Note: Two complete Torch Newsletter back issues from five years ago and ten years ago are republished at the Torch VIP website (pwtorch.com/members) every week featuring full reviews of Raw, Nitro, other TV shows, and PPVs, plus the Torch cover story, WWF Newswire, WCW Newswire, ECW Newswire, ETC Newswire, "Torch Talk" interviews, columns, and more. The following is an excerpt of that feature with a full review of WCW Nitro from five years ago this week. For more information on becoming a Torch VIP member, click here: Torch Newsletter...

Torch Newsletter Archive
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
January 25, 1999 - WCW Nitro
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #531
Cover dated: January 25, 1998

(Live from Dallas, Tex.)... [Qi]... The show opened with highlights from Thunder of Vince finding the Wolfpac's hidden camera in the NWO Black & White locker room... Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Larry Zbyzsko introduced the show... A pre-taped clip ran of Curt Hennig and Stevie Ray discussing their negative feelings for the Wolfpac. They joined the rest of the B&W and tried to explain their ideas. The rest of the group harassed Stevie about the blue tiger-print shirt that he claimed to have paid $500 for... A clip aired of Ric Flair ordering Eric Bischoff to sell souveniers at a concession stand. Bischoff wore a hat and had a wig that stuck out the front of his hat... The Nitro Girls danced and the opening montage aired... After break, highlights aired of Scott Steiner interupting and harassing the Nitro Girls on the stage and later in the locker room, followed by Diamond Dallas Page's related promo from Thunder...

[Qii]... A shot aired from the airport of Stevie telling the B&W he would confront Hogan when he arrived... (1) Disco Inferno beat Al Greene with the Chartbuster at 2:58... Back at the airport, the Wolfpac jet arrived. The Wolfpac exited the plane and Stevie met Hogan, but sucked up rather than being confrontational. He blamed Vince for the problems on Thunder. Hogan pulled him aside as the rest of the Wolfpac went over to the B&W rental car. Hennig grabbed Vince from behind and said, "I've got him," but they pulled Hennig out instead and beat him up. Brian Adams protested, but they explained to him that it was business... After break, the Wolfpac arrived at the arena (that was quick). They entered their locker room with the B&W and joked around. They passed Stevie a Wolfpac shirt and harassed him about the shirt he was wearing...

[Qiii]... Bam Bam Bigelow came to the ring carrying a ladder. Once in the ring, he grabbed the mic and cut a promo. He said: "I've been to places you (Scott Hall) wouldn't even go to. I've been hardcore and I've been extreme." He challenged Scott Hall to a ladder match and the cameras cut to the Wolfpac locker room where they mocked Bigelow's challenge... The cameras cut to the concession stand, where a woman complained to Doug Dillenger that Bischoff had short changed her 15 dollars. Bischoff took back the five he had given her and gave her back five ones. The woman protested and Dillenger had one of the other concessioneers give the woman the right change. For the first time in a long time, Bischoff looked relaxed and appeared to be having fun doing his segment... Gene Okerlund introduced and then interviewed Ric Flair in mid-ring. Flair talked about his match with Hogan and then shifted his attention to Bret Hart. He announced that Bret would have to defend his title against a WCW-chosen opponent at Super Brawl and would wrestle Booker T later in the show. He said that there would be a tag tournament match later in the show and said there would be a "human-wall of wrestlers around the ring" so the Wolfpac couldn't interfere. He challenged Hogan to find two Wolfpac members to meet him, Chris Benoit, and Steve McMichael later in the show... A shot aired of suspended referee Scott Dickenson in the crowd...

Bam Bam Bigelow (artist Joseph Borzotta, PWTorch)

[Qiiii]... Highlights aired of Hall attacking Bigelow with the taser... (2) Scott Hall (w/Disco Inferno) fought Bam Bam Bigelow to a no-contest in a ladder match with the taser hanging from the ceiling at 14:01. Before the match, Hall did some mic work. Bigelow came to the ring and the match began. Hall grabbed the ladder and used it as a weapon. The match continued into the next quarter-hour.

[Q5]... After break, Hall climbed the ropes with the ladder and fell forward onto them and Bigelow. Bigelow came back, climbed the ladder, and hit a head-butt off the top of it. Hall recovered first, climbed half-way up the ladder, and hit a flying elbow on Bigelow. Hall climbed up the ladder and went for the taser, but Bigelow caught him and gave him a belly-to-back suplex off the ladder. Bigelow climbed up, but Hall dropkicked the ladder, which sent Bigelow crashing down with a great looking flat-back bump. Hall went for the taser, but Bigelow picked up the ladder and sent Hall crashing down to the mat. Bigelow climbed the ladder and grabbed the taser. Hall climbed up behind him and hit him with a low-blow. Bigelow managed to hold onto the taser, but Disco passed a second taser to Hall. They squared off. Disco headed toward the back, but Goldberg ran out and hit him with a spear in the aisle. He climbed into the ring and Hall and Bigelow turned their attention to him. They ran at him with their tasers, but Goldberg ducked, came off the ropes and hit a double-spear. Norton ran in and attacked Goldberg and the announcers explained that they would meet later in the show. Super match... Okerlund interviewed Bret in the dressing room. Bret complained about having to defend his title against a "loser" like Booker T and claimed El Dandy was a more deserving contender...

[Q2]... (3) The Barbarian & Meng (w/Jimmy Hart) beat Fit Finlay & David Taylor at 7:28... Highlights aired from Thunder of Horace & Adams beating Billy Kidman & Chavo Guerrero Jr. in the first match of the tag tourney...

[Q3]... The Nitro Girls danced on the ramp... Highlights aired of Saturn wrestling in the dress on Thunder... Bobby Heenan took over for Zbyzsko on commentary... (4) Saturn beat Norman Smiley with the DVD at 10:45. In a great spot, Smiley lifted the back of Saturn's dress and gave him his patented spanking. Why do all of Smiley's matches go at least 10 minutes?...

[Q4]... Okerlund interviewed Dickenson at ringside. Dickenson complained about being suspended by J.J. Dillon. Dickenson acted nervously and did a good job of coming off as an oddball... A shot aired of Herschel Walker (worst trade in NFL history) making the Diamond Cutter hand-sign in the crowd... (5) Bret Hart beat Booker T to retain the U.S. Title at 15:32. After 5 minutes of so-so action, the match continued into the next quarter...

[Q5]... In the end, Booker brought in a camera cable and choked Bret. As the ref was pulling the cable out of the ring, Bret hit Booker with the belt and scored the pin. Best match Bret has wrestled in months, but his offense is still very slow and methodical... A shot aired of Jean-Claude Van Damme in the front row... Highlights aired of Steiner harassing the Nitro Girls. A clip of Page's promo then aired. Schiavone said even though Page wasn't in the building, security had done a good job of keeping Steiner away from Kimberly and the Nitro Girls...

[Q6]... A shot aired of Bischoff selling merchandise in the crowd. The fans harassed him and one stole a t-shirt right out of his arms. Funny... (6) Goldberg beat Scott Norton with the Jackhammer at 5:28. Schiavone said that Goldberg would be at the SuperBowl in support of his former team, the Falcons. Lot's of missed moves by both, but great heat for Goldberg. Afterward, the B&W ran in. Goldberg fended them all off. Van Dam, Walker, Chuck Norris, and Bret Hull came out of the crowd and celebrated with Goldberg. It's too bad they passed up the opportunity of having Bret Hart ask Hull if he thinks he (Bret) is a Canadian hero. That could've been good humor...

[Q7]... The Nitro Girls danced on the rampway. Steiner sat at the announcers' desk and looked on. He said something to the announcers and then went to the back... A promo for Super Brawl aired, featuring highlights of the Flair-Hogan & Bischoff feud... Michael Buffer introduced Hogan, Nash, and Steiner. Steiner grabbed the mic and said in reference to Kimberly, "If she's gonna tease me, she's gonna please me." Steiner had strong heel-heat for his comments. Hogan took the mic and bragged about "beating Flair's child." He vowed to beat Flair at Super Brawl. Hogan also had strong heat, but for different reasons...

[Q8]... Buffer introduced the Horsemen... (7) Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash & Scott Steiner beat Ric Flair & Chris Benoit & Steve McMichael at 16:35. At the start of the match, Schiavone brought up Sting. He said unlike Alex Wright who was scheduled to be at the show, but didn't show up, you never know when Sting will appear. The ref sorted things down to Benoit and Steiner. Benoit dominated and Steiner tagged out to Nash. Nash took the advatage on Benoit and gave him the crotch-chop sign. Later, Hogan spat at Flair and tagged in Steiner. Steiner hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Benoit and went for a cover. Benoit kicked out and Steiner grabbed the ref. The next five seconds of audio was cut out as Steiner chewed out the ref. Hogan tagged back in and took control of the offense. He went for a cover, but Benoit kicked out. A voice could be heard saying, "Break Charles (Robinson, referee), break, break, break" as the show went to commercial. After break, the Wolfpac continued to dominate Benoit. At 16:00 Benoit made the hot-tag to Flair. Flair cleaned house, but Bischoff came to ringside. He passed Nash a foam finger with a two-by-four inside of it. Nash hit Flair for the DQ. The B&W ran in. Bischoff climbed into the ring with a electric razor and threatened to shave Flair's head. The locker room emptied as all of the WCW wrestlers came to the ring and ran off the Wolfpac. As they got to the entrance, Goldberg came out and beat up Luger and the B&W... Lame finish to a decent match. The show ending run-in was okay, but WCW looked pretty weak as its few "stars" like Konnan and Rey Misterio, Jr. were among guys like the lucha-snores (Super Calo, Damien, Silver King, Ciclope, etc.), Smiley, Taylor, and Al Greene... [JP]

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