WCW Monday Nitro June 9, 1997

I recently sat down and re-watched the June 9, 1997 Monday Nitro from the then Fleetcenter in Boston, Massachusetts.  This was my first ever live World Championship Wrestling event and the only Nitro I ever went too.  Back in 2017 I wrote a post about the time my Buddy Jay & I stood outside overnight to buy the tickets we got to the show, we got second row.

It's been many many years since I watched the show in it's entirety.  This was the go home show for the Great American Bash so almost every segment was to build for the Pay-Per-View.  We got two dark matches before the show went live on TNT.  Ice Train defeated Damien 666 and Glacier pinned Mortis.

We get the standard opening pyro with Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, & Larry Zbyzko welcoming us.  We cut to a pre-tape with with a limo arriving.  Miss Elizabeth gets out and DDP attacks the Limo trying to get at Savage.  DDP then, on his third attempt, kicks the rear door window out of the limo and unlocks the door opening it.  As he goes to get into Liz slams the door on him twice and the limo speeds away. 

Lucha Rules Six Man Tag: Ultimo Dragon, Juventude Guerrera, & Super Calo vs. Silver King, Psychosis & La Parka

This match was one giant botch fest!  My memory of this match was very positive and I was excited to see a Lucha rules six man tag, but man it was simply not good.  An interesting note from the match was this was Silver King's debut in WCW for this run.  He had one match prior in 1992 under a mask as Silver King in the NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament.   Dragon submitted Psychosis with the Dragon Sleeper.

"Mean" Gene interview with Lex Luger in the aisle

Luger comes out and says that the WCW Executive committee has states that Hogan hasn't defended his WCW World Championship since February so he is going to face Luger tonight.

Pre-Tape

We cut to earlier when Mike Tenay was out back as the limo of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair & "Rowdy" Roddy Piper arrive talking about their match tonight with the Outsiders.

Alex Wright vs. "Lion Heart" Chris Jericho

This was okay, a couple wonky spots but nothing special.  Wright pinned Jericho with his feet on the ropes.  This was Jericho's first match back in WCW after competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling at Best of the Super Junior's IV tournament.   

Mike Tenay states that Hogan will be defending the WCW World Championship tonight against Lex Luger.  Schiavone states it will happen in hour number one. 

WCW Women's World Champion: Akria Hokuto with Sonny Onoo vs. Malia Hosaka

Very fast match, mostly a squash really with Hokuto getting the pin after a version of the Michinoku Driver.  After the bell she continues attacking Hosaka until Madusa makes the save hitting Hokuto with three german suplexs.  

Steiner Brothers promo

The Steiner Brothers came out for an interview with "Mean" Gene Okerlund in the aisle at the bottom of the entrance ramp.  Shortly into the interview Harlem Heat with Sister Sherri came out and fight broke out until the referees broke it up.

Konan vs. Steve "Mongo" McMichael with Debra

This never got going, Konan came out first and while McMichael was make his entrance he was attacked by Kevin Greene and the two brawled in the aisle way.  In the ring Hugh Morrus broke a broom over Konan's head.  On TV we just see Konan laid out in the ring with a mystery person having hit him, they apparently didn't get it on camera.  Referee Nick Patrick announces this is a no contest.

Before going to commercial the announced that the Hogan vs. Luger match is now non-title.

Hulk Hogan & Eric Bischoff in ring promo.

Bischoff and Hogan start off by saying they are not going to wrestle tonight.  Instead he's going to give them a pose down.  While posing Lex Luger comes out to confront Hogan.  Hogan says that Luger's jealous of Hogan's physique.  While Bischoff is talking trash Luger pie faces him and goes after Hogan, Randy Anderson slips in the ring and calls for the bell.

Non-Title: WCW World Champion: "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs. Lex Luger

Luger clears Hogan out of the ring and immediately Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, & Syxx run to the ring.  Hogan get's back in the ring and takes of offense to Luger.  The Match is only about three minutes with Hogan dominating most of it.  Once Luger took control Hall, Nash & Syxx hit the ring but Luger easily fended them all off.  He then put Hogan in the torture rack for the submission, with the nWo getting the better of Luger.  

In a cool set up of timing when Hogan hit's a leg drop on Luger the pyro goes off signaling the second hour of Nitro had begun.  Hogan hit about a half dozen leg drops on Luger.

JJ Dillon with "Mean" Gene Okerlund in ring

Dillon is in the ring to address "Macho Man" Randy Savages behavior from last week fining him $50,000 for attacking JJ Dillon.  Dillon also goes on to say that Savages match with DDP this weekend at the Great American Bash is now a falls count anywhere no holds barred match.  Savage with Miss Elizabeth are in the stands with a microphone telling he's going to come out and attack Dillon again.  DDP comes out (to some terrible music) and wants to fight Savage now.  

Savage pushes through the crowd with security following Savage but they leave Liz to fend for herself in the people.  The second Savage gets to ringside DDP jumps on him, security pulled them apart and the cut to commercial.

Back from commercial we get an On The Road segment with "Stagger" Lee Marshall brought to us by 1-800- Collect. 

WCW United States Champion: "Man of 1,000 Holds" Dean Malenko vs. Jeff Jarrett with Debra

Jay and I were at odds in the match as he was a big Double J fan and I am a huge Malenko fan.  This was the longest match on the show and the best match on the show.  Debra didn't come out with Jarrett at the beginning of the match but did show up a couple minutes into it.  There was a lot of fast action and near falls at the beginning and then it slowed down with Malenko working the leg.  Jarrett hits a tombstone piledriver and then applies the figure four, but Malenko turns it. Eventually the work towards Jarrett hitting Malenko with a superplex.  

Eddie Guerrero then comes through the crowd and steps over the guardrail, he has his arm in a sling. Malenko had defeated Guerrero at Uncensored to win the US Championship.  Guerrero had been out with an injury since that match and this was his return.  Debra gets on the ring apron distracting the referee, Guerrero climbs to the top rope hitting the frogsplash on Malenko and throwing his sling at him showing him that he was injured.  Jarrett then applied the figure four leglock with Malenko tapping out ending his reign at 73 days. 

Jay was happy, I was pissed, but at the same time history was made and I was excited to see a title change in person. 

"Mean" Gene interview with Jimmy Hart in the aisle

Immediately Meng and the Barbarian come out to join them.  Jimmy Hart states that he has Benoit's third and final challenge and Kevin Sullivan comes out with Jacqueline.  Sullivan had been off television for a couple months at this time.  Mean Gene asks where Sullivan has been, with Sullivan stating that he is home at last.  He's from Boston.  Sullivan thanks the people of Boston.  I don't know why because he's a heel.  Sullivan calls Benoit out to fight, Benoit does and the commence to fighting in the aisle.  They triple team Benoit as they cut to commercial.

Non-Title: WCW World Tag Team Champions: Scott Hall & Kevin Nash with Syxx vs. "Nature Boy" Ric Flair & "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.  

The only time that Jay and I are seen on camera during the show is during Flair's entrance.  While his music is playing and just as the camera fades from the crowd shot to Flair coming out of the entrance you see Jay and I.  

All four men battle at the beginning of the match and then when we come back from commercial break we have the resemblance of a tag match.  About four minutes into the match Syxx gets involved and the referee Mark Curtis calls for the bell disqualifying the Outsiders. 

The Horsemen and rest of the nWo hit the ring, Kevin Greene comes after Mongo, in the aisle the Steiner's and Harlem Heat are fighting.  For some reason Glacier, Mortis, & Wrath are now fighting in the aisle, I know they were feuding but they weren't in anything televised.  The Luchadores are fighting in the aisle, Kevin Sullivan comes out after Benoit,  Savage comes out followed by DDP.  Hogan is out and hits DDP with the Championship belt knocking him to the floor.  Sting comes down from the rafters and fends off the nWo with his baseball bat, hooks onto DDP and they rise up into the rafters.  

This show closes with everyone still brawling.  After they went off the air they brawl quickly ended leaving Flair and Piper in the ring to stand tall for the fans in attendance.  We didn't get any post show Dark Matches. 

The crowd was on fire for this show, they stated sold out over 22,000 fans and we were loving it!

The only other WCW I went to was in 1998 a Saturday Night TV taping at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine. 

All the images used here are captures from the episode from the WWE Network. 

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