WCW Monday Nitro 7/6/98
Tonight is the night. Goldberg vs Hogan for the title! Live from the Georgia Dome with about 40K in attendance. Tony is wearing a tux and looks like a NERD.
Hogan, Bischoff, Liz, and Beefcake come out. Hulk rambles mostly about DDP and Malone never being able to wrestle or play ball again after their match at BATB. He goes on to say that the match with Goldberg won't happen. An nWo member said he'd take care of Goldberg before he can even get to Hogan, but if Goldberg beats this member, he can try to stand up to Hogan.
EARLIER TODAY. Some fan speaks with GREAT conviction that Hulkamania started in 1985 in MSG. He says 1985 a few times, but that it is now 1998 and shit has changed. Hulk won the WWF Championship in 1984, dipshit.
TO THE MEAN GENE. He talks to some redneck about a car.
Dean Malenko vs Booker T WCW TV Championship
Interesting. What implications would this have for the PPV? Dean hits a killer drop toe hold. Book comes back with a back suplex and the Georgia Dome is all into him. He misses the missile dropkick. Dean goes for the Cloverleaf, but Book turns it into a small package. DEAN goes up top and gets caught in the spinewalkslambuster. He dodges the Harlem sidekick and they both tumble to the floor. Jericho comes out to shit talk. This distracts Dean as he's climbing back in the ring and he gets caught with the axe kick. Book retains.
TO THE BACK. Goldberg is getting pumped up.
Kanyon vs Raven
Oh shit. Give it to me. Kanyon starts the match in the aisle and takes Lodi out for fun. Spinning neck breaker. That's what Larry is talking about. They trade sleepers and fall to the floor. Raven goes into the guard rail. Kanyon brings a chair into the ring. He hits a fireman Flapjack Norton on it. He goes up top and Lodi trips him, probably destroying his balls for life. Superplex on an open chair. Saturn hits the ring and the ref calls for the bell, despite it being no DQ and Lodi interfering moments before. He throws Lodi, hits a DVD on Kanyon, and a t-bone on Raven. He gets a table out. I knew that table looked Japanese, because it doesn't even BUDGE when Saturn hits a Superfly Splash to the floor. Saturn gets back in the ring and turns into a Flatliner. BANG!
TO THE BACK. A limo arrives. It's Buff and his mother, Judy. He's in a neck brace and she wheels him into the building. BUT WHO IS LIMO?!?
Recap of following the semi for 2 hours from last week.
TO THE MEAN GENE. He brings out DDP and Karl Malone! Fans are pretty hyped for DDP. This is going to be the worst week of Hollywood SCUM Hogan's life. "Rodzilla, I'ma whip you like Madonna shoulda whipped you!" Strong words from the Mailman. He delivers.
TO THE MONGO. The same promo from Thunder.
Scott Putski vs Riggs
Putski comes out in Jack Sparrow gear. I guess that makes sense since Riggs has an eye patch. I don't want to watch this, though. Putski won with a spine buster.
TO THE BACK. Goldberg headbutts a purple door. SCOTT HALL arrives with the rest of the nWo. He's going to face Goldberg tonight!
Chris Jericho vs Ultimo Dragon WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Dragon really should get the match at the PPV, but Jericho claims that Rey is the true number one contender. JoJo was at ringside to refute this. Dean also comes out, but JoJo holds him back. Both men are on written notice: No physical contact between the two before BATB or there is a disqualification and suspension. Jericho tries to get Dean to hit him by saying his mom wears army boots. What? Lol. Does that mean she's a lesbian or something? JoJo is going to make their match a no DQ match if he keeps this shit up. Dean finally snaps after Jericho implies that Dean's mom fucked around. I thought Dragon had a concussion? He probably shouldn't be wrestling. Malenko somehow broke away from security and attacks Jericho. Dragon lets him at it. Dean yanks a big handful of hair out of Jericho's head. Dean was handcuffed and escorted out during the break.
Johnny Swinger vs Chavo Guerrero Jr.
So many jobbers for what should be the biggest show ever. Swinger even gets promo time. Chavo comes out with a hard hat on and carrying scissors. Chavo wins with a tornado DDT in short order. He trims some split ends from Swinger's hair. Chavo then challenges Eddie to a hair contra hair match.
TO THE BACK. Goldberg is still getting warmed up.
Dancing Fools vs Public Enemy
Magnum Tokyo came out trailing Wright and started dancing in the ring. Lol at PE having to stoop to wearing Braves jerseys for cheap face heat. I'll tell you this, these four don't match up at all. The Fools run off and Magnum gets put through two tables. Then the Fools come back with trash cans.
TO THE MEAN GENE. He brings out Buff. This is the first time we've seen him since his injury. Judy wheels him out. Buff came close to DYING a few times. Buff gives that fiery babyface, hometown hero promo. He could spend 3 hours talking about how much he loves his mother. Buff is such a mama's boy.
Scott Hall vs Goldberg
This is Hall's first TV match in many months, and first TV appearance at all since the night after turning on Nash. That was at least 2 months ago. Hall spends the first few minutes being a total dick, and then gets Irish whipped so hard into the ropes that he falls down. He goes for the fall away slam, but Goldberg clamps down on that shit and hits a powerslam. Hall finally gets into it with some veteran moves. He hits a back suplex and repeatedly kicks Goldberg in the head. It just pisses Goldberg off. He gets up and hits some arm drags. Hall stumbles to the floor and calls for back up. DDP and Malone follow them and lay them out with chairs. Hall goes for the Razor's Edge, but Goldberg throws him off like he was shooting him out of a fucking cannon. Spear. Jackhammer. Goldberg WILL face Hogan later for the title!
Hypnosis vs Juventud Guerrera
They do some standard lucha stuff to start. Juvi hits a spinning head scissors, diving rana, and then a scary dive that he almost kills himself on. They go back in the ring and Hypnosis hits a slingshot to the floor. He follows it up with a senton to from the top to the floor. Back in the ring, a series of reversals ends in the Juvi Driver. 450 for the win. The Flock made their way out. They attack both men, but we cut away to watch a Goldberg hype video.
Jim Duggan vs The Giant
Bleh. Giant wins and then shit talks Kevin Greene. He comes out. With boat shoes on. He dumps Giant over the ropes. Giant calmly walks to the back like he doesn't ive a shit.
Jim Neidhart vs DDP
So, is Anvil a heel or what? Malone is with DDP. Of course. We already saw him. Kanyon Cutter for the win. BANG!
The Wolfpac come out. They do their promo stuff and Kidman/Sick Boy come out. Oh, this is a match?
Sick Boy/Kidman vs Sting/Lex Luger WCW Tag Team Championship
I'll assume this is a title match. If Nash is there, why is Lex still filling in? Sting hits a double Stinger splash. This was more of a squash than most Goldberg matches.
Goldberg vs Hollywood Hogan WCW Championship
This is the first full Goldberg entrance, from locker room to ring. To this day, I have a hard time believing Hogan agreed to this match. This was really at his peak of him just running through guys. Even at the height of Hulkamaina, he'd sell like he was being murdered for guys who had zero chance of beating him. But during the Hollywood period of his career, he'd chew up even main event guys, despite being the heel. So far, the only match he's lost even kind of clean this year has been against the Giant towards the beginning of the year, and it was to help build Nash vs Giant. They do a test of strength. Goldberg is stronger. Hulk gets to the ropes and then goes for eye pokes, back rakes, and gets his belt off. Goldberg grabs the belt, but throws it away. Hammerlocks and a full nelson lead to a low blow RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REF. Ref doesn't care at all. Hulk then chokes for a bit, but misses a few elbows. Goldberg gets up and hits a clothesline. Why would you even wear a weight belt to a wrestling match? It goes to the floor where Hogan hits a few chair shots. The ref also doesn't give a shit. Is this Raven's Rules? LEG DROP! TWO leg drops! Curt Hennig comes down. DDP and Malone follow. Malone hits a Kanyon Cutter on Perfect! Goldberg kicks out of TWO leg drops in a row! Spear! Jackhammer! NEW CHAMPION! Fans LITERALLY blow the roof off the place! This building has come UNGLUED! That's probably the strongest win against Hogan of all time. Goldberg kicks out of TWO leg drops in a row, and gets up to hit the spear and jackhammer for a 100% clean win. I don't believe anyone ever kicked out of two leg drops in one match, let alone two in a row.
This might have been the single biggest Nitro of all time.
