASCAR performed in its recent race.

The Faces of Fear defeated High Voltage
- Short and sweet match. 

Glacier defeated Mike Wenner
- I'm guessing Mike Wenner was just a jobber, because I can't find anything on him. 

Jeff Jarrett defeated Hugh Morrus
- Prior to this, Jeff Jarrett was in WWF (1992-1996).  This looks like it's his debut, because I haven't seen him yet.  He's looking good in the ring! 

Arn Anderson (w /Woman) defeated The Renegade at 7:07
- That was a fun little match.  Arn Anderson, as always, put on a clinic.

Lex Luger defeated Dave Taylor at 2:36
- The match started out with Dave Taylor coming to the ring with Jeeves, until he knocked him out for some reason and called him a "stupid person".

Rick Steiner (w/ Scott Steiner defeated Chris Benoit (w/ Steve McMichael & Debra McMichael) at 10:30
- I'll always cheer against Chris Benoit.  They don't make them like the Seiners anymore!

A scheduled WCW United States Championship match between Ric Flair & Randy Savage never took place after the nWo attack Flair backstage and then Savage in the ring
- The show ended in a nice big melee between WCW and the nWo.  Not only that, the show ended with the nWo Hollywood Hogan Monster Truck coming out.  That was rad.

WCW Nitro #55: September 30th, 1996. (Rewatched 16 May 2020).

We're back again with another episode of WCW Nitro in Snubie's WCW Rewatch! Today, we're checking out WCW Nitro #55. This episode took place at the CSU Convention Center in Cleveland, Ohio. This episode is off of last week's "nWo Monday Nitro", and we're seeing WCW stars come back from Japan for business as usual Nitro.  The nWo wasn't present on screen much in this episode, they seemed to generally be hanging out in a hotel, doing "business" stuff.  So, let's get into the show!

The Show:

Intro
- Bischoff talks about last week, when the nWo took over.  He talks about the pride of WCW, and the history of WCW, and how the nWo doesn't respect their tradition.

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock) (c) defeated El Technico & Juventud Guerrera (2:06)
- Interesting note, El Technico was actually just Billy Kidman in a mask.

Singles Match: Alex Wright defeated Dean Malenko (5:17)
- Alex Wright isn't dancing yet.  But, I'm still excited for this match.  And Wright got a quick win in!

Singles Match: Eddie Guerrero defeated Jim Powers (w/ Teddy Long) (6:27)
- Jim Powers back again this week, looks like WCW likes this dude.

Nasty Boys Promo
- Next up, a promo back stage with the Nasty Boys coming to visit Hogan.

Singles Match: Hugh Morrus defeated Brad Armstrong (4:15)
- A fun little match, nothing to right home about.

Singles Match: Arn Anderson (w/ Woman) defeated Chris Jericho (5:35)
- Yeah, 90's Chris Jericho!  I am loving how hard WCW is pushing him.  They were smart to do so.

Singles Match: Lex Luger defeated M. Wallstreet (7:23)
- Another short and sweet match.

Tag Team Match: The Faces Of Fear (Meng & The Barbarian) (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) (8:25)
- I love watching these teams brawl.  WCW had some solid tag teams back in the day.

Singles Match: Chris Benoit (w/ Debra & Steve McMichael) defeated Rick Steiner (4:25)
- I can't stand Chris Benoit.  Everyone already knows why.

nWo Promo
- The show ends with an nWo promo with Miss Elizabeth at the hotel of the nWo.  She seemed uncomfortable but Hogan was trying to talk her into joining.  A package showed up.  Macho Man is shown running through the hall.  He starts yelling at Miss Elizabeth about "what her deal is", then the show ends.

WCW Nitro/nWo Nitro #54: September 23rd, 1996. (Rewatched 16 May 2020).

With most of WCW in Japan, the nWo took over Monday Nitro, so today we're going to be talking about nWo Monday Nitro #54. This episode took place September 23rd, 1996, at the Benjamin-Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham, Alabama.

This was an exciting episode of Nitro.  The nWo basically ran all over the show and did whatever they wanted to do.  We saw the in-ring debut of Syxx, and the nWo debut of Vincent.  The Giant was the ring announcer for most of the night, and the nWo was present on commentary for much of the evening, as well!

I know I've said it before, but they don't make shows like this anymore.  Modern day WWE can't come near how awesome WCW was in the 90's.  I've only rewatched a few months since the debut of the nWo, but every episode has been just fantastic.  So, let's get into the show!

The Show

Kevin Sullivan & Konnan defeated Juventud Guerrera & Brad Armstrong
- Kevin Sullivan and Bubba turned on Konnan.  Then, apparently it was revealed to be a beat down initiation.  Mike Tenay says "that's how Konnan grew up in the barrio, this is a gang initiation".

Chris Jericho defeated Mike Enos
- Can't get enough of Chris Jericho.  In the 90's, you could tell he was going to be huge.

Glacier defeated Pat Tanaka
- It's still weird hearing Pat Tanaka come out to Goldberg's music.  WCW is pushing glacier something fierce.

Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock) defeated Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (w/ Col. Robert Parker & Sister Sherri) (c) to win the WCW World Tag Team Championship
- Public Enemy was an awesome ECW tag team.  It's cool seeing them again in WCW.

Greg Valentine defeated Randy Savage via disqualification
- The Giant, Hall, Nash, Syxx, and DiBiase all came out and ganged up on the Macho Man.  Miss Elizabeth looked on, scared, and then ran backstage.

Announce Table Promo
- During this bit, Vincent debuted as Ted DiBiase's "head of security".  Many of you know him, of course, as Virgil.  Also, an nWo Nascar came out, #49.  This was a car Kyle Petty drove a few times in the Busch Series.

Jim Powers (with Teddy Long) v M Wallstreet (Match never started/not official)
- The Giant took on the role of ring announcer.  Remember, M Wallstreet is Mike Rotunda, father of Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas.  The nWo went down to the ring and beat up Jim Powers.  The ref tried to walk out.  I don't think this match ever even started.

Jim Powers v The Giant (Match never started/not official)
- For some reason, The Giant started a match with himself and Jim Powers.  I don't think the bell ever rang for this one, either.  Backstage, Hogan ran into the Nasty Boys and said he wanted to talk "some business" with them, and sent them to his suite.

Syxx defeated Jim Duggan
- Ron Studd came out, apparently supposed to be in the match.  Hogan talked to him, then Hogan and Nash attacked him.  Then, the Giant called out Syxx.

nWo Sting defeated Bo LeDeau
- Interesting side note, nWo Sting began wrestling in Japan in 97, and became more popular there than the actual Sting.  Bo LeDeau is apparently no one major, it doesn't appear as though he was much more than a jobber who fizzled out over the years.

Scott Hall & Kevin Nash defeated High Voltage
- The Outsiders called this "The First Ever nWo Invitational Tag Team Match".  High Voltage came out first, followed by The Amazing French Canadians.  Then the Outsiders came out.  Of course, the Outsiders won, and the show ended with the nWo gloating.

WCW Nitro #53: September 16th, 1996. (Rewatched 12 May 2020).

We are fresh off of Fall Brawl 1996, and back into a new Nitro! WCW Nitro #53 comes at us from the Asheville Civic Center in Asheville, North Carolina (which is now known as Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville).  This show had a bunch of solid matches, but the highlight being the long awaited debut of Glacier, complete with his expensive intro and all the cool special effects.  Other than that, it was the usual WCW vs nWo, along with the debut of Syxx!  So, let's get into the show!

The Show:

nWo Fans with Fliers
- Throughout the early parts of the show, they're showing nWo fans handing out fliers.

WCW Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Juventud Guerrera (9:00)
- WCW's cruiserweight division was solid.  Especially all the lucha wrestlers.  It's one thing modern WWE could learn from.

Glacier Promo
- Finally, after months of teasing this dude, we get to see Glacier in action.  Apparently this guy is a legit martial artist.  It felt more like an MMA promo, or something you'd see before a UFC event. 

Diamond Dallas Page defeated Ice Train (w/ Teddy Long) (4:41)
- Hey look, it's Teddy Long, playa playa! 

Syxx Debut
- Tony shows Syxx in the audience and mentions how he was the former 1-2-3 Kid, and how he was released from "another organization". 

Mexican Heavyweight Champion Konnan (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Super Calo (6:44)
- I love all these Mexican wrestlers in WCW.  WWE just doesn't have a lucha division like WCW did.

Syxx Promo 
- He talks about how he heard Nitro was hot, and wanted to come check it out.

Brad Armstrong defeated Hugh Morrus (3:56)
- This was a fun, short little intense match.

Scott Norton defeated Randy Savage via disqualification (6:35)
- All I gotta say is, wow, those chair shots to the head from Savage.  There was no faking that. 

Glacier defeated Big Bubba (2:41)
- I read online that production costs for Glacier's entrance cost half a million dollars, and his suit/armor cost $35,000.  I mean, the blue light sand the snow was pretty cool.  Bischoff was pretty good at calling the match and talking about Glacier's form, because he was also a martial artist.  I also liked the ring staying blue.

Sting Promo
- Sting came out to talk about, again, how it wasn't him on Nitro last week.  Sting declares himself a "free agent".  Sting will go on to do matches in NJPW, We won't see him until October 21st, when he comes back as the black/white Crow looking Sting.  And then after that, we won't see him for another year.

WCW US Champion Ric Flair & Arn Anderson (w/ Woman) defeated Chris Jericho & Marcus Alexander Bagwell (10:10)
- Before the match started, Syxx had some remote thing and he pushed a button that "caused" thousands of fliers to fall from the ceiling.  Basically, confirming Syxx is a member of the nWo.  Other than that, a pretty solid match.

(Handicap Match) Lex Luger defeated Chris Benoit & Steve McMichael (w/ Debra McMichael) via disqualification (5:59)
- Nothing to write home about.  The show ended showing the nWo in the limo and how they were going to take over Nitro next week.

WCW Fall Brawl 1996: September 15th, 1996 (Rewatched 12 May 2020)

Tonight, we're rewatching WCW Fall Brawl 1996, a Pay-Per-View event that occurred on September 15th, 1996. This event came from the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. If you're new to WCW, the War Games match is actually pretty cool. It's two rings, put together, and a steel cage encompasses it. It starts with two men, and one men from each team enters after that. This War Games match was, of course, Team WCW vs Team nWo.

What made this one more interesting is that it follows the last WCW Nitro (Nitro #52), in which "Sting" supposedly turned on the WCW.  (Of course, we know that was just nWo Sting and not the real Sting).  He was set to be on team WCW, so who knows what could happen tonight!  There is set to be several title defenses, along with the traditional War Games match, so let's get right into it and talk about WCW Fall Brawl (War Games) 1996!

The Show:

Diamond Dallas Page defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr (13:07)
- That was a solid match.  Both great wrestlers.

WCW: Special Report on "The Attack"
- Basically, a little recap by Mean Gene of the nWo invasion of WCW.  Starting at when the Outsiders joined.

Ice Train (with Teddy Long) defeated Scott Norton (Submission match)
07:08
- I really don't get this rivalry, and I'm ready for it to be over with.  I mean, the match was fun, but I care very little about why these two are beefin'.

(AAA Heavyweight Championship Match) Konnan (c) (with Jimmy Hart) defeated Juventud Guerrero (13:45)
- I forgot this title was defended in WCW.  But Konnan didn't even come out with it, which was weird.  But this was a fun match.

Chris Benoit defeated Chris Jericho (14:36)
- I'm loving early Chris Jericho.  And Benoit is a horrible person (was, I mean), so it's easy to cheer against him.

(WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match) Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) defeated Super Caló (15:47)
- I could watch these two fight all night.  What a fun match.

(WCW Tag Team Championship Match) Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) (c) (with Sister Sherri and Col. Robert Parker) defeated The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags) (15:31)
- One thing WCW did really well was tag team wrestling.  They had some great tag teams.  They definitely have that over modern era WWE.

Macho Man/Mike Tenay Promo
- I could watch Mach cut promos all day long.  He's one of the best.

The Giant defeated Randy Savage Singles match (07:47)
- Hogan came out to interfere, and got Mach out of the ring.  Then the Outsiders came out and attacked Mach.  But, before this, it was a pretty good match.

Halloween Havoc Promo
- I miss this PPV.  I wish WWE would bring this one back.

(WarGames match) nWo (Hollywood Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and nWo Sting) (with Ted DiBiase) defeated Team WCW (Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Sting) (with Miss Elizabeth) (18:15)
- Michael Buffer kicked the match off and man, that's one thing I loved about WCW.  They brought out the big guns.  WCW Sting, or, the real Sting, came out and fought off the nWo and the nWo Sting, and then left the ring.  The match was solid, and it ended with Macho Man coming out and being ganged up on by the nWo, as usual.  Also, they spray painted Miss Elizabeth's dress with the nWo tag.

Random Notes

• Aww, no Glacier promo.
• That's about all I got.

WCW Nitro #52: September 9th, 1996. (Rewatched 5 May 2020).

Today, we are rewatching WCW Nitro #52, which took place September 9th, 1996 at the Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, Georgia. This was the go-home show for WCW Fall Brawl 96, which would occur on September 15th, 1996. This was a pretty action packed show. It was the debut of the nWo Sting, which made the WCW talent think Sting joined the nWo.  It was a solid, action packed show from top to bottom that definitely set up the upcoming Fall Brawl PPV!

The Show

Super Calo defeated Pat Tanaka (2:26)
- Interesting to note, Tanaka came out to music that would eventually be used for Goldberg.  Super Calo is money.  I loved these AAA wrestlers.

Meanwhile Backstage
- They showed some kids with nWo shirts and nWo fliers.

Glacier Promo
- They showed some footage of Glacier's debut (which too place on WCW Pro).  That entrance with the lights and the snow and all that - it cost a lot of money.  Looks like his debut will take place on the Nitro after the upcoming Fall Brawl.

The Nasty Boys defeated Jacques Rougeau & Carl Ouellet (3:26)
- Jacque Rougeau was the villainous Mountie character in WWF.  Carl Ouellet was part of "The Quebecers" with Rougeau in WWF.  In WCW, they were known as "The Amazing French Canadians".  They would go back to WWF, then back to WCW again in 2000 to join Team Canada.  They have a pretty interesting story.  Before the match, they insisted on singing the Canadian National Anthem. 

Scott Norton defeated Sgt. Craig Pittman (w/ Teddy Long) (2:59)
- This was a "hold v hold submission match".  Ice Train came out, got in Norton's face.  Apparently Ice Train is gonna face Norton at Fall Brawl.

Backstage with Luger, Arn, Flair, Mongo and Benoit
- A little backstage bit hyping up the upcoming War Games match.  Man, Arn could cut a promo.

Juventud Guerrera defeated Joe Gomez (2:13)
- I honestly don't remember Joe Gomez.  It doesn't seem like he did much outside of WCW.  Juvi crushed this match.

Nick Patrick Interview
- Mean Gene asks Nick Patrick about last week when Lex Luger bumped into him, and he disqualified him.  Patrick says he was "deliberately hit". 

Outside
- The nWo members are shown putting fliers on cars outside the arena.  Ted DiBiase is shown talking to someone in the black limo.

Rick Steiner defeated Lex Luger (6:57)
- I liked the handshake before the match.  For some reason, Nick Patrick came out and motioned Luger to the match, causing him to lose by count out. 

Meanwhile, in the parking lot
Luger ran outside.  Ted DiBiase is talking to someone in the limo.  "Sting" jumps out of the limo and proceeds to beat up Luger along with the rest of the nWo.  Note, this "Sting" was Jeff Farmer, the nWo Sting, as he was called.

nWo Promo
- Another black and white nWo promo - for the nWo shirt.  I remember they ended with "all proceeds will go to the Ric Flair retirement fund".  That shirt was incredibly popular.  Back then, everyone wore one. 

WCW Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Billy Kidman (1:40)
- It's weird seeing this smiley, happy Kidman knowing what he'll be like in Raven's Flock soon.  It was a short match.  Kidman was basically just a jobber at this point.

The Barbarian & Meng (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated The Public Enemy (10:41)
- I forgot about Public Enemy and the hand waving and all that.  These guys came over from ECW, and eventually would go on to WWF.  Both of them are deceased now - Rocco Rock in in 2002, and Johnny Grunge in 2006.  After the match, Big Bubba called out Glacier.  He's tired of the promos.  He wants to fight.  Also, funny to hear Konnan cutting a promo on the nWo that he would eventually join. 

Meanwhile, Backstage (Lex, Arn, Benoit, Flair, Mongo)
- They're reacting to "Sting" attacking Luger.  They seem betrayed. 

nWo Promo
- Ted DiBiase is now in the promos, talking about how powerful the nWo is.  Hogan talks about how rich Ted DiBiase is, and how he makes Ted Turner look like "a pauper". 

John Tenta defeated Randy Savage via count-out (2:00)
- Note, some of you may recall that John Tenta is from WWF where he was known as Earthquake.  Tenta actually used the music that would later become Chris Jericho's.  The limo returned, and Savage ran out, ending in count out. 

WCW Nitro #51: September 2nd, 1996. (Rewatched 5 May 2020).

Today, we're watching WCW Nitro #51, which took place on September 2nd, 1996, at the UTC Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was a pretty exciting episode. After DiBiase joined the nWo, tonight we see The Giant join the nWo. Lots of great matches, and of course that token end of show pandemonium that the nWo brings. They kept Nitro popping until they turned the lights off.  My oh my, the 90's were a great time to be a wrestling fan.  So, without further ado, let's talk about the adventures of tonight's Nitro!

The Show

Diamond Dallas Page defeated Alex Wright
- I love these two.  Back in the day, DDP had so much swagger.

Nick Patrick Interview
- Once again, they're asking Nick Patrick what's up with his "integrity".

WCW Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat defeated Greg Valentine & Buddy Valentino (4:17)
- Can you dig it, sucka?  Harlem Heat was on a heck of a run.

Harlem Heat Interview
- Harlem Heat talks about their upcoming Fall Brawl match with the Nasty Boys.  Which of course was interrupted by a beatdown from... The Nasty Boys.

Chris Jericho defeated Dean Malenko
- The first time these two faced off in WCW.  It doesn't get any better.

The Giant defeated Brad Armstrong
- Interesting to note, Brad Armstrong is Bullet Bob Armstrong (WWE Hall of Famer)'s kid.

nWo Promo
- I love these black and white nWo promos.  They were so metal, so unique.  Hogan really took this heel character and ran with it.

Randy Savage defeated Ron Studd
- Hey look, it's The Yeti fighting The Macho Man!  Also backstage, they showed the nWo limo.  Apparently the 4th man is in there, but they wouldn't let him get out with the camera there.  Macho's promo after the match was awesome.  "I'm out here living on the edge, and anyone not living on the edge is taking up too much room."

The Steiners defeated Sting & Lex Luger via disqualification
- Nick Patrick doing Nick Patrick stuff.  Apparently he called for a DQ because Lex Luger bumped into him.

The Four Horsemen (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, & Steve McMichael) defeated The Dungeon of Doom (Kevin Sullivan, Big Bubba, The Barbarian, & Meng)
- There were a lot of stables in WCW back in the day.  The DOD, the Horsemen, the nWo, Raven's Flock (coming soon), etc.  It's one thing I miss the most, we don't really have that in WWE nowadays.  And hey, look, it's Debra before she goes over to the WWF!  Meanwhile, backstage, Sting and Luger threw a rock threw the limo to figure out who was in it.  Then, they stole a cop car and chased after the limo.  Man, 90's WCW was wild.

Ending Pandemonium
- Towards the end of the match, The Outsiders showed up!  I love these end of show WCW/mWo melees.  Heck, Bobby Heenan even bailed when they showed up.  Then, the Giant came out!  But wait, The Giant attacked the WCW folks!  Anddddddd, that's when The Giant joined the nWo.  So, the nWo is now Hall, Nash, Hogan, DiBiase, and The Giant.  The Giant kept trying to tell the story of how he joined the nWo but kept getting interrupted by Hogan, it was hilarious.

Random Notes

• I like the WCW gear promos.  They had a WCW Nitro Blue Denim Shirt that was so, so 90's.
• I'm probably sounding repetitive, but they ran yet another Glacier promo.  

WCW Nitro #50: August 26th, 1996. (Rewatched 5 May 2020).

We are back for another episode of WCW Monday Nitro! Tonight's episode is WCW Nitro #50, which was held in the Manatee Civic Center in Palmetto, Florida.  This was a particularly cool Nitro because it saw Ted DiBiase show up after leaving the WWF, as well as the WCW debuts of Chris Jericho and Juventud Guerrero.  Aside from that, the usual WCW/nWo shenanigans, and a Nitro that ended with a nice, big brawl, and lots of spraypaint!  So, let's get into it!

The Show

Singles Match: Juventud Guerrera defeated Billy Kidman (3:40)
- This is what WCW did really good at, their young talent.  Kidman was great, but Juvi was awesome.  This was actually his debut match.  I remember writing "Juvi Juice" on my notebooks in middle school back in the day, but I don't think we're at that point yet.

Tag Team Match: Big Bubba Rogers & Kevin Sullivan (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Jim Powers & Marcus Alexander Bagwell (w/ Teddy Long) (4:20)
- One thing I like about old WCW is that the matches vary from week to week.  They aren't repeats of the same stuff over and over again.  They really knew how to keep it interesting.  And I love Buff Bagwell.  He was one of my favs back in the day.  I like that Bubba Rogers was like, "Yo, where's Glacier?" after the match in a promo.  They made me laugh a little.

Singles Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Mike Enos (4:35)
- Mike Enos has some killer entrance music.  But Chavo's is better.  And man, he looks young.  Every time I see him I'm like, wow, Chavo is young.

WCW World Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Misterio Jr. (c) defeated Mr. JL (14:04)
- I forgot that Jerry Lynn used to wrestle in a mask back in the day.

Singles Match: The Giant (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Jim Duggan (4:34)
I forgot a lot of these matches happened.  But it was pretty cool watching Hacksaw take on The Big Show.  During the match, Ted DiBiase came out.  Apparently this was his WCW debut after leaving the WWF in May of 1996.

Tag Team Match: Arn Anderson & Ric Flair (w/ Miss Elizabeth & Woman) defeated The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) (4:28)
- Flair is one of the all time best on the mic.  Dude was on a high tonight, for sure.

Singles Match: Alex Wright vs. Chris Jericho - No Contest (4:52)
- Hey, it's Chris Jericho's debut!  Wow he looks young.  This was a fun match.  I love Alex Wright, I can't wait until he starts dancing.  And I'm looking forward to Jericho's WCW run.  It was pretty good from what I remember.

Tag Team Match: The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner) defeated The Blue Bloods (Earl Robert Eaton & Squire David Taylor) (3:29)
- I'll never get tired of the Steiner Brothers.

Tag Team Match: Chris Benoit & Steve McMichael (w/ Debra McMichael, Miss Elizabeth & Woman) vs. Lex Luger & Sting - No Contest (5:42)
- After the match, a big melee between nWo and WCW.  This was the one where Hogan spray-painted Ric Flair's hair.  I remember that one.  They got that epic heel heat though, fans were throwing stuff steadily into the ring.  Cups, bottles, all that.

Random Notes

• Another Glacier promo.  They've been running these for a minute.  These promos have been running since April.  His Nitro debut won't happen until September of 1996.  So we're about a month out!

WCW Nitro #49: August 19th, 1996. (Rewatched 27 April 2020).

Today, we're coming off of Clash of the Champions XXXIII with Nitro! This is WCW Nitro #49, which took place on August 19th, 1996 from the Von Braun Civic Center (today, the Von Braun Center) in Huntsville, Alabama. This episode of Nitro looks to begin the build to Fall Brawl 1996, coming up on September 15th, 1996.  Storylines are coming together, and it's beginning to get even more interesting.  Tensions are rising between WCW and the nWo, and the War Games match at Fall Brawl is looking to be fantastic.  Now, onto the show!

The Show

Singles Match: Jim Duggan defeated VK Wallstreet (5:28)
- A rematch from Clash of Champions.  Go get 'em Hacksaw. 

Post Match Hacksaw/Macho Promos
- That post-match promo, though.  Hacksaw called out Hogan.  Not only that, but called him his real name, Terry.  Then, Macho Man came out and cut a promo on Hogan, and then on The Giant.

Singles Match: Chris Benoit (w/ Miss Elizabeth & Woman) defeated Earl Robert Eaton (4:02)
- I don't really like Chris Benoit due to what he did, so I will cheer for anyone who faces him at this point.

Sting/Luger Promo
- I'm ready for the black and white "Crow" type Sting.  It's been fun watching bright face paint Sting, though.  But apparently there is a surprise in store tonight.

Singles Match: Scott Norton defeated Disco Inferno (4:01)
- First time seeing Disco since I started my rewatch.  I used to love this dude back in the day. 

Singles Match: Dean Malenko defeated Lord Steven Regal
- It's pretty legit seeing these two legends fight.  No lie.

Four Horsemen Promo
- You can't beat Double A on the microphone.

Tag Team Match: The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) defeated The Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock) (4:26)
- WCW in 1996 has one thing that modern WWE doesn't have, a solid tag division.

Singles Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Diamond Dallas Page (4:30)
- Man these guys are talented.  I forgot how good DDP was back then, and how much presence he had in the ring.

Nick Patrick Promo
- I forgot how controversial he was back in the day.  I guess this is right before his full nWo turn.

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (w/ Col. Robert Parker & Sister Sherri) (c) defeated The American Males (Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs) (4:10)
- Hey look, it's Buff Bagwell!  I used to love him back in the 90's.  This is way, way before Judy Bagwell on a Forklift.  I remember Riggs from Raven's Flock, coming soon of course.

Sting/Luger/Horsemen Promo
- Double A and Flair came out, followed by Sting and Luger.  Sting calls out the rest of the Horsemen to the ring.  Sting and Luger tell Double A and Flair they want to join up as a team for War Games.  Mongo and Benoit agree to step aside and boom, a deal is formed.  Double A, Flair, The Total Package and The Stinger will take on Team nWo at War Games!

Singles Match: The Giant (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Randy Savage by DQ
- Well, that was short and to the point.  Not much to write about there.

Random Notes

• Another Glacier promo.  I'm ready.  Bring it on.
• Looks like Fall Brawl War Games is coming up soon.  I've been enjoying the War Games matches in NXT, so it'll be fun to watch some old WCW War Games matches.
• This Nitro didn't have a cliffhanger ending, so that was a surprise.  

WCW Clash of the Champions XXXIII Special: August 15th, 1996 (Rewatched 25 April 2020)

Today, we're rewatching WCW Clash of the Champions XXXIII, which took place August 15, 1996 at the Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colorado. While this event nowadays is a PPV, this one was actually a TV special that aired on TBS.  So, basically a free PPV type special for the fans.  It was a solid show, with a lot of great matches.  WCW vs WCW, and of course nWo vs WCW. For the purposes of this blog, I've labeled this as a WCW PPV, because it is a PPV type event, even though it was just a TV special aired on TBS.  So, with all that being said, let's go ahead and get into the show and talk about WCW Clash of the Champions XXXIII!

The Show

Rey Mysterio Jr (c) defeated Dean Malenko to retain the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship (12:07)
- That was a fun match.  These guys sure can put on a show!

VK Wallstreet defeated Jim Duggan (3:48)
- Two WWE legends - IRS and Hacksaw Jim Duggan, facing off!  He's got the 2x4 and the flag.  Now THAT is America!  And a short, but sweet match.

Konnan defeated Ultimate Dragon (w/ Sonny Onoo) (2:57)
- Well that was short, sweet, and to the point.

Meng defeated Randy Savage by forfeit (0:00)
- Macho Man's music hit, but he didn't come out.    Mean Gene came out and apparently Randy Savage didn't come out.  Meng won by forfeit.  This followed by an in ring promo with the Dungeon of Doom guys about defending WCW blah blah blah.

Madusa defeated Bull Nakano (w/ Sonny Onoo) (2:42)
- Again?  Well, okay.  We just did this like a week ago at Hog Wild.  Short and over quickly.

Eddie Guerrero defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a Lord Of The Ring Match (4:20)
- I'll never tire of watching these two fight.  Apparently they were competing for the Battlebowl Ring that DDP won at Slamboree a few months ago.  Also, Diamond Cutter outta nowhere!  Had major RKO vibes.

Hollywood Hogan Promo
- Apparently now Hogan is calling Ric Flair "the stupid little man".

The Giant (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Chris Benoit (w/ Miss Elizabeth & Woman) (0:23)
- That's what we call a squash match.

Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (w/ Sister Sherri) (c) vs. Lex Luger & Sting vs. The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner) ended in a No Contest in a Triangle Match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship (13:22)
- I forgot that they called them "triangle matches" instead of "triple threat" matches like we do now.

Ric Flair (w/ Miss Elizabeth & Woman) defeated Hollywood Hogan (c) by DQ in a WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match (8:23)
- I heard cheers when Hogan came out.  This must be when the crowd started getting behind the nWo.  You can't beat Hogan v Flair.  Of course the Outsiders interfered, and the Horsemen came out after that.

Misc Notes

• They ran another CompuServe live chat promo for this.  I remember CompuServe.
• There was a commercial for the WCW Power Plant.  I can't imagine how many people watching WCW called and wanted to be wrestlers back then.
• They even ran a Glacier promo during this thing.

WCW Nitro #48: August 12th, 1996. (Rewatched 25 April 2020).

We just finished Hog Wild 1996, and went straight into WCW Nitro #48, which occurred August 12th, 1996, at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. Pretty wild that we just had a PPV, then a Nitro, and next we'll be watching Clash of Champions XXXIII, which apparently wasn't a PPV and occurred instead on TBS.  So now, Hollywood Hogan is the WCW Champi....rather, the nWo Champion, as they have come to call it.  We still don't know who the 4th and 5th members of the nWo are, and WCW is getting even more defensive.  So, let's dive in!

The Show

Eight Man Tag Team Match: The Dungeon Of Doom (Hugh Morrus, Kevin Sullivan, Meng & The Barbarian) (w/ Big Bubba Rogers & Jimmy Hart) defeated High Voltage (Kenny Kaos & Robbie Rage) & Rough 'n' Ready (Dick Slater & Mike Enos) (2:40)
- Well, that was boring.

Luger/Sting Promo
- Lex Luger and Sting bust out to make a challenge, they want the Outsiders again.  They want to "clear up the controversy".  Outsiders obviously didn't come out.

Singles Match: Diamond Dallas Page defeated The Renegade (5:45)
- I'll never get tired of DDP.  Sadly, I just found out that The Renegade would commit suicide February 23rd, 1999.

Backstage nWo Promo:
- Hall, Nash, and Hogan are sitting on the couch, talking.  Biggest takeaway is they mention how no one guessed yet who the 4th and 5th guys are in the nWo.  Apparently they're sitting in the room, and they ask them to stay put and not show up on camera.

Singles Match: Konnan defeated Jim Powers (3:21)
- In Konnan post-match interview, he claims he's sticking behind WCW.  But, as we know, that doesn't last very long and he joins the nWo later.

Singles Match: Chris Benoit (w/ Miss Elizabeth & Woman) defeated Big Ron Studd (3:31)
- It's still unnerving to me to see Chris Benoit come out with "Woman" (Nancy Benoit).  I don't like commenting much on his matches.  I will say this, I forgot who Big Ron Studd was, but he was once called Yeti (that was such an awful gimmick), he goes on to become The Super Giant Ninja, and later on he becomes Reese (a Raven's Flock member).

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner) defeated Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (w/ Col. Robert Parker & Sister Sherri) (c) by DQ (8:57)
- Solid match.  These are two of the greatest teams of all time.

WCW World Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. (c) defeated Ultimate Dragon (w/ Sonny Onoo) (4:34)
- Quick and to the point match.

WCW United States Heavyweight Title Match: Ric Flair (w/ Miss Elizabeth & Woman) (c) defeated Randy Savage (11:43)
- Will never get tired of seeing these two legends fight.  Hogan came out and hit Macho with the chair, but eventually Macho will join the nWo.  So that's interesting.

Hogan Promo
- Hogan cuts a promo, hatin' on WCW, establishing himself firmly as a heel.  Good stuff.

Tag Team Match: Lex Luger & Sting vs. The Outsiders (Kevin Nash & Scott Hall) - No Contest (3:40)
- Before this match there's some random dog(?) mascot in the ring for some reason.  Not sure what that is about.  Pretty short and weird match.  Random interference, Horsemen coming out, nWo left, Nick Patrick left, so basically it was a non-match.  I forgot that at some point Nick Patrick joined the nWo and became their "official referee".

Random Thoughts

• Glacier promo again.  Well, okay, I'll admit, I'm ready for his debut now.  Ah!  They worked!  They're cheesy, but bah gawd, they worked

WCW Hog Wild PPV: August 10th, 1996 (Rewatched 23 April 2020)

We have arrived at the first Pay-Per-View event of my WCW rewatch:  WCW Hog Wild (1996)! Now, kids, back in the day we didn't have the WWE Network and used to have to pay forty to fifty bucks to watch these events. We usually got a bunch of friends together to share the cost, and made a huge night out of it.  Pizza, Surge, you know, the whole 90's experience.

 This event was a big one, because it was the cumulation of a bunch of nWo storylines, and it also had a lot of great action in it! This event happened on a Saturday, instead of the usual Sunday. It took place in Sturgis, South Dakota, at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I've read that around 5,000 people attended, many of whom were on motorcycles! 

Rewatching it, I had a lot of fun with this one.  It was a solid event, and a lot of fun to watch.  So, without further ado, let's get into the show!  Apparently, there was a TBS broadcast before this of a bunch of matches, which I couldn't find on the WWE Network, so I'm going to simply be talking about the PPV itself.

The Show:

Rey Mysterio, Jr. (c) defeated The Ultimate Dragon to retain the WCW World Cruiserweight Championship (11:35)
- For some reason, a USA chant broke out in the middle of the match.  I mean, Rey is a Mexican wrestler but he's from California, so I guess it works.  Ultimo Dragon is from Japan, so perhaps it was against him.

Scott Norton defeated Ice Train (5:05)
- These guys used to be a tag team, but they're fighting now.  I care very little about this storyline.  That was a quick little throwaway match.

Ric Flair Promo
- Ric cuts a little promo on the nWo and what they did to Arn Anderson.

Madusa defeated Bull Nakano (5:00)
- For this match, the ladies wrote out on motorcycles.  Madusa on a classic Harley and Bull had some kind of crotch-rocket motorcycle.  The winner of this match gets to destroy the other person's motorcycle for some reason.  Madusa went on to destroy Bull's motorcycle with a sledgehammer after the match.  And the crowd rejoiced.

Backstage
- There's a promo for CompuServe showing the Steiners trying to figure out how to chat with people who are doing a live chat with them.

Chris Benoit (w/ Woman and Miss Elizabeth) defeated Dean Malenko (26:55)
- I don't really like talking about Chris Benoit, personally.  Due to what he did.  And I kid you not, it actually said "With Woman and Miss Elizabeth" when he came out.  It sucks that Benoit is such a horrible person, because this match was incredible.  These two really brought the heat.  This match went to a draw due to the time limit, but then it went into "overtime" for some reason.  The time limit went out, but apparently they went into another overtime.  Whew, that was a heck of a match.

Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) (c) defeated The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott) to retain the WCW World Tag Team Championship (17:53)
- I still don't get the point of Harlem Heat coming out with a Col. Parker, this white bread looking cowboy, but WCW didn't always make sense. 

Ric Flair (c) (w/ Woman and Miss Elizabeth) defeated Eddie Guerrero to retain the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship (14:14)
- Nothing beats seeing these two legends in a match together.  Ric was already a legend at this point, and Eddie was one of the new kids on the block making a name for himself.  This was a good match though, theses guys definitely put on a show.  And man, could Flair sell. 

The Outsiders (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash) defeated Sting and Lex Luger (14:36)
- This match had been building for quite a while, and it delivered.  The finish was questionable, but it was still fun to watch.

Hollywood Hogan defeated The Giant (c) to win the WCW World Heavyweight Championship (14:55)
- I forgot they had Michael Buffer on these broadcasts.  The entrances to this match and the ring announcing really felt like we were about to see something epic.  Michael Buffer really sold it.  Now, this doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but back then - watching Hogan in the black and telling fans to shut up, that was a big deal.  This was the red and yellow machine who told us to say our prayers and eat our vitamins.  So this Hogan was a big deal.

After The Match
- I forgot about this, this was when the Booty Man came out in an nWo shirt with a birthday cake for Hogan, trying to join the nWo.  Hogan ended up laying him out, because he doesn't mix "business with pleasure", but ironically the Booty Man would join the nWo later on as The Disciple. 
- And then of course, it ended with that iconic image of Hogan spray painting nWo on the WCW title.  Back then, that was so metal.

Random Notes

• Cool to have Dusty Rhodes on the mic.  But man, that fashion.  A tucked in, cut off denim shirt, with denim cut off shorts, and cowboy boots.
• WCW nailed those stage designs.  It's one thing WWE doesn't really do anymore.

WCW Nitro #47: August 5th, 1996. (Rewatched 23 April 2020).

Today, we're re-watching WCW Nitro #47, from August 5th, 1996. This was the last Nitro before WCW Hog Wild 1996, where Hollywood Hogan would have his first match as a full heel.  I started rewatching after Bash at the Beach 1996, and every Nitro between Bash and this one has been basically about the nWo takeover storyline.  This Nitro is the "go home show" before the PPV, but it wasn't short on action. Lots of great in ring action, and lots of behind the scenes stuff. So, let's get into it!
The Show

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (w/ Col. Robert Parker & Sister Sherri) (c) defeated The Rock 'n' Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson)
- The Rock n Roll Express are a heck of a tag team.  They've done it all - NWA, AWA, WCW, WWE, and they even competed recently in NJPW and AEW.  They've been going strong since 1985.  This match is pretty legit, it's the best of the old days, vs the best of the new days (well, new in 1996), with Harlem Heat.  Also, a neat side note - random WCW wrestlers surrounding the ring to keep the nWo out.

Nasty Boys Promo
- A few weeks prior, they were saying good things about the nWo.  Now, they don't seem to be big nWo fans.  Then, Sting and Luger came out and asked where their loyalty lies, which led to a challenge in the ring, because the Nasty Boys said their loyalty is "none of their stinkin' business".  Gotta love 90's tough talk!

Singles Match: Malia Hosaka (w/ Sonny Onoo) defeated Madusa (4:39)
- They just had this match on Nitro #44.  The WCW women's division must be pretty thin.

Singles Match: Alex Wright defeated Chris Benoit (w/ Debra McMichael, Miss Elizabeth & Woman) by Count Out (8:20)
- I really don't feel comfortable talking much about Chris Benoit, due to what he did.  All I usually say is he had talent in the ring.  I do like Alex Wright though.  I'm ready for his rivalry with Disco Inferno.  I loved that angle back in the day.

Singles Match: Randy Savage defeated Lord Steven Regal (w/ Jeeves) (6:18)
- Pretty standard match.  Good back and forth.  Luger and Sting came out again for some reason.  Sitting in the four open chairs in the front row that the announcers have been talking about since last week.  After the match, Macho cut a promo about his title opportunity with the winner of the Giant/Hogan match.  Sting said, "I see a long life for WCW", to which I had to chuckle.

Backstage Segment
- They showed who was in the limo.  Apparently, flowers, as "condolences on the "death of WCW".  Har har har.

WCW United States Heavyweight Title Match: The Booty Man (w/ The Booty Babe) defeated Ric Flair (w/ Debra McMichael, Miss Elizabeth & Woman) (c) by DQ (3:00)
- Oh lord, I forgot about the Booty Man.  Or, Brutus Beefcake.  Or The Disciple, as he'd be known later.  Interesting note, the Booty Babe is Kimberly Page, DDP's ex-wife and valet.  The Four Horsemen interfered, and beat up the Booty Man (apparently because he's a friend of Hogan).

nWo Promo
- These guys sure knew how to cut a promo.  I love these old black and white promos.  The promo cut out, because apparently Sting and Lex asked them to stop it.


WCW World Heavyweight Title Match: The Giant (w/ Jimmy Hart) (c) defeated Sgt. Craig Pittman (w/ Teddy Long) (2:33)
- Sgt Craig apparently didn't go anywhere after WCW.  I was trying to remember this guy and I couldn't.  But there's Teddy Long, playa playa!

Tag Team Match: Lex Luger & Sting defeated The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) (7:05)
- That was a fun match.

Post-Match
- The limo is back, and now Sting and Luger want to go down and see what/who is in the latest limousine to pull up backstage.  The ending is yet another cliffhanger, which I loved about WCW back in the day.  They have a "after the match exclusion" which shows a letter, in a bag, from the nWo.  The letter says there may be four guys, or five.  And we're on to Sturgis for Hog Wild!

Random Notes

• Same Glacier promos again that we've been seeing for the last several weeks on Nitro.  WCW really seems to be invested in this dude.  
• WCW really knew how to work a camera.  You feel like you're right in the action with how their camera guys worked.

WCW Nitro #46: July 29th, 1996. (Rewatched 22 April 2020).

Today we're talking about WCW Nitro #46 (July 29th, 1996). As usual, held at the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. It's about to get busy in WCW! Coming up next we have Nitro 47 (8/5/96), which is the go-home show for Hog Wild 96 (8/10/96). Then it gets wild. After that is Nitro 48 (8/12/96), then, a few days later, is Clash of The Champions XXXIII (8/15/96). Then, back to normal with Nitro 49 (8/19/96). So, two PPVs aired within 9 days of each other. This is going to be fun! Now, on to the show!

The Show

Singles Match: Jim Duggan defeated Mike Enos (7:30)
- Man, I used to love Hacksaw when I was a kid.  I haven't watched this dude wrestle in years.

Six Man Tag Team Match: Lex Luger, Randy Savage & Sting vs. The Four Horsemen (Chris Benoit, Ric Flair & Steve McMichael) (w/ Debra McMichael, Miss Elizabeth & Woman) - Double Count Out (13:23)
- I'll never get tired of watching Ric Flair wrestle.  There's nothing cooler than watching these legends in the ring together.  They don't make them like this anymore. 

Backstage Segment
- Backstage, there's a little segment with The Outsiders.  I remember this one, though!  Kevin Nash threw Rey Mysterio into a production trailer, and then Macho Man jumped on the roof of the limo as it drove off.  The match ended by double count out, because everyone left the ring.
- That backstage bit felt super real (with all the bodies, the ambulances, the staff, the wrestlers all over the place), it's one thing I liked about WCW back then: how real it felt. 
- Back at the announce table, Bobby Heenan is talking about his history and saying he won't stay and finish the broadcast unless Eric Bischoff could guarantee his safety.  Bischoff said he couldn't guarantee anything, so Heenan throws down his headset and walks off.  Knowing that wrestling is fake, that bit felt so incredibly real.

Tag Team Match: The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner) defeated High Voltage (Kenny Kaos & Robbie Rage) (4:46)
- I don't remember High Voltage.  They must have been a jobber tag team.  It doesn't look like they did much after WCW.  Solid match, The Steiner Brothers were money back in the day.

Singles Match: Eddie Guerrero defeated Big Bubba Rogers (w/ Jimmy Hart) (10:47)
- I just now remembered who Big Bubba Rogers is.  It's the Big Boss Man from WWE.  He was Big Bubba Rogers in Jim Crockett Promotions, later in NJPW in 1993, and again in WCW when he came over from 93-98.

nWo Promo
- I used to love these black and white nWo promos.  They felt so raw and gritty.  These three cut promos together, especially Hogan as a heel.  He really went all in with that character.  And ah, I forgot about ol' "Billionare Ted"!

WCW World Heavyweight Title Match: The Giant (w/ Jimmy Hart) (c) defeated Greg Valentine (1:42)
- This match was originally supposed to be The Giant v Arn Anderson, but due to injury they put Greg Valentine in it.  You know, The Hammer!  But yeah, basically a squash match.  I forgot how passionate The Giant was in WCW.  He definitely wasn't a useless "big man".  And he took a lot of pride in defending WCW.

Random Thoughts

• It was so cool to see a Macho Slim Jim commercial.  I haven't seen one of those in a while!
• They are hyping Glacier up something fierce.  I've been seeing promos for him for the past several episodes.  I mean, I'm sure this was cool back then, but now it looks really cheesy.

WCW Nitro #45: July 22nd, 1996. (Rewatched 21 April 2020).

Today we're watching WCW Nitro #45 (July 22nd, 1996), and there are three shows to go before WCW Hog Wild 1996. Tonight's episode of Nitro, as usual, comes from the Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. The storylines continue to be focused on the invasion of the nWo, and the build up to Hog Wild.  One thing I've noticed as I've been rewatching (this is episode #3 of my rewatch), is how gritty Nitro was.  It had a really unique style to it.  But, enough of that, let's get into the show!

The Show

Singles Match: Squire David Taylor (w/ Jeeves) defeated Scott Norton by DQ (1:45)
- Not much to speak of, short match won by DQ.  But Scott Norton brought the heat.  It's wild seeing fans at ringside and not separated by a barricade.

Nice promo with the Four Horsemen between matches
- Man, I forgot how good Steve Mongo McMichael was on the mic.

Singles Match: Konnan defeated VK Wallstreet (5:17)
- Hey look, it's VK Wallstreet!  Also known as Mike Rotunda, or IRS in the WWE.  He's also the father of WWE's Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas.  And there's non-nWo Konnan.  I used to love that dude back in the day.  Konnan was billed as the "Mexican Heavyweight Champion" when he began the match, aka the AAA Americas Heavyweight Championship he was on February 2nd, 1996 (he would vacate it on October 1st, 1996).

Eight Man Tag Team Match: Alex Wright, Jim Powers, Joe Gomez & Renegade defeated The Dungeon Of Doom (Hugh Morrus, Kevin Sullivan, The Barbarian & The Leprechaun) (w/ Jimmy Hart) by DQ (5:29)
- Hoooooooly crap, that promo before this match was awful.  It shows Alex Wright, Jim Powers, Joe Gomez, and Renegade on the beach, taking their shirts off for some reason.  It's like a bad Baywatch video.  I guess this is before Alex Wright started dancing.  Meanwhile, backstage, the Outsiders are in the control room.  Apparently, they're looking for a friend in the crowd.  Back to the match, for some reason The Giant came out and started clearing the ring.

The Giant Promo
- Obviously, The Giant accepts Hogan's challenge for the next PPV.

Singles Match: Diamond Dallas Page defeated Prince Iaukea (1:39)
- Hey, look, it's DDP!  I forgot how good this dude was back in the day.  He made quick work of Prince.

Singles Match: Dean Malenko defeated Chavo Guerrero Jr. (8:10)
- Look at young Chavo, aww.  He's so young here.  That was a good match though.  You don't see fighters like these two anymore.

Singles Match: Meng (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Ice-Train by DQ (6:20)
- Bischoff started the match by talking about how bright Ice-Train's future is.  It should be noted after WWE bought WCW, he retired and didn't go anywhere.

Singles Match: Eddie Guerrero defeated Psychosis
- I forgot what a strong luchalibre/cruiserweight division WCW had back in the day.  That's one thing I've missed most about WCW.

Six Man Tag Team Match: Lex Luger, Randy Savage & Sting defeated The Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit & Steve McMichael) (w/ Debra McMichael & Woman) (7:38)
- Before the match starts, they're showing Arn Anderson looking in the limo.  I wonder who it could be.  No really, I do, I haven't watched this episode since it aired in 1996.  I've honestly forgot a lot of this.  But wow, what a match.  They don't make superstars like this anymore.  The end of that match was a melee!  But, we didn't get an answer as to who was in the limo.  Again, it's why Nitro was so good - the cliffhangers!

Random Thoughts

• Hey look, another Glacier promo!  Dude looks like a straight rip-off of Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat.  What an awful promo.  I imagine back then I would have liked it though.  I am interested to see his debut, because I've forgotten how that went over.  I know I saw him in AEW recently, but totally forgot about his WCW run.

WCW Nitro #44: July 15th, 1996. (Rewatched 19 April 2020).

Here we go again, time for the second entry in my WCW rewatch blog. Today we're going to be talking about WCW Nitro #44 (July 15th, 1996). This episode, once again, took place at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. A beautiful backdrop for Nitro, if I must say so! This episode was the first appearance of Hulk Hogan as Hollywood Hogan, wearing all black. Even watching it now, it takes me right back to watching it when I was younger!  So, without further ado, let's go ahead and get into the action and talk about this episode!

The Show

Tag Team Match: The Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner) defeated Fire And Ice (Ice-Train & Scott Norton) (10:43)
- That was a solid match. The Steiner Brothers were an incredible tag team.  They had great in ring chemistry.

Singles Match: Dean Malenko defeated Billy Kidman (5:13)
- I forgot Kidman was a pretty boy before he joined Raven's Flock.  Basically a jobber at this point.

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (w/ Sister Sherri) (c) defeated Rough 'n' Ready (Dick Slater & Mike Enos) (w/ Col. Robert Parker) (7:39)
- Harlem Heat is one of the most dominant tag teams in the history of the game.  They worked so well together in this match, and had some killer intensity.

Singles Match: Madusa defeated Malia Hosaka (4:07)
- Hey, the first women's match of my rewatch.  I don't remember Malia, she must have been a jobber.  Madusa definitely dominated this one.

Singles Match: Meng (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Arn Anderson (10:58)
- I forgot how tough Meng is.  And I'll never get tired of seeing Double-A in action.

Singles Match: Eddie Guerrero defeated Chris Benoit by Count Out (9:38)
- As I mentioned last time, it's hard to comment on Chris Benoit due to what he did.  But you can't discount his talent.  And wow, Eddie Guerrero, he is missed.

WCW World Television Title Match: Big Bubba Rogers (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Lex Luger (c) by DQ (11:30)
- I forgot how good Lex Luger looked back in the day; dude was in shape!

Post-Match/End of Show

- I remember this moment so vividly from my younger years.  Seeing Hogan show up in all black - that was a big deal.  It still feels surreal seeing it, 24 years later.  And I remember how crazy it was to hear Hulk Hogan being booed.  The show cut off as the WCW locker room emptied out to the ring to take on the nWo.  But that's what made Nitro good, honestly.  So many episodes ended like this and they made you hunger for more.  You couldn't wait until next week to see what happened next.

Random Thoughts

• More Glacier promos this week.  As noted last time, they're genuinely awful.
• These old commercials are wild, along with the random ad placement.  I forgot about 1-800-Collect.  And wow, I forgot about WCW Magazine.  I used to subscribe to that.
• It's been really cool watching the nWo gradually taking over WCW.
• I forgot how good Mongo was on the mic.  Dude can really cut a promo.