[2001-01-15-WCW-Nitro] Scott Steiner vs Kevin Nash

[GSR]

A quick recap of the events of last night where Goldberg’s career was ended and Road Warrior Animal was revealed as the mystery man.  We then get some exclusive backstage footage, Ric Flair hanging out with ‘Totally Buff’ and waiting at the curtain, hi fiving and hugging Scott Steiner the moment he walks back through it.  It’s explained that this has all been one giant swerve orchestrated by Ric Flair.  Tony Schiavone gives an update on Sid Vicious, which includes graphic footage, from multiple angles, zoomed in and slowed down, of the leg break from last night.  Fuck, did they have to.  Sid was operated on earlier, had a rod put in his leg and is expected to be out of action for at least a year.  I didn’t twig, but as well as Goldberg, last night was also the final match of Sid’s in WCW.

A suited and booted ‘Totally Buff’ make their way to the ring.  A funeral march plays as a bunch of Power Plant guys dressed as pallbearers wheel a casket out while a graphic on the Nitrovision reads “Goldberg: September 22, 1997-January 14, 2001”.  Incidentally the pallbearers (including the likes of Robbie Rage, Chris Harris and Steve ‘Ali’ Sharpe) are the same guys who were acting as security last night and escorting Goldberg from his dressing room.  Bagwell, feigning tears, opens the casket, in which are a copy of Goldberg’s autobiography, a spear and a jackhammer.  “Totally Buff” each say a few words, neither of whom will win any awards for their acting ability that’s for sure.  Luger invites anyone in the back who’s got some special memories that they wish to share to come out and do so.  Only one person does so, Jeff Jarrett, who at least is doing a better job at pretending to be upset than the other two.  Jarrett ends up changing tact, joking about how his memory is that Goldberg never beat him and he was never added to that long list of conquests.  Scott Hudson notes how Jarrett ducked him the entire time Goldberg was in WCW!  Next “the greatest WCW champion of all time” and “his favourite freak”, Scott Steiner and Midajah, join the party.  Steiner says that Goldberg may have skyrocketed to the top but he wasn’t good enough to stay there, saying “good riddance” as he and Midajah then spit on the casket.  Goldberg’s music starts to play, however it’s not him coming out of the dressing room door, rather Ric Flair and Road Warrior Animal.

On returning from the commercial break Flair welcomes everyone to the new WCW.  I think we get at least three “fat boy” jibes at various members of the audience in there as well.  Without a hint of irony he claims that with him is the greatest collection of wrestlers ever assembled in one ring.  A lot of thought, a lot of camaraderie went into their plans and in one night DDP & Kevin Nash lost the World tag team titles, Sid Vicious suffered a broken leg and they got rid of the supposed “franchise”, Bill Goldberg.  He continues that as of tonight the men in this ring run the sport of professional wrestling and no-one can do anything about it.  Kevin ‘the saviour’ Nash interrupts proceedings and states that he left ‘Big Sexy’ in Indianapolis, tonight in Fort Wayne, ‘the Killer’ is here!  That gets a big response from the fans.  He talks about driving a stake through Big Poppa Pump’s heart, taking his World title and then killing Ric Flair.  Blimey!  When Flair questions that he’s talking awfully big for a man standing all alone, he calls out some back up, DDP and a man who has been pounding on Scott Steiner ever since he was a kid, big brother Rick.  Nash demands a title shot, but Flair informs him that he’s the one who makes the matches around here, not him.  That brings out the Cat and Ms. Jones, Cat reminding them that, as Commissioner, he’s got some power too and thinks that Steiner’s booty needs to be kicked.  He puts it to the fans and when they reply in the affirmative he books the match for later in the show.

Nash gets some last minute advice from his back up prior to this World title match.  ‘Killer’ has got an intense look on his face, something that hasn’t gone unnoticed with Tony Schiavone.  Steiner reverses him into the corner but Nash comes back swinging laying in those rights.  Ferocious running clothesline in the corner before clotheslining the champ over the top rope to the outside.  Nash mounts him for a bit of ground & pound, however a Steiner low blow/headbutt to the groin stops him in his tracks.  Back inside Steiner with a belly to belly suplex which Hudson has christened ‘Rolling Thunder’.  Some blistering knife edge chops.  He lifts Nash up with ease, dropping him across his knee.  Double arm stretch/modified surfboard.   ‘Killer’ fights his way up to his feet, Steiner goes to ram him into the turnbuckles but he puts the breaks on and slams Scotty’s head into them instead.  Snake Eyes.  The big boot connects and Hudson is convinced we’re going to have a new World champion and the reign of Ric Flair will end right here on Nitro.  The words “right here on Nitro” make me not as confident.  Nash pulls down the vest straps ready for the jackknife when the troops sprint out from the back for the title saving DQ.  Just as the show goes off the air, Nash’s buddies runs out to even the odds.

The opening segment did pick up when Ric Flair joined them, but it was longer than it needed to be and the first half dragged.  Motivated Nash is so much more watchable than lazy Nash.  I don’t think anyone other than Scott Hudson thought this was ending clean though.

[soup23]

Bless GSR for recapping the funeral. At 25 minutes, it was painfully too long and should have been at most half of the run time. Flair is a heel and delivers an ok promo but it feels hollow at this point. Nash actually looks fired up and seems motivated with the Fusient buyout looming. Match was way better than I would have thought. They worked hard and mixed in some stuff like Steiner softening up for the Recliner. Nash’s comeback is well timed but the show ran out of time and ends abrupt with the faces making the save. Some stuff is goofy like scott Hudson yelling that Flairs reign is coming to an end one night after it really started. Overall, after the dreadful funeral this was a good Nitro. **3/4