WWF Monday Night Raw Results
March 4, 1996 (Taped February 19)
Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati Gardens)
Commentary: Vince McMahon and Jerry “The King” Lawler
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“The World Wrestling Federation: for over fifty years, the revolutionary force in sports entertainment.” The WWF video leads us into the show.
Video: Tonight, the destiny of The Ultimate Warrior will be revealed. We’ll also have a .24 Karat Presentation of a Marlena film on Goldust, shot on location in Piper’s Pit. Billionaire Ted will appear on “Tee Vee Trivia.” As for the Main Event of WrestleMania XII, the training is on now that the terms have been accepted. WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart and Shawn Michaels will be in action. Michaels will battle The 1-2-3 Kid, and Hart will face Hunter Hearst Helmsley.
Video: The Raw video plays, and we are back in the Cincinnati Gardens.
Shawn Michaels makes his entrance. As he gets in the ring, the 1-2-3 Kid charges him, so HBK easily gives him a back body drop over the top rope. HBK then continues dancing and taking off his entrance attire.
Shawn Michaels vs. The 1-2-3 Kid w/ “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase
Referee: Earl Hebner
The 1-2-3 Kid gets into a fighting pose, so HBK does the praying mantis pose. They lock up, and Kid applies a side headlock. Kid scales the ropes and hits a headlock takeover for a two-count. HBK fights up to his feet, so Kid scales the ropes for another headlock takeover. This gets the Kid another two-count. HBK fights up and goes for a back suplex, but Kid flips through and lands on his feet. Kid goes for a roll-up, but HBK holds the ropes. Kid leapfrogs him and hits a back elbow to the midsection, followed by a backfist before hitting a stiff spin kick. The 1-2-3 Kid poses as the crowd boos. Kid taunts the crowd, so HBK rolls him up for a two-count. HBK hits a pair of arm drags, then military presses him and delivers a slam. HBK clotheslines him over the top rope and goes over as well, but he skins the cat to get back in the ring. HBK poses.
Video: WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart is backstage watching this match on a monitor. Hart says he’s impressed, but a lot of the things HBK is getting away with, he wouldn’t get away with them on Hart. Hart says he’ll try.
HBK brings Kid back into the ring the hard way and applies a side headlock. Kid whips him off and goes for a leapfrog, but HBK counters with a powerslam for a two-count. HBK hits a headlock takeover and picks up a two-count. Kid fights up and punches out. HBK hits the ropes and ducks a strike, but Kid catches him on the rebound with a wheel kick. Kid then dropkicks him over the top rope.
Video: Bret Hart is still watching and says it’ll all come down to who can punish who the most in the Iron Man Match.
Kid waits for HBK to get up and hits a springboard crossbody block to the floor! Kid punches away at HBK and slams his head off the ringside mats. The referee pulls Kid off HBK and gets him in the ring. Ted DiBiase then punches HBK down and stomps him several times.
Video: Bret Hart is asked if he’s enjoying this. Hart says he isn’t. He doesn’t have any animosity toward Shawn Michaels and doesn’t want anything bad to happen to him before the match. HBK is a friend of his. The fact that they’re going to fight is just part of the job.
The 1-2-3 Kid poses in the ring. HBK struggles to pull himself into the ring. Kid stomps away at HBK as he gets in the ring. Kid stands him up in the corner and hits some kicks before hitting a spin kick to the jaw. Kid sends him to the opposite corner and hits a corner dropkick for a near fall.
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, Kid drops a leg for a two-count. Kid applies a rear chin lock. HBK manages to fight up and elbow out. HBK hits the ropes and blocks a kick, but Kid hits a rebound kick with his free leg for a near fall. Kid goes back to the rear chin lock. Kid elbows him on the top of the head a few times before sending him into the ropes. HBK ducks a clothesline and hits a diving clothesline of his own.
Both men are down. 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… Kid stirs and slowly gets to his feet. HBK then kips up. HBK blocks a punch and punches Kid to the corner. HBK sends him to the corner and avoids a slingshot over him. HBK punches him. Kid reverses a whip to the corner. HBK dekes him with a fake crossbody attempt. HBK then comes off the top rope with a moonsault block before punching away at him. HBK pulls him to his feet and puts him in the corner. HBK sends him to the opposite corner and hits a flying forearm. HBK gets the crowd going. HBK stomps his face and hits a scoop slam.
HBK goes to the top rope and hits a flying elbow drop. HBK sends him into the ropes for Sweet Chin Music, but Kid avoids it by pulling himself out of the ring. Kid gets back in the ring and stomps HBK as he gets in. Kid punches him before hitting a scoop slam. The Kid taunts the crowd before going to the top rope. Kid goes for a flying leg drop, but HBK moves out of the way. HBK connects with Sweet Chin Music for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels celebrates his win with a young fan in the ring.
Mike’s Thoughts: Very good match with Shawn Michaels and the 1-2-3 Kid. At the time this match was taped, it was one night after the horrendous Crybaby Match, where the 1-2-3 Kid was thoroughly humiliated by being coated with baby powder, given a bottle, and diapered before crying. As a member of the backstage Kliq, I’m sure HBK wanted to give his friend a good match (not that HBK could have a bad match at this time) to give him a little redemption. They both delivered. The 1-2-3 Kid got way more offense than I figured he would before HBK went into what would become his trademark comeback sequence and picked up the victory. A really great showcase match for both guys.
Goldust stars in “Piper’s Pit”
WWF Intercontinental Champion Goldust stars in a film directed by Marlena. They’re on the set of the old Piper’s Pit. Goldust is wearing a kilt. Goldust says, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.” That’s a line from 1950’s “Sunset Boulevard.” Goldust says “Mr. President Piper” was always big. At one time, he was huge. Some of his earliest teenage fantasies derived from this very pit. Goldust hung on his every word as each syllable spilled from his luscious lips. Goldust sank deeper and deeper into his own sea of ecstasy. When Piper exploded that coconut over the head of Superfly Snuka, Goldust erupted with pleasure like a rock-hard mountain of lust. As for Piper’s skirt, he’s spent many hours alone contemplating…
That part gets cut out. Goldust goes over to the portrait of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and caresses it. Goldust says Piper has moved to a new Hollywood set, but he forgets that’s Goldust’s set. Goldust saw Piper in some of his films. Goldust got quite the rise out of “They Live.” Piper has done quite well for himself and may one day go down as a Hollywood great. Maybe great, but not the greatest. That title belongs to one Goldust. Goldust tells President Piper to sit back and wonder what his role is. Goldust says if Piper is a good little boy, he’ll treat him to something extra. Goldust grabs a set of bagpipes and blows into them seductively. Piper will remember the name and never forget Goldust.
Vince McMahon says that’s one of the worst films and pieces of acting he’s ever seen.
Mike’s Thoughts: That segment was incredibly uncomfortable to watch. There was absolutely no subtlety in the innuendo, right down to Goldust seductively putting the bagpipe stick in his mouth. This is exactly the type of material that got the WWF into trouble with parent groups in the mid-to-late 1990s, especially because much of the show was still presented as family entertainment. The company was clearly trying to push the envelope as WCW began to gain momentum, but the tonal whiplash is striking. Shawn Michaels is still being presented as the ultimate babyface who dances with kids in the ring, and then moments later, without even a commercial break, you have this overtly sexual Goldust segment. It’s awkward television.
It also puts the audience in a strange position. The character is portrayed as androgynous and predatory, which predictably invites the crowd to respond with homophobic chants and slurs. That tension would follow the Goldust character for years. I’ve always appreciated what the character eventually becomes once Dustin Rhodes leaned into the bizarre humor of it, but there’s no question that these early segments are uncomfortable and problematic to watch, both in 1996 and 2026.
The Raw Band is shown playing.
Still to come, WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart will battle Hunter Hearst Helmsley in a non-title match. We’ll also get a major announcement about The Ultimate Warrior next.
-Commercial Break-
The countdown is on to WrestleMania XII, brought to you by Tyco R/C Maximum Heat.
Video: No one has generated the intensity or raw energy of the Ultimate Warrior. The Warrior’s rise to the top of the World Wrestling Federation was meteoric. At WrestleMania VI, it was his launching pad where he blasted off against “the self-professed Immortal” Hulk Hogan. The next year, he defeated the “Macho Man” Randy Savage at WrestleMania VII. Then, he vanished.
After a great deal of speculation, it is official. The Ultimate Warrior will return at WrestleMania XII.
Hakushi is heading to the ring. Acting WWF President “Rowdy” Roddy Piper will join us by telephone.
Still to come, WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart will battle Hunter Hearst Helmsley. This Saturday, Sunny will guest-host WWF Mania.
-Commercial Break-
Next week, former rivals the Undertaker and Yokozuna will bury their differences to team against the British Bulldog and Owen Hart. Raw will be live from San Antonio, Texas, the home of Shawn Michaels.
Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw makes his WWF Raw debut alongside Uncle Zebekiah.
Hakushi vs. Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw w/ Uncle Zebekiah
Referee: Tim White
The bell rings, and Bradshaw kicks and clubs Hakushi down. Bradshaw drops him with a big boot.
Phone Call: Acting WWF President “Rowdy” Roddy Piper calls into the show. Piper tells Vince McMahon to tell that “Rush Limbaugh wannabe” Jerry Lawler to shut up. McMahon thanks Piper for getting the Ultimate Warrior. Who will he be facing? Piper says he wants to take care of the WWF fans. Piper will come to the next live Raw and tell everyone his opponent. As far as the Goldust segment is concerned, he thought Ed Wood directed it. Piper will be live on Raw next week and will address Goldust.
Bradshaw dominates Hakushi and swats away dropkicks. Bradshaw lays him out with a pumphandle slam. Bradshaw hits a snapmare and drops an elbow. Bradshaw bounces him off the top turnbuckle and whips him hard to the opposite corner. Hakushi sidesteps an avalanche and kicks away at him before hitting a handspring back elbow. Hakushi hits the ropes, but Bradshaw big boots him out of the ring. Bradshaw follows him out of the ring, so Hakushi gets in. Hakushi hits a plancha, but apparently, Bradshaw was supposed to catch him before he pops right up. Bradshaw picks him up, slams him against the edge of the ring twice, and powerslams him on the floor. Bradshaw pulls Hakushi up and chops his chest. Bradshaw sends him into the ropes and big boots him down. Bradshaw hits the ropes and hits a STIFF lariat for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw
Uncle Zebekiah hands Bradshaw a rope. Bradshaw ties up Hakushi’s feet, and Zebekiah brands him with the initials “J-B.”
Mike’s Thoughts: Pretty cool to see the debut of a future WWE Hall of Famer. Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw is a roughhousing, green wrestler here, but after a stint teaming with Faarooq as part of the tag team the APA (Acolyte Protection Agency), he’ll find great success as “The Wrestling God” John “Bradshaw” Layfield/JBL. He really lit Hakushi up with a few of those shots early on. That slam on the floor was pretty brutal, as was that lariat to finish the match. It would later become the Clothesline from Hell.
By the way, say goodbye to Hakushi. This is the final WWF Raw appearance of his career. The kayfabe explanation for his departure from the program was that he was humiliated by the branding on this show. I’m not sure of the exact reasons behind his leaving, but it’s a real bummer. Hakushi was a breath of fresh air on this program and could have a great match with anyone. He was probably two decades too early for this company, which has always been years or decades behind the rest of the world. This guy went from having killer matches against Bret Hart to being branded by Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw. Like Bam Bam Bigelow going from WrestleMania main event to departing at Survivor Series after jobbing to Goldust, all in one calendar year, this is yet another great talent they dropped the ball on.
Video: Mankind appears in another vignette in the dungeon segment. “He didn’t realize I could hear through those walls. Mommy tried to make excuses, but he said I was a boy no longer, that I was becoming dangerous, and my emotions would have to be numbed. So, I paid him a visit. I’ll never forget the fear in his eyes as he whimpered, ‘What kind of man could do this?’ What kind of man? Only Mankind could be this evil. And the deceit and the treachery that has been spread throughout the millennium and has taken form on my disfigured frame is about to be paid back on the perpetrators. And when that time is at hand, no one will have a nice day!” Mankind whimpers and sobs.
Mike’s Thoughts: Another tremendous segment with more of Mankind’s backstory. Of course, when the character finally debuts, this whole backstory would get largely dropped as he became more established. Still, this is really genius-level creativity and delivery from Mick Foley.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley is accompanied by the ring to Emerald Heart. He’ll battle WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart next.
Video: Dok Hendrix promotes a WrestleMania XII collectible chair for purchase.
-Commercial Break-
Video: This past weekend at a WWF Live Event at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, Bret Hart gave his sunglasses to a little girl. The girl wept with emotion and shouted, “Thank you, Bret!”
Non-Title Match
Hunter Hearst Helmsley w/ Emerald Heart vs. WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart
Referee: Jack Doan
They lock up and tussle to the corner. Hart turns Helmsley in the corner and gives him a clean break. Helmsley knees Hart in the midsection and punches him in the face. Helmsley bounces Hart off the top turnbuckle and punches him. The WWF Champion stumbles to another corner, and Helmsley continues to attack. Helmsley sends him to the opposite corner and charges, but Hart boots him back. Hart goes to the second rope and hits a diving clothesline. Hart bounces Helmsley off the top turnbuckle and punches him in the midsection. Hart knocks Helmsley to the corner before hitting a snapmare and dropping a forearm. Hart strikes away at Helmsley and hits another snapmare, followed by an overhead wristlock. Hart knees Helmsley in the shoulder and wrenches the arm.
Shawn Michaels walks down to the ringside area. HBK sets up a steel chair and sits down to watch the match.
-Commercial Break-
Video: Experience the World Wrestling Federation live. Tomorrow, on March 5, 1996, they take over the Frank Irwin Center in Austin, Texas. On Wednesday, they head to the Civic Center in Beaumont, Texas. On Thursday, they’ll be at the Oil Palace in Tyler, Texas. On Friday, they’ll be at the Houston Summit in Houston, Texas. On Sunday, they invade the Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Back from the break, Hart takes Helmsley down with an arm drag. Shawn Michaels is closely watching his WrestleMania XII opponent. Hart continues to wrench the arm. Helmsley backs Hart against the ropes and whips him off. Hart ducks a back elbow and hits a running crossbody for a two-count. Hart tries to roll out of the ring, but he bumps into the referee. Hart gets up and headbutts Helmsley. Helmsley quickly rakes the eyes and sends the WWF Champion out of the ring near Shawn Michaels. Hart gets up and looks over at HBK. Hart wants to know what he’s doing there. HBK insists he’s just there to watch.
HBK points to Helmsley on the apron, and Hart turns to punch him out of midair. Hart bounces Helmsley off the metal barricade and puts him back in the ring. Helmsley starts to beg him off. Hart grabs the legs and stomps the midsection. Hart wrenches the arm, so Helmsley whips him off. Helmsley catches him with a high knee to the face. Helmsley punches him down in the corner before whipping him hard to the opposite corner. Helmsley whips him hard into the corner again, and Hart drops to his knees. Helmsley does a Blueblood Bow. Helmsley punches Hart and hits a vertical suplex before connecting with a knee drop for a two-count.
-Commercial Break-
We return from the break to see Helmsley leap off the second rope, but Hart boots him in the face. Hart hits an inverted atomic drop and clotheslines him down. Hart connects with a running bulldog as Shawn Michaels looks on. Hart hits Helmsley with a backbreaker and goes to the second rope for a diving elbow. 1… 2… Helmsley kicks out. Hart gets in the referee’s face and argues the count. Helmsley rolls Hart up for a two-count. The kickout sends Hart over the top rope. Shawn Michaels gets up from his seat. Hart attacks Helmsley at the ringside and puts him in the ring.
Helmsley backs to the corner and begs Hart off. Helmsley kicks Hart back and goes to the second rope. Hart picks him out of midair and applies the Sharpshooter for the win.
Winner by Submission: WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart
Shawn Michaels picks up his chair and walks up the aisleway. HBK stops to turn and clap for the WWF Champion. Bret Hart celebrates with the WWF Championship.
Mike’s Thoughts: Another good match. It wasn’t as strong as the Shawn Michaels vs. the 1-2-3 Kid match earlier in the show, but it was a solid professional wrestling match. I don’t know if the layout for this match was intentionally done this way. It’s clear they’re positioning Shawn Michaels as the more exciting younger guy with the flashier move set. Bret Hart can more than get the job done, but he’s more methodical and careful. The dichotomy between the two will definitely be made clearer as we march closer to WrestleMania XII.
Tee Vee Trivia with Billionaire Ted
A graphic opens up this segment, which reads, “The following satire is intended to entertain and inform. The quotes contained herein are actual quotes by the man who could control 50% of America’s cable systems, Ted Turner.”
We see Billionaire Ted on a fictitious game show called “Tee Vee Trivia.” The other contestant is a blonde woman. The host is an aged man in a flannel evening jacket. The host says the contestants are Billionaire Ted, who is trying to put the World Wrestling Federation out of business, and Candy.
The category is “Pompous Quotes.” Which sports personality, suspended from Major League Baseball, said, “The world has gotten along without Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Jesus Christ. Baseball can get along without me.” Billionaire Ted thinks it’s Pete Rose, but he’s wrong. Candy says, “Oh, nice try, Billionaire Ted.” Candy gets a point because Billionaire Ted said it.
The next quote is, “As for blacks, well, most of them aren’t really black anyway. They’re brown. Well, aren’t they? It’s very seldom you see a really black black.” Billionaire Ted thinks it’s Michael Jackson. Candy laughs and says, “That’s funny, Billionaire Ted.” She gets another point because Billionaire Ted also said that. The Nacho Man gives a thumbs-up from the side of the set.
The next Pompous Quote is, “Henry VIII didn’t get divorced, he just had (his wives’) heads chopped off when he got tired of them. That’s a good way to get rid of a woman—no alimony.” Billionaire Ted says it was his buddy, O.J. Simpson. Candy is disgusted and says, “Shame on you, Billionaire Ted.” She gets another point. The Nacho Man claps. The host asks where the Huckster is. We see footage of the Huckster handcuffed to the top rope. The Huckster says he helped a lady handcuff him and can’t get out. The Nacho Man says he’s a little tied up.
Next question: “Which carpetbagger said, ‘If you want to fish, go out and make a million and buy your own stream.’” Billionaire Ted thinks George Steinbrenner said it, but he’s wrong. Billionaire Ted looks longingly at Candy, and Candy asks, “Are you staring, Billionaire Ted?” She gets another point. The Nacho Man likes Candy, so a woman hits him with a high heel, knocking him out.
The final quote is “I’m worth a couple of billion dollars, and I feel poor. I really do.” Billionaire Ted thinks it’s Rupert Murdoch, but he’s wrong. He tries John Malone and Michael Milken, but he’s wrong. Candy rings in and says it’s Billionaire Ted. She’s, of course, right and wins the show. Billionaire Ted is not happy and says he owns this show and the network. If you think he’s powerful now, wait until he gets his hands on Time-Warner. Billionaire Ted then pulls the plug, and the feed goes out.
Mike’s Thoughts: Another brutally bad, ridiculous segment to, once again, close out a show during WrestleMania season. I just don’t get it. The quotes from Ted Turner are no doubt gross and troubling, but when the person lobbing the complaints (Vince McMahon) is just as problematic and, as it will be revealed decades later, even worse (right down to his sexual deviancy and using the N-word on a PPV), this really didn’t age well. These segments do nothing except make the WWF look small and pedantic.
Quick Match Results
— Shawn Michaels def. The 1-2-3 Kid
— Justin “Hawk” Bradshaw def. Hakushi
— WWF Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart def. Hunter Hearst Helmsley via Submission (non-title)
Mike’s Wrap-up: What We Learned from Raw
It’s hard for me to say anything really bad about this show except for the continued garbage surrounding the Billionaire Ted segments. My only guess for why they’re going last on the show at this point is maybe people were turning the channel when they were placed in the middle of the show. At the end of the show, it’s over anyway, so put it there. This has been going on since December 1995. How Vince McMahon didn’t have a soul around him telling him this was a horrible idea and needed to be stopped is beyond me.
As for the WrestleMania build, I thought it was effective enough. The main event of WrestleMania XII is built around an hour-long Iron Man Match with two faces who respect each other; there’s not going to be much in the way of drama. The right move is to promote the wrestling match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, with both having good matches against other opponents. That makes sense to me.
Still, the biggest news coming out of this week for the World Wrestling Federation wasn’t that they managed to put out a competent show that built the WrestleMania XII main event effectively. It was another huge blow to the talent roster. Let’s go to the History Corner.
History Corner: Diesel gives his notice
A day after this taping of Raw aired, Diesel/Kevin Nash gave his 90-day notice to the World Wrestling Federation. This wasn’t just another departure for the company. First, this is the second major star in less than a month to give notice (Razor Ramon/Scott Hall did it in mid-February). Regardless, this is their most recent former WWF Champion and the guy they built the entire year of 1995 around. For a time, he was one of the faces of the New Generation. This is a HUGE piece of news.
The timing is pretty wild. At the moment, even though it wasn’t featured on tonight’s show, Nash is involved in what could be considered the co-main event of WrestleMania XII against the Undertaker. They also shifted his character to cut much edgier, realistic promos, such as when he called out Vince McMahon for forcing him to go corporate when he became the WWF Champion, as well as giving the Undertaker the middle finger at the Royal Rumble. This isn’t a guy they can quietly fade out like they’re doing with Ramon. Even though they knew it was a possibility, it doesn’t seem like the WWF saw this coming as they did with Hall.
According to reports from the time, Nash called Vince McMahon on March 5 at 10:50 a.m. and told him he was going to accept World Championship Wrestling’s offer. WCW was offering him much more guaranteed money (the thought at the time was that it was a three-year deal worth around $ 450,000 to $750,000 per year), a lighter schedule, more creative freedom, and more time at home. The WWF in early 1996 had no guarantees, a brutal travel schedule (check out the recap of the video they played during the Bret Hart vs. Helmsley match), and revenue that was much more dependent on gates and merchandise. It’s not much longer until WWF does start offering guaranteed contracts, and the first recipient is as unlikely a wrestler as you’ll find. More on that in time to come!
Now, you may be thinking: why is Kevin Nash allowed a WrestleMania payday, but Scott Hall wasn’t? Hall had less leverage and ongoing personal issues. As for Nash, because they built the company around him for a year, he had more leverage coming off a WWF Title run, while also giving his notice after weeks of television had already aired to promote the Undertaker match. If the WWF tried to suspend Nash on some trumped-up issues as they did with Hall, they’d damage a WrestleMania co-main event and weaken the card, expose themselves publicly, and risk looking weak. So, unlike Hall, Nash would get his WrestleMania payday.
This is no doubt a huge blow to the company from a psychological perspective. By this time in the Monday Night War, Lex Luger jumped on the first Nitro, Alundra Blayze showed up with the WWF Women’s Championship and threw it in the trash can, Scott Hall gave his notice, and now Kevin Nash did. And while WCW was stacking its roster, the WWF was closing WrestleMania season television with parody skits. For the first time in the Monday Night War, the WWF was no longer just competing with WCW on television. They were competing with them for talent and losing. WWF is no longer the paradise Vince McMahon said it was in that 1985 memo to the roster.
Within months, the impacts of these notices with Hall and Nash will change the industry forever.
Anyway, back to the recap.
WWF Raw ran unopposed this evening (not sure why; perhaps NCAA March Madness?), so there’s no winner to be announced. WCW Nitro scratched out a victory last week, 3.2 to 3.1, so they’ll keep their one-week streak heading into next week, when both shows will be live.
Raw Rating for March 4, 1996: 3.6
That’s a strong rating for this show. Obviously, there was no competition, so this is the best rating they’ve done yet, but WWF looks strong heading into WrestleMania XII, even if some stuff on the shows and the events surrounding the company make it seem weak.
Email – mike@wrestleview.com
X – @MikeTedescoWV
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Part of Wrestleview’s Monday Night War: 30 Years Later series, with weekly Raw and Nitro recaps every Thursday.