20 YRS AGO – Keller’s WCW Nitro Report (11-2-97): Hall says “Bad Guys” and says he’s not supposed to say that, DDP promo, Hennig vs. Luger, Flair interview

By Wade Keller, PWTorch editor

Ric Flair (photo credit Wade Keller © PWTorch)

SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...

The following is my report on WCW Monday Night from twenty years ago this week. This report was originally published in the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter. PWTorch VIP members have access to over 1,500 weekly back issues in a mix of PDF and all-text formats dating back to the late 1980s covering pro wrestling’s top stories and events. (LINK TO FULL ISSUE FOR VIP MEMBERS).

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WCW MONDAY NITRO
NOVEMBER 3, 2017
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
AIRED LIVE ON TNT

(3.9 rating)

[Q1]… Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan opened the program. Schiavone announced Hulk Hogan’s movie was one of the top four rated cable movies of all time. They showed scenes of Hogan’s movie and of the Sting-Hogan contract signing… (1) Eddie Guerrero & Dean Malenko beat Rey Misterio Jr. & Steven Regal at 3:55. How in the heck did they come up with the Rey Jr. & Regal team, much less Eddie & Dean? Zbyszko wondered aloud what Sting has been doing for the last year or so and why it took him so long to sign to face Hogan. In the end, Guerrero was setting up the frog splash, but Malenko tagged himself in and applied the leglock for the tapout win. Interesting match, well executed…


[Q2]… Schiavone announced that Piper is out indefinitely due to nerve damage suffered in the cage match, so his return date to the ring and as interim commissioner is undetermined… (2) Fit Finlay beat Dave Taylor after a tombstone at 2:56… Eric Bischoff on the phone interrupted the announcers as they were about to introduce the next segment. Bischoff said Hogan hasn’t been running from Sting because he has challenged him several times and Sting had not previously responded. Bischoff said Hogan’s movie thrived despite Vince McMahon’s attempt to counter program with the Survivor Series Flashback. Bischoff bragged that McMahon’s show was a “miserable failure.” Bischoff said if they reached a rating of 4.0 they had the option of producing a series, so there is more to come. Bischoff then said the entire NWO would be present — together at once — and he would have a major surprise to make…

[Q3]… (3) Yuji Nagata beat Psicosis at 3:52. A fan held up a sign at the start that said, “Next match.” The announcers talked about World War 3 and Starrcade more than the match itself so they felt the same way… A Raven promo aired with him sitting in a classroom talking about how “nothing in nature behaves so consistently and rigidly in pursuit of destruction as the human being.” Zbyszko responded that Raven has it backwards and humans should be in the pursuit of “glory and victory”… (4) Saturn beat Disco Inferno to capture the WCW TV Title. Tenay pointed out that Disco had yet to score a clean pinfall victory during his TV Title reign. Saturn, who was sitting front row with Raven, climbed over the railing and entered the ring. Tenay said Saturn had been successful as a tag wrestler in “Eastern-based independent organizations,” but wondered how he’d fair as a singles wrestler with “the big boys.” Tenay talked about Saturn’s wrestling and martial arts background. Saturn just battered Disco with matwork, especially his arm. He eventually got an armbar submission. Saturn put in a good first match. Raven’s Nest entered the ring to celebrate, but Stevie Richards was a bit too excited for Raven, who threw him out of the ring. Raven sat in the corner and didn’t smile…

[Q4]… Gene Okerlund interviewed Ric Flair. Flair played to the Philadelphia crowd and talked about wanting a title shot against Hogan and to do that he had to win World War 3. He also talked about taking out Curt Hennig at World War 3. Really good energy, but one of those Flair interviews that he can do in his sleep…

[Q5]… Scott Hall came out alone wearing the tag team title belt. With both Kevin Nash and Syxx out with injuries, he stood alone which is rare for him. Hall said he just talked to Nash in Phoenix and Syxx-pac in Minneapolis and they all want to know if Philadelphia came to see WCW or the NWO. When they popped for NWO, he said, “It looks like one more town for the Bad Guys.” He added, “You can’t say that” (in reference to WWF copyrights of “Bad Guy” Razor Ramon). Hall then taunted Zbyszko for being unable to beat “East E” Eric Bischoff. Footage aired of Bischoff beating up Zbyszko and pinning him at Halloween Havoc… (4) Chris Jericho pinned Scott Hall at 2:35. Schiavone wondered what would happen if Lex Luger won World War 3 and Sting beat Hogan for the belt and they had to face each other at SuperBrawl. Hall gave Jericho the Outsider Edge twice in frustration with the small package surprise pinfall loss. Zbyszko went to the ring to challenge Hall to sign the contract to face him. Hall left the ring. Zbyszko mocked Hall for being scared of a two handicap broadcaster… The latest Mike Tenay Lucha Libre feature aired, this one on flying moves of the Mexicans. Another good segment…

[Q6]… Bobby Heenan replaced Zbyszko on commentary a bit later than usual… (5) An eight-man lucha libre battle royal ended with no decision. Two minutes into the battle royal Giant walked to the ring and entered for no apparent reason and began throwing around the luchadors. Pretty much a senseless waste of the luchadors that makes Giant look like a lame party crasher since he has no reason to interfere in the match and chokeslam everybody. After the match Giant said, “That is how you train for a battle royal.” Giant said the World War 3 battle royal would come down to him and Nash and he would throw him over the ropes into the crowd…

[Q7]… (6) Ric Flair beat Alex Wright (w/Debra McMichael) at 9:43 with the figure-four. Didn’t Debra turn on Alex at Havoc? Boy, that angle went right over my head, apparently. Schiavone built up Flair big time during the match. A Flair TV match. Wright took good bumps for Flair… (7) Ray Traylor beat Steve McMichael at 2:18. Goldberg came to the ring at 3:45 wearing the SuperBowl ring Debra gave to him. Traylor rolled up a distracted Mongo for the quick win…

[Q8]… Okerlund interviewed Dallas Page, who talked about how he is living a dream by doing exactly what he wants to do. Page said Havoc had the biggest viewing audience for a wrestling PPV of all time and said it was an honor to be part of the double-main event against Randy Savage. He talked about holding his own against Hogan and said he has more heart than anybody in wrestling because nobody wants it more than he does, so he hoped to direct that toward winning WW3. He says if he wins the battle royal, Hogan should be worried…

[Q9]… (8) Rick & Scott Steiner (Ted DiBiase) beat The Public Enemy at 5:40 in a falls count anywhere match when Scott pinned Johnny Grunge. The finish came when Grunge went to splash Rick who was placed between two stacked tables, but DiBiase pulled him out of the way… Highlights aired of last year’s WW3 battle royal…

[Q10]… (9) Curt Hennig beat Lex Luger via DQ at 11:00. Hennig dominated until Luger hit an atomic drop at 9:30. Luger hit a clothesline and forearm and signaled for the rack. Hennig held onto the ropes and the wrestlers spilled over the ropes to the floor. The bout ended when Flair attacked Hennig as he was racked…


NOW CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS FLASHBACK: 20 YRS AGO – KELLER’S WWE Roster Evaluation: Ranking the wrestlers in the post-Bret Hart era and breaking into tiers – Taker, Austin, Rock, Hunter, Michaels

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