Monday Nitro
New Orleans,
Louisiana
February 26, 2001
As WCW rolled into New Orleans for another edition of Monday Nitro, Parti Gras was in full effect. The Magnificent Seven were in attendance, but were greeted with a big surprise as Booker T returned to the organization with one thing in mind - gaining revenge against Big Poppa Pump.
The show started with Doug Dellinger questioning Lex Luger, Buff Bagwell, Lance Storm, and Mike Awesome after medical personnel took KroniK away after a vicious attack. Ric Flair arrived and took his men away from the scene.
Backstage, Big Poppa Pump jumped two security guards when they couldn't tell the champion the whereabouts of DDP. Page arrived in the arena and called Steiner out. Big Poppa went out and challenged DDP to come from the crowd and fight in the ring. Page told Scott that one of the men that Poppa Pump put out of wrestling was fine and there in the building.
Tony Schiavone and Scott Hudson announced the bracketing for the Cruiserweight Tag Team Tournament.
Cruiserweight Tag Team
Tournament Match
Rey Mysterio, Jr. and Billy Kidman d. Johnny Swinger and Jason
Lee
Lee and Swinger jumped on The Filthy Animals as they entered the
ring, gaining the initial advantage of the match. The new team of
Lee and Swinger worked over Rey, Jr. in their corner, keeping the
high flyer grounded. Johnny delivered a swinging sit out
neckbreaker, but only got a two-count on the pin attempt. Rey
made the hot tag with Kidman, who exploded into the ring, taking
both of his opponents to the mat. Mysterio hit the BroncoBuster
on Lee, followed up with a double clothesline on both Swinger and
Lee on the outside. Kidman dazzled the crowd with the Shooting
Star Press from the top turnbuckle to the floor. Rey landed a leg
drop from the top onto Lee, setting Billy up for the Kid Krusher
and the win.
Interview: The Cat
The Cat told Kanyon that he was a marked man after putting Ms.
Jones out with the Kanyon Cutter last week. Miller said because
of his goal to destroy Kanyon, he had to step down as WCW
commissioner. The CEO came to the ring and let The Cat know that
he quit just in time, because he was going to be fired anyway.
Flair challenged Miller to a fight, sucker punching the former
commissioner. Cat was resilient, however, blasting Ric with an
explosion of karate moves, sending the man in charge into the
arms of WCW security. An irate Flair got the mic and told Miller
that he would face Rick Steiner later in the show.
Backstage, Konnan said that the wrestlers in the back were all united and ready to take down the Magnificent Seven.
Non-Title Match
Mike Awesome and Lance Storm d. Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire
Sean O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo challenged Team Canada to the ring
for an impromptu match. Awesome and Storm answered the call, and
the match was on. The Canadians went toe to toe with the tag team
champions, but Palumbo and O'Haire used their power to stay
strong. Awesome and Storm doubled on Palumbo as the referee
continued to get an overzealous Sean O'Haire back to his corner.
As Lex Luger's music and video played in the arena, Kanyon snuck
up behind O'Haire, bringing him down with a Cutter on the floor.
Team Canada, with a two on one advantage, soon got the win in the
non-title contest. As Storm and Awesome walked away after the
bell, Konnan ran out and jumped them in the aisle. O'Haire
challenged Kanyon to a singles match for later on Nitro.
Backstage, Ric Flair told Kanyon to deliver another Cutter to the champion.
Interview: Diamond Dallas
Page
In an interview from earlier in the day, Diamond Dallas Page told
Big Poppa Pump that although he may have temporarily put some of
the WCW superstars out of action, DDP was still standing and
ready for the champion at Greed.
Non-Title Match
The Cat d. Rick Steiner
The Cat and The Dog Faced Gremlin met in the aisle, not wanting
to wait for the ring to get it on. Once inside, Steiner dominated
over Miller, using some of his suplexes to rock the three-time
karate champion. Cat fought out of a face lock, but was worn down
with a series of knees to the head, courtesy of the US Champion.
Miller used his martial arts to throw Steiner off his balance,
but referee Scott James took the Feliner to the head as Rick
ducked out of the way. After Hugh Morrus prevented interference
from Totally Buff, the laughing man used his leg brace on
Steiner's head, setting Miller to hit the Feliner for the win.
After the match, the Magnificent Seven came out, beating down
Cat, Morrus, and Page until Booker T returned, sending them all
scurrying from the ring. Booker challenged Poppa Pump and Totally
Buff to a six-man tag against himself, DDP, and Miller right
then. Ric Flair came out and approved the bout.
Diamond Dallas Page &
The Cat & Booker T d. "Big Poppa Pump" Scott
Steiner & Lex Luger & Buff Bagwell
Page, Cat, and Booker were all over Flair's men, as the
Nature Boy joined the announcers at the ringside table. Booker T
made the tag with DDP, but went right after Big Poppa, wanting a
piece of the man who took him out of the ring for two months. The
champion slowed things down by hanging The Cat upside down in his
corner, allowing Totally Buff to attack their helpless opponent.
Out on the floor, Scott Steiner nailed Miller in the head with a
steel chair, before Buff threw him back into the ring. DDP
finally got the tag into the match, tearing into all three of his
opponents. Buff and Dallas both hit the mat hard on a double
clothesline; with Page making the tag first, bringing Booker back
in. Steiner leveled Page and Cat with a chair on the outside
before heading in against the former champion, Booker. Soon all
six men were brawling inside and out, with Booker gaining the pin
on the world champion after the axe kick.
Backstage, as Scott Steiner tore up the hallway, Page, Cat, and Booker celebrated in their dressing room.
Backstage, Dustin Rhodes said that he was going to be Jeff Jarrett's daddy, warning Ric Flair not to interfere in the match as the special referee.
Shane Helms d. Shannon
Moore with Evan Karagias
Helms and Moore displayed their speed and agility as the former
partners tangled in a special grudge match. Evan Karagias pulled
"Sugar" Shane from the ring behind the referee's back,
dropping him chin first on the steel guardrail. Helms regained
control with the "sugar smack," and went to the floor
after Evan. After a series of counters and reversals, Shane
delivered the Vertabreaker for the win. Chavo Guerrero ran in and
annihilated Helms after the match, as Moore and Karagias held the
helpless Cruiserweight.
Sean O'Haire d. Chris
Kanyon
O'Haire came in just like Kanyon did earlier on, through the
crowd and from behind, throwing himself at his opponent with a
bodypress that sent both over the top rope to the outside. Kanyon
showed why he was called the innovator of offense as he unleashed
a barrage of moves on the tag team champion. Kanyon missed a big
splash off the top turnbuckle, allowing the massive O'Haire to
power back and eventually land with the Seanton Bomb for the
victory.
Special Referee - Ric
Flair
Jeff Jarrett d. Dustin Rhodes
Jarrett got on the mic and mimicked Dusty Rhodes once
again. When Dustin came in, however, The Chosen One was silenced
fast, as the big Texan jumped all over the man who disrespected
his father. Flair pulled Jarrett out of the corner as he was
using a closed fist, trying to show impartiality. Rhodes hit a
superplex from the top, but the CEO counted super slow on the pin
attempt. Jarrett used a steel chair and the guardrail to punish
Dustin on the floor, as Flair seemed to ignore the blatant rule
breaking. With both men on the canvas, The Nature Boy started a
count, but they somehow got to their feet and locked horns again.
Frustrated with the illegal tactics, Rhodes bulldogged Flair and
Jarrett, and set Ric up for a field goal kick in the corner.
Dustin set Jarrett as well, but the CEO caught the Texan low,
allowing The Chosen One to apply The Stroke for the 1-2-3. DDP,
The Cat, and Booker T entered the ring with chairs as Nitro came
to a close.