WCW Best of Nitro DVD Review- Disk 2

-Going into 1997, the nWo was dominating WCW while Sting appeared be done with the company based on his actions in September. The Four Horsemen were in trouble. The cruiserweights were thrilling the fans. And one man was about to go from also ran to one of the biggest stars of WCW in the late 1990’s.

-DDP talks about the best being yet to come in 1997 and 1998. He talks about who the next member of the nWo would be.

-Diamond Dallas Page vs. Mark Starr

Match in Five Words or Less: Doesn’t Matter

Match Summary/Analysis: Page was a member of the nWo in good standing. It appeared to be all but official. You might be wondering this match was taking place. Let’s just say the workrate is irrelevant. Page hits a hard DDT but Starr pokes Page in the eyes. Page hits a running diamond cutter. No star rating since the match doesn’t even matter.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Diamond Dallas Page/:52/N/R

-Kevin Nash and Scott Hall come out with a t-shirt. Page puts it on and DIAMOND CUTTERS HALL. Nash is low bridged out of the ring. Crowd loses their stuff for Page, who became the first person to truly down the now and go out on his own. He goes into the crowd to celebrate. Page would become the only man never to join the nWo. An underrated moment in the history of Nitro that I’m glad was showcased here.

-Eric Bischoff comes out to be a smarmy jerk. Harvey Schiller, a random Turner executive, suspends Bischoff for his actions over the last six months. Not sure why this had to be shown in its entirety. The best part is Larry Zybysko shouting to take Bischoff’s credit cards away.

-The Steiner Brothers and Harlem Heat are having a match. nWo come out. This was at the point where it was getting ridiculous with run-ins happening every week, and WCW not doing much to counter. Let’s just say things were about to change. Lex Luger and The Giant help out to clear the ring at last. Then from the rafters… STING! He’d dresses in a black leather jacket and has white face paint. Sting points his bat at Hollywood Hogan. We’ll have to see if that goes anywhere. New World Order powders for the first time in this war.

-DDP talks about the girls and parties taking place during Nitro. This transitions into Page talking about the cruiserweights, who also changed the face of Nitro.

-WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Syxx vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

Match in Five Words or Less: nWo Interference…AGAIN!

Match Summary/Analysis: Not exactly the best way to showcase the cruiserweights in 1997 since this was the point where the New World Order was infiltrating this division as well. Feeling out process to start. Mysterio slaps Syxx in the face. Headscissors off the ropes. Syxx lifts him up and drops him right back down.  Stomps in the corner. Bronco buster. Syxx grabs the ropes on an abdominal stretch. Mysterio reverses, but Syxx hip tosses him over the top rope. Another bronco buster attempt misses. Mysterio hits a hurancanrana and gets two. A second rana sends Syxx right onto his neck. Huge dive to the outside. Nash boots Mysterio from behind and powerbombs him. Of course Syxx rolls right in and applies a chickenwing. JJ Dillion comes down to ringside and threatens Syxx as he continues to apply the hold even after the bout is over. Considering who was involved in this match, this could be considered a disappointment since Mysterio got next to no offense. This is the kind of match and ending that would eventually help lead to WCW’s demise.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Syxx/4:55/**

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Hulk Hogan (champion) vs. Lex Luger

Match in Five Words or Less: Luger Doesn’t Choke

Match Summary/Analysis: Hogan won the title almost a year prior at Hog Wild. This match was taking place six days before a world title match to take place at Road Wild. Both shows took place at Sturgis, but they changed the name for some copyright music. This is a pretty historic match although not exactly the best. It’s also the 100^th episode of Nitro. Hogan’s matches as a heel were somehow worse than the ones he had as a babyface. Crowd is behind Luger for the most part.  Bodyslam. Leg rope. Hogan covers and Luger kicks out. A second one misses. Here comes the nWo. Hall taken out. and tosses into Nash. Savage fails. Savage taken out. TORTURE RACK! NEW CHAMPION! This would have been an even better match and moment if Luger didn’t go on to lose the WCW title just five days later at Road Wild. This was the around the point that the nWo was starting to wear out their welcome.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: NEW WCW World Heavyweight Champion-Lex Luger/7:57 (shown)/*

-DDP talks about winning the world title and relates it to Ric Flair defeating Harley Race at Starrcade 1983. This transitions to a discussion of the Four Horsemen and tradition. Of course, this leads into a full showing of the nWo parody did of the Horsemen. These guys has the gall to make fun of Arn Anderson and his retirement of the previous week. And considering the fate of Sean Waltman, Konnan, Buff Bagwell, and Kevin Nash… I think karma has bitten them where it hurts many times over. This wasn’t funny. This isn’t cute. And even worse is that the Horsemen weren’t allowed to beat the nWo down or get get any measure of revenge. In fact, Curt Hennig turned on the group a couple weeks later at Fall Brawl.  To not have the Horsemen come out and end these guys once and for all is repulsive.

-Buff Bagwell (w/Vincent) vs. Diamond Dallas Page

Match in Five Words or Less: BANG!

Match Summary/Analysis: Some stalling from Bagwell to start. He controls much of the early part of the contest. Page comes back with fire and ends his flurry with a hard lariat. Bagwell clotheslined over the top rope. Tope to the floor. Bagwell fakes an injury to regain control of the contest. Shot to the midsection and a series of right hands. Forearm knocks Bagwell down. Bagwell hits a low blow and spinning neckbreaker. Referee and Bagwell argue. Page rolls him up. Page then knocks the official out. Page hooks in an armbrar. Vincent liberally interferes. Diamond cutter for Vincent. Diamond cutter for Bagwell. Referee wakes up to count three just in time. Not a great match but the atmosphere in the building was electric. They really had something with Page in 1997.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Diamond Dallas page/6:33/**

-Clips of Hogan beating up a clearly injured DDP. Page would have tape around his ribs for about a year straight for whatever reason. Series of right hands knocks Hogan out of the ring. Page continues going after Hogan outside the ring. Big boot and legdrop… misses. Page calls for it. A fake Sting comes out but gets hit in the midsection. Diamond cutter and the bell rings. Hogan whips Page with his belt as the bell continues ringing. Here comes the nWo in full force. The real Sting comes in and takes the entire nWo out by himself. This was a direct set-up for his match with Hogan to take place at Starrcade 1997. WCW would go on to royally screw that up as there were shenigans involving Nick Patrick and a fast count that wasn’t. Scorpion deathdrops for EVERYONE!

– Randy Savage (Miss Elizabeth) vs. Sting

Match in Five Words or Less: Repetitive

Match Summary/Analysis: Fast forward six months for whatever reason. Now we’re into 1998. Man this DVD really has no rhyme or rhythm to it. Sting’s entrance and music were so perfect at this point that they really should have made hundreds of millions of dollars off of it. Sting should have been comfortable enough to have never gone to TNA because WCW should still be around after Sting made them enough money to NOT LOSE OVER 100 MILLION DOLLARS IN 2000! If you have to read the previous sentence again. Just know WCW is dumb for not having Sting be the conquering hero and ending the nWo for good. They brawl all over the building as Sting maintains the advantage. Back in the ring briefly before heading back out. Stinger splash but Savage sends him into the rail and also nails him with a foreign object. Savage then takes the top turnbuckle off.  Double axehandle to the floor. Piledriver but Sting no sells not unlike Hawk. Whip and a Stinger splash. A second one misses as he nails his head on the steel part of the buckle. Savage hits an elbow drop. Hogan comes in to break the count. Lex Luger, whom Savage was feuding with at this point, comes in to take Savage out. Sting takes out various members of the New World Order as Hogan takes a powder. The usual garbage as nWo intereference was beyond a cliché at this point. Match had good energy before the finish.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Sting/3:49/*

-We see Chris Jericho make Marty Janetty tap out quickly to retain the cruiserweight championship. Then it’s time for Jericho to talk about all 1,004 holds he knows. I’d like to point out that just like his debut in WWE, this promo also took place in Chicago. He continues the announcement of his holds through a commercial break and the beginning of hour number two. Prince Iaukwea comes out for his match. He says Jericho isn’t going to dishonor his memory. Well it’s not like he’s dead. Jericho with the best line of the DVD, “Give me my holds.” Awesome.

-Page talks about Goldberg. Whatever millions Sting didn’t make could have been made by Goldberg. Again, WCW managed to screw up.

WCW World heavyweight Championship: Hollywood Hogan (champion) vs. Goldberg (United States Champion)

Match in Five Words or Less: History

Match Summary/Analysis: Without a doubt one of the most important matches in the history of Nitro. The only tragedy is this match could have done the biggest buyrates in WCW history if it were put on Pay-Per-View. But all we can do is just look at this match and realize this was yet another situation WCW couldn’t take advantage of. The quality of the match? Irrevelent. This is about the moment. The point in which Goldberg hits the jackhammer and conquers Hulk Hogan, something so few others have had the chance to do. And it’s worth nothing Hogan never got his job back. Karl Malone, coming off another chokejob in the NBA Finals (The Mailmen don’t deliver on Sundays) and DDP help prevent interference from the other members of the nWo. A one star match but a five star moment. Of course, the show is in Atlanta (Goldberg’s hometown) so they go completely crazy.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: NEW World Heavyweight Champion- Goldberg/8:55/*

-Just for this moment alone, Goldberg should have been inducted to WWE’s Hall of Fame. This is something that can’t be manufactured or scripted. In less than a year, Goldberg went from some guy to WCW champion. You’ll never see someone like him ever again.

WCW World Tag Team Champion: Sting and Kevin Nash (champions) vs. Scott Hall and The Giant

Match in Five Words or Less: Sting In Jeans

Match Summary/Analysis: Whoever thought Sting joining the nWo would be a good idea, they should be shot. Just seeing him in the red paint makes me shake my head. Scott Hall was in and out of rehab by this point. It was kind of a new thing in 1998. Nash and Sting start off quickly. It’s again worth pointing out. The crowd is completely ballistic for many of the matches and main events contained on this DVD. Giant and Hall continue struggling through a commercial break. Charge by Giant misses. Stinger splash. Another one is met by a giant boot. Heat segment on Sting. Hip toss out of an abdominal stretch. Nash and Giant each tag in. Hard forearms sends Giant out. Now it’s time for Hall and Nash to finally go at it. Big boot. Nash calls for the powerbomb. Giant prevents that. Sting comes in. Low blow followed by a bulldog. Three of the four participants are down in the ring. Sting with a series of right hands. Pair of Stinger splashes. Scorpion deathlock. Nash sends Giant out. Bret Hart walks in for some reason and gets into a confrontation with Sting. Outsider’s Edge by Hall and we have new champions.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: NEW World Tag Team Champions- Scott Hall and The Giant./ 9:38 (shown)/*1/2

-Chris Jericho (WCW Cruiserweight Champion) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.

Match in Five Words or Less: Not As Good As 2009

Match Summary/Analysis: Jericho beats Rey Rey as he comes into the ring. Rey Rey comes back with a rana and dive to the outside. This is a non-title match since Juventud Guerrera was receiving a title match the PPV on the next Saturday in Sturgis. Shoulder block by Rey Rey. Jericho hits a shoulder tackle to regain control. Dropkick sends Rey Rey to the floor. Missile dropkick to the floor. That bit of offense was dropped by Jericho very quickly. A wise move. The evidence is Jericho heads back in the ring limping. Mysterio hits a vertical suplex and standing moonsault for two. Clothesline by Jericho. Bow and arrow type submission. Charge misses. Great balance leads to a headscissors. Springboard moonsault for two. Jericho catches Rey Rey and tosses him over his head. Mysterio tossed off the top. Jericho misses a dive and hits his knee on the floor. Rana back in the ring. Butterfly backbreaker. Facebuster by Rey Rey. Referee nearly eats a rana as Jericho puts him in the way. That looked bloody awful. Powerbomb into the Liontamer. Rey Rey turns the hold into a roll-up and Dean Malenko (the special referee in the upcoming match at the PPV) comes in to count the pin. This was not as technically sound or crisp as their 2009 series, but they definitely produced a very good high flying contest.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Rey Mysterio/8:56 (shown)/***1/4

-WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Juventud Guerrera (champion) vs. Billy Kidman

Match in Five Words or Less: Kidman On His Own

Match Summary/Analysis: Kidman broke away from Raven’s flock the night before, and he had shown himself to a fairly competent worker in recent months even as a member of the group. Guerrera goes right to work. He hits ten punches in the corner. Charge but he’s taken over. Pull of the hair and a missile dropkick sends Kidman to the outside. Kidman hits a rana coming back in the ring. Series of stomps. He catches Guerrera in a powerslam. Quick headscissors by the champion. Guerrera whipped in the corner but he gets a boot up. Flying body press to the outside. Guerrera gets a roll-up after a commercial break. Kidman hits a dropkick. Bodyslam and springboard legdrop. Guerrera lands on his feet on a German suplex attempt. Rydian bomb gets a 2.9. Wow, was that close. Kidman drops Guerrera in a German suplex for two. Guerrera sent into the buckle multiple times. Charging clothesline. Elbow drop for two. Bit of a surprise to see Kidman wrestling such a slower paced contest and as a heel considering his recent actions. Guerrera with yet another release German suplex. Rana off the top. 1-2-NO! Kidman misses a splash in the corner. He counters into a reverse suplex. Powerslam and to the top rope he goes. Shooting star press attempt but Guerrera crotches him. Rana off the top. Guerrera goes for the 450. Kidman powerbombs him down. Back to the top for a shooting star press. Kidman gets the win to a huge pop. Saturn comes out to give his approval to Kidman since he had defeated Raven the night before to end the group.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: NEW Cruiserweight Champion-Billy Kidman/10:43 (shown)/***1/2

-The previous match took place on September 13, 1998. While this could have easily been a top story coming out of the show, this show had a huge moment forthcoming as the Four Horsemen reunited at long last. Steve McMichael, Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Ric Flair are brought out by J.J. Dillion and Arn Anderson. A historic moment that could have meant something if the group wasn’t constantly buried by the nWo week after week. Not to mention their inexplicable heel turn in the first half of 2009. They’re in Horsemen country, so of course the crowd eats this up like a fat guy eats at a buffet. The best is Ric Flair laying into Eric Bischoff and calling him every name in the book. Bischoff is a scam and a son of a bitch; that’s definitely a shoot.Incredibly,  Voldemort is not cut out of the reunion by WWE’s editors and his name is used.. Interesting. Anderson’s promo about being ware of what’s to come would have been tremendous if the group had had more success. Still a great moment for WCW and Ric Flair in particular.

WCW United States Championship: Bret Hart (champion) vs. Diamond Dallas Page

Match in Five Words or Less: Hart Feels The BANG!

Match Summary/Analysis: I always want to pretend that Hart’s WCW run never existed because he almost became a parody of himself by becoming a slimy heel and being a part of some awful angles. More on that later. He also went from being someone special to just being a guy and not even a main eventer either. Just look at 1998. He was wrestling in the midcard and in United States title matches. He controls 90% of this match by sort of working over DDP’s legs.  Series of right hands and lariats by Page. Flapjack gets two.  Hart crotches Page on the top rope. Superplex off the top. Hart misses a charge in the corner and nearly gets rolled up for two. Backbreaker. Elbow off the second rope. Hart goes after the referee for not counting three. Page turns a suplex into an armbar for whatever reason. Chinbreaker by Page. Hart nails a low blow on both Page and the referee. Hart puts an object on his hand but runs into a diamond cutter. Page becomes the United States champion once again. Bret Hart delivers a post-match beatdown with the help of his trusty foreign object. Series of chair shots to the leg. Sharpshooter followed by more shots. This was an acceptable wrestling match but nothing special.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: NEW United States Champion-Diamond Dallas Page/9:58/**1/2

Ric Flair vs. Eric Bischoff

Match in Five Words or Less: Flair Gets Revenge

Match Summary/Analysis: Bischoff had the gall to put himself Flair the night before at Starrcade in one of the most appalling decisions of WCW in 1998. There’d be much stupidity in the next couple years. Flair put his career on the line in this match versus being able to run WCW for 90 days. Not exactly the most even stips but what can you do. Bischoff tries to leave the building in lieu of having the match. Mong, Benoit, and Malenko drag him to the ring. Flair does everything to Bischoff short of killing him. The Horsemen prevent the New World Order from interfering. One of the few times that actually worked for the record. Well, except for Giant. Headbutt and he threatens a chokeslam. Randy Savage comes to the ring and low blows Giant. Clothesline takes him over. This was a random appearance since Savage wouldn’t come back until April. Flair hits a vertical suplex. Figure four and Bischoff gives up in short order. An incredible moment for everyone involved in WCW and a feel good opportunity. Little did we all know what would happen just one week later on the first Nitro of 1999. More on that next week.

Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Ric Flair/4:02/N/R/

Disk 2 Thoughts: There were some good moments and matches shown on the disk, but I only wish this collection was better organized and gave more context to the angles and situations. Really looking forward to seeing what is put together for disk three since there was a whole lot of bad.