One of the final slender episodes of Monday Nitro brings us four matches that could all be classified as 'heel vs heel', if you are counting the constantly-scowling Scott Steiner and a Lex Luger who camped outside the arena overnight as heels. After all, Luger seems to switch each week at this juncture. Join Dean and Liam for 42 minutes of perfectly acceptable wrestling, plus the usual greatness from Ric Flair and Woman. Oh, and Elizabeth was also there with them. We think. Hosted on Acast. See ...
Dec 01, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 82
We here at Because WCW have covered our fair share of awful, harebrained, nonsensical offerings from various loons somehow employed to positions of power at World Championship Wrestling over the years. This time, however, Dean and Liam cover perhaps the dullest. Joining them to look back at the 1992 Great American Bash is wrestling historian and operator of the Scottish Wrestling Hall of Fame, Bradley Craig. A tournament for the NWA tag team titles dominates the show as the Bill Watts era begins...
Nov 19, 2020•2 hr 19 min•Ep. 81
This special episode of the podcast sees Dean and Liam joined by a man who covered wrestling online for much of World Championship Wrestling's existence and to this day contributes to Inside The Ropes as well as running his Blog Of Doom website, Scott Keith. The trio discuss Scott's experiences as a WCW fan as well as a wrestling writer, including the implementation of the famed 'hot pokers up the ass' rating system and seminal 'Want Of A Nail' column on WCW's troubles in the year 1993. And, tru...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 80
The era of The Giant has arrived, and WCW wastes no time showing us what an unstoppable and uncontrollable force he is as World champion. They also waste no time in hammering home their two favourite on-off long-running storylines, "Randy Savage has lost his mind!" and "what's the deal with Sting and Lex Luger?" Join Dean and Liam and take your mind off the confusing United States election updates with a nice, brisk hour of Monday Nitro that unlike the polls, doesn't drag out well beyond a reaso...
Nov 04, 2020•58 min•Ep. 79
Thirty years ago on the very date of this episode being published, World Championship Wrestling aired the second annual Halloween Havoc PPV live on PPV. And on this momentous anniversary - not to mention the day before NXT finally brings the beloved concept back - is the perfect time for us to cover another of the most requested WCW themed show, by far. Joining Dean and Liam as they finally get to rewatch the famous Steiner Brothers vs Nasty Boys donnybrook is British wrestling veteran RJ Singh,...
Oct 27, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 78
The April 29, 1996 edition of Monday Nitro may well be the best one yet. Featuring a hard-hitting Parking Lot Brawl between Fit Finlay and Lord Steven Regal plus two major title bouts, the absence of Hulk Hogan continues to lead to some enjoyable hour-long television. Join Dean and Liam for more great nostalgia, insight and of course, random talk about chocolate bars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 19, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 77
Would you believe it? WCW begins three months of Hulk Hogan-less episodes of Monday Nitro with a really enjoyable hour of television! As fate would have it, while fans on social media bicker over how many non-finishes AEW have or have not used on a year of Dynamite, the April 22, 1996 edition of Nitro is one of the best of the early bunch despite half of its four matches going to non-finishes and the other two using some form of cheating before the pinfall. It's almost as if things can be great ...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 76
Earlier this year, we rewatched Spring Stampede 2000 and recalled how Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo's publicised joint rescue attempt of WCW was taking on water after just six days. Three weeks later, their second PPV effort continued to confuse and depress. The PPV that features actor David Arquette entering as the defending WCW World champion is rife with overbooking, extra-curricular nonsense and short-minded decision-making. But who better to join us for Arquette's big show than fellow TV st...
Oct 02, 2020•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 75
Good news: Midlife Crisis Hulk Hogan makes his final appearance on this edition of Monday Nitro before forming the New World Order and going Hollywood that summer. Bad news: he manages to leave a horrific taste in the mouth of the watching fan on his way out with his latest desperate self-serving antics. Join Dean and Liam as they endure a depressing opening segment, enjoy The Nasty Boys and Public Enemy beating the tar out of each other and witness the latest instalment of Randy Savage Formula ...
Sep 24, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 74
Today, Because WCW turns three years old! And what better way to celebrate than with Hulk Hogan and Ed Leslie's latest desperate attempts to stay relevant? On the plus side, the Hulkster isn't far in our Nitro chronicles from disappearing until he'd return to form the New World Order. Until then, Dean and Liam witness an hour of old-school wrestling (for better and for worse) staged in front of a very 1990s crowd, littered with some extremely creative (again, for better and for worse) match fini...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 73
As it's Nitro Week on hookedonwrestling.co.uk, we have for the first time published a second episode in a week. And it's a humdinger! Dean and Liam are joined by British wrestling media legend Findlay Martin to discuss the impact WCW's game-changing weekly show had not just on the industry as a whole, but on fans of various generations and Fin himself as a wrestling magazine editor at the time. The man now writing for the brand-new Inside The Ropes Magazine recalls Nitro's biggest highs and lows...
Sep 03, 2020•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 72
From Monday August 31 to Sunday September 6 2020, hookedonwrestling.co.uk and Because WCW are celebrating 'Monday Nitro Week', to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the very first episode of the game-changing weekly TV show on September 4. To mark the occasion, Dean and Liam present a very special interview conducted by 'The Twisted Genius' with his fellow devious manager, WCW legend Sonny Onoo! The sunglasses-wearing, wide-grinning former international liaison and on-screen talent for World Ch...
Aug 31, 2020•56 min•Ep. 71
For the first time, Because WCW has a podcast episode longer than the PPV it was covering. And considering which PPV this episode looks at, we're sure you'll agree it deserves the distinction of our biggest ep yet. Dean and Liam bring in a 'third man' for one of WCW's most infamous and critically-successful efforts as Hooked On Wrestling original and former The Sun wrestling columnist Rob McNichol helps decipher the 'hostile takeover' main event that launched Eric Bischoff's vision into supernov...
Aug 22, 2020•3 hr 12 min•Ep. 70
Dean and Liam's run of early-1996 Nitros continues as they encounter an episode that, bizarrely, they both vaguely recalled watching on British cable TV back when it was fresh content. So, will this hour of TV, headlined by Ric Flair defending the WCW World title against The Giant and also featuring Sting and Lex Luger defending the tag team titles against The American Males plus Randy Savage vs Fit Finlay, stand the test of time? And more importantly, why the bloody hell are we stuck watching a...
Aug 14, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 69
How many wrestling shows can 'boast' that their match of the night was an immediate countout that finished in a matter of seconds? Welcome to the March 18, 1996 edition of Monday Nitro, where the tag team division continues to hurt the head and the eyes of everyone unfortunate enough to pick WCW over the WWF on this particular evening back in the day, and the star workers were an unfoldable chair found in most schools and community centres, and a foam Randy Savage hat. Join Dean and Liam as they...
Aug 03, 2020•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 68
As advertised on the previous episode, a Lumberjack Strap six-man tag main events the 27th Monday Nitro - and they made all of the lumberjacks dress in flannel! Join Dean and Liam as they continue on the road to Uncensored 1996 with quite the enjoyable hour of television, even despite the hideously-confusing face-heel blurs. The Steiner Brothers return, Brian Pillman refuses to leave quietly and Ric Flair goes bonkers. Again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 67
WCW had plenty of pros to supplement the many, many cons, but PPV events from the company that are widely regarded as truly great are few and far between. Superbrawl III is one of those select few that many consider to be great. So great, in fact, that friend of the podcast and BBC Sport broadcast journalist in the Humberside region Mike White insisted that we rewatch it for his special guest appearance. Join Dean, Liam and Mike as they fondly recall the White Castle of Fear strap match between ...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 66
World Championship Wrestling transitioned out of the NWA/Jim Crockett Promotions in 1990, and is there a more WCW way for the company's era of infamy to begin than the Black Scorpion storyline? Ole Anderson followed up a brilliant 1989 by growling into a voice distorter to cap a massive squandering of the firm's momentum, shortly before he would be replaced as booker by Dusty Rhodes. Dean, Liam and special guest Carl 'Conroy' Stewart do their best not to say anything that breaches the podcast ru...
Jun 25, 2020•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 65
Very few episodes of Monday Nitro so far on this Watchalong series have felt like chores to watch. The February 26, 1996 broadcast, unfortunately, was a massive chore to watch. Nonetheless, Dean and Liam make it worthwhile with their audio accompaniment. Hell, just listen to the episode without watching Nitro on WWE Network, if you wish. Deep fried Mars Bars, the difference between a Milky Way in Britain and in the United States and other such riveting conversations salvage an hour of wrestling ...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 64
A question that has cropped up more than once in previous episodes of Because WCW is this: how did World Championship Wrestling manage so often to provide some all-time classic wrestling moments right next to some truly turgid excuses for entertainment? Havoc 1997 may well be the pinnacle of their trademark marriage of the ridiculous and the sublime, as Rey Misterio Jr vs Eddie Guerrero in one of the greatest ever matches on North American soil and Ric Flair's gloriously-Wild West revenge on Cur...
Jun 06, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 63
Since WCW folded in 2001, there have been countless accounts of what went wrong. There have been many opinions shared by fans and outsiders alike as to why they stopped watching or caring. But there has been nothing quite like Guy Evans' comprehensive insight into the Nitro era. And in a very special chat recorded on May 23, the man himself joined us from New York via Skype to discuss the making of the book, how it affected his enjoyment of wrestling and potentially writing a follow-up. For die-...
May 29, 2020•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 62
It's a 'night of rematches' according to Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan, Mongo and Mongo's poor, forcibly-costumed dog. Hey, at least WCW's reliance on the same marquee matches over and over again has a fancy packaging, this time. Join Dean and Liam as they cross their fingers and pray that Hulk Hogan doesn't get his win back from Arn Anderson after just seven days, and share with them the unbridled joy that only an episode featuring Fit Finlay, Brad Armstrong, Giant Haystacks AND Alex Wright can p...
May 21, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 61
Dean and Liam are joined for this very special episode by WCW alumnus Jeanie 'Lady Blossom' Clarke, former valet and real-life wife of 'Stunning' Steve Austin. Clarke tells us about life on the road in the early days of World Championship Wrestling, being an ITV star without realising it, maintaining great friendships with some of her former colleagues and of course, the urban legend that she was the source of Austin's 'Stone Cold' moniker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...
May 14, 2020•45 min•Ep. 60
The February 12th, 1996 edition of WCW Monday Nitro answers the question: can the visual of Arn Anderson pinning Hulk Hogan's shoulders to the mat for a count of three make an otherwise-tedious hour of wrestling a worthwhile watch. Well, the answer is unfortunately no. But come and join Dean and Liam regardless as they endure everything Hogan had to get to do to Arn and the Horseman in return for the essentially-meaningless defeat, as well as Loch Ness almost legit maiming Scotty Riggs, Macho Ma...
May 07, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 59
In a quirk of fate, Dean and Liam look back at the WCW PPV immediately after the last one they covered on the podcast, as the Eric Bischoff/Vince Russo collaboration era presents Spring Stampede 2000. Although just four weeks separated that and Uncensored, there were so many changes behind the scenes you'd be forgiven for thinking four years had passed. And yet, the co-hosts and special guest Priscilla Queen of the Ring explain why beneath the surface, hardly anything had actually changed at all...
Apr 29, 2020•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 58
With just six days until Superbrawl VI, World Championship Wrestling embarks on the 'hard sell' (or in their case, somewhat semi-erect) and thankfully also remembers what made most of the first 20 episodes of Monday Nitro enjoyable in the first place. Randy Savage and Ric Flair make Chris Benoit and Marcus Bagwell look formidable, respectively, in fresh match-ups while The Road Warriors challenge the intriguing pairing of Sting and Lex Luger for the world tag team titles in a main event that man...
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 57
Having looked back at Superbrawl 2000 in the show's early days, Dean and Liam complete the two-month era of 'booking committee' PPVs in between Vince Russo's two brief but wild stints and soon remember that it actually felt like two decades. The final edition of one of the most infamous PPV show themes of all time comes shortly after the exodus of The Radicals to WWE and sees WCW respond to the changes by main eventing with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair AGAIN while showcasing such finger-on-the-pulse...
Apr 10, 2020•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 56
The series that prompted ITV to stick the entire Euro 1996 football tournament up on their on-demand service is back with the 22nd edition of Monday Nitro - where after a fun first few months, things are starting to fall into a rut. But don't panic, Dean and Liam will fight their isolation blues to make light of the umpteenth re-arrangement of Hogan, Flair, Savage and Giant while also wondering who on Earth told the returning Road Warriors to go 10 minutes with the Faces of Fear. Plus, get ready...
Mar 30, 2020•59 min•Ep. 55
Dean and Liam attempt to cope with the safety protocol for the Corona virus by rewatching the second annual Superbrawl - with Sting vs Lex Luger headlining for the World title plus Rick Rude, Ricky Steamboat, the Steiners, the Dangerous Alliance, Flyin' Brian Pillman and more, it could perhaps be one of the most peak WCW pay-per-views in their history in the midst of their early 1990s zeitgeist. And joining them is a man who surely would have competed for World Championship Wrestling, had they s...
Mar 20, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 54
WCW rolls into Las Vegas for a double-shot of a Monday Nitro and a Tuesday Clash of the Champions, with a spot of big-time networking thrown in. This hobnobbing excursion means the big names are all over the card, the matchups are particularly rehashed and Hulk Hogan is more nauseatingly insecure than ever before. Will the World title and/or the World tag titles change hands on this landmark episode? Will Hulk and co plunge us to only a third 'thumbs down' from Dean and Liam in 21 episodes so fa...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 53
