[1996-01-22-WCW-Nitro] Sting & Lex Luger vs Harlem Heat

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Sting and Luger are fired up here early on. Booker catches Sting with an awesome scissors kick to break up a scorpion attempt on Stevie Ray and just looks really good in general in this match. A tag title change also.

 

Still, in spite of the hot shotting, RAW won the night 2.9 to 2.7.

[Kronos]

I've never been the biggest Booker T fan (I think the King Booker stuff prejudiced me against him). But he's motivated here, and I agree with Loss that the kick was gorgeous.

[Jack_Briscoe_Is_My_Hero]

Luger isn't the most fluid on the finish, but Sting is slowly coming around to what Luger is all about. The Luger jumping celebration with the Sting not as happy celebration beside one another is a nice contrast.

[fishbaugh]

This is the kind of angle that only works with ol' gullible Stinger, but it is pretty hilarious to watch play out. Not a bad match either.

[Kevin Ridge]

Raw won the ratings? Was Vader the difference? Harlem Heat didn’t bring much to this match. Two big title changes on the same TV show.

[El-P]

They had a better match a few days before on Saturday Night. Harlem Heat were a rather shitty team, and apart from the great ax kick at the beginning, this is typical plodding and boring HH work. Luger's angle made the segment interesting. Nitro was really stacking up the cards like crazy at this point, I'm surprised Raw won this one.

[BruiserBrody]

I was bored out of my mind watching this. Stevie Ray's offense was insomnia inducing.

[PeteF3]

Hey, let's have a long tag title match and have STEVIE RAY work 90% of it for his team. He's back to being as oafish as ever after looking like there was some vague improvement going on earlier. Another classic Lex/Sting finish, as Jimmy Hart makes his presence felt at ringside again despite Luger not wanting him there, and Lex doesn't pass up on the opportunity to use a roll of silver dollars to net the tag titles.

[soup23]

Match was fine but I agree the HH control at points was bland and they never were the legendary tag team WCW promoted them to be at points. I do like the Sting/Luger relationship being developed and they win the tag straps here. (**1/2)

[tim]

Good match. I really liked Luger's double clothesline comeback, leading to Sting's hot tag, hitting tons of Stinger splashes and then the scissor kick when he tries to lock in the Scorpion Death Lock. Awesome sequence. Then we get a Sting FIP until Luger CHEATS to win. Sting is unhappy but Luger is super enthusiastic in his celebration. Sting/Luger continues to be pretty good pro wrestling soap opera.

[dawho5]

Stevie Ray, for all of his real life badassery, didn't ever figure out how to be exciting in the ring.  And him taking most of the offense is not great.  I will echo praise for the Booker axe kick and the Sting/Luger stuff up to that point.  The Sting/Booker double crossbody was also pretty good.  Can someone explain to me how Nick Patrick didn't see all of those coins rolling around the ring?