[1996-12-02-WCW-Nitro] NWO take over announce booth

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Hall, Nash and Bischoff take over the announce booth. Bischoff has quickly adapted, doing a good heel promo about how he's Piper's best friend, because he tried to keep the match with Hogan from happening. Then they show Hogan beating up random guys -- Vader, Flair and Savage.

 

This is where I have to ask what the circumstances were of Savage's brief departure from WCW, as even though Vader was in the WWF, Savage is the one guy he actually buries.

 

"Gone, but not forgotten. Or is he?"

 

The NWO was far from stale in December 1996, but the warning signs were there of these guys getting overexposed for sure.

[Tim Evans]

Wasn't Savage rumored to be going to WWF at the time?

[BackToBionic]

I know everyone had accepted it as fact that he'd be the mystery guy at Survivor Series which was a few weeks before so I would guess so.

[flyonthewall2983]

I remember those rumors being particularly strong then. Looking back, it would have been terrific if they did get Randy back. I posted elsewhere my fantasy scenario of him coming back. Vince stands in the middle of the ring, announces him back (in the way he could only do). Randy comes out, hi-5's the audience, shakes Vince's hand and they start the interview off with all the pleasantries. Then the interview gets serious, and at some point Vince slips up. He refers to him as you-know-what. Randy stops in his tracks, slowly takes off his glasses (in the way he could only do), and loses his cool. Him and Vince jaw it out before Randy finally attacks, going as far as giving him the elbow before Shawn Michaels comes in and does the rescue. And your hype for WrestleMania 13 begins. A solid main event everyone can get behind, Randy gets his glory and Shawn doesn't lose his smile.

[El-P]

Savage showing up at Survivor Series in the MSG would habe been awesome. Can you picture the feud he could work at this point with Micheals, Hart and Austin ? Well, we got DDP which was a starmaker feud, but still, Savage during the pre-Attitude era would have been so much fun.

 

Bischoff is already a very good heel promo. Total sleazeball. It comes naturally to him, and for obvious reasons. DiBiase is not even here, being totally irrelevant now.

[PeteF3]

Savage's contract was up and he was pretty unhappy with how things were going, and who could blame him? Havoc was essentially a contractual obligation and then it was widely assumed he was WWF-bound. I guess getting into the NWO and avoiding a demolition every week was one of the perks of his re-signing.

[drew wardlaw]

I just watched this, but I can't remember if this is one where the NWO is doing commentary for a Benoit vs Regal match and thy out both guys over pretty strong. Then Regal busts his head open hard way on a headbutt and they have to shoot the rest of the match from the hardcam pulled back. Regal bleeds a ton. It's very bizarre.

[BruiserBrody]

Scott Hall seems to be a good color man, it's a shame the demons ruined that aspect of his future as well.

[soup23]

Always liked NWO invading the announce booth. Bischoff is a great heel already.

[dawho5]

The nWo commentary was pretty good for the most part.  They maybe went a little far with the self-congratulating heel smart-assery, but they put over all the workers.  The Benoit/Regal match was really good.