February' 97

Monday Night Wars February '96

With a fresh format seeing Raw move to two hours, let's see how they handle it. Kevin Nash would speak about Raw's new two hour time slot, noting that WCW never out produced Raw, and that it was all of Vince's own pocket as opposed to Ted Turner (NBC exec) who funded WCW. Nash also told a story about the time Eric Bischoff vowed to put Vince McMahon out of business, with Hogan and Nash saying "you'll never put him out of business, you don't know the guy" He's getting killed, Eric retorted..."No, he's getting mad!"

Raw/Nitro February 3rd

Monday Night Raw 3/2/97 (2.25 Stars)

Match 1- Vader def Steve Austin via DQ

Match 2- Savio Vega def Flash Funk

Segment- JR interviews Sycho Sid in-ring

Tag Team Championships

Match 3- Doug Funras & Phil Lafon def (c) The British Bulldog & Owen Hart via count-out

Match 4- Crush def Goldust after outside interference from Savio Vega

Segment- Vince McMahon interviews Shawn Michaels in-ring. Shawn cuts a promo on Bret Hart leading to a confrontation.

Intercontinental Championship

Match 5- (c) Hunter Hearst Helmsley def Marc Mero

Match 6- Undertaker & Ahamed Johnson def Mankind & Faarooq in a No Holds Barred Match

Analysis

The arena wasn't fully lit in an effort to hide some empty seats at the large Skydome arena in Toronto. A sellout would have been unlikely anyway. Bret Hart attacked Steve Austin before his match with Vader, keeping that feud alive. Austin stunned the Ref causing a DQ. I liked this one, even if it wasn't the most technically accomplished match in the world. Savio Vega was now fully aligned with Nation of Domination, making multiple appearances with them throughout the night. I enjoyed the tag match on this show, having previously spoken about Lafon and Furnas, even going as far as to fantasy book a championship match between them and Owen/Davey at the Rumble. A clip was shown of Tiger Ali Singh signing a WWF contract. Despite being billed as someone from 'Asia' he was actually born in Toronto Canada. Mero/Austin was ok during parts but still wasn't a patch on some of their previous matches together which had been excellent. Finally, in the main-event, Ahmed Johnson fought off the Nation of Domination, leaving Taker and Mankind to battle it out one on one. Plenty of run-ins towards the end made this match really fun. I'm not always a fan of run-ins, but in this case it was handled well. The main event was one of the best Raw main-events in a while and the highlight of the show. As a result I feel harsh grading it any lower than a 2.5 and it wasn't a bad episode of Raw overall. That said, the overly big arena combined with poor lighting hurt it, as it gave off the same vibe as a house show (a live wrestling show that is untelevised) Two good matches and a fun opener between Austin and Vader made the show credible. As a side note, Vince's promise of a full Rumble match replay didn't come to fruition as PPV distributors were unhappy with the move. As a result the WWF were relegated to showing short clips instead.

WCW Nitro 3/2/97 (2.5 Stars)

Segment- Hollywood Hogan cuts a promo on 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper

Match 1- Ultimate Dragon def Ray Mendoza Jr

Match 2- Glacier def Billy Kidman

Match 3- Ice Train def La Parka

Segment- Four Horsemen promo. Woman (Nancy Sullivan/Beniot) calls out Jacqueline.

Match 4- Steiner Brothers Vs Harlem Heat ends in a no-contest after outside interference from Public Enemy and Faces of Fear

Match 5- Dean Malenko def Mike Enos

Segment- Taskmaster, Jacqueline, Konnan and Jimmy Hart cut a promo on The Four Horsemen.

Match 6- DDP def The Renegade

Match 7- Alex Wright def Super Calo

Match 8- Konnan def Chris Beniot via DQ after Jacqueline walks towards the ring welding a belt

Match 9- Jeff Jarrett def Steve McMichael via count-out

Segment- 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper with his son Colt, faces off with Hollywood Hogan

Analysis

I will always accompany my analysis with cliff notes on some of the finer points of the show you may have missed from me providing the results alone. At some point during the first hour, Lex Luger was shown being laid out backstage at the hands of the Outsider's. While The Steiner Brothers Vs Harlem Heat could have been a fun match, having outside interference from TWO different tag teams who ended up fighting each other anyway made zero sense. As the Dean Malenko match was going on, Syxx came through the crowd and stole his Cruiserweight Title. Following DDP's match with Mike Enos, The Outsiders came out armed with steel bats. Sting and Randy Savage would then appear in the crowd before The Outsiders retreated. I was fully on board the DDP hype train at this point, and could even get behind his feud with Hall and Nash. But a segment consisting of four people (Hall, Nash, Sting & Savage) doing absolutely nothing as DDP looked on, would never improve a show at all. If they were trying to create tension or some level of confusion as to who was on who's side, they had failed spectacularly (in my opinion at least) One of the better moments since I've started these reviews came FROM A FAN no less, during the Super Calo/Alex Wright Match. During the match, Super Calo repeatedly connected with the metal guardrail separating the fans from the action. This of course led to a fan with a front row ticket, taking a number of over the top bumps into his own chair. Somebody please find this man and shake his hand! The result of the Beniot/Konnan match confused me as Jacqueline technically didn't touch anyone or interfere in any way. But the result was somewhat irrelevant so I didn't really care all that much. During his match with Jeff Jarrett, Steve McMichael was counted out after his wife Debra held him back, furthering the storyline of her possibly being enamoured with Jeff. The now famous in-ring segment with Roddy and his son Colt, closed the show. It was interrupted by Hollywood Hogan and Eric Bischoff. Piper pleaded to be left alone as his son was with him. It's a shame Hogan didn't break character and say "That doesn't work for me brother" but perhaps that would have been too self aware on his part. Hogan would become famous for this line, allegedly using it backstage whenever an idea was pitched that he didn't like or agree with. Hogan and Bischoff then forced Piper into saying Hogan beat him like a drum and to also put Hogan over in front of his son, in order to avoid any unneeded confrontation. Piper gets his child to safety before fighting off Hogan and Bischoff in the climax of the show! While the match quality was fine for the most part, outside of Beniot/Konnan which tied into his feud with Sullivan quite nicely, there was nothing truly attention grabbing on the card. As a result, there was no rhyme or reason for the bulk of the matches and it made them seem throwaway. That said, the last segment made the show and won Nitro the point.

WCW Monday Nitro February 10th

WCW Nitro 10/2/97 (2.5 Stars)

Nitro was broadcast unopposed this week, due to Raw being televised on a Thursday.

United States Championship

Match 1- Dean Malenko def (c) Eddie Guerrero via count-out

Segment- DDP in-ring segment. Interrupted by Sting and Randy Savage.

Match 3- Konnan def Bobby Eaton

Segment- Eric Bischoff prevents an injured Lex Luger from competing for 4-6 weeks, meaning he would miss his title match at Superbrawl.

Match 4- The Giant def Ron Powers

Match 5- Steiner Brothers def High Voltage

Segment- Randy Anderson asks for his job back. Eric Bischoff offers him the opportunity to wrestle NWO official Nick Patrick in order to be rehired.

Tag Team Championships

Match 6- (c) The Outsiders def The Extreme

TV Title

Match 7- (c) Lord Steve Regal Vs Rey Mysterio ends in in time-limit draw

Match 8- Taskmaster def Maverick Wild

Match 9- Hugh Morrus def Alex Wright

Match 10- Steve McMichael & Chris Beniot def Chavo Guerrero & Jeff Jarrett

Segment- 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper cuts a promo on Hollywood Hogan who responds via satellite

Analysis

Dean Malenko called out Syxx before his match with Eddie Guerrero. Dean worked slowly at times, depending on who his opponent was, but Eddie seemed to encourage him to wrestle at a slightly quicker pace. Conversely, Dean Malenko did a good job of slowing down Eddie and bringing some psychology to their matches, incorporating his more traditional mat based style. Dean would win via count-out after Syxx attempted to steal Eddie's U.S Title, leading Eddie to grapple with Syxx at ringside over his title. DDP's segment was interrupted by Sting and Randy Savage. Sting handed a bat to Dallas before turning his back with Savage doing the same. DDP refused to use the bat before Sting and Savage left. My guess is that Sting was testing people's loyalties, and now having recruited Savage, who was seen as a WCW outcast, they were now trying their hand with Dallas. Before his scheduled match with Ron Powers, Lex Luger came out wearing a cast on his hand as a result of the attack from The Outsider's last week. Eric Bischoff would halt proceedings, preventing Luger from competing. The Giant would take his place instead. Opening the second hour, we saw "former WCW official" Randy Anderson confront Eric Bischoff accompanied by his wife and two children, in an effort to win back his job. Bischoff had a funny moment whereby he asked Randy's kids to come forward only to tell their father that he still doesn't have a job! "Tell your dad he's still fired!" Mysterio/Regal suffered from a somewhat botched time limit draw as the timekeeper started to ring the bell, only adding to the confusion. As a result of this, when the Bell rang on the two count due to the time expiring, the live crowd seemed confused. To be fair, so was I. Time limit draws rarely work without any advanced notice that time is elapsing, either on screen or from the commentary team. This match had neither but regardless it was the best match of the night. During the tag match, Debra McMichael didn't let Jeff Jarrett back in the ring in order to break up the pin, with Debra once again showing concern for Double J. Post-match The Horsemen cut a promo on Kevin Sullivan and Steve McMichael questioned Debra's feelings for Jeff. She once again lobbied for him to become a Horseman. Steve McMichael says if Jarrett can beat him at Superbrawl, he deserves to join the illustrious group. 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper delivered some golden lines in the final segment. Including "OJ Simpson line" Overall I must concede that WCW delivered a good show, with some decent matches sprinkled in with watchable segments. Slightly better than last week's episode but it scores the same as I found it hard to pick out one moment that elevated it in any way.

Thursday Raw Thursday February 13th

Monday Night Raw 10/2/97 (2.75 Stars)

No, it's not a typo. This episode was actually dubbed 'Thursday Raw Thursday'. It was announced during the opening voice-over that Shawn Michaels would forfeit his WWF Championship. Meaning the upcoming four-way match would be for the WWF TITLE ITSELF! It would transpire this Raw would host the famous segment where Shawn allegady "lost his smile"...poor guy

Intercontinental Championship

Match 1- Rocky Maivia def (c) Hunter Hearst Helmsley

Match 2- The Headbangers def Bob Holly & Aldo Montoya

Segment- Shawn Michaels forfeits his WWF Championship. "Loses his smile"

Match 3- The Undertaker def Savio Vega

Match 4- Steve Austin def Sycho Sid via DQ

Tag Team Championships

Match 5- Faarooq & Crush def (c) The British Bulldog & Owen Hart via count-out

Match 6- Bret Hart def Vader

Analysis

Rocky Maivia rolled up HHH to win his first championship in the WWF/E in a cool moment. A good match that would be the precursor for an excellent feud in the years to come. Jim Cornette recalls Maivia's dark match from Corpus Christi. He thought he had already been through wrestling school for a year to that point, which he hadn't. Jim added that he should have been made to look and sound like the WWF Champion in 5 years, before adding that he did it in 3! This was some brilliant insight into how bookers handled stars who they saw as the next big thing. The 'slam of the week' taken from Shotgun Saturday Night showed The Undertaker hitting a Tombstone Piledriver onto someone, directly on top of a working escalator! This seemed unnecessarily dangerous if you ask me, especially considering whoever took the move had long hair. The Headbangers made their Raw debut. They would become a more notable tag team in the years to come. During Shawn Michaels in-ring segment, he told us that he had "lost his smile" before noting that knee injuries may cause a permanent retirement. He added this was due to him potentially not being able to guarantee the same level of high performance before his injury, adding "I've lost a lot of things and one of them was my smile" It's hard to take this segment seriously in retrospect, but at the time it must have seemed very serious. Shawn is one of, if not the greatest in-ring performer of all time. A premature career ending injury, especially considering the landscape of wrestling at the time, would have been massive, as Vince losing one of his best draws at such a crucial time would have done untold damage to the WWF. Allegedly backstage higher ups were angered by Shawn's promo as it seemed disingenuous. Undertaker and Ahmed Johnson joined forces to fight off N.O.D post-match, before Bret Hart cost Sycho Sid a potential victory in his match against Steve Austin, causing a DQ. The Undertaker cut a promo ahead of a decent main-event between Bret Hart and Vader. I noticed some stark differences between Nitro and Raw. Whereas WCW seemed to attempt to cram as much into the two hour time slot as possible, Raw took their time with matches and segments. It was a good episode anyway, and the better structure along with the hot start to the show wins Raw the point.

In Your House 13: Final Four

Match 1- Marc Mero def Leif Cassiday

Match 2- Nation of Domination (Crush, Faarooq & Savio Vega) def Flash Funk, Goldust & Bart Gunn

Intercontinental Championship

Match 3- (c) Rocky Maivia def Hunter Hearst Hemsley

Tag Team Championships

Match 4- Phil Lafon & Doug Furnas def The British Bulldog & Owen Hart (c) via DQ

Vacant WWF Title

Match 5- Bret Hart def The Undertaker, Vader & 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin

Analysis

In between matches we would see backstage pre-recorded segments from the four participants of the final four match set to take place later that evening. Rocky Maivia and HHH had another good outing, yet it was plainly apparent Rocky Maivia was missing some of his famous swagger he would later incorporate as 'The Rock' Chyna also made her on-screen debut as she choked out Marlena (Goldust's valet and real life partner) If not for the main-event, Owen/Davey would have won MOTN honours. They were a fantastic heel tag team. Whenever they wrestled as a duo, it seemed like you actually had to beat two people at the same time due to the constant interference and shenanigans. It's almost a lost art these days, but Owen and Davey did it brilliantly. Suffice to say, this was the BEST 2 ON 2 TAG MATCH I had seen from the WWF since I've started these reviews. On its own, the match probably wouldn't seem all that special, but against what the WWF were producing for tag matches during this time period, it was damn good! I have to hold my hands up here as I've either missed something or it wasn't properly explained, but I didn't realise until the end of the show that the main-event was an over the top rope battle royal, only pinfalls and submissions also counted. It was still a fantastic match and an early MOTY contender. It was chaotic and action packed throughout (as you'd expect from any fatal fourway style match) Vader's eye was badly cut open, with the image even being used on the front page of WWF's monthly magazine entitled 'Raw' The last three matches were good. The last two matches were fantastic, and the main-event was one of the best I'd seen from the WWF so far, and as I've already noted, an early MOTY contender. If the year ended on that particular date, it would have won anyway. Seeing as veterans such as Bret Hart and The Undertaker were involved, the talent were given the freedom to lay out the majority of this particular match. This is undoubtedly what made it so good! I flirted between a 3.5 and a 3.75 rating. But the latter would rank it as the best PPV I have seen so far, and while it was very good and certainly on par with others I have seen. It wasn't the best. It was good, but it can't take my number one spot just yet! (3.5 Stars)

Raw/Nitro February 17th

Monday Night Raw 17/2/97 (3.5 Stars)

Segment- Steve Austin assaulted both Bret Hart and Sycho Sid before their scheduled WWF Title match together, before getting escorted out by security. As a result, the match was called off due to Sid being injured by Austin.

Match 1- Marc Mero def Savio Vega via DQ following a Nation of Domination run-in

Intercontinental Championship

Match 2- (c) Rocky Maivia def Leif Cassiday

Segment- In-ring promo with Goldust and Marlena. They call out Hunter Hearst Hemsley before Hunter hits a pedigree on Goldust. Marena is then blindsided by Chyna.

Match 3- The Headbangers def The Hardy Boys

Match 4- Owen Hart def Flash Funk

Match 5- Bart Gunn def Hunter Hearst Helmsley via count-out

WWF Title

Match 6- Sycho Sid def Bret Hart (c)

Analysis

There's a lot to cover for this episode but before I do, I'd like to add that it was a clever move to start the show with a "WWF Title match" only for it to be constantly postponed to later in the show. Around this time, "channel hopping" was a practice wrestling fans were more than accustomed to, constantly switching back and forth between Raw and Nitro. With that knowledge, presumably the idea behind booking it in this way was to either persuade some Nitro viewers to either keep watching or at the very least come back so they didn't mind a potential title change. After Rocky Maivia's match, Jerry Lawler took shots at ECW, before issuing an open challenge to the ECW roster to come to Raw. This would be the start of an angle the two companies would work together. I will talk about the 'ECW invasion' separately at the end of my monthly review, as it was quite a notable moment in 1997 and will require some care and attention. On this day, the Hardy Boys made their Raw debut! They initially had the role of jobbers or enhancement talent. Their primary role being to lose matches, making other people look good in the process. Anyone reading this knows it didn't stay that way for long, as today both Matt and Jeff Hardy are instantly recognisable names. Both real life brothers with an immense passion for wrestling, growing up in North Carolina they started up their own backyard wrestling promotion called TWF (Trampoline Wrestling Federation) before creating a more reputable federation called OMEGA. OMEGA still runs shows today, and helped to launch the careers of Shane Helms (The Hurricane) as well as Shannon Moore. Nothing of note happened in this match, outside of the actual debut itself. Although I look forward to watching some classic Hardy Boys matches going forward. Faarooq challenged Ahamed Johnson to a street fight at WrestleMania 13 in a short segment, before Steve Austin attacked Bret Hart ahead of his match with Sid. The title match was delayed once more. Gorilla Monsoon took a shot at WCW saying "We're not like other people, we don't tease you with stuff and don't deliver" before guaranteeing the match will take place before the night is over. Paul Heyman phoned in while Raw was live on air and promised Jerry Lawler that he will be at the Manhattan Centre next week along with some of ECW's "top stars", for next week's Raw. I was genuinely excited to see how it all would unfold, yet for people who were completely unfamiliar with ECW, this probably wasn't seen as a big deal. Goldust cost HHH a win as he ran him out of the ring, providing Bart Gunn the victory via count-out. In reality it should have been a DQ win for Hunter, but at least it fits in with the booking of the feud. Finally, Steve Austin ran in hitting Bret across the head with a chair, costing him the WWF Title during the main-event! It was a pretty big deal to have a world title change on free TV. Especially for the WWF. This was the perfect episode to watch alongside a typical episode of Nitro to see the differences in structure. As I've already noted, typically Raw didn't rush through things, allowing the segments time to breathe. This was a BIG plus in my book. Big moments still occurred, but not one after another. The slow suspenseful build towards the EXCELLENT MAIN-EVENT (correction, the BEST Raw main-event I have seen yet) was perfectly executed, meaning this episode ranks amongst the highest ratings I have given to non PPVs. I almost think it's too harsh of a rating, but in all honesty the undercard wasn't fantastic and I know the quality of shows drastically improves soon, so I am reluctant to put the horse before the cart just yet.

WCW Nitro 17/2/97 (2.75 Stars)

Match 1- Rey Mysterio def Super Calo

Match 2- Steve McMichael def Hugh Morrus

Cruiserweight Title

Match 3- (c) Dean Malenko def Robbie Brookside

Segment- The Outsiders refute the claims of having any involvement in The Steiner's car accident. They leave a tape with the broadcast team that allegedly proves their innocence.

Match 4- Public Enemy def The Amazing French Canadians

Segment- Mean Gene grills DDP over the incident in the parking lot involving Big Bubba.

WCW TV Title

Match 5- Prince Iaukea def Lord Steve Regal (c)

Match 6- Randy Anderson def Nick Patrick

Match 7- Chris Beniot def Roadblock

Segment- Footage is shown of The Outsiders bumping into The Steiner's from behind while harassing them on the road. This led to both Scott and Rick Steiner careering off the road and getting into a serious car accident.

Match 8- Kevin Sullivan def Doc Dean

United States Championship

Match 9- (c) Eddie Guerrero def Konnan via DQ

Segment- Four Horsemen promo. Ric Flair says the Four Horsemen are united and stronger than ever. Arn says The NWO and Dungeon of Doom aren't having their way anymore before calling Randy Anderson a personal friend and vowing to help him out. Steve McMichael asks Debra what her frame of mind is ahead of his match with Jeff Jarrett. She says Jeff Jarrett is a winner. Chris Beniot cuts a promo on Kevin Sullivan and Jacqueline.

Match 10- The Giant def Top Gunn & Johnny Swinger in a 2-1 handicap match

Segment- 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper cuts a promo from Alcatraz prison.

Match 11- Jeff Jarrett def Chris Jericho

Segment- Hollywood Hogan in-ring promo ahead of Superbrawl VII.

Analysis

A member of the NWO was shown 'going down' in the parking lot on the way to the building. Big Bubba was then shown being loaded into an ambulance during the Mysterio/Calo match. We learned that The Steiners would not be competing at Superbrawl VII due to being involved in a car accident. British wrestling legend Robbie Brookside had his Nitro debut. Not much of a showcase for the talented Liverpudlian, but it was fun seeing nonetheless. Syxx cut a promo on his Superbrawl opponent Dean Malenko after his match with Brookside. The Outsiders claimed to have no part in The Steiner Brothers car accident. They provide a tape in order to prove their innocence. During the Public Enemy/Amazing French Canadians contest, Tony Schiavone said, and I quote "We're certainly not going to stop THIS match for it" (to play the tape) This comment was steeped in irony, especially considering some of the matches they DID cut away from in the past. If they ever did cut away from a match, I would have been grateful if they did it here! In all fairness it was a fun match for what it was. A time filler, brawling based affair. The only kind of match Public Enemy had any business being involved in. Mean Gene grilled DDP about Big Bubba collapsing in the parking lot. Dallas refuted any involvement. The shock title change between Regal and Iaukea was somewhat wasted with a poor match. Iaukea had zero offence (he won with a roll-up) and most of the segment involved Regal posing. They could have put on a decent 10/15 minute match and it would have added to the show much more in my opinion. All nitpicking aside, it was a fun, unpredictable moment that popped me hard! Randy Anderson was fighting for his job when he defeated Nick Patrick in a wrestling match in a battle of the referees. I actually didn't mind this segment. It was a compelling story and was never meant to be a highlight. Hence why it was on free TV and over in a matter of seconds. Post-match Bischoff lays into Anderson for using a taped fist, firing both Randy Anderson as well as the referee who made the count. Some things of note are that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was shown sitting in the front row as well as Doc Dean being the second 'scouser' to appear on the card. A scouser being someone from the Liverpool region of England, with Robbie Brookside also coming from the area. The Konnan/Eddie match didn't live up to expectations, with Chris Jericho saving Eddie from a Faces of Fear run-in. The Giant spray painted the names 'Hall' and 'Nash' onto the bodies of Gunn and Swinger post-match. Lex Luger said he had been medically cleared to compete at Superbrawl VII! Eric Bischoff said his medical clearance had come too late. Lex Luger retorted that there's a lot of things that Bischoff can't prevent. I was actually really looking forward to this match. It had been booked well and I was a fan of everyone involved. We cut live to Alcatraz, where Roddy Piper supposedly spent the last week in order to get himself in the proper frame of mind ahead of his match with Hollywood Hogan. He said that this wasn't a 'wrestling promo' and that Hogan needs the recognition. It won't go through it word for word, but it was a great promo that genuinely made Piper seem unhinged and built the only interest I had in this match. Piper had absolutely carried this feud through his promos thus far and I hoped that WCW finally decided to put the belt on him. Although I have a feeling they went in another direction. Debra McMichael once again came out during Jeff Jarrett's match pleading with Jericho not to hurt him. This in turn, led to Steve McMichael smashing Jeff in the back with his briefcase (presumably it's where he stored his cocaine) costing him the match in the process. Hogan said absolutely nothing of note to end the show. In fact, his entrance and posturing almost lasted longer than the promo itself! Sting and 'Macho Man' Randy Savage came out and started to walk towards the ring before Savage reminded Sting that Nitro had been on air for almost 3 hours now and people have to go to bed, so save it for next week. He didn't actually say that, but simply tapped Savage on the shoulder before the pair left. Although for whatever reason, this was a LONG episode of Nitro, and one that was well over the typical 2 hour mark. My personal conspiracy theory being that Nitro intentionally went over time, in order to combat the WWF's world title match. Yet for Nitro, a cheap title change and a brilliant Roddy Piper promo made this episode somewhat interesting, but that wouldn't be enough for WCW as they went against a highly entertaining episode of Raw.

SuperBrawl VII

Cruiserweight Title

Match 1- Syxx def Dean Malenko (c)

Match 2- Konnan, La Parka & Villano IV def Cíclope, Super Calo & Juventud Guerrera

WCW TV Title

Match 3- (c) Prince Iaukea def Rey Mysterio

Match 4- DDP def Buff Bagwell via DQ

United States Championship

Match 5- (c) Eddie Guerrero def Chris Jericho

Match 6- Public Enemy def Harlem Heat & Faces of Fear in a Triangle Tag Team Match

Match 7- Steve McMichael def Jeff Jarrett

Match 8- Chris Beniot def Kevin Sullivan in a San Francisco Death Match

Tag Team Championships

Match 9- The Giant & Lex Luger def The Outsiders (c)

World Heavyweight Championship

Match 10- (c) Hollywood Hogan def Roddy Piper

Analysis

As the show starts, we are shown 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper being 'released' from Alcatraz. Piper says he didn't go through "7 days of hell" for nothing. This was a unique way to start the show, and only could have worked using a talent as unique as Piper. Credit to Eric Bischoff for saying that the idea was "all Piper's" on a recent episode of his '83 weeks' podcast, whereby he highly praised both the segment as well as Piper. Eric and his host actually provided a watchalong of this PPV (available on YouTube) providing additional insight. During the opener, Eddie tried to stop Syxx using the title as a weapon. Unfortunately it backfired as Syxx was able to use it on Dean Malenko while the ref was distracted from Eddie's interference. A good match but taking into consideration the talent of both men, it definitely could have been better. Regardless I am very much looking forward to a potential 3 way down the line! A triple threat match between Eddie, Syxx and Dean Malenko would be fun too. Rather interestingly, Kevin Nash shed some light on the booking decision to put the title on Syxx. He claimed as Hogan didn't work house shows, WCW needed a singles title that could be defended at these events in order for run-ins to occur, and thus giving the live crowd a glimpse of the NWO. Former TV champion Lord Steve Regal cost Rey Mysterio his chance to taste gold in WCW for the first time, as he interfered on Prince Iaukea's behalf. With neither man being happy with the outcome, we would most likely see a rematch down the line. (Hopefully they received uninterrupted minutes on Nitro) DDP won via DQ after underlings from the NWO stormed the ring. DDP managed to escape unscathed after hitting the Diamond Cutter on Bagwell. This match was close to being considered as somewhat of a hidden gem. Both men worked well and most importantly, managed to hold my attention throughout. The non finish perhaps being the only thing from letting it down. As expected, Guerrero and Jericho put on a good match. It wasn't the best match in the world and under different conditions, both men could have delivered something truly special. Eddie was more experienced than Jericho at this stage, but both men carried themselves extremely well. The little things Eddie did really added to the match, with everything seemingly being second nature to him. From sticking his foot on the ropes to break up a count or a sequence of complex wrestling manoeuvres, it didn't matter as he seemingly pulled it all off with ease. Like Chris Jericho, Eddie will be remembered as one of the all time greats. On to the tag bout and even though I heavily disagreed with who went over, in all fairness to Public Enemy they would take part in the most convoluted finish they had been involved in so far and DIDN'T screw it up. Grunge or Rocco (I still didn't care enough to keep track of who was who) hit a top rope shoulder block while his partner was hoisted up for a Powerbomb. His partner rolled over and picked up the 1, 2, 3. If you saw how uncoordinated these guys usually were, you'd have been impressed too! Jeff Jarrett got the better of Steve 'Mongo' McMichael, as Debra tossed Mongo's case over his shoulder towards Jarrett, who used it on McMichael. Debra then proceeded to feign sympathy for her husband. Good story, average match. Kevin Sullivan took on Chris Beniot with Jacqueline and Woman (Nancy Sullivan/Beniot) bound together with a strap for the duration of the contest. Jacqueline jumped on top of Kevin Sullivan in order to protect him as all 230 pounds of Chris Beniot flew into the pair of them from the top rope,

resulting in Beniot covering Sullivan for the win. Honestly this match could have been done without any further gimmicks (strap stipulation) as at times it seemed like a four way match. Yet WCW pulled it off about as well as they or anyone else could have in my opinion anyway, and I actually enjoyed it as a result. Although criticism of this match is warranted as the involvement of both Woman and Jacqueline took away from the match. Although the cool spot at the end saved it. During the tag title match, Lex Luger tossed Bischoff out of the way and ran into the match despite not being medically cleared to compete. This can't end well and will most likely be overturned on the next episode of Nitro, so what was the point? As a result, I didn't even pop for the "title change" as it was the equivalent of having VAR in wrestling and waiting with bated breath to see if the decision would stand, despite someone being clearly offside! Sting and Randy Savage made an appearance during the main-event. Sting walked away before a shock Savage heel turn! After Piper won following a sleeper hold, Savage pulled Hogan's legs under the ropes forcing the ref to reverse the decision, leading to a Hogan win. For a somewhat average PPV, if they would have kept the original finish, the main-event would have certainly made up for it. As it stands, a touch above average for the drama aa well as hosting one or two fun matches. It's not a PPV I am in a rush to go back and rewatch. Some gripes here and there over some of the booking decisions, but I'm willing to wait and see how it all unfolded (2.75 Stars)

Raw/Nitro February 24th

Monday Night Raw 24/2/97 (2 Stars)

Match 1- The New Blackjacks def The Godwinns

Segment- Paul E and The Eliminators clear the ring before accepting Jerry Lawler's invitation from last week. Paul E. Dangerously introduces Little Guido.

Match 2- Big Stevie Cool def Little Guido

Segment- Marlena faced Sunny in an arm wrestling contest officiated by Honky Tonk Man. Goldust run-in to save Marlena from Sunny and Savio Vega.

Match 3- Goldust def Savio Vega via DQ

Segment- Jerry Lawler introduces UFC champion Ken Shamrock.

Match 4- Tazz def Mikey Whipwreck

Match 5- The Legion of Doom Vs The Headbangers ends via double count-out

Match 6- Tommy Dreamer def D-Von Dudley

Match 7- The Undertaker def Faarooq via DQ

Analysis

A new tag team debuted as The New Blackjacks (JBL as Blackjack Bradshaw and Barry Windham as Blackjack Windham) before Paul E. Dangerously would enter the ring, accepting Lawler's challenge. From there we would see Stevie Richards as 'Big Stevie Cool' and his BWO faction take on Little Guido from the FBI. This tickled me as the WWF were broadcasting this during the height of the New World Order gimmick. It's my opinion that this is how Vince should have done parodies. The issue with 'Imposter Diesel' and 'Razor Ramon' was that the WWF were trying to portray it as a serious gimmick. Whereas the BWO was obviously a joke. I must say that Blue Meanie was fantastic in this role, hilariously impersonating Scott Hall's mannerisms. We then arrived at what would be the highlight of the show. An arm wrestling match between Sunny and Marlena. The reason it was the highlight was due to the sexy outfits the women donned. I'm not trying to sound sexist but if this is what you have them doing, don't blame me if it just so happens to be one of the best parts of the show. Sunny was in high cut silver hot pants looking absolutely beautiful, as Marlena looked classy as ever in her gold leotard and sheer tights. Marlena seemed to have Sunny's number, before Sunny threw a white powder-like substance in her face, leading Savio Vega to come down to the ring and grab her hair. Goldust saved his valet/wife, before Savio and Goldust faced off one on one. Of course this would be the first of MANY Nation of Domination run-ins, as the group got this match ended via DQ. UFC star Ken Shamrock was ringside and denied ever meeting Lawler, with Jerry bragging how close the pair were. Tazz looked very impressive in his match with Mikey Whipwreck before we saw the famous moment of Sabu jumping off the Raw set. Sabu was genuinely an absolute maniac and this was a truly crazy stunt, as he leaped from around 15 feet in the air onto nothing but hard floor and Whipwreck below him! Road Warriors/LOD made their return to chants of LOD. Fans weren't impressed with the backend of their WCW run and while I cant blame them, the only LOD match I can recall was a good one (LOD Vs Steiners date check) Fun fact time. Road Warrior Animal actually had an insurance settlement on his back, meaning he couldn't wrestle in any singles matches, and only tags. Post D-Von's match with Tommy Dreamer, Bubba Ray Dudley stormed the ring to team with his 'brother' D-Von as they and double teamed Dreamer. Sandman would make the save. Footage was shown of Bret Hart being hot with Austin as he cost Bret his WWF Title. Undertaker Vs Sycho Sid and Bret Vs Austin in a submission match were both officially announced for WM 13. Faarooq took on Undertaker in the main-event. The match was interrupted by Nation of Domination (because, of course it was) only for Legion of Doom to make the save. If I had to make a prediction, it would be that this was probably a lead to some kind of 6-man tag, but with Taker being busy with Sid, it didn't make a whole lot of sense. At least the inclusion of ECW gave the show a different feel, something the WWF desperately needed as the current vibe seemed outdated (even for 1997 standards) Not a great show but fairly entertaining to watch during parts. I have to score fairly and sadly the main-event underwhelmed meaning the card was bereft of match quality. ECW’s inclusion along with Sunny and Marlena's outfit saved the show slightly.

WCW Nitro 24/2/97 (2.5 Stars)

Match 1- Public Enemy def Jeff Jarrett & Steve McMichael

Match 2- 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan def Galaxy

Segment- 'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan cuts a promo on Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage.

Match 3- Hugh Morrus def Joe Gomez

Match 4- Ice Train def La Parka

Match 5- Faces of Fear def Eddie Guerrero & Chris Jericho

Match 6- Rey Mysterio def Juventud Guerrera

WCW TV Title

Match 7- (c) Prince Iaukea def Pat Tantanka

Match 8- Ultimate Dragon def Dean Malenko via DQ

Match 9- DDP Vs Dave Taylor ends in a no-contest

Segment- Randy Savage officially announced into The NWO. Hollywood Hogan promo "gifting" Miss Elizabeth back to Randy Savage.

Segment- Eric Bischoff strips Lex Luger & The Giant of the Tag Team Championships as Luger wasn't medically cleared to compete.

Analysis

Double J was the newest Horseman as per the stipulation at SuperBrawl VII (he defeated Steve 'Mongo' McMichael) Mongo took exception to this as he blasted Jeff across the back with his case, costing his team the match. Arn and Flair come out to straighten things out. McMichael is told the faction is built on respect and he needs to honour his deal. Arn adds that with Dungeon of Doom and the NWO getting stronger, along with Beniot being in the hospital, they need the numbers. Mongo reluctantly shakes Jeff's hand. During the tag match, Dean Malenko would shove Eddie off the top rope as revenge for Eddie inadvertently costing him the Cruiserweight Title at SuperBrawl. This segment was EXCELLENT! Surprisingly so perhaps, but the frantic pace of it as well as Jericho and Eddie's willingness to get tossed around by the larger team of Barbarian and Meng made for fun viewing. The definition of a "hidden gem" and the best Faces of Fear match I have seen thus far. Great way to end the first hour. Mysterio/Guerrera also had a great match off the back of the tag. Make that back to back good matches. Well done Nitro. Malenko/Dragon with a MOTN performance delivered the third strong match of the night in what was dubbed by the commentary team as a "number one contenders match for the Cruiserweight Championship" How official that would transpire to be, nobody knows, but the match was good so I'm not complaining. Dean Malenko snapped and started to choke Dragon out of frustration, refusing to break the 5 count before getting DQ'd. The Outsiders and Randy Savage made an appearance during DDP's match with Dave Taylor. Dallas hit his finishing move but didn't pin Taylor, who rolled out of the ring with no conclusive winner. Randy Savage nailed Dallas in the back of his head with a can of spray paint. DDP's back was then marked with NWO. A fan jumped into the ring only to get legitimately shitcanned back out by Nash, Hall and Savage. The Outsiders officially introduced Randy Savage as the latest member of The NWO. Hollywood Hogan comes to the ring and cuts a promo before telling Randy he has a gift for him, and brings out his ex wife Miss Elizabeth! This angle made zero sense. From Liz tormenting Savage as a part of the Horsemen last year, to being a member of the NWO (against her will apparently) to now being happy that her ex husband is a part of the group. As for Randy, he was feuding with Liz and the Horsemen before getting beat up by The NWO who nearly cost him his job as well as his sanity, but now he's cool with everything? It seemed like another swerve for the sake of it and I'm undecided about Savage joining the NWO in general. It seemed unnecessary but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and wait to see how it all plays out (it seems like I'm saying that all too often) Eric Bischoff won the award for the most predictable moment in the history of television as he told Luger that he wasn't medically cleared to compete at SuperBrawl so must relinquish the titles. In all fairness, Eric granted Luger and The Giant a rematch. The final action of February would be Sting entering the ring stoney faced only to receive a hug from the Hulkster. He didn't hug him back only for the commentary team to say "this is sickening" You would have thought they'd have learned by now NOT to take anything for face value as far as Sting is concerned. Good wrestling for the most part, but the bad ending and nonsensical serves hurt the show overall. Storyline twists for the sake of it, convoluted angles I'm caring less about by the day and TOO MUCH NWO. It's a shame no one told Eric that you CAN actually have 'too much of a good thing' Only at this point, I'm not even sure if the NWO was a good thing. In the form it was in, anyway. Nitro takes the point for producing better wrestling and with better booking, it could have been something really special!

Summary & final scores

I almost believe that The NWO would have been better off if they took more of a backseat on television. Eric made it clear they could do whatever the hell they wanted, rendering most of the main-events pointless. They were over exposed on TV and were feeling less special by the minute. This is all in retrospect of course, as at the time this was groundbreaking stuff. Personally I would have kept Nash and Hall on TV, as they were mainly in the tag scene anyway, but saved Hogan and Bischoff for PPV's only (and the odd TV appearance) and also with the exception of Syxx, removed the 100's of members they had (keeping Virgil and DiBiase if you must) as even I'd lost track of everyone involved at this point, and I'm writing it all down! I will consider doing a "fantasy rebooking" of The NWO in the future. The only problem being, it would be much the same as what they actually did. The only difference would be that I'd remove half of the stuff they did on TV, allowing WCW time to breed a fresh main-event scene to challenge them on PPV's. As for the WWF. The Steve Austin/Bret Hart rivalry was the best thing in Pro Wrestling at the time (in my opinion) and the inclusion of ECW would prove to be short lived, yet somewhat fun while it lasted. Allegedly Vince Russo was involved in creative by this point and WWF booker Bruce Pritchard was an ECW fan, all components towards their inclusion. Also, Paul Heyman genuinely knocked the WWF to his talent, almost working a shoot (blurring the lines of fiction and reality) According to Jim Cornette and others, Vince McMahon added ECW boss Paul Heyman to his payroll for a grand a week in return for taking some of his talent in order to help them develop, despite Paul denying this. Natural distention between the two locker rooms occurred due to a clash of styles, with some WWF wrestlers genuinely thinking that the ’ECW Stars‘ were "idiots" for being so willing to bleed profusely and fly through burning tables as well as barbed wire. The final nail in the coffin came when Road Dogg was booked to beat a "top guy" believed to be Rob Van Dam, via DQ. That caused a stink with Paul Heyman and the ECW talent, causing the angle to end. Anyway as it stands, WCW still leads the way with 38 points, 9 draws and WWF trail with 25

Match of the Month:

The Undertaker Vs Bret Hart Vs Steve Austin Vs Vader (In Your House 13: Final Four)