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Hello readers and welcome to the second edition of “Keeping The Memories Alive“. In today’s edition, I will be reviewing the very first WCW Nitro. The event was shown live on TNT from the Mall Of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 4, 1995. Keep your requests coming.
The intro video hits and the first edition of WCW Nitro is on the air.
Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan and the debuting Steve McMichael welcome us. Eric tells McMichael that he has finally made it to the big leagues (A shot on his short stay in the WWF earlier in the year for the Lawrence Taylor/Bam Bam Bigelow feud). Bischoff tells us that Hulk Hogan will be in action tonight.
Match #1: Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. “Flyin” Brian Pillman.
Tale Of The Tape: Jushin Liger (213 pounds, from Tokyo, Japan, 30 years old, 6 time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion). Brian Pillman (236 pounds, from Hollywood, California, 33 years old, former WCW Tag Team Champion).
Liger has early control and attempts the first pin with a moonsault but only gets a 2 count. Pillman counters with a nice head scissors. Pillman hit’s a hurricanrana for a count of 2. Liger comes back and puts Pillman into a surfboard. Liger back body drops Pillman over the top rope to the floor and then follows it up with a spin kick off the apron. Liger tries to suplex Pillman back into the ring from the apron but Brian reverses it and suplex’s Liger onto the floor. Pillman follows it up with a cross body off the top rope to the floor. Great back and forth action. Both men back into the ring and Liger hit’s a superplex for a count of 2. Liger goes back up top for a cross body but Pillman hit’s a dropkick out of nowhere but only gets a 2 count. Liger hit’s the Ligerbomb for another close call but only 2. Bischoff mentions that in other action tonight Ric Flair takes on Sting and Hulk Hogan squares off with Big Bubba. Liger with a hurricanrana off the top rope and another 2 count. Pillman with a nice tornado DDT for a 2 count. Pillman finally nails a victory roll with the win in about 7 minutes. Both men hug and shake hands after the bout.
Sting is shown backstage and tells the Nature Boy he is going to put the scorpion death lock on him later tonight.
Commercial Break.
And ad for Gene Okerlund’s hotline airs.
We see a clip from earlier in the day where Eric Bischoff interviews WCW Champion Hulk Hogan (With Jimmy Hart) in the crowd. Hogan says that he has eaten his Hulkapasta and Hulkamania is going to run wild on Big Bubba tonight.
Match #2: Sting defends the WCW United States Title against “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair.
Tale Of The Tape: Ric Flair (242 pounds, from Charlotte, North Carolina, 46 years old, 2 time WWF Champion). Sting (251 pounds from Venice Beach, California, 36 years old, on first reign as WCW United States Champion).
Before the match starts, Lex Luger makes his way to ringside. The announcers make a huge deal of this because Luger was believed to be a member of the WWF roster just 24 hours earlier. Flair and Sting look confused. Sting takes early control with a couple of press slam’s. A dropkick forces Flair to go to the floor for a breather. Lex Luger has now left the ringside area. Flair unloads with a series of chops on the Stinger. Flair hit’s a cross body taking both men onto the floor. Sting press slam’s the Nature Boy back into the ring. Sting goes for the Stinger splash in the corner but Flair counters with an elbow.
Commercial Break.
We are back and Flair does his usual going to the top rope only to be slammed off of it. Arn Anderson has now come down to ringside. Flair does his signature flip over the turnbuckles and gets clotheslined off the apron. Mat wrestling going on now as Flair goes for the first pin attempt but Sting reveres it into a bridge and backslide for a 2 count. Sting now hit’s a huge superplex. Sting is taunting Arn Anderson but Flair hits him from behind and has locked on the figure four. Flair is using the ropes for leverage and refuses to break causing the disqualification in about 12 minutes. Sting remains United States Champion. Arn Anderson gets in the ring and breaks the hold! Anderson and Flair brawl away as the family feud continues. Flair and Anderson head backstage. Suddenly, Scott Norton comes out and challenges Steve McMichael. Randy Savage comes out and makes a challenge of his own, welcoming Norton to WCW. Doug Dillenger is now out here trying to get Norton out of here, Bischoff is trying to break it up as well.
A vignette airs for Sabu, fresh out of ECW and on his way to WCW.
Commercial Break.
Gene Okerlund is in the ring and announces the winning fan in the Harley Davidson contest.
Eric Bischoff runs down some of the matches scheduled for WCW Saturday Night this week. Johnny B. Badd vs. Dick Slater, Sting & Randy Savage vs. the Blue Bloods, as well as a Fall Brawl update.
WCW’s newest wrestler, Michael Wallstreet is standing by backstage. He makes some jokes about the IRS watching him (A knock on his character Irwin R. Shyster from the WWF). He has returned to WCW because the best wrestlers in the world are there.
Commercial Break.
Match #3: Hulk Hogan (With “The Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart) defends the WCW Title against “Big” Bubba Rogers.
Tale Of The Tape: Bubba Rogers (321 pounds, from Cobb County, Georgia, 33 years old, former UWF Champion). Hulk Hogan (302 pounds, from Venice Beach, California, 42 years old, on first reign as WCW Champion).
Just as the bell rings, Eric Bischoff informs us that Randy Savage will face Scott Norton next week. Very slow paced match. Bubba has the early control with a backbreaker and constantly trapping Hogan in the corner with a series of punches. Hogan strikes back with some rights of his own. Bubba ends up going to the floor and puts his hands on Jimmy Hart but Hogan attacks him from behind. Now Hart has the referee distracted as Hogan is choking Bubba with Hart’s jacket. Hogan slams Bubba and drops a series of elbows. Bubba misses the avalanche in the corner but quickly nails a sidewalk slam out of nowhere to retaliate. Bubba goes for the cover but now Hogan is Hulking Up. The big boot, the leg drop and Hogan retains the WCW Title in about 7 minutes. The Dungeon Of Doom hit the ring. Kevin Sullivan, Meng, Shark, Kamala and the Zodiac. Lex Luger comes out and makes the save but Hogan is not to appreciative of Luger’s help. Randy Savage, Jimmy Hart and Sting are out to try and separate the two.
Commercial Break.
Gene Okerlund is now in the ring with a microphone. Hogan tells Luger he has no business being here. Luger says he has returned to WCW to take the belt from Hulk Hogan. He says he has been where Hogan has been and beaten the same opponents. He is tired of playing with little kids and wants to play with the big boys. Hogan says he respects Luger but nothing compares to his Hulkamaniacs. Hogan then says he will give Luger a title shot next week and Luger accepts. Then a shoving contest breaks out and Sting and Savage hold both men back.
The announcers close the show out. Bischoff says that Sabu and Michael Wallstreet will also be here next week on Nitro.
I hope you enjoyed reading the second edition of “Keeping The Memories Alive”. Now I ask, what would you like to see reviewed? Got a favorite Pay Per View from WWE, WCW, ECW or TNA? A favorite episode of Raw, Smackdown, Nitro, Impact, ECW, Superstars, Hardcore TV or Saturday Nights Main Event? What about a classic super card like Super Clash or Parade Of Champions? A certain home video release? Email me your feedback and requests at jbryan21408@yahoo.com.
