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WCW Monday Nitro - February 8, 1999

by Wrestling Recap's Bob Colling

From: Buffalo, NY

Nitro kicks off with footage from last week where Hulk Hogan and Chuck Vito went to the same gym as David Flair while the Horsemen watched on from the arena to close out last week’s show. Ric didn’t really try all that hard to look for Bischoff as he just walked down the hallway a few times.

Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay and Larry Zbyszko are on commentary. They hype up Hogan vs. Flair at Superbrawl IX. Footage from Thunder is shown where Arn Anderson was talking to Ric over the phone asking about David and if he was okay. We aren’t able to hear what Ric was saying so the whole segment is pretty dumb.

As we see the Nitro Girls dancing, Diamond Dallas Page is watching his wife to make sure nothing happens.

Backstage, Disco Inferno knocks on the New World Order locker room door where we end up seeing Arn Anderson laid out on the floor due to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall apparently having beaten him. We don’t see Inferno whip Anderson, but we are led to believe that he did with his belt.

A woman (Torrie Wilson) is at a pool bar where she is talking to the camera. Who is she talking to?

Opening Contest: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Blitzkrieg

Blitz takes Rey down with a drop toe hold and locks in a side headlock until Rey counters with one of his own. Rey arm drags Blitz but Blitz soon comes back with a dropkick sending Rey to the floor. Blitz springboards off the middle rope and takes Rey out with a corkscrew dive! Blitz leaps off the top looking for a hurricanrana but is power bombed by Rey in midair! Rey covers but only manages to get a two count. Rey scoop slams Blitz and connects with a split legged moonsault for a near fall. Tilt a whirl back breaker by Blitz and connects with a standing moonsault for another near fall. Rey misses a spear in the corner and ends up hitting the ring post shoulder first. Blitz drops Rey throat first across the top rope and leaps off the top looking for a cross body onto the floor but Rey is able to dropkick Blitz in the gut! Rey sends Blitz back first into the guard railing before going back into the ring. Blitz is laying on the middle rope until Rey connects with a leg drop but only gets a two count on the cover. Blitz is crotched on the top rope until Rey brings Blitz down to the mat with a superplex! Rey covers but once again is only able to get a near fall! Blitz connects with a sunset flip for a two count but runs into a clothesline from Rey moments later. Rey stops Blitz with a tilt a whirl back breaker of his own for a near fall. Blitz recovers and dropkicks Rey into a corner after jumping off of Rey’s chest. Rey head scissors Blitz into a corner and follows up with the Bronco Buster! Rey is crotched on the top and flips over down onto the mat. Blitz misses a top rope twisting moonsault. Rey hits Blitz with a top rope hurricanrana and picks up the win. **1/4

A video of Chris Kanyon arriving to Raven’s mansion is shown. Raven is just hanging out on a coach and says “what a mark” after looking into the camera. Raven introduces Kanyon to all of his fancy cars and says that he isn’t really depressed all the time and just does that to piss off his mother. They drive off.

Second Contest: Booker T defeated Fit Finlay

Booker hip tosses Finlay to kick off the contest but doesn’t follow up. Finlay cheap shots Booker as Booker plays to the crowd. Finlay nails Booker with a sit down splash and delivers several shots to keep control of Booker. Finlay drops Booker with a short arm clothesline and gets a near fall with a backslide. Finlay comes off the ropes delivering a knee lift and a shoulder block. Booker botches a leapfrog and is kicked by Finlay to try and cover it up. Finlay rams Booker throat first down across the ring apron. I just noticed Will Sasso from Mad TV sitting in the front row. Booker fights back with a spin kick and a forearm smash for a two count. Finlay runs into a big boot in the corner but avoids a leaping side kick and Booker crotches himself on the top rope before falling to the floor. Finlay leaps off the apron delivering a double axe handle to Booker’s back. Finlay drops Booker face first onto the ring apron, again. Finlay knocks Booker off the apron with a forearm shot and taunts the fans. Finlay rams Booker face first into the ring steps as Nitro goes to commercial, but first we see Hulk talking to Horace in the locker room. Hulk gives Horace complete control of the Black and White. Jesus, another backstage segment during the match this time Ric Flair is having Bischoff clean the men’s bathroom. Back to the match, Booker has a sleeper hold on Finlay until Finlay elbows out of it. Finlay nails Booker with several uppercuts. Finlay tosses Booker to the floor once again but Booker shoulder blocks Finlay from the apron and goes for a sunset flip but fails. Finlay knee drops Booker several times to keep the advantage. Booker back elbows Finlay off the middle rope and leaps off connecting with a cross body for a two count. Booker misses a splash in the corner but avoids a clothesline and nails Finlay with a scissors kick and a back suplex! Booker follows up with the Harlem sidekick and heads to the top rope leaping off to connect with a missile dropkick and earns the win. *1/2

Back to Raven and Kanyon where they have arrived to a bank so that Raven can get his money. Raven gets 10,000 in $1 and 10,000 in big bills. They leave the bank with Raven saying they need to get Kanyon the right clothes.

Backstage, Eric Bischoff is in the bathroom not happy as Jimmy Hart tells him that there isn’t any toilet paper left in the stalls. Meng and Barbarian enter and take dumps. Bischoff leaves disgusted.

Backstage, Hulk Hogan tells Brian Adams that he wants him to be the leader of the Black and White.

Mean Gene is standing in the ring to interview the WCW President Ric Flair. Flair agrees with Gene when he said that Disco Inferno better be looking for a way out of Buffalo. Flair takes his coat off and begins to go nuts only a minute into the interview. Flair turns his attention to Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. Flair says that he and Mongo will burn down Buffalo as they wrestle Nash and Hall! Flair brings up Hulk Hogan. Flair tells Hogan that he only has two weeks to be WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Flair proceeds to elbow drop the mat several times after saying he is going to beat Hogan in Oakland. Flair also locked in a invisible figure four. Flair calls out WCW United States Champion Bret Hart to come out and drop the title off to him. Hart makes his way down to the ring, not happy about this! Flair reminds Hart that he doesn’t have the same contract as Hulk Hogan. Flair say that Hart will wrestle a surprise opponent at Superbrawl or he will be stripped of the championship. Hart assures Flair that he is injured and can’t be forced to defend the championship. Flair now switches up and says that Hart will wrestle Roddy Piper tonight for the WCW United States Championship! Flair struts around the ring while Hart is pissed off over the announcement!

Back to Torrie Wilson who wants the mystery man to sit next to her in the car. She says she won’t bite.

A rather good video promoting the WCW World Tag Team Championship tournament is aired.

Backstage, Hulk Hogan tells Stevie Ray that he wants Ray to be the leader of the Black and White.

Third Contest: Barry Windham/Curt Hennig defeated Brian Adams/Horace Hogan to advance in the tag team title tournament:

Late in the match, Hennig connects with the Hennig Plex on Adams but Hogan breaks up the count. Hennig is spiked with a stuff pile driver as Vincent and Stevie Ray have made their way down to the ring. Adams is covering Hennig but Barry Windham is distracting the referee. Ray accidentally nails Adams with the Slapjack. Hennig knocks Ray off the apron and pins Adams to win the bout. ½*
After the match, the New World Order members argue in the ring over the loss.

Back to Torrie Wilson once again as she is going to a hotel room with the mystery man.

Backstage, Hulk Hogan tells Vincent that he wants him to be the leader of the Black and White. Hogan tells Vincent the same old story as the previous guys.

Mean Gene is in the ring and introduces Bam-Bam Bigelow who has a piece of paper with him. Gene talks about Bigelow arriving in WCW by mysterious ways and hypes up Bigelow’s match with Goldberg at Superbrawl in thirteen days. Bigelow’s plan was to work over Goldberg piece by piece until he got his shot at Goldberg. Bigelow wants Goldberg to put his mind on their match at Superbrawl. Bigelow has a article where Goldberg said he was sickened by dog fighting. It was published in the New York Times. Bigelow believes that Goldberg should have his mind on him and not animal fighting. Bigelow insults Goldberg’s wife by saying he will adopt an animal, referring to Goldberg’s wife. Goldberg shows up and shoulder blocks Bigelow down to the mat. They roll around on the mat briefly until security runs down to pull them apart.

Backstage, Diamond Dallas Page is hanging out with Jason Hervey and some Rita chick. Hervey acts like he is talking on the phone, though he doesn’t say anything and was just nodding the whole time like a dope.

Fourth Contest: Diamond Dallas Page defeated Kenny Kaos

As if there was any kind of doubt about this one. Page leaps off the middle rope and plants Kaos with the Diamond Cutter to pick up the win. NR

Raven and Kanyon have gone to the mall where Raven is going to buy Kanyon some clothes. Kanyon ends up telling Raven that today was the best day of his life. Raven’s mother comes home and Kanyon acts like everything is okay with Raven. WCW called Raven’s mother during a meeting and want Raven to come back to work.

Before the next match, Ernest Miller talks about being the greatest ever and having beaten anyone he wrestles on Nitro. Miller threatens several fans until we see the New World Order telling Vincent that Miller is talking smack about Vincent. Vincent leaves to answer the challenge while his partners laugh. Vincent tried to get Disco Inferno to fight the battle for him but Inferno didn’t fall for it.

Fifth Contest: Vincent defeated Ernest Miller

Long story short, Miller missed a splash in the corner and Vincent rolled Miller up to win the bout. NR

Backstage, Diamond Dallas Page has attacked Scott Steiner until Steiner low blows DDP. Steiner manages to get in a car that Kimberly has entered. Steiner drives off as DDP runs after the car Steiner turns the car around and tosses Kimberly out of the car! DDP demands that they get an ambulance right now! After a commercial break, EMT’s put Kimberly in ambulance.

Footage from Mad TV where Bret Hart acted in a skit and ended up getting “too physical” with the actors is aired. Hart ended up hitting Will Sasso over the back with a steel chair. Several people in the audience were laughing during the skit as Hart put Sasso in the Sharpshooter.

Backstage, in the bathroom, Larry Zbyszko taunts Eric Bischoff for his work in the bathroom. Bischoff hasn’t done a good job maintaining the bathroom, by the way.

Sixth Contest: Roddy Piper defeated WCW United States Champion Bret Hart to win the title

Piper slaps Hart in the face as Hart was trying to tell Piper about his injury. Piper works on Hart with a flurry of punches and tosses the champ to the floor. Piper sends Hart into the guard railing before they return to the ring. Piper punches Hart ten times but Hart pokes Piper in the eyes to gain the upper hand. Hart delivers a few shots but Piper blocks a boot and trips Hart down to the mat. Hart quickly reaches the bottom rope to prevent any kind of submission hold. They begin to trade punches until Piper pokes Hart in the eyes. Hart chokes Piper across the middle rope but is stopped as Piper low blows Hart. Apparently, Piper didn’t low blow Hart and Hart is just faking this! A trainer has come down to the ring to check on Hart. Piper is distracted and Hart gets up to pounce on Piper as Nitro goes to commercial. Hart connects with a side Russian leg sweep and head butts Piper’s lower midsection. Hart drives Piper down with a back breaker for a two count. Hart clotheslines Piper over the top to the floor and sends Piper into the guard railing chest first. Hart chokes Piper with a camera cord for several moments. Hart is now choking Will Sasso until Piper chokes Hart with the camera cord and sends Hart into the ring steps. Piper connects with a suplex for a two count as Sasso is now at ringside rooting for Piper. Piper connects with a back suplex for another near fall on Hart. Piper avoids a right hands and has a sleeper on Hart until they back into the referee. Hart comes off the ropes and they collide after a double clothesline spot. Piper has a inside cradle on Hart but there isn’t a referee. Hart nails Piper with a brass knuckles shot. Hart and Sasso have a tug of war with the referee until Sasso lets go and Hart stumbles backwards to be rolled up by Piper who gets the three count! ½*

Main Event: Kevin Nash/Scott Hall fought Ric Flair/Steve McMichael to a no contest

All four men brawl in the ring until Nash is sent to the floor by Mongo. Hall is briefly double teamed until he rolls to the floor after a hip toss by Flair. Hall and Flair legally start the match with Hall and Flair trading right hands and chops. Flair drops Hall with a right hand and chops Nash as he stands on the apron. Mongo shoulder tackles Nash’s leg. Hall bails to the floor after being punched by Flair several times. Flair atomic drops Hall but Hall recovers and nails Flair with a clothesline Hall drops Flair with a right hand and clotheslines Flair in the corner. Hall runs into a back elbow but slams Flair off the top rope down to the mat. Flair hip tosses Hall and elbow drops Hall. Nash tags in but Flair tags out to Mongo. Mongo stomps on Nash’s foot and drops Nash to the mat. Mongo scoop slams Nash and Hall. Hall punches Mongo from behind and Nash nails Mongo with a big boot. Nash delivers several knee lifts to Mongo’s midsection in the corner and back elbows Mongo. Hall clotheslines Mongo from the apron and tags in. Hall connects with a fall away slam for a two count. Mongo is double teamed for a few moments until Hall locks in a sleeper hold. Mongo gets out of the hold with a jaw breaker and tags in Flair. Flair hammers away on Hall with chops and right hands. Flair back elbows Hall and atomic drops Hall followed by a knee breaker. Flair kicks the top rope to low blow Nash and chops Nash to the floor. Flair goes for the figure four and has the hold locked in right in the middle of the ring! Backstage, Hulk Hogan has grabbed a bucket of bleach from Eric Bischoff and makes his way towards the ring. Hall and flair both go down after a shoulder block. Hogan walks down the aisle way and tries to toss the bucket of bleach onto Flair but Flair wiggles free for Inferno. Instead, Mongo gets bleach tossed into his face. Flair low blows Nash, Hall and Inferno. Goldberg runs down and spears Inferno. Bigelow runs down and attacks Goldberg as the bell sounds. Goldberg wants the New World Order to enter the ring as the show comes to an end. *1/4

End of show.

My Take: Rey/Blitz was a really average contest but it turned out to be the match of the night. I’ve been a lot better Cruiserweight matches as it seemed like there were a few botches throughout the contest. I’m not really sure why Rey is still working with Cruiserweights considering he has a big tag match with Konnan against the New World Order at Superbrawl. I would think they should have Rey wrestling bigger opponents.

I was disappointed with the Booker/Finlay match. They could have done a lot better than that in my opinion. I also didn’t like that there were two backstage segments during the match. That sort of thing is going to lose your audience. Those segments could have happened after the match and not during the match. No need for all that stuff.

The tag title tournament match and DDP/Kaos were two matches that I had zero interest in.

Flair’s interview and interaction with Bret Hart was rather lackluster. Roddy Piper is one of the oldest guys on the roster, who really wants to see him compete still? Apparently people in Buffalo liked the surprise of Piper wrestling Hart for the US championship. It’s too bad that it is 1999 and not 1992.

Bigelow’s interview segment was pointless until he made the remark about treating Goldberg’s wife like an animal. That got him some good heat and made the interview worth the airtime.

I’m not sure where they are going with the Raven skits. Not a big fan of it being revealed that Raven is rich and just acting like he is depressed and whatnot. It really takes away from his character.

The whole Steiner/Page angle with Kimberly being tossed out of a car is something I’m not sure about. I don’t know how I feel about it. It continues to add some major heat and conflict for that feud. Their feud has to be the most enjoyable feud going right now in WCW.

When you lose to Vincent on Nitro you know you are in trouble. I don’t know why on earth Vincent would go over Miller on this show. I can’t remember the last time Vincent won a match on television but if I had to guess it had to be around 1993. What a joke and a insult to Miller.

Giving Piper the US Championship is just horrible. This would have been a great spot for Booker T to win the strap and get a push into the upper mid-card. The match was just horrible. I feel like I need to watch their WM VIII match to remember that they could work a good match with each other.

Another main event that fails to deliver which isn’t a shock since this has been going on for three years now. Goldberg continues to get the biggest pops on the show while only being on the show for a combined five minutes. That makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

Overall, the first hour was okay but the show just got progressively worse. I’ll have to give this week’s Nitro a thumbs down.

Thanks for reading.

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