Post by Leo on Jun 4, 2023 21:07:23 GMT -5
WCW Monday Nitro episode 25 for 06.5.23
Live from the Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence, Missouri
Commentary: Gorilla Monsoon and Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Gary Michael Cappetta
Interviewer: SoCal Val
Referees: Tommy Young, Joey Marella and Aubrey Edwards
Shane McMahon starts off the show in the ring. He promised to reveal the match ups for Clash of the Champions with the winners going onto an Elimination Chamber bout for the WCW World Heavyweight Title at Phoenix Rising in July. We know whoever holds the belt after Randy Savage and Paul Orndorff square off at Clash of the Champions in a pinfalls count anywhere match will go into Phoenix Rising as champ. And Shane let Dusty Rhodes announce he’ll face Hulk Hogan last week.
The other four qualifiers are “Stunning” Steve Austin vs. “Flyin’” Brian Pillman, “Latino Heat” Eddie Guerrero vs. Magnum TA, “The Prizefighter” Kevin Owens vs. Kurt Angle and a battle royal of everyone else not in another match.
nWo music hits and Maria Kannellis-Bennett walks out leading Killer Kross. She declares Kross will win the battle royal and then have Hogan’s back in the Elimination Chamber after he beats Dusty Rhodes. McMahon then books Kross vs. Rhodes for tonight and Hogan vs. Rhodes’ ally Ronnie Garvin. Plus, Pillman and Guerrero vs. Austin and Magnum TA. Maria and Kross leave the ring and McMahon tells them to hold up. He forgot to mention that Kross’ newly won WCW Wild Card Title will be on the line and the stipulation - taped fist.
COMMERCIAL
“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff with Col. Robert Fuller defeated “Wildfire” Tommy Rich by pinfall via piledriver at 5:50. Orndorff gets on the microphone after and tells Randy Savage that he does his business inside the ring, but he’ll fight Savage all over the world, to hell and back and back again to get the WCW World Heavyweight Title back.
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Flash to the back where we find Rick Martel making time with the Nitro Girls. Mickie James comes up mad and chews out Martel. He has to tell her husband, Nick Aldis, there’s nothing between them. But, why would Martel lie about that? It’s not a lie and Martel knows it. Any kissing and ass grabbing has been all him and she went along with it because of the mixed match challenge tournament, but now it’s over, so is there is no association. She storms off and Martel just smiles self assured, like he’s really under her skin.
COMMERCIAL
“The Prizefighter” Kevin Owens defeated “The Miracle” Mike Bennett with Maria Kannellis-Bennett by disqualification at 8:18 due to interference by Eli Drake. Kurt Angle runs out to make the save. Owens seems surprised. Angle extends his hand, Owens gives it a firm shake, Angle shakes his head to the affirmative and walks off.
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SoCal Val has Terry and Jimmy Garvin with Precious on the interview stage. Jimmy does the talking about how Ronnie has always treated them more like flunkies than brothers and he’d run off with Dusty Rhodes after shows drinking and carrying on and leave them back at the hotel with their you-know-whats in their hands. Ronnie comes out and says he doesn’t know where all this is coming from. He’s always treated his brothers as equals and if they needed help getting into WCW all they had to do was ask. Jimmy says they shouldn’t have to ask, he should have just worked to bring them in, that’s what family does. And because they’re family Terry and Jimmy is going to let Ronnie walk away now, but he’ll get his in the ring coming up.
COMMERCIAL
A limo pulls up in the back and Chris Jericho gets out wearing a suit and carrying the UWA Universal Men’s Title.
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Kamille Kaine defeated Nikkita Lyons by pinfall via spear at 6:05. Rhea Ripley came out to the entrance stage again and watched.
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Jericho meets up with Curt Hennig in the back and they talk about confronting Jake Roberts and his challenge of a tag match from last week with a mystery partner. They know the game Jake is playing, but they must unite to face him and then at Phoenix Rising is each man on his own for that Universal Men’s Title.
COMMERCIAL
“Flyin’” Brian Pillman and “Latino Heat” Eddie Guerrero defeated “Stunning” Steve Austin and Magnum TA by pinfall of Pillman on Austin at 12:25. Heel miscommunication sends Magnum to the floor. Guerrero gets the Three Amigos on Austin, but he pauses on the last one with Austin vertical and Pillman comes off the top with a flying crossbody to complete the suplex and get the cover for the win. Austin and Magnum attack the winners after.
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Hype video for Clash of the Champions is shown. Highlighted are the champion versus champions matches with the winners getting Universal Title shots at Phoenix Rising. It’s Charlotte Flair vs. Thunder Rosa with the winner facing Jade Cargill and the New Foundation vs. the Miracle Workers with the winners facing FTR.
COMMERCIAL
“Hollywood” Hulk Hogan with Maria Kannellis-Bennett defeated “The Man with the Hands of Stone” Ronnie Garvin by pinfall after the big boot and leg drop. Garvin nails the StoneCutter, but Maria gets on the apron as a distraction. Hogan recovers for a school boy for two. As they come up, Hogan gets a thumb to the eye. He follows with back rakes and a back suplex. Garvin does a mocking hulk-up and starts to come back, but Terry and Jimmy run to ringside. This allows Hogan to nail a distracted Ronnie in the back of the head with an Ax Bomber and he finishes with the usual from there.
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SoCal Val has Rick Martel on the interview stage. He was asked by Mickie James to tell her husband, Nick Aldis, about what’s going on between them. Well, it’s nothing he thinks it is. Martel gives a pause and with a big smile says it’s much better than anything he could imagine. Aldis then runs out and they brawl. Mickie James comes out and screams at them both to stop it as we go to break.
COMMERCIAL
Killer Kross with Maria Kannellis-Bennett retained the WCW Wild Card Title in a taped fist match over “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes by pinfall at 10:40. Rhodes bleeds and Kross works the cut. Rhodes comes back with the flip, flop and fly and bionic elbow. Joey Marella takes a ref bump and the rest of the nWo, minus Hogan, runs out and attacks Rhodes. He fights them off, but Maria sprays him with her hairspray and the blinded Rhodes eats a Superman punch from Kross and he wins with the Saito Suplex as Marella comes around to make the count.
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“Macho Man” Randy Savage is on the interview stage with SoCal Val. “Mr. Not-So-Wonderful said he would fight with me to hell and back to get his hands on the WCW World Heavyweight Title once more. Well, I’ve been to hell and they threw me out, yeah. I smell like smoke, because I’ve been through fire, yeah. When I first won the Money in the Bank briefcase I told Orndorff to have his head on a swivel, because I could come at him anytime and anywhere, yeah. At Clash of Champions your little thing with the WCW World Heavyweight Title ends and it could be anywhere. Inside the building, outside the building, on a crosstown bus, inside a Chick-fil-A. They’re not open on Sundays, but they open for the Macho Man, yeah, dig it.”
COMMERCIAL
Chris Jericho and Curt Hennig are in the ring and call out Jake Roberts. He comes out to about halfway down the aisle. They accept Jake’s challenge for a tag match at Clash of the Champions and his little mind games won’t work on them. He says it already has. He’s laid the trap and they took the bait and now they just have to wait in agony for the snake to decide to strike. They ask about his mystery partner. Roberts says he’ll reveal him when he’s good and ready. And, guess what, he’s ready now. The ring fills with smoke and it clears a giant black man in a snake mask is standing behind Jericho and Hennig. Hennig turns around and eats a choke slam. Jericho eats a choke slam. Roberts gets in the ring. One of the most highly venomous snakes in the world is the Black Mamba. They are fast, lethal when challenged and very aggressive. Jericho and Hennig will find that out at Clash of Champions. (Black Mamba is Omos kind of dressed like Drago.)