DVD Review: The Very Best of WCW Monday Nitro – Vol.3By Henry Higgins| September 27, 2015 WWE DVD Reviews Certificate: 15 Running Time: 427mins (7hrs 07mins) Discs: 3 Disc 1 – Chapters If Luger Loses, He Must Leave WCW: Lex Luger v “Macho Man” Randy Savage – October 2, 1995 • Denver, CO WCW Television Championship Match: Johnny B. Badd v Eddie Guerrero – November 13, 1995 • Jacksonville, FL Sting v Diamond Dallas Page – January 8, 1996 • Charleston, SC Belly Laughing WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Ric Flair v “Macho Man” Randy Savage – January 22, 1996 • Las Vegas, NV Macho Man Randy Savage on WCW Monday Nitro Sister Sherri v Madusa – January 29, 1996 • Canton, OH Sting v Rick Steiner – December 2, 1996 • Dayton, OH The New World Order kicks out The Giant – December 30, 1996 • Knoxville, TN Strength in Numbers DDP chases “Macho Man” Randy Savage – March 17, 1997 • Savannah, GA Lex Luger v Kevin Nash – April 14, 1997 • Philadelphia, PA The Giant & Diamond Dallas Page v Harlem Heat – May 5, 1997 • Lakeland, FL Time to Buckle Up WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match: Chris Jericho v Juventud Guerrera – June 30, 1997 • Las Vegas, NV Scott Steiner v “Macho Man” Randy Savage – July 28, 1997 • Charleston, WV Disc 2 – Chapters WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Outsiders v Diamond Dallas Page & Lex Luger – August 18, 1997 • Birmingham, AL Diamond Dallas Page v Stevie Richards – September 15, 1997 • Charlotte, NC nWo Takes Over Monday Nitro – December 22, 1997 • Macon, GA WCW Monday Nitro Logo – TNT All About Balance Eddie Guerrero & Chris Jericho v Chavo Guerrero & Dean Malenko – February 9, 1998 • El Paso, TX nWo Attempts to Recruit Rick Steiner – March 2, 1998 • Philadelphia, PA The Giant Tosses Scott Hall into a Pool – March 16, 1998 • Panama City, FL Juventud Guerrera v Billy Kidman – May 11, 1998 • Kansas City, MO WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Hollywood Hogan v “Macho Man” Randy Savage – May 11, 1998 • Kansas City, MO Lex Luger Joins The Wolfpac – May 25, 1998 • Evansville, IN Changing The Game Hollywood Hogan Calls Out Karl Malone & DDP – June 29, 1998 • Tampa, FL Billy Kidman v Scott Hall – September 28, 1998 • Rochester, NY Diamond Dallas Page v Kanyon – October 5, 1998 • Columbia, SC Tossed Around like Legos Bret “Hit Man” Hart Challenges DDP – December 14, 1998 • Tampa, FL Triangle Match: Goldberg v Bam Bam Bigelow v Kevin Nash – December 14, 1998 • Tampa, FL Disc 3 – Chapters Excellence in the Ring Bret “Hit Man” Hart v Booker T – February 22, 1999 • Sacramento, CA Goldberg v Ric Flair – March 8, 1999 • Worcester, MA Hollywood Hogan v Diamond Dallas Page – March 29, 1999 • Toronto, Ontario, Canada My Favourite Redneck Sting v “Macho Man” Randy Savage – June 7, 1999 • Cleveland, OH Hardcore Match: Hak v Rick Steiner – June 14, 1999 • Washington, D.C. Sting & Hulk Hogan v Kevin Nash & Sid Vicious – July 26, 1999 • Memphis, TN New York Evening Gown Match: Madusa v Mona – October 18, 1999 • Philadelphia, PA Sting v Bret “Hit Man” Hart – October 18, 1999 • Philadelphia, PA WCW – Goldberg v Scott Hall Texas Tornado Ladder Match for the WCW United States Championship: Scott Hall v Sid Vicious v Bret “Hit Man” Hart v Goldberg (Special Guest Referee: Kevin Nash) – November 8, 1999 • Indianapolis, IN WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Jeff Jarrett v Bret “Hit Man” Hart – November 22, 1999 • Auburn Hills, MI Texas Tornado Tag Team Match: Sting & Vampiro v Lex Luger & Ric Flair – March 27, 2000 • South Padre Island, TX WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Booker T v Mike Awesome – July 10, 2000 • Jacksonville, FL Triple Threat Match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship: Three Count v Jung Dragons v Mark Jindrak & Sean O’Haire – November 6, 2000 • Chicago, IL Booker T & Diamond Dallas Page v Scott & Rick Steiner – March 5, 2001 • Greenville, SC Going Out with a Bang “IT’S ME, IT’S ME, IT’S THEE! D! C!” Sorry; couldn’t resist that one. After two very successful entries, Diamond Dallas Page returns for a third bite of the wrestling pie and guides us through another recap of WCW Monday Nitro. Across the three discs, a number of different talents get to showcase their wares in a variety of bouts. One of the nice aspects of this covering a small window of time is that it keeps a general aesthetic, but you get to see how far certain wrestlers came over the 6yrs Nitro was on the air, especially Scott Steiner, Sting, Hogan, The Giant, Goldberg (obviously) and DDP himself. Among the younger, newer guys like Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Booker T, Jericho, Kanyon, Kidman and Chavo, we have old-timers on a second wind like Hogan, Savage, Sid, Flair, Luger and Sting. The one glaring omission is Rey Mysterio, Jr. A mainstay of the Cruiserweight Division from when he arrived, to not have him appear in a single match is disappointing and I hope it was a genuine oversight and not a vindictive decision based on Rey leaving the promotion (seemingly) under a dark cloud. Overview Page, as you’d expect is a wonderful host / link-man and it’s just a pity he isn’t featured more often, but the quality of the matches (for the most part) more than makes up for Diamond Cutter Dan’s fleeting visits. Match highlights are Eddie v Badd, Sting v DDP, DDP v Stevie Richards (surprisingly fun), Eddie / Jericho v Chavo / Malenko, Juvi v Kidman and Three Count v Jung Dragons v Jindrak / O’Haire. Not to say the others aren’t good, but these are the stand-outs. Of course, most of these bouts are available on The Network, but not all of them are and a set like this (as opposed to PPV releases, for example) means you don’t have to search out each match individually. Also, even for those that are on the Network, you would have to know / remember they exist and as I always say, they’re called “forgotten” gems for a reason. For those of us who lived through it the first time around, you get a nice, warm nostalgia feeling from the set, the talent and especially the commentary. The three-man booth of Mongo / Flair / Bischoff was much better as a trio than I remember (even McMichael’s ramblings are endearing because you get the feeling he is being nothing but genuine and nothing but himself throughout). All in all, this is well worth the money and it’s nice to have another WCW release in the collection. No extras are featured on the DVD release, but Blu-Ray customers also get -: WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: Scott Hall & Syxx v The Steiner Brothers – October 13, 1997 • Tampa, FL Ric Flair Confronts Bret “Hit Man” Hart – January 5, 1998 • Atlanta, GA Kanyon vs Raven – July 6, 1998 • Atlanta, GA WCW United States Championship Match: Bret “Hit Man” Hart v Lex Luger – August 10, 1998 • Rapid City, SD Bret “Hit Man” Hart v Hollywood Hogan – September 28, 1998 • Rochester, NY nWo Wolfpac Flip nWo Hollywood’s Limo – October 5, 1998 • Columbia, SC WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Jeff Jarrett v Sting – May 8, 2000 • St. Louis, MO Four Corners Match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Jarrett v Scott Steiner v Kevin Nash v Goldberg – June 26, 2000 • Des Moines, IA Network subscribers: 7/10 Non-subscribers: 9/10
