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WCW Monday Nitro - April 12, 1999

by Wrestling Recap's Bob Colling

From: Yakima, WA

Backstage, new WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page is celebrating his win at a buffet. Randy Savage and his young girlfriend Gorgeous George come over to give him props, but Savage makes it clear that he gave Page the championship. Page isn’t so sure about that one. WCW United States Champion Scott Steiner ends up coming over and beats the crap out of Page.

After Riki Rachtman does some talking, Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan chat about DDP winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Tonight, Page defends the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against Scott Steiner!

A video going over the feud between DDP and Scott Steiner is aired.

Sting makes his way out and howls a few times much to the delight of the fans. Sting mentions that people have tried several times to take him out, but he has nine lives. Sting says he built the house called WCW, since he has been here through the good and bad. Sting doesn’t think DDP built this house. Sting wants to meet DDP in the ring! “If you’ve got anything hanging between those legs, I’ll be waiting.”

<2>Opening Contest: WCW Cruiserweight/Tag Team Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Juventud Guerrera by disqualification to retain the title: Juvi takes Rey down to control Rey with a leg lock, bur Rey kicks out of the hold. Rey punches Juvi before being driven down by Juvi with a spine buster. They both are standing on their heads with their legs tangled slapping each other for a moment. Rey quickly arm drags Juvi as he comes off the ropes. Juvi plants Rey with a quick DDT after getting out of a submission hold on Rey’s back. Juvi shoulder blocks Rey followed by a head scissors takedown for a near fall. Rey rolls to the floor while the fans are giving Juvi some good heel heat. Juvi manages to hit Rey with a slingshot cross body on the floor! Juvi rams Rey into the ring steps to keep the upper hand. Juvi misses a splash in the corner, and is met with right hands by Rey. Rey counters a power bomb attempt with a hurricanrana! Juvi catches Rey on a springboard moonsault attempt but Rey gets out of the hold. Juvi blocks a hurricanrana with a big power bomb! Juvi heads to the top rope but gets crotched by Rey! Rey connects with a top rope hurricanrana but out comes Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko to cause the disqualification. ** After the match, Rey is beaten down by Benoit and Malenko after Juvi is sent to the floor. Raven and Perry Saturn storm the ring to make the save on Rey. The crowd erupts! Schiavone wonders where Billy Kidman was to help Rey Mysterio Jr. Rey shoves Saturn away and is planted by Raven with a DDT as the show goes to a commercial.

Backstage, Hugh Morrus is talking to Jimmy Hart about his upcoming match against Bam-Bam Bigelow. Hak comes over to show Morrus how to beat Bigelow by hitting Morrus over the head with a kendo stick. Morrus seemingly likes it and begins to hit himself with the kendo stick.

Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan talk about former WCW employee Bret Hart quitting two weeks ago.

Second Contest: Bam-Bam Bigelow defeated Hugh Morrus in a kendo stick match

Morrus ends up missing the No Laughing Matter and goes through a table as a result. Bigelow finishes Morrus off with a diving head butt off the top rope. This was a rather simple brawl with a few kendo shots and the usage of two tables.

Backstage, Billy Kidman is arriving at the building. Rey Mysterio Jr. comes over asking why Kidman didn’t help him out earlier. Kidman tells Rey he was at an autograph signing and is just now getting to the arena. Kidman says he cannot watch Rey’s back 24/7. That is good enough for Rey, so they make up.

Mean Gene introduces the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page for an interview. Page calls himself an “anomaly”, meaning that he wasn’t supposed to be in this spot. Page apologizes to Hulk Hogan about his injured leg. Page really wanted to have Hogan around with Sting and Flair when he got his arm raised in victory. Page believes that he has a bond with Sting. Page says Sting deserves a title shot tonight, but is unable to give him a shot. Page is now the guy calling the shots. Page wants Scott Steiner in the main event tonight!

Nitro Girls dance and Tony Schiavone plugs SURGE. Man, I loved that soda when I was ten.

Mean Gene is in the ring and introduces former WCW World Heavyweight Champion, but still WCW President, Ric Flair for an interview. Flair announces that he has decided to do what is best for the company, and that is to make the WCW World Heavyweight Championship vacant. This brings out Randy Savage and Gorgeous George. Savage has a piece of paper that Flair had apparently signed. Savage says that what happened last night is “final.” Flair isn’t pleased to hear this. Savage notes that Flair’s world is crumbling around him. Flair assures Savage that he will never wrestle in WCW ever again and will instead sit at home in Tampa collecting a paycheck. Flair tears up the paper Savage had with him. Charles Robinson, a referee, tells Savage that he is not a qualified referee. Robinson asks why Savage had his “bimbo” out during the match last night. That statement is not well received by Gorgeous George who slaps Robinson! Flair suggests that Savage walk down the aisle while he is still able to. Savage badly wants to wrestle in WCW and accepts Flair as the President. Savage proposes a match between Charles Robinson and Gorgeous George at Slamboree. If George wins the match, Savage can wrestle in WCW again. Robinson accepts the match, with Flair promising he will win with the figure four! Savage does the same by saying George will win with the flying elbow. Sting decides to come out and wants to wrestle Flair just like they did back in the day. Arn Anderson tells Sting that no one is afraid of him, and that Flair accepts the match with Arn in his corner! Flair and Sting get in each other faces…

Third Contest: El Dandy/La Parka fought the Master Blasters to a no contest

Kevin Nash decides to come out during the match because he has something to say. Nash beats up the Master Blasters before getting on the microphone. Nash shows clips from last week where Hogan saw Nash with Flair. Nash says that if Flair left Nitro as the champion last week, he would get a title shot. So, Nash tells new champion DDP that he hopes DDP gets to Slamboree with the championship because he will pay Wolfpac style…

Fourth Contest: WCW World Tag Team Champion Billy Kidman defeated Psychosis:

Psychosis shoulders blocks Kidman followed by a sliding dropkick to get a quick advantage. Psychosis chokes Kidman in the corner for a moment before dropkicking Kidman in the corner. Kidman ducks a clothesline to hit a hurricanrana. Kidman delivers several right hands in the corner before getting a near fall on a sunset flip. Psychosis blocks a backdrop with a kick to the chest. Psychosis plants Kidman with a front suplex. Psychosis drops Kidman across the top rope gut first and decides to dropkick Kidman to the floor. Psychosis leaps over the top rope to hit Kidman with a suicide dive! Psychosis rams Kidman back first into the guard railing. Psychosis heads to the rope to missile dropkick Kidman in the ring for a two count. Kidman quickly clotheslines Psychosis after sending him chest first into a corner. Kidman misses a charging cross body and falls to the floor. Psychosis leaps off the top rope to the floor but is met in midair with a dropkick from Kidman! Kidman goes up top to connect with a cross body for a two count. Psychosis big boots Kidman in the corner and goes for a top hurricanrana and hits it for a two count! Kidman plants Psychosis with a springboard bulldog for a near fall. Kidman misses a splash in the corner as well. Kidman counters a power bomb with a face buster. Kidman proceeds to hit the Shooting Star Press to win the bout. **1/2

Mean Gene is in the ring to interview Goldberg. Goldberg admits that he has made some mistakes while he has been destroying everyone. Goldberg feels vindicated after his win over Kevin Nash last night. Gene brings up Bret Hart. Goldberg hopes that Bret Hart is out of the country for his own sake, because he is going to find him. Goldberg also says that Lex Luger has stuck his nose in his business for the last time. Goldberg doesn’t care who has the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, because he is going to get it. Goldberg doesn’t need the championship to be a champion. Goldberg finishes off by asking who is next.

Fifth Contest: WCW Television Champion Booker T defeated Rick Steiner to retain the title

Steiner backs Booker into the ropes only to break away cleanly. Steiner trips Booker to deliver a few forearm shots to the back of his head. Steiner connects with a release German suplex. Steiner shoulder blocks Booker but runs into a standing spin kick. Booker follows up with a leaping forearm shot and a super kick for a two count. Steiner blocks a hip toss by clotheslining Booker. Booker drops Steiner chest first across the top rope and super kicks Steiner over the top to the floor. Booker works on Steiner on the floor briefly with a double axe handle shot. Steiner clotheslines Booker over the top to the floor. Back in the ring, Booker attempts a side kick but is caught and slammed by Steiner for a two count. Steiner catches Booker on a leapfrog attempt and hits another power slam for a near fall. Steiner attempts a scoop slam and Booker’s leg ends up hitting the referee. Steiner heads to the top rope but is whacked by Stevie Ray with the slapjack behind the referees back. Booker nails Steiner with the Harlem Sidekick to win the bout. *

Scott Steiner cuts a promo saying that it is difficult to find any good women in Yakima. Steiner is still focused on getting DDP’s wife, Kimberly.

Sixth Contest: Goldberg defeated Kenny Kaos

: As if there was any kind of doubt about this one. Goldberg picks up the win following the spear and jackhammer.

Seventh Contest: Sting defeated Ric Flair:

Flair backs Sting into a corner but is shoved away, twice. Flair shoulder blocks Sting but is stopped by Sting with a gorilla press slam. Sting decides to give Flair another gorilla press slam. Flair rolls to the floor and walks up the aisle way. However, Sting grabs Flair and carries Flair back to the ring. Flair pokes Sting in the eyes to stop Sting. Flair chops Sting in the corner the chops do not affect Sting. Sting punches Flair before hip tossing Flair out of the corner. Sting delivers several punches in the corner and hip tosses Flair followed by a dropkick for a two count. Flair knee lifts Sting before dumping Sting to the floor. Sting shoulder blocks Flair from the apron looking for a sunset flip and gets a two count. Flair rolls to the floor again flipping out over the way the match has gone for him thus far. Flair yanks Sting down by the hair but Sting pops right back up dropping Flair with a right hand. Sting sends Flair flipping into corner and clotheslines Flair off the apron to the floor. Arn Anderson is worried on the floor. Flair pulls Sting to the floor sending Sting into the guard railing but Sting turns the tables on Flair. Flair pokes Sting’s eyes again and chop blocks Sting’s leg. Flair chop blocks Sting’s leg back in the ring. Flair delivers a knee drop but a second attempt is blocked by Sting. Sting trips Flair and puts the figure four on Flair! Flair is giving up but Charles Robinson isn’t going to call for the bell. Flair manages to eventually reach the bottom rope. Sting avoids an atomic drop by nailing Flair with a clothesline. Flair delivers more chops in the corner but Sting is still not affected. Sting knocks Anderson off the apron with a right hand. Sting attempts a Stinger Splash but crashes to the floor as Anderson pulls Flair out of the way! Anderson attacks Sting on the floor with several stomps and punches. Flair delivers a low blow and a chop that drops Sting. Flair tries to suplex Sting to the floor from the apron but Sting is able to suplex Flair back into the ring but fails on a big splash attempt. Sting stops Flair on the top rope by press slamming Flair off the top to the mat! Flair gets out of a head scissors hold and they bridge up with Sting taking Flair over with a backslide for a two count. Sting runs out of the corner with a clothesline for a two count. Flair low blows Sting in the corner. Flair connects with a delayed vertical suplex but Sting isn’t affected by it. Flair tries to chop Sting again but isn’t succeeding in hurting Sting. Sting gorilla press slams Flair for a third time in the contest. Sting hits the Stinger Splash in the corner. Sting goes up top to hit a superplex! Sting gets Anderson off the apron but ends up missing a Stinger Splash and hits the ropes chest first. Flair locks in the figure four leg lock! Randy Savage runs down to the ringside area to attack Arn Anderson! Sting turns the hold over but Flair lets go. Sting counters a vertical suplex with the Scorpion Death Drop! Sting covers Flair, and after a hesitation by Robinson, gets the three count. ***

After the match, Sting puts the Scorpion Death Lock on Anderson.

Before the main event, Roddy Piper comes down to the commentary table.

Main Event: WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page defeated WCW United States Champion Scott Steiner to retain the title

: They start off trading right hands with Page getting the upper hand following an atomic drop and a clothesline. Steiner dumps Page to the floor but Page gets to the top rope to hit Steiner with a flying clothesline sending Steiner to the floor. Page takes Steiner out with a slingshot cross body! Page tosses Steiner over the announcers table at ringside and rams Steiner into the apron head first. Steiner sends Page head first into the guard railing a few times as Nitro goes to commercial. Steiner takes Page over with a side belly to belly suplex. Steiner works on Page with right hands in the corner. Page drops Steiner face first across the top turnbuckle. Page blocks a hip toss with a side belly to belly suplex of his own. Steiner low blows Page in the corner and tosses Page over the top to the floor. Steiner sends Page into the guard railing back first. Steiner clotheslines Page back in the ring for a near fall. Steiner works on Page with several elbow strikes followed by a overhead suplex toss. Steiner puts Page in the tree of woe to choke Page from the floor. Steiner clubs Page on the apron until Page drops down to the floor and Steiner drops to the mat after being dropped throat first across the top rope. Steiner crotches Page on the top turnbuckle to connect with a top rope hurricanrana! Steiner goes for the cover but Page pops his shoulder up at two! Page rolls Steiner up out of the corner for a two count. Steiner delivers a back breaker to Page for a two count. Page discus clotheslines Steiner! Page atomic drops Steiner followed by a swinging neck breaker for a near fall. Page rams Steiner head first into the top turnbuckle ten times. Page connects with a back suplex but Steiner kicks out at two. Page delivers a modified pedigree but doesn’t cover Steiner. Page tries the Diamond Cutter but Steiner shoves Page into the referee. Steiner low blows Page so he can roll to the floor to get bolt cutters out of his championship. Steiner takes off the top turnbuckle pad. Steiner rams Page head first into the exposed turnbuckle. Steiner also rams Page back first into the exposed turnbuckle two times. Steiner puts the Steiner Recliner on but quickly lets go to get the referee up. Page comes off the ropes to plant Steiner with a DDT! Steiner low blows Page with a back kick. Steiner connects with a double under hook power bomb. Page gets out of the Steiner Recliner by head butting Steiner’s groin several times. Kimberly jumps over the railing to whack Steiner with a chair and Page hits the Diamond Cutter to retain the title. **1/4

After the match, Page and Kimberly celebrate the win to close out the show.

End of show

My Take: Nice job to hype up the main event between Steiner/Page by having the backstage attack open the show.

Rey/Juvi wasn’t anything all that great as they didn’t really do all that many high spots. Not a hot opener you would have expected from those two guys. I disliked the bullshit finish as well. Rey should have just won the bout and then get attacked by the Horsemen. There isn’t any need to protect Juvi in this situation, really.

I enjoyed the Flair/Sting/Savage segment. It did a good job of hyping up the feud between Savage and Flair heading into Slamboree (which should be Savage vs. Flair not Robinson vs. George).

Page just needs to be a full fledge heel. Having him win the championship as a babyface would have been cool a year ago, but the fans are turning on him. It seems as if the fans would be more interested in cheering for guys like Sting, Goldberg or Kevin Nash as the champion. If I were using a ranking system, DDP would be the fourth highest babyface in terms of popularity to be holding the championship. That might even be generous.

Kidman/Psychosis was a decent bout but was pretty repetitive in my opinion. Psychosis never wins matches against guys like Kidman or Rey Mysterio anyway.

Rick Steiner looked really sloppy in his match with Booker T. I’m not sure why they would have Stevie Ray come out and help out Booker T, because that makes Booker look pretty weak in my eyes. I hope this doesn’t lead to a Ray/Booker feud because that wouldn’t be all that entertaining to me.

Sting/Flair was really the same match they have been putting on for ten years. It was still entertaining and was the match of the night. I just know that I could close my eyes and still call 85% of the match if not more.

Steiner/Page was decent but that finish isn’t going to help babyface Page. Having your wife help you out just makes you look like a fool. Steiner is a tough S.O.B and having Page beat him clean would have gone over well with the crowd in the long run. If Page were to drop his wife as his manager, I think he could maintain his babyface popularity.

Overall, I’m going to say this week’s episode was good. They set up a few matches heading into Slamboree already and the interviews all served a purpose, really. Good matches included Flair/Sting, Kidman/Psychosis and a decent main event. Hopefully WCW can keep up the quality shows!

Thanks for reading.

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