83 Weeks - Monday Nitro 3/8/99 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

March 8th 1999 Nitro

The March 8th 1999 Nitro took place at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA drew 10,856 (1,800 short of a sellout) which was 9,708 paying $285,733 

The commentators were Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, Bobby Heenan, and Larry Zbyszko 

This is the go home Nitro before the Uncensored pay per view, where we saw Ric Flair beat Hulk Hogan in a cage to win the World Title 

Randy Savage appeared on the The Bob & Madison Showgram radio show in Raleigh, N.C. last week. He said his blond girlfriend who will accompany him on TV is named Gorgeous George. He said he doesn’t hang out with Hogan and won’t be part of the NWO 

Keller reported - On his website Nash asked fans to send him ideas on how to bring Sting back to WCW television. Sting wants to return with the white facepaint and drop from the ceiling because that is when he was most over, but the bookers don’t want to rerun the same angle. Sting worked house shows over the weekend against Bret Hart Nash is said to be extremely frustrated with how poorly things are going in general with his booking.

Keller reported - Sting has sold his interest in his gym partnerships with Lex Luger. While they still get along around each other, it’s clear from what they say behind each other’s backs that there is tension in the long-running friendship. Some of that tension stems from a phone call Sting’s wife made filling in Luger’s wife on some of the “on the road” confessions Sting made to his wife as part of his becoming a Born Again Christian. There is heat on Sting among several of the wrestlers for selling them out to his wife.

Keller reported - Kevin Nash and Eric Bischoff came up with the idea for Goldberg to challenge Steve Austin to a fight on the Tonight Show. The idea has been completely abandoned after it didn’t come across well initially. Austin laughed it off, telling people that it confirmed to anyone who didn’t already know that he is a bigger star than Goldberg. 

Whose idea was that and what's the story behind it?

Meltzer reported - There was a lot of heat between Hart and Bischoff over an autograph session scheduled for Campbell, CA (as if that city sounds familiar although that it was practically down the street from me is simply a coincidence) on 2/20. Basically, most of the top WCW guys do autograph sessions and get paid very good for it (one top guy who does them every weekend grosses up to $40,000 per month on them) but technically they aren't supposed to. 

For whatever reason, the company decided to flex its muscles and ordered Hart, Benoit, Kidman and Jericho not to appear and threatened the store with a lawsuit. The other three sort of chalked it up to another bad experience, but Hart was more upset because of the knowledge that everybody does it and he felt his contract allowed him to do it but Diane Meyers of WCW legal felt it didn't. 

Speaking of Hart's contract, since that has become pretty relevant, his three-year deal was actually a two-year deal with option years. WCW can actually cut him in nine months, but if WCW wants to keep him, he can't go to WWF (and WCW has gotten so bad that isn't as far fetched as it sounded even two months ago) for a long time. Nash's feeling that paying Hart $2.5 million for the year 2000 would be dumb business, and he's clearly doing his best to make sure it is even dumber 

Sunday newspaper supplement magazine React aimed at teens did a pro wrestling story concentrating on Goldberg calling him pro wrestling's biggest star with a cover drawing which was the basic puff piece. Remember this quote. Goldberg when asked about the WWF said he considered it Shock TV and would retire tomorrow rather than be a part of it 

And here we are, 21 years later and Goldberg is about to challenge for the WWE Universal title

That takes us to Nitro.

A video aired of workers constructing the special cage for Ric Flair vs.  Hogan Flair’s conversation with Arn Anderson in the locker room from Thunder aired

Highlights aired from a recent Nitro Party. Ricky Rachman hosted a live Nitro Party.  A feature aired on Nitro Girl A.C. Jazz. Lame

Hogan’s sit-down interview from Thunder re-aired

At the Nitro Party, Rachman introduced Konnan and his new music video… The Konnan video aired

 A video aired of Hogan and Kevin Nash watching and mocking Flair’s post-SuperBrawl promo. Nash noted that Flair said he met his wife 20 years ago. He then noted that David will turn 20 soon. Nash said he felt like he was on the show “Love Lines.” It seemed more like the cartoon “Beavis & Butthead.” 

When Flair said that Torrie Wilson knew who the Nature Boy was (during his promo), Nash said Buddy Landell and Hogan chimed in with Buddy Rose. Hogan and Nash agreed they would have to re-group and rethink their plan with David since Flair hadn’t reacted the way they expected. They agreed to meet with Wilson and discuss the situation

A shot aired of two policemen pulling over Scott Steiner & Buff Bagwell in the humvee. The policemen handed them their ticket book and told Scott & Buff if they’d write out some tickets they would let them off the hook. 

Steiner decided to be Starsky and Buff said he’d be Hutch. They passed out tickets to different plants at a mall. 

At the Nitro Party Rachman introduced Billy Kidman as Konnan danced with the party-goers. A video aired on the Kevin Nash-Rey Misterio Jr. feud

A black and white video aired of Hogan and Nash confronting Torrie Wilson at a shooting range. Nash told her that the plan with David isn’t working and Hogan said they needed a new plan. They agreed to meet at their “usual meeting place.”… After break, a shot aired of Hogan, Nash, and Wilson eating dinner at an unidentified location. Nash took his fork and went after a piece of meat on Wilson’s plate. Wilson stopped him and Nash said, “Hey, get your hands off of my meat.” 

Hogan said Ric Flair is a bad man for abandoning his family. A woman named Denise came to the table and sat down next to Hogan. She said her last name is Robinson and Hogan and Nash made the comparison between her name and the character with the same name in the movie “The Graduate.” Hogan ogled over her and said her last name would change to his. They said her job was to seduce David and her reward would be $20,000

The opening montage aired

As fireworks shot off and the first view of the live arena aired, Gene Okerlund introduced the program from mid-ring. He said Goldberg would be coming out. Instead, David Flair came out with Torrie Wilson (simply called “young lady” by Gene Okerlund). David said he wasn’t going to leave the ring until his father came out there. 

He said his dad was going on and on about “facing him like a man,” and now he was ready to do it. After a few awkward exchanges between Okerlund and David and the woman, Goldberg’s music began to play. Then they abruptly cut to a commercial

After the break, Goldberg made his way to the ring. Tony Schiavone said his first words of the night, saying that Goldberg wouldn’t appreciate the hijacking of his interview segment. Goldberg told David has a lot to learn about respect, including respecting his father. He then said it was disrespectful interrupting his time. David poked his finger in Goldberg’s chest. Goldberg shoved David into the corner.

Backstage Flair got out of a limo and saw what was going on. Flair ran to the ring, yanked Goldberg off of David, then chopped Goldberg in the chest. Goldberg no-sold the chop and press slammed Flair. Mike Tenay said his first words: “Goldberg just slammed the president of WCW.” Flair grabbed the mic and asked Goldberg, “Who do you think you are?” Goldberg said, “You know who I am.”

After Flair bragged about being the most powerful man in wrestling, Goldberg said not only has Flair lost his family, but he’s lost his mind. Flair screamed he was about to become world champion for the 14th time. Goldberg said, “As of tonight you’ve stepped over that line.” Flair offered to face Goldberg later on Nitro. Goldberg going nose to nose with Flair said if that’s the last mistake he wants to make, the match is on. 

Raven (w/Chastity) fought Hack to a no contest at 3:16. When Raven entered the ring, he immediately hugged Hack. Within a second, though, they began exchanging blows. Tenay said that he “was guessing” the hug signified they weren’t strangers to each other. Raven used the cane against Hack, but by 1:00 Hack came back with a legdrop on Raven who was draped over the security railing. They brawled up the rampway to the entrance ramp.

Raven set Hack on a table, then climbed the set and dropped an elbow onto Sandman from ten feet high. Bam Bam Bigelow came out and attacked Raven and Hack so the ref called for the bell. They brawled in the back among trash bins and all over a nice white limo for nearly eight more minutes. In the middle of the brawl they cut to highlights of the Bigelow-Raven brawl from last week’s show

Chris Jericho pinned Lizmark Jr. at 4:28. Jericho said he would show his skill at dog collar chain matches by beating Lizmark as a way to show Saturn what he was in for at the PPV. During the match Tenay stressed that Flair had put his career on the line for his match at the PPV, a stipulation that the announcers might have been selling short throughout the show. Schiavone, in hyping the Jericho vs. Lizmark dog collar match, reminisced about Starrcade ’83 with Roddy Piper and his match with Greg Valentine

Highlights aired of the Flair vs. Goldberg angle earlier

Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell came to the ring. Scott told the pretenders at the gym to save their $30 membership, buy a case of beer, and watch him on TV because nobody could duplicate his arms. He declared himself a genetic freak. He talked about all the hoochies coming around him “because there’s nothing finer than Scott Steiner.” He said before the night is over he guaranteed someone would call him the “big bad bootie baby.” Buff recommended that Booker back out of the match

Scott Steiner (w/Buff Bagwell) beat Booker T with the Steiner Recliner at 14:04. Fans chanted “steroids” throughout much of the match. Booker made a comeback late in the match, but Buff knocked him off the top rope. Scott immediately applied the Recliner. Booker’s arm dropped twice, but he lifted it the third time. Scott throught he won and dropped Booker. The ref saw that Booker was knocked out cold and called for the bell anyway. After the match Buff hit Booker with a chair

They showed a clip of the Flair-Goldberg face-off earlier in the show

The Nitro Girls danced. Gene Okerlund interviewed Jerry Flynn backstage. Just as Flynn began to talk, Sonny Onoo came up to him and offered him money. When Flynn grabbed Onoo, Ernest Miller blindsided him with a kick

Rey Misterio Jr. pinned Scott Norton at 7:20. Norton manhandled Rey Jr. with a whip to the corner and a chop to the chest. At 6:14 Norton began to powerbomb Rey Jr. Rey Jr. punched his way out of it, but Norton threw Rey backwards into the corner turnbuckle. Norton slammed Rey Jr. and covered him, but lifted him before a three count. A minute later he lifted Rey again. Rey Jr. caught him with a low kick and got a fast three count on Norton. 

The Nitro Girls danced, then footage aired of the cage being built while Flair did a voiceover promoting the match

After a commercial, the Nitro Girls danced for a minute, then they cut to another cage building segment and another commercial

Bret Hart beat Hammer with the Sharpshooter at 10:44. At 4:00 Bret got frustrated and nailed Hammer with a low-blow. Hammer gave Bret his Cobra Slam at 10:10, but Bret kicked out and then applied the Sharpshooter. Bret hit Hammer’s leg with a chair after the match

Hogan and Nash came out and booted Tenay and Heenan out of their chairs. Hogan said Flair is a “dirty, rotten, evil” individual

After another cage building clip, Nash asked if that was Jesse the Body building the cage

Goldberg fought Ric Flair to a no contest at 8:40 when NWO members interfered. Goldberg dominated for 2:45 until Flair poked his eyes and kicked him low. Flair applied the figure-four and used the ropes for leverage. Goldberg reversed it. A mins later, Goldberg went for the Spear, but Flair sidestepped him. Goldberg no-sold a Flair suplex and then actually hit the Spear. 

Disco, Stevie Ray, and Horace jumped Goldberg. Nash, Hogan, Scott Steiner, and Buff joined in the attack. Then Flair got up and fought the NWO

Show ended

This Nitro got a 4.4 and Raw got a 6.4