Nerd Watch Wednesday: LEX LUGER vs. GREG VALENTINE (Nitro 14th, 1996)

Oct 14, 20204 min read

By Ross Casey

"For future Nerd Watch Wednesday's I will find a match that fell 'on this day' and this week I have stumbled upon a match between Lex Luger and Matt Connolly's favourite wrestler Greg Valentine from the 14th October 1996 episode of Monday Night Nitro."

STOP! It's Hammer Time!

LEX LUGER vs. GREG VALENTINE (Nitro 14th, 1996)

The match before this featured one was Jim Powers versus Hugh Morrus and the storyline was that referee Nick Patrick was feigning a neck injury which was only hampering Powers.

Former man in the middle Teddy Long was managing Jim and berating the poor refereeing from the outside. Let's see if Patrick is officiating this one!

Greg Valentine is out first in his golden gown, his flowing blonde hair and mean face. He looks in his prime and has that generic WCW theme music that simply cannot be differentiated from wrestler to wrestler.

Before the arrival of Lex, we see that last week he was attacked with a chair by former Horsemen stable mate Arn Anderson. He comes out to fanfare and pyro, but is unable to strike his signature pose because of his injured back, which are taped for a visual signifier to us dumb wrestling fans that he is hurting.

Fortunately for us Nick Patrick is not officiating this one and Mark Curtis is gonna call it right down the middle. Both Lex and Valentine are wearing black trunks and somewhere Vince is blowing a lid.

Valentine takes control to begin with, working the arm but when Lex fights back he goes for the injured ribs because he's a clever bastard. There's an early hope spot where Luger tries to turn the tide with a bodyslam but his body gives out. Storytelling, yay!

We cut to Arn Anderson watching a monitor at a NORMAL angle where he says 'That's it stay on the back'. Valentine is using a moveset that I will describe as pressing square on WWE2K, making sure all the strikes are aimed at the back.

We cut away from the action once more to show that NWO members Vincent and Ted Dibiase have entered the arena as fans go wild around them. Once back to the ringside action, Valentine is still working the back with knee drops, stomps and clubs.

Lex is doing a decent job of selling the back, even falling to his knees when Irish whipped. That's where Kenny Omega got it from! Lex begins to not feel the pain suddenly and hits the flying forearm which unlike in the WWF, hasn't apparently got the power of a titanium plate, so Greg's noggin can take the blow and kick out at two.

Valentine attempts to cheat pin with his legs on the ropes, but referee Curtis shows Patrick how it is done and spots the infringement. I really like that Luger didn't kick out there. it shows that cheating would have won, but the referee did his job.

Valentine stupidly claims victory with his arms in the air, turning his back on Luger, only for the ref to deny him and Luger spots the opening and does in fact, have the fortitude to pick Valentine up in the Torture Rack for the win despite his injuries.

Luger kind of sells the back and rolls out of the ring before high fiving the fans in celebration.

WINNER: LEX LUGER BY TORTURE RACK

THOUGHTS: This was a showcase for Luger to prove his babyface chops and I think he did a pretty good job. He came out without the pomp of his usual entrance, showing his concern at his injury ahead of the match, sold pretty well for Valentine's basic but intelligent moveset and then against the odds managed to pick up the win with a show of grit and determination. Good job, Lex.

Even in 1996, Valentine shows signs of being a little out of touch with where wrestling was going and I can see why he held the place in the card that he did at this time. He's a dependable heel for TV matches to help get babyfaces over. A job he did very well here for Luger.

I was torn on the finish in that I was quite excited to see how Lex would find a way to win without the Torture rack because of his injured back, but the Super Luger routine also works, even without American flag trousers on a war ship.

That's all, folks!

PREVIOUS NERD WATCHES:

MATT C - SUMMERSLAM 92

CHARLIE - SURVIVOR SERIES 99

SHAFI - SUMMERSLAM 94

NINETIES MIKE - THE WRESTLING CLASSIC

JCH - WRESTLE KINGDOM 7

DOM - HEATWAVE 98

N/A - SUMMERSLAM 2019

PETE - SAKURA GENESIS 2017

ROSS - WORLD WAR 3 1997

RO - DECEMBER TO DISMEMBER