SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
The following report originally published 30 years ago this week in the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter paper copy…
KELLER’S WCW NITRO REPORT
MARCH 18, 1996
PHOENIX, ARIZ.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER (ISSUE #380)
(Live in Chattanooga, Tenn.)
(1) Lex Luger beat Loch Ness by countout. The show opened with Giant and Loch Ness brawling in the aisle. The announcers “didn’t even have their headsets on” as the two brawled before they even got to the ring. Lex Luger then walked right past them as he approached the ring for his TV Title defense against Loch Ness. Luger insisted the ref start counting. Loch Ness never got to the ring before the countout. Luger celebrated as if he just won a hard fought victory.
Jimmy Hart jumped into his arms and Luger celebrated briefly, but then dropped Hart and told him to get away from him. Luger then went to the announcing desk and said, “Am I on a roll or am I on a roll?” He bragged about peaking at the right time and having the shortest title defense in history…
-Tony Schiavone interviewed Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage on the rampway. Hogan revealed that he signed his Uncensored contract “MegaPowers” not “Hulk Hogan” thus it would be a two-on-eight match….
(2) Rick & Scott Steiner beat The Public Enemy when Rick pinned Johnny Grunge at 6:58. During ring intros, Bischoff said: “WCW each and every week the most watched wrestling program on planet Earth and it keeps getting hotter and hotter and hotter regardless of the whining coming out of the World Whining Federation.” He also talked about those who are taking notes wanting there to be a classic wrestling match to take a break because this will be an all-out brawl (huh?).
Some nice early exchanges between Scott and Flyboy Rocco Rock. Bischoff stressed that there will be no highlights on TV – not even still photos – and the only way to see Uncensored is on pay-per-view. Bischoff then broke news that Dennis Rodman was suspended for six games and fined for a headbutt. He suggested Rodman hook up with Hogan at Uncensored. TPE put in a good showing and were talked up pretty heavily by Bischoff. At 6:23 Rocco missed a flip senton over the top rope and went through a table. Meanwhile Rick bulldogged Grunge off the top rope for the pin …
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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(3) Booty Man beat Arn Anderson (mgd. by Woman) at 5:45. At 5:00 Kimberly came to the ring. Woman took off her shoe and threatened Kimberly. Booty Man yelled at Woman which gave Arn a chance to gain the advantage on her, but Booty surprised Arn with a kneelift and a clean pin…
(4) The Road Warriors beat The Nasty Boys when Animal pinned Nobbs. An all out brawl around ringside and in the ring. Nobbs took a hard bump ribs-first into the ringside railing. At 8:00 The Steiners ran to the ring and attacked The Nastys. Animal nailed Nobbs with a foreign object and scored the pin. Bischoff sent Gene Okerlund get-well wishes saying Okerlund was home with the flu…
(5) Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage fought Ric Flair & Kevin Sullivan to a DDQ at 10:00. Hogan ripped off his shirt and backed Flair into the corner. Hogan beat on Flair at ringside. At 5:10 Flair had Savage figure-foured and Hogan had Sullivan figure-foured. At 8:50 Flair nailed Hogan with Woman’s shoe and went for the cover for a two count. Hogan then began his superman comeback. Anderson came to the ring and tripped Hogan as Hogan went for his legdrop. Brian Pillman then jumped over the rail and attacked Savage.
Pillman went for a chair and beat on Savage. Hogan grabbed Pillman by the hair, but Pillman didn’t go with him. Booty joined the brawl. Pillman retreated from the scene and then Ze Gangsta (Zeus) and The Final Solution (Jeep Swenson) came to the ring. Hogan fled from the ring and acted scared, saying, “Who is that monster? Where did they get them?”
-Schiavone interviewed Sullivan in mid-ring. Sullivan ran down the cage match at Uncensored. Flair and Anderson also gave promos. Sullivan then referred to Hogan’s history with Zeus. Sullivan said he wants to eliminate Hulkamania. Flair said he’d bring Elizabeth with him to the hospital to visit him…
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