March 20, 2000
Hosted by Tony Schiavone and Mark Madden
Live from Gainesville, FL
Schiavone: Ladies and Gentlemen; welcome to a truly special edition of Monday Night Nitro. This is Tony Schiavone with Mark Madden here at the commentary table. Well, we’ve got a few minutes for the first match of the nights begins, and I want to talk about the upcoming Spring Stampede, which is going to be next week. Now, last month’s Uncensored was definitely a highlight in the WCW’s history and I’ve got a lot of hope for Slamboree to do the same. The Wall versus Bam Bam Bigelow was quite the matchup, and the twenty-foot high choke-slam nearly gave me a heart attack!
Madden: Yes, that was a decent match to fill up some time, but what I’m more interested in is the fact that World Championship Wrestling has a new owner! AOL Time Warner apparently sold the entire promotion to an anonymous buyer who will arrive tonight to introduce himself to the locker room and the rest of the employees.
Schiavone: Yeah, that’s all very exciting, but until the guy arrives, we’ve got nothing on him and Uncensored deserves some glossing over.
Madden: You got it, Tony. Well, the match-up between Three-Count and Brian Knobbs in a Hardcore Gauntlet Match kept me awake. Knobb has some serious skill as both a street fighter and a technical wrestler, which made him the new Hardcore Champion, and makes him a good representative as a WCW Hardcore Champion. And thank the Almighty for that, because the Freebird Rule just doesn’t work for the damn Hardcore title. Knobb’s gotta watch out for Terry Funk, though, that man is the epitome of hardcore in this business, and he’s hungry for a title-shot from what I hear.
Schiavone: I don’t know about Funk versus Knobb, as mind-blowing as it could be. The new owner might not be so eager for the Hardcore Championship to continue, seeing as how the WCW tends to focus on good old technical wrestling instead of the street-fights that the ECW puts out. Those matches tend to end up as- Looks like we’re starting for the night, as David Penzer enters the ring to announce the first match.
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David Penzer: Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like –
Suddenly, the WCW theme song breaks out, interrupting the announcer.
Madden/Schiavone: What?!?
Even as the commentators question the reason for the theme song to start, a young man enters the ring by leaping over the barricade and entering under the middle rope. Despite the attempts of security to hold him back, he flashes something before their eyes that allows him to continue forward. For a few more seconds the theme song continues while one of the confused arena staff steps up to provide the stranger with a microphone, all the while while Madden and Schiavone ask each other questions on who the mysterious person could be.
New Owner: I apologize for the interruption, Mr. Penzer, but I thought I’d get this out of the way while I could. (turns his attention to the crowd) Ladies and Gentlemen, I am Alexander Samuel Black, a citizen of the fine state of Rhode Island and the new WCW President! (small amounts of confused applause break out) If you would allow me but a few moments to address you and say a few words before the night really get started...
The crowd voices no obvious objections to it, and Alexander Samuel Black begins to speak, a smile on his face lifting the mood.
Alexander Black: “Like I said, my name is Alexander Samuel Black and I’m the new owner and President of World Championship Wrestling. I hail from the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and I grew up with professional wrestling as a staple of family time, thanks to my father being a major NWA/WCW fan. I didn’t spend a week without watching Ric Flair, the Von Erics, or any other major icon of the time, or having heard something about how a feud went.
So like many of you growing up, I was entranced with all the big names and heroes. And I still watch professional wrestling, though it’s not the same as it once was. I’ll follow up on WWF’s Steve Austin as he feuds with Vince McMahon or as the Undertaker beats up any and all comers at Wrestlemania. I’ll watch Tommy Dreamer and Raven mercilessly beat each other on ECW. I’ll even watch the latest rehash of the damn New World Order on WCW, though I tend to grow sick at the sight of it.
This business, this profession, this branch of sports is perhaps one of the most difficult to manage. There are the egos to assuage, there are the new stars to comprise with, there are the fans to entertain, and there is the product to produce. The WWE has been handing the WCW our collective asses for the last few months based on a few simple facts: Our inability to get over a single storyline and stop reusing it whenever we ran out of creativity, when we copy a promotion that does not even follow our style of wrestling.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m not promising to be the perfect president. I’m not saying I won’t make mistakes. But what I can promise you is that I won’t stoop to the level and idiocy previous management has managed to reach through their combined regimes. I will not let the older stars keep getting title shots for no reason but the mistaken belief they draw seats, I will not let every Championship we have be cheapened and lessened because its holders refuse to maintain their offices and the division it is in. And I will most certainly not let the parasites that have tainted this promotion to remain here any longer, while they do nothing but stay at home and collect their checks!
We will rebuild, we will restructure, and we will develop. But we will not go quietly into the night, we will not lie down and die, and we will most certainly not give up without a fight! As long as I hold the reins of power, you can be assured that the WCW will return to the centre of glory it once held!”
Major cheers accompany the end of the speech, with Black standing tall and smiling at the WCW loyalists. Raising his microphone one more time as the cheers died down, he turned to Penzer with a grin.
Alexander Black: Mr. Penzer, you have the floor. If anyone needs me, I’ll be seated with Mr. Heenan and Mr. Schiavone for the remainder of the night, watching the matches.
Black then slinks away from the ring, grabbing a metal stool and sitting himself right next to the two commentators.
Black: Gentlemen, good evening.
Madden: Boss.
Schiavone: So ... do we call you Mr. President, or...
Black: Mr. Black is fine; Mr. Schiavone. Same goes for you too, Mr. Madden.
Schiavone: Mr. Black, I must ask what are your plan for our prestigious promotion? I’m assuming you’ve got a mind as to how to deal with the issue of the whole Sid Vicious versus Jeff Jarrett conflict. The Harris Brothers and Scott Steiner did interfere in that match, and if Hogan hadn’t jumped in, Sid would have gotten the beating of a lifetime.
Black: Rest assured, Mr. Schiavone, Jarrett and his cronies will get their comeuppance.
The first match of the night begins. A match between Chris Candido and Lash LeRoux is set to go underway, with Candido speaking directly to the crowd about his hardships in life before LeRoux starts the match with a dropkick.
Candido and LeRoux continually trade blows, with Candido dominating most of the match up before LeRoux wows the crowd with the Bourbon Street Blues (Jabs followed by splits followed by a spinning clothesline) that is stopped by Candido, who pulls off a superplex from the top rope and finishing off the Ragin Cajun with a diving headbutt to achieve victory in his debut match on Monday Nitro. The celebrations are quickly interrupted by Jeff Jarrett and his cronies, The Harris Brothers and Scott Steiner as the four men run in from the crowd. Pounding the two men brutally as Black makes his way to the ring once more; they allow the two beaten wrestlers leave while the WCW president enters the ring.
Black: *sigh* Gentlemen. What can I do for you all? Something urgent, that could have waited in a more private location? Our fans pay to see wrestling, not gang warfare.
Jarrett: I demand a rematch with Sid Vicious at Slamboree. If Hogan hadn’t interfered, I’d be wearing the belt right now.
Black: And if the Harris Brothers hadn’t intervened, Hogan wouldn’t have had to, and Sid would still be wearing the belt.
Steiner: Hogan’s a washed out old man who keeps trying to regain what moments of glory he can. It took a single hit from a guitar to take him out at Uncensored.
Black: Then you wouldn’t mind facing him tonight’s main event for a real match?
Steiner: I’d be happy to bash his face in. (mediocre cheers occur)
Jarrett: Well that’s all fine and good for Scott, what about me?
Black: Well, let’s see ... You disqualified yourself by bringing in not one, not two, but 3 thugs to back you up against Vicious, who was handily winning the match at that point. You then proceed to attack another 2 wrestlers who have done nothing but promote this business and compound it by demanding I reward you for it.
Jarrett: You’re giving me the title shot.
Black (amused): Or what?
Jarrett (threateningly): Or you get a taste of what we did to Sid at Uncensored.
Black: That, or you could take a beating from the battalion of armed guards I hired especially for tonight.
The 4 men turn around wildly, finally noticing the arrival of dozens of heavily armed security guards flooding the ring arena. Turning again to confront Black, they find him slipping out of the ring and towards the entrance.
Black: My respect, my health, my standing as WCW president, you didn’t think I’d be so foolish to risk it all on a fistfight with you? I’m a businessman, not a wrestler!
The four men growl in anger as each takes a ring side to defend once the guards begin to move.
Black: Steiner, you get to stay in the building because you got a match to prepare for tonight. Harris and Harris, you’ve got the night off, but consider yourselves booked to defend the title at Spring Stampede in a rematch against the Mamelukes. As for you; Jarrett...
Jarrett turns to Black with apprehension in his eyes.
Black: I’ll leave it up to Vicious to decide if he wants to give you a rematch.
Jarrett starts screaming in rage, and without a moment’s haste, he leaps over the top rope to attack Black before being blocked by some of the security guards. Gerald and Patrick Harris rush to aid him, while Scott Steiner leaves to the locker room in all the chaos.
Madden: Well, we’ve got a match made for Spring Stampede next week, and it’s no less than a championship rematch between the Harris brothers-
Schiavone: who have been dragged out of the building by Black’s armed guards-
Madden: and the former champions the Mamelukes. But tonight, we’ve got Scott Steiner versus Hollywood Hogan!
Schiavone: New Blood versus Old School, time to see who comes out on top, later tonight!
Advertising break...
Second Match: a match between Hugh Morrus and “Screamin” Norman Smiley is set to start, the latter being escorted by The Demon. Smiley comes out to the ring in a Florida Gators jersey, much to the delight of the Gainesville crowd, who cheer him on. Morrus sees nothing funny about it, or anything else, as he pounded on the former hardcore champion, all the while as The Demon frantically paces the ropes. Morrus connects with No Laughing Matter (moonsault) for the win, and the crowd boos Morrus. As Morrus readies Smiley for a second No Laughing Matter, The Demon enters the ring and lays Morrus out with an enziguri and feeding him a DDT. The Demon helps Norman up and the two retire to the locker room as the crowd cheers on.
Third Match: The Hardcore Soldiers Brian Knobbs (Hardcore Champion) and The Dog enter the arena with their manager Fit Finlay for what is a rematch between Knobbs and Three-Count for the Hardcore Championship. The Dog and Fit Finlay are there for additional protection from the 3 men, in case they try anything. Referee Charles Robinson comes in and announces that the by executive decision, the Freebird Rule no longer applies to Three-Count, forcing them to pick among themselves. After a period of arguing, the three men agree to have Helms enter the ring, while they prowl around the ring.
The match goes back and forth as attempted leg drops and suplexes get superbly countered by the other, stretching the match onwards into the night. After a good 20 minutes worth of effort, the other two members of 3-count attempt to distract the referee; failing thanks to Knobbs allies, Fit Finlay and The Dog, who throw them out of the ring and continue to do battle up into the entrance as Knobbs reverses a final suplex from Helms and hits him with a neckbreaker to pick up the pin and retain his championship.
Promo: An break between the matches is done for a interviewing of Sting and Vampiro, who are currently feuding with Team Package. The Stinger says that he beat the crap of out of Luger yesterday at Uncensored, and that Vampiro would finish the job for him on that front, while he dealt with the Nature Boy.
Vampiro in turn rips of his cast, telling the The Total Package that he’s going to get revenge tonight.
Fourth match: The Mamalukes (who come out with smiles on their faces about the renewed titles shots) face off against the Harlem Heat 2000, who were the other tagteam to lose at Uncensored. The two tag-teams make constant tags and show off a variety of wrestling maneuvers that sets the crowd cheering whenever a suplex or DDT makes an impact. Finally, the Mamalukes pick up the victory and move to address the crowd.
Big Vito: now, we’re a bit tired and would love to take a 5 minute breather before having this conversation, but I’d like to thank Mr. Black for doing the right thing and giving us our rematch at Spring Stampede.
Johnny the Bull: The Harris Brothers got the titles off us by sheer luck, and it ain’t happening again at Stampede. Gerry, Pat, you two wait and see what the Mamalukes got ready for you!
Schiavone: Well, we’ve heard from the challengers for the Tag Team titles, and up next is our final match of the evening, Hollywood Hogan versus Scott Steiner!
Maddne: Can’t wait to see those two fight it out.
Fifth match: The Total Package (escorted by Elizabeth) facing off against Vampiro.
Package gets on the mic, telling Vampiro he’s going against someone too fast, too big and too experienced to make a difference. The arena goes black as Vampiro appears in the ring behind package, seizning the advantage from the get go. Luger retakes control with heavy kicks to the midsection, sending Vamp to the floor where he gets slammed into the steel steps by the veteran Package. After a powerful power-slam in the ring, Luger signals for the Torture Rack, unfortunately avoided by Vampiro who fights his way out of it and has him on the ropes. The Nature Boy runs in and distracts the referee, allowing Elizabeth to throw in a baseball bat that is used on Vampiro, giving him the victory by disqualification. As Package and Flair continue their attack, Sting enters the ring to make the save for the gothic one, knocking out Luger and starting his match with Ric Flair. Vampiro remains at ringside, nursing his injuries.
Sixth Match: Sting versus Ric Flair.
Sting doesn’t hesitate to pull out every move against Ric Flair to avenge the cowardly ganging up on Vampiro, sending him to the canvas at every opportunity. The fourteen time world champion is frustrated as he gives out everything he has to the Stinger who shrugs it off and counters The Nature Boy. The two re-enter the ring where Flair uses a distracted referee (putting away the baseball bat from earlier) to deliver a blow below the belt that is followed up by a series of chops across the chest.
The Stinger’s not going down though, and the crowd goes wild. Luger tries to pull a repeat of what Ric did for him minute ago, but Sting just takes them both on, dealing hell in a game of “Sting Pong”, throwing both men into the corners. Vampiro re-enters the ring to help out Sting as the tide begins to turn, sending Flair and Luger running out of the ring.
Vampiro and Sting hold their ground as the crowd cheers and Sting raises Vampiro’s arm in victory.
Promo: Sid Vicious steps out into the ring to generally positive applause to make his decision for Spring Stampede known.
Vicious: Yesterday at Uncensored, I did what I promised to do all along, which was to defeat Jeff Jarrett in the title match, despite the cowardly tactics he used. Now, the new management has made it clear that the tactics of Jeff Jarrett and the NWO will not be tolerated. That their ambushes and cowardly tactics do not to represent World Championship Wrestling. Now, Mr. Black has made it clear that the Harris Brothers will put their titles up on the line at Spring Stampede, and Steiner’s facing Hogan right after this. All’s that left is for Jeff Jarrett to pay the price.
While we all know that I would have still won it if Jarrett’s thugs hadn’t interfered, I want to silence any and all nay-sayers that might be out there. But at the same time, I need to be sure that his boys don’t try to interfere again. So at Spring Stampede, I will face Jeff Jarrett in a Steel Cage match!
A huge cheer from the fans emerges, and Sid waits for a few moments to bask in the spotlight before leaving to the locker room, allowing Hogan to emerge and await Big Poppa Pump.
Seventh match: Hollywood Hulk Hogan versus Scott Steiner.
Hollywood Hogan is the first one out, and awaits Scott Steiner, whose second arrival is received with boos and curses. Steiner and Hulkster keep throwing blows for much of the early match, being the staple of the entire match. Steiner goes for a couple of DDTs when Hogan is disoriented, but when Hogan “Hulks up” and starts cleaning house on Steiner, with Big Poppa Pump seemingly unable to effectively respond. Hogan keeps beating on Steiner, yelling that he shouldn’t have used the guitar. He choke-slams Steiner, a blow that leaves him on the ground and open for Hogan to use numerous strikes to the head and the ribs. The bell has been rung because Steiner’s in la-la land and while he’s technically the winner, he’s about to get a final guillotine leg drop courtesy of Hogan.
Or he was about to, as Rick Steiner enters from the crowd wielding a bat and beating the crap out of Hogan, sending him fleeing as Steiner stands triumphant next to his brother, the man who turned on him in ’98.
Raising his bat again while Scott comes too with the image of his brother above him seemingly ready to finish what Hogan started, Rick drops the bat and helps his brother up, hugging him with tears running down his cheeks as the two men reunite after 2 years of bitterness as Nitro fades to black.
its really good insight into the mistakes wcw made.