WCW Nitro 11/17/97
The Crown
Cincinnati, OH
Hour One
Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay & Larry Zbyszko
- We open the show with highlights from last week and our animation before heading inside the arena...the NWO music quickly fills the air and the troops, sans Hogan, all file out...Hall and Nash both have belts on, confusing the announcers...Hall does his survey as the crowd calls for Sting and then gives a shoutout to Syxx before calling out Larry, telling him he couldn't even beat Bischoff...Larry stands up as the crowd chants for him but Nash tells him to sit down before they take away his Medicare...Nash tells the Steiners that they never beat the real Outsiders and that means that they are still champs...he tells Giant that he can call himself the one true Giant in wrestling because Nash is happy just being 6'10", sexy and just too sweet...Tenay says they shattered ticket sales records with the Starrcade tickets that went on sale this weekend...Eric says they have another surprise this week and brings out Hogan...Hogan stops in the aisle and points to the entrance as Rick Rude emerges, sporting his classic mustache, no long sporting the beard that he had in WWF at the time...the announcers are shocked...Hogan and Rude strut to the ring as the shock lingers...Rude has the mic and wants to talk about the rights and wrongs of professional wrestling...he says what is wrong is Shawn Michaels claiming to be World Champion when he never beat Bret Hart...what's wrong is for Vince McMahon to instruct the referee to ring the bell to rob Hart...what is right is for Bret Hart to abandon the Titanic and swim to the refuge of the NWO...what is right is the NWO course to destruct WCW and for the NWO to beat down Sting...Rude says he will partake in the beating next time...Hogan does his usual and calls out Sting, saying he will never been seen again and the NWO will rule for eternity and that is that...Tony and Mike agree that the NWO is stronger than ever and they have the momentum back...Larry says WCW has to retaliate and that he doesn't believe Hart is with NWO
- The Nitro Girls dance us back from break as Tony runs down tonight's card...Gene Okerlund is in the aisle and he brings out Ray Traylor for a chat...he doesn't want any help or pity because he is responsible for turning his back on WCW...the NWO are cowards...he will fight anyone face to face...and before he can finish, NWO runs out and gang jumps him in the aisle...they whips and paint him as well...lengthy, stiff assault by the NWO
- Glacier vs. Meng...finally time for our opening match...Tony says the NWO momentum swing goes back to the major injuries they gave Piper back at Havoc...more talk about the ticket sales for Starrcade...Tenay reminds us that Glacier defeated Barbarian last week and Meng jumped him afterwards...Tony drops a hint about the biggest Nitro ever coming right after the New Year...talk about WW3, which is this Sunday...Tony says Meng never seems to get hurt and that could help Sunday...announcers really putting over Meng...Jimmy waves to the back and Barbarian comes out, but it doesn't matter because Meng gets the win with the Tongan Death Grip...after the bell, Barbarian gets in the ring and they double team Glacier...Ernest Miller comes down and takes out Jimmy and Barbarian...Meng finally releases the grip from Glacier but then locks it on Miller instead...awesome beatdown...as we go to break, we get a promo from DDP about how great Bret Hart is and saying he doesn't get why he would go NWO
- Alex Wright vs. Steve McMichael...Wright is with Debra...Tony talks about how the NWO is taking over here tonight and he feels uneasy...Tenay recpas the feud between Goldberg and Mongo, where Debra gave Goldberg Mongo's Super Bowl ring as payment for Havoc...Larry puts over Mongo as an animal...Tony announces that Goldberg and Mongo will wrestle at WW3 in addition to being in the battle royal...Debra is all over Mongo from ringside, talking at him through the match...Mongo snaps and throws Nick Patrick down, drawing the DQ...Mongo still can't shake his ex-wife
- The Nitro Girls are getting down as Tony calls for Nitro Party tapes
- Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio, Jr...good match here...Tenay tells us this is the first time these two have faced off one on one...Tony reveals the details about the huge Nitro on 1/5/98 in the Georgia Dome...Rey will challenge Eddie Guerrero this Sunday....also talk about Rey's great WW3 run last year...putting over Rey quite a bit for his underdog qualities...they both end up on the top and Jericho press slams Rey to the mat in a cool spot...talk about how more aggressive Jericho has been...Jericho works the back...Rey gets the knees up on a Lionsault after Jericho hits a powerbomb...Jericho hits a double powerbomb and goes for a third, but Rey slips out and hits a springboard hurracanrana for the win...very good match and nice story...they hug after the match...going to break, we get a Bret Hart promo from Chris Benoit, similar to Page's
- Back from break, Tony recaps the events of the night...Bischoff comes up to the booth and starts jawing with Larry...they go face to face and Eric takes off...then he comes back and smacks Larry...Larry follows him down into the aisle, but the NWO jumps him and takes him out...Bobby joins the booth
Hour Two
Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay & Bobby Heenan
- Villano IV vs. Dimaond Dallas Page...big pop for Page...Tony talks more about the NWO momentum...Tenay says everyone in WCW is a target now...Villano V is out as well...Tony said they are too confident and now can do anything they want...the Villanos are switching off and basically making this a handicap match...Page is wrestling in jeans and is flying all over the place...crowd is hot...Page hits the Cutter and gets the win...he hits a top rope Cutter on the other Villano as well
- Dean Malenko vs. Eddie Guerrero (c) for the Cruiserweight Title...Tony runs down ticket sales...another good matchup...Tony says no update on Larry yet...good heat on Eddie...Tony talks about how Eddie's attitude, looks, style and demeanor have all changed and Mike agrees...Rey comes down to scout this as he will be facing the winner on Sunday...we go to break and when we return, Rey is gone...Tony says it was smart for Rey to stay away to avoid injury...Malenko loses his cool and shows some emotion, which is rare...Malenko really taking it to Eddie, looking crisp as usual...more talk about all the WW3 possibilities...Dean goes for the cloverleaf, but Eddie blocks it with an inside cradle for a near fall...Eddie hits a superplex...Dean rebounds with a backdrop superplex...both guys are spent and neither can answer the ref's ten count so we have no winner...Eddie moves on to face Rey on Sunday...Bret promo by Lex Luger
- Tony takes us to a video of this week's Nitro Party Pack winner...video of their party tape...Larry is still under observation so no update yet
- Scotty Riggs vs. Saturn (c) for the TV Title...Riggs is wearing an eyepatch...Saturn comes from ringside and Raven comes out with him...Tenay thinks it's odd that Raven comes out with Saturn and nobody else...Kidman comes out as well and gives Riggs one last chance to join the Flock...Riggs declines and the match is on...Raven stares down Riggs and then returns to ringside...Tenay compares Saturn to Arn Anderson's role with the Horsemen...Saturn suplexes Riggs outside and Scotty's patch falls off...Tenay talks about Saturn's Army Ranger past...announcers wonder if Raven established a mental connection with Riggs when he stared at him earlier...Scotty's eye is a mess...Riggs dives over the rail and into the Flock at ringside in a great spot and Raven just stands there and stares at the mess...Saturn grabs him and beats him down at ringside...Saturn hooks the Rings and gets the win...the Flock comes in and stomps on Riggs...Raven drops to his knees and holds his arms up over Riggs
- The Nitro Girls are getting down in the ring as we come back from break...Tony says Larry has been taken for medical observations
- Steiner Brothers and Ted DiBiase come out for their match but the NWO charges out and assaults all three men in the aisle...Hogan whips them with his belt...Tony wants to know when WCW will fight back...Tenay says they are taking advantage of WCW being each man for himself due to WW3
- Curt Hennig (c) vs. Lex Luger for the US Title...Hennig has Ric Flair's robe on...Hennig never takes a week off...more talk about how WW3 is affecting WCW and Tenay says it has been obvious in the locker room and the NWO picked up on that...what smart storytelling...this is a rematch from a couple weeks back...Tenay reminds us that Luger won the WCW World Title in Auburn Hills, which is where WW3 is taking place...Tony says the NWO is stronger and deeper than they were a year ago...Bobby says the NWO is heading into WW3 as a unit...talk about how Hennig got involved in Luger's match with Flair...Tony says the Steiners are going to be OK...pretty balanced match so far...Lex survives a sleeperhold...Hennig smashes Lex with his title belt and takes Nick Patrick as well...Luger is out as Hennig goes for the Hennigplex, but Patrick calls for the DQ...Hennig retains but loses the bout...the NWO comes out and picks Luger apart until Giant finally comes out to help out...he starts running off the troops as we go to break
- Giant vs. Scott Hall...Giant stays in the ring as Hall makes his way out...Kevin Nash is out too and he joins the broadcast booth...Tony tells Nash he doesn't need to be beat up...Tenay and Heenan take off and Nash says Bobby was getting a jump on cocktail hour...Nash says they are on a roll...Nash and Tony talk about the night's events in their own ways...Nash says Giant is one dimensional...Tony says Giant is WCW's last hope tonight...slugfest between the two...Nash says he is the clear favorite at WW3...Hall starts to work over Giant's hand...slamming into the steps...Nash and Tony talk about how this is all an NWO plan, to take away Giant's chokeslam...Nash says they will pay all the big talent like Hart and Rude...Giant's hand is now injured pretty bad and he can't get the chokeslam with it...it looks like he may actually pull it off but the NWO runs in and takes him out...Tony is begging for help from WCW...Nash says they have all been beaten...the fans want Sting but instead they get a bunch of midcarders...they all brawl in the ring to set up WW3...Tony is freaking out because WCW is finally fighting back and we are out
Review Date: August 2011
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