Nitro-Glycerin - Monday Nitro recap for August 17, 1998

The show starts with Hollywood Hogan, Eric Bischoff, The Disciple and The Giant showing up. After Hogan states that he is surprised there are still fans of his in Hartford, Connecticut that skill worship the ground he walks on, he calls Goldberg out, saying he will get the World title back tonight as there is not one man he has not beaten or cannot beat. He then says that The Giant will do the dirty work and take care of Goldberg before handing him his belt back, and tells The Giant that nWo Hollywood has his back to ensure any allies of Goldberg don't get in their business.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund interviews WCW Executive Committee Chairman J.J. Dillon, who brings up the statement by Hollywood Hogan earlier in the show before bringing up the War Games match coming up at Fall Brawl. There will be three teams, with Hollywood Hogan captaining one team (nWo Hollywood), Diamond Dallas Page captaining another (WCW), and Kevin Nash captaining a third team (nWo Wolfpac). There will be three men starting, and every two minutes, a new man will enter the ring and the match does not start until all nine men are in the ring. The winner will get a shot at Goldberg for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

We see a performance by The Nitro Girls. Kimberly is back and performing this week.

We see the Nitro Party footage of this week's Nitro Party pack winner from New Iberia, Louisiana.

Steve "Mongo" McMichael beats Sick Boy.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund interviews Diamond Dallas Page. He says that he is honored to captain a team at War Games, then talks about how he got a guy's number and met with him face-to-face to discuss his plan to take on Hollywood Hogan, he was interested. DDP has heard what Hollywood Hogan has had to say, and mentions that there is someone Hogan has not beaten, and that he will get his shot against him at Fall Brawl. DDP then mentions the beatdown he received at the hands of nWo Hollywood before his match against Bret "The Hit Man" Hart for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship, then Bret shows up. Bret says DDP is just making excuses, and tells him that when he comes to fight him, he had better come to fight and to suck it up and lose like everyone else. DDP tells Bret to back up, and challenges Bret to a match tonight. Bret says the US title means everything to him, as his two reigns will prove he will be the best United States Champion of all time. He reminds DDP that "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, "The Crippler" Chris Benoit and Booker T are injured because of him and that the only reason Lex Luger isn't dead only because he is Sting's friend. He then calls DDP "the scum of the earth," and looks forward to any match he has in store for him for the United States title before accepting his challenge.

"Mean" Gene Okerlund interviews Raven. Shortly after Raven shows up, Horace comes out and tells Raven he makes him sick to his stomach, as for the last four months, he has done nothing but watch his back and help him matches only to get nothing in return. Tonight, he wants him in the ring one more time so he can beat some sense into him. Raven says if he wants a match, that's fine, but it will be under Raven's Rules and he picks the partners. Horace's partner will be Kanyon, while Raven's partner will be Saturn, whom he says will get used to being subservient to him. Saturn and Kanyon shows up, and Saturn tells Raven he's out of his mind before telling Raven that he'll team with him only to knock his head off when he goes for a tag. WCW Executive Committee Chairman shows up and makes the match official after everyone gives a verbal commitment, but warns Saturn not to attack Raven, for if he does, he will be suspended from WCW for 90 days. He also says the match will only be won by pinfall or submission and that there will be a definitive winner.

The Dancing Fools (Disco Inferno and Alex Wright) vs. High Voltage (Rage and Kaos) ends when Meng gets in the ring, attacks and applies the Tongan Death Grip to all four men. During the match, the commentary team mocks the main event of tonight's Raw for being "only 10 seconds." After the match, Meng applies the Tongan Death Grip to referee Billy Silverman and a member of WCW security. Another member of WCW security shows up with mace, but when he sprays it into Meng's face, it has absolutely no effect and Meng is still able to get him with the Tongan Death Grip.

Before the next match, Eddie Guerrero - who is scheduled for a match against Konnan - shows up with his bags while not dressed to wrestle. Eddie tells the production truck not to go to a commercial break or else he will say his peace on another show. He asks Eric Bischoff if he has his attention now, as he always gets screamed at and kicked out every time he tries to talk business. He dares Bischoff to fire him, as he doesn't care, then goes on to say he's been in WCW for a year only to be mistreated and unappreciated by Bischoff, whether it be on the road or on TV even as he gives his all for the fans. If Bischoff cannot give him the time of day, he doesn't care anymore, as there is a lot of young talent in WCW and they are all held down for higher-paid talent. Eddie goes on to say he doesn't care about the people and that Bischoff has driven him to that, and that this is now personal between them. Eddie says that he comes to work with his heart, and Bischoff steps on it and keeps holding him down. He does not know if it is something personal or if he has something personal against him, and wants to know what it is that Bischoff has against him to keep him from moving up in WCW. He says he is doing this for the rest of the young talent, and that he hasn't come out sooner for two reasons: his nephew Chavo Guerrero, Jr. and his two kids and a wife that he has to support. If he has to lose his dignity, he doesn't care. He then tells Bischoff he wants out of his contract, and he does not care how he does it. He then throws coffee on himself, and tells Bischoff he can take his job and shove it. Eddie then leaves with his luggage.

Pyrotechnics signal the start of the second hour.

Raven and Saturn beats Horace and Raven in a Raven's Rules tag team match after Horace accidentally hits Kanyon with a stop sign. After the match, Raven hits Saturn with an Evenflow DDT before he sics the Flock on him. Kidman tries to stop it, but Raven hits him with an Evenflow DDT as well. Horace then butts in and says he wants Saturn, then hits Saturn with a full nelson slam before eating yet another Evenflow DDT from Raven.

nWo Wolfpac (Kevin Nash, Konnan, Lex Luger, Sting) show up. Sting says he loved the idea of being in War Games again, and that this time, he is running with the Wolfpac and that he is red-and-black for life. Kevin Nash predicts that War Games will be the end of nWo Hollywood as we know it, and he tells Scott Hall and Hollywood Hogan that if they're not with the pack, prepared to be hunted.

Scott Norton quickly beats Scott Putski.

Hollywood Hogan, Eric Bischoff and The Disciple show up. Hogan says that everyone realized by now that nWo Hollywood plays no games, even after WCW Executive Committee Chairman J.J. Dillon put a wrinkle in their plans with War Games, it would be an honor to enter War Games and take down both WCW and nWo Wolfpac en route to becoming World Heavyweight champ and taking professional wrestling into the new millennium. He says he will have to "etch the lesson" into Diamond Dallas Page's forehead that Bischoff is the boss and that DDP can't get it done and couldn't even get anyone if he tried. Hogan asks who could possibly have ever bested him, and says there is no wrestler he cannot beat, no war he cannot win, and no warrior he cannot beat. Right after this, the lights start dimming in and out before the arena goes dark and police sirens can be heard. Fire can be seen on the stage, then a figure comes out of the ring entrance and heads down the ramp. Hogan is in shock as he realizes who this is: The Ultimate Warrior, who hasn't been seen on television since his ugly exit from WWF in 1996. Hogan says he thought Warrior was dead, but the crowd chants for The Warrior before he asks who holds the absolute power now. Warrior says that no formal introduction is about to be necessary, and that it even seems that a few people anticipated his arrival. Hogan takes off his tanktop and tries to hand it to The Ultimate Warrior, then asks "What's that smell?" before telling him to use it to clean up the mess he made all over himself He then tells Hogan to open his eyes and ears, and take control of the limited ability he has to understand the words he is about to say. For years, he has watched while the industry, with Hogan as its figurehead, recreate what is unrecreateable. He has heard and listened to all the innuendos and speculation that something ultimate may reappear, and that he is that reappearance. Those that are irreplaceable are never forgotten, and Hogan is witnessing this right now. The Warrior then declares that history states that a man's legacy is built from the premise that within his life, the moments lived, once lived, become a piece of his history. Somehow, Hogan has conveniently and even eloquently misplaced pieces of his history. In the one epic battle between them, Hogan was the quintessential influence in what was good, great and heroic, but it was he who won out (a reference to WrestleMania 6) and that Hogan never beat a Warrior, especially not The Ultimate Warrior. As the victor of that one-time battle, he defeated what was, until then, undefeatable, conquered what was until then unconquerable, dominated what was until then indomitable. On that day, Hogan was great, but he was ultimate. He then guesses that The Disciple is Hogan's barber (a reference to The Disciple originally being Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake) before asking who Eric Bischoff is. Bischoff introduces himself, and asks Warrior who invited him. The Ultimate Warrior says he invited himself, and that if if Bischoff gets in his business, he had better prepare for his own demise. Once he's done with his business, he will send Bischoff a bill, and suggests Bischoff pay it. He has waited patiently, as have the fans, and now the virtue of justice unties his hands so that he can continue to fulfill a destiny at the next level beckoning for the next superhero that was set in motion at WrestleMania 6. The Warrior says there is no sadder sight that when a grown fears the challenges in his life so much that he rationalizes adolescent behavior to the point that he carries out heinous, self-indulgent actions, and that Hogan's evilness is intolerable before he says he has the power to destroy him. The truth is inexhaustible, and he is not here to beat Hogan up, as it means nothing anymore and that everyone already has. The Warrior says Hogan felt guilty about who he was, and that Hulkamania became boring for him. Next week, he plans to launch a revolution that not even Hogan can control, and asks him to find the courage. We then see static on the videoscreens in the arena, and fog covers the ring before the arena fades to black and pyrotechnics go off. The Warrior then vanishes. We then see a spotlight with the Warrior's logo on it somewhere in the arena.

We see another performance by The Nitro Girls.

Curt Hennig beats Dean Malenko with the distraction and interference from Rick Rude.

Pyrotechnics signal the start of the third hour.

Scott Hall comes out with half of his body taped up along with a surgeon and with Buff Bagwell. Scott Steiner says he sees a lot of sad faces in the crowd, as he is hurt. He also sees a bunch of idiots who don't understand why he is taped up like he is. Scott explains that he is taped up due to an unprovoked attack in which his brother Rick Steiner hit him in the elbow, and that the elbow bone is connected to the shoulder bone which is connected to the neck bone which if connected to the hip bone. This is why he also brought Dr. Cecil Schwartz, who says "Right on!" when Scott asks if his injury is serious. Scott says he could beat his brother with half a body, but he will not and he cannot go against his doctor's orders. Buff asks Scott to hold his taped up arm up after he drops it, and Scott cannot. Dr. Cecil Schwartz says there is no way of knowing if Scott will be ready by September 13th, saying "Right on!" Rick Steiner shows up, and says he is sick and tired of Scott and Buff talking trash, and says he's getting ready for the match at Fall Brawl, and says he will beat the hell out of him regardless of what Scott shows up in. Buff dares Rick to get in the ring, and Scott says he will prove he is the better Steiner Brother at Fall Brawl.

We see another performance by The Nitro Girls.

Chris Jericho retains the WCW World Television Championship against Stevie Ray and Chavo Guerrero, Jr. in a Triangle Match. (The match was originally Chavo Guerrero, Jr. vs. Stevie Ray for the title, but Chris Jericho attacked Chavo last week and beat Stevie for the title.) During the match, Stevie Ray shoulder tackles the referee, then hits Chris Jericho with a blackjack. As Chavo has Stevie Ray in a sleeper, The Giant shows up and choke slams Stevie Ray before leaving. All three men are down, then Jericho pulls referee Mickey Jay away as he gets up. Chavo accidentally rolls out of the ring on his way back up to his feet, and Stevie Ray fails to get up at all.

Bret "The Hit Man" Hart retains the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship against Diamond Dallas Page. Before the match, it is announced that The Ultimate Warrior (who goes by the name The Warrior at this point) is one of the participants for Team WCW at War Games. During the match, Bret whips DDP into referee Nick Patrick, sandwiching Patrick into the corner. He then tries to hit DDP with a foreign object before placing it in DDP's trunks before the pinfall, but DDP kicks out after the referee comes to. After a Diamond Cutter and a failed pin attempt where Bret puts his foot on the rope, Bret tells referee Nick Patrick about the foreign object, and retains the title when Patrick finds it on DDP.

We see another performance by The Nitro Girls, which also involves the new WCW Bashin' Brawlers.

Goldberg retains the WCW World Heavyweight Championship against The Giant by disqualification after The Disciple interferes. Both THe Giant and The Disciple get Speared, and The Disciple eats a Jackhammer. Scott Hall rushes in and attacks Goldberg, but Kevin Nash runs in and boots The Giant. Nash grabs Hall by the back of the head, but Hall gets away and Goldberg accidentally spears Nash. Goldberg and Nash are about to go at it when the show ends.