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SEPT. 28 IN HISTORY: Hogan vs. Bret Hart on WCW Nitro 15 years ago, plus Ultimate Warrior speaks



Sep 28, 2013 - 10:19:37 AM

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This Day In Wrestling History - September 28



Date: September 28, 1998 (15 years ago)



Feature: WCW Nitro 15 years ago today featured a main event of Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. Bret Hart, plus an Ultimate Warrior speech setting up Hogan vs. Warrior at Halloween Havoc.



Torch Back-Issue: PWTorch Newsletter #514.



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WCW NITRO LIVE

September 28, 1998

Report by Wade Keller & Jason Powell



The show opened with a replay of Hollywood Hogan challenging Warrior to a match at Halloween Havoc and Warrior subsequently accepting... Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Larry Zbyszko introduced the program. They said the NWO was founded on mindgames, but by getting Disciple to turn on Hogan, Warrior is playing mindgames of his own...



Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Scott Hall, and Brian Adams walked to the ring. Bischoff thanked the fans for their money. Hogan said he took WCW from a Southern hick promotion that drew $10,000 gates to a promotion that makes one million dollars on some shows. Hogan said he has lulled stupid wrestlers into thinking they could beat him and now he would begin to show those stupid wrestlers and stupid wrestling fans he can beat anyone. He said he will start with Warrior. Speaking of homoerotic angles, Hogan has now nicknamed himself 'Wood. What would that make a "Wood War Bonnet," which Hogan made reference to. He said regarding Sting and Bret Hart, "If they both want a piece of a wood, I'll rip both of them apart in center ring." He said starting tonight he is taking his business back and bringing NWO Hollywood back to the top again. He concluded, "If you're real tight with the Wood master like the Nitro Girls are, you can go ahead and call me Woody." Hogan's best interviews come when he seems to feel underappreciated or threatened. The chip on his shoulder this week was much more prominent than usual...



(1) La Parka beat Super Calo at 5:34. The match served as a backdrop for discussion of Hogan's challenge toward Bret and Sting. After La Parka won, Calo nailed him with a chairshot... Gene Okerlund interviewed Bret Hart. Okerlund said Hogan challenged a man who in eight years he never gave a title shot. Bret said he and Sting agreed that he (Bret) would get the first shot against Hogan. Bret said he wants a chance to be a true hero for the people. He said he can be as good as Ric Flair and Sting and promised to "kick the living crap out of Hogan." Okerlund said the match was on - Bret vs. Hogan...



(2) Disciple beat Sick Boy at 1:57. Disciple pounded his chest like Warrior and his timing was way off, as usual... A recap aired of the Steiner Brothers feud... Schiavone said Chris Jericho wants to face Goldberg later. Zbyszko responded, "Now you know who's next"...



(3) Scott Steiner (w/Buff Bagwell) beat Lenny Lane & Nick Dinsmore at 2:32 with a double Steiner Recliner. Scott faked a lower back strain after the match. The announcers were skeptical of Scott's wincing...



Warrior came to the ring. The following is the direct transcript of Warrior's promo. "Speak to me Warriors." He received a good initial pop that turned into boos. He said: "Hogan, I know who you are and I know who I am and these Warriors know what they want to see. Now Hogan, you brought nothing but disappointment. And I tell you Warriors, I sense that disappointment and I tell you (pausing, showing he lost his train of thought), that I have a message for you Hogan.(More boos). And that message goes like this. Since I have returned, you have brought before me except a tenth of the man I once knew.. You have (another pause) that Hogan is a disappointment. That Hogan is a lost Warrior, because you have not faced the challenge, the ultimate challenge. The thing that scares you the most when you see me Hogan is you see a small piece of what you used to be. I refuse to make myself less than what I am, until you Hogan find who you need to be. At Halloween Havoc, I will become all alone. And you Hogan will face the challenge, once again, for the second time of your life I want to feel the challenge of the Warriors." This has to rank up there as one of the worst interviews ever. Why are they having a guy who is known for being a terrible interview do nothing other than talk? Hasn't it dawned on anyone in WCW that he needs to squash people, not speak, in order to keep any heat?...



(4) Ernest Miller beat Psychosis at 3:21. Usual Miller match...Okerlund interviewed Alex Wright on the ramp...



(5) Disco Inferno beat Chavo Guerrero at 4:36 when Disco hit Chavo with Pepe. Juventud Guerrera came out to protest and attacked Disco, before getting piledriven by Disco... During the break, a spot for the movie"Holy Man" aired. In the spot, Florence Henderson tells Eddie Murphy, "I got two words for ya gee, Suck It!" One of the sponsors that WCW is worried about losing is more risque than they are. Funny... They played the Horsemen video...



Okerlund introduced the Horseman. Bischoff, Steive Ray, and policemen came to the ring. Flair got on his knees and bowed to Bischoff mocking him, calling him God. Bischoff told Arn Anderson when he hit Stevie with the tire iron on Thunder it was felonious assault. He ordered the police to take them and Doug Dillenger away as the crowd chanted asshole. Bischoff said Flair is a disgrace for using his son Reid as an excuse for not appearing and said Flair lives through his son's wrestling caree. Lame segment that took steam away from the Horsemen...



Chris Jericho came out of his dressing room with a three member security crew and found the ring. Goldberg carried his knocked out imposter over one shoulder to the ring. Jericho shoved two of his security men into Goldberg who double speared them an gave one the Jackhammer while Jericho bailed... Okerlund interviewed Diamond Dallas Page in the ring...



(6) Scott Hall (w/Vincent) beat Kidman at 5:57. A fan threw something at Hall on his way to the ring so Hall flipped him off. Once in the ring Hall said, "One quick survey question, Is it tastes great or less filling?" Hall went for the Outsider's Edge and Kidman turned it into an awkward looking Frankensteiner for a near fall. Hall then hit the Outsider's Edge for the win. For a minute I thought we were seeing the rebirth of the 1-2-3 Kid(man)...



(7) Alex Wright fought British Bulldog to a no-contest. Bulldog (looking like post-Pricilla Elvis) grabbed the mic before the match and responded to Wright's comments on Thunder. He said his eleven year old son was in the back and told Wright, "You couldn't lace his boots." He added that he's been to Germany and the fans love him. He said something in German and finished it off by telling Wright to "Suck It." Thank Mrs. Brady for that one. The finish of the match came when Bulldog went for a powerslam and Wright's legs bumped the referee. While Bulldog tended to the ref, Wright snuck in and backsuplexed Bulldog. Another ref came in and both ref's counted for different men...



(8) Kevin Nash beat Brian Adams at 2:40. A young fan ran to the rampway to meet Nash and Heenan speculated it was Mark McGwire's kid. Nash went for the Jackknife and Stevie Ray and Vincent ran in and Stevie hit him with the slapjack. Hall ran in and thought about tossing his drink in Nash's face, instead he dumped it out and punched Nash while the others held him. Konnan and Luger made the save...



(9) Konnan & Lex Luger beat Barry Darsow & Hugh Morrus (w/Jimmy Hart) when Luger racked Darsow at 2:16...



(10) Hollywood Hogan fought Bret Hart to a no contest. Bret limped a bit and slapped fans' hands on his way to the ring. They stared each other down at the start and then shoved each other. Hogan hit a clothesline and a bodyslam, but missed a pair of elbows. Hart came back with a clothesline of his own that sent Hogan through the ropes. Hogan regained control outside the ring by dropping Hart's bad leg over the railing twice. Back in the ring, Hogan continued to work on the leg. At the 5:30 mark Sting ran in stopped Hogan from working on the knee. Luger and Konnan came out and had Bret stretchered to the back although it really hadn't been established that Hart's knee was that bad. While Hogan and Sting were wrestling, they went to the back where Luger and Konnan were wheeling Bret to an ambulance. Once they got to the ambulance Bagwell and Scott Steiner, dressed as medical personnel, attacked Luger and Konnan as Bret hobbled back toward the ring where Sting gave Hogan the Stinger Splash and applied the Scorpion. Hart got back into the ring, dropped the limp and DDT'd Sting. Hart climbed on top of Sting and punched away and then locked in the Sharpshooter as Hogan bowed to him. As the ref protested to Bret, "Mr. Family Values" visibly and somewhat audibly told him "F--- you."



Hart continued his assault until Hogan distracted him and threw him a chair. Hart attacked Sting's knee with the chair and then dragged Sting to the corner. He showed signs of going for the cornerpost figure four, but stopped for some reason. Konnan and Luger came out and pulled Sting out of the ring as Hogan and Hart shook hands. The lights dimmed and a spotlight shined on Hogan and Hart to end the show...



The booking left a few questions. How did Buff and Scott know the WolfPac would drag Hart to the ambulance? And while it's good to see Hart stay heel, it would have made more sense to have him be the lone wolf. When Sting pulled him from the match it seemed premature. Hart could have used that as his motive for attacking Sting and still stayed enemies with Hogan setting up some huge starpower three-way matches or just really interesting storylines This was a one match show and another WCW let down...



[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]



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