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00:00:00With the screams and cheers to the fans echoing in the background, this week it's an entirely different WCW Monday Nitro, because this week the arena is dark, the ring is empty, as we bring you this special edition of Nitro here on TNT, Tony Schiavone along with Mark Madden.
00:00:28Next week it's a big week for world championship wrestling, it's a big week for pro wrestling, because as we told you last week, next week begins a brand new era.
00:00:38Under the guidance of Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo, formerly of the World Wrestling Federation, WCW creative team has a brand new direction.
00:00:47We'll talk more about that during the course of this program, but we wanted to go back this week and take a look at some of the things that made WCW Monday Nitro what it has been over the past few years in pro wrestling.
00:00:58Well, TNT Monday Nitro, when it came on the scene in 1995, was a groundbreaking program in wrestling history.
00:01:05It took the two promotions in this country and put them head to head on Monday night, creating a very real competition that catapulted wrestling into the public eye like never before in history, Tony.
00:01:16And the man who founded Nitro in 1995, not long after taking over WCW the previous year, is one of the men who will be at the helm of WCW this coming Monday Nitro in Denver.
00:01:28Eric Bischoff, who teams with Vince Russo to lead WCW into a new creative era.
00:01:33It really is a wrestling success story.
00:01:36Eric Bischoff started off as an announcer, rose to the height where he ran WCW, made it the top promotion in the country.
00:01:43And all he wants to do, starting this Monday night with Vince Russo, is to do it all over again.
00:01:49I remember how exciting a time it was for all of us because I was working with Eric side-by-side as an announcer.
00:01:55And all of a sudden, he's in charge of the company.
00:01:57I'm thinking, you know, this is great.
00:01:59This is going to start something new.
00:02:01And, of course, as you said, Eric comes in a year before Monday Nitro ever debuted on TNT.
00:02:06It debuted in 1995.
00:02:08We're going to go back and, first of all, show you the thing that got Eric Bischoff off on the right foot that started the success story that would be WCW Monday Nitro.
00:02:16And what would that be, Mark?
00:02:17We both know what that was, brother.
00:02:20The signing of Hulk Hogan, the greatest drawing card in wrestling history.
00:02:24Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair signed the contract, and Ted Turner was there for Bash of the Beach of 1994.
00:02:28It's exciting to be here today for this announcement.
00:02:31Since we first put wrestling on Turner Network many years ago, it's been exciting entertainment programming for all our viewers.
00:02:39World Championship Wrestling has always been one of our most popular programs.
00:02:43The Braves have become a winning team in baseball.
00:02:45CNN is the leader in world's news and information.
00:02:48And now WCW is about to dominate the globe in professional wrestling.
00:02:54That's why we're here today.
00:02:55To sign the contract for a match between two of wrestling's biggest superstars, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.
00:03:02I join millions of wrestling fans everywhere looking forward to this great showdown.
00:03:07Now, WCW Commissioner Nick Bockwinkle, let's get this contract signed.
00:03:12Gentlemen, I would like to presume that you will conduct yourself in the manner that it is expected of both of you as the professionals that you are.
00:03:31Hulk Hogan's number one.
00:03:33Hulk Hogan's the best.
00:03:34The talk is on the street that Hulk Hogan still rules.
00:03:47And now WCW is about to dominate the globe in professional wrestling.
00:03:51I'm going to set my sights on Ric Flair and I challenge you.
00:03:55I will be the only heavyweight champion in the world.
00:03:58Billed as the most important fight of all time, Hulk Hogan would prevail, defeating Ric Flair.
00:04:04Hulkamania lives in world championship wrestling.
00:04:08Shaquille O'Neal was present to hand Hogan his first WCW World Heavyweight Championship.
00:04:14This catapulted Hulk Hogan further into starting.
00:04:18Fans across the globe embraced Hogan as their hero.
00:04:21From Venice Beach, California, Hogan covered the world with red and yellow.
00:04:25He is truly American-made.
00:04:29Hulk jumped from the ring to the silver screen starring in several movies throughout his illustrious career.
00:04:35Hollywood Hulk Hogan, international superstar of your service.
00:04:38He made appearances with people like Mr. T, Big Shad, boxing great's George Foreman.
00:04:43If he can take my shot, he can take anybody's shot.
00:04:45Sugar Ray Leonard and others.
00:04:47TV appearances were also on his list.
00:04:50Oh my God, it's Hulk Hogan.
00:04:52I did get to help him.
00:04:53You're right.
00:04:54I'm in heaven?
00:04:56No, you're Hulk Hogan.
00:04:57Ladies and gentlemen, we are awaiting the arrival of the one and only Hulk Hogan.
00:05:05Get a load of this.
00:05:06He's here.
00:05:07Oh yeah.
00:05:09Ladies and gentlemen, Hulk Hogan.
00:05:12Hulk Hogan.
00:05:12If you want to go along for the ride one more time, I'm the man to drive.
00:05:21They realized that Hulkamania was immortal.
00:05:24That the training, the prayers, and the vitamins, and believing in yourself would live forever.
00:05:30Even after I was dead and gone, brother.
00:05:32Hulkamania starts to surge.
00:05:34Hulkamania starts to grow.
00:05:36I'm going to teach the whole WCW that Hulkamania is a powerful force in the universe.
00:05:43Going all over the USA, brother.
00:05:45And everybody's in my corner.
00:05:47Do you feel what I feel?
00:05:50And listen to every one of those Hulkamaniacs, brother.
00:05:53Mirror, mirror on the wall.
00:05:55Who's the greatest wrestler of them all?
00:05:57And it's at Hulkster.
00:05:59It's your choice, brother.
00:06:00It's time for you to rise or fall.
00:06:03There comes a time in every man's life when you walk that fine razor's edge.
00:06:09And it determines whether you fall in the category of greatness or disaster.
00:06:17It has been all Hulk Hogan.
00:06:33It's time for you to rise or fall.
00:07:04To come here.
00:07:28It's time for you to rise or fall.
00:08:48I know at the time, Tony, you had your dots as well.
00:08:51Well, you may have laughed about it, the potential of a Monday Nitro event or a WCW head-to-head
00:08:57event against the World Wrestling Federation in RAW.
00:08:59But Eric was serious about it.
00:09:00This was his vision to bring a competitive show, to bring a program against RAW on Monday nights.
00:09:06And I remember all of us got together, the production guys behind the camera here.
00:09:10We got together with Eric in a boardroom at the CNN Center.
00:09:13And Eric says, we are going to go head-to-head against the WWF in RAW every Monday night.
00:09:18And I remember going, oh, my God, is he crazy?
00:09:22But just like I said, it was his vision.
00:09:24And this was the direction he wanted to take.
00:09:26And we were still unsure as we headed to Labor Day of 1995.
00:09:30All it takes is guts and talent.
00:09:32Eric Bischoff had it then.
00:09:33If I'm not mistaken, he and Vince Russo have it right now as well.
00:09:37So we're going to go back and take a look at that very first Monday Nitro as it happened from the Mall of America,
00:09:44in the Mall nonetheless, the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
00:09:47And we'll do that when we come back on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:09:54We'll be right back on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:09:59Go überall!
00:10:01Go!
00:10:02BANCY BRIDOS
00:10:07Go!
00:10:08Go!
00:10:12Go!
00:10:13Go!
00:10:15Go!
00:10:16Go!
00:10:18Yeah!
00:10:19Go!
00:10:20Go!
00:10:21Go!
00:10:22Go!
00:10:23semua,
00:10:28Minnesota, the Mall of America, the only building big enough to hold
00:10:34the debut edition of WCW Monday Nitro.
00:10:39We are coming to you live here on TNT.
00:10:43Hello everybody, I'm Eric Bischoff.
00:10:45Along with the newest member of the WCW Broadcasting.
00:10:48Hey, you made it to the big leagues, buddy.
00:10:50Listen, baby.
00:10:50Steven McMichael.
00:10:51Look at this venue here.
00:10:53This place is apropos, and that don't mean you're digging around in the dirt
00:10:57with firm implements, baby.
00:10:59Labor Day, 1995, the vision of Eric Bischoff becomes a reality when Nitro is on the air.
00:11:05And I never will forget the feeling walking into the Mall of America.
00:11:09And I never will forget, you know what I did that day?
00:11:11Because I was a producer behind the scenes.
00:11:13Eric was doing the broadcast with Steve McMichael and Bobby Heenan.
00:11:17I was so, I don't know, bent out of shape, nervous about it.
00:11:20I walked around the Mall of America for like three hours, not knowing what to do.
00:11:25And I was actually hiding from some of the production personnel.
00:11:28And I went to eat at Hulk Hogan's Pasta Mania in the food court.
00:11:32So you were the guy.
00:11:33The food court of the Mall of America because I was nervous.
00:11:36And then I remember the opening shot of the escalators and the elevators going up and down.
00:11:41I'm thinking, boy, this is a great opening shot for a wrestling program.
00:11:44And I was still unsure at that time whether it would work or not.
00:11:47Well, I was only up there as a 900-number guy for WCW, no official duties.
00:11:51I just went in to soak up the atmosphere of the moment.
00:11:54And I remember very vividly my very close friend, the late Brian Pillman,
00:11:58looked at me right before he went on to wrestle Jushin Thunder Liger in the first ever Nitro match.
00:12:04He goes, well, do you think it'll work?
00:12:07And I said, Brian, I don't know.
00:12:09And I didn't.
00:12:10None of us did.
00:12:11And let's go back to that very first matchup ever on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:12:15Oh!
00:12:17Nice counter move by Jushin Liger.
00:12:19Liger using his head.
00:12:22Now both men up.
00:12:23Both men looking for a tactical advantage here.
00:12:26But it is indeed Jushin Liger off the top rope.
00:12:30And Pillman's in trouble.
00:12:31Pillman is in serious trouble.
00:12:32He's not getting out of this.
00:12:34Wow.
00:12:36They don't get any closer.
00:12:37Wow.
00:12:38That was about a 2.95.
00:12:42How many athletes is Bobby going to underestimate tonight, fans?
00:12:46We'll see.
00:12:47Well, I don't underestimate people.
00:12:48I just, I'm a broadcast journalist.
00:12:50I just call the action.
00:12:52Oh!
00:12:54And again, we see this out of Pillman.
00:12:56He hooks a leg.
00:12:57He's got him.
00:12:59Kick out.
00:13:01We've seen that out of Pillman before.
00:13:03And I tell you what, it's very unique.
00:13:04A drop kick, a jump drop kick like that is generally an offensive maneuver.
00:13:08Brian Pillman executing it as a defensive move.
00:13:10Very high risk, but equally effective.
00:13:13And he dropped kicked him with his leg shooting up as the man was coming down.
00:13:17Very hard to do.
00:13:18Hard to do.
00:13:19Timing is critical in that move.
00:13:20And we've got the power bomb.
00:13:22And Jushin Liger has Pillman.
00:13:23One.
00:13:24Two.
00:13:25These are some superb athletes, I'm telling you.
00:13:31And you're going to see a lot more of it later on.
00:13:34You're going to see the nature boy, Ric Flair, and Sting.
00:13:37And as we announce, the WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan will face Big Bubba in the main event.
00:13:43Look at that!
00:13:44Gosh!
00:13:45Oh my gosh!
00:13:46He's out!
00:13:47He's out!
00:13:48He can't kick out of that.
00:13:49He did!
00:13:50And that's without pads or a helmet, McMichaels.
00:13:54You would know a lot about that, wouldn't you, Bobby?
00:13:58I never cared to play football.
00:14:00I'd rather own the team.
00:14:01I'll tell you what, this is incredible action.
00:14:06Liger hit the deck so hard himself, I thought he was going to knock himself out.
00:14:10But it was Pillman who took the brunt of the force.
00:14:12And now Brian Pillman trying to fight his way off that top turnbuckle.
00:14:15He looks for some offense.
00:14:17Tremendous!
00:14:18Tremendous move by Brian Pillman.
00:14:21What a match!
00:14:22Hooks to the leg.
00:14:23One.
00:14:24Two.
00:14:25He just DDT'd that man off the second rope.
00:14:27And the man kicked out.
00:14:28Both of these athletes so equally matched.
00:14:31Their styles complementary.
00:14:32I think that man's got some pads in that mask.
00:14:35Standing switch.
00:14:36He got him.
00:14:37He's got him!
00:14:38He did it!
00:14:40Ladies and gentlemen, here's your winner, Brian Pillman!
00:14:45A tremendous victory!
00:14:46We're flying, Brian!
00:14:51A tremendous, tremendous matchup between two skilled athletes.
00:14:58Liger against Pillman was the very first match ever, but it was only the beginning of Monday Nitro that night from the Mall of America.
00:15:04Here's a memory for you.
00:15:06As a producer that night, I'm walking around the backstage area.
00:15:10It was actually a boardroom in the Mall of America offices.
00:15:12And I turned the corner and I seen a suit and tie sitting at a table, Lex Luger.
00:15:17Now, you know, I talked about Eric being visionary, but we found out at that time he was more than just a visionary.
00:15:24He went and plucked Lex Luger away from the World Wrestling Federation.
00:15:28He had wrestled for them that very weekend and all of a sudden he was here on WCW Monday Nitro.
00:15:32It just shows you what he would do to make this program a success.
00:15:36On the very first night of Nitro, WCW already established it had really come to play.
00:15:42It had really come to compete.
00:15:44It wasn't just another wrestling program.
00:15:46They were going to pull new tricks out of the bag that first night and, as possible, every night after that.
00:15:52I was surprised when Luger showed up, Tony, and I don't get surprised in this business very often.
00:15:57It gave me a lot of confidence from the week before thinking this can never work, thinking that, well, you know, Bischoff is going to do the things to make it right.
00:16:06So let's go back once again to that very first night of WCW Monday Nitro at the Mall of America, Labor Day, 1995.
00:16:27Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest, live from the Mall of America, is set for one fall.
00:16:44Introducing first, from Tokyo, representing New Japan Pro Wrestling, one of Japan's most popular wrestlers, Jushin Luger!
00:16:56And he's got one tough opponent, and Flying Brian, Flying Brian, an aerial artist.
00:17:02This should be a classic matchup.
00:17:04Look at that move.
00:17:05Brian Pillman now, defensive move, heads to his tank over.
00:17:09Boy, he ripped him from Blooming Veils to Macy's.
00:17:11Man!
00:17:13Brian Pillman with an Irish rip, then it was reversed by Jushin Liger.
00:17:16Jushin Liger drops down, nice drop to Holt Takedown.
00:17:19Jushin Thunder Liger going for the reverse support.
00:17:21This is a submission Holt.
00:17:22How will he get out of that move?
00:17:24And Brian Pillman launches an aerial attack of his own.
00:17:28Hard to do, timing is critical in that move, and he's got the powerbomb.
00:17:32Standing switch.
00:17:33He got him.
00:17:34He's got him!
00:17:35He's got him!
00:17:36He did!
00:17:37Ladies and gentlemen, here is your winner, Brian Brian!
00:17:42A tremendous victory!
00:17:44And it's the US Heavyweight Champion Sting in there with 11-time World Heavyweight Champion,
00:17:50The Nature Boy Ric Flair.
00:17:52What in the hell is he doing here?
00:17:54This is just unabashed arrogance.
00:17:56The Nature Boy Ric Flair, shoulder tackle takedown.
00:18:00Sting up very quickly.
00:18:01Sting so fast.
00:18:02Incredible height on that leapfrog.
00:18:04And look at the power of this man!
00:18:06Look at the power!
00:18:07And now we're seeing vintage Nature Boy Ric Flair.
00:18:10Thumb to the eyes now, chopped to the top of the chest.
00:18:12He has Sting and Trouble in the corner.
00:18:13And it's just right hand right to the jaw.
00:18:15You've gotta admit Ric Flair has all the tricks, doesn't he?
00:18:19Ric Flair, I would have to say, has dominated the action of last minute, minute and a half.
00:18:24It's the Stinger coming back strong.
00:18:26Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
00:18:27What is this?
00:18:28I know something here.
00:18:29I know something here.
00:18:30They patched things up.
00:18:31Ric Flair up and over.
00:18:33Right by Arn Anderson.
00:18:34Arn Anderson hasn't laid a hand.
00:18:37My gosh!
00:18:39This ring just moved about two feet.
00:18:42No, Stinger.
00:18:43Sting made the mistake of turning his back on the dirtiest player in the game.
00:18:49Wait a minute.
00:18:50Uh-oh.
00:18:51What's going on?
00:18:52I told you, I didn't know who he was looking at.
00:18:53Wait a minute, I thought they patched things up, Reign.
00:18:56We're gonna have one game right here.
00:18:58All over the Nature Boy, Ric Flair.
00:19:01And so much for patching up the Family Feud.
00:19:04This is unbelievable.
00:19:05This is unbelievable.
00:19:07Here comes the man.
00:19:10The man who has waged war to slam war, if you will, on the Dungeon of Doom.
00:19:17The WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
00:19:24The WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
00:19:26This is the one Minneapolis have been waiting for.
00:19:30Now Bobby the stain, you've gotta be impressed.
00:19:33No, no.
00:19:36This man doesn't impress me.
00:19:38He impressed with the humanoid.
00:19:39He impressed with a lot of people.
00:19:41He does not impress me.
00:19:42He's just been lucky.
00:19:43The world title on the line.
00:19:47Hulk Hogan to face Big Bubba.
00:19:50And these two have a history.
00:19:53Big Bubba now taking the World Heavyweight Champion into the corner.
00:19:56Bounces his head off that top turnbuckle.
00:19:57Hogan's in a lot of trouble because this big man is gonna...
00:20:00Oh!
00:20:01That away, Hogan.
00:20:03He was luck.
00:20:04That was luck there.
00:20:08Hogan fires away with right hands.
00:20:11Coming off the ropes.
00:20:12Oh!
00:20:13This could be it.
00:20:14This could be it.
00:20:15This could be it.
00:20:16Summer.
00:20:17Don't waste any time.
00:20:18Go for it.
00:20:19One, two, and a kick out.
00:20:21By the World Heavyweight Champion.
00:20:25He will not be denied.
00:20:28Hulk Hogan will not be denied.
00:20:31I've seen this happen before.
00:20:33He hears the human eyes.
00:20:34He gets that red and yellow going to hit me.
00:20:37He hears them screaming and yelling, and there it is.
00:20:40He puts the brakes on.
00:20:41Hulk Hogan made his alive.
00:20:43Nothing can hurt that man.
00:20:45It's amazing.
00:20:46The ball!
00:20:49He hits a knock.
00:20:50Big Bubba.
00:20:51Look at that.
00:20:52Right across the line.
00:20:53One, two, three.
00:20:55He's got a winner.
00:20:56Somebody called the paramedics.
00:20:599-0-1.
00:21:01That's the end of the pool.
00:21:03Hulk Hogan, the WCW World Heavyweight Champion.
00:21:14Mark, after the program is over that night, Eric Bischoff is running around to everybody saying,
00:21:17what did you think?
00:21:18What did you think?
00:21:19He was always a feedback and always has been, I guess, a feedback type guy.
00:21:22And, you know, usually you like to build the boss up.
00:21:24You're like, oh, great.
00:21:25Everything's great.
00:21:26But, genuinely, we were all really excited.
00:21:29I mean, two hours before, an hour before, we were like, geez, can we do this?
00:21:33But we were all genuinely excited.
00:21:35And I think everybody told him, you know, we think we're going in the right direction now.
00:21:38It was only the beginning, but I think he got some very good, positive feedback that night.
00:21:43Two words for that first night, Tony.
00:21:45Home run.
00:21:46And now Eric Bischoff's back at the bat again.
00:21:48And we're going to be back on Monday Nitro to show you what happened at Memorial Day, again.
00:21:53Memorial Day a year later on this program.
00:21:56Stay right where you are.
00:21:57You are looking live as professional wrestling hottest television program has just gotten bigger.
00:22:05Welcome to WCW Monday Nitro on TNT.
00:22:12It's Memorial Day 19 and 96.
00:22:16And beginning tonight, each and every Monday, we'll be bringing you not one, but two hours of WCW action.
00:22:25So now Monday Nitro was a reality each and every Monday.
00:22:34At first, it was a one hour program.
00:22:36Eric Bischoff was the announcer.
00:22:37And I remember going to the different arenas, working in the backgrounds.
00:22:41And each and every week, it seemed like the fans were getting more and more into what we were doing.
00:22:45The signs started to pop up.
00:22:47They were cheering for their favorite wrestler, booing the guy they hated.
00:22:51But you know, one of the things that I remember was the surprises that we would have almost each and every week of maybe a new guy showing up.
00:22:57And the fans liked this.
00:22:58They were really into what we were doing.
00:23:00To me, the biggest surprise of Nitro that first year was the fan reaction.
00:23:04Eric Bischoff took WCW and did what no one before could do with WCW.
00:23:11He made it cool.
00:23:13Cool is the most important thing in society in America these days, Tony.
00:23:18And Eric Bischoff found a way to make WCW cool.
00:23:21As we were still trying to find our niche on Monday nights.
00:23:24You are looking live as professional wrestling hottest television program has just gotten bigger.
00:23:32Each and every Monday, we'll be bringing you not one, but two hours of WCW action.
00:23:40Perfect example of the young and the useless that are gonna get a wrestling education at the hands of two masters.
00:23:47Arne Anderson, the enforcer, and of course, one of the greatest players of human chess, Ric Flair.
00:23:54And here's what they gotta be cautious of.
00:23:56There's a drop kick.
00:23:57There's a close line.
00:23:58Hey, he's out of the ring here.
00:24:00Look at Mark Bagwell trying to find out the corner against two of the most experienced men in our sport.
00:24:04Flair goes down.
00:24:05Uh-oh, uh-oh, stairs up.
00:24:07And there's woman getting involved, she gowns the eye.
00:24:10And there's the DDT.
00:24:12He's out like a mackerel.
00:24:13Here are your winners, DDT, and Nature Boy, Ric Flair.
00:24:21You know who I am.
00:24:22I go wherever I want, whenever I want.
00:24:27You want a war, you're gonna get one.
00:24:30Diamond Dallas, the opponent for the Pitbull, Craig Pittman, the Battle Bowl champion.
00:24:35Whoa, Diamond Pitbull won.
00:24:37And the Pitbull's showing his tenacity.
00:24:39Hey, hey.
00:24:40The Pitbull going for the code red.
00:24:42Diamond Cutter.
00:24:43One, two, three.
00:24:45He got him.
00:24:46Welcome to the second half.
00:24:49Round two of WCW Nitro.
00:24:53The Shark a big man, but the Giants so powerful.
00:24:58I'll tell you what can happen here.
00:25:00Shark can come out of this as the WCW Heavyweight Champion of the world.
00:25:03500 pounds ready to launch off the middle turnbuckle.
00:25:06Or he can be mounted over the mantle piece of the Giants house like a big fish.
00:25:11He not only body slammed him, he picked him up with one hand, stuck him like a thumbtack.
00:25:19Lex Luger, one of the premier athletes in WCW indeed.
00:25:23But he pulls line and down goes back.
00:25:27Lex Luger now.
00:25:28At the top of his game, a physical specimen coming off the ropes.
00:25:32Body slam.
00:25:33Any time you doubt the total package.
00:25:36Lex Luger being prepared to beat the prize.
00:25:40The main event coming your way.
00:25:42You gotta give the power to Scott Steiner, but you gotta give the experience to Stinger.
00:25:47Look at this.
00:25:48Look at this.
00:25:49Right down on the concrete floor.
00:25:51You really wouldn't know that these two guys are friends if you didn't know them outside of the ring.
00:25:55I think they have that mutual respect for each other.
00:25:58Those are the kind of moves that the Steiners employ that can really hurt you.
00:26:04All right, all right, all right.
00:26:06Hey, looky here.
00:26:08Kindle, you got such a big mouth.
00:26:13You want a war?
00:26:15You got one.
00:26:17And like it or not, we are taking over.
00:26:25Nitro was established each and every Monday.
00:26:27The fans were out each and every week with their signs cheering.
00:26:30It was a great atmosphere in the arena.
00:26:32Behind the scenes, we were working very, very hard to make a success.
00:26:35It went from a one-hour program to a two-hour program.
00:26:37I think one of the things, going back and analyzing what happened and what laid the groundwork for our success,
00:26:43was you would tune in Monday night, live on TNT, and you would see something you'd never seen before in World Championship Wrestling.
00:26:51Not only stuff you'd never seen before in WCW, but stuff you'd never seen anywhere in American Wrestling.
00:26:56Right.
00:26:57You saw the top stars of Mexico.
00:26:59Ray Mysterio Jr., Conan.
00:27:01The top stars from Japan.
00:27:03Great high-fliers like Jushin Thunder Liger.
00:27:05WCW also took lighter weight wrestlers and made a tremendous cruiserweight division.
00:27:11All action, all the time.
00:27:13It was the first time lighter weight grapplers had ever been a viable entity in American Wrestling.
00:27:19And really, no other company has ever been able to duplicate WCW success with the so-called little guys.
00:27:25One of the attributes that we have seen, not only with the cruiserweight champion Malenko and Mysterio, but also the Ultimo Dragon is perseverance, Larry.
00:27:47And I think that's a trait of the entire cruiserweight division.
00:27:50These cruiserweights just do not give up.
00:27:54Eddie Guerrero.
00:27:56One of the newest additions to the lineup.
00:27:59Here in WCW, where the big boys play.
00:28:07Eddie Guerrero, a little quick, a little quicker.
00:28:09He picks up.
00:28:10He gets to the pitfall.
00:28:13Just like you said, there's a counter move to everything.
00:28:16And there it was.
00:28:19Chris Benoit in his K2.
00:28:21And you heard Chris Benoit say it when we saw him last week, live from Chicago.
00:28:26He said, hey, this is where the big boys play.
00:28:32Dean Malenko.
00:28:34This is a match both of these athletes have been anticipating.
00:28:37Both of these athletes have been waiting for.
00:28:39Well, they call Dean Malenko the man of a thousand holes.
00:28:46You can see it.
00:28:47He's still the cruiserweight champion.
00:28:49And this will go down as one of the best of Nitro.
00:28:54Ray Mysterio Jr., a great superstar that comes in to this great organization.
00:28:59And, of course, he is from south, well, actually from south of the border down in Mexico.
00:29:03We've heard so much about you.
00:29:06But I'm gonna show him what I'm made out of.
00:29:09And I'm gonna teach him tonight.
00:29:10Because I want that cruiserweight title on my waist.
00:29:16Chris Jericho making his way out to the ring.
00:29:18We've seen that Jericho has some amazing high-risk moves.
00:29:28Now he's got him up.
00:29:29And, oh!
00:29:30Great drop back move.
00:29:31Ladies and gentlemen, the cruiserweight.
00:29:33Of course, the vision is red hot as we can see.
00:29:37Here is Psychosis, Mike, today.
00:29:39Psychosis, a tremendous competitor.
00:29:41A man who has pushed Lord Steven Riegel to the limit.
00:29:44Almost became the television champion.
00:29:46Continues to be a top contender worldwide in the cruiserweight division.
00:30:04Moving to Galera, a tremendous serial attack.
00:30:07And one thing about WCW as an organization that has gotten so big,
00:30:11and has gotten so strong,
00:30:13but it's done so because of the phenomenal wrestlers
00:30:15that have come into WCW from all over the world.
00:30:27That first year, I guess, for the first six or seven months,
00:30:30Nitro was established.
00:30:31We talked about the excitement of the cruiserweights
00:30:34and the wrestlers from Japan, the wrestlers from Mexico.
00:30:37But we all knew.
00:30:38I mean, Raw was still in another league.
00:30:40And we all knew we needed that one thing to get us over the hump
00:30:43to break us out.
00:30:45And little did we know what Eric Bischoff was working on,
00:30:48but he was working on something very, very big.
00:30:50Well, when you say another league, Nitro, I think,
00:30:53as a program, competed with Raw from day one.
00:30:55But as far as ratings, as far as perception, Nitro was still behind.
00:30:59But you're right.
00:31:00All it took was one big thing,
00:31:03and it turned out to be one of the biggest things in wrestling history.
00:31:06And we're going to have that story when we come back on Monday Nitro.
00:31:09You people, you know who I am.
00:31:17But you don't know why I'm here.
00:31:23I'm here.
00:31:26Monday Nitro became a two-hour program,
00:31:28and Eric had kind of moved the announce teams around.
00:31:30He had put Larry Zbysko and me at the beginning of the program for the first hour.
00:31:34I remember sitting there at the broadcast location, Memorial Day 1996,
00:31:40calling the action, and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, out of the stands,
00:31:44Scott Hall, Scott Hall walks from the stands on into the ring.
00:31:50It really was amazing.
00:31:52The wrestling world was shocked when Scott Hall walked out on Nitro.
00:31:55Kevin Nash followed the next week,
00:31:58and it became apparent to the fans that Nash and Hall had come to WCW
00:32:03to go to the very top of the promotion.
00:32:06As it turned out, thanks to Eric Bischoff
00:32:09and the arrival of Kevin Nash and Scott Hall,
00:32:12WCW went to the very top itself.
00:32:15You know, as they say, you always remember where you were
00:32:18when, like, maybe the president was shot back in 1963, way back when,
00:32:21or when your favorite team won the World Series.
00:32:24I bet you every fan remembers where they were
00:32:27when Scott Hall walked onto WCW Monday Nitro.
00:32:29No doubt about it.
00:32:30And before you knew it, WCW was on top.
00:32:33The other guys, well, to use a Hallism, they were down there.
00:32:37This is WCW.
00:32:40You want a war?
00:32:43You're gonna get one.
00:32:44For the last several weeks,
00:32:46we've had a number of interruptions on Nitro.
00:32:50You gotta make enemies!
00:32:51All right, all right, all right.
00:32:53Man, looky here.
00:32:55You wanted to say.
00:32:56Kindle, you got such a big mouth.
00:33:00This is where the big boys play.
00:33:05What a joke.
00:33:07You want a war?
00:33:09You got it.
00:33:10I got a big surprise for you.
00:33:13And like it or not, we are taking over.
00:33:18This is where the big boys play, huh?
00:33:21We ain't here to play.
00:33:23The measuring stick just changed around here, buddy.
00:33:26You're looking at it.
00:33:29We're prepared right now to give him an answer.
00:33:32You don't jack us around, don't you?
00:33:35Oh, for Christ!
00:33:36Well, what are they doing?
00:33:38Security!
00:33:39Get up there right now.
00:33:40Unbelievable!
00:33:43This is sick.
00:33:45Hulk Hogan's here!
00:33:49Hulk Hogan is in the building!
00:33:52Come on and get some of this now.
00:33:54Who's bad now, boys?
00:33:56Hulk Hogan arrives.
00:33:58Hulk, Hulk, Hulk!
00:33:59What is he doing?
00:34:00My God!
00:34:01Is he the third man?
00:34:02He's the third man!
00:34:03What the hell is going on here?
00:34:05Hulk Hogan has betrayed WCW.
00:34:08He is the third man!
00:34:10Look at this!
00:34:11In this picture!
00:34:12My God!
00:34:13Are you kidding me?
00:34:14Probably the lowest shot ever given to professional wrestling.
00:34:18That man did right there, Hulk Hogan.
00:34:20Right down the drain, kid.
00:34:22He had a ticker tape parade.
00:34:24People lined the street for Hulk Hogan.
00:34:26What happens now to WCW?
00:34:28What in the world are you thinking?
00:34:31Me, Gene, the first thing you need to do is to tell these people to shut up.
00:34:36If you want to hear what I got to say, this right here is the future of wrestling.
00:34:42You can call this the new world order of wrestling, brother.
00:34:48And everybody was wondering who the third man was.
00:34:52Well, billionaire Ted promised me movies, brother.
00:34:57I'm bored, brother.
00:35:00That's why these two guys here, the so-called Outsiders, these are the men I want as my friends.
00:35:13They're the new blood of professional wrestling, brother.
00:35:20And not only are we going to take over the whole wrestling business
00:35:25with Hulk Hogan and the new blood, the monster's with me.
00:35:31We will destroy everything in our path, Mean Gene.
00:35:35You fans can stick it, brother.
00:35:38Three events, Mark.
00:35:40The arrival of Scott Hall, the arrival of Kevin Nash,
00:35:42and then at Bash of the Beach in 96, Hulk Hogan changing his stripes,
00:35:46becoming Hollywood Hogan,
00:35:48and the beginning of the formation of the new world order.
00:35:50Those were the three events that we all remember.
00:35:53And Eric had a plan to put these things in place to put WCW on top
00:35:58to elevate WCW and elevate WCW Monday Nitro.
00:36:01Well, Eric had to get his spine put back in place
00:36:04after Kevin Nash power-bombed him through the stage at a pay-per-view.
00:36:08Eric was willing to show backbone in a literal sense
00:36:11to get WCW to the top, but you're right.
00:36:14Hulk Hogan becoming Hollywood Hogan and turning bad.
00:36:17Now, as someone who likes bad guys,
00:36:19that's the only time in my life I ever really loved Hulk Hogan,
00:36:22and I love Hollywood Hogan's character to this day,
00:36:25but it was a turning point in Hogan's career.
00:36:28He didn't want to do it.
00:36:29He didn't want to go bad.
00:36:30He wanted to keep doing the vitamins and the prayers and the training,
00:36:33but when he turned bad, it gave him a whole new character
00:36:36and put WCW on a rocket ride to the top.
00:36:40And it gave Monday Nitro a brand-new sense of urgency
00:36:42because we were now going to the backstage area for the first time ever
00:36:46with our cameras because the NWO was on the attack,
00:36:49laying out wrestlers riding left,
00:36:50throwing Rey Mysterio Jr. against a trailer back at Disney
00:36:53when we were shooting our programs at Disney World at that time.
00:36:56So it gave WCW, Monday Nitro, a brand-new element as well.
00:37:00Rey looked like a lawn dart in a mask
00:37:02when he got thrown off that trailer's wall.
00:37:04And you're right.
00:37:05The camera moved outside the wrestling ring.
00:37:07It put a whole new dimension in sports entertainment,
00:37:10and it gave WCW more fuel to continue the climb.
00:37:16You said we need help.
00:37:17Where are they going?
00:37:18Come on, let's do it.
00:37:19They're going.
00:37:20Luger.
00:37:21Luger.
00:37:22Stick.
00:37:22Wait a minute.
00:37:23We go to the back.
00:37:24Arne Anderson down.
00:37:25They quit.
00:37:26There they are.
00:37:27They got baseball.
00:37:29Pass.
00:37:29The coward jerks.
00:37:32That's Marcus Bagwell.
00:37:33Arne Anderson.
00:37:35Marcus.
00:37:39Wait a minute.
00:37:42Everybody's left the ring here, and there's Rey Mysterio.
00:37:45Hey!
00:37:46He dove off.
00:37:47That's Rey.
00:37:47There's the Cruiserweight Champion, Rey Mysterio.
00:37:50No!
00:37:51Head first into the trailer in the back.
00:37:54He threw him like he was a dart.
00:37:56Arne Anderson, the first man we saw down.
00:38:00All six wrestlers have left the ring.
00:38:05This match is going to be a double count out.
00:38:07What match?
00:38:08The Macho Man.
00:38:09Hey, he's on the.
00:38:10The Macho Man is on the limousine.
00:38:12Trying to get the sunroom.
00:38:13Ladies and gentlemen, we apparently have some very serious injuries.
00:38:18Eddie!
00:38:19We have to take a break?
00:38:20Eddie, what happened?
00:38:21All right.
00:38:22Let's take a break.
00:38:23What's he saying?
00:38:24What's he saying?
00:38:25This is a four.
00:38:27There's three.
00:38:28There's three.
00:38:30Get on, guys.
00:38:33Now, now that everybody realizes who everybody's working for, I mean, my God.
00:38:46This guy here was the foundation of the WCW.
00:38:52Now that everybody realizes who everybody's working for, I mean, my God.
00:39:19This guy here was the foundation of the WCW.
00:39:26Now, he works for the NWO.
00:39:30I got jackknifed through a stage.
00:39:33Thank you very much.
00:39:36And the next day I woke up and I asked myself one very important question.
00:39:41Do I want to be consumed by the power or do I want to become part of the force?
00:39:47You guys know what I mean back there?
00:39:49NWO for life.
00:39:51I love you guys.
00:39:52Not only am I the highest ranking executive in the NWO, I'm the highest ranking executive
00:39:57at WCW.
00:39:59What a wonderful country.
00:40:01I have always been a Hulkamaniac.
00:40:05You are the man.
00:40:07What are they doing here?
00:40:09Whatever they want to do.
00:40:10Yeah, I mean, he can do whatever he wants to do.
00:40:12He can blackball the Macho Man Randy Savage.
00:40:14He can fire himself.
00:40:16Wouldn't be a bad idea, actually.
00:40:18We said we'd do it.
00:40:19And argue!
00:40:20And argue!
00:40:22Answer any question now.
00:40:24They say they got the best.
00:40:25I am the most powerful man in this industry.
00:40:29The NWO, don't worry about four guys, don't worry about five guys.
00:40:33The NWO is worldwide.
00:40:37For life.
00:40:39We are in control.
00:40:42Every single thing tonight that says WCW is coming down.
00:40:46Are you NWO?
00:40:48That's what I thought.
00:40:50Are you NWO?
00:40:51No.
00:40:52This is a hot tub takeover.
00:40:55Takeover.
00:40:55Are you winners or not right now?
00:40:57They're doing what do we say they do?
00:41:00I want to bring out the coolest bunch of guys that ever walked the face of the wrestling earth.
00:41:24My good buddies, let's bring out the entire NWO, let's bring them on out here, give it up.
00:41:32The man you have all been waiting for, Hollywood, Hogan.
00:41:40Give it up for the man.
00:41:41Tonight is your night.
00:41:42We want to dedicate the very first edition of NWO Monday Night Show to the World
00:41:50WWE Champion, give it up for the man.
00:41:53So we have several gifts we want to give you for Christmas.
00:41:57And you know what else?
00:42:00Let's bring out the Saturday Night Wheels.
00:42:02Come on, bring them on out here.
00:42:04Complete with your own hot tub.
00:42:06Are you familiar at all with company policy relating to receiving gifts from other WCW employees?
00:42:15No, sir.
00:42:15Ignorance is no excuse for Andy Anderson.
00:42:18But the fact is, you cannot accept freebies of any kind.
00:42:23Do you realize that you violated company policy?
00:42:26No, sir.
00:42:27I just thought I was doing my job.
00:42:29I know that you've had a tough year.
00:42:31Bought with cancer, yes.
00:42:32I don't want to hear about your personal problems.
00:42:34But under the circumstances, I have no other choice.
00:42:38You are hereby terminated.
00:42:40You're fired.
00:42:44Good luck.
00:42:45I hope that I can just ask for some way possible that you can reconsider and give me my job back.
00:42:50It's, would you please tell your daddy that he's still fired?
00:42:56Damn, I'm a funny guy.
00:42:59Do you think just because you have a contract, you can file referees anytime you want?
00:43:04There were extenuating circumstances, Mr. Schiller.
00:43:08Really, Dr. Schiller.
00:43:10Dr. Schiller.
00:43:11I am the highest ranking official in WCW.
00:43:14I am telling you right now, leave the belt here or you'll be a breaching contract.
00:43:18You are gonna be fine for that aspect.
00:43:21You think just because you have a contract, you can break the rules of professional wrestling,
00:43:26that you can take titles away from people that will?
00:43:30My understanding, Harvey, is that yes, I can.
00:43:39Well, you may have a contract, but as of right now, you're suspended.
00:43:43No.
00:43:44No.
00:43:45No.
00:43:46No.
00:43:47Hey.
00:43:48Bischoff shot it.
00:43:49It can't happen.
00:43:50It can happen.
00:43:51I mean it can happen, it has happened.
00:43:52It's the only of you who have offered yourselves up as opponents.
00:43:55You wanted to fire me, but you can't bite me.
00:43:58What the hell were you thinking?
00:44:01Mark, let's talk about the transformation of Eric Bischoff, as it relates to WCW and WCW
00:44:06Monday Nitro. First of all, announcer, visionary, as we talked about, all the the the unexpected
00:44:12things that that came out on WCW Monday Nitro each week. And then he becomes in the ring one
00:44:18of the most hated talents ever, one of the most influential talents ever. I mean, he was
00:44:22was a centerpiece of what was going on with the NWO and with Nitro. Eric Bischoff, when he turned
00:44:28to go with the NWO, was such a jerk on camera that he blurred his own reality in the eyes of
00:44:34many fans I know. People would come up to me and say, is Eric Bischoff really that much of a jerk?
00:44:40And of course, I would say, well, yeah, you should try working for him. But he really did go on camera
00:44:45and make just as much of an impact as he did behind the scenes. There was another transformation as
00:44:50well, the transformation of Sting. We knew Sting, blonde, short hair, colorful face paint. And Sting
00:44:57makes a transition as well in defense of WCW against the NWO to the blackness, the white face paint
00:45:04into an entirely different character. Tony, nobody has ever said more than Sting did
00:45:09by saying nothing. I have given my blood, my sweat, and my tears for WCW. And I carried the WCW banner.
00:45:20He turned his back on the people. I think it's time you break on through to the others.
00:45:26For all the people who did doubt me, you can stick it. I think he's went off the deep end, my friend.
00:45:33When a man's heart is full of deceit, it burns up, dies, and a dark shadow falls over his soul.
00:45:46From the ashes of a once great man has risen a curse, a wrong that must be righted. We look to the skies for
00:45:55a vindicator, someone to strike fear through the black hearts of the same man who created him.
00:46:01The battle between good and evil has begun. Against an army of shadows is a dark warrior,
00:46:11the prevailer of good with a voice of silence and a mission of justice. This is Sting.
00:46:25So,
00:46:36you
00:46:38can
00:46:52But the only thing that's for sure about Sting is nothing's for sure.
00:47:08It's showtime, folks.
00:47:11Ladies and gentlemen, let's get ready to rumble.
00:47:22Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Detroit Rock City.
00:47:28It is the 100th edition of WCW Monday Nitro.
00:47:35It had only seemed like yesterday when we first took the air, and now all of a sudden we're into Nitro, 100 episodes of WCW Monday Nitro.
00:47:58And you think back of how Nitro had evolved, the Nitro girls were now on the scene, and we had new announced teams.
00:48:08Eric Bischoff was seen in the ring, fans were booing him.
00:48:11But here's the big point about all of this.
00:48:14Eric Bischoff was the only man in the history of sports entertainment to beat Vince McMahon in his own game.
00:48:21Because by the time we went to the 100th episode of Monday Nitro, we were on top.
00:48:26We were controlling the ratings war each and every Monday night.
00:48:29Eric Bischoff had the guts to challenge Vince McMahon.
00:48:33He had the skill, savvy, and inventiveness to beat him.
00:48:36He didn't back down, not for one Monday, not for a bunch of Mondays.
00:48:40He walked up to the Tiger, looked him in the eye, and shot him.
00:48:44A lot of people out there don't think he can do it again, even with Vince Russo's help.
00:48:48I have a question to ask you about that.
00:48:51You sure?
00:48:52You sure he can?
00:48:53I think he can.
00:48:54We're going to go back and show you what happened on that 100th episode of Monday Nitro.
00:48:59It was a historic night because it was a night Lex Luger became the world heavyweight champion.
00:49:04Are you ready for Monday Nitro?
00:49:10It is the 100th edition of WCW Monday Nitro!
00:49:16And this 100th edition will be a special one.
00:49:20It will be three hours long.
00:49:22Here are the Nitro girls!
00:49:31We hear music, and that can only mean one thing, guys.
00:49:35The world champion's going to come out here at the beginning of this program.
00:49:39I'm talking about Hollywood Hulk Hogan.
00:49:41And we know that the world's title is at stake.
00:49:47It's unprecedented.
00:49:50Lex Luger, in front of all these people tonight, I'm going to drag you through the mud
00:49:56and prove that Hollywood Hogan is the god that made professional wrestling what it is today.
00:50:04Ladies and gentlemen, the total package, Lex Luger!
00:50:09I guarantee one thing to millions of viewers out there and everyone here in the arena,
00:50:14that I'm going to slap you up in the rack and become the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion tonight!
00:50:21It's been a red-hot night, and it's getting hotter.
00:50:27This is seven feet, four inches, and 450 pounds of a man possessed.
00:50:34Well, this would be the hat trick.
00:50:36He's got a place for him, too, here.
00:50:38He pointed to him.
00:50:39He caught his shot!
00:50:41Well, it's like this guy just picking up babies.
00:50:44That's right.
00:50:44You're like Babe Ruth.
00:50:45Point out to the outfield.
00:50:47And hit a home run.
00:50:48One, two, three.
00:50:49The Giant dominant again!
00:50:54He's torn apart his side, and he blames it all on Hogan and those goons there in the NWO.
00:51:00It's been about a year since anybody at WCW has talked to Sting.
00:51:03And so it's difficult to figure out just what he wants.
00:51:07But I know one thing for sure.
00:51:10WCW desperately needs Sting.
00:51:12We need Sting in the ring.
00:51:14If we're going to deal with this juggernaut, this NWO situation.
00:51:18I will do everything in my power from this point forward to try and reestablish, kind
00:51:33of rebuild that trust that once existed between you and WCW.
00:51:37I have a contract.
00:51:40It's signed.
00:51:41It's valid.
00:51:42And I have an opponent for you.
00:51:44We need you back in the ring.
00:51:46And this could be the beginning for you to face your opponent, Kurt Hennig.
00:51:52J.J. Dillon has just offered Sting an opportunity to beat Kurt Hennig.
00:51:57He has a signed contract.
00:52:07Sting, please rethink this offer.
00:52:10Let's get ready to rumble.
00:52:16The biggest title in sports.
00:52:18The biggest title in our sport on the biggest television program in the third hour.
00:52:23Live on Nitro's here.
00:52:25Here we go.
00:52:25How many times have we seen Hogan go outside and really stall for time?
00:52:38But this time he hooked right up with him and Luger shrugged him off.
00:52:40Hogan on to attack, chomping him over, throttling him in the corner, taking his wind away.
00:53:07Superhuman effort on the part of Luger to kick out.
00:53:09Now here comes Luger.
00:53:12He feels it.
00:53:13He hears it.
00:53:15Got him down.
00:53:18Scott Hall is in.
00:53:19Scott Hall goes down.
00:53:23There they are.
00:53:24Outsiders are down.
00:53:26The Bunche Man is up.
00:53:28He's down.
00:53:29They're standing in Detroit.
00:53:31Yes!
00:53:32He's got him in the ring.
00:53:35He's got him in the ring.
00:53:36Hogan says yes.
00:53:37Hogan says yes.
00:53:38Look at him tap out.
00:53:39Luger won the title.
00:53:41Lex Luger is the heavyweight champion of the world.
00:53:46It is celebration time in the Motor City.
00:53:50Lex Luger beat him, beat him.
00:53:53The NWR and became the new heavyweight champion of the world.
00:54:00Get out of here.
00:54:01Mark, I remember the excitement of being involved with WCW as an announcer, as a producer during
00:54:09those years.
00:54:10It was nothing like it.
00:54:11There's never been anything like it.
00:54:12Celebrities were jumping on the bandwagon.
00:54:13But Eric Bischoff was never a man to rest on his laurels.
00:54:17Even though the stars, the superstars, were on the program every Monday, he had an experiment
00:54:21going on at the power plant at that time that no one was aware of.
00:54:25A lot of people said at the time that Eric Bischoff couldn't create his own stars.
00:54:30He was about to prove them wrong in a very big way.
00:54:33So, what's next on this program?
00:54:35More importantly, who's next?
00:54:39Six feet, four inches tall, 290 and one quarter pounds.
00:54:45Goldberg!
00:54:54Not in the right position, not in the right ring position.
00:54:57Goldberg, I don't know much about the guy, but just from watching him move, he's going
00:55:01to have to realize his ring position.
00:55:03Wow, these guys are here on Night Raw, but Butterflies are going to have to be big.
00:55:08Well, Hugh Morris is a big man, and we see that when they're standing next to each
00:55:12other, that Goldberg is several inches taller.
00:55:13Hugh Morris to the middle, turnbuckle, going up on the top.
00:55:19Here's his moonsault.
00:55:20One, two, and he kicked out.
00:55:25Goldberg kicked out.
00:55:26He kicked out.
00:55:27That's a shocker.
00:55:28Yeah, Hugh Morris looks shocked.
00:55:30You're not kidding, he does.
00:55:31Hugh Morris, with a stunned look on his face, he kicked down in no laughing matter.
00:55:35A back elbow, puts him down again.
00:55:37How about that back flip?
00:55:41And a big power slam!
00:55:43And that's a lot to lift, over 300 pounds of Hugh Morris.
00:55:48And he did it with ease.
00:55:49That time, he's gonna pick him up again.
00:55:51Scoop slam, put him down.
00:55:53Hey, a pretty edge up for a big Goldberg.
00:55:57Watch his hair right here, go!
00:56:00To the attack again, maybe a vertical suplex here, got him up.
00:56:04Yeah, it is.
00:56:07Muscles him up, combination slam, one, two, three.
00:56:10He got him!
00:56:11And Paul, Bill Goldberg, out of obscurity,
00:56:14comes to Nitro, and pulls a major upset!
00:56:19And Hugh Morris is not laughing!
00:56:24Nitro was barely two years old, Mark, and I remember that night in Salt Lake City, Utah.
00:56:29It was September of 1997.
00:56:31It was Goldberg's first match.
00:56:33And I remember, as I'm looking at the format, and I'm thinking, we're just gonna put a no-name on here?
00:56:41What are we doing?
00:56:42You know, sometimes we second-guess the bosses as well.
00:56:45And during the commercial break, I asked one of the producers in the back, I said,
00:56:48what do we call this guy?
00:56:50And they said, we'll get back to you on that.
00:56:52And we didn't know.
00:56:53And then all of a sudden, a spear and a jackhammer later, I'm thinking, wow!
00:56:57And it evolved from there into the biggest star, biggest superstar in all sports entertainment from that moment.
00:57:04It was an instant phenomenon.
00:57:06The minute Bill Goldberg came out, the people were chanting his name.
00:57:09The spear and the jackhammer became the most feared finishing move in wrestling.
00:57:15People responded immediately to this guy, and it only kept getting bigger and better for Bill Goldberg.
00:57:20You know, as wrestling fans, we always talk that for wrestlers to get over, to become established,
00:57:25you have to be able to do an interview.
00:57:27You have to be able to talk.
00:57:28Goldberg was different.
00:57:29Goldberg didn't say a word for many, many months, and he was over with the fans.
00:57:33He didn't have to say a word.
00:57:35Actions speak louder than words.
00:57:37That's an old cliche.
00:57:39But Bill Goldberg's actions spoke louder than any wrestler's words could have.
00:57:43The man was a killing machine, and the fans responded immediately.
00:57:55You're next.
00:57:59Combination slam, one, two, three, built over, pumps the nitro, and pulls a major upset.
00:58:13He's stuck in.
00:58:23Now that was a spear.
00:58:25You're next.
00:58:27You've got a new champion.
00:58:41Listen to this.
00:58:43He said,
00:58:45he said,
00:58:49he said,
00:58:51David,
00:58:53Tate on it to their hero.
00:58:55Let the celebration begin.
00:58:57Let's begin!
00:59:27Let's begin!
00:59:57Let's begin!
01:00:27Let's begin!
01:00:28Let's begin!
01:00:29Let's begin!
01:00:30Let's begin!
01:00:31Let's begin!
01:00:32The NWO is established.
01:00:34Goldberg is off and running, and now we go to venues, arenas all around the world.
01:00:39It's a sellout every night.
01:00:4040,000 fans of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
01:00:43And I can remember back, here's a good story, but I can remember back in 1990, when I first
01:00:49came back to this company, when we would call people and beg celebrities to be seen in the
01:00:54audience.
01:00:55And now, all of a sudden, we'd look around and we'd say, oh, there's the coach of the
01:00:58Philadelphia Eagles, or there are some players with the Montreal Expos, if we were up in Buffalo,
01:01:03up towards...
01:01:04Dennis Miller, HBO stars.
01:01:05Absolutely.
01:01:06Eric Bischoff was seen on the Jay Leno program, the night show with Jay Leno.
01:01:10Dennis Rodman was a part of it.
01:01:12All of a sudden, nitro was a buzzword.
01:01:14Before I ever worked for WCW, Tony, I was a big WCW fan, dating back to the days when it
01:01:20was the old National Wrestling Alliance.
01:01:23For me, personally, as a fan, seeing WCW at the very top of sports entertainment was
01:01:29one of the most gratifying moments in my years and years of watching the business.
01:01:34It was an exciting moment because there was no question about it.
01:01:37Pick up any magazine, any newspaper, Nitro was number one.
01:01:41That was a video game.
01:01:42See you all.
01:01:43See you all.
01:01:44Go for it.
01:01:45See you all.
01:01:46Bye.
01:02:48You know, Mark, everything happens so quickly.
01:02:57It happens so fast for World Championship Wrestling, for Monday Nitro, under the leadership
01:03:02of Eric Bischoff.
01:03:03Here's a man, and I know because Eric and I have been friends, worked 24-7.
01:03:09I mean, no one could keep up with the pace.
01:03:11I would sit back sometimes and think, how long is it going to take for this guy to break?
01:03:14He would fly from city to city, got to the point to where he was flying his own airplane.
01:03:19He got a pilot's license, and no one could keep up with Eric Bischoff.
01:03:22And I was wondering, you know, what's going to happen?
01:03:25Sooner or later, this guy's got to give out.
01:03:28Well, meanwhile, in the World Wrestling Federation, something had to happen.
01:03:32Vince McMahon was getting his ass kicked week in and week out by TNT Monday Nitro, and he
01:03:38had to do something, he had to turn somewhere, his creative wealth for the time being, had
01:03:43run dry.
01:03:44He turned to a young magazine writer named Vince Russo, who took over WWF programming,
01:03:51introduced the concept of Crash TV, and started the WWF on the way back.
01:03:56And unfortunately, that started the pendulum of the swing for WCW Monday Nitro.
01:04:05This was a fairly worn knee, so we're going to see him on the sidelines for a while.
01:04:13Still seems like the wrong move.
01:04:15No, that's not.
01:04:16I mean, no matter what, no matter how you feel, you can't get anything done if your wheel isn't
01:04:20right.
01:04:21Man, he tried to push you out.
01:04:22Don't let him win.
01:04:23Get in here, get the damn thing fixed, and get it over with.
01:04:26You know, if you're talking about priorities, I think that Paige should be taken care of
01:04:30first, and then my legs second, because I can take care of Paige with a bad leg.
01:04:36Think about the future.
01:04:37Think about the long term.
01:04:38Don't think about the short term.
01:04:40Paige is going to be around.
01:04:40You heard what Nash said last night, man.
01:04:42He said he's going to take care of family business.
01:04:44It appears as if Bret Hart is in no condition to compete.
01:04:54If I got a coin pull, I got a coin pull, so don't worry about it.
01:04:58There's doctors back there that have been going to school for years that tell me that I'm hurt.
01:05:03I'm hurt.
01:05:04Okay?
01:05:05I'm hurt.
01:05:08Hey, yo.
01:05:09I got a twisted mind.
01:05:16I'm not the guy you used to know.
01:05:21You ain't the guy I used to know either.
01:05:25I did nothing wrong.
01:05:26Nothing wrong.
01:05:30We know what you're afraid of.
01:05:32The same thing you've always been afraid of.
01:05:35That's D-Lin with the symbol of excellence, the Four Horsemen.
01:05:39Let me tell you a little story about a man named Blair.
01:05:45Bishop, you can play a thousand tapes of me getting beat, but you can't walk down an aisle
01:05:53and get one drop of respect because you've never been there.
01:06:02You never paid the price.
01:06:05You never walked down.
01:06:07You're not a man.
01:06:09You are an abusive, overbearing punk.
01:06:13I am the boss.
01:06:15I have the power.
01:06:16This is my company, and there's no room for you in it.
01:06:20You and I are going to have it out.
01:06:23Ric Flair is garbage.
01:06:25You have no heart.
01:06:34Ric Flair suffered what appears to be, we hope, a mild heart attack.
01:06:41I am profoundly sorry for any pain that I've caused to Ric Flair's family.
01:06:50I'm custom made from head to toe.
01:06:54Have been and always will be.
01:06:57I ain't leaving.
01:06:58I'm telling you, Mischoff, I will leave the wrestling world forever.
01:07:05If you have the you-know-what to walk the aisle one more time.
01:07:15I ain't going home until you get your out here.
01:07:21I beat you.
01:07:22I get to run WCW for 90 days.
01:07:31The man's handcuffed, of course, he's going to come out.
01:07:37Come on up here, show me one time.
01:07:39Walk over here.
01:07:41It's all been great, but nothing is better than literally taking all of your money.
01:07:50I'm handcuffed.
01:07:51And you're a man that's going to die of a heart attack if you don't settle down.
01:07:56You're on.
01:07:58You're a dicker.
01:07:59It's Flair versus Bischoff.
01:08:02He agreed to it.
01:08:04There he is.
01:08:04No way.
01:08:05What does he mean, no way?
01:08:06Hey, that's an exit that way, isn't it?
01:08:08He's running out of this match.
01:08:09What do we got here?
01:08:10Come on, man.
01:08:11The horsemen are here.
01:08:13Benoit!
01:08:14Maliko!
01:08:15They're carrying Bischoff to the ring!
01:08:18Eric Bischoff has not left the building.
01:08:20Think of what he's doing.
01:08:22Think of what he's thinking about right now.
01:08:24NWL's here.
01:08:26Horsemen are meeting him in the aisle, though.
01:08:27Looks like he's out.
01:08:30Here come the tricks again.
01:08:31Let's go.
01:08:32Horsemen are up to the task.
01:08:34They cut him off again.
01:08:35Savage has helped Ric Flair.
01:08:37There goes to Brix.
01:08:39What a moment.
01:08:39I think we've got a new boss.
01:08:41He's gonna put on the bigger form.
01:08:43He's out of power.
01:08:44He's got it out.
01:08:45Ric Flair has won.
01:08:46Bischoff is out.
01:08:47World Championship Wrestling has just taken back control.
01:08:52And we've got a new boss.
01:08:54That man, Ric Flair.
01:08:55Woo-hoo!
01:08:56You know, a lot of us had forgot that Eric Bischoff was just a man, that he couldn't walk on water.
01:09:07He had a family at home, and he was pushing it all the time.
01:09:10And there was this burnout factor.
01:09:11I used to sit back and just watch him in the backstage area at Monday Nitro, thinking, this guy's going to crack.
01:09:17And eventually, it did come to that.
01:09:19I mean, the burnout factor was there for him.
01:09:21And while Eric Bischoff's burning out, Tony, there's Vince Russo on WWF Raw, on USA Network,
01:09:28doing some of the craziest stuff ever seen at sports entertainment.
01:09:31Stuff I couldn't believe he got away with.
01:09:33But it was hip, it was fresh, it was modern, and it was working.
01:09:36And Vince Russo, even then, was definitely a fan of Eric Bischoff.
01:09:40He saw some of the great things he did in WCW.
01:09:43He was very much an admirer of the NWO angle.
01:09:46And amazingly, Russo used some of Bischoff's own material to hoist him on his own petard.
01:09:53And sooner or later, well, sooner rather than later, unfortunately, the WWF took over on Monday nights.
01:09:59But Eric Bischoff continued to try to make changes to WCW Monday Nitro to keep it where it was.
01:10:06WCW Monday Nitro
01:10:36the brand new Monday Nitro
01:10:38and World Championship headline, Get Ready for the Millennium.
01:10:43Welcome to my studio number suite.
01:10:46Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to WCW Monday Nitro.
01:10:52And we're live from Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
01:10:57A brand new look, a brand new day
01:11:00for the same great wrestling action that you've come to enjoy and expect from your friends and world championship wrestling.
01:11:08We have got a four-way dance tonight.
01:11:11That will be your main event here on Nitro, live from Las Vegas.
01:11:16And it's for the world title, Goldberg, Hogan, DDP, and Ric Flair.
01:11:22For the thousands in attendance, and the millions watching around the world, ladies and gentlemen.
01:11:31Let's get ready to rumble!
01:11:38Hogan goes right for Flair.
01:11:39And now Goldberg hugs it out with DDP, and they're on the outside.
01:11:44Remember what can happen here.
01:11:47Flair can lose this belt without ever getting pinned or ever having to submit.
01:11:53That's how volatile this match is.
01:11:57Look, Jack Cameron Hogan.
01:12:04Nash has left our set, Tony.
01:12:05Nash coming to the ring.
01:12:07And Kevin Nash is going after Goldberg.
01:12:13And Sting, and Sting.
01:12:15He's alive and he's here in Las Vegas.
01:12:19Sting has made it to Nitro.
01:12:22Now, here's something that the fans really do not realize about Eric Bischoff.
01:12:28He was on TV, first as an announcer, and then, of course, as a talent in charge of the NWO.
01:12:33But they don't realize that he was the president of the company.
01:12:36He had to attend board meetings at the CNN Center.
01:12:39He had to fly out to L.A. to do deals to try to keep WCW afloat on that level as well.
01:12:44The tank was on empty.
01:12:47He was become emotionally and physically spent.
01:12:50He had a family he had to concern himself with.
01:12:52So Eric Bischoff, completely burned out, had to step down.
01:12:56Meanwhile, in the World Wrestling Federation, Tony, WWF Monday Night Raw had gone as high as it could go.
01:13:03It actually topped seven in the ratings at one point.
01:13:06And even if you don't understand TV numbers, take it from me, that is a monstrous, monstrous figure.
01:13:11Vince Russo was the guy, the head of all this, the creative force who brought Vince McMahon's WWF back to the top.
01:13:18But when you're at the top, what else is there to accomplish?
01:13:22That's what Vince Russo thought.
01:13:23And before anyone even knew it, Vince Russo had put his sights on going to WCW and performing the same magic again in Atlanta.
01:13:34And sure enough, before almost anybody knew it, it happened overnight, bang, Vince Russo was running WCW's creative department.
01:13:41And that story, when we come back on Monday Nitro.
01:13:46I remember, Mark, I was in Kansas City for WCW Monday Nitro and was told by the WCW executive committee that they were going to bring in Vince Russo to head up the creative team.
01:13:56And I remember, I was speechless.
01:13:59I'm thinking.
01:14:00I think we all were.
01:14:01I'm thinking now, all of a sudden, you know, Eric Bischoff is gone.
01:14:05He is burnt out.
01:14:06And now we got a chance again.
01:14:08There's a light at the end of the tunnel.
01:14:09It's a lot like Babe Ruth stepping aside and Mickey Mantle jumping into the lineup.
01:14:14Sure.
01:14:15And Russo came in with Crash TV, which is a series of short, sharp, fast, snappy segments, self-contained, but with a hook at the end designed to keep you watching, Tony.
01:14:25And there was a monstrous change in WCW TV almost overnight.
01:14:29But to me, it really worked.
01:14:30To me, it really was an exciting time in WCW's history.
01:14:36Oh, look at this.
01:14:37What is this?
01:14:38It's...
01:14:39Oh!
01:14:41Rain!
01:14:42Do you...
01:14:43That's Jared!
01:14:44Jeff!
01:14:44Jared, what in the world is he doing here?
01:14:49He's parting Buff's hair with a guitar is what he's doing here.
01:14:54We're going to find out.
01:14:55I am the chosen one.
01:14:58I'm the one with all the stroke around here.
01:15:01Go!
01:15:03Chosen one.
01:15:05Stroke around here.
01:15:06Booker T has left the building.
01:15:08I think that speaks volumes about who the chosen one is.
01:15:12Girls, we've had a lot of fun together.
01:15:17And you know the Nitro girls have meant everything in the world to me.
01:15:21But, um, it's time for me to leave the group.
01:15:26I have, uh, I have more important business to hear of right now.
01:15:34We can do it.
01:15:35We can do it.
01:15:36Follow my lead, girls, and we'll get out there.
01:15:38Follow my lead?
01:15:39Follow my lead.
01:15:40We made two balls.
01:15:41What?
01:15:41I mean...
01:15:42You guys, come on.
01:15:43Stop, A.C.
01:15:43I mean, what's up?
01:15:44You guys know.
01:15:44You always follow me, Leigh John.
01:15:45It always goes wrong.
01:15:45It's not to ease.
01:15:46It's not to ease.
01:15:46It's not to ease.
01:15:47It's not to ease.
01:15:47Yeah, whatever.
01:15:48Let's go.
01:15:48Give it to your team.
01:15:49Oh, wait a minute.
01:15:54My God, we're gonna fight.
01:15:56Yeah, I like this.
01:15:58That's A.C. Jazz and Spice and Spice.
01:16:01What's a piece of A.C. Jazz?
01:16:03A.C. Jazz and Spice are gonna hook it up here.
01:16:08Let him go.
01:16:10And this is a big night for the Nitro Girls.
01:16:13Here comes Storm and the rest of the Nitro Girls.
01:16:17Here comes Che and Fire and Tigress.
01:16:21It's a Nitro Girl pull apart.
01:16:23A Nitro Girl battle royal.
01:16:25We've never seen anything like it.
01:16:27All right, let's go in the back.
01:16:30You are still under contract to me.
01:16:32So if you're not gonna shake your little booty out in that ring,
01:16:36then you're gonna wrestle like everybody else.
01:16:41Now, as far as I know, Kimberly's never wrestled.
01:16:43This is a warm-up.
01:16:44This is the Abby.
01:16:45I guess it is.
01:16:47It's certainly gonna warm us up.
01:16:48I know that.
01:16:50And now, let's unveil the referee's outfit, please.
01:16:56Oh, Lordy.
01:16:58Oh, Lordy.
01:16:59It looks like a zebra with speed bumps.
01:17:01Woo-hoo.
01:17:04Kimberly taking full advantage as a sleeper firmly around the jaw of Asia
01:17:08who feels her nightmares are off.
01:17:11Medusa, it's a new era in World Championship Wrestling.
01:17:14How do you feel about being a part of the first ever WCW New York Evening Gown match?
01:17:19I don't enjoy tearing up women's clothes.
01:17:22I don't wanna tear off anybody's evening gown.
01:17:25That is not me.
01:17:26That's fluffed up.
01:17:28That's for women that wanna just, you know, get somewhere real quick.
01:17:31That ain't me.
01:17:32I'm a real champion.
01:17:33I'm professional.
01:17:34And I'm here to kick somebody's butt.
01:17:36They should never, ever underestimate a woman, especially me.
01:17:41Look at this woman, she's back in the ring.
01:17:51We saw her a week ago on this program.
01:17:54Can she punch?
01:17:55Look how big she is.
01:17:57She's huge.
01:17:58What a bite.
01:18:01What a punch.
01:18:03What a woman.
01:18:33I realize that there were other real men deserving of this championship.
01:18:43I relinquish the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.
01:18:48Could be an H-bomb coming here, and that's exactly what it's gonna be.
01:18:53Here come the Ravalugs.
01:18:56The Paisans, excuse me.
01:18:57Less comedy, more violence.
01:18:59How about that move?
01:19:00What a magnanimous champion the artist is.
01:19:04That man should never wrestle, my God.
01:19:11He's not gonna throw him off.
01:19:13No.
01:19:14My God, that's that sick smile.
01:19:19God, he's sadistic.
01:19:21Bischoff and Russo, two creat...
01:19:22What's that?
01:19:23Speak up, you bag of guts.
01:19:24I can't hear ya.
01:19:25What do you mean, Bischoff's a...
01:19:26You know who you're talking about?
01:19:27I've worked with both of them, you haven't.
01:19:28You're the one who's a horse's ass.
01:19:29Let's get with it.
01:19:30Welcome back, boys.
01:19:31So for three months, there's no Bischoff, there's no Russo.
01:19:36WCW is trying to find itself, and Mark, you know, it's a very tough time for all of us.
01:19:37We're trying to do things, throwing things against the wall, see if they'll stick, and it's a very tough time for our families, for all of us.
01:19:41We just don't know what to do next.
01:19:42And then, out of the blue, this announcement is that, you know, the man's going to do a lot of the money.
01:19:47You're the one who's a horse's ass.
01:19:49Let's get with it.
01:19:50Welcome back, boys.
01:19:52So for three months, there's no Bischoff, there's no Russo.
01:19:55WCW is trying to find itself, and Mark, you know, it's a very tough time for all of us.
01:20:00We're trying to do things, throwing things against the wall, see if they'll stick, and it's a very tough time for our families, for all of us.
01:20:07We just don't know what to do next.
01:20:08And then, out of the blue, this announcement is that, you know, it's a very tough time for all of us.
01:20:10This announcement comes from Brad Siegel, the head of Turner Entertainment Networks, that Eric Bischoff is going to come back as head of creative in WCW.
01:20:20A rejuvenated Eric Bischoff, and we think, direction, leadership.
01:20:25I mean, and there's a light at the end of the tunnel for WCW.
01:20:29What an announcement that was.
01:20:30And then he said, we're going to bring back Vince Russo, hopefully, to work with him.
01:20:34Of course, Russo wasn't so sure.
01:20:36He was kind of dragging his feet, and finally, last Monday, the official word came down that Russo and Bischoff would work together, hopefully, to be in charge of the WCW creative team.
01:20:46What, in light of all that's gone down in our company over the past couple of months, what an announcement that was for all of us.
01:20:53I mean, to me, it just took all the weight off our shoulders.
01:20:57Tony, I can't believe it, even now, sitting here talking about it.
01:21:01Wrestling enjoyed a boom period like never before in the mid to late 90s, no doubt about that.
01:21:07Attendance up, TV ratings up, pay-per-view buy rates up.
01:21:11Everything about wrestling soared in the mid to late 90s.
01:21:14And now WCW has two of the three men responsible for that on the same team.
01:21:21It was one of the single biggest announcements in sports entertainment history.
01:21:25And Tony, you and I deal in hyperbole.
01:21:27This is not hyperbole.
01:21:29This is fact.
01:21:30This is as big as anything that's ever happened in sports entertainment.
01:21:34Everybody talking, including the wrestlers in WCW.
01:21:38Brian, how did you feel when you heard that Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff were coming back to WCW?
01:21:44Well, if it's going to make me more money, fantastic.
01:21:48Why don't you come back and ask me in three or four weeks, and I'll let you know.
01:21:51They both have proven track records, and if they put their minds together, I think only good can come from it.
01:21:57Well, I think it's great for two reasons.
01:22:00You're going to take a 1975 booking style and move it up to the year 2000, which is what WCW needs to be if they're going to compete.
01:22:07And the second reason, you're finally going to bring someone back into the office that has a little backbone and get things done.
01:22:14Oh, I was overwhelmed.
01:22:16You know, I was overwhelmed.
01:22:19But the bottom line is, I couldn't possibly tell you how I feel about those two coming back in ten seconds.
01:22:25So you two, give me ten minutes on Nitro in two weeks, and I'll get your number talking about both of you.
01:22:31Woo!
01:22:32How about that?
01:22:33Call my lawyer.
01:22:34Well, I've been busting my butt here for five years, and I still can't get any lights from my ring entrance.
01:22:40So unless Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff want to help in the production of the Disco Infernals character, I just hope that they don't turn out like the previous management.
01:22:49So there's the story up until right now.
01:22:52Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo together heading up WCW's creative team.
01:22:57And what a team this is going to be.
01:22:59You've got Russo, who will work 24-7 right along with Bischoff.
01:23:03Russo, we know, is not too into the politics that can be behind the scenes in WCW, and Bischoff is right there for him.
01:23:11I really think, and I've been around WCW from its infancy, that right now we have established the best team.
01:23:20Wait, wait, wait, wait.
01:23:21Tony, it's traditional for you and I to disagree on Nitro.
01:23:24That's true.
01:23:25And this should be no exception here.
01:23:27You say team, but there have been plenty of teams in more traditional sports where the two superstars couldn't get along.
01:23:33When the guys who stirred the drink could only stir it bad because they did not see eye to eye.
01:23:39I've known Eric Bischoff for six years.
01:23:41I've worked for him for that long.
01:23:43I've known Vince Russo dating long before the time when he first came to WCW.
01:23:48These guys don't see eye to eye on a number of things.
01:23:51And even though they're not speaking to people right now, you hear rumors.
01:23:55You hear that Eric, as usual, wants to use established stars.
01:23:59Russo wants to create new stars.
01:24:01The name Hulk Hogan comes to mind.
01:24:03Russo will want to use them one way.
01:24:05Eric will want to use them the other.
01:24:07How will they treat the women?
01:24:09These guys, boy, the potential's there for great stuff, but the potential is there for disaster too, Tony.
01:24:14It really is, I hope not, but it really could go bad just as easily as it could go good.
01:24:20We talked about the unknown, and we'll say it again.
01:24:23Russo has not talked to anyone.
01:24:24Bischoff will not talk to anyone.
01:24:26We don't know our status as announcers.
01:24:28The wrestlers have no idea what's going to happen next week.
01:24:31But next week will be a brand new chapter for World Championship Wrestling on April 10th,
01:24:36as Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff bring us their very first program.
01:24:40A new chapter will be written next week here on TNT.