Torch Flashbacks MNW FLASHBACK: Raw vs. Nitro head-to-head 20 years ago - Taker vs. Bulldog & new WWF tag champs, Hogan & Savage & Luger star on Nitro
Sep 25, 2015 - 12:48:52 AM
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WWF Raw Report
TV Rating: 2.7
Summary: The program opened with hype for the British Bulldog vs. Undertaker main event... Highlights aired from In Your House the previous night. Footage aired of Jim Cornette with a black Clarence Thomas look-a-like lawyer protesting Gorilla Monsoon allowing Owen's pin to result in a title change... Raw's open then aired... Vince McMahon welcomed Marty "Nine Lives" Jannetty back to the WWF.
(1) Marty Jannetty pinned Skip (w/Sunny) in a strong opening match. Jannetty won with his finisher, the top rope fistdrop. He came to the ring to the Rocker's old music. A barely readable fan sign said something about Raw facing Nitro...
The full Cornette/lawyer protest aired along with the announcement that Owen & Yokozuna were still tag champs, but they would have to defend the titles that night against The Smoking Gunns...
(2) The Smoking Gunns (Bart & Billy Gunn) defeated Yokozuna & Hart to capture the WWF Tag Team Titles. This was another strong match. After Bart was taking a beating, Yoko missed an elbowdrop. Bart then got a hot tag. A four way brawl erupted leading to the finish where Yoko accidentally splashed Owen. Michaels & Diesel joined the Gunns in a mid-ring celebration, supposedly to make fans feel like if Michaels & Diesel didn't feel ripped off, then they shouldn't...
They plugged Kid vs. Ramon and Bret vs. LaFitte for next week's Raw... Dok Hendrix then interviewed Monsoon who announced IYH4 would feature Undertaker vs. Mabel, Michaels vs. Douglas, Goldust's debut, and Diesel defending against Bulldog where the winner defends against Bret Hart at Survivor Series...
(3) Undertaker beat British Bulldog via DQ when Mabel interfered. Not a bad match. Afterward, The Gunns, Michaels, and Diesel made the save. Undertaker sold the Mabel/Bulldog attack... Michaels danced as the show went off the air...
WCW Nitro Report
Combined TV Rating: 2.7
Summary: The show opened with the usual three man/one dog announcing team...
(1) Alex Wright pinned Disco Inferno in a relatively short opening match. During the match they hyped that Hulk Hogan would be interviewed later in the program. Inferno's ring entrance is a riot. They bragged about Nitro being the best program going...
A taped interview aired with Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart. In a strange choice of words, Hogan referred to the Nameless Giant as "The big sticky nasty giant." Hey! Maybe they've finally come up with his name, Sticky the Giant. Has a nice ring. Anyway, Hogan challenged Sticky Giant to a monster truck match at Halloween Havoc followed by a match afterward if he won. Hogan said he'd find a truck bigger than his own ego which would surely demolish Sticky's truck (not really)... Gene Okerlund interviewed Lex Luger and Randy Savage. They replayed their confrontation from last week. Luger told Savage he's sick of Savage being "thumbs down on him." He asked Savage to wrestle him next week. Savage agreed. Luger then said, "Let's make it REAL (pause) interesting" and said if he loses, he's leave WCW. Savage eagerly agreed...
(2) Kurasawa pinned Craig Pittman in a unique match-up. The match at first seemed to be an excuse to talk about the monster truck challenge. Kurasawa dominated Pittman and scored a pin with a belly-to-back suplex... Okerlund interviewed Brian Pillman & Arn Anderson. Pillman laughed and mocked Flair's "Whoo!" while Anderson laughed at Flair for being shocked that no one would team with him...
They plugged WCW Saturday Night's main event of Sting vs. Johnny B. Badd for the U.S. Hvt. Title... They replayed the bench press beach angle with Kevin Sullivan and Savage...
(3) Randy Savage beat Kevin Sullivan by DQ. At first, Savage had to battle the crazy, icky Zodiac. The funky, prickly Sullivan then took over on Savage. Steve McMichael talked about WCW Nitro being where the big boys play, which was just a tad ironic considering the match in front of him. Sticky Giant then ran to the ring and attacked Savage for the DQ. Mark Starr tried to make the save. The Giant disposed of him. Alex Wright leaped off the top rope and Sticky caught him and slammed him. Luger then ran to the ring and tried to slam Sticky, but Giant soon took over and slammed Luger. Eric Bischoff pointed out that Sullivan seemed dismayed that Giant attacked Luger, as if to imply that Luger really did have an alliance with Sullivan that Sticky forgot about. Bischoff pushed that Sticky had now downed Hogan, Savage, and Lex...
(4) Meng pinned Lex Luger in the TV main event. Meng dominated the pre-battered Luger. Luger teased a few comebacks, but eventually Meng KO'd him with a spike... They closed the show with hype for next week's Luger vs. Savage match... Not much in the way of good wrestling, but a well paced, angle-filled show.
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