25 Greatest Nitro Episodes
Celebrating a quarter century since Ted Turner gave Eric Bischoff two hours primetime.
In honor of a quarter century since Nitro premiered, here are the 25 greatest episodes in the history of WCW’s flagship show.
25. Nitro 284 (February 26, 2001)
A diamond in the rough of WCW’s dying days. After running roughshod over all the top babyfaces, the Magnificent Seven received a rude awakening as Booker T made a surprise return and pinned World Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner in an exciting six-man tag. The Seven did end the show victorious as referee Ric Flair helped Jeff Jarrett defeat Dustin Rhodes in a fun, shenanigan-filled frenzy. There was also a cool cruiserweight tag team match, as well as Sean O’Haire and Kanyon just hitting each other back and forth with moves ahead of their time. Had Jamie Kellner not pulled the plug on WCW programming, this was a promising glimpse at what the future of the company could have been.
24. Nitro 100 (August 11, 1997)
Nitro turns 100 with the NWO interfering in the main event! Can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Everything else is fun, though, as the Steiners clean house on the Outsiders, The Giant violates a restraining order, Meng and Wrath throw bombs and Mongo draws a massive pop. DDP and Buff Bagwell have a decent bout, but you definitely need to check out Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Jericho.
23. Nitro 124 (January 26, 1998)
Hide the co-eds as Mean Gene is live from a frat house! Three-hour Nitros became the standard with this episode. The trend started off well, but as we’ve seen again with Raw, three hours every week is just too long for pro wrestling. J.J. Dillon bans the powerbomb, but Nash does it anyway and gets arrested (Attica!). Brad Armstrong proves entertaining fodder for Goldberg. And there’s a slew of decent matches: Rick Steiner vs. Bagwell, Chavo vs. Psychosis, Perry Saturn vs. Booker T, Raven vs. Mortis and DDP vs. Wrath.
22. Nitro 38 (June 3, 1996)
John Tenta is not a fish! This show has a quick pace with some fun squashes like Faces of Fear vs. High Voltage, Kevin Sullivan vs. Prince Iaukea and The Giant vs. Ice Train. Plus, Bobby Heenan reveals that he’ll be coming out of retirement to “coach” the Four Horsemen at Great American Bash and Scott Hall promises he’ll have a “big” surprise for WCW next week. The main event is action-packed with Sting and Lex Luger vs. the Steiners.
21. Nitro 33 (April 29, 1996)
Due to the NBA Playoffs on TNT, this episode was pushed to a different start time, resulting in one of the lowest ratings in the history of Nitro. It’s a shame because this is a monumental episode: Giant beats Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship, Steven Regal and the Belfast Bruiser beat the piss out of each other in a parking lot brawl and we get the first Glacier vignette.
20. Nitro 16 (December 18, 1995)
The episode that sparked the Montreal Screwjob. That’s right, Madusa opens the show by dumping the WWF Women’s Championship in the trash, causing Vince McMahon to never let anything like that happen again. Did you know that immediately after Madusa’s moment, William “Refrigerator” Perry made a cameo? Never gets mentioned. As for the rest of the show, Eddie Guerrero gets the traveling champion treatment from Ric Flair, Lex Luger and Marcus Alexander Bagwell have a seesaw battle and a fun Randy Savage-Giant match ends with the Hulkster running wild on everyone with a steel chair.
19. Nitro 51 (September 2, 1996)
In retrospect, this was when the New World Order got watered down, but at the time, the crowd went ballistic as The Giant betrayed WCW to join the black and white. In terms of action, Dean Malenko and Chris Jericho have a good match and the Horsemen-Dungeon of Doom main event is wild. Don’t miss Lex Luger and Sting stealing a cop car!
18. Nitro 72 (January 27, 1997)
There’s a lot going on in this one. Bischoff’s power trip soars to new heights, as he fires referee Randy Anderson and strips the Steiners (who have a decent brawl with Meng & Barbarian) of the Tag Team Titles. Mongo finally snaps on Jeff Jarrett, Giant dropkicks Road Block through a table, Jacqueline debuts and there’s a cliffhanger about where Luger’s allegiance lies. This episode is also historic for having Arn Anderson’s final match.
17. Nitro 135 (April 13, 1998)
Even though this is the night that Raw finally ended its losing streak in the ratings war, at least Nitro went down swinging. An interview with Bret Hart is interspersed throughout the night, culminating in him cleaning house on the NWO. Of course, they all ran out in the main event of Sting vs. Kevin Nash because that’s the only way Nitro ends. In other action, Jericho and Super Calo had a thrilling encounter and Luger vs. Bagwell overdelivered.
16. Nitro 91 (June 9, 1997)
Vince Russo must have been inspired by this episode because there are brawls all over the show. The final one is Piper’s fault, as he ended the main event early and forced WCW management to scramble to fill time by sending out everybody in a feud to go nuts. After the show was the infamous backstage scuffle between Piper and Nash that caused heat between the two in the mid-2010s. In terms of good matches, there was a hot cruiserweight opener and Jarrett won the U.S. Championship from Malenko. But the most memorable part of this show is Luger making Hogan tap out.
15. Nitro 122 (January 12, 1998)
Expect the unexpected. Marty Jannetty and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart make their Nitro debuts, the latter of which is involved in a great angle with Flair. Jericho snaps again, attacking Rey Mysterio and leaving him easy pickings for Juventud. Despite tension between Savage and Nash, the Outsiders win the Tag Team Titles back from the Steiners. And then there’s a couple things you can expect: Malenko and Benoit have a great match and Goldberg’s path of destruction continues.
14. Nitro 108 (October 6, 1997)
Skip the first hour and settle in for a barn burner. Scott Hall antagonizes Larry Zbyszko, Luger and Hector Garza all in one match. Hogan and Piper have a heated confrontation. DDP drops Savage with a Diamond Cutter on the floor, compelling EMTs to stretcher out the Macho Man. Curt Hennig beats Chris Benoit in a hard-hitting match, only for Ric Flair to return and chase Hennig outside the building. The Nature Boy closes the show with one of his classic, fired up promos.
13. Nitro 187 (April 12, 1999)
When you have Sting vs. Ric Flair, you know it’s a good show. These arch-rivals had yet another barn burner that’s worth going out of your way to see. Plus, DDP and Scott Steiner had a good, ol’ fashioned brawl. Steiner’s brother Rick went nonstop fisticuffs with Booker T and Kidman and Psychosis had another action-packed encounter.
12. Nitro 136 (April 20, 1998)
Why, Bret, Why? After being the centerpiece of Nitro one week prior, culminating in him beating up the NWO, Hart stunned the world by screwing Savage and helping Hogan win the World Heavyweight Championship. Before that, Nash finally got his hands on Hogan, dropping the Immortal One with a jackknife powerbomb. This signaled the official split of the New World Order into NWO Hollywood and the Wolfpac. That wasn’t the only title to change hands – Goldberg won the United States Championship from Raven in the greatest match in Nitro history. The only champion to retain, Jericho held off Juvi in a whirlwind match.
11. Nitro 5 (October 2, 1995)
No filler in this one. Luger vs. Savage kicks thing off in high gear before The Giant interferes. We get a small taste of Malenko vs. Guerrero before either would become big deals. The Horsemen collide in the main event as Flair faces Arn. And then best of all, stunt granny! Kevin Sullivan, disguised as an old lady in the crowd, throws powder in Hogan’s face, blinding him so The Giant can snap his neck and help shave his iconic mustache.
10. Inaugural Episode (September 4, 1995)
Is there a better wrestling series premiere than the inaugural Nitro? First of all, the setting (Mall of America) immediately draws you in. Then you’re welcomed by Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan and NFL legend Steve “That’s Our Mongo” McMichael. You get a hot opener of Brian Pillman vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, another chapter in the rivalry of Flair vs. Sting and a shocker in Luger jumping ship to WCW. Right out of the gate, Nitro fostered an aura of must-see TV.
9. Nitro 40 (June 17, 1996)
It’s the fallout from the Great American Bash as Team WCW is revealed. Eric Bischoff is off commentary licking his wounds from the Outsiders. Another team that’s building steam is the Four Horsemen, who have Steve “That’s Our Mongo” McMichael and the lovely Debra joining the ranks. They make their presence felt at the end of a thrilling Ric Flair-Randy Savage match. Rey Mysterio and Dean Malenko have a good bout and even Stevie Ray vs. Rick Steiner gets the fans on their feet.
8. Nitro 152 (August 10, 1998)
Pro wrestling television is at its best when focusing on one star or matchup. Exhibit A: Meng wreaks havoc throughout the show to build hype for his world title shot against Goldberg in the main event. Unfortunately, the match is simply background for yet another brawl between NWO Black and White and the Wolfpac. In other championship action, Chris Jericho steals the T.V. Title and Bret Hart suffers his first loss in WCW to Lex Luger in a good U.S. Title match.
7. Nitro 166 (November 16, 1998)
BAM! The Beast from the East crashes Nitro, interrupting Chavo Guerrero vs. Scott Putski and demanding Goldberg come out to get his ass kicked. Da Man doesn’t back down from a challenge and a huge pull-apart ensues. This led to a bait-and-switch main event, but that doesn’t diminish the much-needed spontaneity of the angle. The episode kicked off with another great Juvi-Kidman bout and almost ended with Bret Hart vs. Chris Benoit (their classic wouldn’t happen for another year). Barry Windham made a surprising return and Bobby Duncum Jr. debuted with an impressive showing against Jericho.
6. Nitro 157 (September 14, 1998)
It’s a Horsemen reunion as Ric Flair finally returns in one of the greatest moments in Nitro history. Sting and Goldberg clash in the main event, Giant and Meng collide in a fun brawl and Billy Kidman wins the Cruiserweight Championship from Juventud Guerra in a good sprint. Beware: the drunk Scott Hall angle also takes place. If they played it for laughs, it would be a modern Foster Brooks. Instead, it was portrayed as Hall having a serious problem, and is quite uncomfortable to watch.
5. Nitro 176 (January 25, 1999)
Who are you to doubt El Dandy? Come for Bret’s promo, but stay for the action. Hall and Bigelow tear the house down in a criminally forgotten ladder match. Bret and Booker T have a good, traditional match. Goldberg and Norton have a fun collision. The main event is a looong six-man tag between Nash, Hall and Hogan against Flair, Benoit and Mongo, but it has a clever finish and leads to an epic brawl.
4. Nitro 95 (July 7, 1997)
An epic go-home show that makes you want to watch Bash at the Beach 97 right now. Curt Hennig explains why he joined WCW. Harlem Heat fires Sister Sherri. Stevie Richards jumps from ECW to be Raven’s lackey again. There’s a lucha frenzy between Villano IV & V and Hector Garza & Juventud Guerrera. Flair and Piper have a heated brawl. The Steiners tear the house down with Mongo and Benoit. The Giant and Luger run wild on the NWO. Last but not least, La Parka goes one on one with the Macho Man…BANG!
3. Nitro 181 (March 1, 1999)
Bell-to-bell, it’s the best episode of Nitro. Psychosis and Kidman open with a red-hot Cruiserweight Championship frenzy. Mysterio slays Bigelow in a fun tribute to David vs. Goliath. Bret Hart and Benoit have a really good bout (just a few months before their classic). In the main event, Rick Steiner returns to team with Goldberg against Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner. Despite his streak ending two months prior, Goldberg is still the most popular man in WCW, drawing glass-shattering pops for every move he hits.
2. Nitro 172 (December 28, 1998)
‘Twas the night after Starrcade and all through the house, the Four Horsemen laid the trap and Eric Bischoff was their mouse. Handcuffing himself to the rope and stripping down to his boxers and socks, Ric Flair challenged Easy E to a rematch with everything on the line: Flair’s money and career for control of WCW for 90 days. Bischoff agreed, immediately regretted it and Flair whipped him from pillar to post. It’s the rare satisfying payoff that WCW needed more of. There’s also a really good match between Eddie Guerrero and Juvi vs. Mysterio and Kidman.
1. Nitro 147 (July 6, 1998)
Nitro’s greatest episode exemplified what was wrong with WCW. Instead of building up Goldberg vs. Hogan for Starrcade or another pay-per-view, Bischoff presented the match on free TV, flushing away an enormous amount of money. After all, this show didn’t need this match – roughly 30,000 tickets were already sold before the match was announced less than a week prior.
But we’re not here to talk about WCW’s mistakes. We’re here to celebrate the greatest Nitro ever, as over 40,000 fans packed the Georgia Dome to support the former Georgia Bulldog in his quest to make history. The biggest crowd in WCW history got what it wanted, as Goldberg plowed through the returning Scott Hall to get to Hogan in the main event. The match was typical Hogan fare, but the finish still gives goosebumps. After absorbing two leg drops, Goldberg kicked out. Instead of finishing the undefeated challenger off, Hogan was distracted by DDP and Karl Malone, allowing Goldberg to hit his trademark spear/jackhammer combo to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
The undercard wasn’t chopped liver, either. Hometown boy Bagwell made his first appearance (along with mama Judy!) since almost being paralyzed by Rick Steiner injury (with Judy!). Jericho provoked Malenko with several insults about his family, pushing the Iceman over the edge and costing him a Cruiserweight Title shot at the pay-per-view. There were also a series of short, yet entertaining bouts featuring Booker vs. Makenko, Raven vs. Kanyon and Psychosis vs. Juvi.
But it’s all about Goldberg hoisting two championships in the air, as the fans finally got a clean, oh so satisfying finish to Nitro.
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