WCW @ Minneapolis, MN – Mall of America – September 4, 1995
Monday Nitro – debut episode – featured Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael on commentary (McMichael’s debut); included pre-taped comments from WCW US Champion Sting on facing Ric Flair later in the show; featured a pre-taped segment in which Bischoff spoke with WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan, with Jimmy Hart, at Pastamania at the Mall of America, with Hogan discussing his upcoming title bout with Big Bubba; included a vignette promoting the debut of Sabu; featured an in-ring segment in which Gene Okerlund named the winner of a WCW Harley Davidson sweepstakes contest; included the announcement Johnny B. Badd vs. WCW Tag Team Champion Dick Slater and WCW US Champion Sting & Randy Savage vs. Lord Steven Regal & Bobby Eaton would highlight WCW Saturday Night; featured a vignette promoting the debut of Mr. Wallstreet, during which he mocked ‘The New Generation,’ said the biggest stars were in WCW, and joked that the IRS would be watching him closely:
Brian Pillman pinned Jushin Liger at 6:54 with a roll up out of a waistlock; after the bout, the two shook hands and hugged (Brian Pillman: Loose Cannon, The Very Best of Nitro)
WCW US Champion Sting defeated Ric Flair via disqualification at around the 11-minute mark when Flair refused to break the figure-4 while holding onto the ring ropes; following the ring entrances, Lex Luger walked out, catching the attention of both men; late in the bout, Arn Anderson appeared ringside; after the match, Anderson broke Flair’s figure-4 and fought with him in the ring and at ringside; moments later, Scott Norton confronted Eric Bischoff at ringside and said he signed a contract and wanted a match; after Norton began having words with Steve McMichael, Randy Savage ran out, got in Norton’s face, and challenged him to a match then and there; Savage then climbed in the ring and taunted Norton as Bischoff had security force Norton away (Luger’s surprise return after a 3-year absence) (The Very Best of Nitro Vol. 2)
WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan (w/ Jimmy Hart) pinned Big Bubba with the legdrop at 7:08; prior to the bout, it was announced Randy Savage would face Scott Norton the following week in Miami; after the bout, Kevin Sullivan, Zodiac, Meng, and Kamala attacked Hogan until Lex Luger ran out and made the save, with he and Hogan eventually coming face to face; moments later, WCW US Champion Sting and Randy Savage joined Hogan and Luger in the ring; following the commercial break, Gene Okerlund conducted an in-ring interview with Hogan asking why Luger was there; Luger replied by saying he was there to take the WCW World Title and that he was tired of taking on kids; Hogan then agreed to defend the title the following week against Luger, with the two shoving each other until Sting and Savage stood in the way (The Very Best of Nitro)
WCW @ Miami, FL – Knight Center – September 11, 1995
WCW Monday Nitro – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael (debut of the Nitro announce table); featured a recap of the in-ring confrontation the previous week between Lex Luger and WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan in which they agreed to a title match; included the announcement Vader would not be a part of Sunday’s Fall Brawl, with Eric Bischoff saying he didn’t sign the proper paperwork and was AWOL; featured Gene Okerlund conducting an in-ring interview with Ric Flair regarding his upcoming match with Arn Anderson at Fall Brawl until Lex Luger appeared, with Flair putting him over and saying he would beat Hogan later in the show, with Luger saying Flair was the same as he’s ever been and left the ring; included the announcement WCW TV Champion the Renegade would face Max Muscle, Brian Pillman would wrestle Alex Wright, Dave Sullivan would face Big Bubba and the Disco Inferno would debut the following Saturday on WCW Saturday Night; featured the announcement Johnny B. Badd would face Paul Orndorff, and the Blue Bloods would face the winner of a Nasty Boys vs. Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs match scheduled the following Sunday for The Main Event:
Alex Wright defeated Sabu via reverse decision; Sabu originally won the match at 3:58 via pinfall following a victory roll off the top but referee Nick Patrick changed the ruling when Sabu attacked Wright after the match, came off the top rope, and put Wright through a table set up on the floor (Sabu’s debut)
WCW US Champion Sting pinned VK Wallstreet at 4:13 with a crossbody off the top; prior to the bout, Eric Bischoff gave away the finish of WWF Monday Night Raw‘s main event, announcing Shawn Michaels would beat Psycho Sid in a match taped weeks earlier
Randy Savage pinned Scott Norton with the flying elbowsmash at 5:39 after sending Norton into an interfering Kamala and Shark, with Shark falling on Norton and preventing him from avoiding Savage’s elbow; after the match, Kevin Sullivan, Meng, and the Zodiak came out; moments later, Norton argued with Shark over the loss
WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Lex Luger via disqualification at 5:28 when Kevin Sullivan, Zodiak, Meng, Kamala, and the Shark attacked Hogan after he hit the legdrop on Luger; after the bout, WCW US Champion Sting and Randy Savage came out and helped clear the Dungeon of Doom from the ring; after the commercial break, Gene Okerlund interviewed Hogan, Luger, Sting, and Savage in the ring – with Hogan and Savage accusing Luger of having ties to the Dungeon of Doom since they didn’t attack him but Sting stepped in and said Luger should be their fourth man at Wargames; as the segment progressed, Savage even accused Sting and Jimmy Hart of having ties because the Dungeon didn’t attack them either; Hogan eventually asked Luger if he wanted the spot, with Luger agreeing but only on the condition he get another title shot against Hogan down the line
WCW @ Johnson City, TN – Freedom Hall – September 18, 1995 (3,200; 2,031 paid)
WCW Monday Nitro – featured an opening backstage segment in which Gene Okerlund interviewed Kevin Sullivan & the Giant, who climbed out of the back of an ambulance, regarding their attack on WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan the night before at Fall Brawl; included Okerlund conducting an in-ring interview with Ric Flair regarding what went down the night before at Fall Brawl involving Brian Pillman and Arn Anderson; featured the announcement that the following Saturday’s WCW Saturday Night would include an update on the condition of WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan, an interview with Dusty Rhodes, Sgt. Craig Pittman would face Cobra, and WCW US Champion Sting would wrestle Lord Steven Regal; included footage of Kevin Sullivan attacking Randy Savage on the set of Baywatch as Savage was lifting weights, with Sullivan choking him with the dumb bell and throwing sand in his face until Ric Flair and others pulled Sullivan off and checked on Savage’s condition; moments later, Okerlund conducted an in-ring interview with Savage in which Savage said he wasn’t interested in Flair’s concern but would destroy Sullivan; Okerlund then asked him about what happened the night before between Savage and Lex Luger, with Savage saying he thought Luger, Jimmy Hart, and Sting would be soon joining the Dungeon of Doom; moments later, Luger confronted Savage with the two almost coming to blows; featured footage from the night before of the Giant running over Hogan’s motorcycle and then attacking Hogan following the Wargames match; included the announcement the following week’s episode would include Kurasawa, Randy Savage vs. Kevin Sullivan, Lex Luger vs. Meng, and Disco Inferno vs. Alex Wright:
Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs defeated WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (w/ Sister Sherri) (sub. for Lord Steven Regal & Bobby Eaton) to win the titles at 4:40 when Bagwell pinned Booker after falling on top of him as Booker attempted a pumphandle slam, moments after Col. Parker came ringside and carried Sherri over the threshold backstage as Sherri was about to interfere on behalf of the champions; prior to the bout, Eaton came out for the match but was jumped in the aisle by the new tag team champions, who then said they jumped Regal backstage and would gladly take their spot in the match
Paul Orndorff pinned Johnny B. Badd at 6:40 by blocking a sunset flip; the commentary team didn’t mention it but Orndorff leaned so forward on Badd during the cover that both of Badd’s shoulders were actually off the mat during the cover (Orndorff’s first appearance in new ring attire, theme music, and bringing a hand mirror to the ring)
Ric Flair defeated Brian Pillman via submission with the figure-4 at 5:24; after the bout, Flair grabbed the mic and cut a promo on Arn Anderson, saying he would kick his ass the following week on Nitro
WCW @ Florence, SC – Civic Center – September 25, 1995 (5,000; 2,000 paid)
WCW Monday Nitro – featured a pre-taped backstage promo from WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan, wearing a neckbrace, and Jimmy Hart in which he said he would beat the Giant in a monster truck challenge and in a title match at Halloween Havoc; included an in-ring segment where Gene Okerlund showed footage of last week’s confrontation between Lex Luger and Randy Savage before bringing out Savage and Luger; the two men agreed to have a match the following week, with Luger saying if he couldn’t beat Savage he would leave WCW; featured Okerlund conducting an in-ring interview with Arn Anderson & Brian Pillman in which Anderson it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Savage doesn’t want Flair’s help and Sting doesn’t want to be Flair’s partner because Flair ran over both of them in the past and he doesn’t have Anderson to back him up anymore; included the announcement that WCW Tag Team Champions the American Males, the Giant, and Kevin Sullivan would appear on WCW Saturday Night, as well as WCW US Champion Sting vs. Johnny B. Badd; the show would also include the debut of Dusty Rhodes as the new co-host:
Alex Wright pinned Disco Inferno at 4:00 with a backslide
Kurasawa (w/ Col. Parker) pinned Sgt. Craig Pittman at 4:26 with a German suplex into a bridge
Kevin Sullivan (w/ Zodiak) defeated Randy Savage via disqualification at 2:58 when Savage shoved referee Randy Anderson out of the way as he fought off an interfering Zodiak; after the bout, Savage slammed Sullivan on top of Zodiak and attempted to hit the flying elbow on both men but Sullivan rolled out of the way and Savage hit only Zodiak; moments later, the Giant came out and hit the chokeslam on Savage; Frankie Lancaster, Mark Starr, and Alex Wright attempted to make the save but were beaten down as well; moments later, as the Giant hit a second chokeslam on Savage, Lex Luger came out and stood over Savage before he was pulled away by the Giant, with the two coming to blows and the Giant hitting the chokeslam on Luger as well; Sullivan appeared to be angry with the Giant for attacking Luger
Meng pinned Lex Luger at 6:46 after hitting him in the throat with a weapon; following the commercial break from the last match, Luger was still on the mat recovering from the chokeslam and Meng ran to the ring to quickly begin the match before Luger had more time to recover; during the bout, it was announced WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan would be on Nitro the following week
WCW @ Denver, CO – Coliseum – October 2, 1995 (9,000; 3,700 paid; sell out)
WCW Monday Nitro – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael; during the show open, Ric Flair approached the announce table, took off Bischoff’s headset, and cut a promo on facing Arn Anderson later in the night; featured the announcement Arn Anderson & Brian Pillman would face Dick Slater & Bunkhouse Buck and Jim Duggan vs. Big Bubba would highlight WCW Saturday Night; included Gene Okerlund conducting an in-ring interview with WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan, wearing a neckbrace, with Hart in which Hogan spoke about meeting a young fan of his yesterday that was getting ready for a double lung transplant; Hogan then said he was going to the back to look for the Giant, gave his shirt to a ringside fan, but was eventually attacked by Kevin Sullivan, dressed as a woman; Sullivan attacked Hogan in the ring with his cane before being joined by the Giant and Zodiak; the Giant ripped off Hogan’s neckbrace, wrenched his neck, and Sullivan shaved Hogan’s mustache; WCW Tag Team Champions Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs as well as the Nasty Boys attempted to make the save but were laid out by the Giant; it was noted that the Nasty Boys were to have faced Bagwell & Riggs in the next match:
Lex Luger defeated Randy Savage via KO with the Torture Rack at around the 10-minute mark when, after Luger and referee Randy Anderson were knocked down, the Giant interfered and dropped Savage with the chokeslam; prior to the bout, footage aired of Luger and Savage’s recent altercations and both men being laid out by the Giant the previous week; stipulations stated Luger would have to leave WCW if he lost (The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro Vol. 3)
Eddie Guerrero pinned Dean Malenko at 5:29 by blocking a cradle into his own; prior to the ring entrances, Disco Inferno appeared at the entranceway and danced to his theme song until Guerrero appeared to scare him backstage; following the entrances, footage was shown of Guerrero defeating Jushin Liger the previous night during WCW Main Event; during the contest, WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan was shown arriving backstage in a neckbrace, with Jimmy Hart telling him to stay in the limo because the Giant was in the arena; moments later, Hogan said he wanted the Giant and took Hart to go find him; after the bout, Malenko confronted Guerrero, said he was lucky, and said he wanted a rematch; Guerrero quickly accepted (Malenko’s TV debut)
Ric Flair defeated Arn Anderson via submission with the figure-4 at 8:18; during the final moments, Brian Pillman ran out, with Pillman jumping off the top onto Flair just after referee Nick Patrick called for the bell; after the bout, Anderson and Brian Pillman double teamed Flair; following the commercial break, it was announced Flair would face Anderson the following week in a steel cage match
WCW @ Chicago, IL – Rosemont Horizon – October 9, 1995 (8,500; 4,458 paid)
WCW Monday Nitro – featured an opening segment recapping the attack WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan sustained the previous week at the hands of the Giant and Kevin Sullivan, after which Hogan’s mustache was shaved off; Eric Bischoff, Steve McMichael, & Bobby Heenan wore Chicago Bears jerseys for the match; featured an opening segment in which WCW US Champion Sting came out to the commentary table and said he would resolve the problem between Randy Savage and Lex Luger later in the show; included an in-ring segment with Gene Okerlund, WCW US Champion Sting, Lex Luger, and Randy Savage in which Sting proposed that if Luger beat Meng at Halloween Havoc and if Savage beat Kamala then they would wrestle each other later in the show; Luger initially said no but was goaded into it by Sting; featured a vignette of Chris Benoit arriving in a limo to the CNN Center in Atlanta; included Okerlund conducting an in-ring interview with WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan, dressed in all black, with Jimmy Hart in which Okerlund said the chorus of boos directed at Hogan were due to his uncharacteristic black attire; during the interview, Okerlund said the Giant was barred from the building as a result of a restraining order and Hogan said the “promoter up north” was choking on his own ego since Hogan and his pals left; moments later, footage was shown of the Giant arriving to the parking lot in his monster truck, with Kevin Sullivan and the Zodiak also appearing in the truck; the truck wasn’t allowed inside and was blocked off by police; Hogan then said since the Giant wuoldn’t be allowed in the arena, he would meet him outside; featured the announcement Johnny B. Badd would face WCW TV Champion Diamond Dallas Page, Chris Benoit would face Eddie Guerrero, and Jim Duggan would face Meng the following week on Nitro:
WCW US Champion Sting pinned the Shark at 1:17 with a crossbody off the top; prior to the bout, Sting stopped by the commentary table and said he would resolve the issue between Randy Savage and Lex Luger later in the show
Sabu defeated Mr. JL via submission with the Camel Clutch at 4:28 after blocking a flying hurricanrana; after the bout, Sabu hit a sunset flip into a powerbomb sending JL from the apron to the floor
Big Bubba defeated Road Warrior Hawk via count-out at 1:39 when Hawk attacked Disco Inferno on the ring apron, tore his shirt, and beat him up in the aisle; prior to the bout, Disco danced in the entrance stage until Bubba and Hawk came out for the match; after having a confrontation with Hawk, Disco hung a WCW hat on his shoulder pad without Hawk noticing until he got to the ring
Arn Anderson pinned Ric Flair in a steel cage match at 4:44 after hitting Flair with a foreign object as Flair attempted to apply the figure-4, moments after Brian Pillman came out and tried to interfere on behalf of Anderson; after the bout, Flair stole away Bischoff’s headset and challenged Anderson & Pillman to face him in a tag team or handicap match the following week
WCW @ Albany, GA – Civic Center – October 16, 1995
WCW Monday Nitro – featured footage from WCW Pro of Ric Flair again asking WCW US Champion Sting to be his tag team partner to face Arn Anderson & Brian Pillman at Halloween Havoc, with Sting agreeing but warning Flair he would leave him for dead if he was swerved; included an in-ring segment in which Gene Okerlund hyped a WCW Hotline story on a WWF official leaving and a WWF star getting in a fight with a fan in the parking lot and losing; moments later, Okerlund brought out Kevin Sullivan and the Giant to discuss the Giant facing WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan in a monster truck challenge and title bout at Halloween Havoc; featured the announcement Randy Savage vs. a newcomer (Bill DeMott), Disco Inferno vs. Alex Wright and Jim Duggan vs. VK Wallstreet would highlight WCW Saturday Night; included a pre-taped promo by Hogan, with Jimmy Hart, with Hogan wearing all black, discussing the Giant and Sullivan, and facing the Giant at Havoc; featured the announcement Sting & Lex Luger vs. Harlem Heat, Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko vs. Alex Wright & Eddie Guerrero, and Hogan would appear:
Johnny B. Badd defeated WCW TV Champion Diamond Dallas Page (w/ the Diamond Doll) via disqualification when Page hit Badd in the back of the head with the title belt, knocking him out, before the match began; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Badd punching out DDP after realizing he was behind Badd missing his WCW US Title match against Sting; during Badd’s entrance it was noted a rematch would take place at Halloween Havoc; after the contest, Page laid on top of Badd, counted his own pinfall, and shot off Badd’s Badd Blaster; moments later, it was announced Badd was the winner by disqualification
Chris Benoit pinned Eddie Guerrero with a dragon suplex at 8:36; following the bout, Eric Bischoff noted plans for a WCW cruiserweight division (Benoit’s return match after a 2-year absence) (Hard Knocks: The Chris Benoit Story)
Meng defeated Jim Duggan via submission with the Tongan Death Grip at 1:52; prior to the entrances, Disco Inferno appeared and danced at the entrance stage to his music; during the match, it was noted Randy Savage would face Kamala and Lex Luger would face Meng at Halloween Havoc, with Savage facing Luger if they won both their matches
WCW US Champion Sting & Ric Flair defeated Arn Anderson & Brian Pillman via count-out at 7:03 when Anderson & Pillman left ringside after being knocked to the floor; Sting didn’t appear until mid-way through the match; after the commercial break, Gene Okerlund conducted an in-ring interview with Sting & Flair, during which Sting said Flair’s performance earned Sting’s trust and they would be united at Halloween Havoc
WCW @ Huntsville, AL – Von Braun Civic Center – October 23, 1995 (7,000; 2,100 paid)
WCW Monday Nitro – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael; included a segment in which the lights went out and the Master appeared in his throne on the big screen and discussed his “insurance policy” for Kevin Sullivan; moments later, a giant block of ice appeared in the arena as the Master discussed Sullivan’s plans for WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan at Halloween Havoc; Gene Okerlund then conducted an interview with Sullivan and the Giant about the Master’s comments, with Sullivan saying the Master obtained the Yeti and the Giant saying he would take Hogan’s title; featured Okerlund conducting an interview in the aisle with Hogan, dressed in all black and with Jimmy Hart, in which Hogan discussed Sullivan, the Giant, and the Yeti before calling WCW US Champion Sting, Randy Savage, and Lex Luger “dogs” after his carcass and he would beat all of them; included the announcement WCW Tag Team Champions Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs vs. Harlem Heat and Lex Luger vs. the Shark would highlight WCW Saturday Night:
Randy Savage pinned Kurasawa (w/ Col. Rob Parker) with the flying elbowsmash at around the 8-minute mark; prior to the bout, Savage confronted Parker in the ring and stole the cigar out of his mouth; Savage’s elbow was heavily taped for the match
Eddie Guerrero & Mr. JL (sub. for Alex Wright) (w/ Alex Wright, on crutches) defeated Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko at around the 10-minute mark when JL pinned Malenko with a victory roll, moments after Wright used one of his crutches to trip Malenko; during the bout, footage was shown of Scott Norton brawling with the Shark backstage before they were held apart by Dick Slater, Bunkhouse Buck, Meng, and Zodiak; after the contest, Brian Pillman attacked Guerrero in the aisle and dropped him with a DDT onto the concrete floor
Sting & Lex Luger defeated Harlem Heat (w/ Sister Sherri) at around the 8-minute mark when Sting pinned Booker T with a crossbody off the top; prior to the bout, Steve McMichael referred to the previous night’s WWF In Your House event as “Outhouse;” immediately after the bout, Kevin Sullivan and the Giant came out, with the Giant dropping both Sting and Luger with chokeslams; Randy Savage then ran out and faced off with the Giant, with WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan soon confronting the Giant, too; Hogan repeatedly punched the Giant, to no effect, before Hogan hulked up; Hogan, with Jimmy Hart at ringside, and Savage then brawled with the Giant, Sullivan, Zodiak, Meng, and Shark until the Dungeon of Doom left the ring; the show then ended just as the Yeti broke free of the giant block of ice
WCW @ Dayton, OH – Hara Arena – October 30, 1995 (3,500; 2,500 paid)
WCW Monday Nitro – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael; featured an in-ring segment in which Tony Schiavone showed still images from the Halloween Havoc match pitting WCW US Champion Sting & Ric Flair against Arn Anderson & Brian Pillman, with Flair eventually turning on Sting and reforming the Four Horsemen; Schiavone then interviewed Flair, Anderson, & Pillman about the reformation of the group and the eventual addition of a fourth member; Flair then said they would do what they wanted to do and if Sting didn’t like it, he could show up to Nitro the next week; included the announcement Chris Benoit vs. Alex Wright, Ric Flair & Arn Anderson vs. Renegade & Cobra, and WCW Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat vs. Lord Steven Regal & Bobby Eaton would highlight WCW Saturday Night; featured a segment in which McMichael sprayed Heenan with silly string before Bischoff introduced footage of the final few minutes of the WCW World Champion Hulk Hogan vs. the Giant match at Halloween Havoc, with Jimmy Hart turning on Hogan, Lex Luger joining the Dungeon of Doom, and Hogan and Savage being assaulted by Luger, Giant, and the Yeti; included Schiavone conducting a closing in-ring interview with Hart, Luger, Kevin Sullivan, and the Giant, in possession of the WCW World Title, about their assault on Hogan and Savage at Havoc; the Giant then said he would defend the title the following week against anyone:
Eddie Guerrero (sub. for Randy Savage) pinned Sgt. Craig Pittman at 5:34 with a body scissors into a roll up; it was noted before the match that Savage could not compete due to the events of Halloween Havoc
The Shark fought Scott Norton to a double count-out at 2:47 when both men began fighting on the floor; prior to the bout, footage was shown of Shark accidentally costing Norton a match against Randy Savage during the 9/11/95 episode and the two brawling backstage the previous week; during the contest, Bobby Heenan was shown sitting with a Japanese man, having dinner, beside several women; after the contest, Norton and Shark took turns throwing the other man into the entrance stage; after the match, Heenan was heard speaking about the WCW weekly programs with the Japanese man, with the Japanese man then giving Heenan what appeared to be money
Sabu pinned Disco Inferno with the somersault legdrop into the ring at 2:26 after Disco missed a charge into the corner; prior to the bout, it was announced the following week’s show would allow fans to vote on what match they wanted as the main event – the red locker room would have Big Bubba, Scott Norton, Ric Flair, Shark, Lord Steven Regal & Bobby Eaton, Meng, and Diamond Dallas Page while the blue locker room would have WCW US Champion Sting, Randy Savage, Jim Duggan, WCW TV Champion Johnny B. Badd, and the Nasty Boys; after the match, Sabu threw Disco to the floor and then hit a somersault splash to the floor; moments later, as Disco attempted to leave ringside, Sabu ran a table into Disco; Sabu then laid Disco on the table and attempted a somersault from the ring onto Disco but Disco rolled out of the way and retreated backstage (Sabu’s last appearance)
Lex Luger & Meng (w/ Jimmy Hart & Kevin Sullivan) defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs at around the 7-minute mark when Bagwell submitted to Luger’s Torture Rack after Meng kicked both opponents behind the referee’s back
WCW @ Jacksonville, FL – Coliseum – November 6, 1995 (9,500; 3,500 paid; sell out)
Monday Nitro – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael, with opening info on how fans could call in to vote on what they wanted as the night’s main event; Randy Savage, who was previously announced to be a member of the blue locker room, was removed as an option due to injury while previously unannounced names of Dave Sullivan, JL, and Alex Wright were added; included Gene Okerlund in the red locker room with Ric Flair, Big Bubba, Diamond Dallas Page, Shark, and Scott Norton, Lord Steven Regal & Bobby Eaton, with Shark and Norton arguing and Regal & Eaton sipping tea and reading a book; Tony Schiavone was then shown in the blue locker room with WCW US Champion Sting, WCW TV Champion Johnny B. Badd, Alex Wright, the Nasty Boys, Dave Sullivan, Jim Duggan, and JL; featured a video package, taped the previous day, of Hulk Hogan and Savage in Venice Beach, CA, in which they discussed their hitlist of Jimmy Hart, Lex Luger, Kevin Sullivan, and the Giant; Savage, with a crazy person in the middle of them, said he would go to Nitro to find out who was friend or foe and report back to Hogan; included a backstage segment with Okerlund in the red locker room, with Flair cutting a promo on Sting as the other members of the locker room looked on; featured the announcement Arn Anderson vs. Kurasawa, the debut of Disco Inferno’s music video, and Duggan visits Ireland would highlight WCW Saturday Night; included Schiavone backstage in the blue locker room, with Sting cutting a promo on wanting revenge on Flair; featured the announcement Fall Brawl 95 would be available on VHS the following day; included Gene Okerlund conducting a closing in-ring interview with the Giant, Hart, and Sullivan in which Hart showed the contract for the Hogan vs. Giant match at Halloween Havoc, which stated Hogan could lose the title via disqualification, and said the Giant was the new champion; Okerlund then brought in WCW official and attorney Nick Lambros, who said Hart had the power of attorney but the Giant is not the world champion; Lambros then read a ruling from Nick Bockwinkel that stated, due to the nature of the disqualification, the title would be held up and awarded to the winner of World War 3; Sullivan relunctantly agreed to return the title belt to Lambros, adding that there was no one that could eliminate the Giant from the three ring battle royal:
The Giant (w/ Jimmy Hart) pinned Cobra with the chokeslam at the 18-second mark; the Giant came out in possession of the WCW World Title; following Giant’s entrance, he lifted ring announcer Dave Penzer into the air until Penzer announced it as a title match
Kevin Sullivan (w/ Jimmy Hart) pinned the Renegade at 2:44 with a double stomp from the middle turnbuckle; during the bout, Bobby Heenan announced a Japanese contingent would appear each week on WCW Pro; after the bout, Hart yelled at Renegade that he was a nobody and rubbed off his face paint; Hart then yelled, “He’s just plain old Rick, he’s nobody!”
Eddie Guerrero pinned Chris Benoit at 6:29 when Benoit attempted a back suplex into the ring, with Guerrero falling on top and Benoit’s legs stuck under the bottom rope, preventing him from kicking out; during the bout, Sonny Onoo, Masahiro Chono, Jushin Liger, Kensuke Sasaki, and Masa Saito were shown watching on from a buffet table
WCW US Champion Sting defeated Ric Flair via submission with the Scorpion Deathlock at around the 12-minute mark following a superplex; the match was decided by fans via a call-in on the WCW Hotline; after the match, Sting kept the hold applied, despite several referees; Eddie Guerrero, JL, Jim Duggan, Dave Sullivan, and WCW TV Champion Johnny B Badd then tried to convince Sting to release the hold; eventually, Sting left the ring with them before returning to the ring and reapplying the hold; Lex Luger then entered the ring and spoke to Sting, with Sting quickly releasing the hold and leaving with Luger
WCW @ Jacksonville, FL – Coliseum – November 6, 1995 (9,500; 3,500 paid; sell out)
Monday Nitro – 11/13/95 – featured an opening vignette showing Hulk Hogan, armed with a sword, wearing a hood and black mask with Hogan talking about the match later in the show between Randy Savage and Meng and said he didn’t know if Sting was friend or foe; included the announcement of the following matches scheduled that weekend for WCW Saturday Night – Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero and WCW US Champion Sting vs. Bunkhouse Buck; featured the announcement Hogan had challenged Sting to a match the following week; included Gene Okerlund conducting an in-ring interview with the Giant, Jimmy Hart, and Kevin Sullivan regarding their recent actions against Hulk Hogan:
Randy Savage pinned Meng (w/ Kevin Sullivan) with the flying elbowsmash at 4:51; prior to the bout, Savage came out of the crowd to attack Meng and Sullivan from behind; Jimmy Hart appeared ringside with Sullivan early in the bout; after the match, the Shark and Lex Luger helped in ganging up on Savage, with Luger repeatedly ramming Savage’s arm into the ringpost and assaulting it at ringside
Chris Benoit pinned Kensuke Sasaki with the dragon suplex at 2:40
Eddie Guerrero fought WCW TV Champion Johnny B. Badd to a 10-minute time-limit draw at 9:03; after the bout, the two men shoved each other before eventually shaking hands (The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro Vol. 3)
WCW US Champion Sting pinned Dean Malenko in a non-title match with an inside cradle at around the 7-minute mark as Malenko attempted the Texas Cloverleaf; during the bout, it was announced Sting would soon defend the title against Kensuke Sasaki in Japan
WCW @ Macon, GA – Coliseum – November 20, 1995
WCW Monday Nitro – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael; featured Gene Okerlund conducting an interview at the entrance with Jimmy Hart and Kevin Sullivan in which they encouraged Sting in his match against Hulk Hogan later in the broadcast, during which Hart showed footage of Hogan and Randy Savage – not Sting – filming a new episode of Baywatch; Sullivan then discussed having the Dungeon of Doom facing Hogan in World War 3; included the announcement Lex Luger, Hugh Morrus, VK Wallstreet, and Disco Inferno would be part of WCW Saturday Night; featured footage from the previous week of Savage sustaining an arm injury at the hands of Luger:
Scott Norton pinned the Shark at 1:44 with a powerslam after Shark missed a charge in the corner; before the match, Shark attacked Norton from behind in the aisle during Norton’s entrance
Eddie Guerrero pinned Brian Pillman (sub. for Ric Flair) at 6:26 with the frog splash after knocking Pillman off the top rope; prior to the entrances, Disco Inferno danced to his theme music at the entrance stage until Guerrero walked out to scare him away; following Guerrero’s entrance, Flair – in street clothes – came out with Pillman, said it was a mistake backstage that he was supposed to face Guerrero, noted he was focused on Sting, was letting Pillman take the match, and Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit were waiting on the jet with the Hooters girls; Flair then left the ring before the bout began
Road Warrior Hawk pinned Big Bubba at 3:48 after Jim Duggan appeared ringside and tripped Bubba, causing Bubba to fall and hit himself in the face with his own taped fist
Hulk Hogan (w/ Randy Savage, his left arm in a sling) fought Sting to a no contest at 9:31 when, as Sting had Hogan in the Scorpion Deathlock after Hogan missed the legdrop, Kevin Sullivan, Meng, Zodiak, Shark, & Hugh Morrus attacked both men and Savage; the bout began with Hogan, wearing a black mask, coming through the crowd and coming up behind Sting; after the contest, Hogan and Sting fought off the Dungeon of Doom until the Giant, with Jimmy Hart, came ringside; Savage hit the Giant with a steel chair but the Giant dropped Savage with a chokeslam moments later; Hogan and Sting then sent the Giant to the floor with the chair (Hulk Hogan: The Unreleased Archives, Sting: Into the Light)
WCW @ Salem, VA – Civic Center – November 27, 1995
WCW Monday Nitro – featured footage from the previous night’s interview at World War 3 in which Hulk Hogan burned his black colors and went back to the yellow and red; included Gene Okerlund conducting an interview with Kevin Sullivan & Jimmy Hart about the relationship between Lex Luger and Sting, with Sullivan blaming Luger for breaking the armbar on Randy Savage during their match last night; Hart then told Sullivan it would take a while to chip away at that friendship but he could do it; featured the announcement WCW Saturday Night would include Sting vs. Kurasawa and Jim Duggan vs. VK Wallstreet; included Okerlund interviewing the new WCW World Champion Randy Savage, with Hulk Hogan coming out moments later and said there were two men not eliminated from World War 3 – Hogan and Savage; when Hogan went to show footage from the finish of the match, the tape went out just before the Giant pulled Hogan out of the ring; the Giant then attacked Hogan and Savage from behind, dropping Savage with a chokeslam on the concrete and assaulting Hogan in the ring; moments later, Sting came out and distracted the Giant long enough for Hogan to grab a steel chair and repeatedly hit the Giant until he was knocked to the floor; Hogan then hit the Giant several more times in the aisle before Hogan and Sting checked on Savage:
WCW TV Champion Johnny B. Badd (w/ Kimberly) pinned Diamond Dallas Page at 2:10 when Kimberly threw a chain to Badd, through DDP’s legs; the chain was hidden in a bouquet of flowers DDP gave Kimberly before the match to make up with her, with the intent that she use the chain on his behalf later in the match
Bull Nakano & Akira Hokuto (w/ Sony Onoo) defeated Cutie Suzuki & Mayumi Ozaki at 5:24 when Hokuto pinned Suzuki with a fisherman buster after a single leg dropkick off the top to both Suzuki & Ozaki
Hulk Hogan pinned Hugh Morrus at 3:41 with the boot to the face and legdrop
Sting & Lex Luger defeated Arn Anderson & Brian Pillman at 5:36 when Sting pinned Pillman with a roll up; after the match, Ric Flair came out, rammed Luger head-first into the steel ringpost, and helped Anderson & Pillman assault their opponents; moments later, Hulk Hogan made the save, cleared the ring, and attempted to get at Luger as well but was held back by Sting
WCW @ Phoenix, AZ – America West Arena – December 4, 1995
WCW Monday Nitro – started a few minutes before 8pm EST; hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael; included the announcement by Bischoff that Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and the Giant were all on probation as a result of their actions the previous week; featured the announcement WCW TV Champion Johnny B. Badd vs. Disco Inferno, Brian Pillman & Chris Benoit as a tag team, Hugh Morrus, and Eddie Guerrero vs. Big Bubba would highlight WCW Saturday Night; included Gene Okerlund conducting an in-ring interview with Flair, accompanied by Charles Barkley, with Barkley saying Flair was “his man,” regardless of what the fans had to say; Flair went on to call Barkley the greatest basketball player alive and said Sting, Hogan, and WCW World Champion Randy Savage better not get on his back or Barkley might become a full-time member of the Four Horsemen:
WCW Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (w/ Sister Sherri) defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs at 7:48 when Booker pinned Bagwell with the Harlem Hangover; during the bout, Col. Rob Parker appeared in the aisle, then gave Sherri a gift, with the two kissing after she opened it; after it was revealed Parker gave Sherri a ring, the two left ringside together as the match was still in progress; the Phoenix Suns’ AC Green was shown on camera during the bout
Sting defeated Kurasawa via submission with the Scorpion Deathlock at 2:39; prior to the bout, Gene Okerlund conducted an interview with Sting and Lex Luger at the entrance stage, with Sting saying Luger had been his best friend for 10 years, disagreed with Luger’s partnership with Jimmy Hart, and thought he had a good shot of winning the WCW World Title later in the night; Sting said, should that happen, Sting planned to win the triangle match at Starrcade and challenge Luger for the title on that night; Luger responded by saying he would win the title later in the broadcast and agreed that, should they face off at Starrcade, there would be no holds barred
The Giant (w/ Jimmy Hart & Kevin Sullivan) pinned Scott Norton at 2:45 with the chokeslam after catching Norton coming off the top rope; during the match, it was announced Hulk Hogan & Sting would face Ric Flair & Arn Anderson the following week
Lex Luger (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated WCW World Champion Randy Savage via disqualification at around the 15-minute mark when, after Ric Flair interfered and knocked Savage out with a foreign object, Hulk Hogan attacked Flair in the ring and prevented referee Randy Anderson from counting a pinfall as Luger had Savage covered in the ring; before the match, it was noted WCW Saturday Night would reveal the team from New Japan that would face the WCW team at Starrcade; Savage’s left arm was heavily taped for the match; after the contest, Hogan rammed Luger and Hart’s heads together and accidentally struck Sting when Sting intervened; Hogan and Sting then shoved and yelled at each other until Savage stepped between them; following the commercial break, Gene Okerlund conducted an in-ring interview with Hogan, Savage, and Sting, during which Hogan took issue with Sting and noted teaming with Sting the following week; Sting reassured Hogan that he was on his side but Luger was his best friend; he went on to say he would make sure Luger didn’t get in Hogan or Savage’s business
WCW @ Charlotte, NC – Independence Arena – December 11, 1995
WCW Monday Nitro – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael; included Gene Okerlund conducting an interview in the aisle with Lex Luger and Jimmy Hart in which they reviewed Luger’s frequent attacks and victories over WCW World Champion Randy Savage dating back to Halloween Havoc, then adding Luger would take Savage’s title at Starrcade; featured the announcement Sting vs. Sgt. Craig Pittman, Brian Pillman vs. WCW TV Champion Johnny B. Badd, and Bunkhouse Buck vs. Alex Wright would highlight WCW Saturday Night; included Gene Okerlund conducting an interview in the aisle with Savage about facing Tenzan at Starrcade, defending the title at Starrcade, and defending the title the following week against the Giant:
Eddie Guerrero pinned Mr. JL at 4:30 with a reversal into a roll up
Paul Orndorff pinned Disco Inferno at 2:24 with a back suplex and putting one foot on the ropes for leverage; during the bout, Eric Bischoff noted Orndorff’s punches as “world-renowned left hands, if you know what I mean,” referencing his backstage fight with Vader months earlier; after the contest, Gene Okerlund conducted an interview at the entrance stage with Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, & Brian Pillman, with Pillman claiming Hulk Hogan wanted to be a Horseman but couldn’t handle being a bad guy; Pillman then said the same of Steve McMichael, Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Scotty Riggs, and Orndorff before saying Orndorff was once Horseman material but had lost it; Flair went on to comment on facing Hogan & Sting later in the brodcast before Orndorff interrupted and confronted Pillman for his comments towards him; Orndorff said Pillman was just carrying Flair and Anderson’s bags, leading to him tackling Pillman before he was jumped by Flair and Anderson; moments later, Orndorff was triple teamed before Flair and Anderson dropped Orndorff with a spike piledriver on the floor; as the Horsemen left, Orndorff was tended to by officials
Lex Luger (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Jim Duggan via submission with the Torture Rack at 2:43 after Hart distracted Duggan from the apron; during the bout, Paul Orndorff was shown strapped to a stretcher and loaded into the back of an ambulance
Hulk Hogan & Sting defeated Ric Flair & Arn Anderson at 13:27 when Hogan pinned Anderson with the legdrop; mid-way through the match, Lex Luger and Jimmy Hart appeared ringside, with Hart distracting the referee as Luger put Hogan in the Torture Rack at ringside; after the contest, Brian Pillman and Luger, with Hart, came out and attacked Sting and Hogan, respectively; moments later, WCW World Champion Randy Savage ran out, with Sting hesitating before eventually punching Savage in the face; Gene Okerlund then conducted an in-ring interview with Hogan, Sting, and Savage, with Sting telling Savage he wished he could take the punch back and Hogan noting Sting backed him up in their match; Sting and Savage then shook hands, with Hogan warning that the Giant could win the world title the next week if they all weren’t on the same page
WCW @ Augusta, GA – December 18, 1995
WCW Monday Nitro – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Steve McMichael, & Bobby Heenan; during the show open, Madusa walked out to the announce position with the WWF Women’s Title, said she always was Madusa and always would be, held up the title belt, and dropped it in a trash can to show what she thought of the title; Madusa said she was in WCW and used to be called Alundra Blayze, but not anymore (Madusa’s surprise return after a 3-year absence); after Madusa left, McMichael brought up William Perry to the announce position to make sure no one else interrupts the announcers; included a segment in which Sgt. Craig Pittman approached the announce team and asked Heenan to manage him, with Heenan saying he didn’t manage but would connect Pittman with someone that does; Pittman then said if he didn’t get help soon, he wouldn’t take any prisoners; featured the announcement WCW TV Champion Johnny B. Badd vs. Arn Anderson, VK Wallstreet vs. Alex Wright, Pittman vs. Cobra, Lex Luger in action, and an interview with Sting would highlight WCW Saturday Night; included info on how to obtain the WCW Halloween Havoc 95 VHS:
Ric Flair pinned Eddie Guerrero at 7:37 with the figure-4, with Flair holding the top rope for leverage; during the bout, it was noted Flair would challenge for the WCW World Title the following week; after the match, Gene Okerlund conducted an in-ring interview with Flair and Arn Anderson about their assault on Paul Orndorff the previous week; moments later, Kevin Sullivan, with Jimmy Hart, interrupted and told Flair and Anderson that Brian Pillman was a loose cannon and warned he would go looking for him if Flair and Anderson didn’t put him on a short leash; Anderson responded by saying if Sullivan went looking for Pillman, he might find Flair and Anderson instead
Lex Luger (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell (w/ Scotty Riggs) via submission with the Torture Rack at 3:08; after the bout, Gene Okerlund conducted an interview in the aisle with Luger and Hart, with both men referring to Luger as the uncrowned WCW World Title and claiming he would have the title soon
Sting defeated Bobby Eaton (w/ Jeeves) via submission with the Scorpion Deathlock at 3:59 after a Stinger Splash in the corner; after the contest, Gene Okerlund conducted an in-ring interview with Sting about being part of the triangle match at Starrcade against Ric Flair and Lex Luger
The Giant (w/ Jimmy Hart & Kevin Sullivan) defeated WCW World Champion Randy Savage via disqualification at around the 10-minute mark when, after the challenger hit the chokeslam and a legdrop, Hulk Hogan ran out and broke the pin attempt with a steel chair; Savage’s left arm was heavily bandaged for the match; late in the contest, Savage hit the flying elbowsmash but the Giant kicked out at 2; after the match, Hogan tossed referee Randy Anderson, hit the Giant with the chair, did the same to referee Nick Patrick, and then knocked the Giant to the floor with the weapon; Steve McMichael and William Perry then came out to stop Hogan from further attacking the Giant, with Hogan then tending to Savage in the ring; after the commercial break, Gene Okerlund conducted an in-ring interview with Hogan and Savage about Hogan’s actions, despite being on probation, with Hogan noting both the Giant and Ric Flair are also on probation but they get title matches; moments later, the Giant came out but had to be held back on the floor by Kevin Sullivan and Sgt. Craig Pittman; after seeing him, Hogan ran after the Giant on the floor, hitting both him and Sullivan repeatedly with the chair; Hogan then returned to the ring, took the mic, and said, “Oh yeah!” like Savage before telling Savage that he owed him a title shot; Hogan then wished Savage well in his match the following week against Flair, with Savage saying he would face Hogan if he could get past Starrcade
WCW @ Augusta, GA – December 18, 1995
WCW Monday Nitro – 12/25/95 – hosted by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, & Steve McMichael; featured Gene Okerlund conducting an interview at the entrance stage with Sting about his relationship with Lex Luger going into Starrcade, with Sting noting Luger was his friend and he was trying to straight him out and he still had payback to give to Ric Flair; included Okerlund conducting an interview at the entrance stage with Luger and Jimmy Hart about Luger’s relationship with Sting and Luger’s upcoming participation at Starrcade; moments later, Sgt. Craig Pittman came out and asked Hart to manage him, with Hart mocking Pittman while comparing him to Luger and rejecting the offer; featured Okerlund conducting an interview at the entrance stage with Flair about challenging WCW World Champion Randy Savage in the main event and participating at Starrcade; moments later, Hart came out, apologized for Kevin Sullivan’s comments the previous week, and offered to be Flair’s manager in his match with Savage:
Lex Luger (w/ Jimmy Hart) defeated Scotty Riggs via submission with the Torture Rack at 7:07
Sting pinned Big Bubba at 5:14 with a roll through of an attempted slam off the top rope; during the bout, it was noted Hulk Hogan had been suspended through the end of 1995 for his actions the previous week
Dean Malenko defeated Mr. JL via submission with a rolling leglock at 3:41 after a gutbuster off the top
WCW World Champion Randy Savage defeated Ric Flair (w/ Jimmy Hart) via disqualification at around the 20-minute mark when Lex Luger ran out and attacked the champion; Savage’s left arm was heavily taped for the bout; after the match, Savage and Luger fought until Sting ran out, and was jumped by Flair; Sting cleared Flair from the ring and Savage cleared Luger from the ring, with Sting and Savage then trading slaps and being held apart by referee Randy Anderson as the show ended