(12.4.95)
Live from Phoenix, AZ
Your hosts are Eric Bischoff, Steve McMichael & Bobby Heenan
WCW Tag Team Titles
Harlem Heat (C) (W/Sister Sherri) Vs The American Males (Buff Bagwell & Scotty Riggs)
The American Males get booed during their entrance because they're the lame, hunky babyfaces. During the match, Col. Parker comes down to ringside and gives Sherri gifts. Sherri abandons Harlem Heat and leaves with Col. Parker. Harlem Heat retains anyway when Booker T delivers the Harlem Hangover off the top. This match wasn't terrible by any means, just rather uninteresting.
*1/2
Sting and Lex Luger are with Gene Okerlund. Sting says Luger has been his best friend for 10 years. He doesn't like Luger's relationship with Jimmy Hart, but that won't change their friendship. He says Luger has a good chance at becoming WCW Champion tonight, but at Starrcade in the Triangle match for a shot at the WCW title, he's gonna come at Luger like he would anybody else. Luger says he's gonna do the same thing with Sting.
Thoughts: This was just to establish that Sting has no affiliation with The Dungeon of Doom. I did like Sting's confident delivery, though, which is essential for a top babyface.
Sting Vs Kurasawa
Sting wins rather quickly with The Scorpion Deathlock. This was a glorified squash match to keep The Stinger strong. It wasn't much to write home about.
3/4*
The Giant (W/Jimmy Hart & Kevin Sullivan) Vs Scott Norton
The Giant wins with a chokeslam. This match was a squash to make The Giant look unstoppable. Scott Norton did get in some offense, though, including an impressive atomic drop.
½*
Ric Flair comes out for an interview and brings Charles Barkley with him. Charles says Ric Flair is the man, no matter what anybody says. Flair says he and Barkley are gonna party hard after Nitro. I don't doubt that for a second, Ric! Barkley sucks up to Flair some more, leading to Flair claiming that if Barkley ever leaves the NBA, he could wind up as a Four Horsemen member. Oh, god!
WCW Heavyweight Championship
Randy Savage (C) Vs Lex Luger (W/Jimmy Hart)
Lex Luger wins by disqualification. Ric Flair came out and tried to help Luger win by nailing Savage with brass knuckles. Hulk Hogan came down and went after Flair, nailing the referee in the process. Sting comes out to stop Hogan from attacking Luger, but Hogan inadvertently hits Sting. They argue with each other for a bit before Savage plays peacemaker. Hogan asks whose side Sting is on. Sting says he's on Hogan's side, but Luger is his best friend and he's trying to straighten him out and get him away from Jimmy Hart. Sting questions Savage's motives and sticks up for Luger. Hogan and Savage remind Sting that Savage said Luger was bad news in the first place. Sting implies that Hogan and Savage didn't give Luger a fair chance. Hogan says Sting is his friend, but to please keep Luger away from him.
Thoughts.
This was melodrama at its finest. Hogan is paranoid, Savage is crazy, and Sting is gullible, that pretty much sums it up. The match itself wasn't very good. The psychology was decent, but it never really got going at all.
*1/2
Overall, a crappy main event and too much melodrama sink this episode. I also got sick of hearing every 5 minutes about how Hogan, Flair, Sting, Savage, and The Giant are on probation by WCW executives. Overexposure was a huge problem for WCW.
Live from Phoenix, AZ
Your hosts are Eric Bischoff, Steve McMichael & Bobby Heenan
WCW Tag Team Titles
Harlem Heat (C) (W/Sister Sherri) Vs The American Males (Buff Bagwell & Scotty Riggs)
The American Males get booed during their entrance because they're the lame, hunky babyfaces. During the match, Col. Parker comes down to ringside and gives Sherri gifts. Sherri abandons Harlem Heat and leaves with Col. Parker. Harlem Heat retains anyway when Booker T delivers the Harlem Hangover off the top. This match wasn't terrible by any means, just rather uninteresting.
*1/2
Sting and Lex Luger are with Gene Okerlund. Sting says Luger has been his best friend for 10 years. He doesn't like Luger's relationship with Jimmy Hart, but that won't change their friendship. He says Luger has a good chance at becoming WCW Champion tonight, but at Starrcade in the Triangle match for a shot at the WCW title, he's gonna come at Luger like he would anybody else. Luger says he's gonna do the same thing with Sting.
Thoughts: This was just to establish that Sting has no affiliation with The Dungeon of Doom. I did like Sting's confident delivery, though, which is essential for a top babyface.
Sting Vs Kurasawa
Sting wins rather quickly with The Scorpion Deathlock. This was a glorified squash match to keep The Stinger strong. It wasn't much to write home about.
3/4*
The Giant (W/Jimmy Hart & Kevin Sullivan) Vs Scott Norton
The Giant wins with a chokeslam. This match was a squash to make The Giant look unstoppable. Scott Norton did get in some offense, though, including an impressive atomic drop.
½*
Ric Flair comes out for an interview and brings Charles Barkley with him. Charles says Ric Flair is the man, no matter what anybody says. Flair says he and Barkley are gonna party hard after Nitro. I don't doubt that for a second, Ric! Barkley sucks up to Flair some more, leading to Flair claiming that if Barkley ever leaves the NBA, he could wind up as a Four Horsemen member. Oh, god!
WCW Heavyweight Championship
Randy Savage (C) Vs Lex Luger (W/Jimmy Hart)
Lex Luger wins by disqualification. Ric Flair came out and tried to help Luger win by nailing Savage with brass knuckles. Hulk Hogan came down and went after Flair, nailing the referee in the process. Sting comes out to stop Hogan from attacking Luger, but Hogan inadvertently hits Sting. They argue with each other for a bit before Savage plays peacemaker. Hogan asks whose side Sting is on. Sting says he's on Hogan's side, but Luger is his best friend and he's trying to straighten him out and get him away from Jimmy Hart. Sting questions Savage's motives and sticks up for Luger. Hogan and Savage remind Sting that Savage said Luger was bad news in the first place. Sting implies that Hogan and Savage didn't give Luger a fair chance. Hogan says Sting is his friend, but to please keep Luger away from him.
Thoughts.
This was melodrama at its finest. Hogan is paranoid, Savage is crazy, and Sting is gullible, that pretty much sums it up. The match itself wasn't very good. The psychology was decent, but it never really got going at all.
*1/2
Overall, a crappy main event and too much melodrama sink this episode. I also got sick of hearing every 5 minutes about how Hogan, Flair, Sting, Savage, and The Giant are on probation by WCW executives. Overexposure was a huge problem for WCW.
