Report for the 5/17/99 edition of NITRO:
 

• Outside of the arena, Asya, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Charles Robinson, and surprisingly Diamond Dallas Page all arrived in
the same limousine. Robinson went to Roddy Piper's door, and replaced Piper's name tag with Flair's. There was a President
of WCW logo on the door.

• Ric Flair Interview, with Arn Anderson, Charles Robinson, Asya, Conducted by Gene Okerlund.
- Ric Flair said before he went off and made his statement, Arn Anderson had some words of wisdom for Raven and Saturn.
Anderson said he always told it like it was and made no guarantees and promises, but he would have the President of WCW
have Tag Team Champions, Raven and Saturn take on Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko later in show. Flair then yelled out, "I
am the President!" He said Eric Bischoff had no right to walk into a building Flair ran and make decisions he wasn't supposed
to. Flair said if Ted Turner didn't get Bischoff out of the WCW office, he would come and get Fonda (?) to ride Space
Mountain. Flair told a fan to shut up. Flair announced he and Robinson would team up to take on Randy Savage and Gorgeous
George later in the show. Flair then announced Kevin Nash would take on Diamond Dallas Page in a rematch for the
Heavyweight Title, as DDP made his way down to a course of boos. Flair said he would help DDP regain the title. DDP said
even though he and Flair did not get a long, Flair should be the President of WCW since he was making decisions like he did
for the show. DDP had a Hollywood Squares hat on, as he did the tapings for the show just the day before. The crowd
chanted, "Goldberg." DDP then called out Bam Bam Bigelow. Bigelow said he had DDP's back. DDP said he would be the
three-time, three-time, three-time Heavyweight Champion of the World. Flair said it could be one of the greatest Nitro events
since he was the President.

• A pre-recorded interview was shown with Eric Bischoff. Bischoff said he meant exactly what he said when he ruled Roddy
Piper as President of WCW at the 5/9 Slamboree PPV. Bischoff said for 88 straight weeks, his company was on top, but now
it was competetive. He said his head got big, but has learned from his mistakes. Bischoff said he believed his company would
eventually be number one, since they had the talent to do so. He said he would do everything in his power to make the
company number one once again. In more comments, he once again said he did what was right, and he felt Piper was the
winner of the match. As for the Diamond Dallas Page vs. Kevin Nash Heavyweight Title match, Bischoff said he said Nash had
the win before Randy Savage interfered. Bischoff said he felt what he needed to do by ordering the match to continue. He said
not to blame referee, Nick Patrick for the decision. Bischoff said if Ted Turner, Harvey Schiller, or the Board of Directors of
Turner had a problem with it, it didn't matter. He said a lot of things were going to change. He said he had had a lot of time to
look at things. He said the honest thing to do was to look at yourself in the mirror and realize you have made mistakes. Bischoff
said he felt bad for having enemies in WCW, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He talked about the time Bill Shaw let
him do a lot for WCW. He said he owed a lot to everyone.

• Backstage, Roddy Piper arrived in his limousine, along with Eric Bischoff.

• Mike Tenay joined in for commentary. Tony Schiavone said WCW had received no word for Bret Hart. Tenay said he
spoke to Hart earlier in th eevening and announced Hart would be on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno the following night to
answer Kevin Nash's challenge.

• Rey Mysterio, Jr. defeated Evan Karagias with the top rope Huracanrana, to retain the Cruiserweight Title.

• Backstage, Ric Flair, along with Charles Robinson, Arn Anderson, Chris Benoit, and Dean Malenko, told Buddy Lee Parker
he was scheduled to take on David Flair. Flair told Parker as long as he submitted to David's Figure-Four Leglock with
Robinson as the referee, he would be taken care of. Parker agreed. David then came out of his locker room with Torrie
Wilson. Ric informed his son he would take on Parker. David said it was great. After everyone left, Wilson told Ric he better
keep some kind of promise.

• Booker T. Interview, Conducted by Gene Okerlund.
- Booker T. challenged Rick Steiner to a Television Title rematch. Booker said he was a man on his own and didn't need his
brother like Steiner did. Booker said he would get the title back since he was the true people's champion.

• David Flair (w/The Four Horsemen, Torrie Wilson, Asya) defeated Buddy Lee Parker by making him submit to the
Figure-Four Leglock.
- Charles Robinson was officiating without any pants on. Buddy Lee Parker was wrestling the match with intensity and not
according to the plan he set with The Four Horsemen. After Parker landed on his knee after a top-rope maneuver, David Flair
strapped him in the Figure-Four Leglock for the win.

• Randy Savage and Madusa (w/Gorgeous George and Miss Madness) defeated Ric Flair and Charles Robinson (w/Asya)
with the Big Elbow.
- Before the match, Ric Flair taunted Randy Savage, Gorgeous George, Madusa, and Miss Madness. George came out on
crutches, so Madusa took her place. Savage then taunted Flair and Charles Robinson. Robinson and Madusa first started off
with, with Madusa dominating. After Flair low-blowed Savage in their time in the ring, Robinson was tagged in, followed by
Madusa. Madusa put Robinson through a reversed tombstone piledriver, but Robinson made it to the ropes when the pin was
made. Flair was then tagged in and took the advantage on Madusa. Flair set up Madusa for the Figure-Four Leglock, but he
was rolled up twice by Madusa,but both were two counts. Flair. Another Figure-Four was put on Madusa. Savage saw
enough and broke it up. Madusa then low-blowed Flair behind the referee's back. As Madusa and Flair battled on the outside,
Savage finished off Robinson with the Big Elbow for the win.

• Roddy Piper Interview, Conducted by Gene Okerlund.
- Roddy Piper had a clipboard in his hand. He immediately said he was the President of WCW. Piper said Flair had gone over
the edge. Piper joked about Flair with 10 reasons on why Flair shouldn't be President. Piper then called out Eric Bischoff, to a
mediocre reaction. Piper told Bischoff for three years, he wanted to drag him around because of the hatred. Piper said Bischoff
had grown grey hairs because of all the stress. Piper said Bischoff was trying to say sorry, after he fired referee, Randy
Anderson almost a year ago. Bischoff said he made mistakes, and apologized. Piper asked Bischoff if he would help the
company get back on top. As Bischoff said he would do his best, Randy Savage, along with his women, made his way out.
Savage said he didn't like Bischoff. He said he wanted a Heavyweight Title shot againt Kevin Nash, since Bischoff was the one
who caused his major knee injury. Piper said Savage would get his title shot, but would have to wait his time. Savage said he
wasn't leaving until Piper gave him the title shotimmediately . As Piper got in Savage's face, Gorgeous George clocked Piper
with her crutch, while Madusa punched down Madusa. Savage put Piper through a piledriver and Bischoff through a bodyslam.
He was about to put the Big Elbow on Bischoff, but Kevin Nash made his way down down. Savage taunted Nash, and tried to
force Bischoff and Piper into giving him a title shot. Savage said he had an idea for Nash -- to hand of the title to himas easily as
he did to Hollywood Hogan at the last Georgia Dome Nitro. Nash said Savage used his American Express card on his dates.
Nash said the first time he dropped the title was a politcal move. Nash and Savage continued to exchange arguments, with
Nash basically accepted Savage's challenge.

• Hak (w/Chastity) and Fit Finlay went to a No-Contest.
- Hak said something stank in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He talked about being hardcore in WCW and all the guys he wrestled. Fit
Finlay appeared on the big screen. He said he was sick and tired of hearing Hak saying he was hardcore, when Finley was
hardcore from the place he came from. When entering the ring, Finlay asked for the microphone, and ended up using it on Hak
as a weapon. Kendo sticks, ladders, tables, and chairs were all used in the match. Brian Knobs then made his way down and
got involved. He threw Hak and Finlay into tables. The three started to brawl on the outside of the ring, which left Nick Patrick
to throw the match out.

• Rick Steiner and Sting went to a No-Contest, to let Steiner retain the Television Title.
- Rick Steiner had a some of his goatee colored in a blonde color, still with the shortened haircut and all. As Booker T.'s
entrance music played, he was unable to make his way down because he was layed out in the back after being attacked.
Steiner then claimed Booker wasn't brave enough to face him. He challenged anyone to face him. Steiner made his way back
because he didn't think anyone had the guts to face him, until Sting arrived. A match between the two was underway. Steiner
and Sting wrestled on the outside of the ring, using the concrete floor, the announcer's table, and cable wires. Scott Steiner then
made his way down. Lex Luger made his way down to the aid of Sting, and both scared off The Steiner Brothers (Luger will
eventually form a heel trio group with The Steiners).

• Curt Hennig defeated Konnan with the Hennig Plex.
- Konnan hyped the crowd and gave a shout out to Tommy Boy Records. He and Curt Hennig wrestled a back and forth
match. The referee was accidently knocked out. Randy Savage made his way out, and told Konnan that his buddy Kevin Nash
didn't have the guts to put up a Heavyweight Title shot. Hennig kicked Konnan to the outside of the ring, where Savage tore
him apart. Hennig then capitalized and finished off Konnan with the Hennig Plex for the win. Savage told Konnan to tell Nash
what he said because it was only going to get worse.

• Raven and Perry Saturn (w/Kanyon) defeated Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko (w/Arn Anderson) with Saturn's Death Valley
Driver, to retain the Tag Team Titles.
- The Four Horsemen worked hard on Perry Saturn. Raven was tagged in and he started to dominate. Chris Benoit went for
his diving headbutt on Raven, but missed. As the referee was distracted by Kanyon's complaining, Arn Anderson nailed Raven
with his tire iron. It didn't help The Four Horsemen, however, as Saturn caught Dean Malenko with the Death Valley Driver for
the win. As Raven, Saturn, and Kanyon made their ways back, they were taunted by Bam Bam Bigelow.

• Kevin Nash defeated Diamond Dallas Page by Disqualification, to retain the Heavyweight Title.
- The crowd chanted "Goldberg." Bam Bam Bigelow made his way down to the ringside area in the corner of Diamond Dallas
Page. At one point, Bigelow got in Kevin Nash's face, but Nash just knocked him down. Bigelow got on the ring again and
ended up getting knocked off accidently after DDP was thrown into him. Bigelow entered ocne again, but Nash took him
down. Finally, the referee called the bell after Randy Savage interfered. It was a three-on-one atatck, as Savage's women
watched on. Savage threw out the referee, as DDP and Bigelow headed back to the locker room. Savage then colored Nash's
face with lipstick. A fan entered the ring, but Savage and security beat him out of the ring. Savage put the Big Elbow on a
helpless Nash.

• Highlights were shown during the show of Kevin Nash's appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, where he made a
$250,000 challenge to Bret Hart. Other highlights and videos were shown throughout the show.

[CREDIT: Joe De Leon]