WCW Monday Nitro Review: First Ever Episode 20 Years Later

WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Hulk Hogan (c) w/ Jimmy Hart cs. Big Bubba

Result: Hulk Hogan defeats Big Bubba via pinfall to retain the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Hogan starts out by posing and taunting Bubba. There are huge Hogan chants as the two trade right hands. Bubba hits a big back-breaker, but when he goes for Hulk in the corner, Hogan gets a boot up. Bubba goes to the outside and goes after Jimmy Hart. Hogan comes out and stops him. Hart distracts the ref while Hogan uses Hart’s coat to blind Bubba and punch him in the corner. Strangely heel tactics from the biggest babyface of them all.

Bubba takes over with some knee lifts to the gut of Hogan. He hits Hogan with a big sideslam for a 2 count. Hulk Hogan then hulks up, gets the big boot, the leg drop, slaps a weak pin on and gets the three count.

Evan’s Notes: The match itself was not a very good match. It was back and forth and then Hogan hits his comeback and wins. Also the heel tactics by the super-babyface Hogan seemed really out-of-place, but it was cool to see the crowd behind Hogan.

Post match, the Dungeon of Doom come out to attack Hogan. Luger comes out to defend Hogan and after clearing the ring the two almost come to blows. There is a commercial break, and when we get back Gene is in the ring talking to the two men. Luger says he’s here to take the belt and says he is sick and tired of playing around with kids. He says he’ll wait as long as he has to in order to get a shot at Hogan’s title. Hogan says Luger doesn’t need to wait at all, and that next week on Nitro the two will meet for the title. Bischoff signs us off to end the first ever Nitro!

Next: Final Thoughts