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Nitro Diaries: Top Thirty Final Ballot

John Philapavage — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:45:56 +0000

To be honest, I’m not at all completely confident in the top five, but I am in the top 30 as a whole. Look, these are great matches, and if you can find any of the matches in the top thirty you will enjoy yourself. This was fun, especially watching with Paul for this section. I’ll see you soon for our new Diaries, the New Japan Diaries!

30. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 2/19/96)
29. Chris Benoit vs. Curt Hennig (Nitro 10/6/97)
28. Ric Flair vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 5/20/96)
27. Rey Mysterio Jr./Juventud Guerrera vs. La Parka/Psicosis (Nitro 12/15/97)
26. Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 3/16/98)
25. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 1/22/96)
24. The Road Warriors vs. The Steiner Brothers (Nitro 3/11/96)
23. DDP vs. Goldberg (Nitro 4/19/99)
22. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 11/17/97)
21. Lex Luger and DDP vs. The Outsiders (Nitro 8/18/97)
20. Goldberg vs. Raven (Nitro 4/20/98)
19. Chris Benoit vs. Booker T (Nitro 6/8/98)
18. Chris Benoit vs. Fit Finlay (Nitro 6/15/98)
17. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 9/8/97)
16. Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 1/12/98)
15. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 10/26/98)
14. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 3/15/99)
13. Steve Regal vs. Psicosis (Nitro 12/16/96)
12. Billy Kidman vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 9/14/98)
11. Bret Hart vs. Booker T (Nitro 2/22/99)
10. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 5/25/98)
9. Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 10/4/99)
8. Rey Mysterio vs. Psicosis (Nitro 3/17/97)
7. DDP vs. Sting (Nitro 3/23/98)
6. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 2/24/97)
5. DDP vs. Sting (Nitro 4/26/99)
4. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 11/16/98)
3. DDP vs. Bret Hart (Nitro 10/26/98)
2. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 7/8/96)
1. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 12/23/96)

Nitro Diaries: Final Ballot Part 4

John Philapavage — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:17:54 +0000

We get through all the remaining matches on the original top thirty ballot, and hopefully gain some clarity with our top five.

Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 10/4/99)

Paul had the same problems with this match that I did. It’s inherent in a tribute match for both guys to not give strong heel or face impression. With the fanfare that has accompanied this match over the years, we expected the usual great workrate from this match. What ends up shorting the viability of this match however, is the lack of pure emotion within the context of the match. While pure emotion was undoubtedly felt by the performers and everyone in attendance, it did not translate into the actual match. Good solid match that comes across as an exhibition.

DDP vs. Sting (Nitro 4/26/99)

The match started out with some solid heel work by DDP. In watching this set, Paul and I have come to find a newfound respect for his work that we didn’t have when he had his big run. DDP stalls and works the crowd into a frenzy, playing the heel who won’t be outclassed by the annoying babyface. Sting screws up a couple of spots, but it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the match much. Solid, but somewhat flubbed finish took away from this ppv-quality match. In many ways this was more pleasing and more base emotionally captivating than the more pimped Hart/Benoit match. Who woulda thunk it?

Rey Mysterio vs. Psicosis (Nitro 3/17/97)

Not every great match has to be twenty minutes. This one got across what it needed to in under ten. There are few, if any, flubbed spots. The flow is great, the crowd is hot, and there was a short story in it. Well done.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 2/24/97)

This wasn’t a sprint like the last match, and we favored the slightly deliberate pace in letting things unfold. These matches are starting to fall into line with the original rankings, and getting better with each one. There are some nasty moves hit in this one, and its vintage Rey (thanks Michael Cole).

DDP vs. Sting (Nitro 3/23/98)

Paul likes this more serious Sting than the Crow sting that slid back into early nineties bleach blond Sting in 1999. One issue of note is that DDP seems very excitable in this match, and some of his big spots suffer for it. You can see a strong maturity in big match situations in the last match (Sting/DDP from ’99) that seems to be lacking in this particular encounter. The finish was exactly the same in the last match we ranked. This match was solid, but suffered from a lack of heat from the babyface vs. babyface dynamic, and DDP’s relative inexperience as a ring general. Sting couldn’t quite pick up the slack.

DDP vs. Bret Hart (Nitro 10/26/98)

The match starts out, like all DDP matches we’ve noticed, with high energy. Guys in the (non-existent) WWE developmental should study the first two minutes of DDP’s matches for intensity and facials. Paul comments how underrated Bret was as a heel, and how unfortunate it is that WCW was so inept with his character. Bret does all the little things in this match to put over both his character and his opponent. DDP wins after a ref bump and a Bret Hart brass knuckles tease. Great match.

Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 11/16/98)

We’ve said a lot about these two in the three previous matches. There are times when I wonder if the 5/25/98 match isn’t the best, but you can argue this stuff forever. This is the match that we’ve chosen for the top five, and it holds up after a third viewing.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 12/23/96)

These two, once again, put on a picture perfect match. The love these two had in working with each other really shone through In the match, with the added interest of wrestling for a title shot. The announcers did a good job of putting this match over as a special contest in the quest for the title, and had DDP on commentary to help push the angle along. Secondary titles just aren’t given this kind of time or treatment these days. The finish saw Eddie pin Benoit after a frog splash, and was highlighted by a massive jump to count the pinfall by “Leapin” Randy Pee Wee Anderson. Not-so-fun-fact: every participant in the match, including the referee, is dead.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 7/8/96)

Rey Mysterio Jr. is wearing bikini cut panties outside of his wrestling tights, distracting John and making him question his sexuality(Paul Note). Both guys work their styles; Malenko tries to keep Mysterio on the ground, while Mysterio is too quick and slippery to be held down. There is one scary spot where Mysterio spring boards to Malenko on the outside, but Malenko doesn’t catch him. You can’t keep good bikini briefs down however, and Mysterio rebounds for the pin. Great match.

Nitro Diaries: Final Ballot Part 3

John Philapavage — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:24:44 +0000

We wander into the top fifteen and try to straighten out where some of these matches belong.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 9/8/97)

Rey worked from the bottom for most of this match, which really made it work. This got a thumbs up from Paul due to the fast paced, yet logical flow of the match. Eddie was an amazing heel in the subtle and not so subtle ways, and he could really move before his accident. Even when Rey screwed up the high spots they made it work so it really wasn’t a screw up.

Billy Kidman vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 9/14/98)

Paul points out the sad fact that we’ve got two super talented dudes here who have burned so many bridges over the years that they haven’t had steady work for most of this past decade. Sad, really. Paul also likes the opening, where Kidman totally gets outclassed by the attack of Juvy. These guys actually have rest holds, something all cruiserweights should be forced to have. Several times this match was so good that we commented to one another that “that was the perfect way to give/take that move”. Better than solid all over.

Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 1/12/98)

We mark for drop kicks off tests of strength and drop toe holds, but we go crazy and rewind to watch the most vicious chop ever by Benoit. The commentary misses this, of course, and that takes away from the match. One of the main issues with WCW during this time period was the lack of announcing focus on what was happening in the ring in favor of the “storytelling” method that current WWE has adopted. These two get up for each other’s stuff. I pop for the exchange of submission finisher attempts. The intensity is there. The match was what you would expect from these two in their primes, and had a clean finish with Malenko tapping to the crossface.

Lex Luger and DDP vs. The Outsiders (Nitro 8/18/97)

Paul can’t believe at first that this match is even up from consideration. I try to sell the storytelling and atmosphere. Mostly we just love the Outsider shenanigans. There’s a lot of posturing and read between the lines stuff in this one. The match starts out with typical Outsiders anti-heel bullshit, but progresses into a great story with solid work by all involved. Unfortunately the match ends in a schmozz, which leaves a sour taste in both of our mouths. A 4 star match with a real finish became a 3 star DQ.

Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 1/22/96)

Two aging bigger stars who were willing to bump for one another. We’ve both got soft spots for this, but the standard is Mania 8, and this will be judged (at times) by the memories of that classic. One thing I notice is they lacked fire at times where they use to excel at showing intensity. They do bump around convincingly for each other, however, and are working as hard as they can at this stage of their careers. The match itself is standard fare and seems to “run in place”. Solid match from two aging stars, but nothing memorable.

Nitro Diaries: Final Ballot Part 2

John Philapavage — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:37:09 +0000

Part two as we get matches thirty thru fifteen on our ballot worked out.

Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 2/19/96)

Flair comes out with two dead broads on his arm. Bizarre. Paul and I both thought Liz was way hotter in WCW. Just a touch sluttier with implants. We also wonder if Flair slept with Woman or Liz, but think he probably didn’t have the opportunity. We figure we would have heard of Macho or Benoit coming after him if that was the case. Why was Mongo ever on the mic, we wonder aloud. He’s hurting the early part of this match. Paul remarks a few minutes in that this is a bit boring. It’s a slower pace. Not horrible, but put up against the last few matches in order it has trouble keeping pace. It’s too much punch/kick, and Paul’s right. I think I may have over rated it. Paul thinks Flair’s working his spots, but the chemistry is off tonight. Macho does bring the movement, in my opinion. Interesting parallel, as this is Macho working Flair’s knee early, backwards from the formula begun at Wrestlemania 8 years before. They eventually cosmically right that. Bischoff is annoying me calling this trying to add excitement when there already is some. He’s over doing it. Match ends in a boring schmozz, indicative of WCW at the time. Booty Man, Task Master, AA, and Hogan come out; while Paul and I tune out. This takes last place so far.

Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 3/16/98)

Paul likes Benoit’s mullet. High praise. He finds it “dignified yet extreme” and compliments the match. This is the one where Benoit just stiffs the shit out of Raven for the body of the match. Curious how a storyline like this will hold up with Paul. Paul thinks Zybisco talks like an ice cream salesman talking to a kid. It’s pointed out to me that one of Raven’s legs is longer than the other, evidenced by the padding on the bottom of a boot. Not much is said about this match while it’s going on. It’s an acquired taste. Benoit’s crotch patch is red this time instead of black. Raven comes back after a beating and wins. Great match, given what the match was trying to accomplish, but Paul and I aren’t huge fans of the style.

Order so far:
30. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 2/19/96)
29. Chris Benoit vs. Curt Hennig (Nitro 10/6/97)
28. Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 3/16/98)
27. DDP vs. Goldberg (Nitro 4/19/99)
26. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 11/17/97)
25. Goldberg vs. Raven (Nitro 4/20/98)
24. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 5/25/98)

Chris Benoit vs. Booker T (Nitro 6/8/98)

Heard an interesting theory about Benoit recently that goes like this: Benoit was a machine of a worker who didn’t have many matches under three stars. He was almost always solid in form, technique, and style. But he rarely had matches over four to four and a fourth stars (if going by snowflakes) because of the robotic nature of his work. There was a disconnect there (and I’m not trying to make reference to his unfortunate final days. That’s kinda the way I felt about watching portions of his famed series with Booker T on this set, so it will be interesting to see how Paul feels about this match.

Paul comments that this series was an excellent way to get over a second to third tier belt. They do a lot of little things right here. Selling, counter wrestling, and positioning. Booker T is a case for why the WWE main event style is too stagnant for some people. Allowing a different style would have suited Booker better, and did early with matches versus Kurt Angle. The match is full of good reversals. That might be its strong point, along with how much the crowd was plugged into this one. Paul and I both loved the finish.

Chris Benoit vs. Fit Finlay (Nitro 6/15/98)

By the midway point Paul thinks it’s a great match, but he’s not completely sucked in. They’re doing everything right, so he thinks it might be him. I think it’s great wrestling too, but it’s systematic. We’re both glad they had the three hours to give matches like this time, because it’s the type where you think it’s awesome in the last five minutes. I’m finally into it by the seven-eight minute mark. This is so solid that by sheer effort I’m in. Paul popped for the flash submission finish, which is what sucked him in at the end. The intensity of both guys in selling the submission was what pro wrestling is all about—making you suspend disbelief enough to feel as though these two men are out to hurt each other. It almost seemed like it didn’t hold our interest as much as Benoit-Booker, but in the end it won us over more. It was all in the last few minutes, like I figured. Geek out moment!

The Road Warriors vs. The Steiner Brothers (Nitro 3/11/96)

Right away Paul is pissed at Bischoff’s lame fake surprised commentary. I don’t blame him. I’m a big mark for the Road Warrior’s entrance theme music. It’s not the one you’re thinking of. We get into a discussion about Scott Steiner’s physique and possible drug use changes. It’s fascinating, I assure you. Scott Steiner of all people is getting credit for his selling in this match, so you know the entire draw to this is about the big power moves they throw at each other. Paul makes note of the fact these guys are nearly 300 pounds, tossing each other around with ease, and no one is gassed visibly half way through. We again pop for Heenan’s great one liners, culminating in a hilarious comment about Rick Steiners “ear muffs”. Heenan sure got one over on the man who patterns himself after a house pet and a mythological nuisance. The match does lose some seam near the end, but they did a lot of cool stuff for big men. Finish is cheap for such a good athletic contest, but what are you gonna do. Paul was pleasantly surprised since the Steiner haven’t been good since probably this match, and the LOD never sold. Post-match, Scott Steiner gives one of his marbly-mouthed, non-sensical promo’s, proving once and for all John’s theory—Scott Steiner is autistic.

Ric Flair vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 5/20/96)

Eddie’s physique is totally different. We make comments. Paul makes mention of the fact Flair always showed ass (the ref shove spot HHH later stole) and gave his lower slotted opponents a chance to shine. That’s essentially the theme of the entire match here, and it’s a good story to tell. Flair continually cheats to win here, which is ironic given it’s a pre-WCW heel run Eddie in there with him. Paul comments on something that kills me about sets like this: commercial breaks where you miss parts of the story kill great matches like this. The match began to lose us toward the end, which is more of a commentary on our viewing habits than the work of the guys in the ring. We do feel as though this match would be phenomenal in a different setting: perhaps an 80’s heel champ Flair going up against the young upstart challenger in Guerrero, but since this is not the case it’s difficult for us to see this as anything more than a decent TV match. It’s getting bumped back in the pack towards the late twenties slots.

Rey Mysterio Jr./Juventud Guerrera vs. La Parka/Psicosis (Nitro 12/15/97)

I’m curious to see how Paul reacts to our first straight up Lucha match. Amazingly, here they are: Paul enjoyed the match for what it was, but has a hard time taking Lucha as seriously as he would take some of the other matches on this list. Lucha’s emphasis on spot after spot is a good way to hype up the crowd and display the athleticism of the performers, but is a different art form than what is presented in this list. Paul cautiously liked it.

Steve Regal vs. Psicosis (Nitro 12/16/96)

Not a lot to say about this one – in a good way. We both really liked the little things Regal did. It escalated well, and the selling was there at the end where you believed the accumulated damage was that of a war between these guys. A totally forgotten, but great match. Regal was the star and made lemonade where the few lemons were in this one. A great melding of styles and a definitive finish. On the level of the Benoit-Finlay match we liked, but given slightly less time to build.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 3/15/99)

Paul’s mind is a bit fried today, so small thoughts. Rey had great facials. Looked like they were fighting for something important, which is nice. He was glad Rey finally got the pin because of all the big moves he did. We’ll see where we slot this.

Bret Hart vs. Booker T (Nitro 2/22/99)

We both comment on Bret’s presence as a heel doing the little things. He should have been a heel so much earlier in his career. We both grew up on Flair so we mark out for heel Bret going out of the ring to reassess the situation. I like the tactical chess game of this match. It’s something the small guys couldn’t pull off because they couldn’t keep the audience, but the main eventers could. Booker T was a good explosive babyface, but Bret is the glue in this match. Tough day for Paul on words (he’s tired), but he says he likes the match. It’s a Bret Hart style match, so it’s nothing to super exciting, but a lot of good little things. Paul is not a fan of Bret’s figure four in this match – “he just lays there”. Good match, says Paul, with a good build, but he did not like the finish. Bret was an under rated heel. He thinks maybe he just wanted Bret to win.

Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 10/26/98)

We wonder why wrestlers dump water all over their heads. To keep cool? Paul is surprised by how stiff these guys work with each other. Good match, but Paul doesn’t feel it’s as good as the first one we watched. Just a few splitting hairs missed spots. It was more concise.

Nitro Diaries: Final Ballot Part 1

John Philapavage — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:44:54 +0000

The Paul & John Top 30 Nitro Ballot Blog

So in this case I have no other ballots to combined and get a consensus. What are the top Nitro matches in history? I don’t know, but I’ve got a top 30, and they are somewhere in there. So I got my good buddy Paul (MFP to those who follow) and we’re gonna go through these and get his opinions. I’m making a final ballot off of these watchings. I guess we’ll start from thirty and work our way down, doing this in fives and tens. First up thirty down to twenty-five. We’ll post thoughts and discussions from here on.

First up… Goldberg vs. Raven (Nitro 4/20/98)

This was our baseline calibration match. We thought it was a great place to start. Great heat. Showed WCW at it’s peak. Goldberg was no slouch, and we can’t emphasize that enough. He obviously does not have the skill-set that we expected out of late 90’s main-eventers, but his intensity and facials more than make up for it. He’s not “Ultimate Warrior 2.0”, so much as “5.0”. Raven worked his ass off and the match story was good. We’re pretty happy with the first match. This may move up. The only negative is we weren’t fans of Tenay or Zybisco’s commentary.

Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 5/25/98)

We liked how everything built to the high spots instead of just having high spots. We liked the commentary (Heenan especially), which Paul points out is a tricky art of building and adding to the match while at the same time building up the bigger WCW storyline picture. These guys had a three man booth here and nailed it. Both guys took each other’s moves well and Kidman engaged the crowd, which was a failure of someone higher up in fan’s eyes like the Benoit’s of the world. Paul comments that this match is great and reminds him of a high end HBK TV match, with both guys selling the totality of the match ¾ of the way in. They were definitely given enough time for the match and it showed. The way they teased the shooting star and ended with Juvy’s 450 was great. Ended at the right time. As Paul points out both men come away looking good. This was definitely better than the last match, so it’s standing only moves up.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 11/17/97)

I love that I knew without commentary in the first moments that Eddy was the heel. The movement here is great. Paul mentions that Eddie was definitely on GH here, and I can’t disagree, but on the positive side we both acknowledge these guys liked working together. That showed. Eddie’s heel act here was in main event form. We recognize Malenko’s “stomping a muddle hole” and Guerrero’s selling is on the level with Austin in his prime, almost better. Paul points out how vanilla Malenko is with lack of facial expressions, adding how he worried too much about the technical match and it made him look choreographed. Eddie, Paul is telling me, was awesome at working the crowd, and I’d typed that just before he said it. On a critical note, Paul notes on a PPV with more time than this would be a four plus star match, but being on TV they rush to get all their spots in, and that gives it a choreographed feel. That said, Paul and I enjoyed the time limit finish, which you rarely see these days. Better than # 30, but Juvy vs Kidman was better according to Paul.

DDP vs. Goldberg (Nitro 4/19/99)

Paul is on the same page with me that DDP had great intensity and presence at the start of the matches. Page would learn from his mistakes, and we both like the psychology. Page foreshadows his yoga for regular men by landing with his legs behind his head out of the ring. Crowd and atmosphere raises this up. Page came out of a mid-match spear well, which was a nice touch. We both agree any mistakes made here are Goldberg’s fault, because we like to place blame. Believe me, he’s not bad in this match. Interesting to see heavyweights doing head scissors. We comment on the lack of a commercial break and how it makes a match feel better artificially. This was well laid out, we agree. After the longer ref bump Paul gives in and tells me it’s getting too “sports entertainment” in him, but adds it’s better to do this on TV than PPV. The heel turn is effective, but as a match started to lose us because it’s not a famous turn. Kevin Nash comes down, and the way he holds up Goldberg makes Paul wonder whether a kiss was next. Homoeroticism aside, we place this match last so far, strictly due to the last 5 minutes.

Chris Benoit vs. Curt Hennig (Nitro 10/6/97)

Both guys in this match are dead. Wrestling is so fucked up. Benoit’s trunks have a distracting black patch in between the legs, making it seem as though he has either shat his pants, or sewed on a leather apparatus of some sort. Either thought sickens me. Paul has a good thought: Hennig joining the NWO was a waste of time and talent. He should have stayed with the Horseman as a strong face as a built up credible good guy hope. We bullshit great booking ideas for 1997 WCW that will never be. Oh yeah, there’s a match going on. Hennig’s intensity in the first half was really surprising. Paul popped for that and the finish. “Nice little TV match”. This was short.

Match order so far:
30. Chris Benoit vs. Curt Hennig (Nitro 10/6/97)
29. DDP vs. Goldberg (Nitro 4/19/99)
28. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 11/17/97)
27. Goldberg vs. Raven (Nitro 4/20/98)
26. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 5/25/98)

Nitro Diaries: Ballot After Disk 15 Disks

John Philapavage — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:30 +0000

Ballot After 15 Disks

1. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 7/8/96)
2. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 12/23/96)
3. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 11/16/98)
4. DDP vs. Bret Hart (Nitro 10/26/98)
5. DDP vs. Sting (Nitro 3/23/98)
6. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 2/24/97)
7. Rey Mysterio vs. Psicosis (Nitro 3/17/97)
8. DDP vs. Sting (Nitro 4/26/99)
9. Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 10/4/99)
10. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 1/22/96)
11. Lex Luger and DDP vs. The Outsiders (Nitro 8/18/97)
12. Chris Benoit vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 1/12/98)
13. Billy Kidman vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 9/14/98)
14. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 9/8/97)
15. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 10/26/98)
16. Bret Hart vs. Booker T (Nitro 2/22/99)
17. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 3/15/99)
18. Steve Regal vs. Psicosis (Nitro 12/16/96)
19. Rey Mysterio Jr./Juventud Guerrera vs. La Parka/Psicosis (Nitro 12/15/97)
20. Ric Flair vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 5/20/96)
21. The Road Warriors vs. The Steiner Brothers (Nitro 3/11/96)
22. Chris Benoit vs. Fit Finlay (Nitro 6/15/98)
23. Chris Benoit vs. Booker T (Nitro 6/8/98)
24. Raven vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 3/16/98)
25. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 2/19/96)
26. Chris Benoit vs. Curt Hennig (Nitro 10/6/97)
27. DDP vs. Goldberg (Nitro 4/19/99)
28. Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 11/17/97)
29. Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 5/25/98)
30. Goldberg vs. Raven (Nitro 4/20/98)
31. Billy Kidman vs. Psicosis (Nitro 4/12/99)
32. The Steiner Brothers vs. Road Warriors vs. Nasty Boys (Nitro 4/1/96)
33. Bull Nakano/Akira Hokuto vs. Mayumi Ozaki/Cutie Suzuki (Nitro 11/27/95)
34. Raven/Perry Saturn vs. Chris Benoit/Dean Malenko (Nitro 5/17/99)
35. Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart (Nitro 6/22/98)
36. DDP vs. Curt Hennig (Nitro 10/13/97)
37. Chris Benoit vs. Booker T (Nitro 5/25/98)
38. Eddie Guerrero/Juventud Guerrera vs. Billy Kidman/Rey Mysterio Jr. (Nitro 12/28/98)
39. Ric Flair and Arn Anderson vs. the Rock’n Roll Express (Nitro 6/3/96)
40. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. El Caliente (Nitro 9/29/97)
41. Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (Nitro 10/27/97)
42. Sting vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 9/20/99)
43. Rey Mysterio Jr./Juventud Guerrera/Hector Garza vs. Psicosis/La Parka/Silver King (Nitro 12/22/97)
44. Juventud Guerrera/Super Calo/Hector Garza vs. La Parka/Damian/Ciclope (Nitro 5/26/97)
45. Raven and Saturn vs. Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko (Nitro 3/22/99)
46. Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (Nitro 12/30/96)
47. Steve Regal vs. Fit Finlay (Parking Lot Brawl)(Nitro 4/29/96)
48. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 7/15/96)
49. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 9/15/97)
50. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (Nitro 12/21/98)
51. Sting vs. Steven Regal (Nitro 5/6/96)
52. Chris Benoit vs. Booker T (Nitro 6/1/98)
53. Psicosis vs. Juventud Guerrera vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Blitzkrieg (Nitro 4/19/99)
54. Sting vs. Hollywood Hogan (Nitro 12/29/97)
55. Super Calo vs. Chris Jericho (Nitro 2/2/98)
56. Eddie Guerrero vs. Ultimo Dragon (Nitro 10/6/97)
57. Ric Flair vs. Sting (Nitro 11/6/95)
58. Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. and Billy Kidman (Nitro 3/29/99)
59. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 10/16/95)
60. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (Nitro 11/10/97)
61. Juventud Guerrera vs. Psicosis (Nitro 2/2/98)
62. Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan (Nitro 2/14/00)
63. Dean Malenko vs. Jushin Liger (Nitro 5/6/96)
64. Ric Flair vs. Scott Hall (Nitro 6/2/97)
65. Ric Flair vs. Sting (Nitro 1/15/96)
66. The Steiner Brothers vs. Scott Hall and Syxx (Nitro 10/13/97)
67. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 6/17/96)
68. El Dandy vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 2/9/98)
69. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psicosis (Nitro 1/6/97)
70. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Kevin Nash (Nitro 2/22/99)
71. Booker T vs. Lance Storm (Nitro 8/7/00)
72. Ric Flair vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. (Nitro 3/22/99)
73. Booker T. vs. Scott Steiner vs. Mike Awesome (Nitro 10/30/00)
74. Steven Regal vs. Goldberg (Nitro 2/9/98)
75. Scott Hall/Giant vs. Sting/Kevin Nash (Nitro 7/20/98)
76. DDP vs. Hollywood Hogan (Nitro 10/27/97)
77. Hollywood Hogan/Sting/Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash/Sid/Scott Steiner (Nitro 8/9/99)
78. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 4/12/99)
79. Sting vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 11/13/95)
80. Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 11/18/96)
81. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Blitzkrieg (Nitro 2/8/99)
82. Scott Steiner vs. Sting (Nitro 5/27/96)
83. Booker T vs. Scott Steiner (WCW and US Title) (Nitro 3/26/01)
84. Sting vs. Ric Flair (Nitro 4/12/99)
85. Hollywood Hogan vs. Lex Luger (Nitro 8/4/97)
86. Psicosis vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 10/13/97)
87. Lex Luger vs. Hollywood Hogan (Nitro 6/9/97)
88. Eddie Guerrero vs. Psicosis (Nitro 7/22/96)
89. Ric Flair vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 12/18/95)
90. Eddie Guerrero vs. Psicosis (Nitro 7/8/96)
91. The Villanos vs. Hector Garza and Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 7/7/97)
92. Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan (Nitro 1/29/96)
93. Rick Steiner vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 10/7/96)
94. Sting/Lex Luger vs. Ric Flair/The Giant (Nitro 4/15/96)
95. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Scott Norton (Nitro 3/8/99)
96. Eddie Guerrero vs. Mr. JL (Nitro 12/11/95)
97. Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko (Nitro 2/24/97)
98. Dean Malenko vs. Brian Pillman (Nitro 1/22/96)
99. Ric Flair vs. Arn Anderson (Cage Match)(Nitro 10/9/95)
100. Lash LeRoux vs. Yang (Nitro 2/12/01)
101. Scott Steiner vs. The Giant (Nitro 6/17/96)
102. Arn Anderson vs. Hollywood Hogan (Nitro 2/12/96)
103. The Steiner Brothers vs. The Outsiders (Nitro 1/12/98)
104. Randy Savage vs. Fit Finlay (Nitro 3/25/96)
105. The Giant vs. Curt Hennig (Nitro 9/29/97)
106. Lance Storm vs. Mike Awesome (Nitro 7/18/00)
107. Goldberg vs. Sting (Nitro 9/14/98)
108. Scott Steiner vs. Ray Traylor (Nitro 3/16/98)
109. Randy Savage vs. Chris Benoit (Nitro 2/5/96)
110. Sting vs. Ric Flair (Nitro 3/26/01)
111. Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting (Nitro 11/20/95)
112. Ric Flair vs. Sting (Nitro 9/4/95)
113. Scott Steiner vs. Goldberg (Nitro 7/18/00)
114. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Ciclope (Nitro 11/11/96)
115. Ric Flair vs. The Giant (Nitro 4/29/96)
116. Brian Pillman vs. Jushin Liger (Nitro 9/4/95)
117. Ric Flair and Roddy Piper vs. The Outsiders (Nitro 6/9/97)
118. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 10/27/97)
119. Scott Steiner vs. Mike Awesome (Nitro 10/23/00)
120. Hollywood Hogan/Scott Hall/Kevin Nash vs. Sting/Giant/Randy Savage (Nitro 3/9/98)
121. The Steiner Brothers vs. Sting and Lex Luger (Nitro 6/3/96)
122. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho (Nitro 12/30/96)
123. Elix Skipper vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 2/12/01)
124. The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (Nitro 3/17/97)
125. Ric Flair vs. Jeff Jarrett (Flair wins his last World Title) (Nitro 5/15/00)
126. Hollywood Hogan vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 4/20/98)
127. The Steiner Brothers vs. Konnan and Buff Bagwell (Nitro 1/19/98)
128. Ric Flair vs. Jeff Jarrett (Nitro 5/29/00)
129. Sabu vs. Mr. JL (Nitro 10/9/95)
130. Ric Flair vs. The Giant (Nitro 3/25/96)
131. Chavo Guerrero vs. Crowbar (Nitro 1/15/01)
132. Randy Savage vs. Roddy Piper (Nitro 3/23/98)
133. Lex Luger vs. The Giant (Nitro 5/13/96)
134. Ric Flair vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 12/25/95)
135. La Parka vs. Juventud Guerrera (Nitro 11/18/96)
136. Jeff Jarrett and Booker T vs. Scott Steiner and Sting (Nitro 10/2/00)
137. La Parka/Silver King vs. Damian/Ciclope (Mexican Hardcore Match) (Nitro 6/7/99)
138. Hollywood Hogan vs. Goldberg (Nitro 7/6/98)
139. Sting and Lex Luger vs. Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman (Nitro 11/27/95)
140. Mike Awesome vs. Vampiro (Nitro 9/18/00)
141. The Steiner Brothers vs. Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton (Nitro 7/14/97)
142. The Steiner Brothers vs. Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton (Nitro 2/16/98)
143. Hollywood Hogan vs. Bret Hart (Nitro 9/28/98)
144. Hollywood Hogan vs. Randy Savage (Nitro 7/12/99)
145. Harlem Heat vs. The Steiner Brothers vs. Sting and Lex Luger (Nitro 6/24/96)
146. Randy Savage vs. La Parka (Nitro 7/7/97)
147. Ultimo Dragon vs. Eddie Guerrero (Nitro 12/29/97)
148. Jeff Jarrett vs. Booker T (49er Match) (Nitro 10/2/00)
149. Ric Flair vs. Syxx (Nitro 5/19/97)
150. DDP vs. Mike Awesome (Stretcher Match) (Nitro 5/8/00)
151. Crowbar vs. Vampiro (Nitro 10/23/00)
152. Raven vs. Scotty Riggs (Nitro 10/27/97)
153. War Games 2000 Cage Match (Nitro 9/4/00)

Nitro Diaries: Disk 15 Rankings

John Philapavage — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:58:33 +0000

Disk 15 Rankings

1. Booker T. vs. Scott Steiner vs. Mike Awesome (Nitro 10/30/00)
2. Booker T vs. Scott Steiner (WCW and US Title) (Nitro 3/26/01)
3. Lash LeRoux vs. Yang (Nitro 2/12/01)
4. Sting vs. Ric Flair (Nitro 3/26/01)
5. Scott Steiner vs. Mike Awesome (Nitro 10/23/00)
6. Elix Skipper vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 2/12/01)
7. Chavo Guerrero vs. Crowbar (Nitro 1/15/01)
8. Jeff Jarrett and Booker T vs. Scott Steiner and Sting (Nitro 10/2/00)
9. Jeff Jarrett vs. Booker T (49er Match) (Nitro 10/2/00)
10. Crowbar vs. Vampiro (Nitro 10/23/00)

Nitro Diaries: Match # 153

John Philapavage — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:50:56 +0000

Match # 153: Sting vs. Ric Flair (Nitro 3/26/01)

And so we reach the end in an appropriate manner. They wrestled on the first Nitro, and they wrestle on the last. Before we begin the reassessment of the top 30 Nitro matches with MFP (My Friend Paul), we give some slack to Flair and Sting and try to enjoy the final Nitro match EVER.

I’ll be blunt. I’m a huge Flair mark, but he looked like hell here, and had to wrestle in a shirt. Sting looks alright. I don’t think either man had been wrestling in the final months of WCW. Essentially the whole match is the typical Sting/Flair match, with the basic Flair formula. Flair even sneaks in the ref shove spot. Sting gets to look like a million bucks, Flair draws some great reactions, and everyone is sorta happy. It’s not always pretty, but for long time fans it probably was a bittersweet moment these men pulled off. Flair gets the figure four after selling 85% of the match. Sting won’t give up. Sting ends up with the win in about seven minutes via the Scorpion Death Lock and the old rivals embrace. Schiavone has never sounded so shoot talking about his job. All’s well that ends well, and it ended kinda thumbs in the middle. 2 ½ and 5/10.

Nitro Diaries: Match # 152

John Philapavage — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:49:38 +0000

Match # 152: Booker T vs. Scott Steiner (WCW and US Title) (Nitro 3/26/01)

The last chance at a great match on the set. I remember it fondly, on the phone with MFP (My Friend Paul) as I was living in Philly, we watched the final Nitro on the phone together still not believing what we were seeing even though we’d known all weekend what was coming. I have fond memories of this match, feeling they put on a show when they didn’t have to (especially Steiner, who was injured).

Weird feel at the start as this is the final Nitro and it’s on a freaking beach at spring break. This is for both the WCW World Title and the U.S. Championship. Booker gets the small crowd going. Great opening exchanges and back and forth. Steiner is already screaming at people in the crowd, and moving well too. He even takes some bumps. Unnecessary moment where Steiner tries to smash Booker with a pipe a minute in, but I’ll forgive it as it was fleeting. Steiner gains control and he’s got heat from the fans to rest on. He still through a mean belly-to-belly. This is a really tight match that has good pacing, as even when Steiner grabs a hold it’s got some meaning.

Booker keeps coming back, much as Steiner tries to change the tides. Steiner’s taking all the T offense. I pop as this all leads to the Book End, but Steiner reverses it into a perfect Northern Lights Suplex (an old fave of mine) for a near fall. It’s only five minutes in but it feels like we’re near the end of the match. This is as good a heavyweight sprint as you’ll see in WCW. A moment later Booker reverses out of a power bomb and nails the Book End for the clean win. The best five minutes you’ll see in the last year of WCW. 3 and 6/10.

Nitro Diaries: Match # 151

John Philapavage — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:48:02 +0000

Match # 151: Elix Skipper vs. Billy Kidman (Nitro 2/12/01)

One last go around with Kidman getting a solid cruiserweight opponent. Kidman wasn’t always phenomenal, but his best stuff on Nitro and even Thunder is a lot more impressive than people remember. Meltzer, Keller, and Alverez don’t keep the Kidman love alive, if they ever did, and that’s probably because of his lame WWE run. I’ll make no claims of remembering Skipper so highly.

Apparently Skipper was the MVP character well before the WWE guy was around. I had no idea. He looks indyrific, and I’m an indy geek, and he cuts an over the top wrestling g promo before we get Kidman. Kidman has definitely lost some luster by this point. His standing drop kick is still a thing of beauty. Lots of quick planned Kidman spots to start. They don’t go as well as the old days (like a year or two before), but it works because it’s quick. Skipper uses a harsh German suplex as a transitional move to gain the advantage. At least Kidman sells it. One of the positives of the match is the movement both men create (obvious for my tastes), but the downside is this one might be a bit to fast and loose at times. It gets slower as Skipper beats down Kidman with some brawling. This match is devoid of holds. Kidman’s come backs are fun. Skipper actually pulls out a dragon suplex, and a second later Kidman pulls out a cyclone suplex. The crowd isn’t buying it. It’s a thin line for me. Can’t say I’m sucked in by all the big moves and throws without a slightly slower pace. Kidman reverses what seems like a Skipper signature finish into a “Kid Crusher” (Christian’s Unprettier) for the win in about seven minutes. A lot of spots. 2 ½ and 5/10.