WCW June 1995 - 6/11,6/17,6/18,6/25,6/30

[Captain Charisma]

Chito said:

WCW Monday Nitro
Monday, June 11, 1995
Taped on May 13
Disney – MGM Studio
Orlando, FL


WCW Monday Nitro '95 - First Intro Ever


TONY SCHIAVONE, MIKE TENAY and DUSTY RHODES open the show and welcome us to the Disney – MGM Studios in sunny Orlando, Florida!

TONY says that the show was pre-empted the last two Mondays, but they’re back, and gearing up for BASH AT THE BEACH, next Sunday night, LIVE on Pay-Per-View from Miami!

Tonight, Ric Flair has signed another US Title match for Steve “Mongo” McMichael, and this time Flair will be the special referee!

Also on the show, the top contenders to the WCW Tag Team Titles, Kenta Kobashi and Mitsuharu Misawa, will be in tag team action, and we will see footage of an altercation that took place over the weekend, involving Hacksaw Jim Duggan and members of the Dungeon of Doom!

- SCOTT HALL (w/ Kevin Nash) beat JERRY LYNN by pinfall after hitting the Razor’s Edge.

- MIKE TENAY joined Hall and Nash at ringside for comments regarding their match coming up at Bash at the Beach against Diamond Dallas Page and Alex Wright.  Hall and Nash mock DDP and Wright, calling them the washed up has-been and the never-was.  Nash says they’ve beaten up on these two before, and they’ll do it again on June 17 in Miami.  Hall says this is a homecoming for him, he’s from Miami, and says all his buddies will be there, cheering him on as he and Nash beat the stuffing out of Page and his little buddy.

- TONY SCHIAVONE talks about an incident that took place over the weekend.  There was an altercation outside an arena where WCW had just held an event.  A camera crew was on hand, filming part of the show for an upcoming documentary, and happened to be interviewing Jim Duggan when the whole thing went down.

- We see Hacksaw Jim Duggan in the parking lot of the arena, talking to the camera, when suddenly he’s jumped by Hugh Morrus, Mortis and Avalanche!  As Kevin Sullivan stands off to the side, barking orders at his men, they give Duggan a vicious beating.  After Mortis slams Duggan onto the pavement, Avalanche delivers not one, not two, but THREE sitdown splashes on Duggan!  As the Dungeon of Doom take off, Duggan is left, laying on the ground, clutching at his ribs.

Tony says that Duggan was hurt quite badly, and as a result, won’t be able to wrestle any time in the foreseeable future.  Tony wishes Duggan a speedy recovery, and sends us back up to the ring.

- REY MYSTERIO JR & BILLY KIDMAN beat VAMPIRO & HALLOWEEN after Rey hits a Huracanrana on Vampiro, then Kidman comes off the top rope with a 450 Splash for the pinfall.

During the match, Tony, Dusty and Mike talk about Mysterio and Juventud Guerrera challenging Super Delfin in the Triple Threat match for the Cruiserweight Title at Bash at the Beach.

- THE STUD STABLE (Col. Parker, Bunkhouse Buck, Dick Slater, Bobby Eaton and Buff Bagwell) cut a promo.  Parker says Beautiful Bobby and Buff Bagwell were great additions to the Stud Stable, and says that he’s been in negotiations with another individual, but everyone will have to wait until the time is right to find out who that is!

- MITSUHARU MISAWA & KENTA KOBASHI beat THE MASKED CONQUISTADORES after Misawa hits one of the masked men with the Tiger Driver ’91, leading to the pinfall.  Misawa and Kobashi look ready for their match with the Steiners at Bash at the Beach!

- THE STUD STABLE (Col. Parker, Bunkhouse Buck, Dick Slater, Bobby Eaton and Buff Bagwell) cut a promo.  Parker says Beautiful Bobby and Buff Bagwell were great additions to the Stud Stable, and says that he’s been in negotiations with another individual, but everyone will have to wait until the time is right to find out who that is!




- GORDON SOLIE hosts a BASH AT THE BEACH CONTROL CENTER.  Gordon runs down the full card for June 17 at the Knight Center in Miami, FL . . .

ICE TRAIN meets VAMPIRO

WCW TV Champion CHRIS BENOIT puts the belt on the line against LANCE STORM

WCW Cruiserweight Champion SUPER DELFIN puts the belt on the line against both REY MYSTERIO JR and JUVENTUD GUERRERA in a Triangle Match

LEX LUGER, with MISS ELIZABETH in his corner, will take on BUFF BAGWELL

WCW Tag Team Champions THE STEINER BROTHERS take on KENTA KOBASHI and MITSUHARU MISAWA

WCW US Champ SCOTT NORTON & BRUTUS BEEFCAKE meet the devastating duo of WCW World Champion THE GIANT and THE AVALANCHE

RIC FLAIR defends his position as WCW President against CURT HENNIG.  If Hennig wins, JJ DILLON will once again become President of World Championship Wrestling

We see a pre-taped promo from RIC FLAIR, saying that Hennig doesn’t stand a chance of beating him, and after Bash at the Beach, Hennig and JJ Dillon are going to be just like Sting . . . UNEMPLOYED!

From there, CURT HENNIG cuts a pre-taped promo.  Hennig says that Flair always had an over-inflated ego, he’s always thought that he’s better than he is.  He says that the only reason he held World Titles in other areas is because he had Hennig to protect him and the title, but he doesn’t have Curt watching his back anymore, and now, Flair’s going to find out that Curt Hennig, not Flair, is THE MAN!


- BRUTUS BEEFCAKE beat MOONDOG SPIKE after putting Spike out with the Sleeperhold.  After the match, Brutus cut some of Spike’s hair!

- It’s time for the BULL DROP INN, with your host, DUSTY RHODES.  Dusty welcomes this week’s guests, a man he’s known for a long time, LEX LUGER, and the lovely MISS ELIZABETH!

DUSTY talks about Buff Bagwell’s advances towards Liz, as well as Bagwell joining up with Col. Rob Parker and the Stud Stable last week.

LUGER says that Bagwell brought this on himself, he should have just left Liz alone when she told him that she wasn’t interested.  Luger’s going to teach him a lesson on Sunday night, and says that the Stud Stable won’t be able to help Bagwell when Luger gets his hands on him!

LEX then talks about WCW World Champion the Giant, and says that he’s throwing out a challenge right now, after he takes care of Bagwell, he wants a shot at the Giant and the World Title!

- RICK & SCOTT STEINER cut a promo regarding their match against the Japanese duo of Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi.  Rick says that Misawa and Kobashi are a good team, but he and his brother are better!  Scott says that it’s going to be a tough match, but he knows that he and Rick will leave Bash at the Beach as Champions.

- RIC FLAIR (w/ Chris Benoit) beat MIKE ANTHONY after locking Anthony in the Figure Four Leglock for the submission.  Afterwards, Flair gets on the house mic and taunts Curt Hennig!

- DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE (along with the Diamond Doll) & ALEX WRIGHT cut a promo regarding their match against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall at Bash at the Beach.  Page says that Hall and Nash are real good at talking trash and running their mouths, but he doubts they’ll be able to back it up on June 17.  Alex Wright says that he hasn’t forgotten the beating that Hall and Nash gave him weeks back, and on Sunday night, it’s PAYBACK TIME!

- WCW US TITLE MATCH, RIC FLAIR AS SPECIAL REFEREE!
SCOTT NORTON (Champ) v. STEVE “MONGO” MCMICHAEL

Flair blatantly helps Mongo here, letting McMichael do whatever he wants, and even going so far as to refuse to count Norton’s pin attempts!  Norton’s had enough, and he confronts Flair, but Mongo rolls him up, and Flair makes a VERY fast count, but Norton is able to get a shoulder up at the very last second.

Late in the match, Norton “inadvertantly” catches Flair with an elbow to the head as he winds up to hit Mongo, knocking the Nature Boy to the mat.  At that point, regular referee Nick Patrick comes out.

Norton takes control of the match, and nearly takes Mongo’s head off with a vicious Lariat.  He makes the cover, and Nick Patrick counts the fall.

Afterwards, Flair is FURIOUS, and he takes it out on Mongo, saying that even with his help, Mongo couldn’t get the job done!  Flair then proceeds to sucker punch McMichael, and then puts the boots to him.

TV Champ Chris Benoit comes out, and joins in the fun, hitting Mongo with a German suplex.  Flair then puts McMichael in the Figure Four Leglock, and Benoit leaps off the top rope with a kneedrop to the leg of McMichael.

McMichael ends up being taken out on a stretcher as Flair promises to do the same thing to anyone who decides to cross the Boss!

- JJ DILLON and CURT HENNIG come out to the ring for an interview to close the show.  Hennig talks about Flair, and says that he hopes Flair enjoys his little power trip while it lasts, because June 17 will be his final day as WCW President!

Dillon says that he heard Sting loud and clear last week, and says that when Hennig beats Flair, the first thing he’ll do as President is reinstate the Stinger!

TONY, MIKE and DUSTY wrap things up, and remind the fans to join them, next Sunday night, live on Pay-Per-View for the HOTTEST event of the Summer, WCW Bash at the Beach!


Closing Credits

[Captain Charisma]

Chito said:

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING PRESENTS

BASH AT THE BEACH 1995

SUNDAY, JUNE 17, 1995

FROM THE KNIGHT CENTER IN MIAMI, FL

LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW!



TONY SCHIAVONE, DUSTY RHODES and the newest addition to the announce team, TERRY TAYLOR are at ringside.

All three men are decked out in shades and bright colours.  Tony’s got orange sunblock on his nose.


SCHIAVONE: “Welcome everyone to WCW Bash at the Beach, the hottest event of the Summer!  It’s going to be a night of great wrestling action, we’ve got 3 titles being defended…Super Delfin puts the Cruiserweight Title on the line against Rey Mysterio Jr AND Juventud Guerrera in a Triangle match…Chris Benoit defends his TV Title against Lance Storm…and the Steiner Brothers put the titles up for grabs against two of the top wrestlers to ever come out of Japan, Mitsuharu Misawa and Kenta Kobashi!”

“On top of all that, Brutus Beefcake and US Champion Scott Norton look to avenge their friend Hacksaw Jim Duggan when they take on The Giant and Avalanche, and Ric Flair defends his job as WCW President against long-time rival, Curt Hennig!”

“It’s going to be a hot night, so let’s go up to the ring and kick things off with Ice Train taking on Vampiro!”


ICE TRAIN vs. VAMPIRO
Ice Train made short work of Vampiro, overpowering him and then connecting with the Train Wreck splash, leading to the pinfall victory.


RIC FLAIR and his associate, TV Champion CHRIS BENOIT talk with Tony Schiavone at ringside.

Flair says that his Administration is just as important as any other in the World, and he’s just as important as anyone, and that includes the President of the United States!  Tony scoffs at that, but Flair just ignores him.  Flair says that there are people out there looking to take him out, and he’s decided to add a security detail that would rival the Secret Service!

Flair then introduces the head of this new security detail . . . MR. HUGHES!!!

Hughes shakes hands with Flair and Benoit, and says that he’s got their back.


After Flair, Benoit and Hughes leave ringside, the announcers turn their attention to the Triangle Match coming up next for the Cruiserweight Title, and talk a little bit about the history between the three men involved in the match.

We see footage of the two Juvy – Rey matches that were meant to determine a number one contender, but both ended inconclusively.  Then we see footage of Flair announcing that both men will get a shot.  The video cuts ahead to two weeks ago, where Super Delfin teamed with Rey Mysterio and Billy Kidman for a 6-man tag team match, and there was animosity between Rey and Delfin.


TRIANGLE MATCH FOR THE WCW CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE:
SUPER DELFIN (Champ) vs. REY MYSTERIO JR vs. JUVENTUED GUERRERA
These three men give the fans their money’s worth here, as they tear into each other as soon as the bell sounds, and it’s non-stop action throughout the match.  We’ve got bodies flying all over the place, as all three use plenty of innovative, high-flying maneuvers to try and put their opponents away.

The end comes when Delfin hits a brainbuster suplex on Juvy as Rey goes to the top rope.  Rey jumps off, catches Delfin with a Huracanrana, then delivers an Asai moonsault for the 1, 2, 3!

Rey Mysterio Jr is the new WCW Cruiserweight Champion!

Delfin grabs the belt from the ref before he can give it to Rey.  Delfin looks at it for a moment, then hands it to Rey, and raises his hand!


WCW TV TITLE MATCH:
CHRIS BENOIT (Champ) (w/ Mr. Hughes) vs. LANCE STORM
Benoit comes out with the new head of security for the Flair Administration, Mr. Hughes.  Hughes makes his presence known early in this one, tripping Storm as he ran the ropes after dropping Benoit with a clothesline.

As the match progressed, Benoit took control, and wore Storm down.  In the end, Benoit drops Storm right on the back of his head with a Tiger Suplex and a bridge for the pinfall victory.


TONY, DUSTY and TERRY talk about Kevin Nash and Scott Hall, and all the mayhem they’ve caused since arriving in WCW.

We cut to footage of Hall and Nash injuring Alex Wright on WCW Nitro, and then more recently, ganging up on Diamond Dallas Page and giving him a beating.


SCOTT HALL & KEVIN NASH vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE (w/ the Diamond Doll) & ALEX WRIGHT
Before the match begins, DDP gets on the house mic and reminds Hall that Page was the one who brought Hall to WCW the first time, and says that if it wasn’t for him, Hall wouldn’t have had the success that he’s had.  Page says that Hall let everything go to his head, and tonight, Page and Wright are going to give him an attitude adjustment!

Nash and Hall overpower Page and Wright early on.  Things look bleak as the Outsiders isolate Wright in their corner, and cut the ring off.  Hall and Nash give Wright a vicious beating, until Wright is finally able to break free, then dives through the legs of the 7 foot Kevin Nash, and makes the hot tag to Page, who comes in and cleans house!

It doesn’t last long, as a rake of the eyes from Hall stops Page dead in his tracks, and the Outsiders then go to work on Page, pounding him into the mat.  After a few minutes of that, Alex Wright has had enough of the constant double-teaming, and he comes in, and hits Nash with a dropkick that sends the big man right over the ropes and to the floor!  From there, Wright jumps off the top turnbuckle with a bodypress on Nash on the floor!

While that’s going on, Scott Hall sets DDP up for the Razor’s Edge, but DDP slips out of Hall’s grip, and then spins Hall around . . . DIAMOND CUTTER!

Page hits the Diamond Cutter and, while Nash and Wright are still outside the ring, he covers Scott Hall for the 1, 2, 3!!


TONY, DUSTY and TERRY talk about the next big Pay-Per-View event coming up from World Championship Wrestling on July 29, 1995 . . .

WCW WORLD WAR III




TONY says that they will have the biggest battle royal in wrestling history at the event, three rings, 60 men, every man for themselves!

Other matches, as well as the list of participants in the Battle Royal, will be made available in the coming weeks on WCW programming.


LEX LUGER (w/ Miss Elizabeth) vs. BUFF BAGWELL (w/ Col. Rob Parker)
This is Bagwell’s first PPV match with Col. Parker in his corner.  Luger brings out the lovely Elizabeth with him.  Bagwell gets on the house mic and tells Liz that he’ll give her one more opportunity to ditch the loser and get with a real man!  Elizabeth takes the mic and says that Bagwell’s got it backwards, she’s already with the real man!

Bagwell loses his cool and grabs ahold of Liz, but Luger’s there to put a stop to that.  Lex proceeds to pound Bagwell into the mat!  Lex hit a big running clothesline and goes for a quick cover, and Bagwell just barely gets a shoulder up, and we’re only two minutes into the match!

Bagwell spends the next few minutes just trying to get something going against Luger, and finally he does when he gets out of the way of Luger charging at him in the corner.  As Luger comes out of the corner, Bagwell kicks Luger’s leg out of from under him.  From there, Bagwell focuses on the knee and leg of the Total Package, a smart move, as Luger won’t be able to use the Torture Rack if he can’t put any weight on his leg.

A few minutes later, Luger turns the tables on Bagwell and goes on the offensive again, but Col. Parker threatens Liz on the floor, which takes Luger’s attention away from the match, and allows Bagwell the opportunity to clip the knee and go back to work on the leg.

As we pass the 12-minute mark of the match, Bagwell is well in control, and has Luger in bad shape.  After dropping Luger with a suplex, Bagwell goes to the top rope.  Lex gets up and is groggy, but before Bagwell can execute the Buff Blockbuster, Luger staggers forward into the ropes, and Bagwell gets crotched on the top turnbuckle!

Luger then climbs up to the second turnbuckle, hits Bagwell with a couple of stiff right hands, and then Superplexes him off the turnbuckle!

Bagwell’s slow to get up, and when he does, he’s met with a Lariat from Luger!  From there, Lex hoists Bagwell up . . . TORTURE RACK!!!

Bagwell holds out as long as he can, but finally has no choice and submits, giving Luger the victory by submission.

Afterwards, Elizabeth climbs into the ring, and proceeds to SLAP Bagwell across the face before he rolls out of the ring and heads for the locker room with Parker.


WCW TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH
RICK & SCOTT STEINER (Champs) vs. MITSUHARU MISAWA & KENTA KOBASHI
These two teams put on a wrestling clinic for the fans.  The Steiners are their usual dominant selves, but the Japanese duo show that they can keep up with them.

Nothing is settled here, as the 20-minute time limit expires, just as Misawa hit Rick with the Tiger Driver, and the match is declared a Draw.


TONY, DUSTY and TERRY talk about all that led up to our first main event, where Curt Hennig faces Ric Flair.  If Flair wins, Hennig leaves WCW, if Hennig wins, JJ Dillon gets his job back as WCW President.

We see footage of JJ Dillon confronting Ric Flair not too long ago on WCW Monday Nitro, saying that he would bring a wrestler to WCW to face Flair at Bash at the Beach.  We jump ahead a few weeks, Flair demands to know who Dillon is bringing to the Pay-Per-View, and Dillon reveals that it’s Curt Hennig, the man that ran Flair out of the WWF in January of 1993!

Then we see a recent confrontation between Flair and Sting, with Sting asking JJ Dillon to reinstate him once he has his job back.


RIC FLAIR (w/ Mr. Hughes) vs. CURT HENNIG (w/ JJ Dillon)
Flair and Hennig tear right into each other as soon as the bell sounds, and don’t let up at all for the rest of the match.  The momentum shifts back and forth early on, and neither man can get a clear advantage, but as the match progresses, Flair targets the knee of Hennig.  Flair spends the next several minutes working on the knee, softening Hennig up for the Figure Four.  Flair tries to apply it at one point, but Hennig is close enough that he can grab the ropes and force the break.  The next time Flair attempts it, Hennig grabs him by the hair, and rolls Flair up for a VERY close nearfall.

We pass the 20-minute mark, and Flair is still in control, still looking to soften Hennig up for the Figure Four.  At one point, Flair turns his attention to JJ Dillon, and taunts him, telling Dillon to take a look at Hennig, then does the Fargo strut and tells Dillon that he’s finished in WCW!  Hennig gets back to his feet while that’s going on, and rolls Flair up for another nearfall.

Flair jumps back to his feet, but he’s met with a clothesline from Hennig, and then another one.  This time, Flair is a lot slower getting to his feet.  Hennig kicks him in the midsection, then hooks him up . . . HENNIG-PLEX!!!!

Referee Nick Patrick is in position . . . ONE . . . TWO . . . THREE!!!!!!!!!!

Curt Hennig has pinned Ric Flair!  Flair is no longer WCW President!!!


Afterwards, Hennig and Dillon celebrate in the ring, but Flair and Mr. Hughes jump into the ring and attack them!  While Hughes keeps Dillon at bay, Flair stomps away on the knee of Curt Hennig, then slaps on the Figure Four Leglock!

Familiar music hits . . . AND HERE COMES STING!!!!

Sting jumps up onto the ring apron, then goes to the top rope and delivers a flying elbowdrop on Flair as he’s got Hennig in the Figure Four!  Flair lets go of the hold, and starts brawling with Sting!  Sting quickly gets the upper hand, and sends Flair to the floor.  He’s joined by Mr. Hughes, and the two of them storm off to the locker room as Sting, Hennig and JJ Dillon stand tall in the ring!


TONY, DUSTY and TERRY talk about what we just saw, and then turn their attention to the final match of the evening, as Brutus Beefcake teams up with WCW US Champ Scott Norton to face the Avalanche and WCW World Champion The Giant, with the Taskmaster in their corner.

TONY talks about what led up to this match.

We see footage of Hacksaw Jim Duggan accepting the Giant’s open challenge a while back on Nitro, and a match was signed.  The Giant ended up chokeslamming Duggan through a table, sending him out on a stretcher and right out of WCW!

DUSTY says that after that, two of Duggan’s friends, Brutus and Norton, issued a challenge to the Giant and Avalanche to face them in the ring!

We then go to pre-taped comments from both teams.  Norton and Brutus promise to avenge the injury to Hacksaw and run the Dungeon of Doom right out of WCW!  Norton is more intense than we’ve see him lately, and he says that he will teach the Giant a very painful lesson here tonight!

Kevin Sullivan talks about what his men are going to do to Norton and Brutus, and the thought of the pain and suffering that his men are going to inflict, it brings a smile to his face!  He says that Brutus and Norton are going to suffer the same fate as Hacksaw Jim Duggan tonight!


TAG TEAM MAIN EVENT
THE GIANT (WCW Champion) & THE AVALANCHE (w/ Kevin Sullivan) vs. SCOTT NORTON (US Champion) & BRUTUS BEEFCAKE
This one is a wild, hard-hitting affair, as these two teams would like nothing more than to destroy the other!  Avalanche and the Giant take the early advantage in the match, and pummel both Brutus and Norton.  Brutus and the US Champ fight back, as Norton runs the ropes and nails both men repeatedly with clotheslines, finally knocking them off their feet.  However, Sullivan makes his presence felt, distracting Norton long enough for Avalanche and the Giant to get back to their feet and attack him!

This brings Brutus Beefcake into the ring, and he brawls with Avalanche while the US Champ and the World Champ are on the outside.

The Giant gets the upper hand on Norton outside the ring after bashing him over the head with a chair!  The Giant sets Norton up against the ringpost, and charges at him with a clothesline . . . but Norton moves out of the way and the Giant connects with the steel post instead!

Norton takes advantage of this mistake, and repeatedly wraps the Giant’s arm around the ringpost, then batters the shoulder with a chair!

Norton rolls the Giant back inside the ring, and puts him on the mat with a Lariat.  From there, Norton grabs the Giant’s injured arm, pulls back on it, and drives his knee into the shoulder!

Norton’s got a crazed look in his eyes as he keeps pulling on the arm, finally the Giant signals to the ref that he’s giving up!  The Giant has submitted!

Norton takes a second before letting go of the Giant, leaving the World Champion lying on the mat, holding his arm as he and Brutus celebrate their victory!


TONY SCHIAVONE, DUSTY RHODES and TERRY TAYLOR wrap things up, and thank the fans for tuning in.  They remind us to join them on Monday night for WCW Nitro, for all the fallout from Bash at the Beach.  Tony gives a quick plug for the next PPV event, on July 29, WCW World War III!


CLOSING CREDITS

[Captain Charisma]

Chito said:

WCW Monday Nitro
Monday, June 18, 1995
Broadcast LIVE from Disney – MGM Studios
Orlando, FL


WCW Monday Nitro '95 - First Intro Ever


- TONY SCHIAVONE and TERRY TAYLOR open the show and welcome us to the Disney / MGM Studios in sunny Orlando, Florida!

SCHIAVONE: “Fans, last night we were at the Knight Center in Miami for Bash at the Beach, and what a night it was!  JJ Dillon is back as President of WCW, we’ll hear from him a little later on!  The Japanese duo of Kobashi and Misawa took the Steiner Brothers to the limit!  Lex Luger got a measure of revenge on Buff Bagwell, as did Miss Elizabeth!  And Scott Norton showed his vicious side as he tried to break the arm of the WCW World Champion the Giant during the tag team main event!”

“Tonight, Norton will be in action in our main event, as he puts the United States title up for grabs against a former Champion, and the Giant’s stablemate in the Dungeon of Doom, Mortis!  Also on the show, Meng and the Barbarian have returned to WCW, and they’ll be in action!  As well, we’ll have some information on the next big Pay-Per-View event, coming your way on July 29, it’s World War III!”


TONY and TERRY then send us to the ring for the first match.

- BOBBY EATON (w/ Col. Rob Parker) beat CHAVO GUERRERO JR by pinfall with the Alabama Jam.  Chavo put up a fight, but in the end, Eaton wore him down his his technical abilities, and hit the top-rope legdrop for the win.

- TONY SCHIAVONE introduces a highlight reel of last night’s Bash at the Beach.  We see footage of DDP pinning Scott Hall with the Diamond Cutter … Rey Mysterio hitting Super Delfin with the Asai Moonsault and pinning him, then holding the Cruiserweight Title belt over his head … Lex Luger putting Buff Bagwell in the Torture Rack, then Miss Elizabeth slapping Bagwell after the match … Curt Hennig pinning Ric Flair … Scott Norton, with a crazed look in his eyes, as he tries to break the arm of the WCW Champion the Giant.

- TONY is then joined in the ring by the new WCW President, JJ DILLON.  JJ talks about how grateful he is to Curt Hennig for beating Ric Flair, so that Dillon could have his job back.  He talks about Sting, and says that he has some red tape to work through, but he promises that Sting will be back in action very soon.

DILLON then talks about the clip we just saw, of Scott Norton nearly snapping the arm and shoulder of the Giant.  JJ says that the WCW World Champion has indeed suffered some damage to his arm and shoulder as a result, although the extent of the injuries aren’t yet known.  Dillon says that he will keep everyone informed as far as what this means for the WCW World Title.

JJ then talks about some new tag teams that are on their way to WCW, and he says that the WCW Championship Committee has decided to introduce another Tag Team Title, due to the influx of tag teams coming to the company.  He says that there will be a tournament starting in the next couple of weeks to crown new WCW International Tag Team Champions, and the finals of the tournament will take place at the next PPV, World War III!

- LEX LUGER beat THE MASKED ASSASSIN by submission after getting the masked man up into the Torture Rack at the 2-minute mark.

- TONY and TERRY talk about Lex Luger, and Tony says that Luger will square off with the former WCW President, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair right here next week on Nitro, with the winner being named the #1 contender to the WCW World Title!

- DUSTY RHODES welcomes us to the BULL DROP INN, and says that his guest this week is someone that, while we haven’t seen him around in a while, is well-known to WCW fans . . . “SWEET” STAN LANE!

LANE comes out, to the old Midnight Express theme music, and says that he’s happy to be back in WCW.  He starts talking about returning to WCW, but suddenly, BOBBY EATON makes his way out and takes the mic from Lane!

EATON says that Lane has a lot of nerve coming back, after he walked out on Eaton a few years back, putting an end to the greatest tag team in wrestling history!

Before Lane can say anything, Eaton smiles, and grabs Lane and slaps him on the back, saying it’s water under the bridge.  Eaton says that they’ve got a lot of catching up to do, and they walk off.

DUSTY says that it looks like he’s not going to get to ask Lane the questions he wanted to ask him, and tells the fans to join him right here next week on Nitro for another edition of the Bull Drop Inn!

- RIC FLAIR & CHRIS BENOIT (w/ Mr. Hughes) beat ALEX WRIGHT & MARTY JANNETTY when Benoit dropped Jannetty on the back of his head with a German suplex with a bridge for the pinfall.

- TONY SCHIAVONE joins RIC FLAIR, CHRIS BENOIT and MR. HUGHES in the ring after the match.  Flair talks about last night at Bash at the Beach, and says that Dillon may have succeeded in screwing him out of the WCW Presidency, with a crooked referee who was obviously in JJ and Hennig’s pocket, but he’ll have the last laugh.  Flair says that he doesn’t need to be WCW President in order to get rid of jerks like Hennig and Sting!  He says that he’s the Dirtiest Player in the Game, and along with the Crippler Chris Benoit and Mr. Hughes, the three of them will rule WCW!

- TERRY TAYLOR hosts a WORLD WAR III Control Center.

TERRY says that World War III will take place on Sunday, July 29, live on Pay-Per-View from the Scope in Norfolk, VA.

So far, we know that the finals of the tournament to crown the very first WCW International Tag Team Champions will be held at World War III, plus, there will be the feature match of the show, the biggest Battle Royal in wrestling history, a 3-ring, 60 man Battle Royal!

TAYLOR says that more information about other matches, as well as the names of the tag teams that will be involved in the tournament, will be available in the coming weeks.



- THE BARBARIAN & MENG beat PUBLIC ENEMY after Meng applies the Tongan Death Grip on Rocco Rock for the submission victory.

TONY says that the Barbarian and Meng are in top form, and he’s not sure that there’s anybody in WCW that can stop them, and he predicts that there may be tag team gold in their future.

- TONY SCHIAVONE interviews COL. ROB PARKER and his STUD STABLE (Bunkhouse Buck, Dick Slater and Buff Bagwell).  Bobby Eaton is not with them.

TONY asks about the whereabouts of Eaton, and Parker says he’s catching up with Stan Lane, and tells Tony not to worry about it.  He talks about Bagwell losing to Luger at Bash at the Beach, and says that Luger cheated constantly, and the next time the two meet in the ring, the end result is going to be very different, he’ll make sure of it!

BUNKHOUSE BUCK wants to know where the competition is for him and Slater, and says that they’re going to throw their hats in the ring for this International Tag Team Title tournament.

PARKER says that on July 29, Buck and Slater will become the first International Tag Champs!

TONY then asks Parker about a comment he made a few weeks ago, that he’s been in negotiations with another wrestler to join the Stud Stable, and asks Parker to expand on that.

ROB doesn’t give him a straight answer, saying only that the man’s identity will be revealed when the time is right!

TONY then intros the main event.

- WCW UNITED STATES TITLE MATCH
SCOTT NORTON (Champ) beat MORTIS (w/ Kevin Sullivan) by pinfall.  This is a real slobberknocker, and Mortis gives Norton all he can handle, but the match comes to an end when Norton nearly takes Mortis’ head off with a vicious Lariat, leading to the pinfall.  Norton once again has the crazed look in his eyes as he covers Mortis.

TONY and TERRY wrap things up, and talk about next week’s show, which will feature Lex Luger taking on Ric Flair to determine a #1 contender to the WCW World Title, as well Tony hopes that we’ll have an update on the condition of the current Champion, the Giant, and we’ll find out which tag teams will be involved in the tournament for the brand new WCW International Tag Team titles.


Closing Credits

[Captain Charisma]

Chito said:

WCW Monday Nitro
Monday, June 25, 1995
Taped at Center Stage Theater
Atlanta, GA


WCW Monday Nitro '95 - First Intro Ever


- TONY SCHIAVONE, DUSTY RHODES and TERRY TAYLOR open the show and welcome us to Center Stage Theater in Atlanta for another action-packed episode of WCW Monday Nitro!

TONY talks about the injury to WCW Champion the Giant at the hands of Scott Norton at Bash at the Beach on June 16, saying that it turns out it’s worse than initially thought, and the WCW is expected to be out of action for quite some time.  In light of that information, JJ Dillon and the WCW Championship Committee have declared the WCW World Title VACANT, and it will be awarded to the winner of the 60 man Battle Royal at World War 3 on July 29!

DUSTY runs down the matches that will take place on tonight’s show, including Lex Luger taking on “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.  That match will still determine a #1 contender to the World Title, as the winner will get the very first World Title shot after World War 3!

TONY says that this will be the FINAL episode of WCW Monday Nitro, it will be replaced by the returning WCW Saturday Night, with an all-new format, starting this Saturday night, June 30.  As well, wrestling returns to Saturday mornings with WCW Worldwide, starting on July 7.

- THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) (w/ Col. Rob Parker) beat CHAVO GUERRERO JR & TOM ZENK when Eaton hits the Alabama Jam on Chavo for the pinfall.

- TONY is joined at ringside by STING!

STING talks about getting back in the ring at World War 3 on July 29, and says it’s going to be a big night, not only will he and Curt Hennig defeat Flair’s henchmen, Mr. Hughes and Chris Benoit, but then he has the opportunity in the big Battle Royal to once again become WCW World Champion!

- CLIP: JJ Dillon on last week’s show, talking about the Championship Committee creating a new tag team title, the WCW International Tag Titles, and the tournament starting soon that will crown the very first Champions.

TONY says that the tournament will start this weekend on WCW Saturday Night, with the finals set for July 29 at World War 3.

- BRUTUS BEEFCAKE beat THE MASKED ASSASSIN by submission with the Sleeperhold.

- DUSTY RHODES welcomes us to another edition of THE BULL DROP INN.  This week his guests are RIC FLAIR, WCW TV Champion CHRIS BENOIT, and the head of Flair’s security detail MR. HUGHES.  

FLAIR talks about everything that’s gone down, with JJ Dillon regaining his job as WCW President, Sting being reinstated, and Sting teaming up with Hennig to try and run Flair and Benoit out of WCW.  Flair says that he’s not going anywhere, he then guarantees a victory later tonight over Lex Luger, and says he’ll go on to win the WCW World Title.

- HUGH MORRUS (w/ Kevin Sullivan) beat MARTY JANNETTY via pinfall following a Powerbomb.

- TONY SCHIAVONE interviews KEVIN SULLIVAN and HUGH MORRUS at ringside.  SULLIVAN talks about World War 3, and says that the entire Dungeon of Doom will be included in the Battle Royal, increasing the odds of the Dungeon still retaining the World Title when all is said and done.

- TERRY TAYLOR hosts a WORLD WAR 3 Control Center.

World War 3 takes place on Sunday night, July 29 live on Pay-Per-View from the Scope in Norfolk, VA!

TERRY talks about some of the matches that will take place.  The finals of the tournament for the new WCW International Tag Team Titles will take place on the show, as well, a big tag team match has been signed, as Sting and Curt Hennig square off with WCW TV Champion Chris Benoit and Mr. Hughes.  All four men will also take part in the big 60 man Battle Royal.  Also on the card, Hugh Morrus will face Marty Jannetty, and the Blacktop Bully will make his WCW Pay-Per-View debut!

TAYLOR then runs down some of the wrestlers that will be taking part in the Battle Royal:

* Sting
* Curt Hennig
* Chris Benoit
* Hugh Morrus
* Kevin Sullivan
* One Man Gang
* Sid Vicious, from the USWA promotion in Memphis
* Brian Lee, also from the USWA
* Arn Anderson makes his return to WCW for the night, as he attempts to win the one title that has always eluded him
* Meng
* The Barbarian
* Bunkhouse Buck
* Rick Steiner
* Scott Steiner
* Bobby Eaton
* Buff Bagwell

Those names and a whole lot more will compete in a 3-ring Battle Royal for the biggest prize in wrestling today, the WCW World Heavyweight Title!

We see short promos from several of the names on that list.  Each of them are confident that they’ll outlast the others and become World Champion.




- TERRY TAYLOR conducts a backstage interview with STING, LEX LUGER and CURT HENNIG.

STING talks about the upcoming Battle Royal, as well as him and Hennig facing Benoit and Hughes at World War 3.

HENNIG says he took away Flair’s spot as WCW President, the next step is to run him right out of WCW.  Hennig also talks about being entered in the Battle Royal at World War 3, and says that he would love to leave Norfolk on July 29 as the new World Champion.

LUGER talks about his match coming up shortly against Ric Flair.

- CLIP: Demolition in action, we see footage of them defeating such teams as the Road Warriors, the Hart Foundation and the British Bulldogs.

- TONY and DUSTY talk about what we just saw.  Tony says that Demolition is one of the greatest tag teams in the history of this sport, and they’ll reunite for the International Tag Team Title tournament, starting this weekend on WCW Saturday Night!

- SCHIAVONE interviews WCW Tag Team Champions RICK & SCOTT STEINER at ringside.

SCOTT talks about the draw at Bash at the Beach against Misawa and Kobashi, and say that they welcome the opportunity to get into the ring with them again.

RICK talks about World War 3, and says that they’ve both been entered in the Battle Royal for the vacant World Title, and he tells Scott that if it comes down to the two of them, he’s going to apologize in advance, because he’s going to throw Scott over the top rope, just like he used to throw him around when they were kids!

SCOTT promises to do the same, then they leave the ringside area.

- MATCH FOR THE #1 CONTENDER:
LEX LUGER V. “NATURE BOY” RIC FLAIR (w/ Mr. Hughes)

Luger and Flair are certainly no strangers to one another, they’ve wrestled countless times over the years, as well as spending time as partners in the Four Horsemen.  The match starts out slow, both men know what’s at stake and neither wants to make a mistake that may cost them the match.

As the match progresses, Flair’s game plan becomes evident, he focuses on the knee of the Total Package, looking to soften him up for the Figure Four.  Luger, on the other hand, stays with his power attack, looking to simply pound Flair into the mat.

Late in the match, Flair goes for the Figure Four, but Luger is close enough to the ropes that he’s able to force a break.  Lex soon starts a comeback, and takes control of the match.

Luger is able to wear Flair down, and he hoists the Nature Boy up in the Torture Rack!

Almost immediately, Chris Benoit and Mr. Hughes jump into the ring, and attack Luger, causing him to let go of the hold.  Referee Nick Patrick calls for the bell, and awards the match to Luger via DQ!

Flair, Benoit and Hughes don’t care, they continue to assault Luger.  Flair locks him in the Figure Four while Benoit and Hughes make sure that no one can come into the ring to stop it!

Out of nowhere, WCW US Champ SCOTT NORTON climbs out of the crowd, grabs a steel chair, and jumps into the ring!

Flair sees him, and lets go of the Figure Four.  Flair gets clobbered with the chair, but Benoit and Hughes are able to pull him out of the ring.

As Flair, Benoit and Hughes leave the ringside area, Scott Norton helps Luger to his feet . . . AND THEN DROPS HIM WITH A VICIOUS CLOTHESLINE!!!

Norton pulls Luger up, then nails him with another clothesline!  Norton then takes the chair and batters Luger with it!


NORTON then climbs out of the ring and joins Tony, Terry and Dusty at ringside.

NORTON wants to know why Luger and Flair are wrestling to determine the #1 contender, when he, as the US Champion, should be the rightful #1 challenger?  Norton says that he hasn’t received a title match since winning the US belt.  He’s tired of being overlooked, and says that nobody will overlook him any more!

NORTON tells everyone to take a good look at their #1 contender, who’s still laying flat on his back in the ring, then he storms off.


TONY, DUSTY and TERRY wrap things up.  Tony reminds us that this was the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro, and he’d see everyone this Saturday at 6:05pm for the return of WCW Saturday Night!  On that show, they’ll have two International Tag Team Title tournament matches, and no doubt we’ll hear from Lex Luger regarding the actions of the United States Champion Scott Norton.


Closing Credits

[Captain Charisma]

Chito said:

WCW SATURDAY NIGHT
June 30, 1995
Taped on June 24, 1995
Center Stage Theater
Atlanta, GA


WCW Saturday Night Intro [HD]


- TONY SCHIAVONE and TERRY TAYLOR open the show at ringside and welcome the fans to the return of WCW Saturday Night, from the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, GA.

- CLIP: Scott Norton injuring the arm and shoulder of the Giant at Bash at the Beach.  We skip ahead to the announcement from JJ Dillon that the WCW World Title is being vacated as a result of those injuries, and the winner of the 60-man Battle Royal at World War III will be crowned the new WCW Champion.


- “DIAMOND” DALLAS PAGE (w/ the Diamond Doll) pins BUNKHOUSE BUCK (w/ Col. Rob Parker) at 7:59 following the Diamond Cutter.


- We see footage of Tatanka wrestling in the WWF and GWF, most of the clips come from his undefeated streak in the early 90s in the WWF.

TONY says Tatanka makes his WCW debut in the next match.


- TATANKA pins THE MASKED HANGMAN at 4:59 following the Indian Death Drop.  Tatanka came to the ring in a colourful headdress, along with several members of his Lumbee tribe.


- TONY SCHIAVONE hosts a pre-taped segment where he runs down upcoming WCW events, including the big one, World War III coming up on July 29 at the Scope in Norfolk, VA where a new WCW World Champion will be crowned.


- WCW US Champion SCOTT “FLASH” NORTON pins MARTY JANNETTY at 2:44 following a vicious Lariat.


- SCHIAVONE and TAYLOR interview SCOTT NORTON at ringside after the match.  Norton talks about the attack on Luger last week, saying that he’s tired of being overlooked when it comes to World Title matches.  He’s the US Champ, that makes him the #1 contender to the World Title, yet he sits by and watches undeserving chumps like Luger, Flair, Brutus Beefcake and Hacksaw Jim Duggan get title shots.  He says that he decided to take matters into his own hands last week, and gave everyone a reminder that he’s still here, and he should be the #1 contender to the World Title, not Luger or Flair.

- VIDEO: We see STING working out at a local Gold’s Gym.  He then cuts a promo, saying that he’s getting into shape, and he’ll be ready when World War III rolls around, and he predicts that he’ll leave Norfolk as the new World Champion!


- “NATURE BOY” RIC FLAIR & “CRIPPLER” CHRIS BENOIT (w/ Mr. Hughes) defeat BILLY TRAVIS & ALEX SHANE at 5:43 when Benoit pins Travis with a Dragon Suplex into a bridge, while Flair keeps Shane from breaking up the cover.


- SCHIAVONE and TAYLOR interview RIC FLAIR and WCW TV Champ CHRIS BENOIT at ringside after the match, while Hughes stands silently in the background.  Flair talks about the match coming up with Sting and Curt Hennig at World War III, and says that they can kill two birds with one stone, then he talks about taking part in the 60-man Battle Royal, and says that he’ll outlast the other 59 guys, and walk away with the belt that he never lost in the first place, the WCW World Championship.

Chris Benoit says that he can’t stand these pretty boys like Sting and Hennig, and says that he’s going to enjoy ending their careers at World War III.  He says that everyone’s going to see exactly why they call him the Crippler!

- VIDEO: We see footage of how some of the WCW superstars spend their summer.  We see Sting surfing, Dusty Rhodes hanging out poolside, where he tosses a beach ball to a couple of women in the pool.  Marty Jannetty is at a rock concert.  And the final clip is Col. Rob Parker at the track, celebrating after his horse apparently won.


- “BEAUTIFUL” BOBBY EATON (w/ Col. Rob Parker) pins DAVEY RICH at 4:13 following the Alabama Jam.


- VIDEO: We see GREG VALENTINE in action.  Valentine then cuts a promo, saying he’s on his way back to WCW.


- BRUTUS “THE BARBER” BEEFCAKE defeats DON E. ALLEN via submission at 2:33 with the Sleeperhold.


- TERRY TAYLOR hosts a pre-taped WORLD WAR III CONTROL CENTER segment.  Taylor runs down the matches that have been signed so far . . .

* Chris Benoit and Ric Flair face the duo of Sting and Curt Hennig!

* the finals of the WCW International Tag Team Title tournament will be held on the show!

* WCW World Tag Team Champions Rick & Scott Steiner will defend the titles!

* Brutus Beefcake, Tatanka, Diamond Dallas Page and Ice Train will be in action!

* And the big one, the biggest Battle Royal in wrestling history, 60 men, 3 rings, and the WCW World Title hanging in the balance!

TERRY runs down some of the names that will take part in the Battle Royal . . .

* WCW TV Champ Chris Benoit
* Sid Vicious and Brian Lee from the USWA
* Arn Anderson
* the Dungeon of Doom (Hugh Morrus, Kevin Sullivan, the Faces of Fear and Mortis)
* Bunkhouse Buck
* Bobby Eaton
* Paul Orndorff
* the Steiner Brothers, Rick and Scott
* 3 former World Champions: Sting, Ric Flair and Lex Luger
* WCW US Champ Scott Norton
* Demolition, Crush and Smash
* Diamond Dallas Page
* Brutus Beefcake
* Tatanka
* Ice Train
* Kid Flash
* newcomers Hiroshi Hase, Hayabusa and Curry Man
* Tugboat

And many more to still be announced!





- “THE TOTAL PACKAGE” LEX LUGER beats JIMMY CICERO via submission at 2:44 with the Torture Rack.


- SCHIAVONE and TAYLOR talk about the International Tag Team Title tournament, which starts tonight with the first two Quarter Final matches.


- WCW INTERNATIONAL TAG TITLE TOURNAMENT - QUARTER FINALS:
DEMOLITION defeats MITSUHARU MISAWA & KENTA KOBASHI via pinfall at 7:44 when Crush pinned Misawa after Demolition delivered the Demolition Decapitation.


- WCW INTERNATIONAL TAG TITLE TOURNAMENT - QUARTER FINALS:
HIROSHI HASE & KURASAWA defeat THE BATTEN TWINS (Bart & Brad) via pinfall at 6:00 when Hase pinned Bart Batten following a Uranage.


- TONY and TERRY wrap things up, and hype next week's show, which will feature the other two Quarter Final matches from the International Tag Team Title tournament.


CLOSING CREDITS