WCW Monday Nitro 12/18/2000
The final Nitro of the year. The next two weeks of shows will be preempted, so that means they get 2 weeks, 2 weeks apart to build for Sin. This show is an absolute mess that I'll get into as certain events happen. Big thanks to Sunflower for sending me Observer WCW tidbits because this show I'm sure will be 100% better knowing the details of what was going on backstage. To start, Sid thought the match at Starrcade would be a double count. He found out that he was going to lose and didn't mind because he figured he'd get his heat back on Nitro. When he got to Nitro, he found out he wouldn't be getting his heat back, developed a shoulder injury, and left.
TO THE BACK. Ric Flair goes over the results of Starrcade and says he'll reveal Steiner's opponent and/or opponents for Sin.
Shane Helms vs Shannon Moore Number One Contender Match
They're both technically the number one contender since they both won the ladder match, but they can't both face Chavo, so here were are. HB2K is used for the first time in regards to Shannon Moore. A bunch of counters back and forth. Weirdly sloppy for two guys that knew each other so well in the ring. Shane hits a avalanche power slam for 2. Straight jacket German only gets a 2. Fans aren't particularly into it. Whisper in the Wind from Shannon. Shane wins with the Vertebreaker. Two black dudes in the front row sold the move better than Shannon. Chavo ran in and attacked both men after the match. They get the better of him.
TO THE BACK. MIA talk. Hugh gives Lash shit for wanting to stay friend with Chavo.
Scott Steiner comes to the ring. This is where the next crazy part happens. He comes out and shits on Ric Flair to start. Then he goes right after DDP about not having the balls to face him. He's shitting all over DDP, all his catch phrases, and for being white trash. This was unscripted and unscheduled, and DDP was not supposed to be in a program with Steiner. Ric Flair comes out. He says Steiner is the man. He's making a 3 way dance for Sin. There will be two prelims tonight. The winners will face each other in the main event, and the winner will be one of the opponents. He's also hired a mystery player and he will not let anyone know who it is.
Now after this promo, DDP was waiting for Scott Steiner in the back. They got into a fight where Steiner beat the shit out of Page and tried to rip his eye out. DDP and Nash left right after. So, 20 minutes into the show, 3 main eventers have walked out, leaving WCW scrambling and SHOOT booking on the fly.
JIMMY HART FUCK SHIT. Still. This shit is going on forever. FUCK JIMMY HART. There are a lot of guys that I appreciate more as I get older. Jimmy Hart is a guy I hate more the older I get.
TO THE BACK. Gene is with Buff and Lex. They talk about Goldberg's book. Buff bitches about being used terribly for 9 years. Their team is called Totally Buff. Steiner asks them for help with the mystery person.
Meng vs Terry Funk WCW Hardcore Championship
Oh shit. Funk's head shows up on the Nitro Vision and calls Meng a monkey face, flat footed, and says he has a banana nose. He wants Meng to fight him in the back. Funk begs off by saying he has grandkid, then makes fun of Meng's big fat nose. It heads to the ring. I really can't believe they were using Funk in 2000. He could barely move. And not only were they using him, he was in the most physical matches on shows. Meng no sells a missed superfly splash through a table. He puts Funk in the Death Grip, but Crowbar hits Meng with the golden wrench and Funk retains. Crowbar challenges Funk for Sin.
TO THE BACK. Steiner screams at Jeff to find out who the mystery man is. Why would Flair tell Jeff? Gene is with Vito. Vito says he always stood behind Reno. Except this whole angle started because Vito wouldn't have anything to do with Reno after his legal troubles. Crowbar and Daffney are walking in the back. They come across Mike Awesome. Crowbar is back to his normal gear. Mike is bummed.
Lance Storm vs Rey Mysterio Jr. Tournament Match
This could be good, but will probably be 5 minutes and end with a wacky finish. Rey's ribs are taped. Lance has a legit rib injury. Rey doesn't sell his ribs at all. He still does all his high flying moves, even when Lance works over his ribs. Lance locks on the Maple Leaf for the win. Decent enough. Lance will go to the main event.
Mike Awesome vs Jeff Jarrett Tournament Match
This is your typical Jeff match where he gets dominated the whole match, there is a ref bump, and he wins with a guitar shot. The only difference is this time Awesome took the first guitar and Jeff used one hidden under the ring while the ref was distracted. Jeff vs Lance is the main event. Weird.
TO THE BACK. Steiner says that Jeff lied to him. Jeff says he had to and will protect Steiner in the title match.
GLACIER HYPE VIDEO.
TO THE BACK. Norman was watching the promo and dances over Glacier coming back. Gene is with Shane Douglas. Shane wants a tag match against the MIA on Thunder. His partners are Kronik.
TO THE MAN SHOW. Bill helped the guys celebrate Hanukkah.
TO THE BACK. Flair is on the phone with someone. Mike Awesome is throwing shit in the back. Filthy Animals try to calm him down, but he doesn't want to hear it. It is announced that WCW will be off the air for the next two weeks.
Alex Wright vs The Cat
Cat wants a dance off. Then he gets a fat ass chant directed at Mark Madden going. He's always all over Madden. You'd think he was a WWE face. Alex is very aggressive. Cat wins with the Feliner.
TO THE BACK. A limo arrives. It's the NBT. Steiner destroys the cruiserweight division.
The NBT come to the ring. Sanders was clearly told to go out and eat some time up. He says the Perfect Event were cheated last night. He's about to announce the number one contenders for the tag titles when Ric Flair comes out. There will be a tag battle royal and the winners will face the Insiders at Sin.
Goldberg vs Buff Bagwell
Buff's new hair style just draws more attention to the balding and receding. Lex was hiding behind the apron and attacks Bill with a chair. Lex also took the ref out. Sarge hits the ring to make a save and gets hit with a chair. Sarge is so short. Goldberg is now 32-0. I swear he was 28-0 the night before.
Jeff Jarrett vs Lance Storm Number One Contenders Match
They have a pretty straight wrestling match. Lance hurts his knee on a plancha and Jeff puts on the figure four. Something must have gone long because they are really rushing through this. Jeff gets to the ropes from the Maple Leaf. Stroke. Jeff wins completely clean. How weird. After the match, Steiner comes to the ring. He calls out Flair and the mystery man.
TO THE BACK. Steiner grabs Jimmy Hart and drags him to Flair's office. Flair wasn't in there. A guy in a straight jacket and mask fights with Steiner to end the show. Now, this was Robbie Rage in the mask. It was supposed to be Rick Steiner, but no one called Rick to let him know he was needed on the show. It's like the opposite of Dustin Rhodes at Starrcade. The next Nitro is on January 8th, which is the go home Nitro to the PPV, so Rick won't be on TV to sell this angle until then since WCW forgot to tell him he was booked.
This show really is WCW to the core. Almost everything after Steiner's promo was booked on the fly since Sid, DDP, and Nash walked out. Sting and Booker were out injured, so the only top guys left were Steiner and Goldberg and they weren't in an angle with each other. Then, WCW has this big mystery man and they forget to tell the guy they want to show up to work, so they have to have a big work around that can't be fixed for 3 weeks. And then they have 2 shows to build up their PPV. And even earlier in the day, DDP and Mark Madden had a confrontation over Madden's disparaging remarks about DDP on TV that got Kim involved on the phone. DDP tried to bury the hatchet, but Madden made an ass of himself and I believe this would be his last set of shows.
The best part of all of this is that none of the wrestlers got punished at all. 3 main eventers walk out on a show, 2 DURING the show, 2 get into a fight, and the only one to get any kind of punishment is Mark Madden. None of that shit would have flown in Vince's company. WCW is clearly a runaway train at the point. There is no control in the back or on screen of anything going on. This Nitro was one of the lowest rated shows ever. They also posted a $64 million loss for the year.