WCW Nitro on FX is live from the Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania! "Party Hard" rings it in and here comes the pyro with Joey Styles and Jerry Lawler opening the show.
We are opening with Booker T, who enters with Shane McMahon. The two are coming to the ring with microphones, and Booker says the talking is getting old really quick. He has been asked to wait until Bash at the Beach to get his revenge on The Foundation for costing him his WCW World Heavyweight title, a title he says he will win back when he is done with those suckers. Shane steps in and thanks Booker for showing restraint. He knows as much as anyone how great it would feel to give The Foundation what they have coming, but at Bash at the Beach, they will have to stand across the ring from Booker and Shane and face the music.
That brings out The Foundation at the top of the ramp. Kanyon gets on the stick first and says Booker T is a great wrestler, noting that he and DDP do not actually have an issue with what Booker can do in the ring. What they cannot stand is how Booker has quickly sucked up to Shane McMahon and the new administration. Kanyon asks who Shane thinks he is. Shane seems to think he is pretty great, but Kanyon says he is greater, claiming he proved it at the Great American Bash and will prove it again because who is better than Kanyon? DDP takes his turn next. He says everyone is acting like this is just two guys who think they are the center of the wrestling universe again, but WCW wouldn't be a dot on the map if it wasn't for The Foundation. They have been here through thick and thin, and if anything, a guy like Booker T should be standing next to them against Shane McMahon. Booker has made his choice, and while Shane and Booker think Bash at the Beach is going to be some story of good overcoming evil, DDP says The Foundation will be walking out victorious.
Fine little match. Cruiserweights always seem to bring it in the ring, but the crowd always seems to take a bit to warm up to them.
After the match, 3 Count celebrates in the ring, but Los Dragones run out. Chavo gets on the mic and says 3 Count can calm down because Los Dragones are not here to fight tonight. The six of them will get that chance at Bash at the Beach, but tonight, they are here to dance. What follows is a ridiculous dance off between 3 Count and Los Dragones. As the crowd cheers for 3 Count, Los Dragones seem to get angry and quickly throw cheap shots at 3 Count before scrambling out of the ring. 3 Count quickly recovers as Los Dragones lick their pride for losing the dance off.
Backstage, Scott Hudson is with Buff Bagwell. Bagwell is not his normally smiley self. He says WCW has changed and it has shown him that pure skill, charisma, and sex appeal apparently aren't good enough anymore. If Buff Bagwell has to stoop to the levels of Rob Van Dam and get a little extreme, maybe that is exactly what he is going to do.
This is really the story of most midcard matches in WCW as of late. It is fine and tells a nice little story with no obvious botches, but the crowd never seems to get into it as much as they should. The story of Sanders essentially doing nothing and being scared to fight the big men was fun.
Backstage in the office, Arn Anderson and CW Anderson are giving Pete Gas a pep talk for his match against Shawn Stasiak. The match is next, so they tell Gas to get on his way. As Pete leaves, Tommy Dreamer enters. Dreamer asks if Arn has a minute. Dreamer knows since coming to WCW he hasn't really lit the world on fire, but next week, he wants a match. Anderson tells him it is funny because someone was just in there complaining about everything, so next week, Tommy Dreamer can wrestle that man.
Not the strongest match. Pete actually got a good reaction for his spinebuster, but for the rest of the match, it is obvious Gas is still the Mean Street Posse Gas, maybe only slightly improved.
After the match, Stasiak and Stacy are celebrating when the music of Sean O'Haire hits. He is out on the stage and slowly walks to the ring. Stasiak looks to stand his ground. The commentary team goes over how Stasiak and Stacy have had some unkind words for O'Haire, and they reveal a match has been signed for Bash at the Beach. As O'Haire gets in the ring, Stasiak goes to attack, but O'Haire hits a big kick. Stasiak slides to the outside to lick his wounds, leaving Stacy alone with O'Haire. Keibler goes to run away through the ropes, but O'Haire stops her. She is in a compromised position, and O'Haire gives her backside a big spanking to the crowd's delight. Stasiak realizes what is happening and grabs Stacy, pulling her from O'Haire's grasp as the Psycho Killer laughs.
I wish these two actually had time to do more, but the match was so focused on Hennig getting over that I think it stopped it from being truly great. Crowbar really needs to be given more with how good he's looked. Corino getting an entire match on commentary to basically cut a promo was good to cement his character, though.
After the match, Corino slides into the ring and quickly nails Hennig. He hits an Old School Explosion on the veteran and slides out of the ring with a smug smirk, screaming about how he is old school.
BG James makes his way to the ring to some new music. He has a mic and cuts a quick promo going over his Marine background. He mentions how since coming to WCW, he's felt like a new man, ready to take the world by the horns and be the star he was supposed to be a decade ago. He mentions his heritage as a member of the Armstrong family. He says at Bash at the Beach, he will finally achieve what no one thought possible and become WCW World Heavyweight Champion!
DYLAN'S FINAL THOUGHTS: WCW is really doing well. I feel that as fans warm to the guys being featured, the shows will only get better. There has been some laser-focused storytelling. The only negative continues to be that some results on Nitro can be predictable. It is refreshing to see guys build momentum, but a few more matches where the winner isn't so obvious would be nice.