10 Things We Learned From A Genuine 1998 WCW Nitro Script

8. The First Match Isn't Until Page 3

Lizmark Jr Saturn WCW Nitro
WWE Network

There are notes for 13 segments, including intros, recap videos, promos, sponsor messages and more, before WCW get to the very first in-ring match of the night. That bout between Lizmark Jr and Perry Saturn is three pages deep into the script.

Perhaps that says everything.

Nitro was a three-hour show, and WCW knew they had to spin things out as much as they possibly could if they were going to fill that amount of time every single week. Even so, it's hard to envision WWE's Raw going for thirteen bloody segments before they actually show something that's happening live in-ring.

In fairness, most of the 13 are short (30 seconds or so), but there's still so much to get through before fans actually watched some wrestling. Twix needed to justify their advertising dollars, the company had to hype Halloween Havoc by way of using Chucky and the commentators did a lot of chatting.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.