10 Things You Learn Binge Watching Every WCW Nitro

10. The First Episode Is Over-Rated

Lex Luger WCW Nitro Debut
WWE.com

Generally, Nitro's debut episode is held aloft as some sort of barometer for just how good a one-hour pro wrestling show can be. The first one stuffed every minute with big stars, industry-shattering debuts and a red hot ambience. It's also terribly over-rated.

Didn't the guy writing this say he loved WCW? He did, but read on.

Nitro's intro to the world doesn't hold up when viewed today. In fact, if anything, it shows how desperately bland most prime time wrestling programming was in late-1995. Over on WWF Raw, fans were asked to put up with regular lifelessness. All Eric Bischoff did was give things a shot in the arm and be more raw than erm...Raw.

Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman is a fast-paced belter, but there are better matches of the sort on offer every week in 2020. Also, the heavily-lauded Ric Flair vs. Sting battle wasn't actually that great and the Hulk Hogan vs. Bubba Rogers main comes across like a 1980s WWF hangover.

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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.