WCW Monday Nitro Results
January 1, 1996
The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia
Commentary: Eric Bischoff, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and Steve “Mongo” McMichael
Results by Roy Nemer of Wrestleview.com
WCW Nitro kicks off with the legendary Nitro video.
Live in the arena, we cut to the announce team. Eric Bischoff talks about how Ric Flair is World Heavyweight Champion and that Flair will defend the title on the show against Hulk Hogan.
Arn Anderson vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage
As Savage is getting in the ring, Arn hits him with right hands. He grabs Savage but Savage with right hands. Savage throws Arn to the outside of the ring. Savage to the outside and he throws Arn face first into the ring steps. Savage throws Arn back into the ring but Arn with right hands. Arn with a sunset flip but Savage with right hands. Savage with an atomic drop. He climbs the top rope and lands a double axe onto Arn. He goes for the cover but Arn kicks out. Savage grabs Arn but Arn with a rake to the eyes. Arn slams Savage’s arm onto the mat. Arn hangs Savage’s left arm on the top rope and he body slams Savage. Arn with kicks and Savage rolls to the outside of the ring. Arn to the outside but Savage with a kick and he throws Arn into the railing. Savage gets back into the ring and Arn gets in the ring. Arn with an arm bar. Arn rolls to the outside and slams Savage’s arm around the ring post. Arn gets back in the ring and he gets Savage in an arm bar. He throws Savage into the corner and Arn hits Savage with the DDT. Arn goes for the cover but Savage puts his foot on the bottom rope. He goes for another DDT but Savage pushes Arn into the referee. Arn grabs brass knuckles from his tights but Savage with a right hand. Savage hits Arn with the brass knuckles and he puts them back into Arn’s tights. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: “Macho Man” Randy Savage
Out run Brian Pillman and Chris Benoit from the Four Horsemen. They argue with the referee and Savage leaves the ring.
Roy’s thoughts: Crazy how Nitro was, you had an opening match with Randy Savage in it. That really gets the fans going.
-Commercial Break-
Lord Steven Regal vs. Chris Benoit
The bell rings and we are under way. Regal with an arm bar take down but Benoit gets back up. Benoit with a headbutt but Regal with a poke to the eyes. Regal with an uppercut but Benoit with a chop to the chest. Regal with a head lock but Benoit reverses it into an arm bar. Regal with a drop toe hold and he gets Benoit in a head lock. Regal with an uppercut. Regal goes for a right hand but Benoit ducks and lands a German suplex. Benoit with a chop to the chest followed by a right hand. He grabs Regal but Regal with a butterfly suplex. He goes for the cover but Benoit kicks out. He grabs Benoit but Benoit throws him into the corner and places him on the top rope. Benoit gets on the second rope but Regal with right hands. Benoit lifts Regal up on his shoulders and slams him onto the mat. Benoit climbs the top rope and goes for the diving headbutt but Regal moves out of the way. Regal with headbutts and he goes for a tombstone but Benoit reverses it into a piledriver. Regal rolls to the outside of the ring and Benoit goes for a splash but Regal moves out of the way. Regal throws Benoit back into the ring. He goes for the cover and gets the pin.
Winner: Lord Steven Regal
Out come Gene Okerlund, Brian Pillman and Arn Anderson. Pillman tells them just five days after they got the World title, they are 0-2. He says Benoit was hand picked, he was one of the chosen ones and not to languish in mediocrity. Benoit tells Pillman that the only way any wrestler can beat him is by luck. He says his record as a Horsemen more than proves himself and that he holds his own. Pillman tells Arn that he got beat with a move out of the Horsemen playbook. Arn tells Pillman that Pillman has been starting fires and wars that they don’t need to fight. Their job is to defend that world title. He says Paul Orndorff, it went too far. He says they perish, they prosper together, as a unit.
Okerlund says they are out of time but out come The Dungeon of Doom with Jimmy Hart. The Giant stops them and pulls them back.
Roy’s thoughts: A solid wrestling match between two wrestlers, Regal was massively underrate. I liked Pillman a lot here too. Talk about underrated, he was another one.
Super Assassins with Col. Parker vs. Lex Luger and Sting
The bell rings and we are under way. They do a double screen and we see the ring announcers. In comes Craig Pittman. He tells McMichael to guide him and be his manager. McMichael tells him that his hands are full but that Pittman has it going on, he will work his way to the top.
We cut to the match and the Super Assassins double team Sting. One of them goes for the cover but Sting kicks out. Luger tries to get in the ring but the referee stops him. The Super Assassins double team Sting and they go for the cover but Stingkicks out. A powerbomb by one of the Super Assassins. He climbs the top rope and goes for a headbutt but Sting moves out of the way. Luger is tagged in and he lands a clothesline. Luger gets him in the Torture Rack. One of the Super Assassins gets in the ring but Sting gets in the ring. Sting gets the Scorpion Death Lock on the other one and they tap out.
Winners: Sting and Lex Luger
We cut to Gene Okerlund with Jimmy Hart and The Giant. Jimmy Hart says when he was flying with Hulk Hogan, he told Jimmy Hart to keep his friends close and his enemies closer. But Hogan should have kept his eyes on him. He says he changes gears, one night he is with Ric Flair, the other with Dungeon of Doom and now with The Giant. He says he is always with winners.
The Giant tells Hogan that time after time, Hogan hurt him. The Giant says his night is tonight and Hogan will get his.
Roy’s thoughts: The match itself wasn’t good because we had the double picture with the announce team. The promo after was fun with Jimmy Hart and him saying he will align with anyone to go against Hogan was such a classic bad guy thing to say.
-Commercial Break-
World Heavyweight Championship Match – Ric Flair (c) vs. Hulk Hogan
The bell rings and we are under way. Hogan with a shoulder tackle. Flair gets back up and Flair to the ropes but Hogan with another shoulder tackle. Hogan grabs Flair but Flair with chops. Flair goes for more chops but Hogan with right hands. He runs towards Flair but Flair with a back elbow to the face. Flair climbs the top rope but Hogan with a right hand and he throws Flair off the top rope. Hogan clotheslines Flair to the outside of the ring. Hogan to the outside and he throws Flair back int othe ring. Hogan throws Flair to the corner, Flair flips over and lands on the ring apron. Hogan with a clothesline. Flair gets in the ring but he pokes Hogan in the eyes and lands a chop block. Flair slams Hogan’s left knee onto the bottom rope. Flair with the Figure Four Leg Lock but Hogan reverses it. Jimmy Hart runs to the outside of the ring and that distracts Hogan. Flair with a kick to the leg. Flair with a vertical suplex but Hogan begins to Hulk up. Flair with right hands but Hogan gets to his feet. Hogan with right hands and the big boot. Hogan with the leg drop. He gets up but Jimmy Hart gets on the ring apron. Hogan with a right hand but in comes Arn Anderson. He hits Hogan with the brass knuckles but Hogan gets back up. Hogan with right hands and he grabs the brass knuckles but the referee sees it and calls for the bell.
Winner: By disqualification, Ric Flair
Out come The Four Horsemen but Hogan has the brass knuckles. The Giant comes from behind with a stool but Savage stops him. Hogan with right hands onto The Giant and he falls to the outside of the ring. Hogan and Savage are in the ring and out come The Dungeon of Doom who stop The Giant.
-Commercial Break-
Gene Okerlund is in the ring with Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage. Hogan says it seems like Savage’s business has become his business and his business has become Savage’s business. Hogan challenges Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to a tag team match next week. Savage says they have some unfinished business. Savage challenges them to a match and says they have secret weapons that they never even thought about. Hogan says next time they get in their way, they might have a pair of knuckles. Hogan’s music hits and we cut to the announce team.
Eric Bischoff says he just got word from the committee that the match next week will happen and Nitro goes off the air.
Roy’s thoughts: A main event between two of the biggest stars. The ending with Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan, WCW really liked to end their shows with promos and going to the announce team. But it worked.