WCW Monday Nitro 1/1/1996

WCW Monday Nitro 1/1/1996

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/07/wcw-monday-nitro-12251995.html

Starrcade 1995 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/07/wcw-starrcade-1995-world-cup-of.html 

We are now in 1996. While Nitro 1995 didn't have that many episodes, I'm happy to have completed the season.

Mongo McMichael, Eric Bischoff and Bobby Heenan are our commentators. Pepe The Dog is dressed up like Uncle Sam. Flair vs Hogan for the WCW Title is tonight. Heenan says "Macho Man" Randy Savage has challenged Arn Anderson for tonight.

"Macho Man" Randy Savage vs Arn Anderson

Arn nails Macho as soon as he gets in. Arn hits corner spears and Macho drops him with a punch. Macho throws Arn out then beats him up outside. Arn's head is banged off the rails.

Arn rakes him with his knee on the inside and hits some shots. Arn goes for the sunset flip and is punched. Macho atomic drops him then top rope double axe handles him for 2.

Macho rakes Arn's face on the ropes then back elbows him. Macho chokes him and is eye poked. Arn single arm ddt's him. Macho's injured arm is pulled over the top then Arn hammerlock slams him. 

Arn is sent into the rail outside. Arn pulls him over the shoulder inside and works the arm. Arn takes off the tape on Macho's arm then he bangs Macho's arm off the post. Arn armlocks him. Macho hits punches and gets his boot up in the corner. Macho ducks a punch and is ddt'd for it.

Macho pushes Arn into the ref on accident. rn grabs knucks and drops them. Macho nails Arn with the knucks and gets the pin.

Thoughts: Arn was put down easy here. Arn mostly worked the arm and Macho got nothing in but punches here. It needed more time.

Pillman and Benoit come down after, going after Macho. They try to tell the ref that Macho used knucks.

Bischoff spoils some of the Raw results.

Chris Benoit vs William Regal

Regal armdrags him and armlocks him. Benoits kip up and Regal headbutts him. Benoit then takes him down and hits headbutts. Regal cravates him then cravate snapmares him.

Benoit wristlocks him and Regal trips him. Regal side headlocks him. Benoit ducks a lariat and hits a german. Regal double underhook suplexes him for 2. They fight on the buckles. Benoit electric chair drops him then Benoit misses a top rope headbutt. Benoit hits a stiff tombstone.

Benoit misses a plancha outside then Regal pins him inside.

Thoughts: You know what this was and it was good. It was nothing but two dudes hitting each other hard and dropping each other on their heads. 

Mean Gene interviews Benoit, Pillman and Arn. Pillman says they are 0-2 since winning the WCW Title. Pillman says Benoit is here to win and dominate and not languish in mediocrity. He says he's one of the chosen ones. Gene asks Benoit if he's okay with taking a tongue lashing. Benoit says the only way someone can beat him is with luck and said Regal got lucky tonight. Benoit says he's been pulling his worth.

Pillman then rips Arn for losing. Arn says Pillman has been starting fires and wars they don't want. Arn said they went too far with Paul Orndorff and asks what there is to achieve going after Kevin Sullivan. He says we perish and prosper with a unit and earlier said keeping the world title was the most important thing.

The Dungeon of Room come out but Giant holds Zodiac and Sullivan back.

Thoughts: I liked this segment and thought it really made The Horsemen feel like a unit.

Sting and Lex Luger vs The Super Assassins (1 and 2)

Sgt Craig Pittman is at the commentary desk. He asks Mongo to be his manager. Mongo tells him to stick with it and said he doesn't need any help. Lex takes a boot from an SA then takes forearms to the spine. Lex boots SA and eye pokes him. Sting dropkicks an SA and hits punches. Sting is held for a double team but The SA's hit each other. Sting running lariats each SA and knocks one out of the ring.

Sting is dropped throat first on the rails then Sting is put in a backbreaker. An SA then lariats Sting. Sting takes a double shoulderblock. Sting tags out but the ref doesn't see it. Sting then takes double clubs to the back for it. The SA's hit a suplex + flying spear combo for 2. Sting takes a stiff powerbomb.

An SA misses a top rope headbutt. Lex gets in and corner lariats an SA. Lex gets poked in the eye then the SA's are sent into each other. Lex puts a torture rack on while Sting does the scorpion deathlock. Lex gets a submission win.

Thoughts: This was a good tag. The Super Assassins were good here as they really stiffed the faces and looked big and bad. The double submission spot at the end was fun as well. 

Mean Gene interviews Jimmy Hart and The Giant on the ramp. Hart said Hulk told him to always keep his enemies close so he could keep an eye on him. He said he also told him to switch gears. Hart says that's what he is doing and says he will always be around winners.

Giant talks about Hulk attacking him over the last few weeks and said his time has come. He said he will get his like he never got it.

Clash of the Champions is on January 23rd.

WCW Title - Ric Flair (c) vs Hulk Hogan

We go to break then start it when we return. Hulk shoulders Ric over a couple of times. Ric hits chops and punches. Hulk no sells his shots then hits punches. Ric back elbows him and seems to catch him by surprise with it.

Hulk throws Ric off the top then hits running lariats. Ric is lariated over the top. Hulk lariats Ric outside. Hulk eye rakes Ric. Ric is thrown into the corner, ends up on the apron and is lariated. Rick knee drops Hulk's leg and boots it.

Ric figure fours him. Jimmy Hart comes down and Hulk gets distracted. Ric then boots Hulk in the back of the knee. Ric suplexes him and Hulk start to hulk up. Hulk hits punches, a boot and a legdrop. Jimmy Hart gets on the apron. Arn gets in the ring and hits Hulk with brass knucks. Hulk no sells it then grabs the weapon. The ref then stops the match. Hulk hits all Four Horsemen with the knucks.

Giant comes down with a stool and Macho stomps him. Hulk hits giant with the knucks. Zodiac stops Giant and says "hurt". Eric says Zodiac said "friend".

Thoughts: It was a decent match here but I didn't like Hulk no selling the brass knucks shot. That was just too much here especially when everyone else went down to it. This was your basic Hulk match with him taking offense then hulking up and going for the win. I'm not sure who the winner of this was.

Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan and Macho Man in the ring. Hulk says him and Macho now are in each others business. Hulk says if The Horsemen have any guts, how about Hulk and Macho vs Flair and Arn next week. Macho talks about their secret weapons and Hulk says not to. Hulk says he has to stop The Horsemen before he takes down The Giant. Macho yells "gut check" and says let's do it. Hulk says they will take on all Four Horsemen if Ric and Arn don't have the guts.

Eric says they are #1 and Mongo says we got contenders while the other fed has pretenders. Heenan says it'll be 4v2 next week with Hulk and Macho.

Overall thoughts: It was a pretty good show here. They built up another big tag for next week and we had two solid matches with Benoit/Regal and The Super Assassins vs Lex and Sting. Hulk/Flair was okay as well minus the finish.