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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...

Torch Newsletter Archive
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
December 7, 1998 - WCW Nitro
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #524
Cover dated: December 12, 1998

4.2 rating

Bam Bam Bigelow (photo by Wade Keller, Torch)

(Live from Houston, Tex. at the AstroDome)... [Qii]... Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Larry Zbyszko introduced the program, hyping that 31,000-plus were in attendance. Schiavone said there had been a closed door executive meeting all day. He said they just found out it was called to address Goldberg's demands that he get a match against Bam Bam Bigelow. Schiavone said the problem was Goldberg wasn't allowed to defend the title before his match with Kevin Nash at Starrcade. Schiavone said the Nitro main event had been signed - a non-title Goldberg vs. Bigelow match... They showed footage of Scott Steiner attacking Wildcat Willie before Nitro went on the air... A four minute video package aired recapping Hulk Hogan's WCW career from his feud as a babyface against Ric Flair to his heel turn to his Tonight Show takeover to his retirement announcement. Concluded the narration: "Love him or hate him, Hollywood Hulk Hogan will be missed by millions. We will say goodbye to Hollywood"... Highlights aired of Kevin Nash & Scott Hall vs. Scott Steiner & Horace from last week's Nitro...

[Q11]... Scott Steiner came to the ring with his referee friend. Scott said, "I've only heard of two things coming out of Texas - steers and queers." Queers was bleeped. Scott asked the crowd to give a standing ovation in honor of Hogan's retirement. He then vowed he'd end Scott Hall's career by breaking his leg later on the show... A clip aired of the latest Nitro Party tape, then the Nitro Girls danced... (1) Dallas Page pinned Kendall Windham at 1:57 after a Diamond Cutter...

[Qiii]... A feature aired on Tigress of the Nitro Girls. The Nitro Girls are now getting better pushes than two-thirds of WCW's roster... Highlights aired of last week's Goldberg-Bigelow angle including his crashing the Goldberg-Nash contract signing... (2) Norman Smiley beat Prince Iaukea at 2:52. Smiley's gyrating routine is just humiliating and embarrassing enough to get him over with crowds... Okerlund interviewed Eddie Guerrero who said he is punishing Rey Misterio Jr. by sending Silver King after him...

[Qiiii]... (3) Rey Misterio Jr. pinned Silver King at 3:45... Goldberg arrived backstage with Terry Taylor and WCW security surrounding him. Nash approached Goldberg, upset over the Bigelow match being scheduled. He told Goldberg to stay focused on him and guaranteed the Goldberg-Bigelow match would not take place. Goldberg said a second hasn't passed that he hasn't dreamed of driving "his ass" through the mat. Goldberg got a pop for saying "ass"...

[Q1]... (4) Wrath pinned Renegade at 3:20 with the Meltdown... Disco Inferno came out and called out Konnan. When Konnan came out, Disco told him to reveal the big news. Konnan said he didn't know about any announcement. Disco then said that Nash has accepted him into the WolfPac. Konnan smirked and walked away. Schiavone said WolfPac fans need not worry about Disco being in the WolfPac, saying Disco was lying or delusional... (5) Stevie Ray & Horace beat Disco Inferno & Kaz Hayashi at 4:25 when Disco was spike piledriven. During the match the announcers noted that with Scott Steiner talking about Hogan and Horace talking about recent phone conversations with Hogan, that Hogan still has a tremendous influence over the sport even during retirement...

[Q2]... Kevin Nash came to the ring and said Goldberg may think he's running the show, but he's not. He said he wanted a three-way match with Goldberg and Bigelow later on the show because it's his right to get at Goldberg first... (5) Glacier beat Saturn via DQ when Ernest Miller was caught interfering at 4:10. The announcers were dumbfounded when ref Scott Dickenson awarded the match to Glacier instead of Saturn. Saturn retaliated against the ref by giving him the Death Valley Driver. Tenay brought up that the bad officiating in the NFL had made its way to WCW...

[Q3]... (6) Lex Luger beat Emery Hale via submission at 4:11 with the torture rack...

[Q4]... Chris Jericho came to the ring with Ralphus. They showed a fan in the crowd dressed like Ralphus who looked even more out of shape than Ralphus. Jericho said he hates cowboys which means all of his faithful Jerichoholics hate Texans; remember, he's in Houston, Tex. Jericho then mocked a Southern accent and declared himself the true Texas hero. (See, Bret, heels declare themselves heroes; true heroes let their actions speak for them)... (7) Chris Jericho pinned Bobby Duncum Jr. at 5:11 with his feet on the ropes for leverage. During the match the announcers talked about Paul Boesch, longtime Houston-based promoter who was regarded as one of the more honest promoters and all-around good people in the industry over the years. Heenan said Boesch was a "fair man." Schiavone said that says a lot for Heenan to say that about a promoter...

[Q5]... Fireworks lit up the roof of the AstroDome to mark the start of the third hour of Nitro... (8) Giant beat Scott Putski at 0:27. The match consisted of a chokeslam. After the match Giant called Page "leatherface." Heenan chuckled. Giant said beating Page will be an easy payday for him. After Giant left the ring, Heenan continued to chuckle about Giant calling Page "leatherface"... Backstage Konnan talked to Scott Steiner's referee while he was getting his wrists taped. Konnan said they'd tape him up WolfPac style... Backstage Kanyon chewed out Raven. He said he has been there for him, unlike his childhood friend Diamond Dallas "Scum" Page (who Kanyon said was probably at a convenience store opening) or Saturn. He even added that the man who broke him into the business, Roddy Piper, hasn't been around, but he (Kanyon) has been. Kanyon walked out and told the crowd that because Raven wouldn't come out with him for his tag match against Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko, he wouldn't be wrestling. He said, including Arn Anderson, the odds would be "two-and-a-half on one." Kanyon said he'd gladly beat one of them on Thunder in a singles match (it was pre-taped and Chris Benoit beat Kanyon via DQ when Raven interfered). Anderson gave Kanyon a shot before Kanyon fled to the back... A video package aired on the Ric Flair-Eric Bischoff feud...

[Q6]... Okerlund then interviewed Flair (w/Benoit, Malenko, Mongo, and Anderson) in mid-ring. Flair gave an energetic interview talking about his plans to take Bischoff's dignity, job, and life and thus take back WCW. "WCW is bigger than Bischoff will ever be," he said. Flair also talked about famous wrestlers in Houston's past... They showed Konnan's music video again. Afterward they showed footage of a fan dancing during the video moments earlier...

[Q7]... (9) Konnan beat Booker T via DQ at 4:34 when Stevie Ray interfered. Booker confronted Stevie after the match for costing him his chance at the TV Title. Stevie pointed at the NWO logo on his t-shirt and said Booker needs to concentrate on that - joining the NWO... (10) Scott Hall beat Scott Steiner via DQ at 1:10. Before the match Hall addressed Scott Steiner saying he was going to force him out of wrestling. Hall said, "I'm too stupid to quit, so bring it, don't sing it." Steiner yelled at Hall for the disappearance of the NWO referee (who Konnan taped up earlier). Tenay said a WCW referee wouldn't take over the bout because of the dangerous work environment. When the NWO ref hopped out onto the stage all taped up, WCW ref Mickey Jay punched him and ran to the ring to ref after all. A minute into the match the NWO Black & White JV squad attacked Hall. Konnan and Lex Luger saved Hall. Giant came out to help the NWO B&W, but Page made the save nailing Giant with a chair...

[Q8]... The announcers discussed that they had yet to hear from Bigelow, which seemed peculiar since he had a way of showing up without notice in recent weeks... Okerlund interviewed Bret Hart. When Bret put his arm around Okerlund, Okerlund said, "Don't get too friendly with me, pal." When Bret got pelted with a piece of garbage, he said the fans were throwing things at Okerlund, not him. Bret talked about how Page is probably better off trying to slay a giant than meet him in a rematch for the U.S. Title. He said while some say he is just a bag of bones ready for the glue factory, he is just getting started. At the end of the interview, Okerlund mentioned that Bret was the subject of the "Wrestling With Shadows" documentary, but didn't say when it would air... During ring intros, Michael Buffer said that Bigelow was granted a WCW wrestling license for one match only at the request of his opponent. Bigelow ran to the ring. Nash then ran to the ring. Bigelow took a swing at Nash, but Nash gave him a boot to the face. Nash beat Bigelow into the corner while Goldberg ran to the ring. Goldberg punched away at Nash. A three-way brawl broke out as the bell rang and security stepped in and pulled the wrestlers apart. Fans began throwing garbage at the ring and booed at not getting the match that was promised. A total letdown ending... [WK]




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