83 Weeks - Nitro 05.16.97 Watchalong [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Today we’re hopping back into our 25 year look back at Nitro with a Watch Along from May 19, 1997. This is an interesting show as it’s only an hour long because of the NBA Playoffs and it begins at 7pm. This is the 4th week in a row in the slot and not going against Raw…

Can you discuss the differences in putting together a one hour show compared to a two hour show?

The ratings between Nitro and Raw with the timeslot changes and shortened shows saw Raw become the highest rated cable wrestling show. On April 28th it was a 3.44 to a 2.7 for Raw, May 5th a 3.44 to a 2.58 and on May 12th you draw a 2.83 rating and Raw gets a 3.2. But doesn’t this really show how strong Nitro is that you’re earlier than usual and still drawing that type of number at 7pm eastern?

Does this really annoy you that with all the momentum you’ve been building, that you almost have to take a back seat to the WWF for a month here?

Was this in the negotiations before Nitro even started, that you would be bumped for a month for NBA playoffs every year and just something you had to deal with?

The episode we’re watching today is the Nitro AFTER Slamboree which we’ve covered in the archives so be sure to get all caught up on that show over at adfreeshows.com…

But before we begin we must talk about what happened at the Nitro one week before…

From the Observer: “The main topic of Eric Bischoff's speech to the wrestlers before Nitro on 5/12 was that Kevin Sullivan was taking a hiatus as booker of four to eight weeks due to burnout and all the pressure of the job and outside personal pressures as well. Bischoff emphasized Sullivan wasn't being replaced, although naturally that denial started all kinds of rumors that he was, and that he wanted him to come back fresh and was very adamant about how all the backstage dissension stories being public in the "sheets" are hurting the company (they should worry about the backstage dissension and bookers plans constantly being

ignored winding up in angles not making sense before worrying about people reporting on it to a microcosm of the audience, but this is the wrestling industry we're talking about).”

Is this when you begin to find out Benoit - Sullivan has really turned into a shoot?

Were you the one who approached Sullivan to take time off or was it something Sullivan came to you with?

Were you that concerned with “dirt sheets” back then?

Let’s go Eric…pull out your Peacock…season 3 episode 20.

Nitro drew 4,330 paying $69,324 for the show and we’re coming off Ric Flair’s return to the ring following 8 months off. Having Flair back for this Carolina swing seems important but the show doesn’t “sell out.” Was there an issue still drawing in the Carolinas at this time that you remember?

From the Observer:

“There appeared to be even more of a feeling this week that the booking change was something more than temporary although only a few know for sure. Terry Taylor appears to be doing much of the detail work along with J.J. Dillon, although most seem to think Kevin Nash is a very strong influence on much of what is going on and it's Nash who was Sullivan's biggest critic. Those close to Sullivan say that he fully expects to be back as booker when he returns.”

Was Nash - Sullivan’s biggest critic?

How important was Terry & JJ at this time to not just the creative process but to you?

We start with a quick clip from Slamboree last night, we see Flair, Piper and Kevin Greene celebrating after defeating Hall, Nash and Syxx in the main event.

“Show opened with Flair doing a good interview, Syxx challenged him, and they brawled to lead to a main event match.”

Flair: “I will kick your fly weight ass pal!”

Is there any concern considering these two really had some underlining heat from the last couple of weeks or was it all squashed at this point?

The last Nitro watch along we had we discussed Flair, Piper and the nWo getting personal. From the Observer: “At this point, even though it appears they are shooting, both sides pretty much know ahead of time what is going to be said in the interviews building up the six-man. It's one of those deals where it started off with guys out of control (and some would say they still are) but now they're trying to use it for business. The only concession is that Hall, Nash and Syxx are not supposed to call Flair & Piper "old."

Is that how you kept the peace?

“Steve Regal kept the TV title beating Prince Iaukea in 2:25 of a one-sided squash so the Prince protection plan is over with the booker change.”

-Regal won the title last night from Ultimo Dragon. Was Iaukea a Sullivan project? Is that why it was time to pull the plug?

Footage from Slamboree of Glacier being double teamed by Mortis and Wrath until an unknown man ran out and made the save, with Schiavone noting the man was Ernest Miller.

Was it important to bring Ernest in to work with guys like Chris Kanyon and Brian Clark?

Were you heavily involved in Ernest’s creative considering your connection to him?

“Masahiro Chono beat David Taylor with STF in 2:58. Afterwards Sonny Onno told Chono he had a big surprise nightmare for him next week on Nitro, who will likely turn out to be Great Muta. The probable scenario is that Muta will then turn on Onno and join the NWO after all.”

Talk about Meltzer knowing the future. Were you pushing to have Muta back in WCW or was it a New Japan call?

-Mike Tenay joined the commentary team during the last match and said a major star would make his debut June 30 during Nitro in Las Vegas.

This is going to be Curt Hennig but was anyone else under consideration?

From the Observer:

“Curt Hennig is now expected to start with WCW in June. There are all sorts of legal claims on Hennig that have to be sorted out. Even though Hennig's WWF contract expires right around now, the WWF is claiming they still have him under contract using the same logic Pancrase used for Ken Shamrock after the date on his contract expired. WWF claims WCW tampered with contracted personnel and since Hennig no-showed a PPV that the WWF booked him on, he was technically suspended and they believe him being suspended means his contract doesn't expire until he comes back from the suspension and fulfills the remainder of the term of the contract. Without seeing the contract, WWF would have an argument if Hennig had agreed to perform a minimum of dates within the contract and it's doubtful that was in the contract but who knows. WCW is planning on using him in a few weeks anyway no matter what WWF claims.”

How much legal wrangling is the Turner legal department having to deal with regarding Hennig?

Meltzer has some business numbers in the Observer talking about the first quarter of 1997.

'95

'96

'97

WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION

Attendance

3,227

5,838

5,718

Gate

$50,447

$84,558

$87,956

Sellout percentage

4.8

18.1

6.6

Cable ratings

2.07

2.00

1.43

PPV buy rate

1.15

1.02

0.67

Avg. PPV revenue

$3.84M

$3.06M

$1.89M

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

Attendance

2,020

3,467

4,955

Gate

$21,280

$39,250

$61,027

Sellout percentage

0.0

24.7

38.6

Cable ratings

2.27

2.33

2.20

PPV buy rate

0.96

0.65

0.70

Avg. PPV revenue

$2.63M

$1.96M

$2.06M

Being a television company is obvious in the surge in ratings but the sellout percentage is really high. Do you account that to being the better company and creative being hotter, smaller buildings, etc?

“-JJ Dillon announces Patrick is reinstated as a referee on a probationary basis.”

Can you imagine knowing what you know now how Bret Hart being screwed by the WWF would actually lead into this gimmick?

“To get him over as a face, Patrick caused Scotty Riggs to beat M. Wallstreet by twice stopping Wallstreet from using illegal tactics, and kicking his hands off the ropes causing him to be pinned in 2:46. Wallstreet's latest gimmick is that he hates WCW for not letting him be in the NWO. Please don't try and make sense out of this.”

Can you make any sense out of it Eric?

-Mean Gene interview with Mark Martin, with Flair, in which he announced he was giving away the Valvoline racecar parked beside the entrance

How important was the NASCAR connection with WCW?

“Steiners beat Jeff Jarrett & McMichael in 3:35 when Kevin Greene hit McMichael with the briefcase. McMichael and Greene then brawled in the dressing room. That was actually all pretty good.”

How come we never got the Mongo - Kevin Greene singles match we all wanted?

There’s talk in the Observer at this time about WCW in negotiations with Rob Van Dam from ECW. Do you remember being close to a deal with RVD?

Also speaking of other defections from ECW to WCW…it’s reported in the Observer that Raven had agreed to a deal with WCW. “The belief is that because of the money figures and because he was welcomed into the company by Diamond Dallas Page, Eric Bischoff and Kevin Nash, that he'll politically be protected and not used in the manner that a lot of the talented wrestlers are used--basically as television cannon fodder to get over the protected group. WCW wanted him to start on the July PPV show in Daytona Beach but his ECW contract prohibits him from appearing on a rival PPV until 10/13. Heyman is attempting to work out a deal with Bischoff where ECW would get some compensation from WCW for using The Extreme Team in Philadelphia, using Kimona's name in Philadelphia and to let Raven out of his contract ahead of time.”

Well Eric…let us have it!

In Japan in the run-up to this Nitro…Buff Bagwell & Scott Norton defeated Lex Luger & the Giant. Did you have any say in what New Japan did or their bookings?

You’re also on that same New Japan show managing Kevin Nash, Scott Hall & Masa Chono in their victory over the Steiners & the Great Muta. What was that experience like in the Osaka Dome?

“Flair vs. Syxx only lasted 57 seconds before Hall & Nash interfered for the DQ and they gave Flair both the Outsiders edge and the jackknife and left him laying.”

Are you just running out of time at this point?

“The show ended with an Eric Bischoff interview running down Sting, saying they know he wasn't coming out of the ceiling, and Sting came from under the ring and gave Bischoff the scorpion death drop. After the show went off the air, Sting stuffed Bischoff down the hole in the ring he came up through until Hall & Nash came out and pulled Bischoff out.”

The rumor and innuendo at the time was that there’s talk of doing Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan at the end of June in Los Angeles as the big money match because it was going to be running against the WWF in close proximity. Do you remember this being any type of plan? Or did you know at this point…we were going to Starrcade full steam ahead?

“It was a very anti-NWO crowd, perhaps the most vocal anti-NWO and pro-Flair crowd for a Nitro since the NWO started.”

That makes sense in the Carolinas right?

And then finally from the Observer…

“Ratings for 5/19 saw Nitro do a 3.10 rating and 6.08 share while Raw did a 3.60 (3.53 first hour, 3.68 second hour) rating and 5.36 share. Both numbers were great in that each show hit its highest rating of the last month. Nitro replay did a 1.6. The shows go back to head-to-head on 5/26 with TNT's Monday night NBA coverage finished as of this week. USA network on Sunday was actually running promos saying that TNT was pre-empting its wrestling on Monday but that USA would have two hours of live wrestling starting at 8 p.m.”

The wrestling audience is growing by leaps and bounds every week it seems like Eric. You have to take a majority of the credit right…not Vince?

Let’s get to the fan questions!

Michael McLanahan asks, “This show was reduced to one hour as a result of the NBA Playoffs. Where there any unintended consequences of the these events beyond having to move time slots? We’re there any challenges  booking and running  events during this time of the year?”

Matt Godfrey asks, “Eric how would you book sting in his wwe and aew run?”

Greg Armstrong asks, “From a TV aspect, how did the creative process change when you only had 1 hour? Not sure if you head-to-head with the first or last hour of Raw? But overall, how did you structure the show differently? Advantages? Disadvantages?”

Denovias Mack asks, “Eric, did you ever consider putting Jeff Jarrett in the NWO? If not, why?”

Yambag Jones asks, “what hurt more to take. The Scorpion Death Drop or the Scorpion Death Lock?”

Middle Kingdom Wrestling asks, “Hello Mr. Bischoff, how far in advanced do you learn from the network about any alterations that need to be made to regular scheduled WCW programming?  If there's a delay, or an episode is moved to a different slot for that week, do you learn this at the beginning of the year? Was there ever been a time where they told you with very little preparation and had to scramble?”

Rajiv asks, “this is the famous episode where Syxx slaps Ric and there ended up being legitimate heat for it. Eric, what did you think of the slap in the moment? Do you remember anything from Ric at the time indicating that he was pissed?”

Jim In Buffalo asks, “For this season anyway, this would be the last Nitro shortened because of the NBA playoffs. Since the show was so hot, was there ever any discussion about doing anything to add more programming such as trying to start earlier in the evening or airing on a special night or would that simply have taken away from the momentum Nitro had built.”

Zoel Lopez asks, “perhaps this is more of a “Strictly Business” question, but how was the advertising inventory handled in situations where Nitro was cut due to TNT Programming? Were there make goods without a normal hour 2 or 3?”

Next week we’ll be discussing Starrcade 1993! The introduction of the WCW Hall of Fame featuring Lou Thesz, Mr. Wrestling II, Verne Gagne and Eddie Graham along with a legends ceremony featuring the likes of Ole Anderson, The Assassin, The Crusher, Greg Gagne, Stu Hart, Magnum TA, Dusty Rhodes and more. We'll also see the reformation of the Four Horsemen with Paul Roma, Sid returns, Davey Boy Smith takes on Vader in the main event for the WCW Title, Arn Anderson gets a shot at the NWA Title and champion Barry Windham, The Hollywood Blonds take on Dos Hombres, and Sting takes on the Prisoner (Nailz)!

Friday May 20th, It’s 83 Weeks Live in Oshkosh, myself and Eric Bischoff will be in Oshkosh at the Time Community Theater for an exclusive Live 83 weeks show. Tickets are just $30 and are on sale right now at ACWWisconsin.com

Then the next night, Saturday May 21st ACW Water City Wrestling Con featuring Eric Bischoff, Malakai Black, Danhaussen, The Godfather, and MANY more! Get your tickets to that event as well at ACWWisconsin.com!