Every Major Wrestling Debut TV Show Ranked From Worst To Best
2. WCW Monday Nitro
The shopping mall setting looked naff, though it did put the novel idea of choice into the minds of the new audience.
WCW Nitro became the show it was when, a year later, it developed its irresistible ‘cool’ factor—but the groundwork of audacity, shock, and new, blurred character dynamics was laid here.
As was WCW’s other, big selling point of pro wrestling with a classy international flavour: the opener between Brian Pillman and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger did not meet the heights of their seminal SuperBrawl II clash, but it existed as an exciting, effective showcase of what differentiated WCW from its established competition on Monday nights. Sting Vs. Ric Flair was presented along similar lines; a classic if well-worn dynamic, it acted as both clip show and scintillating original content. Both safe and risky, the debut episode of Nitro was shockingly, thrilling inconsistent with the company that promoted it.
Lex Luger’s shock cameo stole the headlines; fronting to Hulk Hogan without establishing his motivation, this show-down was a hot angle in itself, and it foreshadowed the narrative ground WCW would break to in turn break the WWF’s dominance.