The Monday Nitro Workrate Report
A weekly look at what did and didn't work on Monday Nitro by Dean Rasmussen
Monday, September 29th, 1997
What Worked
- DDP vs BUFF BAGWELL was really good. These are the best two actual
heavyweights in WCW and the third and forth in the division since they are
faking it for Benoit and Malenko. BUFF takes big ass bumps and so does DDP.
It's so weird seeing WCW Heavyweights and being able to say, "HEY! That was
pretty good! If one of these guys had the World Belt and wrestled Scott
Hall, Benoit, Booker T, Malenko, Shinya Hashimoto, Mongo, Kojima, nWo
Sting, Syxx, And ESPECIALLY Regal for the title, WCW would have a better
Heavyweight division than the WWF." Usually WCW offers up a Jarrett or Meng
match to wash the sweet taste away. This was choice and it would be better
if they pushed Buff as hard as they push DDP, since they are both equally
really good workers.
-Rey Misterio Jr vs El Eddy Guerrerro was really good! The announcers were
acting so incredibly clueless, you woulda thought Eddy was wearing a Sting
mask (tee-hee!). Eddy hits the totally hellish powerbomb and it's REALLY
gonna suck if this gonna be the ONLY reason I get Halloween Havoc, but it
will be so good that I will get it just to see this match. Rey hits the
double springboard Hurricanrana. Eddy is just so fucking AWESOME. Wrestler
of the decade! I can't remember when I've seen a better Cruiserweight
Champion, and I can't remember the last time I saw Eddy win. These matches
are so cool that I don't care who wins, I just wanna see the rematch. And I
wanna see Eddy vs every Cruiserweight on Earth. NOW.
-Bill Goldberg continues to make me interested by doing that bizarro
Super-Pancrase full-frontal takedown. They should have him feud with nWo
Sting when he finally gets back from learning how to wrestle in New Japan,
since it would be two PowerPlant guys that are actually pretty cool in the
ring who also seem to be able to work pretty stiff. Goldberg is green, but
HEY! he's no Kendall Windham! DOH!
-Juventud Guerrera vs Disco Inferno was pretty cool, just because Juventud
beat the shit out of him and it was screwy as opposed to Juventud putting
the VASTLY inferior Disco Inferno over. Juventud hit fabulous spots and
sold DI's stunted and one-dimensional offense like Disco was actually good.
DI acquitted himself well by taking a man-sized beating and not fucking up
any of the moves Juventud was trying. It would have been 1000 times better
if Juventud would have won, because he's an actual wrestler, but HELL! he's
21. There's no rush.
What Didn't Work
-Good God, Jarrett SUCKS. I feel sorry for Phil Schneider who saw the
Jarrett/Mongo turdburger THREE times in four days (Fairfax, Baltimore,
Nitro). When I see Jarrett and Debra, I wish they would run that OJ angle
already. Think of the mainstream media attention! HEY! Jarrett! USWA is on
the brink! They need you! I don't get their Television!
-Giant vs Kurt Hennig was actually okay for a while. The Fisherman Suplex
on the Giant was pretty choice. Glad he no-sold it and decided to let the
Suck begin. Sting kicking everybody's ass was kinda neat, but HEY!
howzerbout a decent wrestling match in the last half hour of Nitro sometime.
YEESH!
-The continuation of the Jacquelyn/DI/Wright angle gets even crappier when
it portends Breastasaurus is protecting the TV title so she can win it for
herself. This angle is so shitty that I'm surprised it hasn't been tried by
Cornette yet.
-Does any one on earth give a shit about Larry Zbysko having a war of words
with Eric Bischoff? Whoever you are, you deserve Luger vs Hall with a
SPECIAL referee and Hogan vs Piper in a cage.
THERE YOU HAVE IT!
DEAN!
