83 Weeks - Nitro 07.08.96 Watchalong [Show Notes] (Patreon)

This week on 83 Weeks we’re doing a Watchalong of the Nitro the night after Bash at the Beach!

Let’s fire up the Peacock machine and open Nitro Season 2 and Episode 26. 3-2-1!

We are live for the first time from Disney Studios in Orlando, Florida! Man wrestling promotions love running shows in Florida huh?

This is a fresh look being outside Eric as we take a look at the recap of the formation of the nWo. How does the Disney deal come together and why was it done at this time frame?

You do not charge for tickets. What made the difference here between this and what Impact was doing at Universal Studios later on?

We open with Tony & Larry and obviously we are discussing the nWo’s big statement last night and Hulk Hogan’s heel turn. How does everyone take the angle after the show and going into this show? Excitement in the back?

We go to the ring and we’re opening with Dean Malenko defending his WCW Cruiserweight Title against Rey Misterio Jr. This is ranked as one of the best matches in the history of WCW Nitro and it’s hard to disagree. How quickly after seeing Rey did you know he needed a push?

Dean really kicks the shit out of Rey including a brainbuster on the floor. How good were these two together?

Rey gets the win and the title at 11:45. Meltzer gave this **** ¼ and it’s hard to disagree.

To the back where the Steiners & Nasty Boys are in a battle with Gene in the back regarding their upcoming match for the #1 Contendership for the WCW World Tag Team Titles.

Blood Runs Cold still huh?

As we see the ad for the encore presentation of Bash at the Beach...how much business at this time were you getting on replays?

The Blue Bloods with Jeeves are taking on Big Bubba & Hugh Morrus. Heels vs. heels is always tough but it seems to happen a lot in this era. Is it a lack of babyface depth?

Regal & Taylor win in 3:08 which Meltzer gave ½*.

This Sting WCW Magazine ad is one of my favorites by the way.

Eddie Guerrero is taking on Psicosis in Psicosis’ Nitro debut. These two click immediately as you can think they would. It’s interesting that during this match Eric Rey cuts a promo talking about Hulk Hogan turning on WCW. Two things - 1) I like the idea of the focus of the whole promotion being on the Hogan turn as it makes it special. 2) Where the hell is Hulk for this Nitro?

Psicosis loses to Eddie in 8:33 so he loses two nights in a row. It’s hard to give someone a push right off the bat but these are big audiences to debut a guy and not have him slotted low on the card when he loses both matches though correct?

Meltzer gave this match *** ¾ and you can tell Eddie was going out of his way to make sure Psicosis looked great in this.

Gene is in the aisle with Jimmy Hart, Giant & Kevin Sullivan discussing the Hulk turn. The focus on this is well deserved. What did you think of this?

Steiners vs. Nasty Boys are up and the Nasties are already dying of sweat as they walk down the aisle. Is the weather tough to deal with in Florida at this time?

Sister Sherri and Col. Parker attempt a distraction to get the Nastys to win but fail and the Steiners get the win and the shot at Harlem Heat at Hog Wild. These two teams beat the shit out of each other but you can also see the crowd start to die between not all of them being wrestling fans and the heat. Is this the risk you take when you have shows outdoors?

Meltzer would give the match *¼ and then the Nastys kind of tease themselves going with Hogan & the nWo since they do whatever they want. Was this a directive from you or Hulk regarding them because they teased it a lot but it never happened.

Eric you & Bobby join in and you talk about your meeting that kept you off the pay-per-view.

We join the action back in the ring with Jim Powers getting ready for Ric Flair and the United States Title. Big time match for Powers! Flair gets the win with Woman’s help for no reason other than probably Ric enjoyed doing that finish right?

Meltzer called it * ¾ and then the Horsemen join us to talk about Hulk and the nWo. The goal had to be at this point for the Horsemen and nWo to come together sooner than rather than later am I right Eric?

Chris Benoit and Craig Pittman are up next and Teddy Long throws in the towel to save Pittman from the not yet named Crippler Crossface for the win in 2:43. This was supposed to be Benoit vs. Luger but Luger is out after what happened at Bash at the Beach. Man that’s the most devastating Stinger Splash ever.

Meltzer gives it *. Do you know when or who came up with the name the Crippler Crossface?

Sting vs. Arn Anderson is our main event and the nWo has yet to arrive but that changes mid-match as a limo is shown arriving and Nash & Hall both step out. They go to approach the ring but security stops them. This stuff is just great Eric.

Through all the melee and action Sting puts Arn in the Scorpion Deathlock for the win at 12:18.

Meltzer gave it * ½. Meltzer had this to say about all the chaos and interviews and promos: “Sting did one of the best interviews of his career regarding the Hogan turn, but Savage followed with inane gibberish. Hall & Nash did an absolutely horrible interview afterwards where they nearly killed the entire angle by playing babyface and Hall even called Gene Okerlund by his first name. For such a hot feud with guys who were mouthing off to police and nearly shot the two previous weeks, everyone was so chummy it killed tons of heat. The first hour of Nitro was good, but the crowd energy really died in the second hour. Since the crowd is outdoors and it can get humid and much of the crowd isn't wrestling fans, their attention span is limited and it showed during the second hour.”

Do you think these are all fair assessments of the closing angle?

Bobby & you talk about the turn as we close the show and it’s like Bobby’s been predicting Hulk has been a bad man for 15 years.

What did you think of the show Eric?

The ratings coming off the Hogan turn were Nitro a 3.4 vs. Raw a 2.6 so you actually lost a .0 to Raw from the last week. Throughout the show it’s promoted that Hulk will be appearing next week but that show actually drops to a 2.6 vs. Raw’s 2.2. So this isn’t the angle that draws in the masses right off the bat. It takes some time to build but once it goes it goes.