WWF Monday Night RAW: Live. Hosted by Vince McMahon, Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler. - Quick In Your House "It's Time!" Recap: Free For All countdown show: * Hunter Hearst Helmsley made a pass at Goldust's manager, Marlena. * Rocky Maivia defeated Salvatore Sincere via disqualification when Jim Cornette interfered. WWF In Your House XII: "It's Time!" * Flash Funk defeated Leif Cassidy via the Flash Splash. * Owen Hart & The British Bulldog defeated Razor Ramon & Diesel to retain the World Tag Team Titles. Cibernetico and Pierroth from the Mexican AAA promotion appeared at ringside, and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin attacked the Bulldog during and after the match. * Ahmed Johnson gave an in-ring interview. Faarooq appeared in the crowd and taunted Ahmed. * The first batch of entrants for the Royal Rumble are announced: Steve Austin, Rocky Maivia, Mankind and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Also The Undertaker will face Vader. * "Wildman" Marc Mero defeated Hunter Hearst Helmsley via countout. Goldust attacked Helmsley for the pass he had made towards Marlena during the Free For All. Mero was accidentally knocked out as well, but made it back into the ring before Helmsley to get the win. Goldust attacked Helmsley after the match. Helmsley retains the Intercontinental Title. * The Undertaker defeated The Executioner in the "Armageddon Rules" match. Mankind interferes and is maced by security guards, then put in a straight jacket. Undertaker and Executioner brawl throughout the crowd and out of the building. Undertaker delivers a Tombstone Piledriver for the pin. The Executoner cannot get to his feet after a ten count and the Undertaker wins. * Sycho Sid defeated Bret "Hitman" Hart via the Powerbomb, following Hart's being thrown against Shawn Michaels by Sid. Michaels was at ringside delivering color commentary. Steve Austin and the British Bulldog appeared early in the match as well. Hart brawled with Michaels after the match. Sid retains the World Heavyweight Title. - Show kicks off quickly with Bret Hart coming to the ring for an interview with Jim Ross. He's upset over the fact that he was denied the World Title the previous evening. He says the WWF has changed, that there are no longer any rules. Bret says this is fine by him, and that if guys like Shawn Michaels, Steve Austin and Sid don't have to follow any rules, then neither does he. He calls Shawn a "little prissy" and questions why he would promise not to interfere in his match, then turned around and did so anyway. Bret says Shawn's motives all along have been to prevent Bret from winning the title. He finishes up by throwing his name into the ring as a participent in the Royal Rumble, then announces he will sit in on color commentary during the following match... "just like Shawn Michaels!" - "STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN vs. VADER Austin is upset that Bret is at ringside, but Bret "assures" him he's just there as an impartial commentator. Austin and Vader lock up, with a large percentage of the crowd behind Austin. McMahon mentions that Austin will be in the Rumble (and I belive they say Vader is in as well). Stone Cold takes the advantage early on, sending Vader reeling with a pummeling assault. The action spills to the floor as they go to a break. This was another one of the WWF's "Tough Man" matches, meaning the ref allows the competitors a great deal of leeway. Back from the break and Vader has assumed control of the match, working over Austin outside, inside and back outside the ring. A shot to the rail, then Austin is tossed into the ring and set up for a Vaderbomb. Vader takes too long to pull the trigger while bouncing on the second turnbuckle and Austin gets up, then drops Vader to the mat with a low blow. Austin then gets Vader against the ropes, laying in a series of stiff shots. Vader breaks it up by tossing Austin up over the top rope and out of the ring. As Austin is groggily getting to his feet, Bret Hart siezes upon the opportunity to attack him from behind and slap him into the Sharpshooter. A pair of referees are unable to get him to relenquish the hold, until Vader comes around to that side of the ring and charges. Bret releases the hold and meets him, standing toe-to-toe and trading blows until a whole hoard of referees and officials can break the two up. Bret then turns his attention back to Austin, who has tried to escape by limping away via the opposite direction. Bret catches him and reapplies the Sharpshooter and again a host of officials are unable to get him to release the hold until he does so on his own. This was a good match, but a bit on the short side. The crowd was also behind Bret when he made his assault, but weren't quite as loud in cheering him on as one might expect. I think perhaps he, Austin and Vader all have fairly large followings, and some may have been a bit worried by just what exactly Hart's attack meant. I can just imagine a lot of parents turning to their kids and saying "no, Bret isn't a bad guy now... he just doesn't like Austin." I think the crowd might have been a bit louder had Austin done something to provoke Hart, instead of Hart interrupting the match and attacking from behind. Still, it was pretty cool to watch, and sets the ground nicely for the Royal Rumble. - Clips from the PPV. Ahmed Johnson comes to the ring for an interview. He says he's going to beat Faarooq at the Rumble. Guess what? Faarooq and his possee are in the crowd. The two argue over the mics for a moment, then Ahmed starts up the "You're Going Down!" chant. - DIESEL/RAZOR vs. THE GODWINS Jim Ross admits he's a bit disappointed by Razor & Diesel's progress thus far in the WWF, mentioning a few times that the duo would have won the Tag Team Titles at IYH had it not been for a mental mistake on Diesel's part. McMahon mentions outright that Ross "brought" the team to the WWF. The match itself was nothing special, amounting to little more that a squash. Diesel Jacknifes Phinneas and Razor covers for the pin. Hillbilly Jim did not accompany the Godwins, but other than a brief mention of that by Ross they didn't make any kind of big deal about it (so neither should we). - Sid delivers comments from the lockerroom. Much is made about Sid's defeating both Shawn and Bret via the powerbomb within a span of 30 days. Sid says he's prepared to face Shawn in San Antonio at the Rumble, and warns Jose Lothario not to get involved in the match. - Shawn delivers comments. Shawn (now sporting several day's worth of beard growth) says he's ready to take the title back from Sid. He also says that Bret Hart could not be the Heartbreak Kid even if he wanted to ("and I know you'd never want to" Shawn concedes). - DOUG FURNAS/PHIL LAFON vs. T.L. HOPPER/DOCTOR X Match is joined in progress, since it started during Shawn's interview. Doctor X looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place him. An oddly competitive, though short match. Hopper gets in a fair amount of offense and X delivers a nice looking gutwrench suplex, but LaFon pins Hopper following a sleeperhold suplex. - JERRY "THE KING" LAWLER (w/ Hunter Hearst Helmsley) vs. SABLE (w/ "Wildman" Marc Mero) This is the final of the Karate Fighters Tournament. Of course Sable wins. Lawler accuses her of cheating and demands a rematch. After she and Mero refuse, Lawler and Helmsley jump Mero. Oh, who can save the Wildman but... Goldust? Goldust charges the ring, accidentally knocking Sable down as he enters (and I'm sure it was just an accident). He chases Helmsley from the ring area, Mero close behind. Sable flees as well (holding the top of her outfit together it appeared). Goldust enters the ring again as Lawler yells "Hey... what's the big idea freak!" He then backs off and says he has no beef with him, and that any problems between he and Helmsley are their business. It seems that Helmsley had made a pass towards Marlena (Lawler informs us). Lawler says Goldust shouldn't mind this because Helmsley in wealthy, handsome, the Intercontinental Champion... and a real man! "After all... " says Lawler "aren't you a... a... !" "A what?" Asks Goldust. McMahon cautions that perhaps they should take a break. "A... a... queer?" Squeaks Lawler. ("Oh well, as long as we've gone this far... " says McMahon). Goldust looks at Lawler for a moment, then "NO!" *POW!* Goldust smacks Lawler. Marlena then comes out as Lawler flees, and Goldust kneels and kisses her hand. I'm not sure if this is a full blown face turn, of if it's just the start of an all too rare heel vs. heel feud. - BILLY GUNN vs. BART GUNN Members of the Gunn family are in attendance for this one (including both wives). Not much of a match... but what an ending! Billy is in control as he whips Bart into the ropes. Bart reverses the whip, catches Billy off the ropes, picks him up and drops him across the top rope, performing the Stun Gun. Billy crumples to the mat and does not move. Bart looks on, slowly realizing that Billy isn't moving. The ref halts the match as the ring fills with officials and the two wrestler's wives. Billy's wife is yelling at Bart to stay back... that he's done enough. Billy cries, begging his wife not to leave his side. Bart's wife holds him in the corner trying to console him. The show, very much like the Shawn Michaels incident last November, ends with little commentary as officials and paramedics strap Billy into a neckbrace and backboard. - Next week's main event: Marc Mero vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon. Comments: A very good show... finally. The opener was hot, and worked up the WWF crowd as much as one can be worked up these days. The Goldust situation came completely out of left field. With a lack of top rank faces, a turn by Goldust now seems a logical choice for the WWF (and one the crowd on hand seemed to support). The collapse by Billy Gunn was, as I said, almost a carbon copy of what happened to Shawn a little over a year ago. However, since the circumstances behind and leading up to it are quite different, I can only guess what the WWF has in mind. (There's always that slim chance that it was genuine, but I doubt it). I hope it's not simply a case of "it worked once, maybe it'll work again!" WCW Monday Nitro: Live. HOUR ONE: Hosted by Tony Schiavone & Larry Zbyszko. - Before the show can really even get underway Eric Bischoff, Vincent and Ted DiBiase approach the announcer's booth. Eric says that he and DiBiase will be doing the first hour. Schiavone quietly submits, but Zbyszko says that the three of them aren't enough to get rid of him. Bischoff calls him the "Living Has-been" as Ted removes Larry's headset. Larry ambles off, telling Tony "I don't need this!" This gives us... HOUR ONE: Hosted by Eric Bischoff & Ted DiBiase. - They play a clip of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper rabbit punching Bischoff, then they kick off the first match. - PSYCHOSIS vs. LORD STEVEN REGAL The match (which wasn't too bad) was almost secondary here compared to some of the comments by Bischoff and DiBiase. Eric says that stars from across the world are anxious to join the NWO, and that one was one hand this evening. Eric says that New Japan Pro Wrestling would become the minor league for the NWO. They also discuss the possibility of signing Regal to the NWO. Bischoff also jokes about how Piper isn't his buddy anymore. Bischoff says Hogan was in Hollywood in a meeting with Steven Spielberg at the time Piper attacked Bischoff. I really can't do this match justice, and a play-by-play would double the size of this recap. It easily gets the nod as the match of the night. Regal wins with the Regal stretch. - Clips of Sting being mysterious in recent weeks. Bischoff says Sting is NWO, and that he'll be facing Rick Steiner later in the show. - BUBBA vs. CHAVO GUERRERO JR. Bubba absorbs a lot of punishment, but finishes Guerrero off with the Sidewalk Slam. - Sonny Onoo brings out Masa Hiro Chono to do an interview with Mean Gene Okerlund. It seems that Onoo is Chono's agent and that he's trying to get him a new contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Eric and Ted chuckle as Onoo flashes a (really sharp looking) New Japan shirt. Chono follows that up by opening his coat and flashing an NWO t-shirt. Chono then tries to rip off Onoo's shirt, but being unable to do that he grunts, throws Onoo down and heads off to the ring. Bischoff says Chono is the first of many wrestlers from New Japan to defect to the New World Order. - MASA HIRO CHONO vs. CHRIS JERICHO Chono isn't the greatest wrestler from Japan, but he does have cool tights. Bischoff spends a good part of the match doing a bad Japanese imitation. He goes on to say that "I guarantee you Inoki and company are in shock... much the same as McMahon was when Lex Loser came on board!" Ted says "Speaking of Lex the Loser... ." "I though you were going to say 'speaking of' someone else, please... " Interrupts Bischoff. "I saw that pay-per-view last night. Enough is enough! Help me!" Chono ends up getting disqualified for hanging Jericho by one foot from the ropes on the ring apron, then choking and kicking him. "Fire him!" Yells Bischoff, about referee Mark Curtis. Eric and Ted also joked about Lex luger getting chokeslammed through a table by The Giant. Funny stuff, but damn is Bischoff obnoxious! He's really embraced his new heel role and just wouldn't shut up. - Another replay of Piper from last week. - Mean Gene interviews Ric Flair, Steve and Debra McMichael and Arn Anderson. The topic is Woman and Chris Benoit. Arn says he's ready to handle Kevin Sullivan tonight. Flair says Chris is doing the right thing by wining and dining Woman. Debra, who has incredibly enough become more annoying than Steve McMichael, calls Benoit a "little boy" and Nancy a "tramp." She also insults every other woman in wrestling by saying none of them could win a beauty contest (like she has). Mongo calls Mean Gene "Curly." - DEAN MALENKO vs. DAVE SAMMARTINO The son of Bruno Sammartino, Dave makes his Cruiserweight debut. Eric tells DiBiase not to call Bruno the "Living Legend," or Larry Zbyszko will come back out. Malenko wins quickly, hooking both arms and rolling Sammartino into a pinning position. Both Bischoff and DiBiase call the pin "questionable." HOUR TWO: Hosted by Tony Schiavone, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Mike Tenay. - The second announcing crew comes out. Bischoff plays to the crowd as he leaves, then a brief "weasel" chant breaks out (for Heenan's benefit.) - JERRY FLYNN vs. ICETRAIN (w/ Teddy Long) Who? Is that Jerry Lynn? The "Ugh" match of the night. Icetrain tosses him around for awhile, the Flynn gets in a little offense. Icetrain wins by bending Flynn's leg (a heelock submission according to Tenay.) - Syxx and The Outsiders come out and challenge the Faces of Fear to a match later in the evening. - More clips of Spooky Sting. - BOBBY EATON vs. REY MYSTERIO JR. The vast majority of this match seemed to be Eaton absorbing punishment from aerial moves by Rey. Somehow though Eaton seems to have the upper hand, but Rey gets the "upset" win with a Frankensteiner off the top rope. Eaton's best match in some time. - Lee Marshall phones in another useless report from Macon, Georgia. - The latest video from Woman and Chris Benoit. This time they're close to snuggling, sucking down vino and making plans to go to Paris. This was actually... kinda steamy. "Oh... we didn't need to see that!" Opines Schiavone. Kevin Sullivan strides to the ring growling that they shouldn't have played that tape. This angle has turned out pretty sleazy... and I'm loving it! - KEVIN SULLIVAN (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. ARN ANDERSON Immediately spills to the floor and the ref works very hard to ignore the two grapplers beating each other up with a steel chair. Fight briefly goes through the crowd as well. Back in the ring and the ref gets dazed. Arn is dazed as well, stumbles about, bumps into the ref and DDT's him. Sullivan then grabs Arn and hangs him from the Tree of Woe. He tries a charge to lay in a knee, but Arn stops him with a chop to the gonads. Arn then sets him up for a DDT, but is interrupted by Hugh Morrus, who recieves the DDT. Next out is Konnan, but he's stopped by a blow from Arn on the apron. Jimmy Hart then climbs into the ring as Konnan hands Sullivan a wooden chair. Arn tries to put Hart into the DDT, but Sullivan nails him on the back, shattering the wooden chair. Sullivan covers him for the pin as Hart rolls the groggy ref over to make the count. Steve McMichael shows up too late as the Dungeon of Doom exits. Quite the wild, brutal brawl. - RICK STEINER (w/ Scott Steiner) vs. STING Scott Steiner again has that same silly black outfit on. It must be the only one he has. Sting comes down from the rafters again. Moments later he appears in the crowd and makes his way to the ring carrying a baseball bat. Then from the other direction comes a second Sting. The first Sting (the NWO Sting with the bat) holds apart the ropes for Sting to enter the ring. The two Stings, in identical Crow makeup, stare at the Steiners, then the real Sting turns to stare at the NWO Sting. NWO Sting holds his bat against Sting's chin. Sting then produces a bat of his own from his coat and disarms NWO Sting. Scott Steiner gets the bat. Sting then tosses his bat to Rick Steiner. The two Stings then turn their backs on the Steiners. Sting quickly slaps on the reverse DDT, dropping the NWO Sting to the canvas. Sting leaves, and again no match takes place. - Hogan, Giant, Liz, Vincent and DiBiase come to the ring. Hogan gets on the mic and challenges Piper to come out. Schiavone explains that Piper isn't even in the building. Yadda yadda yadda and Hogan finishes up by posing for the crowd. - THE OUTSIDERS vs. FACES OF FEAR Both teams come out and begin to brawl around the ring, in and out. The match only lasts a minute or two as other wrestlers start appearing in the ring. First some of the Dungeon of Doom arrive, led by Sullivan. Then some of the other NWO members come out. Hugh Morrus, Konnan, Syxx, Vincent, then Big Bubba who enters the ring and attacks Sullivan, thus turning on the Dungeon and showing his alliance with the NWO. Marcus Bagwell and M. Wallstreet show up. The Giant as well. Then the WCW regulars arrive: Steve Regal, Psychosis, Malenko, Sammartino, Flynn, Rey Mysterio, in short-nearly everyone who wrestled on tonight's card. The Icetrain comes to the ring and is attacked from behind by Scott Norton, in what is a sign of another defection to the NWO. Finally Sting makes his way to the ring. Once in, he begins to push other competitors apart. Arn Anderson, questioning which side Sting is on, takes a swipe at Sting. Sting slugs Arn, dropping him to the mat. Mongo McMichael jumps Sting with a few shots, but Sting blocks them and sends McMichael reeling. Rey Mysterio launches off the ropes onto Sting's back. Sting catches him and slams him to the canvas, then makes his way out of the ring. After a moment where most of the wrestlers in the ring watch him depart, the brawl begins anew. Bobby Heenan is yelling on the mic for TNT to give them another half hour as the show fades to black. - Next week's main event: None announced. Comments: The first hour was pretty good, but the second hour was fairly flat until the chaotic ending. I didn't think they could outdo last week's finish, but they did. I get the feeling that some of it came off the way it did in direct response to what RAW offered tonight. The Sullivan/Anderson match in particular. Had RAW not shown the Austin/Vader match, I don't think Sullivan and Anderson would have worked such a stiff and brutal fight. Overall, the best Nitro of what has been a string of pretty good ones. Not only did we see Chono join the NWO, but Bubba as well, and possibly even Scott Norton. It looks like several of the lesser heels in WCW will be making the jump to the NWO. Add in New Japan's involvement and the NWO angle is finally starting to reach that point where it has moved beyond a simple "Outsider Invasion" or "Hogan's Last Attempt At A Dynasty" and is starting to feel like the building of a new, separate wrestling organization. Bottom line: As far as I'm concerned, both feds have improved in their offerings. Starrcade has the makings of a decent PPV (it's main event aside). The WWF looks to be building to yet another good Royal Rumble. This week's winner: Nitro. I was originally going to give it to RAW, but in the course of writing this I felt it was Nitro that I really enjoyed the most. It was really close though. I'd still give RAW the nod when comparing it to just the first hour of Nitro. The Sullivan/Anderson match and the final melee are what put Nitro over the top.