Slobberknocker Central Monday Night Recap #131 May 18th, 1998 WCW Monday Nitro: Live/Taped: Live. Length: One Hour. Location: Providence, Rhode Island. HOUR ONE Hosted By: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay and Larry Zbyszko. - Still photos from Slamboree are shown. - Eric Bischoff is in the ring on a motorcycle. The crowd chants "Bischoff sucks!" He claims to be 98-2 on TV, and 2-0 in the ring--beating both Larry Zbyszko and Vince McMahon in matches. Bischoff says he's going to try and beat Bill Goldberg's record. I have no idea where this is going and frankly I don't care. Neither did the live crowd. - "Mean" Gene introduces the Nitro Girls. There's like twenty of them now, it seems. - They play Saturn's comments from Thunder regarding Glacier and his Cryonic Kick. - SATURN vs. PSYCHOSIS A relatively quick win for Saturn in this one, with both wrestlers getting a decent reaction from the crowd. Saturn nailed him with the Superkick, planted him with a Death Valley Driver, then finished him off with the Rings of Saturn. Good pop from the crowd for the decision. The commentary, as usual, was awful, as Schiavone spent most of the match talking about Slamboree. - Stills from the Hart/Savage match at Slamboree are shown. Roddy Piper then comes out and says he'll never volunteer to be a referee again. He talks about how Elizabeth (who returned at the PPV) got in his face and how Savage hit him from behind. Piper calls Savage out. Once Randy's hit the ring Piper informs him that he's reversing the decision in the match, DQ'ing Bret Hart because of "Hollywood" Hogan's interference and the fact that it was Hart who hit him in the back of the head. Hart then quickly comes out and whines about Piper screwing him. Savage challenges Hart to a rematch. Piper volunteers to referee. Uh-huh. Hart complains about it being two-on-one, but says this isn't the first time he's beaten up two people. Hogan then comes out and quickly the match is turned into a tag team bout with he and Hart against Savage and Piper. The battle is all set to begin, but Eric Bischoff runs out and holds Hart and Savage back, telling them to save it for PPV. I guess we now have our main event for the Great American Bash next month. Silly me, I just assumed Hogan might defend his title sometime this year. - "Mean" Gene, in a segment taped the night before, interviews Dean Malenko. Malenko dedicates his win to his late father. They then show Chris Jericho throwing a tantrum at losing his Cruiserweight title. - DAMIAN vs. JUVENTUD GUERRERA Good match. Damian does a showstopper of a move where he hoists Guerrera on one shoulder--like stopping halfway through a vertical suplex, then dropping to his knees. Sort of like a shoulderbreaker, but done on a shoulder instead of a knee. Guerrera comes back with the Juvi Driver and a 450 Splash for the win. - Nitro Girls. - GOLDBERG vs. GLACIER Win #89. They spice things up a bit by having Goldberg do an armdrag and a leg whip. They mistimed the finish somewhat. Glacier was down on the mat and was supposed to knock Goldberg off him. Goldberg no-sells the move and immediately gets up, though a bit shakily. Glacier is then supposed to kip up back to his feet, but stumbles. Goldberg, who's supposed to catch Glacier with the gut spear at that point has to hold off for a half second, making the entire sequence look disjointed and mis-timed. Nothing new for Goldberg. - Okerlund interviews Diamond Dallas Page, who seems to bury his feud with Raven by talking about working his way up for a title shot against Hogan. I'm so used to seeing Raven run in on DDP's interviews that this whole segment came off as flat. I kept waiting for something to happen. - Hogan, Bischoff, the Giant, Dusty Rhodes and the rest of NWO (Hollywood) hit the ring. Hogan gives his "I'm the 'God of Wrestling'!" speech. Hogan then brings out Scott Hall. Hall says nothing, however, as Bischoff immediately calls out Sting to give them his answer. Sting walks out to the ring, met halfway by the Giant. Sting, by way of answer, spits in the Giant's face. The Giant then grabs him by the neck, drops him to the ground and chokes him, slamming his head on the concrete. Suddenly Kevin Nash saunters around the corner wielding a lead pipe. The End. - This Thursday: Nothing announced. - Next week: Nothing announced. Comments: On Thursday they said Nitro would be two hours long, split up before and after the NBA games. I tuned in later after the game and at approximately 11:45 PM (Eastern) they just replayed the first hour of Nitro. TNT then showed "Godzilla vs. Mothra", so the one hour was all we got. Poor Sting gets no respect. The Giant joins the NWO and it's a big deal. Hall joins the NWO (well, he was ALREADY in the NWO) and it's a big deal. Sting decides to NOT join the NWO and it's done in a blow-away manner, focusing more on Kevin Nash than him. Sting has dropped so far down the ladder of power in WCW that it's not funny. He should really start shopping for a home in Connecticut. Okay show, given how short it was. So little happened, though, that there's not really anything to talk about. (Except for Bischoff, but I'm sick of talking about him. Maybe if we all stop paying attention to him he'll go away.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WWF RAW is WAR: Live/Taped: Live. Length: Two Hours+. Location: Nashville, Tennessee. WWF RAW Hosted By: Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Kevin Kelly. - The usual recap of the Austin/McMahon/Dude Love angle opens the show. - Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson and Jerry Brisco hit the ring. McMahon announces that the clothesline he gave Austin last week resulted in a minor concussion, a revelation Jim Ross has a hard time believing. McMahon says Austin, for health reason, will be barred from the arena tonight. They then show a clip from a few minutes earlier of Austin arriving at the arena. A lowly security guard informs Austin that he is barred from the building. Austin tells him that he's going back to his truck to drink a few beers, then will return and whip the guy's ass. Back in the arena Dude Love comes out. In an interview similar to his from last week, he talks about how his, Patterson's, Brisco's and McMahon's dreams will all come true when he beats Austin for the title. McMahon then calls out Dustin Runnels. He accuses him of sticking his nose in their business at the end of RAW last week. He also belittle Dustin for accusing him of all his family problems. ("It's not my fault you have a dysfunctional family!") He offers Dustin a deal: beat Dude Love tonight and he'll be the number one contender, thus earning the title shot against Steve Austin at the "Over the Edge" PPV. If Dustin loses, then McMahon won't have to pay him for the next 30 days, yet Dustin will still have to work. Dustin agrees, then nails Dude Love with a sucker shot. Patterson and Brisco jump him and they, along with Dude, beat on Dustin until referees can come along and pull Dustin away from the ring. McMahon stands by during all this looking disgusted at Dustin and his change in attitude. The crowd shows the first signs of warming to Dustin in his new babyface role. Closing out this lengthy opening segment, Jerry "the King" Lawler arrives at the arena with someone hidden under a large purple sheet. He says something about this unknown figure watching his back tonight. The security guard who had turned Austin away takes a peek under the sheet to make sure Lawler isn't smuggling Stone Cold into the building. - Lawler seems to have lost track of surprise. He finds him, still under the sheet, talking on a payphone. Lawler identifies the heavy breathing on the other end of the line as "the Ross Report". - VAL VENIS vs. 2 COLD SCORPIO Venis looked okay in his debut, though nothing too special. He comes to the ring wearing a towel around his waist, as shots of him are intercut with footage of hotdogs being put into buns, geysers erupting, trains coming out of tunnels, and other suggestive images play on the Titan- Tron. He removes the towel once in the ring, revealing trunks and high black boots. Maybe it was just the outfit, but his in-ring style reminded me of Scott Hall. He gets a fair reaction from the crowd, with numerous signs bearing his name on them being in evidence in the crowd. Venis and Scorpio engage in a lot of basic wrestling moves, with Venis doing chops, kicks, punches, forearms, and so on. Scorpio takes control of the match with a wicked spinning kick to the face. The only really blown spot of the match comes when Venis comes off the second turnbuckle, but Scorpio--down on the mat--holds up a boot which misses by two feet. Venis sells the shot anyway. Scorpio nails a direction change splash off the top, but Venis kicks out. Venis does a belly-to-back suplex into a bridge, but Scorpio kicks out at two. Scorpio then tries a moonsault, but Venis moves out of the way. He then scrambles to the top and puts Scorpio away with a splash (dubbed "The Money Shot"). The whole match lasts seven or eight minutes. venis gets a hard fought win, while Scorpio gets to look good in the losing effort. Okay match. Cut to the back, where Steve Austin has drunk up enough courage to try entering the building again. The guard calmly tries to explain the situation, but Austin just slams him into a steel shuttered door and stomps the crud out of him. Over the guard's walkie-talkie Austin calls for medical assistance, then tells security to warn Vince McMahon that he's on his way to get him next. Austin comes off looking a bit more thuggish than I'd have liked to have seen here. In the real world Austin would be arrested for stuff like this. - Austin comes out to the ring. After working up the crowd in the usual manner he calls out McMahon and his stooges. McMahon, Patterson and Brisco come out onto the stage. McMahon asks Austin who he thinks he is to be calling HIM out in HIS arena? Austin challenges the three to a fight. Not a match: a street fight. Patterson accepts, saying he heard some things Austin had said about him a couple of weeks ago and that he didn't suck, as Austin had said. (I'm sure a few eyebrows went up out there over this, if you know what I mean.) Brisco, showing the most fire he's ever displayed in all this, accepts the challenge as well. McMahon then says it wouldn't be fair for all three of them to go down there and "put some bumps" in Austin's head. McMahon says Austin will get to fight only two of them, though he won't know which two until the fight itself. Michael Cole says the three are nuts to want to fight Austin. Another promo for "The Edge" is shown. I still don't know how to describe them, but they sure are cool. - Jerry Lawler catches his surprise under the sheet getting some makeup applied by an assistant. Lawler says he's there to help him, not be there for himself. - Sable makes her way to the ring, calling out Marc Mero once she gets there. Mero comes out. Sable says she's willing to let bygones be bygones, and that as far as she's concerned the two can have an amicable split. Mero responds by pulling out a contract, saying she signed it and that she still has to do whatever he says or he'll sue her for everything she has. Sable says he's holding her hostage, but that she has no choice but to comply and stay with him. Some surprise. Am I just being paranoid, or is this all some vague, thinly disguised shot at WCW over the Ric Flair situation? Just insert "Bischoff" in place of "Mero" and "Flair" in place of "Sable" and you'll see my point. - MARC MERO (w/ Sable) vs. TERRY FUNK Funk gets the win in this match when Sable distracts the ref. Mero had just nailed Funk with the TKO, but is unable to get the pin because of the ref. Mero yells at Sable, which allows Funk to recover and nail a DDT, then cover for the pin. A camera in the back shows the earlier accosted security guard leading two policemen through the building in search of Steve Austin. Darned if the WWF and I aren't on the same wavelength sometimes. - The two policemen come across Lawler and his sheet-hidden charge checking out the vending machines. They take a peek to make sure it isn't Austin. Lawler chastises his mystery guest for getting them in trouble with the law. Funny stuff. - LOD 2000 vs. THE DISCIPLES OF APOCALYPSE Skull and Chainz represent the DOA. Sunny and 8-Ball are nowhere to be seen. Before the match Jim Ross hypes the hotline. I hear he really went off on "Mean" Gene Okerlund for some distasteful things Okerlund said on the WCW hotline. The DOA get the quick win here when during an all-out brawl 8-Ball runs in through the crowd and rolls up Animal. The ref misses the switcheroo and counts the pinfall. After the match the LOD challenge the DOA to a six-man match next week. The announcers question who the LOD have in mind for their partner. I'd guess either Steve Blackman, Faarooq, a returning Ken Shamrock, or that long rumored debut of a new LOD member. - They show a promo of the MTV Celebrity Deathmatch which will air this Thursday. Steve Austin's claymation character is shown, making some funny comments about Oprah Winfrey, Rosie O'Donnell and the Gallagher brothers from the British band Oasis. Lawler is shown bringing his surprise "bodyguard" to the ring. - Footage is shown of Paul Bearer and Kane (wearing a ski mask) at a clinic outside Memphis getting a blood test to prove that Bearer is Kane's father. The results will be revealed later in the show. WWF WAR ZONE Hosted By: Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler. - In something of an anti-climax, Lawler reveals his bodyguard to be Al Snow ( ... and the Head). Snow gets a good reaction from the crowd (though there's still too many who don't have a clue who he is). Lawler says Snow will protect him tonight in exchange for his setting up a meeting between Snow and Vince McMahon. Snow's squabbling between himself an the Head quickly annoys Lawler. Jerry moves him over to a seat behind the guard rail at ringside. - DUDE LOVE (w/ Pat Patterson & Jerry Brisco) vs. DUSTIN RUNNELS Dude wins this short match with the Mandible Claw. Dustin will now wrestle for free for the next month. Steve Austin, watching the match in the back on a monitor, is suddenly discovered by the police. He is arrested, in a scene which could have come from any episode of "C.O.P.S.". After the break he and McMahon have a shouting match. McMahon says he's glad to see Austin's ass hauled away, and that he regrets that he, Patterson and Brisco won't get the chance to kick his butt in the street fight. This is, what ... the third time Austin's been "arrested"? Fourth? - DICK TOGO/MENS TEIOH (w/ Funaki & Yamaguchi) vs. THE HEAD BANGERS The Kaientai members attack the Bangers before they can reach the ring. A mess of a match, with the Japanese wrestlers doing a lot of high flying moves, but few of them looking believable because of the size difference between them and the American wrestlers. Sho Funaki then interferes, laying in some of the weakest looking stomps I've ever seen on one of the Head Bangers. Taka Michinoku and Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw run out to chase the Kaientai group off. Steve Austin is shown in the back of a squad car. Vince McMahon confabs with the police officers, presumably telling them to lock him up and throw away the key. - More footage from the clinic. Paul Bearer whines like a little girl when they put in the needle. - DeGeneration X hits the ring. X-Pac comments that he, Chyna and the others "got game". Helmsley does his Michael Buffer "suck it!" but, then makes his usual smutty remarks (doing his best Shawn Michaels imitation, I suddenly realize). Road Dog does his usual piece, which draws a huge reaction and participation from the crowd. These guys are over only second to Steve Austin (and maybe the Undertaker) right now in the WWF. They group makes a few anti-Nation comments, which brings out ... - ROCKY MAIVIA/OWEN HART (w/ the Nation) vs. THE NEW AGE OUTLAWS (w/ D-X) A pre-match brawl breaks out between the two factions which has to be broken up by Commissioner Slaughter and his corps of referees. After the commercial the match starts. A decent match for the most part. Everyone looked "on". Maivia has added a new part to his "People's Elbow" routine: he now strips off his elbowpad before doing the move. Road Dog and Owen worked well together, with Owen again snapping and biting an ear--this time Road Dog's. Owen again comes up with a mouth full of blood. The match comes to an end when Faarooq runs in and lays the Rock out with a piledriver. This being Memphis, Maivia could be officially declared dead after the move. Road Dog covers for the pin (the ref having missed Faarooq's interference due to being distracted by Chyna). I'd like to see these two teams go at it again some day. The Paul Bearer/Kane results are teased again, then Steve Austin is shown still sitting in the back of the squad car. Ross asks why Austin is still in the arena? - Austin is out of the squad car and will be released, if only he apologizes to the security guard he beat up. Austin says he's sorry that the guy is so damn stupid. That's apparently good enough, as Austin storms away in search of McMahon. Going to the break they run a promo for the "Over the Edge" PPV. Strangely enough it'll be rated "TV 14". I wonder what that's all about? - Kevin Kelly interviews a technician from the lab which did the blood tests of Kane and Paul Bearer. The tech says that Paul Bearer is the biological father of Kane. The lights then go out and Bearer and Kane come out. Bearer taunts the Undertaker, calling his mother "a two-bit whore!" The Undertaker runs out and chokeslams Kane, then beats on Paul Bearer. Kane catches him from behind and begins to lay in a beating of his own. Vader comes out to make the save. - "STONE COLD" STEVE AUSTIN vs. PAT PATTERSON/JERRY BRISCO Brisco comes to the ring wearing a t-shirt advertising his auto body shop in Florida. Patterson is wearing a shirt which says "IC Champ Rio de Janeiro" (in reference to his being the first WWF Intercontinental Champion). Ross says Patterson works part time at Brisco's auto shop doing "rear end work". Again many jaws drop open, if you get meaning. Commissioner Slaughter is the surprise guest referee. Slaughter clotheslines Austin from behind. Patterson and Brisco then lay into him. Patterson slaps on an armbar, while Brisco ties up Stone Cold's leg. Patterson pulls out a pair of brass knuckles and nails Austin with them. After that, though, it's almost all Austin. Patterson tries a charge in the corner, but Austin moves and Patterson winds up hanging upside-down. Al Snow is shown sitting next to a fan wearing a Steve Austin mask and t-shirt. Austin hits both Patterson and Brisco with Stone Cold Stunners. Slaughter tries to put on a Cobra Clutch, but Austin Stunners him as well. Dude Love then runs out, but Austin catches him with a clothesline. The two move to the floor, where Dude Love slips on some liquid which had been spilled on the mat. Suddenly the Austin fan next to Snow hops the rail and grabs Dude Love. Austin takes over as the fan grabs a chair. Instead of hitting Dude Love, though, he nails Austin instead! Off comes the mask and it's Vince McMahon, who had been patiently sitting in the front row since before the match started. Wow! McMahon stands by with an evil sneer as Dude Love beats on Austin. - Next week: LOD vs. DOA six-man match. Comments: The wrestling was actually a bit better this week. The Austin/McMahon story was great as usual, but is starting to take up a bit too much time each week. It's going to take a bit of work to get Dustin over again, though they're doing it the best way possible right now. Dude Love still isn't as "over" as his babyface Cactus Jack role was. D-X has really been pushed to the background, which leaves little time for them to do more than repeat their catchphrases (which have started to take with the fans, just like the NWO's "4 Life!" and such). This feud with the Nation seems slapped together to keep everyone involved busy until something better comes along. Someone in this whole group needs to drop a title: preferably to someone in the WWF not currently involved in this feud. Right now it's tying up three titles. The LOD/DOA feud is every bit as compelling as any feud which seems cooked up at the drop of a hat. If a new LOD member is introduced next week then that would seem to have been the whole point of the feud. If not, then obviously these two teams are fighting each other because the Tag Team Champions (the New Age Outlaws) are tied up in the D-x/Nation feud. Marc Mero's career is on life support right now, and if the WWF isn't careful, he may take Sable with him. The irony here is that if it weren't for Sable, Mero would probably have been released by now--which is almost exactly the whole point of the ongoing angle he's been in these last several months. They need to give him another valet and put Sable with someone else. That, or have someone hurt Sable, then have Mero turn babyface to get revenge for her. I sure hope they have something in mind for Al Snow. I hate it when they just put someone on TV for the sake of being seen. Ask Dan Severn what that's like. The thing that really stuck out for me this week was the Val Venis debut. Not stellar, but solid enough to show he has the potential to be a huge star someday. I'm surprised Jeff Jarrett didn't wrestle on TV this week, the show being in Memphis and all. I believe he actually appeared in a dark match, as well as Memphis native Brian Christopher. You'll notice that they didn't say or do anything about Bischoff and what he did over the weekend. I'm actually pleased that the WWF didn't sink themselves to his level by firing back--mostly because I don't think there was any real good way to get back at him. Overall an okay show. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Bottom Line: I think I covered most everything on my mind above. Remember, Thunder is on tomorrow instead of thursday this week. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Week's Winner: RAW. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Slobberknocker Central" and "Monday Night Recap" are copyright 1998 by John Petrie, and all opinions expressed therein are his own, and not those of "Internet Access, Inc". Check the "Slobberknocker Central" main page for info on how to receive the "Recap" free via E-Mail every week. Volume One, Number 131 of the "Monday Night Recap", May 18th, 1998.