Nitro-Glycerin - Monday Nitro recap for July 7, 1997

"Mean" Gene Okerlund interviews Curt Hennig - the former Mr. Perfect - to start the show. He says that everyone knows that he is the greatest athlete and wrestler that Minnesota and the world has ever seen, and that he is here in World Championship Wrestling. He will be at Bash At The Beach and will participate "in some way, shape or form" and considers himself a free agent, saying that nobdoy should be taking "free" lightly. "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair shows up with a lovely lady, saying Flair is here to join The Four Horsemen. Hennig says he isn't, but Flair still offers him the position nonetheless.

Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and "Flyboy" Rocco Rock) beat Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray) when Booker T tries to keep Vincent from interfering and Sister Sherri's attempt to stop a double team from Public Enemy on Stevie Ray backfires. When "Mean" Gene Okerlund interviews Harlem Heat and Stevie Ray, Sherri tries to explain herself but Booker T tells her to get her act together "get to steppin'." Sherri tells Booker that they can't fire her because she quits, and storms out of the ring. Stevie Ray announces that it is now over between them and Sherri.

Konnan beats Joe Gomez with the Tequila Sunrise. During the match, Raven is shown sitting at ringside once again.

Mike Tenay guests on commentary for the next match.

Juventud Guerrera and Hector Garza beat Villano IV and Villano V.

Scott Hall, "Macho Man" Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth show up and take over the commentary table. Mike Tenay and Tony Schiavone leave, but "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko sticks around, saying he wants to see "The Wormpack" up close. Hall says that "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman will take care of Lex Luger and The Giant at Bash At The Bach, but tonight, he and Savage will, for one night only, take care of "that mid-card jabroni" Diamond Dallas Page. Hall tells Page that he and Savage don't care who he brings as a tag team partner as he is going down. Savage says Page's surprise isn't even working and that they are taking him very lightly. He says Bash At The Beach will be nWo all the way, and later tonight, he will be giving somebody a wrestling lesson. Zbyzsko tells Hall not to touch him, and when he does, he gets out of his seat and confronts him as Hall takes off his nWo shirt as if in anticipation for a fight.

This Saturday on WCW Saturday Night: Eddie Guerrero! Diamond Dallas Page! Public Enemy (Johnny Grunge and "Flyboy" Rocco Rock)! Chris Jericho!

We hear excerpts from an interview with Lex Luger and The Giant, where they talk about their friendship and their being a team. Lex Luger calls The Giant letting him have the shot at "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan one of the most unselfish things he has ever seen. They also talk about their recent battle with "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman, saying that Hogan and Rodman crossed a line weeks ago and that they are in for a fight at Bash At The Beach.

Before the next match, a black limousine is seen leaving the arena.

Vicious and Delicious (Scott Norton and Buff Bagwell) beat Eddie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr. after Eddie walks out on Chavo and keeps him from tagging out, saying "It's time to be a man; it's time to grow up." Eddie is seen showing disappointment in Chavo as his methods of toughening him up don't seem to work. After the match, it is announced that Scott Hall and "Macho Man" Randy Savage are coming up next, and "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko says that he is staying at commentary.

Pyrotechnics signal the start of the second hour.

For the first time on Nitro, there is a four man commentary team as the usual second hour team of Mike Tenay, Tony Schiavone and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is joined by "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko, who wants to see "Macho Man" Randy Savage in action and ants to be there in case Savage and Scott Hall try to take over commentary again. Not surprisingly, Hall and Savage tease the possibility of making the team miserable, then Randy Savage rips up a fan's Sting poster. During the match, Hall heads towards commentary and tries to get Zbyszko to fight him.

La Parka beats "Macho Man" Randy Savage with a Diamond Cutter after getting the knees up to block Savage's top rope elbow drop, then unmasks during the pinfall to reveal that Diamond Dallas Page is under the mask. "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko leaves the commentary table after this match.

Psychosis and Silver King vs. Glacier and "The Cat" Ernest Miller ends when Mortis and Wrath shows up and attack all four men, leading to a pier six brawl between all three teams. During the match, camera are backstage to capture a brawl between Eddie Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Lee Marshall calls from Orlando, Florida - the site of next week's Nitro - for the 1-800-COLLECT Road Report.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund interviews "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair, who shows up with the lovely lady from earlier. After acknowledging a fan's sign saying "Ric Flair is God," Flair formally apologizes to Okerlund, the fans and TBS because he said on Saturday night that "Rowdy" Roddy Piper would never show up in Memphis, because he is here. Piper's music plays, but Piper doesn't show up. Instead, he uncovers a nearby mannequin dressed like Piper and talks to it. He also apologizes for being so modest as to not say that Piper is a punk, a second-rate movie maker and not having the guts to jump on him. He says Piper is a stiff just like the 200 other guys he has puhse dto greatness. Suddenly, the real Piper shows up and stands behind him, but Flair doesn't believe Okerlund until he accidentally grabs the real Piper's skirt. Piper chases Flair into the ring, and the two of them fight. Piper takes off Flair's belt and whips him with it before ripping the rest of his clothes off. Piper then withstands from knife edge chops from Flair and puts him in the sleeper, then "The Crippler" Chris Benoit and Steve "Mongo" McMichael show up to fight Piper only for Piper to fight off all three men at one time until Flair is able to grab Piper by the leg. He then readies Piper's for Benoit's top rope headbutt, then just before the break, Jeff Jarrett shows up fights off Flair, Mongo and Benoit (though commentary never even mentions that this is Jarrett).

Mike Tenay tries to interview Raven again, but this time Stevie Richards - Raven's former tag team partner - climbs the guardrail and tells Tenay that Raven talks to nobody but him. Tenay then asks Richards to conduct the interview, asking if Raven has signed a contract with WCW. Raven says nothing, then stands up and slaps Richards in the face before leaving. Richards pushes Tenay out of the way, then leaves as well.

The Steiner Brothers (Rick and Scott Steiner) beat The Four Horsemen ("The Crippler" Chris Benoit and Steve "Mongo" McMichael) after Jeff Jarrett fights off Mongo and Benoit and The Taskmaster smashes a wooden chair into the head of Benoit while Jimmy Hart distracts the referee. During the match, "Macho Man" Randy Savage is seen backstage, out of control and attacking referee Nick Patrick.

Eric Bischoff and "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan show up. Bischoff talks about Lex Luger's recent appearance on Regis and Kathie Lee. Hogan says that Luger will soon learn his station in life, as at Bash At The Beach Luger will learn that he is his shadow at high noon, and after Dennis Rodman gets done with The Giant, it will be smooth sailing from now on. As he says that everyone has told him his arms are bigger than Luger's and that he is stronger than The Giant, Luger and The Giant show up. Luger puts bischoff in the Torture Rack, and Vincent runs in only to be choke slammed by The Giant - a fate shared by Buff Bagwell. Hogan runs away, leaving Bischoff inthe ring until The Giant pushes him out.