Tim and Dave return to break down the February 2nd 1997 Nitro along with occasional co-host John! An interesting Nitro features some bizarre matchups, some intriguing faction promos, an attack by the nWo, and an incredible final segment that continues the build towards SuperBrawl VII!!

Episode 73 - 2.3.97

Tim, Dave, and John record WorldWide immediately following AEW's All Out 2021. We talk about the first two hour RAW and what was promised vs. what was delivered, WWF and WCW's negotiations with Dennis Rodman, and when Curt Hennig may arrive in WCW. Then the guys spend the second half of the show talking about All Out match by match.

Episode 73.5 - WorldWide Edition - 2.3.97

With RAW off the air thanks to a dog show Nitro attempts to cram in a billion angles and updates, hoping to capture fans that may normally watch WWF. Randy Anderson's family begs for his job back, The Outsiders take on a fearsome team from Stamford, Hollywood Hogan appears "via satellite" to respond to Roddy Piper, Syxx tries stealing another belt and much, much more!

Episode 74 -2.10.97

It's the go-home show for SuperBrawl 7 and Tim, John, and Dave break down all the action! There's a shocking title change, a car crash, a legitimate billionaire, a promo from a prison, and someone named Fidel Cubano!

Episode 75 - 2.17.97

On the 20th anniversary of the debut episode of WCW Monday Nitro we launch our podcast, a weekly and chronological recap and review of Nitro episodes. We'll talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly of mid-90s WCW. Come join us where the big boys play!

(If you are checking out our podcast for the first time and starting here at the beginning, I promise you that the audio quality improves dramatically over time)

Episode 1 - 9.4.1995

In this episode we examine the September 11th, 1995 episode of Nitro, the very first to air head to head with Monday Night RAW. Will Hogan be able to hold off Lex Luger in their championship match? Will Ric Flair and Arn Anderson settle their differences? Will Mongo's commentary improve even a little bit? All this and more on 20 Years of Nitro!

Episode 2 - 9.11.1995

This week sees the Nitro Debut of the Disco Inferno, the poor negotiation skills of Lex Luger, Randy Savage takes on the Taskmaster, Kurasawa fights Sgt. Craig Pittman and much more!

Episode 4 - 9.25.1995

The October 2nd 1995 Nitro features a double main event as Lex Luger puts his future title shot and his WCW career on the line against Macho Man and The Nature Boy Ric Flair takes on The Enforcer Arn Anderson in a matchup of former Horsemen. Also Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero square off in exciting cruiserweight action and a little old lady beats up Hulk Hogan with her cane.  Wait, what?

Episode 5 - 10.2.1995

This week The Shark tries to take a bite out of Sting's United States Championship, Mr. JL tries to make an impact in his WCW debut, Disco Inferno tries get Road Warrior Hawk to dance, Sting tries his hand at mediation between Macho Man and Lex Luger, and the Chicago crowd tries to end Hulkamania with the power of their boos.

Episode 6 - 10.9.1995

This week The Canadian Crippler Chris Benoit makes his Nitro debut to take on the dynamic Eddie Guerrero. Diamond Dallas Page looks to defend his television title against Johnny B. Badd but does the Diamond Doll have eyes for the Bad Man? In the main event Ric Flair may have to take on Arn Anderson and Flyin Brian Pillman himself unless Sting chooses to help his old nemesis.

Episode 7 - 10.16.1995

It's the go home show for Halloween Havoc 1995 and spooky sight of The Master and his mysterious block of ice from the Himalyas have filled Dave and Tim with fright. Luckily Dave's brother John joins the show this week to provide some extra muscle. But what did the Dungeon of Doom's hired Sherpas discover in those mountains and how will the Hulkster handle their mischievously malevolent machinations?! Find out where the big boys play in Episode 8 of 20 Years of Nitro!

Episode 8 - 10.23.1995

As we begin to head towards Starrcade Randy Savage's reign as a fighting champion is heating up as he defends the WCW Heavyweight Championship against Lex Luger. Elsewhere The Giant locks up against Scott Norton, Harlem Heat face The American Males, and Heenan tries his hand at prop comedy.

Episode 14 - 12.4.1995

It's a week of huge rematches, or return matches in WCW parlance. Hulk Hogan looks to avenge last week's shocking loss to Arn Anderson while Randy Savage seeks to overcome to the presence of his ex-wife, Miss Elizabeth, while recapturing the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Loch Ness is in action, the Belfast Bruiser debuts and much much more!!

Episode 25 - 2.19.1996

On this week's episode Hogan and The Bootyman team up against Arn Anderson and Kevin Sullivan, Ric Flair puts his title on the line against Lex Luger, and for some reason a man goes out of his way to look like Brian Knobbs. All that plus Bobby Heenan announces his immediate retirement from broadcasting right here where the big boys play!

Episode 30 - 4.1.1996

Nitro took the week off so we decided to flip over to the USA Channel and see what the competition was up to. One week removed from WrestleMania XII Shawn Michaels is the leader of the New Generation but Jerry Lawler wants to slow the momentum of HBK, the Ultimate Warrior is back in the WWF and is confronted by Goldust, Yokozuna and Vader square off in a battle of big men, and Ahmed Johnson and The British Bulldog try to settle who is the strongest man in the WWF with an arm wrestling contest! 

Episode 30.5 - WWF Monday Night RAW - 4.8.1996

Nitro is back this week and ready to reveal the mystery stipulation concocted by The Booty Man two weeks ago which makes Dave and Tim deeply uncomfortable! Ric Flair and The Giant challenge Sting and Lex Luger for the tag team titles, Earl Robert Eaton attempts his best Flair impression, and Public Enemy and The Nasty Boys have a street fight.

Episode 31 - 4.15.1996

Nitro is all over the map this week giving us the joys of Benoit vs. Guerrero along with the pain of Meng vs. Jim Duggan. The main event is rematch from last week, Ric Flair and The Giant taking on Sting and Lex Luger only this time all titles are on the line even against your own partner! Also, we're starting to doubt the Lethal Lottery is completely on the level...

Episode 32 - 4.22.1996

Tonight on Nitro Lex Luger has a shot at The Giant's world title, but after missing a similar opportunity at Saturday Night will Lex show up this time? Macho Man locks up with Hugh Morris, Sting takes on Lord Steven Regal but Dean Malenko and Jushin "Thunder" Liger threaten to steal the show. All that plus Ric Flair, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, Blood Runs Cold, and a tribute to the late "Crippler" Ray Stevens right here where the big boys play!

Episode 34 - 5.6.1996

It's the final Nitro of the pre-Outsiders era and WCW prepares for the full time switch to two hours by presenting a 90 minute episode. How did they choose to fill the extra time? A 20 minute barn burner between Ric Flair and Eddie Guerrero! Also the Steiners take on Fire & Ice, the Faces of Fear face Sting and Luger, Arn Anderson has a match for the Heavyweight Championship against The Giant  and Mean Gene Oakerlund has bad news for the Lord of the Ring, Diamond Dallas Page.

Episode 36 - 5.20.1996

Hey everyone! This week as a special bonus episode we bring to you an episode of Tim's old show, The Bookends Podcast, on which Dave was a guest to discuss WrestleMania VI. We hope this helps tide you guys over until we come back with more weekly Nitro reviews. Hope you enjoy!!

Bonus Episode - Tim and Dave Discuss WrestleMania VI

We're back!! And what an episode to come back to as WCW is rocked to its core by the appearance of a superstar from a rival organization in one of Nitro's most famous moments.  Not only that but Ric Flair and Arn Anderson are in action to prepare themselves for Mongo and Kevin Greene, Stevan Regal has a challenge for the Stinger, the Shark wants revenge on the Dungeon of Doom and more!

Episode 37 - 5.27.1996

For the first time the boys review a full pay per view and it's a hell of a show!! Ric Flair and Arn Anderson look to show NFL greats Steve "Mongo" McMichael and Kevin Greene how things are done in the ring. Eric Bischoff has a shocking confrontation with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Rey Mysterio Jr. makes his WCW debut against Dean Malenko in a match for the Cruiserweight Championship. Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan destroy a men's room, the Steiners and Fire & Ice toss each other around, Sting gets real homophobic, and much much more!!

Episode 39.5 - Great American Bash 1996

In this episode the guys break down Monday Nitro from June 24th, 1996. We're just two weeks away from the Bash at the Beach and WCW is on high alert for more attacks from The Outsiders. Meanwhile the Horsemen are fighting wars on two fronts against the Dungeon of Doom and Randy Savage with his buddy from the Carolina Panthers, Kevin Greene. DDP is in action, Kevin Sullivan brings a jobber to meet some sandwich artists, and Disco Inferno has exciting news about his hot new single!

Episode 41 - 6.24.1996

It has all been building to this. In a little under two months The Outsiders have made waves in WCW and tonight we see the culmination of their plan to invade and the shocking reveal of their third man. Dave and Tim wade into one of the most famous PPVs of the Monday Night Wars era, a shocking event that helped turn the tide firmly in WCW's favor. The undercard also features Rey Mysterio Jr, Ric Flair, The Disco Inferno, the singles debut of Mongo McMichael and so much more. The opening salvos of the Monday Night Wars have come and gone, the real fight starts now and we'll cover it all right here where the big boys play.

Episode 42.5 - Bash At The Beach 1996

A little bit more of the road to Sturgis (and the Hog Wild PPV) is traversed this week as Nitro emanates once again from Disney MGM Studios! The Four Horsemen have a main event match with Sting, Lex Luger, and Randy Savage but Ric Flair is nowhere to be found. Is he the fourth man to join the nWo? Eddie Guerrero and Psicosis square off in a strong match and Eddie's nephew Chavo makes his Nitro debut against Dean Malenko. Plus Joe Gomez, The Renegade, Alex Wright, and Jim Powers look bored, walk on the beach, and take their shirts off!!!

Episode 45 - 7.22.1996

WCW Monday Nitro comes apart at the seams due to a mid-show attack by the nWo. They take out several wrestlers (including throwing Rey Mysterio into the side of a trailer) and devastate the card for the evening. As if that wasn't enough the nWo also purchases ad time and runs their own ad featuring Hogan and The Outsiders.  Oh, and Larry Zybszko is very, very proud of a pun. All that and more right here where the big boys play!

Episode 46 - 7.29.1996

Tim is joined by longtime WCW Producer Neal Pruitt who shares stories on his start in the business, the role of a producer, and the craziness that was working for World Championship Wrestling. He talks about the creation of the nWo paid advertisements and his role as the voice of the new world order. He also shares stories on what it was like producing an outdoor PPV at the Sturgis Biker Rally, hanging out in Chicago with Hulk Hogan, and much much more! Be sure and check out Neal's podcast, Neal Pruitt's Secrets of WCW Nitro!!

Episode 47.25 - Interview With WCW Producer Neal Pruitt

Tim and Dave roll into Sturgis, South Dakota for Hog Wild 1996! Hulk Hogan tries to recapture the World Heavyweight Title now that he's gone Hollywood, Sting and Lex Luger try to defend WCW's honor against The Outsiders, Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit put on a clinic, Bobby Heenan gets shitfaced, Ultimo Dragon makes his WCW debut and much, much more!!

Episode 47.5 - Hog Wild 1996 - 8.10.1996

After a month at Disney MGM and a wild Saturday at the Sturgis biker rally, WCW and Monday Nitro are finally back on the road with this edition from Casper, Wyoming. Randy Savage and Ric Flair battle for the United States title but Hollywood Hogan makes his presence felt. Sting and Luger have a challenge for The Outsiders but will Nick Patrick once again embroil the finish in controversy? Plus Chris Benoit, The Dungeon of Doom, Konnan, Rey Mysterio Jr, and much much more!

Episode 48 - 8.12.1996

While many of the stars of WCW are in Japan the nWo takes the opportunity to strike! They debut a new member, a new race car, and essentially take over the entire second hour of the show. Glacier returns to the program, Juventud Guerrera and Brad Armstrong are a tag team for some reason and much, much more!

We also tell the full story, cringeworthy moments and all, of our recent meet and greets with Hall, Nash, Waltman, Bischoff, and some additional legends! It's a pretty funny story, but if you want to skip straight to Nitro coverage you can find it at about 30 minutes in.

Episode 54 - 9.23.1996

Haunted by Hollywood Hogan using the ghosts of his failed marriage Randy Savage looks to finally avenge his constant humiliations and capture Hogan's WCW title at Slim Jim's Halloween Havoc. The nWo has their eye on acquiring other belts though, as The Outsiders look to unseat The Harlem Heat and The Giant pretends to defend Ric Flair's US Title against Jeff Jarrett. All that, a cruiserweight title match, Mongo in action, and much, much more!

Episode 58.5 - Halloween Havoc '96 - 10.27.1996

It's the night after Halloween Havoc and the dust settles upon WCW and the surprise appearance of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. Hollywood Hogan offers his response to the rowdy one and changes his tune significantly from the PPV. Elsewhere Dean Malenko defends his new cruiserweight championship, Lex Luger goes one on one with Booker T, and Mean Mike Enos shows why he may be one of the most undervalued men on the roster. Meanwhile in the rafters above the action a transformed Sting keeps an eye on the proceedings.

Episode 59 - 10.28.1996

Dave and Tim are joined by the Proletariat Boar of Moldova for a Nitro that features an ultimatum by Eric Bischoff and the nWo that threatens to tear WCW apart, starting with the American Males. Meanwhile, the WCW Championship Committee has implemented a tournament to crown a new United States Heavyweight Champion and we have two first round match ups tonight! Sting! Jeff Jarrett! Alex Wright! Lee Marshall! And so much more!!

Episode 63  - 11.25.1996 (With Proletariat Boar of Moldova)

Tim and Dave are joined by indie wrestler and current Wrestling with Wregret YouTube Champion Levi Shapiro to breakdown Clash of the Champions 34! Dean Malenko and Ultimo Dragon tear the house down, Eddie Guerrero and Alex Wright have to contend with the heel ref antics of Nick Patrick, and we discuss whether or not Masahiro Chono is anything like Zeus (Z-Gangsta). With only one more left to go, has the Clash concept run its course? Find out where the big boys play!!

Episode 71.5 - Clash Of The Champions 34 - 1.21.97 (with Levi Shapiro)

On this week's WorldWide we look at the 1/20/97 RAW, analyze the Monday Night War ratings and Clash of the Champions 34 ratings, preview Souled Out with some more matches added on the 1/25 episode of WCW Saturday Night, and go through all the news from the Wrestling Observer and Pro Wrestling Torch. Then Tim sits down for a fun conversation with St. Louis based indie wrestler The Kenway! Plus we play Choose Your Quarantine House: WCW Edition!

Episode 71.75 - WorldWide Edition - 1.20.97

In a special bonus interview episode Tim talks to one of his favorite stars of the Nitro era, Ice Train (aka M.I. Smooth). We talk about Fire and Ice, working in Austria and Germany, whether he ever thought about trying to join the nWo, and what held him back in WCW.

Episode 71.9 - Interview With Ice Train

Dave, Tim, and New York City based indie referee Katy Vella try to stay sane as they are inundated with 3 hours of Eric Bischoff's rampaging id. Boring matches with no heat, half baked set dressing, a questionable opening vignette, an odd choice of locale, and an unnecessarily cruel beauty pageant are just some of the lowlights of one of the worst wrestling PPVs ever. Join us for this very special and extremely comprehensive dissection of nWo Souled Out 1997!!!

Episode 71.99 - nWo Souled Out - 1.25.97 (with Katy Vella)

Dave and Tim are joined by independent wrestler Billie Starkz as the attempt to put Souled Out behind them and begin the build towards February's SuperBrawl! Eric Bischoff deals with the fallout of Souled Out's tag title change and his displeasure with Randy Anderson. The WCW Executive Committee has a major announcement for Hulk Hogan, but first he has to deal with an increasingly irate Giant. Kevin Sullivan has a new weapon in his war against Chris Benoit, but what is this mysterious new woman's connection to Sullivan and his estranged wife? Arn Anderson and Mongo face off with the Amazing French Canadians in Arn's final match before retirement. All that and much more right here where the big boys play!

Episode 72 - 1.27.97 (with Billie Starkz)

Dave and Tim, reeling from a week of wrestling tragedies, discuss the week in wrestling that was Jan 27 through Feb 2, 1997. RAW is moving to two hours, Bret Hart has words for Hulk Hogan and WCW, plus Monday night ratings and WCW Saturday Night Ratings! Plus, Tim talks to independent wrestler Slade Mercer about the Australian wrestling scene, growing up in New Zealand as a WCW fan, wrestling in Japan and more!

Episode 72.5 - WorldWide Edition - 1.27.97

On September 4th, 1995, World Championship Wrestling started the Monday Night Wars by launching a new flagship show, WCW Monday Nitro. On our podcast we review Nitro episode by episode providing humor, context, background, and insight. Join us on our tour of the southern front of wrestling's greatest battle.

20 Years of Nitro

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