Montana Entertainment Trade and Recreation Arena; Billings, MT
"Welcome everyone to the first Monday Nitro of February 1998!" cries Tony Schiavone as the camera shows the opening fireworks and pans through the crowd. They discuss Sting saving The Giant from The Outsiders last week as he prepares to face off with Scott Hall in just three weeks at SuperBrawl. Mike Tenay runs down tonight's card, including a clash between "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Jim Neidhart, the fallout from Chris Benoit's shocking turn on Ric Flair, as well as Lex Luger's promise to confront the attacker who left him down and out in the parking lot last week. But "Brain" can't wait for our main event, as the nWo's Curt Hennig looks to reclaim the United States Championship from Diamond Dallas Page!
Rating: 79 (B)
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Glacier & Ernest Miller vs. Konnan & Scott Norton w/Vincent
Despite a boatload of talent and Glacier's long undefeated streak, he and Miller continued their slump against a game Konnan and Norton. Konnan locked in the Tequila Sunrise on Miller for a submission win.
Rating: 62 (C)
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The following announcement has been paid for by the new World order…
With the familiar music playing, a black-and-white video with abrupt jump cuts shows The Outsiders alongside Eric Bischoff and various nWo cronies.
"'Ey yo Stinger, Giant, WCW is The Outsiders' world now, and there ain't nothin' you two boys can do about it. We do what we want…when we want. And when Big Kev Jackknifes that big dumb idiot through the ring at SuperBrawl, and when 'The Bad Guy' gets the 1-2-3 and becomes nWo Champion…'ey, Kev, maybe you'll get the first title shot!"
They all laugh, and Kevin adds: "What sounds even better is if we just pick up and take the belt to Maui when we're done with these clowns – 'cuz that's just too…SWEEEEET!"
Rating: 88 (B+)
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As the show comes back from break, Tony announces that something horrible has happened. After Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage jumped The Hart Family in the ring last week, the announce desk has received news that it happened again here tonight. They send us to camera footage from during the commercial break where Bret, Davey, and Anvil were walking into the arena with their bags, when they were assaulted from behind by Hogan, Savage, Norton, and Konnan! Hogan tosses Bret into the wall as he and Norton put the boots to him. Meanwhile, Randy slams the driver's-side door of a Nissan Maxima onto the arm of the Bulldog! The Hart Family lies in a heap, yet again, as Tenay asks whether WCW has awakened a monster in the new World order after Souled Out. Heenan questions whether Neidhart is even going to be able to fight Savage later tonight!
Rating: 90 (A)
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vs.
Lizmark Jr. vs. Eddy Guerrero
In the cruiserweight division, it was rare for Eddy to take on a man six inches taller than him, so he faced a unique challenge in Lizmark. After a fast-paced matchup though, he continued his tear through the cruiserweight ranks with a Victory Roll.
Rating: 67 (C+)
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After a quick break, the team runs down a few more matches announced for SuperBrawl. First, Eddy Guerrero will defend his Cruiserweight Championship against his nephew Chavo Jr.! Also, Rey Mysterio Jr. will go one-on-one with the deranged Chris Jericho, and Scott Steiner will challenge either Diamond Dallas Page or fellow nWo member Curt Hennig for the U.S. Championship!
With that, Mean Gene is in the ring and he introduces his guest, "The Total Package" Lex Luger. Lex comes out to a big pop with bandages on his forehead and tape on his shoulder. Okerlund runs down the heinous attack that occurred last week and says that Luger caught a glimpse at who the perpetrator was. Everyone has been asking all over the World Wide Web and the WCW Hotline: who was it?
Luger says a lot of times in the wrestling business when a guy gets attacked from behind, there's weeks of a whodunnit, but that's not what happened here. He says that the man, or rather, the men who attacked him, have history with "The Total Package" and have been in the same locker rooms as him for years. And as soon as that briefcase hit him in the back of the head, he knew exactly who the culprits were.
"If you had a problem with me, you could've just said it to my face. Now you're gonna have to have the guts to walk down that aisle and face me right now. Curt Hennig…Rick Rude…get out here!"
After a delay, with no music, Rick Rude makes his way out to the ring alone. Rude explains that he's out to the ring merely as an advocate because Curt is warming up for his U.S. Title match later on tonight. Rude says though, that yeah, it was Hennig who took Lex out last week, but he did it not because he has a problem with Luger or he doesn't have the guts to face him. He did it because Lex might be "The Total Package" physically and athletically, but strategically he's a mental midget. And when there's an opportunity to take out an opponent, the nWo takes that opportunity. Because winning is winning, and business is business. Rick says he's sorry that Luger was too dumb to have his head on a swivel last week. As Lex chuckles and walks toward him, Rude reminds him that he's just an advocate and that if Luger hits him, he'll sue him to hell.
As Lex weighs his options, though, he's hit with a chop block from behind by Curt Hennig! As Gene shouts and Curt puts the boots to Luger, with Rude getting some shots in, Lex crawls his way over to the corner. Hennig and Rude taunt the crowd, and Curt turns around to a huge clothesline from "The Total Package"! He gets up, but as Lex goes for a big forearm, Curt drops to the ground as he and Rude roll out of the ring and head for the back!
Rating: 66 (C+; announcements); 94 (A; Luger confronts attacker)
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vs.
Rick Steiner vs. The Barbarian w/Meng & Jimmy Hart
In a matchup of two men with screws loose in their brains, each wrestler found himself on the receiving end of clubbing blows and thunderous suplexes from the other. However, it was Rick Steiner that was able to grit out the victory with a Diving Bulldog.
After the match, Steiner grabs a microphone from ringside and makes his intentions clear: "my brother Scott might'a gothimself a U.S. Title shot but Scotty, you ain't getting that belt unless it's OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Rick tosses the mic to the ground and walks out.
Rating: 76 (B-; match); 77 (B; promo)
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After a break, there's a pre-taped interview with Bill Goldberg backstage. Gene Okerlund asks for his thoughts regarding the actions of Steven Regal last week, who got himself disqualified. Goldberg has a short, sweet message for Lord Regal.
"Last week, you woke the bear, Steven Regal. So next week on Nitro…YOU'RE NEXT!"
Rating: 85 (B+)
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The Rock 'n' Roll Express vs. Mortis & Wrath w/James Vandenberg
The announcers spend the match putting over Vandenberg's recent "analysis" of Alex Wright, and Heenan expresses his ability to evaluate talent, since Mortis and Wrath take on Harlem Heat at SuperBrawl for the Tag Team belts. In the ring, although Morton and Gibson have decades of experience, they fell to the more vicious team. Wrath pinned Gibson following a Chokeslam.
Afterward, their music is interrupted by Harlem Heat at the top of the aisle. Booker and Stevie say they're not scared of Mortis and Wrath because they've seen tougher guys out on the streets. And if they want the belts, they can come and get 'em, sucka!
Rating: 59 (C; match); 72 (B-; post-match)
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As we return from a break, the camera pans to ringside, where Raven and his Flock are seated, including its newest member, Chris Benoit. The blonde man from last week is still there as well, though the announcers still don't know his name. Tony notes that Sick Boy is scheduled for action against the Disco Inferno next.
But first, out to the ring come Arn Anderson, Steve "Mongo" McMichael, Dean Malenko, and "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. There's no pomp and circumstance as there normally would be, and Flair grabs a microphone when he enters the ring. He says he's been trying to get in touch with Chris Benoit all week, but he wouldn't return his calls. He looked for him in the locker room earlier, but Benoit was nowhere to be found. Flair says he waited for Chris to come out to ringside because he needed to see it with his own eyes, that Benoit spit in the face of the Horsemen and joined The Flock. "I just wanna know, brother…why?"
As Flair waits for an answer, near tears, Benoit stares vacantly through him. As it becomes clear Benoit isn't going to answer, Arn gets angry and says that after all the Horsemen and Ric Flair did to turn Benoit into one of the premier athletes and biggest up-and-coming stars in World Championship Wrestling, Benoit owes them an explanation. Kidman fetches Raven a microphone and he stands up.
"Don't you see Ric, Arn? Don't you get it? There's an obvious reason why your golden boy is now in my Flock, and that's because you failed him. The Horsemen failed Chris Benoit, WCW failed Chris Benoit, and Arn Anderson and Ric Flair failed Chris Benoit. No man has poured more blood, sweat, and tears in that ring than this man for the last few years and what does he have to show for it? He's yet another wrestler in this business chewed up and spit out by the powers that be because he doesn't play politics in the back with Kevin Sullivan, J.J. Dillon, Terry Taylor, and Ted Turner. He didn't spit in the face of The Horsemen…he's healing. And together, we're gonna turn this company upside down until the outcasts run the asylum."
With that, the entire Flock turns and makes its exit through the crowd, except for Sick Boy. Confused and disappointed, The Horsemen head to the back as well.
Rating: 85 (B+)
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vs.
Disco Inferno w/Rick Martel vs. Sick Boy
Although Disco faced a size disadvantage in this one, he did have an advantage in that The Flock had left ringside. The lack of distraction allowed Disco to focus and catch Sick Boy with a Stunner, dubbed the "Chartbuster" by Mike Tenay. Disco covered for the victory!
Rating: 50 (D+)
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Warming up in the back is Diamond Dallas Page, and he's approached by Lex Luger. Noticing the tension from last month's championship battle, Lex disarms DDP by letting him know that he's sure Scott Steiner will be at ringside tonight, and he has no plans to let Curt Hennig walk away with the title belt. Luger extends his hand and says he'll be out there to have Dallas's back tonight. Page accepts the handshake and thanks Lex as he continues to warm up.
Rating: 83 (B+)
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vs.
Jim Neidhart vs. Randy Savage w/Elizabeth
Without Bret and Davey Boy, this was a tall task for Neidhart. Although "The Anvil" was able to make it out to the ring after the assault earlier in the night, he was no match for the predatory instincts of "The Macho Man." Biting, scratching, and clawing, Savage mercifully ended this one with a Flying Elbow.
What's not merciful, however, is what happens after the bell rings. With Savage stomping out and continuing to attack Neidhart, "Hollywood" Hogan saunters down the aisle, spraypaint in hand and Eric Bischoff by his side. As the two destroy Neidhart, Bischoff taunts Bret and the Bulldog, asking where they are. After a Hogan legdrop to "The Anvil," they put the exclamation point on top: Savage wraps a chair around Neidhart's thick neck and jumps off the top rope, stomping on the chair! With the announce team up in arms calling for help, Neidhart rolls around in pain as a half-dozen WCW officials run down to the ring to get him medical attention. Before they arrive, however, Hogan takes the time to shake the can and paint "nWo" on the back of "The Anvil"!
Rating: 75 (B-; match); 88 (B+; beatdown)
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As we come back, Schiavone apologizes to the audience for the wicked act committed by the nWo shortly before the break and delivers the news that Jim Neidhart has been transported to a local hospital to determine the extent of his injuries.
Taking a breath, Mike Tenay then turns to the card for this weekend's WCW Saturday Night: The Giant will be in action, and Dean Malenko will take on Riggs of The Flock!
Rating: 76 (B-)
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vs.
Diamond Dallas Page (c) w/Kimberly & Lex Luger vs. Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude & Scott Steiner
While Hennig was the man who Page defeated for the title, this match had an entirely different context surrounding it. As Luger expected, Scott Steiner accompanied Hennig to the ring, and so Lex did the same for Diamond Dallas. And it didn't take long for the match to devolve. Luger stopped Rude from distracting referee Mickey Jay, though Jay had his hands full with Steiner too! Steiner and Luger got into it a number of times along the outside until Rude leveled Lex in the back with the briefcase! In the end, though, the crowd popped for Kimberly pulling at Steiner's leg on the apron, causing him to slip and hit his head, tumbling down to the floor! This took Page aback, and Hennig tried to capitalize, but DDP turned a Hennig Plex attempt into a Diamond Cutter and covered for the three!
After the match, Steiner walks over to Kimberly and says she's gonna regret what she just did, but Page slides under the ropes and gets in between the two. Page and Steiner push each other, but when Steiner goes to attack, Page slips underneath – another Diamond Cutter! By this time, Lex is back on his feet as he makes sure that Hennig doesn't sneak attack Diamond Dallas. In the ring, Luger celebrates with Page and Kimberly as DDP has retained his belt!
Rating: 83 (B+; match); 92 (A; post-match)
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Before the show ends, however, we cut to a dark hallway with a similar vibe to an nWo "announcement" – only this time, it's Sting and The Giant doing the talking. First, it's Giant:
"Kevin Nash, for the second biggest man in professional wrestling, you've got a big yellow streak down your back. You know you can't step in the ring one-on-one with a real Giant, and so you get your buddies to hit me while I'm not looking. Well I've got some backup too, Kev – the man who wreaks hell in the nWo's nightmares! And at SuperBrawl, Kevin, it's an even playing field. You. And ME. If you show up!"
Then, Sting, carrying his belt over his right shoulder and a bat in his left hand:
"…and Scott Hall…eeeyyy yo. You're always tellin' people to 'bring it, don't sing it,' well guess what – at SuperBrawl, I'm bringing it! And I'm gonna keep running up and down the new World order until it is eradicated from World Championship Wrestling. At SuperBrawl, Scott Hall, survey says…you're dead!"
Rating: 88 (B+)
Overall Show Rating: 86 (B+). This show increased our popularity in 25 regions.
Backstage Notes: Since he wasn't booked on the card, Chris Jericho put his time to use by holding a tournament of the latest Nintendo 64 WCW video game, WCW vs. nWo: World Tour. "Coincidentally," Jericho also won the tournament, though the guys backstage reportedly had a lot of fun.
WCW Monday Nitro Quick Results
Glacier & Ernest Miller vs. Konnan & Scott Norton w/Vincent
Non-Title Match
Lizmark Jr. vs. Eddy Guerrero
Rick Steiner vs. The Barbarian w/Meng & Jimmy Hart
The Rock 'n' Roll Express vs. Mortis & Wrath w/James Vandenberg
Disco Inferno w/Rick Martel vs. Sick Boy
Jim Neidhart vs. Randy Savage w/Elizabeth
WCW United States Championship
Diamond Dallas Page (c) w/Kimberly & Lex Luger vs. Curt Hennig w/Rick Rude & Scott Steiner
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