WCW Monday Nitro 1/22/1996

WCW Monday Nitro 1/22/1996

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/10/wcw-monday-nitro-1151996.html

We are in Las Vegas. Steve "Mongo" McMichael, Eric Bischoff and Bobby Heenan are on commentary. They hype up tonight's show.

Konnan comes to the commentary booth. He says he's the Mexican National champ and says he's going to beat Psychosis tomorrow.

Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan come out with a bunch of girls. One of them is Woman. Mean Gene puts a mic in Macho's face and Macho asks if there's any doubt that he will be steaming hot tonight. Hulk wishes Macho good luck tonight and says he wants the first shot at the title when Macho wins the title.  Eric Bischoff also tells us that Miss Elizabeth is reunited with Hulk and Macho.

WCW Title - Ric Flair (c) vs "Macho Man" Randy Savage

This is a rematch from 12/25 where Ric won the title.

Various women are with Macho and Jimmy Hart is with Flair. Ric tries to dance with Woman outside and Woman slaps him. Macho bangs Ric's head off the rail. Macho is sent into the rails. Macho lariats Ric for 2. Macho bangs Ric's head off the buckles and eye rakes him. Ric back elbows Macho.

Ric stomps on Macho. Bischoff tells us The Roadwarriors are back together and will be on Clash of the Champions tomorrow. Ric hits punches on Macho and throws him over the top. Hart boots Macho outside. Ric sends Macho into and over the rail.

Macho eye rakes Ric and Ric returned the favor. Ric takes a back body drop on the floor. Macho goes up top and lands on the rail with a double axe handle. We go to break and return. Ric pounds on Macho.

Macho hits punches then hits corner punches. Ric is sent into the buckles and goes out. Macho bangs Ric's head off the rails. Macho hits punches on Ric. Ric maybe hits him low as the ref distracts Macho. Ric does a flair flop for no reason.

Macho blocks a hiptoss and backslides Ric. Macho takes a kneebreaker on Ric's knee. Ric figure fours him. The ref pulls Ric's hair to make him break it when he is caught holding onto the ropes. Ric chops down Macho then knee drops him. Ric goes up top and is thrown down. Macho top rope double axe handles Ric.

Hart gets on the apron and Macho grabs him. Arn Anderson gets on the apron. Ric holds Macho for a knucks shot but Arn hits Ric on accident. Hulk Hogan comes down and clears off Arn. The bell rings for some reason and Macho hits a top rope elbow drop on Ric and wins. Macho Man Randy Savage is the new WCW champ.

Thoughts: I don't know what went on here with the bell but it's fairly important since that signifies the beginning and end of the match. The bell rang before the pin was even attempted yet the match went on. Ric did a lot of cheap shots here and Macho stuck with various punches. Ric worked the knee some near the end but it was too late in the match for it to mean anything. I feel like the two title changes between Ric and Macho were hotshots to please people behind the scenes. The match was average for the most part.

Mean Gene, Macho and Hulk talk in the ring. Macho says Hulk is celebrating like he won the match but Macho says he won the match. Hulk congratulates him but said he won with help from his best friend. Hulk says he'd love to have the first shot at the title. Macho says him and Hulk have been watching each others backs. Macho says he's not the WCW Committee, just the champ. He tells him he'll give him a shot if he's the #1 contender and will do it in the same building. Hulk asks Macho to watch his back tonight and says he will do whatever it takes to get in the #1 position. He says it has to happen when he does. Macho says this match has to happen. He says he will shake his hand at the end of it and says Hulk has to as well. They then shake hands and yell "oh yeah".

Thoughts: Hulk was such a crappy babyface during this time period and ruined Macho's big win celebration here to ask for a title shot. 

Brian Pillman vs. Dean Malenko

Dean hammerlocks BP and takes an elbow to the face. BP chops and forearms him. Dean hiptosses him and hits a dropkick. BP slides out to stall. BP is backed up in the corner and hits Dean off the break. BP bangs Dean's head off the mat and rubs his face in it.

BP suplexes him for 2. BP slaps him then Dean pounds on him. Dean corner lariats him then brainbusters him. Dean neckbreakers him for 2. Dean stomps on him in the corner. BP tornado ddt's him.

BP hits chops. Dean hits a tiger driver for 2. Dean dropkicks him and BP goes out. BP bangs Dean's head off the rails. BP goes up top and is stopped.

BP headbutts him on the buckles. BP is thrown off a tornado ddt attempt. Dean gutbusters BP. Dean trips BP and ankle locks him. BP is on the apron and hits Dean. Dean gets his foot stuck in the ropes. The ref knows this and counts the pin for BP anyway. BP wins.

Thoughts: It was an average match with a bad finish. I couldn't buy that the ref didn't see Dean's foot was in the ropes since it happened right in front of him. I'm not too surprised Pillman got the win here. 

WCW World Tag Team Title Match - Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) (c) vs. Lex Luger & Sting

Heenan flips out as he goes to talk and gets interrupted. He says he's not talking anymore and says he has had it. Sherri is not with Harlem Heat here.

Lex eye rakes Stevie then takes boots out of the corner. Stevie clubs on him and chokes him. Lex running elbows him off the ropes then nails Booker. Stevie boots Lex in the face. Lex hits a double clothesline. Sting gets in and stinger splashes both opponents.

Sting scorpion deathlocks Stevie but Booker breaks it up with an axe kick. Stevie hits a stiff lariat on Sting. Booker flying side kicks Sting then hits punches on him. Booker armlocks Sting. Sting hits shots on Booker's gut.

Booker boots him out of the corner. Booker then drives Sting's face into the mat. Sting takes a double team. Sting fights back but is pulled throat first over the top rope. Stevie trapezus holds Sting. Booker slams Sting and knee drops him.

Sting takes a double gordbuster and Heat celebrate. Booker misses a top rope harlem hangover. Jimmy Hart comes out. Hart gives Lex a weapon. Sting is double teamed while this happens. Sting flying crossbodies Booker. Lex hits a loaded punch on Booker with silver dollars in his hand and Lex pins Booker. Lex is thrilled and Sting doesn't know what happened. Lex says, "I told you we could do it".

Thoughts: The ending wasn't that exciting, naturally. The title change would have worked better here if there was more build or an angle behind it which there was not. The match was okay with Harlem Heat getting most of the offense in on Sting until Lex tagged in and won it quick.

Hulk Hogan vs. The One Man Gang

Gang walks into this as the US champ though the title isn't on the line. Hulk hits some punches and Gang avoids the big boot. Hulk knocks Gang down from the apron. Gang clubs on him then Gang is sent into the steps.

Hulk pounds on Gang. Gang's head is banged off the rails. Hulk eye pokes Gang then bites him. Hulk lariats Gang over. Gang clubs Hulk's back then slams him. Gang hits a big splash. Hulk hits shots on Gang then corner lariats him. Hulk big boots Gang then slams him. Hulk hits a big leg drop and wins.

Thoughts: I didn't like this at all. Gang was a champ here and was treated like a total chump. He got nothing in and got whooped.

The Zodiac and Chris Benoit come in after. Hulk fights them and Gang off. Macho, Arn, Sullivan and Pillman then join the fight. The Giant is held back and Flair comes out there but never gets in. Zodiac holds Giant back. Giant says Hulk is his tomorrow.

Macho and Hulk talk on the mic about the match they might have. Hulk says Gang was the first step to getting there. Hulk says thank God for Kevin Greene and Miss Elizabeth being in their corner on Clash of the Champions tomorrow. Macho says history will be made tomorrow and says Giant and Ric Flair are meat tomorrow. Hulk says he feels sorry for his opponents tomorrow and asks what they will do when Macho and Hulk run wild on them.

The announcers talk about The Clash tomorrow and Heenan complains about Mongo interrupting him.

Overall thoughts: It's like someone thought this show was Clash of the Champions instead of tomorrow night's show. They had two title changes here. Neither were particularly built up that great though Macho and Flair had a lot of history with each other. Still, they could have done better. Both matches were okay but not classics. Hulk squashed the US champ One Man Gang in the main which sucked. They also announced The Roadwarriors and Miss Elizabeth would be on tomorrow's show on this event. There was a lot happening on this one and it was must see from that perspective but quality wise, it was about average. It is nice to get title matches on TV though. I'd give this one a 6 out of 10, mostly for having a stacked card.