Monday Night War in 1995 (Podcast Question)

[Liam O'Rourke]

So, for this week's podcast we are starting a series on the History of the Monday Night War, with the first episode covering all the events of 1995 on screen and off, and I wanted some opinions from my fellow countrymen on the topic in the form of a couple of questions:

1. How were you following the War in the beginning, what were your thoughts as the war began, and what were your TV viewing habits in 95 if any?

2. What are your high or low points for the War in 95?

We'll be reading the best responses on the show and crediting you accordingly, but I'm interested to see how many were watching at the beginning, and what you made of what Raw and Nitro produced in 95 both then and now in retrospect...

[PowerButchi]

I didn't think Nitro hit British screens until very early 1996. Or maybe it did?

[Benno]

We had this discussion recently I'm sure. Cant find the exact first Nitro that aired now - I swear it had Road Warriors vs Sting/Luger on it but it was definitely '96.

 

WCW on TNT timeslots

WCW NITRO

* April 1996 to 1997 - Friday Nights - 9.00 - 10.00pm
* 1998 to 2000 - Friday Nights - 9.00 - 11.25pm
* 2000 - Friday Nights - 9.00 - 11.00pm

(WCW Nitro then changed to Bravo in 2000, on Thursday Nights - 9.00 - 11.00pm, until March 2001, when WCW was purchased by the World Wrestling Federation).

I have vague memories of using German teletext to get some WCW news, but I'm sure that was also in 1996.

[wandshogun09]

I'm almost certain the first episode to air over here on TNT was this;

 

March 25th 1996

Randy Savage vs Fit Finlay

Konnan vs Mr JL

Sting & Lex Luger vs American Males

Ric Flair vs The Giant

 

I remember my dad telling me WCW was starting on TNT. I started taping it from week one and that was the first episode on the tape. Before this, I just caught the odd episode of Nitro on DSF but I never knew when it was on, just usually caught it by chance when I'd be channel surfing for topless German women late at night.

[Liam O'Rourke]

Thats my recollection - Worldwide was cancelled at some time in late 95, so was it a case of following it from a distance and catching bits and pieces later, and how do you feel in hindsight about the start of the War in 95?

[PowerButchi]

I didn't really know about it because we didn't get Nitro. As far as I was concerned Worldwide was #1 and Cobra and Frank Andersson were the future. Well, and then Worldwide (which was seemingly a bit behind anyway) was taken off air, so I didn't have a clue. As regards any war in 1995 I was completely in the dark due to the problems with TV and the Apter Mags being about 10 millenia out of date. I mean, Nitro highlights on the version of Worldwide we received were SUPER RARE. I can't remember hardly any footage out of the odd Hulk Hogan sans-stache bit of footage. Oh, and Malenko/Benoit vs Blue Bloods, but I think that was actually off Main Event.

 

So yeah, in 1995 I didn't have a war as media coverage went all shite as I wasn't buying PS yet, being 10 and all. Don't think I was even aware of one until '96.

[Krytie 2X4B 523P]

PWI was definitely my only access to WCW between 93-99. Certainly had no clue that a 'war' was happening until about 1999

[wandshogun09]

I guess if I had to pinpoint a time when I started to get an inkling of a 'war' or at least something going on would be the Billionaire Ted skits that aired on early 1996 WWF TV. But I didn't give that much thought, it was just throwaway silliness. Then when we started getting Nitro and Bischoff would be giving away the Raw results like a bastard.

 

Where I really sat up and took notice though, was when fucking Razor Ramon just casually walked into the middle of the epic clash between Mike Enos and Steve Doll on Nitro in mid 96. Then Diesel turning up the following week and them seeming to be invading. If you weren't watching at the time, it seems like just another angle in retrospect, albeit a really fucking good one. But at the time I'd seen nothing like it and my mind was blown. I had no internet in 96, I didn't know Razor or Diesel had left the WWF. I'd look on the wrestling page on Teletext sometimes but I mustn't have that week because I remember me and my cousin being in total shock seeing Razor hop the WCW guardrail. It was mental to see.

 

So yeah, I guess my first sense of a 'war' was when WCW scripted a war. As far as I recall, the WWF were still pretty much in the mode of not even acknowledging the competition (apart from the aforementioned Billionaire Ted stuff) until later in 1996 when the fake Razor and Diesel were brought in and Jim Ross started having the odd dig on commentary about WCW being full of old shite and WWF being where the young new blood was. Stuff like that. Then after the whole Montreal bollocks went down and then Attitude era kicked in it was wide open.

 

The Friday Night Wars in the UK. Good times.

[Abe_Knuckleball_Schwartz]

I was actually in America when the 2nd episode of Monday Nitro aired, I remember almost bribing my Mum and Dad so we could go back to the hotel for 9pm so I could watch it. At the time it almost felt as though I was cheating on the WWF, as in the UK at the time we did not get any WCW programming and the only way of keeping up with WCW was through Powerslam and WCW Magazine.

 

WCW seemed so different to WWF at the time, by giving out results on Raw etc, at the time I could not imagine Vince even acknowledging WCW's existence, let alone promoting their show on Raw.

 

Loking back now, I feel WCW had the far product better up from about mid 1993 until around mid 1997.

[EdgarTheSlouch]

I was 15 when Nitro started. It never really felt like a war for a good 12-18 months after that. Partially, because my only exposure to WCW had been on Worldwide on ITV during 1993. Also, barring me picking it up illegally from my next door neighbours, I never had sky until Feb 96. My only way of keeping up to date was Power Slam and buying the PPVs on VHS.

[garynysmon]

German channel DSF was brilliant as it showed all the Pay Per Views and everything. I can't explicity remember watching Nitro around this time period, but was definately watching WCW so it may have been three week old episodes of WCW Saturday Night. 

The only peril was recording pay per views late on a Saturday night and hoping my Dad wouldn't come in drunk and start changing channels.

[King Coconut]

Nothing worse than finding out your old man also likes to crack one off over German game shows.

[WyattSheepMask]

Only really had access to WCW on Saturday nights when the parents went out, never got to see Nitro when Cartoon Network switched to TNT.

DSF on ch36 showing WCW PPVs then over to VOX on ch37 for a bit of softcore blue was the usual routine. The 'view last channel' on our sky remote meant covering your porn viewing tracks became a military exercise

[PowerButchi]

Nothing worse than finding out your old man also likes to crack one off over German game shows.

 

CHIN CHIN!

[Pinc]

The 'view last channel' on our sky remote meant covering your porn viewing tracks became a military exercise

 

Fucking hell, same here. I forgot all about that. I'd usually use VH1 or something equally neutral as my bridging channel.