The SmarK Rant for WCW Monday Nitro – 11.06.00

The SmarK Rant for WCW Monday Nitro – 11.06.00

Originally written 02.21.26

Man interest in these died off completely once Russo left but I still wanna finish 2000 someday so might as well chip away at it again. I had also kind of given up after losing access to Peacock and the WWE Network and such, but of course there is another way if you can figure out how to spell the show’s name backwards.

LAST WEEK: Ric Flair returns to WCW as the new CEO, whatever that means. Scott Steiner continues chasing Booker T after Halloween Havoc, but Booker beats him in a rematch! Also WWF is aggressively trying to buy the company and everyone has pretty much given up, although as of this show WWF had withdrawn their latest offer.

Live from Chicago, IL, drawing a pretty respectable 7000 with about 3000 freebies, especially given how far into the toilet they were. Also apparently Burger King was sponsoring the show and didn’t want any of the hardcore matches or blood or adult stuff that they had been toying with as of late.

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & Mark Madden & Scott Hudson

Lex Luger joins us to start, and Scott Hudson accuses him of being a NARCISSIST. HE SAID THE THING! Also I don’t know if Liz told him to get his Shane Douglas haircut that he has here, but it was a bad move. So Lex calls out Mark Madden for talking about his body fat level last week, even though it was a compliment. So Lex calls him a disgusting fat slob and tells him never to discuss Lex’s body again, and the crowd cheers Lex. “So much for the heels working together” notes Mark, completely killing whatever point this was supposed to be making. Apparently Madden wasn’t told this was happening, which checks out. Anyway, the actual reason for Lex to be here is making a challenge to Goldberg at the upcoming Mayhem. Lex calls out Goldberg’s upcoming book. Fun fact: I was hired as a consultant for that book and that’s how I was able to break into publishing. So Luger then calls out Ross Forman, who edits the WCW Magazine, and complains that there’s nothing about him in the magazine, and then puts him in the Torture Rack to punish him. Maybe he should sue for $5 billion instead. Ross goes out on a stretcher, possibly dead or paralyzed for life, and Tony throws it to a Kevin Nash comedy interview in the back.

Meanwhile, the Natural Born Thrillers join Pamela, as Kevin offers criticism of Goldberg’s book (LEAVE THAT LITERARY CLASSIC ALONE!) and Shawn Stasiak tries to get back into the team again by helping Kevin Nash win a title shot tonight.

Lance Storm v. Kwee Wee

Lance does a promo where he tells Americans not to vote, but rather emigrate to Calgary Alberta Canada. Lemme tell ya, Alberta is not exactly welcoming to immigrants right now thanks to the racist shitbags in charge of the province. Lance clotheslines Kwee Wee to the floor and that turns him into ANGRY ALLAN as he makes a comeback on Lance in the ring with a springboard sunset flip for two. Tilt a whirl into a facebuster gets two. Storm tries a northern lights and Kwee reverses into a DDT for two, but Storm finishes him off with the Maple Leaf at 2:20. * The idea that a Maple Leaf could beat anyone was pretty ridiculous to anyone from Canada. And then Meng makes the save for Kwee Wee for some reason and I guess that’s a thing with Lance Storm next. I guess General Rection had won the US title at Halloween Havoc and end Storm’s multi-belt deal for good.

Meanwhile, Goldberg thinks that the returning Bam Bam Bigelow has a death wish for demanding a match with him tonight. Also he’s had enough of Lex Luger’s crap. So Lex barges into the interview, but that allows Bigelow to attack him from behind with what sounds like one of the PVC pipes used by the Blue Man Group for percussion.

Meanwhile, Reno’s match with Shawn Stasiak is cut short by an attack in the back, as Shawn wins the hardcore match by forfeit, like all great hardcore matches end.

Meanwhile, Reno is suffering from CTE and can’t remember who attacked him, so Kevin Nash swears revenge on his behalf.

Ric Flair joins us to put over Chicago and announce matches for Mayhem, including a cage match between Booker T and Scott Steiner for the World title. But Ric declares Scott’s conduct towards women to be UNACCEPTABLE, which is certainly the pot calling the kettle problematic. So Steiner comes out to defend his good name and lays hands on Ric, which brings out Booker T to save. So Ric has an epiphany and decides to hang a straitjacket above the ring, which either guy can grab and use to constrain their opponent.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Hart continues his vendetta with local DJs, and that brings out Chicago guy ManCow for a promo, before Three Count attacks on behalf of Jimmy. Actually Three Count managed by Jimmy Hart would have been an inspired idea.

WCW World tag team title: Mark Jindrak & Sean O’Haire v. The Jung Dragons v. Three Count

Three Count are now only two people, which is a very WCW move. Also the Dragons have dropped Jamie Noble, which gave us the mismatched partner team of Noble & Karagias for three way matches to open PPVs. The NBT clears the ring and stops to pose, but all the little guys attack them and put the boots to them. We get more double-teaming from the small people, but the champs overpower them until they get sent out of the ring. Three Count do double rollups on the Dragons, but NBT pull the Dragons out of the ring and drop them on the railings before tossing them back into the ring. Shane with an inverted DDT on Jindrak, but Karagias runs in and makes the save, which allows Jindrak to get the pin to retain at 4:10. Reasonably entertaining trainwreck but Jindrak is clearly the weak link here. **1/2 “Hey wait there’s those Battledome guys at ringside!” notes Hudson in a reference that means nothing to me here in 2026, and then Jamie-San runs in without his mask and cleans house with a chair. I feel like I missed a lot of stuff between last week’s episode and this one. TOO MANY THINGS ARE HAPPENING. I’M OVERSTIMULATED. Also I don’t think Jamie Noble is actually Japanese.

Diamond Dallas Page joins us, back from whatever he’s been doing while the company was falling apart, and IT’S A SHOOT and IT’S FOR REAL and he talks about how messed up his back was before a house show match with Booker T and IT’S A SHOOT and IT’S FOR REAL and he’s decided to just be positive and have fun. But then the BATTLEDOME BOYS are back at ringside and running their mouths at DDP, so Page calls out some WCW babyfaces to talk shit right back. And Buff calls them “a bunch of queers”, which is apparently too far, and we get a big pullapart brawl. T-MONEY IS AFTER RICK STEINER! HOLY SHIT! Actually I did 5 seconds of research and it turns out that 90% of these bodybuilder goofs were just American Gladiator ripoffs but T-Money was actually a young Terry Crews, which meant he ended up being a bigger star than literally anyone else on this godforsaken show. So I retract my T-Money snark.

Scott Steiner & Jeff Jarrett v. Buff Bagwell & Sting

The babyface side is an interesting thought exercise of trying to determine which one was more mentally checked out by this point. My money is always on Buff. Buff hits Jarrett with a neckbreaker, but Sting misses the Stinger splash thanks to Steiner. But Sting slugs away on Scott, until Steiner puts him down with a suplex. Scott goes after the ref but then thinks better of it and slams Sting instead. Jarrett pounds on Sting and puts the boots to him in the corner and it’s back to Scott for an exploder that gets two. Scott with the surfboard as the crowd is shockingly hot for this match, but Sting fights out of that. So Steiner goes low and it’s back to Jarrett, but Sting gets a sunset flip for two. Steiner takes out Buff from the apron, but Sting comes back with a DDT and it’s hot tag Buffy. He runs wild with clotheslines, but Steiner cuts him off. Buff gets a DDT for two and he goes to the top, but JJ grabs his guitar for the El Kabong behind the ref’s back. And despite the guitar debris covering the ring, the ref doesn’t notice and the Steiner Recliner finishes at 6:56. This was fine for what it was and had great heat. **1/2

WCW US title: General Rection v. Alex Wright

We get some Boogie Knights comedy before the match, as Alex does a promo in German and Disqo hilariously translates for him. Alex beats on Rection in the corner with chops, but Rection powerslams him for two. Rection with a press slam and he drops an elbow and then a leg for two. Madden: “Legdrop never wins anymore”. Wright puts the boots to him and stops to dance before going to a nerve pinch. Rection comes back with a clothesline, but Wright beats on him with forearms to take over again. Tony plugs the upcoming WCW Millenium Final PPV from Germany, which is on my list to review someday, and Wright goes up with a flying stomp for two. This brings Disqo in with a chair, but the Misfits all chase him off. So Wright goes to the top again, but Rection slams him off and finishes with the moonsault at 4:50. This had no heat and was way overbooked. *1/2. Also who thought DeMott as US champion was a good idea that people wanted to see?

Meanwhile, Jim Duggan rants about the state of America and complains that not enough people are going to vote. COME ON, what are the odds that the 2000 Presidential election comes down to a couple of votes? That’s ridiculous.

Goldberg v. Bam Bam Bigelow

Bammer hits him with a corner splash right away and sends him to the floor for some abuse out there. Back in the ring, Lex Luger joins us to watch the match as Bigelow controls with clubbing forearms. Goldberg yells at Lex and Bigelow suplexes him and follows with a diving headbutt for two. But then Goldberg spears him and pins him with the Jackhammer at 2:38. Goldberg did NOT look good here, probably because his leg was taped up like he just limped out of a hospital bed and he could barely walk. DUD

WCW World title: Booker T v. Kevin Nash

So this is Kevin Nash being a team player after months of working his own angle about Scott Hall and pissing off the booking committee and network. I guess he finally decided to read the room. And of COURSE Chicago starts chanting “Free Scott Hall”, which commentator Scott Steiner interprets as “We Want Pump” in a nice save. See Nash can say he didn’t do anything to provoke it, which is technically true, from a certain point of view. They quickly brawl on the floor and Booker gives him a chairshot out there and heads back in with a flying forearm for two. Nash with the big boot to take over and follows with the side slam for two as Madden compares him to Babe Ruth. Which I guess is accurate in the sense that they knew about the same amount of wrestling moves and both enjoyed beer. Booker with the axe kick because Nash is out of moves after doing all three, but the ref is bumped, and Stasiak runs in and nails Booker with brass knuckles. So it’s time for a POOCHIEBOMB, but then Stasiak also hits Nash with the knuckles, and puts Booker on top for the pin to retain at 5:00. TEAM PLAYER. ½* I guess on Thunder this leads to the Thrillers all turning on Nash so that Big Kev can be a top babyface again, although who would think SHAWN STASIAK is a guy to push as a major threat to Nash?

I’d call this a much better show than most of what I had to watch through this 2000 run, as the near-miss of total WWF destruction seems to have lit a fire under some asses. As with anything in WCW, it can’t last for long, though.