Welcome to Nitro on the first week of its new 7 o'clock special start time, thanks to the NBA on TNT! Tonight we'll have two title matches, Flair vs Giant and Sting & Luger vs Harlem Heat, plus a special parking lot brawl between the Belfast Bruiser and Lord Steven Regal, and more!
First match on our card tonight is the tag team title match between Sting & Luger, the champs, and Harlem Heat. As the match starts, its really striking how much better of a wrestler Booker T is than the other three men in the ring. He's got ability beyond anything Luger and Stevie Ray are capable of, and a presence that rivals Sting's. To be fair, though, Stevie Ray and Luger kinda suck. Booker hits a spin-a-roonie and a heel kick that knock Sting out. Instead of pinning, he poses instead, allowing Jimmy Hart to run down to ringside and throw in the towel for Sting & Luger, since titles cannot change hands on a forfeit. Booker catches the towel and turns his attention to Jimmy Hart, allowing Sting to roll him up for the three count. Champs retain.
Next is a special tag exhibition between Fire and Ice, Scott "Flash" Norton and Ice Train, and the Steiner Brothers, Scott and Rick. I believe this is the first time we're seeing Norton or Ice Train and these two men are absolutely gigantic. Not like the Final Solution and Z-Gangsta, just thick as all get out. Dwarfing even the Steiners. Furthermore, Ice Train has a three-foot vertical leap that he shows off in a irish whip sequence with Rick. A belly-to-back suplex from Rick, though, brings the Scotts in. Scott Steiner hits a belly-to-belly on Scott Norton. This match is surprisingly good. Very fast-paced and hard-hitting. Rick picks up a pin off a short clothesline, barely managing the three before Ice Train kicks out. This match is way better than it has any right to be.
Flair is being interviewed by Gene on the ramp. He says that he's not scared of the Giant because he's got hot ladies like Woman and Miss Elizabeth. He then asks the ladies if he's "a bigger man" than the Giant. They respond in the affirmative. Flair's dick is bigger than the Giant's.
Four cars are arranged in a circle in the parking lot, their lights illuminating the match that we join in progress: The parking lot brawl featuring the Belfast Bruiser and Steven Regal. Immediately, as we cut to the action, the Bruiser puts his boot through a car's safety glass window. These are two men unafraid of throwing everything they have at each other. Bruiser throws Regal into a car so hard the bumper falls off. He then starts whacking Regal with it. The Belfast Bruiser then hauls Regal up and to a car window to choke him with a seatbelt. We get some awesome camera shots, with cameramen able to move around inside the cars to get cool angles. The Bruiser, showing almost all the offense in this match, irish whips Regal through a car door. He then teases a piledriver on the concrete. The two men brawl their way onto a car's roof. Regal goes for a piledriver on Bruiser, but its reversed into a back body drop. Immediately, Regal returns to his feet and tries again, this time scoring the piledriver and putting the Bruiser's head into the hood of a car for the three count and win.
Flair hits on Debra again as he makes his way down to the advertised main event, Ric Flair versus The Giant for the WCW Heavyweight Championship of the World. As Flair hits on Debra, her husband, Mongo, threatens to shove a trash can lid "up" Flair. We learn that Ric Flair left Macho Man's nameplate on the strap to taunt him. The match begins with Flair running around the ring, hiding behind Woman and Liz until her manages to score a low blow behind the ref's back. With the ref's back still turned, Ric nails the big, stinky Giant with a pair of brass knuckles but refuses to make the pin, instead gloating over the Giant's unconscious body. He then deigns to lock on the Figure Four, but the Giant recovers, grabbing Ric's neck and hauling him to his feet. After a huge chokeslam, he goes for the immediate pin and becomes your new World Championship Wrestling Heavyweight Champion. Mean Gene Okerlund runs in the ring to interview the Giant and Jimmy Hart, his valet. Hart says that its okay that Ric gets to go home with Woman and Liz tonight, because he gets to go home with the Giant. The Giant then cuts a heel promo, says he'll beat anyone, especially Hogan, Macho Man, Sting, and Luger.
Brother Count: Zero brothers. Zero Hogan, too.
Did Hogan Go Over? Where did Hogan go?
The Pepe Award for Pepe's Costume: A little Macho Man costume for a little dog.
The American Males Memorial Buff Bagwell Sighting: No Buff this week. Is he off taping another film?? (No, he is not taping another film.)
The "Who Better Than El Dandy?" New Challenger Watch: While this isn't the debut of Scott "Flash" Norton, noted NJPW gaijin, it is the Nitro, and more importantly No Moon Landing, debut of his tag team partner, Ice Train. Ice Train was a longtime WCW staple who missed the launch of Nitro for whatever reason.
Mongo Sucks: Mongo got so incredibly mad at Flair talking to Debra, I'm starting to think he doesn't know wrestling is worked.
Move of the Show: While every single spot in the (remarkably good) Belfast Bruiser/Steven Regal match could qualify, this award has to go to the belly-to-back suplex Rick Steiner hit on Ice Train. Ice Train is not a small man.
Broski of the Week: Dopey White Dude right at the beginning of the show, wearing a ref shirt, and dancing, out of rhythm, to the Harlem Heat's theme music.
Next Week on Nitro: WHO KNOWS!
Slamboree: We finally have a date: May 19th, 1996. We also have another pairing.
Hugh Morris & Meng vs Barbarian & Bobby Walker
Stevie Ray & Big Bubba Rogers vs Fire and Ice (Scott Norton & Ice Train)
Ric Flair & Macho Man vs Arn Anderson & Eddy Guerrero
Dancing Fools (Alex Wright & Disco Inferno) vs Dick Slater & Earl of Eaton Bobby Eaton
Steven Regal & Belfast Bruiser vs VK Wallstreet & Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Road Warrior Hawk & Lex Luger vs Road Warrior Animal & Booker T
In addition, announced is Sting vs The Giant for the World Heavyweight Championship. Remember, the stipulation for the tag teams is a Lethal Lottery, where each team is "randomly" assigned. It'll culminate in the Battlebowl, an eight-man battle royal, with the winner getting a ring, the title Lord of the Ring, and a title shot. Or at least this is how its been explained on Nitro. Who knows.
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