WCW Monday Nitro - April 26, 1999
by Wrestling Recap's Bob Colling
From: Fargo, North Dakota
The show opens with a bell salute for the recently deceased Rick Rude.
Footage from last week is aired, such as Flair being committed and DDP turning heel, officially.
We go to the Florida Mental Hospital where Ric Flair is disturbing the patients. They are told that Nitro will not be shown. The segment comes to an end with Flair strutting around.
Backstage, Charles Robinson and JJ Dillon are hanging out. Robinson is now the VP of WCW. With Flair being unable to be in charge, that leaves Robinson as the guy in charge.
Roddy Piper makes his way down to the ring for an interview. Piper says he is the man in charge tonight and proceeds to reinstate Randy Savage effective immediately. With Savage now reinstated, Piper books Savage in a match with WCW United States Champion Scott Steiner! WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page comes down to the ring. Piper makes it clear that he wants Page to give Sting a title shot tonight. DDP doesn’t want to give Sting a title shot tonight. Piper ends up telling that Page will defend the title at 9:00pm tonight!
Opening Contest: Konnan defeated Brian Adams by disqualification
Konnan with right hands to get the quick advantage to open the match. Adams stops his offense with a clothesline and an atomic drop. Konnan bulldogs Adams followed by a dropkick to a seated Adams. Adams connects with a gut buster, but Konnan comes back with a face buster and locks in the Tequila Sunrise but the New World Order enters the ring to cause the DQ as they beat down Konnan. 1/2 * (Just advancing Konnan’s feud with the non-important New World Order guys. Anyone else feel that Konnan is being wasted in this dumb feud?)After the match, the New World Order stands tall over Konnan after the beating.
A quick promo for Sting is aired and we get word that the Horsemen have apparently taken Saturn out causing the next match to be a handicap match.
Second Contest: Scott and Steve Armstrong defeated Raven in a handicap match
Scott accidentally hits Steve on the apron and nearly gets pinned by Raven with a roll up. Raven double bulldogs the Armstrong’s as they argue for a moment. Raven has gotten a chair but doesn’t use it at first. Raven drop toe holds Scott on the chair moments later but only gets a two count. Steve is also sent into the chair with a drop toe hold. Steve comes off the top but misses Raven and again hits Scott on accident. Raven hits both men with knee lifts. Scott stops Raven flurry of right hands with a super kick but on a second attempt he hits Steve on accident. Raven plants Scott with a DDT but Steve uses the chair on Raven and Scott ends up pinning Raven for the win. * (Even with this being a handicap match, this is a complete shocker. I like the Armstrong’s but they shouldn’t be going over anyone even if it’s a handicap match. Raven is way too popular and valuable to be losing to jobbers.)Back to the Mental Hospital, Ric Flair wants Piper to be fired.
Gene calls out Charles Robinson for an interview. Robinson makes it clear that he is in charge and not Piper. He announces that tonight we will see Sting vs. Page. Roddy Piper ends up making another appearance and gets slapped by Robinson after talking some smack. Security and JJ Dillon run down to arrest Piper. Robinson smack talks Piper as he is lead away from the ring. Robinson says that Piper is still fired but will wrestle Flair at Slamboree..
Third Contest: Sting defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page to win the title
Sting sends Page to the floor following a quick shoulder block. They begin to trade right hands with Sting winning the exchange by sending Page to the floor. Page backs Sting into a corner to deliver a back kick and keeps the upper hand with a few short arm shoulder blocks. Page yanks Sting down by the hair and bails to the floor. Sting follows the champ and goes to work with several right hands and rams Page head first into the announcer table. Sting knocks Page down in the ring with a few clotheslines and hits a Stinger Splash! Sting goes for the Scorpion Death Lock but Page reaches the bottom rope and rolls to the floor again. Page returns and puts a hammerlock on Sting for a few moments. Page stops Sting’s comeback with a clothesline and goes for the Diamond Cutter but is shoved to the floor by Sting. Sting follows him and rams Page into the guard railing a few times. Sting scoop slams Page on the aisle way! Back in the ring, Sting delivers right hands in the corner until Page low blows him and drops Sting face first onto the top turnbuckle. Page connects with a back suplex and delivers a few stomps to keep the advantage. Sting comes off the ropes to shoulder block Page and ends up stagger down onto Page’s groin. Page gets up first and has a chin lock on Sting. Page hits a swinging neck breaker but Sting kicks out at two. Page drops Sting with a right for another two count. Page rams Sting groin first into the ring post a few times before wrapping Sting’s knee around the post. Sting kicks Page away into the guard railing. Sting avoids the Diamond Cutter by hanging onto the top rope. Sting delivers a jaw breaker and several right hands. Sting with an atomic drop and connects with a running face buster. Sting leaps off the top rope to hit a big splash but Page kicks out at two! They go back to the floor where Page rams Sting into the guard railing. Back in the ring, Sting delivers another jaw breaker and rams Page head first into the turnbuckle padding. Page plants Sting with a sit down power bomb but only gets a near fall! Sting rolls Page up out of the corner for a two count but is met with a quick clothesline. Page inside cradles Sting for a two count and is met with a clothesline from Sting when he gets to his feet. Sting plants Page with an odd looking pile driver for a two count. Sting goes for the tombstone pile driver but Page counters only for Sting to counter to eventually hit it! Sting covers but Page kicks out at two! Page hits Sting with a float over DDT! Page low blows Sting as he tried for a backslide. Sting counters the Diamond Cutter with the Scorpion Death Drop and wins the title! ***1/4 (a very good world title match and the crowd went nuts for the final five minutes or so. A nicely done match and I’m convinced that Sting is one of the guys who brings the best out of DDP every time they compete.)Ric Flair is talking to Charles Robinson on the phone and tells him that he wants Sting to wrestle Goldberg at Slamboree.
Fourth Contest: Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated WCW Cruiserweight Champion Psychosis to regain the title
Psychosis dropkicks Rey as Rey lays on the mat awaiting for a leapfrog. Psychosis misses a splash in the corner and Rey leaps off the top to hit a head scissors takedown. Psychosis blocks a head scissors by dropping Rey throat first across the top rope. Psychosis drops Rey face first onto the top turnbuckle but misses a tornado DDT attempt. Psychosis recovers by dropping Rey gut first on the top rope and follows up with a dropkick to put Rey on the apron. Psychosis goes to the top rope but Rey cuts him off. Psychosis is shoved off and lands on the top rope. Rey leaps off the top looking for a hurricanrana off the apron to the floor but they botch it. The Horsemen make their way down to the ringside area. Psychosis connects with a twisting front suplex off the middle rope but Rey comes back with a face buster. Rey leaps off the apron to clothesline the Horsemen from behind. Psychosis baseball slides the tag team title into Rey’s face. Psychosis hits a sit down power bomb but Rey kicks out at two. Rey plants Psychosis with a simple tornado DDT to win the title. **1/4 (the finish was quite lame but the action as pretty decent considering it didn’t go all that long. I think it’s a shame that Psychosis didn’t get a longer reign.)After the match, the Horsemen enter the ring and toss Rey high into the air before Rey crashes to mat. Horsemen end up leaving Rey laying in the ring.
Kevin Nash comes out to the ring. Nash is mad that the main event for Slamboree is going to be Sting vs. Goldberg for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship because he was supposed to get the shot against DDP. Nash issues a challenge to Sting, Goldberg and Page for a match tonight with the winner walking out as the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. We see backstage that Flair has ordered the four way match to happen.
Fifth Contest: Bam-Bam Bigelow defeated Erik Watts
Yeah, Erik Watts would surely prevent fans from switching over to RAW. Bigelow wins in about two minutes after hitting the Greetings from Asbury Park.Sting comes out for a quick interview where he says he is back in black and accepts Nash’s challenge.
Sixth Contest: WCW Television Champion Booker T defeated Meng to retain the title
Late in the match, Meng has the Tonga Death Grip on Booker but the referee was knocked down by Booker on accident. Stevie Ray comes down and whacks Meng with the slapjack to allow Booker to retain the title.After the match, Rick Steiner comes down to the ring and attacks Ray for getting involved in the match.
A video looking at Hulk Hogan’s knee surgery is shown.
Ric Flair is back on the phone and says he wants Booker T vs. Rick Steiner at Slamboree. Also, he makes the fatal four way match a no disqualification match. Flair ends up seeing Scott Hall at the mental hospital!
Seventh Contest: Brian Knobbs defeated Hak, Horace and Mikey Whipwreck in a hardcore match
Knobbs wins the match after using a ladder on Whipwreck and will now wrestle Bam-Bam Bigelow at Slamboree.Eighth Contest: WCW United States Champion Scott Steiner defeated Randy Savage by disqualification to retain the title
The finish to this match is just the dumbest thing I have ever seen. Savage backs Steiner into but is shoved by Steiner causing Savage to back into the referee and the referee, Charles Robinson, calls for the bell. The “match” lasts all of ten seconds.After the match, Madusa attacks Robinson and rolls him into the ring. Robinson is stripped of his clothes and it's revealed he is wearing Florida Gator boxers.
A video looking at Gorgeous George training is shown.
Main Event: Diamond Dallas Page defeated WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting, Goldberg and Kevin Nash in a no disqualification match to regain the title
Goldberg works on Sting and Nash to open the match as Page is out in the crowd, apparently. Nash knee lifts Goldberg as he screams for Page to get in the ring. Goldberg punches his way out of the corner knocking both Nash and Sting off their feet. Goldberg gets a near fall on Nash following a over head slam. Goldberg catches Sting as he comes off the ropes and connects with a power slam for a two count Page enters the ring and attacks Goldberg from behind with a swinging neck breaker for a two count. Nash attacks Sting in the corner with right hands while Goldberg hits a swinging neck breaker on Page. Sting hits Page with a Stinger Splash and does the same to Nash and Goldberg! Nash stops Sting’s momentum and connects with three big boots on all three opponents. Goldberg prevents Nash from hitting the power bomb on Page with a right hand. Goldberg head butts Page several times before hitting a power slam. Nash tries to cover Page but only gets a two count. Sting hits the Stinger Splash on Goldberg and Nash gets another near win on Goldberg. Nash side slams Sting but isn’t able to get a three count. Page misses a clothesline on Goldberg and is met with a super kick. All four men try quick covers but are unable to get the win. Sting avoids a big boot in the corner by Nash and puts the Scorpion Death Lock on him! Goldberg spears Page and spears Sting as he lets go of the hold! Goldberg hits the Jackhammer on Sting but Randy Savage enters the ring and attacks Goldberg. Savage clotheslines Goldberg over the top to the floor. Savage tosses Page brass knuckles and Page nails Nash with them and hits the Diamond Cutter to pin Nash and regain the title! ** (I thought it was a pretty lackluster match that focused purely on brawling for several minutes. Not a big fan of having two title changes in a matter of two hours. Page should’ve just been champion the whole night without any kind of interrprution.)Final Thoughts: Aside from DDP/Sting this week’s Nitro was quite underwhelming for me. I don’t see the reasoning of having DDP lose and win the title back in the same night. I also don’t get why Rey Mysterio Jr. needs the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. He should be branching out and go for bigger titles. Anyone remember his giant killer gimmick from two months ago? They really should’ve kept up with that. This week’s Nitro get a thumbs down from me.
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