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We take a look back at the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro, twenty years later.
Welcome to the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro, live (well, live at the time) from the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The show came right as WCW was promoting Fall Brawl: War Games. If you’ve never had the chance to check out a War Games match, it’s a fantastic match type and some of them are legitimate classics.
ALSO ON DAILY DDT: WWE SummerSlam Review
The episode of WCW Nitro that started it all and kicked off the Monday Night War had three matches and some of the greatest of all time in action. Check out our review of the first ever episode of Monday Nitro by clicking below.
Next: Liger vs. Pillman
The show starts with introducing the announce team. Eric Bischoff is on lead play-by-play, and is accompanied by Steve McMichael and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. They talk up the greatness expected tonight and how the best action is here on Nitro. They introduce the first match up of the evening.
Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. “Flyin” Brian Pillman
Result: Brian Pillman defeats Jushin Liger via pinfall.
Rating: 2.8 out of 5 stars
The match starts between the Japanese superstar Liger and the former Hollywood Blonde Pillman. There’s a lot of chain wrestling to start, and Liger gets the upper hand with a cartwheel kick and a moonsault to Pillman. Pillman tries to get in some offence, including a really bad-looking hurricanrana. Liger starts to get the upper hand back. He puts a surfboard stretch on Flyin Brian, and Liger hits an apron senton to the outside. Liger gets established as the heel due to the “U.S.A.” chants.
Pillman is consistently on the defensive, even hitting a dropkick on Liger who was coming from the top rope. Every time that Pillman seems to be getting some offence in, Liger comes back and takes control. Liger hit two top rope hurricanranas, both for two counts. Flyin Brian manages to get in some offence, including a tornado DDT. Pillman gets Liger with the quick roll-up for the three count.
Evan’s Notes: A fun and energetic opening match. There were some sloppy spots by Pillman, but the two had a good energy and did well to start off the first ever Nitro.
Hulk Hogan Promo
Hogan is shown at his restaurant in the Mall of America called “PastaMania.” I love the 90’s. Hogan asks all the little kids who is the best wrestler in the world and they all say Hogan. He keeps plugging PastaMania and calls all his fans PastaManiacs. All the PastaManiacs will run wild on you. This is glorious mid 90s promo material.
Next: Sting vs Ric Flair
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WCW United States Championship Match
Sting (c) vs Ric Flair
Result: Sting defeats Ric Flair via DQ to retain the WCW United States Championship.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Right at the beginning of the match Lex Luger comes out to watch the match. This is his debut in WCW, jumping ship from WWF. Luger’s presence distracts both Sting and Flair. Eventually, Luger leaves ringside and the match actually starts. Flair struts and woo’s, and Sting woo’s right back at him. Sting hits some huge military press drops, and Flair takes a minute to go to the outside. Flair gets Sting with a thumb to the eye and gets some of his classic chops in. The two trade control back and forth, and Flair is in control as we go to a commercial break.
Back from the break and the Dirtiest Player in the Game is in control. Sting continues to hit big press slams (he hits a version of it six times during the match). Arn Anderson comes out from the back and watches the match. There is some more chain wrestling, but Sting is distracted by Arn Anderson. Flair manages to lock in the Figure 4 Leg Lock. Sting tries to turn it over, but Flair holds the ropes to keep his balance. Flair uses the ropes for longer than a five count and gets disqualified.
After the match, Arn comes into the ring and goes after Flair. The two of them brawl into the back.
Evan’s Notes: The first match I’ve seen of pre-black and white Sting. It was a well contested match, and seeing Flair in his prime as a slimy heel was great. The huge moment of Luger debuting on Nitro also added to the match, and set up the closing segment of the program later on. Flair + Sting = a great match in the ring.
Next: Miscellaneous Segments
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Miscellaneous Segments
Scott Norton runs out from the back and begins to accost the announce team. McMichael starts to defend them, but from the back comes Macho Man Randy Savage. He says he’s wiling to fight Norton right now. Instead, security comes and escorts Norton to the back. Their match will instead be next week.
A video package is played for “an incoming WCW superstar” which is Sabu! It’s just clips of Sabu doing high spots set to metal music, so it’s pretty fantastic.
Mean Gene Okerlund is out in the ring, but not to announce the main event. He’s out to announce the winner of a draw for a Harley Davidson. He also announces two matches for WCW Saturday Night : Johnny B. Badd vs Dirty Dick Slater, and Sting/Savage vs the Blue Bloods.
A promo for Mr. Wall Street (known in WWF as Irwin R. Schyster) is played. He even says “I’m sure the I.R.S. is going to be watching me real close.” I’d never even heard of this gimmick, but it was cool to see the promo.
Next: WCW Heavyweight Championship Match
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
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Final Thoughts
A historic night for the wrestling business was carried by the atmosphere and two well contested matches. The match between Pillman and Liger was a stellar cruiserweight affair, and Sting/Flair was a classic match between heel and face.
The night is mainly remembered for the debut of Luger and his appearance in the Mall of America. Luger would be somewhat underwhelming in WCW but at the time his defection from WWF was extremely important. If you’ve never seen the first ever Nitro, it is worth the watch. Just maybe skip the majority of the main event until you reach the confrontation between Hogan, Luger, and the Dungeon of Doom
What was your favorite part of the first Nitro? What’s your favorite overall WCW memory? Let us know in the comments below, or let me know on twitter at @E_Gomes to continue the conversation.
Next: The Undertaker Almost Went to WCW?
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