The Bookerman

WCW Saturday Night | Week 1, August 1996

Amarillo Civic Center | Amarillo, TX

Last week:

• The New World Order baited Lex Luger and Sting with no payoff, teasing them in advance of their tag team bout at Hog Wild.
• The Dungeon of Doom and Four Horsemen engaged in a massive brawl. It’s pondered whether the Dungeon protected ringside from the nWo as a way to start an incident with the Horsemen.
• Diamond Dallas Page made a challenge for anyone to face him at Hog Wild. Ice Train and Scott Norton will also fight at the event.

Dark Match: Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker d. Mark Youngblood (pinfall, 3:45)
Dark Match: Ricky Morton d. Maxx Muscle (pinfall, 6:13)

Announcers Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan welcome us to a special episode of WCW Saturday Night! Tonight, we’ll see Alex Wright, the Faces of Fear, Konnan, Kurasawa and the Public Enemy in action. Then we get ready for our first match.

Match 1: Squire David Taylor vs Jim Duggan

An entertaining little bout with Duggan doing his usual character-based offense and Taylor flailing about the ring. Lord Steven Regal comes out to help Taylor, but he accidentally hits Taylor from the apron. Duggan finishes with the flying clothesline.

Winner: Jim Duggan (pinfall, 3:31)

After the bout, Mean Gene pulls aside Duggan for a moment. Duggan says he’s still angry at what Hollywood Hulk Hogan did in betraying the fans. Duggan wants Hogan, regardless of what happens at Hog Wild.

[Commercial break]

Back from the break, and Tenay says it’s time for some cruiserweight action on Saturday Night.

Match 2: Kurasawa & Ultimate Dragon vs Konnan & Juventud Guerrera

A high-energy tag match goes to Kurasawa and Dragon. Konnan and Kurasawa get into a heated battle that spills outside the ring, allowing Dragon to take advantage and lock in the dragon sleeper for the win.

Winner: Kurasawa & Ultimate Dragon (submission, 7:29)

Mean Gene is about to interview the winners, but Bull Nakano steps in and says she wants Madusa to stop running away from her. “Give me a match at Hog Wild!”

[Commercial break]

After an ad for Monday Nitro, we head to the ring for our next match. The team of Rough ‘n’ Ready hits the ring.

Match 3: Dick Slater & Mike Enos (Rough ‘n’ Ready) vs Johnny Grunge & Rocco Rock (Public Enemy)

These teams immediately start brawling. It looks as if Slater and Enos have the match won, but the Public Enemy come back with a slick reversal, hot tag and high-impact moves. The match goes to the outside, and the fight gets rough, leading to a double countout.

Winner: Draw (double countout, 3:59)

After the bout, Mike and Bobby take us to a special video showing The Giant’s first year in WCW. In the video, The Giant talks about how he hasn’t lost, hasn’t bowed to anyone, and it won’t happen Sunday with Hollywood Hulk Hogan. Giant says Hogan had better say his prayers, because Sunday night is the end of everything he is.

[Commercial break]

Welcome back to this one-hour edition of WCW Saturday Night. Greg Valentine makes his way to the ring and awaits Alex Wright.

Match 4: Greg Valentine vs Alex Wright

Wright tries to use his speed to beat Valentine, but the veteran slows him down by chopping him and working on his legs. Nevertheless, Wright finds ways to grab quick advantages, and ultimately he gets the win with a schoolboy.

Winner: Alex Wright (pinfall, 5:06)

Mean Gene wants to interview Alex Wright, but Madusa comes out to the ring and tells Mean Gene that if Bull Nakano wants a match, she can have it at Hog Wild.

[Commercial break]

Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan recap what we’ve seen so far, including a women’s match added to the Hog Wild card.

Match 5: VK Wallstreet vs Jim Powers

A relatively quick match where Wallstreet lets Powers get a few moves in before putting him away. 

Winner: VK Wallstreet (pinfall, 3:14)

After the match with Mean Gene, Wallstreet challenges Lex Luger to a Television Title match for Nitro!

[Commercial break]

We return to Saturday Night, and it’s time for our main event! But first, Tenay and Heenan run us through the Hog Wild card:

• Bull Nakano vs Madusa
• Ice Train vs Scott Norton
• Diamond Dallas Page’s open challenge
• Chris Benoit vs Dean Malenko
• Harlem Heat [c] vs The Steiner Brothers [Two out of Three Falls | WCW World Tag Team Championship]
• Ric Flair [c] vs Eddy Guerrero [WCW United States Championship]
• Lex Luger & Sting vs The Outsiders
• The Giant [c] vs Hollywood Hulk Hogan [WCW World Heavyweight Championship]

Match 6: Billy Kidman & Mr. JL vs Meng & The Barbarian (Faces of Fear)

The Faces of Fear, with Kevin Sullivan at ringside, throw around Kidman and Mr JL, but as the match settles down, JL gets some sneaky offense in. The Barbarian cuts that off, however, allowing the Faces of Fear to take over. Meng with some power moves and Barbarian contributes holds. The double teams keep the Faces of Fear in command. Kidman gets a hope spot, though, and the hot tag to Mr JL turns things around … until they don’t. Meng and the Barbarian execute their back body drop into a powerbomb, and Meng adds the Tongan Death Grip for good measure.

Winner: Faces of Fear (5:21, submission)

After the bout, Mean Gene brings in Sullivan, who warns both Ric Flair and Chris Benoit that they may be without any help at Hog Wild. “The Dungeon will win this battle once and for all!”