February 21, 2009
Matt Peddycord
The Powerdriver Review

WCW Monday Nitro
December 4, 1995
Phoenix, AZ
America West Arena

The current WCW champs were as follows:
WCW World Champion: Randy Savage (11/26/1995)
WCW U.S. Champion: Kensuke Sasaki (11/13/1995)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: Harlem Heat (10/28/1995)
WCW World Television Champion: Johnny B. Badd (10/29/1995)

Your hosts are Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan and that Emmy-award winning Steve “Mongo” McMichael.

WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (w/Sister Sherri) vs. The American Males
Looks like they started the show a few minutes earlier, which WCW was certainly not above doing. Hmm, mixed reaction for the American Males. Maybe it’s the horrible theme music? Bischoff and Heenan recall the last time these faced each other on Nitro the night after Fall Brawl and the American Males upset the Heat to win the tag straps. Can they do it again?! Let’s find out. It takes a couple dropkicks from Riggs to take down Stevie Ray. Soon enough, Stevie Ray catches Riggs for a side slam and tags his brother. Riggs ducks a jumping heel kick and tags Bagwell in for a slingshot shoulderblock. The American Males deliver a double backdrop to Booker. Bagwell catches Booker charging at him in the corner for a cool Jack Brisco rollup for 1-2-NO! He grabs an armbar on Booker as we look over to see that Col. Parker is here! He’s got a pretty little package with him too. Back to the action. Riggs runs shoulder-first into the ringpost to turn the tide over to the Heat. Parker delivers his package (NO pun intended. It’s a family show!) to Sherri and it’s a ring. A BIG ring. The happy couple leaves ringside and heads to the back! Her boys aren’t going to like this. Meanwhile, Riggs is still getting his tail kicked while Booker looks disappointed. Booker tags in and kills Riggs dead with a spinning roundhouse kick. Phoenix Suns ironman/center A.C. Green is in the audience. He stands up to yell at Booker. That gets him distracted enough for Riggs to roll him up for 1-2-NO! Stevie Ray gets a tag and the Heat gives Riggs a double-front suplex. Ugly looking though. Back to Booker. Pump splash hits knees and that sets up a hot tag to Bagwell. FISHERMAN’S SUPLEX to Stevie Ray! Nobody at the announce table calls it though. Apparently, Stevie Ray was supposed to catapult Bagwell into Riggs, but couldn’t get him up and just drops Bagwell back on the mat. Bagwell takes the HARLEM HANGOVER and it is over. (7:47) And the crowd goes nuts for the Harlem Heat win. By the way, Riggs is not that good. **¼

Gene Okerlund meets with Sting and Lex Luger. Sting tells Lex that if he wins the title tonight, don’t think that because they’re friends that he’ll hold off on you if he does win the triangle match at Starrcade. The same goes for Lex in the triangle match. He’s going to go after Sting just like he would anybody else.

Sting vs. Kurasawa
Bischoff makes sure to tell us that “the other guys” are paying bills while we’re bringing you action. He also announces that because of their recent run-ins and shenanigans, Ric Flair and the Giant are both on probation courtesy of the WCW board of directors. Whatever that means. No Colonel Parker with Kurasawa tonight. As Mongo would say, “He’s interpreting Sherri is what he’s doing now.” Gross. After a little brawling on the floor, Kurasawa takes Sting back into the ring and tries to break his arm over his shoulder a couple times. Sting fires back and hits the Stinger Splash followed by the SCORPION DEATHLOCK. Kurasawa quickly gives up! (2:38) For someone who seems to enjoy breaking other people’s bones, he sure can’t handle it when the pressure is on him. All the same, the point is that Sting is on a role. ¾*

The Giant (w/Jimmy Hart & Kevin Sullivan) vs. Scott Norton
Oh man, two power houses! Giant NO-SELLS shoulderblocks and hammers Norton down. Norton comes back with an atomic drop. WHAT! He gets the Giant staggered with turnbuckle smashes and a clothesline off the ropes, but then he takes to the top rope and flies down into a CHOKESLAM! That gets three. (2:43) No one is going to stop this guy. His words, not mine. During the replay, Heenan makes an Ed Norton reference. So that’s who the kids were into back in the ’90s – Art Carney. ½*

Speaking of the ’90s, Phoenix Suns power forward Charles Barkley heads to the ring with Ric Flair. Yeah, they hang out.

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Randy Savage vs. Lex Luger (w/Jimmy Hart)
There’s only been two title matches on Nitro so far, and Luger has received both of them. Luger wants to shake hands, but Savage doesn’t trust the guy and nails Luger. Lex clotheslines Savage to the floor, but it was all a ruse as Savage gives Lex a gut shot as he comes off the apron. Back inside, Savage delivers a flying double ax handle for two. Luger overpowers Savage with a suplex, but misses a jumping elbow. Savage goes to work on the arm as we go to break. We come back and see Savage pulling on Luger’s arm while its twisted up in the guardrail. Back in, armbars and hammerlocks continue. When he’s not hooking up Luger, he takes him to the floor to post him real good. Luger gains a breather when Savage misses a double sledge off the apron and eats the guardrail. In the ring, Luger stomps Savage while selling the arm. He hits a clothesline with his good arm and gets two. Luger keeps Savage down on the mat so he can loosen up his arm. Savage is the first man up after a double-KO. They go back on the floor as Jimmy Hart unties a top turnbuckle. Back in the ring, Savage blocks Luger’s attempt at the exposed turnbuckle smash and makes Luger eat the steel instead. As Luger falls back, he falls into the ref to send him rolling out to the floor. Meanwhile, the MACHO ELBOW is delivered! No ref. Savage pulls Jimmy Hart into the ring like he had something to do with it. In comes Ric Flair to KO Savage with some taped knux. Hart puts Luger on top while Flair styles and profiles up the aisleway. Once he turns his back on the tunnel, Hogan appears and chases Flair into the ring. He grabs Flair by his custom-made Dockers, but then has to let Flair go and stop the ref from counting Savage’s shoulders to the mat. Since Luger has the cover, that gives him the win via DQ. (13:56 shown) The match really felt aimless outside the arm work and the convoluted finish. But hey, that’s Nitro! Hogan pulls Jimmy Hart into the ring for a double noggin knocker with Luger. He goes to nail Luger, but Sting runs out just in time and pushes Lex out of the way and takes the blow! Well now Sting is pissed and shoves Hogan back. Hogan rips off the shirt and we’ve got Hogan and Sting nose-to-nose until Savage pulls them apart. *½

After a commercial break, Hogan questions Sting’s allegiance. He assures Hogan that he is on his side. It’s just that Luger is his best friend, but who leaves their friends behind when they make bad decisions. You know, Sting is a GREAT guy. Hogan reminds Sting that Savage is the one who has been right about Luger all along. Whatever. Next week, Hogan and Sting takes on Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. If Hulk and Sting can’t get it together, they might lose it all. Hogan wants just one thing from his buddy Sting – keep Luger out of his face! That goes double for Savage too. All Sting can do is try his best to make that happen. Man, I’m learning a lot of good values tonight. Who knew I could learn from TV and above all else, professional wrestling! Okay, that’s enough. We out!