Post by Leo on Feb 10, 2024 14:22:48 GMT -5
WCW Monday Nitro episode 54 for 02.05.24
Live from the Rio Rancho Events Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Gary Michael Cappetta
Interviewer: SoCal Val
Referees: Tommy Young, Joey Marella and Charles Robinson
Gorilla Monsoon and Wade Barrett welcome everyone to the program and talk about the main event of the Stud Stable vs. Harlem Heat and the Von Erichs, plus the Powers of Pain defending the U.S. Tag Team Titles against the former champions, the Rock ‘n Roll Express. With those four-man tag team and eight-man tag team contests yet to come we start the show with a six-man tag.
The Snake Pit (Viper Pillman, Copperhead and Black Mamba) with Jake “The Snake” Roberts defeated “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Brian Pillman and “The Lethal Weapon” Steve Blackman by pinfall of Copperhead on Blackman via splash after a chokeslam by Mamba at 10:30. Viper always tags out when Brian Pillman comes in and he says he chooses not to face his father. Savage keeps jawing with Roberts and eventually leaves the apron to go after him. Viper gets involved, drawing Brian over. This leaves Blackman isolated two on one for the loss. Roberts, Viper, Savage and Brian all brawl to the back.
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SoCal Val has Jimmy “Jam” Garvin on the interview stage. He hasn’t been seen on WCW television for awhile. “I realized that my wife, Precious, and my brother, Terry Garvin, were holding me back. And my other brother, Ronnie Garvin, who's blind in one eye now and can’t see out of the other, wasn’t going to do me any favors. So, I went out and got my REAL brother to come in here…get out here, Michael Hayes.”
Michael P.S. Hayes comes out. “Now, we might be from Bad Street in Hotlanta, Ga., but everyone out here last week was talking about being Texas AF. Well, we know a little bit about that hell hole of a state and we better be in Dallas, because there’s no party anywhere without the Freebirds. And we’re going to have an eye on the U.S. Tag Team Titles match later on tonight, because those belts are something me and my REAL brother, Jimmy Jam, know something about too.”
COMMERCIAL
Security and officials are breaking up Pillman, Savage, Roberts and Viper from fighting in the back. Shane McMahon gets in between them. “Jake, you’ve been talking about making choices. Well, I’m the boss of WCW and I make decisions. At Destination Dallas III it’s going to be Brian Pillman vs. Viper Pillman and Randy Savage vs. Jake Roberts. Do you two have a problem with that decision?”
Roberts puts up his hands. “Like I’ve been saying, there are leaders and there are followers and you’re the bossman. But, don’t think that something you want isn’t something we want to. Along with making the right choice, timing is also important and I can’t think of a better time to close out this chapter than Destination Dallas.”
Viper looks at his dad and points. “Don’t think I was running from you because I was scared. I was running so you would chase me more. And if I didn’t want to face you, I’d walk out of WCW right now. But I choose to face you at Destination Dallas.” The heels exit.
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Wendi Richter defeated Lady Frost by pinfall via True Colors DDT at 7:46. Post match she cuts a promo about facing Taya Valkyrie at Destination Dallas III for the WCW U.S. Women’s Title.
COMMERCIAL
The Rock ‘n Roll Express (Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson) claim the WCW U.S. Tag Team Titles by pinfall of Morton on Warlord via double team dropkick at 12:13. Gibson blocks a sunset flip by the Barbarian and goes for a fist drop, but Barbarian slides out of the way and comes up with a swinging, standing lariat that takes Gibson’s head off. Tag to Warlord who comes off the second turnbuckle with an elbow drop while Barbarian has Gibson in a backbreaker position. Gibson just gets the shoulder up. Warlord argues with referee Joey Marella. Paul Jones tries to throw his cane into the Barbarian, but Morton intercepts and they go to the floor. Then the Fabulous Freebirds run out and double goozle the Warlord without the referee, Morton or Gibson seeing. Morton regains the apron and tags to Gibson for the finish.
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The Stud Stable are on the interview stage with SoCal Val. Steve Austin talks. “Harlem Heat and the Von Erich Brothers are nothing more than a pimple on my ass and we’re going to pop them tonight. Destination Dallas III is going to be Texas AF, that’s been established, but the dummies from Dallas and the halfwits from Houston aren’t going to be doing any celebrating after the big show is over. And joining them to cry in their Lone Star Beer will be Dusty Rhodes. And the other guys better be careful he doesn’t bleed in their beers. Dusty Rhodes, I’ve made you bleed, I’ve made you pass out, but this time, I’m going to make you suffer.”
COMMERCIAL
“Lionheart” Chris Jericho defeated Crazzy Steve by pinfall via Lionsault at 5:56. Magnum TA comes out and challenges Chris Jericho to a match at Destination Dallas III. He admits he’s got the yips lately when it comes to time limits. The best way to cure the yips is to face them head on. So he wants a 30-minute iron match, because there’s no match with more of a do or die time limit to it than that. Jericho agrees.
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There is a replay from the U.S. Tag Team Titles match earlier. We then go to the interview stage, where SoCal Val has the Freebirds once again. She asks why they helped the Rock ‘n Roll Express. Hayes talks. “We didn’t help the Rock ‘n Roll Express. We helped ourselves. Earlier tonight I said we’d be at Destination Dallas III and we had our eyes on the U.S. Title Match. Let me ask everyone out there watching and everybody here in this arena tonight. Who would you rather face? Two 300 pound inhuman monsters that maul anything in their sights or two pretty boy wimps who weigh about a buck twenty each soaking wet. The Freebirds were born at night, daddy, but it wasn’t last night.”
The Rock ‘n Roll Express comes out and Ricky Morton speaks. “We watched the replay when we got back to the dressing room and we didn’t like how things went down out there. We don’t need your help and we don’t want your help. If you think Robert and I are the easy path to take in getting these WCW U.S. Tag Team Titles, you are sorely mistaken. Now, we’re no idiots either. We’re not giving these championships back, but we’re going to prove to the world we deserve them after whipping your butts at Destination Dallas III.”
COMMERCIAL
“Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert defeated a pudgy guy in a mask named “Cold Junk” Freddie Filbert by pinfall via Hot Shot at 4:08. Gilbert unmasks him thinking it will be Kevin Owens, but it’s really Trevor Murdoch. Owens attacks a confused Gilbert from behind and leaves him laying with a pop-up powerbomb.
— — — — —
Shane McMahon has Mickie James and Nick Aldis with their lawyers back in a conference room. He wants them to sign their divorce papers and get this over with. Additionally, if either one of them even looks cross at the other backstage, the instigator is fired. No more walking out during matches, no more interference, no more sniping at each other. If you two want this marriage to be over, let it be over. James mean mugs Aldis hard, because it will probably be the last time, and signs the papers. Aldis says “we have an old saying back home in the UK. Good riddance to bad rubbish and you my dear are absolute rubbish.” He signs the papers.
COMMERCIAL
“The Ultimate Olympian” Kurt Angle defeated “The Man With the Hands of Stone” Ronnie Garvin by submission via ankle lock at 10:50 in a non-title match. Angle poked Garvin in his good eye, clipped the knee and went to work on the ankle leading to the finish. After the match was over, One Man Gang came out and splashed Garvin’s bad ankle. OMG said “Ronnie Garvin, if I can’t take you out altogether, I’ll happily do it one piece of your mangy carcass at a time.”
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Harlem Heat and the Von Erichs are with SoCal Val on the interview stage. They are shaking hands and high fiving each other. Booker T talks. “It’s going to be all business for the four of us at Destination Dallas. But tonight, it’s nothing but fun because there’s nothing I’d rather do for a laugh than kick the asses of the entire Stud Stable right here tonight. Stevie Ray and I were once managed by Col. Robert Fuller as well and we can tell you that’s a big minus, not a plus.”
David Von Erich then speaks. “We Von Erichs are a family that doesn’t like to talk dirty, but Texas AF seems to be the tag for Destination Dallas III now. Well, I guess I have to admit that the Von Erichs are Texas AF and we can’t wait to get home to Dallas. But tonight, we’re here in New Mexico and we’re going to give the fans their money’s worth against the Dud Stable. The Von Erichs are proud to stand here right now with Harlem Heat and we’ll be even prouder to have our arms raised with theirs in victory later tonight.”
COMMERCIAL
Asuka defeated Natayla Neidhart by submission via Asuka Lock at 7:38. She looks in the camera after and says “I win, arrogance” and sprays the atomizer in the camera. She’s still dressing in the scarf and beret.
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SoCal Val has the nWo on the interview stage, minus Bret Hart. L.A. Knight speaks. “Last week, Hulk Hogan said he wanted me at Destination Dallas III for the WCW Wild Card Title. At least I think that’s what he was talking about, because he’s a big dummy, yeah. Well, I’ve got a counter challenge back. This Wild Card Title isn’t the only gold the nWo controls. We also have the Trios Titles and based on Freebird Rules, thanks to them for showing up tonight and reminding me of that, any of us can defend these belts at any time. So, Hogan, we know you’ve burned every bridge you can and you don’t have any friends left here in WCW. But, if you can scrounge up two other dummies, yeah, you can face me, Will Hobbs and Killer Kross for the Trios belts at Destination Dallas. Have your team here next week. But I don’t think you can do it and that’s just a fact of life.”
COMMERCIAL
We get a pre-taped promo from “Ravishing” Rick Rude about his UWA Universal Men’s Title defense upcoming against David Von Erich at Destination Dallas III. “I know a lot of people have been saying I disrespected David Von Erich at the Tremendous Tussle when I got up and walked out on his victory. And, you want to know something, those people are right. I have zero respect for David or anybody with the last name of Von Erich. Early in my career I did a stint in Dallas with World Class Championship Wrestling operated by their father, Fritz Von Erich. And down there it didn’t matter how good you were, it only mattered what your last name was. Opportunities didn’t come to guys like me then, but they do now. I’m the UWA Universal Men’s Champion because I’m the best damn wrestler in the UWA today, not some legacy. And I’ll be damned if I lose this title belt to a snot-nosed punk who doesn’t deserve to shine my shoes.”
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The Von Erichs (David and Kevin) and Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) defeated the Stud Stable (Steve Austin, Curt Hennig, Paul Orndorff and Robert Roode) with Col. Robert Fuller by pinfall of David on Roode via North Texas Stampede at 13:21. Harlem Heat and Perfectly Wonderful brawl on the floor. Austin comes over and Kevin does a suicide dive out onto everybody. David fights out of the Glorious DDT. Gets a big backdrop and dropkick and then finishes with his version of the Oklahoma Stampede. David holds the ring and shows the Iron Claw to the camera as we fade.