Its Wednesday night and WCW is back LIVE on FX for a special edition of Nitro: Tag Team Turmoil! "Party Hard" by Andrew WK opens it up, pyro goes boom and here is Joey Styles to welcome us to the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, Maine!
Jerry "The King" Lawler is up in the ring and it looks like we are in for another edition of the King's Court. Lawler says the previous two weeks, he has spoken to Steve Corino, and he's done listening to Corino run his mouth, so tonight, he has another guest... As Lawler is going to introduce his new guest, the music of Steve Corino hits and here comes "The King of Old School." Corino gets in the ring and grabs the spare mic. He asks Lawler what his problem is? Lawler made a career out of running his mouth, but I guess maybe Corino makes him jealous, because while Corino is able to say whatever he wants and back it up, Lawler is stuck behind a desk fawning over women half his age. Lawler tells Corino that he's seen more Steve Corino's than anyone. A hot headed young brash star who is going to throw away all their potential because they value being an arrogant prick more than being a winning wrestler. Corino scoffs it off and asks Lawler if he wants to talk about blown potential, Lawler is the prototype. Jerry is a legend in Memphis, but that's it. He's lived off a reputation of slapping Andy Kaufman and conning hicks out of their money, well done. Lawler tells Corino he's gone too far and if he keeps it up he just might bring a little Memphis out tonight. Corino fires back quickly "Well maybe I'll talk to your wife then..." and that's all Lawler needs to deck Corino with a big left hand. The King is firing off and Corino is scrambling everywhere. Corino starts fighting back and him and Lawler are in a full blown hockey fight. Here comes WCW officials and referees to pull the two apart. Corino is dragged out of the ring and up the ramp, and it looks like his mouth is busted open. Lawler is still in the ring and has grabbed a mic while officials tell him to calm down. Lawler says that he's had enough of Corino, and that's why he's going to step out from behind the commentary desk and beat his ass at WCW Crowd Control!
A nice little reminder that WCW has a bunch of guys who haven't really been on TV here. Two men are legal at any time and the match starts with Norman Smiley vs. La Parka. The match is glorified comedy with La Parka dancing around, Norman Smiley & Willy Fraizer joining him at one point in a dance off. Shark Boy biting peoples behinds, the Primetime Players seemingly being more interested in their physiques and looks more than wrestling. CW & Gas are the only ones really taking it seriously and it comes to a head when Anderson nails Kid Romeo with a big Anderson Spinebuster, tags in Pete Gas who hits his Gas Mask finisher, which is like an Inverted Full Nelson Spinebuster thing, and the Mean Street Enforcers get the win.
This match was exactly fine. It was not good, it was not bad. It was there. It's nice to see some of the talent we haven't gotten to see much of, and there is definitely a case for nearly everyone in the match to be featured more heavily but there is only so much screen time. Looking forward to WCW adding a second show to see some of these guys more regularly.
Backstage in Arn Anderson's office, he is joined by 3 Count & Los Dragones. Anderson is explaining to them tonight they will all face off in Cruiserweight Chaos. Arn explains the Chaos is that their tag team partner will be randomized.
We are somewhere else backstage with Booker T walking down the hall. Out of nowhere, Mike Awesome attacks slamming Booker into the wall and tossing him over some tables and boxes. Booker tries to fight back, but Awesome ends up lifting him up and slamming him with an Awesome Bomb through another table covered in production things.
Commentary makes a point to point out Crowbar is seemingly looking for a friend and trying out new tag team partners. Kwee Wee a few weeks ago, and Reno tonight. It doesn't much matter as this match is pretty quick and one sided. Crowbar gets to start out hot and get some stuff in on Cajun, but when the tags are made, General Rection dominates Reno. Eventually MIA knocks Crowbar off the apron and nails Reno with their Samoan Drop/Neckbreaker combo and pick up the three.
A nice fun little match, which is the common thing I say about MIA matches I feel. It's never good, it's never terrible, it always does its job. Most of their matches are very low stakes, but this new angle of Crowbar looking for a partner could be good.
As MIA celebrates, the Full Blooded Italians are up on the screen. Guido informs them that he just got word that Arn Anderson has made it official that the FBI will be defending their WCW World Tag Team titles at Crowd Control against the Misfits. Guido tells the MIA to get ready for a good Italian style beatdown as the FBI has the gold, and they will not be letting it go.
O'Haire needed a partner and I guess he chose Paul London. O'Haire starts the match and decimates Mike Sanders. London is begging for a tag, so O'Haire tags him in and sends him crashing into both Disqo & Sanders with a big Rocket Launcher Crossbody. London quickly tags back out and O'Haire comes in and nails Sanders with a Death Spiral for the 3 count.
I'm going to say it. I'm not sold on O'Haire. He gets a reaction for his entrance and his 2-3 big moves, but the matches are crap and the crowd doesn't care besides the 2-3 big spots. I feel like he needs to change it up or do something to get to the next level.
After the match, O'Haire is celebrating when Shawn Stasiak attacks. O'Haire is fighting back, but Disqo & Sanders join in. As O'Haire is hit to the outside, Stasiak grabs Paul London and nails him with a version of the Death Spiral of his own, slightly different where Stasiak falls forward instead of back. O'Haire comes roaring back into the ring and drills Stasiak with a clothesline sending him flying. He turns around and snatches up Disqo and hits him with a Death Spiral. He grabs Sanders next and nails a Death Spiral on top of Disqo with Sanders! Stasiak retreats up the ramp as O'Haire screams.
Back from commercial and we're in the ring with Buff Bagwell. Bagwell is surrounded by various items. A folding chair, a table with a kendo stick on it, a trashcan full of stuff in the corner and various weapons. Bagwell is on the mic and says he's had stuff a little wrong. He was mad at first at what a guy like Rob Van Dam stood for. This hardcore, extreme wrestling just didn't seem like something that belonged in a WCW ring... But Buff has had a taste, and Buff likes it. RVD out now, and he comes right down to the ring with the United States title on hand. RVD tells Bagwell that he's been Champion everywhere he goes. He reigned in ECW for 2-years as their television champion, and he is not going to lose the WCW United States title to a guy like Buff. RVD likes what he's seen in Buff though lately. He went from a dancing and yapping pretty boy to someone willing to do whatever it takes in this ring. So RVD wants to make it official and at Crowd Control, he'll beat Bagwell for good. 1-on-1 for the United States title, in an Extreme Rules Match!
All 6-men scramble around the ring and try and get their bearings. The story is all the teams struggling to co-exist, but the team of Evan Karagias & Kaz Hayashi seems to click and are making hot tags and even doing some tag team moves. Every time 3 Count is against each other, they immediately tag out, as does Los Dragones. Finish comes when Chavo & Kaz end up in the ring together, and when Kaz goes to tag out, Chavo rolls him up quickly but Kaz kicks out. The two argue and Chavo turns right into a big springboard clothesline from Karagias. Karagias implores Kaz to make the cover and he does, for the 1-2-3!
Was a fun match, but way more storytelling than actual fast paced cruiserweight action as you'd expect. Interesting dynamics being established. Kaz and Karagias being the strong team is not what I had considered going in.
Next we are in the ring with Arn Anderson for the contract signing between Shane McMahon and Diamond Dallas Page. DDP comes out first, looking confident and flanked by Mike Awesome. Shane follows, and the intensity is palpable. DDP takes the mic and tells Shane that he's been the savior of this company while Shane has been nothing but a spoiled brat playing with his daddy's money. Shane fires back, telling Page that he bought this company to save it from guys like him who think they own the place. Both men sign the contract for their Steel Cage Match at Crowd Control. As DDP goes to leave, he tries to cheap shot Shane, but Shane ducks! Shane grabs DDP and, in a shocking move, nails him with a Diamond Cutter! The crowd goes absolutely wild as Shane stands over the leader of the Foundation.
Backstage we see Kanyon watching as DDP lays in the ring after getting a Diamond Cutter. He turns to the camera and simply asks "Who Betta Than Kanyon?"
The two teams are pretty cohesive all things considered. Kanyon gets the start and is nailing Hennig with a bunch of unique stuff, Hennig is selling it like mad. My personal favorite move was a weird Fallaway Slam to Vertical Suplex that got a 2-count. Kanyon tags into Storm, and Hennig manages to scurry and tag in James. Storm turns right around and tags Kanyon back in, seemingly not wanting any part of James. James manages to get the best of Kanyon with some brawling and a big slam followed by a Shaky Shaky Knee Drop for a 2. Kanyon battles back and hits a desperation reverse back elbow after a leapfrog spot. Kanyon now makes the tag to Storm just as James tags out to Hennig. Hennig & Storm do some technical stuff and Hennig hits a nice back suplex on Storm but only gets a long 1-count. Hennig locks in a butterfly lock but Storm is making his way to his feet anyway. He ends up backing the referee into the corner then hits a mule kick low blow on Hennig! The ref didn't see it! Storm quickly grabs Hennig's leg and transitions into the Canadian Maple Leaf taking Hennig off his feet. Hennig is fighting and about to tap, BG James on his way in but Kanyon cuts him off! Hennig taps to the Canadian Maple Leaf!
Four of WCW's top in-ring talent and it showed in the match quality. They really are building stories such as Hennig not being able to keep up with the younger guys, Storm being a calculating technician but also afraid of BG James, and Kanyon truly being the Innovator of Offense. It seems like it's almost anyone's game at Crowd Control.
After the match Kanyon grabs the WCW World Heavyweight title and stares at it a bit. Storm walks over and rips it out of his hands as Nitro fades out!