WCW Monday Nitro, September 25, 1995
Alex Wright vs. Disco Inferno
I can't express how much I immediately hate Disco Inferno's whole gimmick. This match starts fast though, Disco Inferno coming in hot and immediately sending Das Wunderkind through the ropes. This whole thing is fast and aggressive, with Alex Wright hitting some high flying moves and both guys getting sent out of the ring a couple of times. The pace is much faster than anything that was on Raw this week - they get in and get out within about 4 minutes. I really enjoy short fast matches like this.1
Interlude
Hogan is in a neck brace. I can't remember why, it's been over a year since I watched Fall Brawl. I vaguely remember the Giant rescuing Task Master and Hogan going out on a stretcher? This is basically just Hogan saying he's going to get revenge and talking a lot about "the largest arms in the world".
Now we've got a video package from last week. Lex Luger and Randy Savage shout at each other in the ring because the Macho Man doesn't trust Luger, who's just come over from WWF. It's so long since I watched that episode that I really appreciated that package, and now we've got Savage and Luger in the ring to pick up where we left off. Luger says "sometimes it takes more than going to war with each other to find out what you've got, sometimes you've got to go to war against each other". They're going to have a match next week, and if Luger doesn't win he'll leave the WCW.
Kurosawa vs. Sgt. Craig Pittman
The crowd chants U S A as the marine Sgt. Pittman heads to the ring to face Japan's Kurosawa. This one starts with Pittman giving a lot of offence, lifting Kurosawa in a standing arm bar a few times and really dominating. Things quickly change as the action moves to the outside of the ring, Kurosawa hitting Pittman with a baseball slide under the bottom rope before lifting up the mats and hitting a back drop onto the concrete. Things go back and forth a lot here, both men targeting each others arms in reference to Kurosawa breaking Road Warrior Hawk's arm in kayfabe with an arm bar earlier in the year. Kurosawa wins with a belly to back suplex into a bridge, pinning the marine. The commentators say that they've never seen Pittman dominated like this and the crowd don't seem happy about it.
Interlude
Brian Pillman and Arn Anderson are in the ring to cut a promo on Ric Flair. It's entertaining and doesn't outstay it's welcome and I have nothing else to say about it.
Then we get a video package I remember seeing earlier in an earlier episode, Randy Savage bench pressing on the beach and being attacked by the Task Master. They're going to settle that tonight in the ring.
The Taskmaster vs. Macho Man Randy Savage
The Taskmaster has brought Zodiac with him, who attacks Savage outside the ring. Why doesn't the ref immediately disqualify the Taskmaster due to interference? No idea.
This is another hard hitting match. Savage is dropped crotch-first onto the barrier before being knocked to the floor outside the ring. Taskmaster hangs him over the top rope and proceeds to put a beatdown on him. Once Savage gets the initiative he takes the fight to Taskmaster and Zodiac before throwing the referee across the ring. As the bell rings to signal his disqualification he stacks Taskmaster on top of Zodiac in the middle of the ring and hits an elbow drip from the top rope. Cue the entry of the Giant, who breaks things up and chokeslams Randy. There's a flood of run-ins from back stage trying to protect the Macho Man but the Giant can't be stopped.
Things end with Lex Luger coming in to stand over Macho Man and gloat, but the Giant can't be controlled by the Taskmaster and also slams Luger. Commentary tell us "I don't know whats going on" before we cut to a commercial, and I agree.
Lex Luger vs. Ming
The main event. Luger is still reeling from the Giant's onslaught as Ming charges into the ring and attacks. This looks like a squash from the off. Luger kicks out after a piledriver and a suplex before Ming puts him into a nerve pinch that looks just as rubbish as the one Yokozuna hit on this week's Raw. I'm glad these things have fallen out of favour.
Luger rallies a couple of times but it's always brief, and Ming gives the majority of the offence. It ends with Ming pulling a spike from his trunks and laying Luger out with it. The ref doesn't see it and counts the 3, and it's all over. Not quite a squash, but close.
This is the first week where Nitro pulled more viewers than Raw, and honestly it was a better show. The quality of the wrestling was higher and the production just felt a little more polished than Raw.
After spending the last year trying and failing to keep up with WWE and AEW, coming back to this has been a treat. I'm convinced that 45 minutes is the perfect length for a weekly wrestling show.
I wish I could watch WWE Speed without needing to go to Twitter for it.↩