Monday NITRO
March 31, 1998
Match Results
Mike Enos and Wayne Bloom vs. High Voltage
Enos and Bloom were in the process of teaching Ruckus and Kaos
thing or two about
double-teaming and rulebreaking when the Giant made an unexpected
cameo. All
four competitors went for the chokeslam ride and the match was
called. Post-match,
Roddy Piper joined the Giant in the ring. The Giant agreed to
fight alongside Piper at
Spring Stampede.
Saturn w/ The Flock d. Fit Finley
Finley not only displayed his trademark toughness in this bout,
but his mastery of
counters and mat wrestling. Unintimidated by the Flock (The rowdy
cretins
accompanied Saturn to the ring.), the brutish Irishmen gave the
former TV Champion a
solid workout and some memorable shots. Saturn eventually
connected with a
belly-to-belly suplex, a precursor to the deadly Rings of Saturn.
Finley submitted.
Chris Jericho d. Marty Jannetty
WCW Cruiserweight Title Match
Pre-match, Jericho -- the self-proclaimed 'Man of 1004 Holds' --
dedicated his match
to Dean Malenko. Jannetty seemed focusedbefore the bout, but the
Champ quickly
got his competitor off-balance. Jericho managed to lock on the
Liontamer and score
the submission win in a suprisingly quick bout. Post-match,
Jericho began to read a list
of his 1004 holds, until Prince Iaukea entered the ring to break
up the monotony.
Prince Iaukea d. Glacier
A angrier, more aggressive Glacier made his return to Nitro
competition. Iaukea
seemed undaunted by the martial artist's new attitude, but had
some difficulty dealing
with his opponent's size and strength advantage. Glacier's
offensive strike ended with a
missed cryonic kick, which Iaukea countered with a northern
lights suplex. Iaukea
grabbed the pin and kept his latest winning streak alive.
Juventud Guerrera d. El Dandy
El Dandy dominated the unmasked Luchador for the majority of the
match, beating
Juvy in the air and on the mat. But Guerrera's "Never
Surrender" motto proved true
once again. The former Cruiserweight Champ struck back and hooked
Dandy's leg
after a Juvy Driver for the pin.
Chavo Guerrero Jr. d. Kaz Hayashi
Obviously frustrated by his recent dealings with Uncle Eddie,
Guerrero fought the solid
and clean style that had been his trademark. Hayashi, a newcomer
from Japan,
showed a lot of promise, but fell prey to a tornado DDT and the
pin. Post-match,
Guerrero helped his opponent to his feet in a show of good
sportsmanship.
Buff Bagwell with Scott Norton d. Raven
Pre-match, Raven complained to fans about Diamond Dallas Page's
refusal to help
him get into WCW. The actual match only contained a maneuver or
two, before DDP
ran to the ring and tried to get back his US Title Belt. Raven
disappeared and took the
count-out loss. Post-match, DDP joined the announcing team and
gave his side of the
story.
Disco Inferno d. Kidman
The showstealer of the night, Disco and Kidman exchanged holds
and the advantage
throughout the match. Although neither man seemed able to keep
momentum for more
than a minute at a time, Disco managed to execute a vicious
piledriver-- his
self-dubbed Partydriver-- and score the win.
Jim Niedhardt d. Curt Hennig with Rick Rude
Pre-match, Rude opted to join the commentating team, instead of
staying ringside with
Hennig. Hennig looked solid, but Neidhardt's brute force winded
the former US
Champion. The Anvil locked in a bear hug and worked towards a
submission. Rude
ran to the ring and caused the DQ, only to find himself caught in
the devastating hold.
Post-match, Rude and Hennig beat on Neidhardt, until the British
Bulldog came to
the ring. NWOer Brian Adams came to the aid of Rude and Hennig,
but Bret Hart
evened to odds once again. After clearing out the NWO, Hart swore
he would
destroy the group and threatened Hollywood Hogan.
Booker T. vs. Chris Benoit
TV Title Match
A testament to the skills and resolve of both men, this bout
exhibited Booker T's
undeniable excellence as a singles competitor and Benoit's
unwavering tenacity and
stamina. For the ten minute duration of this bout, both men found
themselves pinned,
pressed, stretched and slammed, but neither would submit or lay
for three. Booker T
retained the belt after television time ran out. The second draw
in two weeks for two
superstars on the rise.
Psychosis d. Ultimo Dragon
An exciting match was cut short, when members of the Flock
attacked Psychosis for
breaking Lodi's ankle. The Dragon aided Psychosis in his battle
against Raven's
minions.
Bill Goldberg d. Ray Traylor
The most dominating wave on the WCW pipeline, Goldberg toppled
the
always-formidable Traylor with unnerving ease. Head spear.
Jackhammer. Three
count. Post-match, Saturn tried to get at the former Atlanta
Falcon, but was held back
by the Flock.
Kevin Nash and Randy Savage d. Sting and Lex Luger
Savage revealed he was Nash's mystery partner by attacking Sting
as he walked down
the runway. Nash and the Madness worked over Luger, until Sting
returned to the ring
and turned the match into an all-out brawl. Hollywood Hogan made
his way ringside
and helped Savage by whacking Sting. While the referee
investigated, Luger put Nash
in the Rack, only to have the Disciple interfere and strike the
Total Package with his
devastating neckbreaker. Nash rolled on top of Luger for the pin.
Post-match, Piper
ran to the ring and started battling Hogan.
Roddy Piper d. Hollywood Hogan
Piper never squandered the advantage he acquired by jumping Hogan
at the end of the
previous bout. Working Hogan with countless right hooks,
turnbuckle blasts and other
classic Piperisms, the Mad Scot wrapped up the NWO leader in his
sleeper finisher.
The Disciple made his second assist of the night, rocking Piper
with a neckbreaker and
disqualifying Hogan. Nash came in and held Piper for Hogan, but
ended up taking the
shot himself. Hogan and Nash appeared ready to brawl, but the
Giant -- running
ringside in an effort to help Piper -- cleared the ring.