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Wow, wow, wow!!!!!! What a night to remember, folks. This truly was one of the best, if THE best night in televised professional wrestling history. Good God, nothing but shock and amazement.

Another wow goes to the fact that I didn't get flamed for my ECW music review yesterday. Good feedback on that, as readers were understandable about music opinions. I appreciate it. You'll see many video reviews this week, with "HELL YEAH" today, "Jesse the Body Ventura" Wednesday, "WCW Mayhem" on Thursday, and I have "Sid The Millennium Man" and "Best of Uncensored" to review sometime this week too. The current set days are subject to change. :) I might push the Mayhem one for tomorrow, but I don't know.

We have some exciting shows to talk about, so on to the PDC.

MONDAY NIGHT IMPRESSIONS

This is the FINAL Monday Night Impressions ever, since this column will now be dedicated to RAW. I've got no choice on this.

As far as the two shows go, I saw two things, overall, that need to be addressed beforehand.

1. Vince McMahon was on a big ego-trip. Sometimes, it was good and part of an angle. Other times, it was very personal. The segments where Vinnie Mac openly bashed Totally Buff, Animal, Dustin Rhodes, and Jeff Jarrett wasn't called for. Sure, Vince has some rough history with each OR he doesn't want any part of them for the new WCW, but those guys don't deserve that kind of embarrassment. Sure, what Vince said about them was comical, like the Lex Express comment, but it was just too much. I did like what a bastard Vince was playing to lead into the Shane McMahon takeover of WCW. That was well played out, and probably made WCW non-internet fans jump up and down.

2. Bad production problems in connection with RAW on Nitro. One time, Vince McMahon was actually on both channels, backstage, in two different segments. He had a coat on and was with Trish on RAW, and he had no Trish and no coat on Nitro. The feed on Shane's voice was about a second behind, and if you didn't flip to RAW, the big WCW signing announcement would have been strange, like a Japanese movie. Of course, there were no production errors when Vince said Nitro was on TNN during his interview. Hehe.

FINAL Nitro on TNT

Nobody fell into a pool or anything this year! Oh well, the wrestling on this show was incredible!

"I've got the fate of WCW in the palm of my hands"
-Vince McMahon, opening segment of Nitro

Man, that was shocking. To smooth over the new WWF-WCW feud, Ric Flair did an opening "shoot" on Vince and the usual wrestling past. You know when Flair puts heart into speeches, his face gets all red. Looks like Flair is going to be a major player in the feud, probably siding with Shane. Whooo! Flair announced a match with the returning Sting. Funny, cause I told a few readers that Sting was not able to come back for 2-3 months due to injuries. Allow me to put a foot in my mouth.

Sting vs. Ric Flair was a pretty good match up, and I'm glad that Shiavone and Hudson totally put over their long feud during the whole 13 years or so. Sting looked to be in good shape again, which I hope gives him some consideration with Vince McMahon. But one thing about Stinger these days is NOTHING is for sure!

Give MAJOR props to Scott Steiner for last night's performance. The man was hurt, and word got to him that the WWF probably won't pick him up for the new WCW or even the WWF. With injury, he had NO incentive to really show up.... but he did. Despite the many things I say about Steiner, like about his at times crazy attitude, stiff moves, or any out of wrestling incidents, it was mighty professional of him to cleanly drop the strap to Booker T. You know, he has shown vast improvement in his attitude over the past few months as champions, and besides the backstage fight with Diamond Dallas Page, I don't know, he might have finally change. I certainly hope so, but what Steiner did tonight was of total class.

Excellent 3 Way Dance between the Jung Dragons, 3 Count, and Rey Mysterio/Billy Kidman. This division is so damn good, and I pray that the WWF keeps it for the new WCW. It's well worth it, as I can say that on behalf of most WCW fans (I hope). Rey-Rey and Kidman won an emotional title victory over the great team of Elix Skipper/Kid Romeo, since the WWF isn't interested in Mysterio for the new WCW.

Yet another great match between Chavo and Shane Helms. Chavo can certainly sell anything, as he always makes Helms look like a superstar... Not saying that Helms isn't talented, but Chavo makes him *that* much better. Just look at how Chavo sold the Vertebreaker.

Wow, Chuck Palumbo and Shawn O'Haire just smashed Team Canada tonight. It wasn't even close! At least Awesome/Storm didn't lay down for the team, like Totally Buff did at Greed. I guess that's a good reason why Vince wanted to publicly trash them tonight.

ZZZZZZZ to Shawn Stasiak vs. Bam Bam Bigelow. At least it was short, and at least the Rick Steiner vs. Shane Douglas borefest wasn't shown. I wonder where Shane will end up though? XPW?

The final segment is the Vince McMahon interview, which was on both TNT and TNN at the same time. All I can say is that I'm very excited to see the new WCW coming up on TNN, even if it's 11 pm to 11 am at night on Saturdays. A lot of great wrestlers are finally going to get their due.

FINAL TNT Nitro Phat Stats

Matches: 7
Clean Wins: 6
Screwjobs: 1
Disqualifications: 0
No Contests: 0

LAST WORD: So long to Turner owned WCW, and welcome to the McMahon owned WCW. It's been a long run, and it's going to be weird seeing no wrestling on TNT or TBS. Besides the Bam Bam vs. Stasiak match, this was a truly excellent Nitro, and we won't let one blemish ruin the whole show.

A+

(A plus) for a Nitro that I'll never forget, and for a Nitro with excellent matches too. The WWF already added a spark to WCW, and I hope to see more of this once they begin on TNN. I can't predict the ratings for this week. Too hard.

By the way, I liked the "Night of Champions" promo that Nitro did, covering the many WCW champions over the past years. Was Steamboat in it or not? I'm not sure if I missed him in it, or if he wasn't included.

RAW is WAR

What the hell? Did the WWF overstock on Wrestlemania jerseys tonight, or what?

Opening interview was with Kurt Angle talking about who he'd fight at Wrestlemania. Chris Benoit came down and let Angle know about his whining and so forth, and then the two wrestlers fought each other on submission holds. Benoit got the best of him, with Edge/Christian running down for the save. That set up Hardy Boyz/Chris Benoit vs. Edge/Christian/Kurt Angle for later on, which was an overall decent match. No run ins by Jerry Lynn in favor of the Hardy Boyz, which will probably fire up some ECW fans. From the Dudley announcement of Spike's injury to no Jerry Lynn tonight, I think it's safe to possibly say that it will be just Buh Buh/D'Von vs. Edge/Christian vs. Jeff/Matt, without the ECW wrestlers.

Wow, it was nice of Tazz to show his INCREDIBLE recovery strength, by taking the Steven Kick, and getting back up to hit a suplex to defeat Val Venis. That looked very, very bad, unfortunately. Acolytes/Tazz vs. RTC? Hmmm, I don't know what to say about that match.

LOL @ the Chris Jericho disguise of Doink the Clown. Man, that's good stuff. Weird segment with William Regal and the Hollys. Speaking of Regal, it's funny how bad he ripped WCW when he was with McMahon, when his success there was only based on his actions (weight, drugs, etc.).

What else can I say about the whole Vince and Shane interview about WCW? Truly a great moment in wrestling history.

Man, the crowd was gased after the Hardys/Benoit vs. Edge/Christian/Angle match and the interview, therefore, making any reaction non-existant for the Test vs. Xpac match. Of course, although Test is a great performer, he has no charisma, and nobody likes Xpac these days. Hmm... Xpac got the big win, although it was non title, thanks to interference by Uncle Albert, who's so sorry for bombing Test. (Catch that reference??)

Mick Foley, but NOT Shawn Michaels, returned to RAW tonight. I guess WWF either plans ahead or Mick slipped on a whig during that odd contract signing on the Titan Tron. Hmmm... Mick is now the referee of the Vince vs. Shane match, with my money going on Shane to win because Linda McMahon will awake from her coma to help Shane win the match!

Yuck, Big Show has totally lost it as a performer. I say make him do a "big jump" to WCW, in hopes of improving him quietly instead of making great wrestlers like Chris Jericho lay down for him. Well, it was kinda good, because Regal had to pull a fast one on Jericho for "clowning around" earlier. Yes, I pulled a funny.

About as good as you'd expect Main Event between Kane/Undertaker vs. Stone Cold/Rock. The ending of the show was very good, with the Rock hitting Austin's stunner. That was very enjoyable, capping off an already great night of wrestling.

RAW Phat Stats

Matches: 6
Clean Wins: 3
Screwjobs: 3
Disqualifications: 0
Screwjobs: 0

LAST WORD: This show was packed with better "sports entertainment" than wrestling tonight, with the wrestling being decent. The hype concerning Wrestlemania was excellent this week on RAW. I'll give it an

A-

(A minus) for a show with much weaker "wrasslin" than Nitro had. I can't quite predict the ratings here either.

Overall, one of the best nights of wrestling EVER!

WRESTLER OF THE NIGHT: Scott Steiner

MATCH OF THE NIGHT: Kid Romeo/Elix Skipper vs. Billy Kidman/Rey Mysterio Jr.

Mr. Tito's Phat Video Review

This video review is actually rushed due to the fact that my local video store lists this tape as a "New Release" still. Argh. It's been way over a year since this tape came out!!! Oh well, I guess the video stores have to make a major profit somehow. This is the 3rd and Final Austin video for myself to review, so here goes.

(Picture courtesy of Amazon.com)

Hell Yeah: Stone Cold's Saga Continues

Unlike some of the other videos, I believe that the WWF crew actually puts some thought into the Austin series. All of his videos have been excellent recaps of Austin's career starting with "Cause Stone Cold Said So" to "Austin 3:16 Uncensored" and now to "Hell Yeah". Each tape is a great recap of why Austin became so huge. Hell Yeah is the same way, but done in a better way. This video covers from Austin's title win at Wrestlemania 14 (1998), all the way to Backlash 1999, by the way.

If you ever wanted to see the "real" Steve Austin talking, then buy this video. During certain points of the video, he gives you inside on his wrestling career during the video's timeline. He explains how much fun it is to drive the vehicles he drove on WWF shows (monster trucks, cement truck, etc.), and just explains certain details during feuds or matches that you probably haven't heard of.

We start off with the big win at Wrestlemania 14, which is where I believe the "Austin 3:16 Uncensored" left off, but it's been a while on that video. It then rushes to the big feud with Kane and the Undertaker, which I liked very much. Whoever scripted the endings of each of the Kane and Undertaker matches is just smart in the wrestling business, and I question where those people are today. The First Blood finish is a personal favorite of mine, where the Undertaker accidentally hit Austin with the chair, giving Kane the World Title. They showed the RAW rematch, which made me mad then because I was a huge Kane mark during that time.

Next, we hop on over to Summerslam, with the big Austin vs. Undertaker match, where the Undertaker lost cleanly! I was amazed at that back then, and I still am today. Anyway, I was very unaware that Austin was actually knocked out during one point of the match. Hmm... we totally shift gears and go to the Vince McMahon feud, and the first Mick Foley feud too. Or maybe the second? I know they left one of the Pay Per View matches out of theirs. Oh well. Next, we see the famous Undertaker vs. Kane match, with Austin as the guest referee. I still love hearing Vince McMahon saying "Screw You Austin.... You're Fired!!!". That's just classic.

We now go to the Survivor Series tournament. A lot of people like the Rock heel turn here, but I actually like the Shane McMahon swerve. The WWF liked that so much, they've done it with Shane several more times. I just hope that the current Shane vs. Vince feud NEVER ends this time around, instead of it becoming just a stupid plan. Another Undertaker feud is next, with Austin defeating the Taker in a Buried Alive match for a spot in the Royal Rumble. The Royal Rumble is shown, with the evil Rock screwing Austin out of winning it in favor of Vince McMahon. They show RAW where Shawn Michaels gives Austin the title shot at Wrestlemania the next night, and then they go through the Vince McMahon match at St. Valentine's Day Massacre. That match cracks me up, and I appreciate it even more because it has the old metal bars instead of the mesh fencing. I guess Vince can't climb mesh too well, eh?

Then, the video focuses on the Rock vs. Austin feud of 1999.... when it mattered! Why? Because the Rock is playing a great heel, and Austin is playing a great face. This reasoning is why the current feud isn't quite as hot as it was in 1999. Rock wrestled a great match back then too, because he was just a brutal villain. Now, he throws too many right hands. Back then, he wasn't afraid to hit a cheap shot to piss off th fans. Man, I miss this kind of Rock! If the WWF was smart, they'd turn the Rock heel, because the negative signs in the crowd and the louder pops for Austin are saying so.

The Backlash feud is the final part of the video, and they show the funny incident between the Rock and Austin, where Austin is punched off the bridge. It doesn't get any more cornier than that. Again, the Rock and Austin put on a great match at Backlash, thanks in part to defined lines between the two wrestlers. Nothing like that today, unfortunately.

But the strange and disturbing part of this video is when Steve Austin is driving. While driving and talking to Michael Cole for the video, he has a beer in his hand! Austin has been guilty of doing this during WWF shows, but this is sort of real life here. It's rather shameful to openly drink and drive, and it's even worse to do it for a video. Hell, it's just bad that the WWF let him do it for this video. Disturbing indeed.

LAST WORD: Great recap video of Austin's career from Wrestlemania 14 to Backlash 1999, and I recommend this video to all just to relive the times when every moment of Austin's career was fun to watch. If you're a big Austin fan, I REALLY recommend it. I'll give this video an easy

A

although the drinking and driving was just screwy. I really hope that wasn't really beer in his hand while driving. Anyway, awesome video overall!

Make sure you check out the latest CLICK HERE to listen to the latest show, discussing the WWF/WCW news and possibilities of both companies because of the sale!! Keep in mind that the Audio Show is giving away a Wrestlemania care package, which you could win by listening to the show and answering Wrestlemania Trivia. Also Note that former WCW and ECW star, Scotty Anton, will be a guest on the show sometime in April. I'll keep you posted.

LoP T-Shirts: NEW STUFF IN STOCK! Mouse Pads, Sweat Shirts, Coffee Mugs, more T-Shirts, Baby Doll shirts, and more! Also, you can now order via Credit Card!

Backyard BBQ: The Best in Backyard Wrestling!

KOLTERSHOCK!!! NEWS ORGY!!!

@That's all for today. Phew! What a night of wrestling. I'll be back tomorrow with some possible video reviews, ratings analysis, and Shouts. Just chill...

Phat Pharm: NEW "Unspoken Word" to Read, so CLICK HERE!

Take Care, and Thanks for Reading.

Mr. Tito © 1998 - 2001 Exclusive to LordsofPain.net

As reported yesterday, NBC sports director Dick Ebersol told the Washington Post that if the XFL ratings don't experience a significant rise, then NBC will give up on hosting the XFL games. To read the very article, Click Here.

Zap2it.com reports that the UPN XFL game scored a 1.3 in the overnight markets. Expect the full ratings to come out later today, and they'll be reported in the Wednesday PDC/XFL Gazette.