[1997-05-05-WCW-Nitro] NWO and WCW

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

The announcers mentioned during the Hogan interview that the NWO injured Luger on a recent trip to Japan. The match was scheduled to be Harlem Heat vs Lex Luger & The Giant, but Luger is nowhere to be found. The Giant brings DDP out as his replacement. Savage taunts DDP on the way to the ring, which allows Hogan to attack him from behind and attack him with a crutch. Savage grabs Kimberly by the hair and the whole NWO is swarming DDP, The Giant and Harlem Heat. Nash bends the crutch on Giant's neck in a cool visual. Flair, Piper and Greene finally run out but it does no good and the numbers catch up to them. Nash even puts Piper in the sleeper while Syxx keeps Flair in the figure four, which is a cool little detail knowing how Slamboree is laid out. Quite the spirited beatdown.

[Ditch]

I remember thinking at the time that Hogan attacking DDP made DDP look important, because Hogan typically acted as a target that would draw guys out to be attacked by the nWo rather than an attacker himself.

[Loss]

I remember thinking at the time that Hogan attacking DDP made DDP look important, because Hogan typically acted as a target that would draw guys out to be attacked by the nWo rather than an attacker himself.

Yes! I had the exact same reaction at the time. It's interesting that so far this year, this is really the only Nitro that had the NWO just going crazy laying everyone out without getting anything in return at all. Clearly they got the balance wrong at a certain point, but as of May 1997, WCW was still more competitive than I remembered them being.

[Kevin Ridge]

Macho is still using Elizabeth as a shield after all these years. Total set up for Hogan to attack DDP. Giant getting beat up in the ring by the whole NWO. Ric Flair and Kevin Greene try to make the save. Piper too. Nash really cranking in the sleeper to put Piper out. Educating those fans to believe Nash could do that.

[soup23]

Hogan attacking DDP was really good and something they could have went with as a main event feud. The visual of the MegaPowers working together in the aisle but the main components of Slamboree in the ring also really worked for me. These one hour Nitros are really frantic but they pack a lot into them.

[El-P]

 

I remember thinking at the time that Hogan attacking DDP made DDP look important, because Hogan typically acted as a target that would draw guys out to be attacked by the nWo rather than an attacker himself.

Yes! I had the exact same reaction at the time. It's interesting that so far this year, this is really the only Nitro that had the NWO just going crazy laying everyone out without getting anything in return at all. Clearly they got the balance wrong at a certain point, but as of May 1997, WCW was still more competitive than I remembered them being.

 

 

Agreed. Although JJ Dillon showing up as an inept authority figure just doesn't feel right to me, I'm afraid shit is gonna happen sooner than later. But this is a great beatdown, with a lot of attention to small details like it's been said.

[PeteF3]

Yes, it's been awhile since WCW has been completely massacred like this. WCW has a bit of an "out," too, with Sting not being around and Luger being hurt. Hogan and Savage are lovably obnoxious on commentary as we fade out.