WCW Nitro 9-4-95

I'll never forget the first episode of Nitro, but not just for wrestling reasons. My mother and I went on vacation with another family that turned into total chaos right before this, so I only saw the show in bits in pieces between the yelling and cops arriving. Eric starts the show off with Mongo, who joybuzzes Heenan. Liger-Pillman starts the show off, and man is it ever weird to see Liger come out in a mall. Pillman's out with his California Brian theme and red, black and silver gear - it's a good look for him. Mongo makes jokes about Liger's ginzu knives being illegal. AND THIS COMPANY HAD A RACISM LAWSUIT AGAINST IT!? Liger hits a koppou kick to start. Liger struggles to do a moonsault block off the top to Pillman. They whiff a flying rana off the top to Liger - Pillman's just in the worst spot possible for that move. LIGER'S GOT THE SURFBOARD! Pillman gets out and eats a dive to the floor from Liger. Pillman dives onto him from the floor to counter. He goes back up, but Liger crotches him. SUPER FISHERMAN BUSTER gets 2. Pillman counters a dive with a dropkick to the gut for 2 - no one was better than that than him. They've got some weird coloring with a camera - these red outfits are almost orange-ish with it. Brainbuster gets 2.9. Pillman hits a tornado DDT gets 2, while a cradle reversal gets 3. This would've been a truncated version of their classic at best, but it didn't have a patch on it. Liger and Pillman shook hands later.

Bischoff pitched to a video with Hogan and Pastamania, saying that Jordan's got his restaurant and now HOGAN HAS HIS! It's amazing how they were able to do Pastamania, a takeoff of Hulkamania, but not Hulkamania. The font is similar enough, but it just doesn't look quite right. Flair-Sting in the second match is just surreal. Mongo says IF YOU AIN'T WATCHING THIS, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE WATCHIN...and then Bischoff begs him to not say it. Mongo says that Heenan couldn't get guys over while Sting comes down as U.S. Champ - that remains my favorite design of the belt. LUGER SHOWS UP to start the match, leading to Bischoff asking what the hell he's doing here. Sting has the ability to lift Ric EIGHT OR NINE FEET ABOVE HIS HEAD. So he can turn into Mr. Fantastic too. LUGER IS HERE LUGER IS HERE. Press slam. LUGER IS HERE LUGER IS HERE. Nice outside-in press slam to Flair. Arn's out in a black, blue, and tan outfit. Mongo ponders where Luger is - he could be eating at Pastamania. Or getting stuff from whatever CVS was called in '95.  Big superplex off the top from Sting, leading to Eric saying the ring moved TWO FEET somehow. Flair tries to cheat to win, but Arn isn't having any of this shit and causes a DQ by entering the ring. Arn and Flair brawl! Scott Norton's out yelling at Mongo. Now Savage is talking shit to Norton. Eric tells Norton he can't face Savage now or he'll never wrestle in WCW, leading to an audible "bullshit!" from Norton. They have highlights of Sabu coming to WCW...by showing him beating guys on WCW TV. This video was ungodly distracting with all the effects.

Gene's checkered suit is something else. The blue and grey canvas looked nasty at the show's start, and looks worse now. Bischoff runs down Saturday Night's loaded card, which really should be on the Network too. Mr. Wallstreet buries the New Generation and says he's sure the IRS will be watching him really closely. Big Bubba-Hogan is up. Bischoff talks about how beloved Hogan is while a Hogan sucks chant breaks out. Brain puts Mongo over as an Emmy winner. Heenan put over Bubba as someone who knows martial arts AND HE WAS A FORMER PRISON GUARD too. Bubba eats the buckle and punches away. Heenan calls Shark a FLESH-EATING SAVAGE and rattles off the Dungeon of Doom's crew - which sounds ridiculous enough without actually seeing them. MENG HAS A GOLDEN SPIKE! Fans on the hard camera hold up HOGAN SUCKS and HOGAN IS A WIMP signs. Bubba turns his back on Hogan to attack Hart and it backfires with more punching. Hogan cheats using Jimmy's jacket to attack Bubba with MORE PUNCHES. Hogan drops a few elbows before doing a face rake with his boot. Bubba gets his slam for 2. Hulkin up time. Boot, leg, win. Dungeon runs out and Luger helps, but they go back to back and almost come to blows. A huge Luger chant breaks out. Gene's out talking to them. Luger says he's here because people say Hogan's the top guy, he wears the WCW World Title, which means HE'S THE ONLY WORLD CHAMPION, and he wants it. Luger says that he's beaten the same guys Hogan has AND HE'S TIRED OF PLAYING WITH KIDS, HE WANTS MEN. Luger says he wants the belt and Hogan says YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK, HE'LL PUT THE TITLE ON THE LINE...NEXT WEEK. This was such a blast to watch - and a breeze to get through.

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