TV-14-DL stills from last night's Bash at the Beach show Booker T. take the WCW World Heavyweight Title - this segues into a Special Video Look at Booker T, from his early history with Harlem Heat up to last night - tonight, he begins to live his dream

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WE ARE LIVE from the Jacksonville Colesium in Jacksonville, FL 10.7.2K and this is WCW Monday Nitro!

Your three hosts are TONY SCHIAVONE & SCOTT HUDSON. This is the *new* WCW.

BOOKA T. is out as Tony says a lot happened last night that "legally, we can't talk about" - he urges you to buy the replay. Is that a new nameplate for the new champ, by God? Big chant from the fans. "You know, first of all, I come out here, I don't have a script, ah, this is not a wrestling promo or anything like that - I come out to speak from my heart for one time. But the first thing I wanna do is, I only have one regret after winning this world title, and...(puts the title down and gets on one knee)...that's my mother is not here to see it. Mother, I miss you - and I wish you was here. Now let's get down to business! Eight years in WCW - eight years running - and I can tell you people this: each and every one of you, if there was no you, there'd be no Booker T. You know, each and every night I come out here and give 110% and you people have accepted me for doing just that. Like I say, if there was no you, there'd be no me. In a sense, I am you. So I just wanna say thank you to each and every one of you fans that supported me for the last eight years! And oh yes...big shouts to all the fans in Daytona Beach that raised the roof last night and partied for me when I kicked... And next thing - I love you too, baby - next thing is this, playa hatas in the back, you know who you are, and you know who you beat, so I'm gonna say it like this: OG Style, don't hate the playa, hate the game. One person - one person I wanna talk about, and that's Bill Goldberg. You know, Bill Goldberg, you know he hurt his arm and he took off for six months, Bill, I'm gonna do it like this, I'm gonna quote him line for line - hold on one second. (removes sunglasses) 'I got hurt - I scratched my arm - I ran out - I stayed home for six months - and the people I fought - you cheered for those people - every damn one of 'em.' You know the way I see that, from what I smell right there and what I see, I'm gonna spell it out for ya. M-A-R-K - you a mark for yourself, and you a mark for the business. These people right here in this arena made you what you are today! But last but not least, behind every man, there's a good woman, so I want that security guard right there to bring this lovely woman in the ring right now. We take a look at - LaVESTIA? If I screw the spelling, I'm sorry. DOUG DILLINJA leads her to the ring by the arm. "Don't get to close to her either, man." I'd like this a lot more if the obnoxious colour commentators weren't overselling it as they seem to do lately for EVERYTHING. "I wanna introduce everybody in this arena to my wife, Mrs. Huffman...and I leave and go out on the road each and every week, and I'm away from home countless amount of days, and I just wanna say - I thank you - and I love you. And in closing, in 2000..." the music comes up early...they look to the entryway...it's STEVIE RAY! Froot booty! Froot booty! Froot booty! If we get ANYTHING but a makeup here, I'll be disappointed. Commentators make noise - I think they'll make up. "Hey! Cut that music off!" Booker wants to know why he's interrupting his momnent. Does he want the belt? Is that it? "What I WANT...is for you to listen. You got time for that? CHAMP? You know a lot of these people don't know you the way I know you. Hell, I remember when you were born. I remember pushing you around in a tricycle. I remember sleeping in the same bed witchoo for fourteen years! I remember letting you use my '79 Z-28 to take your first date out. I remember you wearing my clothes 'cause you didn't have any that were hip and funky enough. I remember getting into this business witchoo 'cause I gotcha in. And I remember Scott Casey telling you one day that this kid got what it take to go to the top. I remember coming into WCW witchoo, climbing the ladder witchoo, but not in all my wildest dreams did I think that you - Booker T - would be heavyweight champion of the whole wide world. So I'm here tonight to tell you - you're my brother - I'm proud of you - and I love you." Before they even get a chance to embrace, before we even get to enjoy this moment - the siren fires up and out comes MIDAJAH. God, I would KILL for somebody with a sense of pacing to handle this *correctly*. Arrrrgh. "I don't know who you think you are, or what you're doing here celebrating. Let me tell you something, there's only one real man here at the WCW, and that's MY Big Poppa Pump. He's the real and only champion here at the WCW, and as for you, Booker T, tonight here on Nitro, my Big Poppa Pumpis going to make you his personal bitch!" SUPERSTAR SCOTT STEINER has hit the ring in the meantime, punking out Stevie Ray from behind with a white baseball bat - then Booker T. The bat is white. Ivory white. Lily white. White Thunder white. Turning to Booker's wife: "You wanna be with a real man? Huh?"

Well God damn, they sure know how to piss it away, don't they? Don't think for a MINUTE that they didn't ACCIDENTALLY give Steiner a PURE WHITE bat. I was hoping it would just be cynicism when I'd say "Booker T. is Vince Russo's Ron Simmons," but it isn't. Did you ever see "Mars Attacks!" Booker T. is Paul Winfield's General Casey. Welcome back, Russo - and fuck you.

Moments Ago - they started Steiner's music before they even got to embrace. "We're improving production!" MY ASS.

Backstage, Booker says he'll straight this out himself - he wants Stevie Ray to take care of his wife - he'll take care of his own business.

PAMELA PAULSHOCK stands with Jeff Jarrett. He had no time to prepare for Booker T, and the Cat really threw him a curve. (Who?) Jarrett says he wants his return match - Pamela says Cat already booked a title match tonight. Before Jarrett can ask for his audience with the cat, Steiner comes in, beats down Jarrett, and demolishes the interview set.

THE FRANCHISE (with Torrie Samuda) v. CROWBAR (with Daffney Unger) - Courtesy WCW Magazine, still shots of Franchise and Bagwell - a SHOCKING swerve! SHOCKING! If you don't believe me, ask Vince Russo - it was SHOCKING! Franchise says this has seeds planted all the way back in the Revolution - yeah, right. Torrie gets the mic, this'll be rich. "Sorry, Buff - wrong place, wrong time. And to my ex, little Billy Kidman. There was just something about you..that didn't just quite please me. (sucks on pinkie) What was it again? Ahaaaaa - I remember. You see, Billy, I have finally been Franchised, and he is more of a man that you will ever be." Nitro will be pre-empted for part two of "Nuremburg" next Monday - don't worry, it'll be on LIVE Tuesday. Crowbar and Daffney are together - after last night, you might ask why, but you should JUST ACCEPT IT. Later tonight, Booker T's first title defense will be against.....Mike Awesome. Liberal outside interference by Torrie Wilson reminds us that Vince Russo is back. Daffney finally grabs two firstfuls of Torrie's hair, slaps Franchise, and Crowbar manages a somersault guillotine AND a quebrada, but eventually falls to "the Franchiser" (reverse Stunner) for the pin. (3:39) Post-match, BUFF DADDY BAGWELL runs out and cleans house. Douglas gives us his Rick Rude impersonation in the process. Play his music! This is WCW!

Pamela Paulshock stands with Billy Kidman, who says that "skanks like [Torrie] are a dime a dozen." Franchise can have his sloppy seconds - he's worried about his career. Jeff Jarrett shoves him away and asks for his title shot tonight. Kidman pops back in and they start fighting...

Cut to Smooth, who lets us know that he's "smooth." He carries a gold record in his hand. Tank Abbott, in tux jacket and shorts, exits the limo and takes the gold record, which apparently is for 3 Count. 3 Count exit, also in tuxedos. And now they're WALKING!

In Cat's office, Jeff Jarrett makes his demands. Cat says he booked him with Kidman tonight.

3 COUNT & JOBBED TO DAVID ARQUETTE hit the ring. We are told that security has removed Buff Bagwell. Tank: "Cut the music! Come on! Didn't I tell you guys in 3 Count that you're the greatest band in rock'n'roll history? Didn't I? Well, tonight we're gonna celebrate. Yeah, big daddy, we're gonna have a party. You see, I told you your single was gonna go gold, and it went gold! So my gift to all of you - we're gonna hang this record up so you can cherish it all night long! Everybody 3 Count, 1, 2, 3! Hang it! Come on!" Karagias climbs a ladder and puts it in the "ladder match" position. As if on cue, the JUNG DRAGONS hit the ring and demolish 3 Count while Abbott watches. Abbott finally hits the ring and destroys the Dragons...but now GREAT MUTA is out and Abbott tastes the green mist. Crowd chants "Muta" while Kaz climbs the ladder and walks off with the gold record. Wow...I bet YOU were worried that they'd misuse Muta when they brought him back!

Pamela Paulshock stands with "Positively" Kanyon - last night, he got a pin on Booker T., yet HE isn't the #1 Contender. He's gonna make Cat feel the bang. Yuk yuk, he called Pamela "bro." It's funny! See?

Outside, Goldberg arrives - and now he's WALKING!

Promotional consideration paid for by Super Soaker, Corn Nuts, Motel 6 7/8, America (ha!) Online, and Boston Market TV dinners

JEDOUBLEF JADOUBLEREDOUBLET v. BILLY KIDMAN - "Nuremberg" Part 2 next week - Nitro Tuesday. Can either guy lose here? Of course not. That's why TORRIE SAMUDA comes out - THE FRANCHISE comes out - one uppernut kick from Torrie and one Franchiser from Franchise later, Jarrett gets the - NO KICKOUT 2!

Scott Steiner roughs up Kanyon.

Meanwhile, Mike Awesome hits on "Nitro Grrl Beef." Cat catches up with him - and awards him the United States Heavyweight title. Awesome: "Thanks - but no thanks." Awesome says he'll be happy to earn the belt, but nobody's gonna give it to him. Tony: "Boy, do I smell integrity from Mike Awesome?" Huh?

Booker T. is WALKING!

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: AWESOME MULLET v. BOOKA T. - courtesy WCW Magazine, here's some more stills - this from Awesome vs. Steiner. Hey, is that Lenny Lane with the illegally-sized sign? Why does he keep moving from seat to seat? Well, at least they aren't shoving it down our throats with "HEY LOOK! THAT'S LENNY! WHAT'S HE DOING HERE?!?" T gives Awesome a giant slap, but we miss it to look at a "mullet" sign. Awesome gives us "frustration" while T riles up the crowd. Lockup, Awesome shoves him off. "Booker T" chant. Lockup, arm wringer by T, chain wrestling, side headlock, referee "Blind" Mickie Jay wants the clean break off the ropes - Awesome throws rights to the body to gain control. Doesn't all this "Houston" talk ruin the "Harlem" storyline? Awesome returning to rights. Into the ropes, reversed, off the ropes, up and over, leapfrog by T, Harlem sidekick finds the mark. Awesome goes outside as T works the crowd. Awesome stalling on the outside. Crowd synchronously clapping as Awesome finally gets in. Hammerlock, but Awesome back elbows him. Into the ropes, reversed, dueling hiplock counters, Harlem sidekick. European forearm, right, right, on the second rope for a Ten Punch Count Along. Into the opposite corner is reversed, but T side steps the charge - Awesome ducks the Harlem sidekick and sends him spinning with a clothesline. Short-arm clothesline by Awesome - for 2. Awesome puts T outside as an "ECW" chant starts. Awesome picks up a broken chair and hits T with it. Awesome finds an unbroken chair and gives T some gutshots with it. Across the back. Back in - Awesome splash over the top rope - 2 count. Awesome muted on "You people ain't (shit)!" and he makes that cool "I want da belt" hand motion. Picking up T - spinebuster. Awesome climbing to the top...frog splash! 1, 2, KICKOUT! Awesome goes outside for a table - and sets it up on the floor. Back in for a clothesline. Awesome points to the table and exclaims "Table!" - got T up in the crucifix bomb position - T breaks free, ducks a clothesline, eats a gutshot, dumps Awesome over the top rope as he charges in - shot for Awesome, who teeters - off the ropes, flying fist and Awesome falls to the mat through the table! Somehow Awesome gets back in the ring at 9.5. Maybe he should have stayed out for ten...knee to the gut by T, off the ropes, axe kick, breakdancing up,

Backstage, Cat is WALKING! "That Steiner's interfered in his last match, I'm gonna take care of this chump!" Hey, you think he'll take care of Frachise and Torrie while he's at it? I mean, THEY interfered DURING a match - that's GOTTA be worse than AFTER a match....err, RIGHT?

When we come back, COMMISSIONER CAT is standing in the ring and he's got THE STICK: "Okay, listen here. (TV-14-DL ratings box) I'm sick and tired of you running your crazy ass around here doing whatever you wanna do - I'm the commissioner, so you need to stop disrespecting me. Now, I'm gonna tell you one more time - don't ever do what you wanna do, when you wanna do it, as long as I'm commissioner, now I'm gonna call you out here, I got something to tell you face to face - Big Poppa Pump, get yo' ass out here!" WHITE THUNDER (with Midajah) hits the ring. "Listen here, you sorry son of a bitch! Last night you stripped me of the US title - now I'm giving you three seconds to give me a World title shot, or I'm gonna stick this microphone (right up your ass)." Cat calls Steiner a "stupid bitch," and says he's going to do what no one else has done - "I'm gonna beat yo' ass myself!" and he pops him one in the face. Steiner quickly takes over...this brings out BOOKA T - then "POSITIVELY" KANYON - then JEDOUBLEF JADOUBLEREDOUBLET. Cat apparently gets a brainstorm as T clears the ring. Cat says tonight we'll have a three-way dance for the #1 Contendership between these three guys - winner gets the shot at Road Wild - I mean, New Blood Rising. Here comes $OLDBERG - he wants the fourth corner. Cat says he got a great idea - how about a four-way dance? "I have spoken!" Play Goldberg's music one more time!

Jeff Jarrett sells TracFone.

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WOW! Goldberg sits and flexes his neck!

Stills from the Hardcore match - Vito retained

Norman Smiley "trains" Ralphus on the stairs. Oh, this was "Earlier Today." Yuk yuk yuk! Ralphus could only do one pushup!

WORLD HARDCORE TITLE: SCREAMIN' NORMAN SMILEY & RALPHUS v. BIG VITO - Smiley takes the mic and says that thanks to Ralphus' vigorous workout, they're now ready to take the title.

Cat is WALKING! The music plays...you've seen the "Pink Panther" movies, right? The Jung Dragons are Kato.

Meanwhile, Paisley needs a shirt ironed for the Artist. She asks somebody wearing pink and slippers to take care of it - we pan up to see...well, he calls himself "Kiwi" and he watches a lot of Saturday Night Live. And he ate Chris Kattan. Paisley is suitably smitten. May I spell it out for you? This S-U-C-K-S. It isn't even funny when it's on SNL, fer cryin' out loud!

Jimmy Barron phones it in with 1-800-CAL-LATT - Nitro hits the Palace of Auburn Hills next Tuesday - technically, "this Tuesday" is tomorrow, but don't let the graphic confuse you - it's NEXT week.

Bash at the Beach is still available - if they don't say "Hogan" all night, maybe you'll be suckered into buying the encore. After all, it worked so well for Halloween Havoc - RIGHT?

Whoops, spoke too soon - here's a full screen shot of a "USE ME" sign - and the man holding it up. Commentators identify him as LENNY LANE. Golly, I'm starting to think that all those "shoot" comments on WCW Live! were *just a great big work*

LANCE STORM v. THE ACRONYM (with Paisley) - "For those of you who came here tonight to see the sideshow antics of sports entertainment, are gonna be a little disappointed with me. I do not dance. I do not sing. All I do is wrestle." That's it, he's fired. "Being Canadian...is that's why I do that the best." Huh? "So if you could all rise...for the playing of the Canadian national anthem." The Canadian national anthem is played. "You're not supposed to talk over ANY national anthem." Hey, I liked this better the first time...when *the Amazing French Canadians did it.* Anthem takes (1:15), for those of you keeping score. The next pay-per-view is in Canada, in case you're interested in figuring out the booking plans. Paisley takes fourth headset and everyone talks about Kiwi. Paisley wears more glitter than a third grade art class, and dismisses Lance Storm as a "Power Ranger reject."

A limo backs into the parking lot. Vampiro was in the driver's seat...and a coffin rode in the back. Guess which one of them is WALKING!

Jarrett - TracFone - again

WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE: GEN. RECTION & CPL. CAJUN (with Maj. Stash, Maj. Gunns and Lt. Loco) v. KRONYKK - RAYMOND STEREO, DE JUICE & TYGRYSS come out first and take fourth, fifth and sixth headsets (how many headsets they keep down there, anyway?) although they're apparently not working - oh well. The rest of the MIA stick around for Gunns to remove her shirt and then Commentators pump up Perfect Event for their dreadful performance in last night's marathon tag team title match. Guerrera says "juice" or "juicy" about a MILLION times, and gets muted on - I'm gonna guess a "bullshit" but who knows. Tony says "Huh?" after EVERYTHING Guerrera says. Juice: "What is this, slow motion? Boooooooooo! This is not juicy!" Before we can hit the two minute mark, the Animals decide to interfere. Before they get there, MARK JINDRAK & SEAN O'HAIRE come out and take THEM out, preventing them from hitting the ring. They brawl out through the crowd. Tygress reminds us that she's pro wrestling's Rosie Perez - but she aspires to be pro wrestling's Jennifer Lopez. Flash to No Laughing Matter on Clark - 1, 2, Adams makes the save. Rection with an atomic drop and clothesline on Adams. Tag to Cajun - dropkick to Clark - dropkick takes him down - going for Bayou Blues - Clark ducks the clothesline - Schiavone calls Tygress "sweetie," how sexist. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Clark, tag to Adams, shot for Rection, press - into a gutbuster. 1, 2, kickout! Clark comes in without a tag - High Times. WE ALL LOVE TO SMOKE WEED! 1, 2, Rection makes the save. Into the ropes, double shoulderblock puts Rection outside. Looks like they're going to use their new "someone will eventually die from this" finisher on Cajun - terribly ugly as Cajun leans too far forward and ends up getting garotted from Clark's top-rope clothesline. Wow, and I thought the *powerbomb* was the dangerous part. Adams covers - Clark cheats, although it isn't necessary - referee "Blind" Mark Johnson ignores the illegal man providing additional leverage and counts - 1, 2, 3. (5:12) PERFECT EVENT are seen running through the crowd - well, not by the commentary team...well, *I* saw 'em. Okay.

To wash the taste of THAT out of our mouths, we cut to ... oh. Vampiro is getting intimate with his casket. And he's WALKING!

JOBBIN' VAMPIRO walks out as commentators give a shout out to Bam Bam Bigelow, who saved some children from a brush fire, suffering second degree burns in the process. "That's just not right - I have taken, will take, and survived everything that people just like have thrown at me! I make no excuses for who I am and I have no remorse for anything I have ever done, because, just like a black lotus, I will survive and thrive in the darkness where everybody in this building fails!" He knocks on the casket - DEMONis in it, and gets out drooling red. "Just like the Demon, I invited you to join the dark carnival, but you thought you knew everything. You thought you were so smart, just like that other idiot, Sting. Well, let me tell you something - what you thought was the end is just the beginning - you got that? Because your soul...is MIIINE." ASYA appears and tries to pull Demon away. Damn, I thought this was the end, but it's just the beginning. THE ANGLE THAT WILL NEVER EVER DIE. "Don't you hear anything I'm saying? She's just like every moron in this building who doesn't see that there's good and evil." Chop for Demon. "I'm talking to you! Get her! I wanna see you beat her down like a dog. I want to see you choke her right here, right now. Be a man! Do it, Dale! Do it! Do it! Be a juggalo!" If you don't know what a juggalo is, count yourself lucky. Anyway, he DOES choke her - the lights go on and off, simulating lightning. Metallica fires up - and out comes SOME GUY wearing a hood, "Invisible Man" face wrap and trenchcoat - with mighty swings of black bat and Stinger splashes, both men in the ring go down. Scorpion Death Drop for Vampiro. The lights come up a bit more. Well, it COULD be Sting - it could just as easily be not. All we see is the nose. Demon collects Vampiro...and they walk off. Commentators SWEAR it's Sting - which probably mean it isn't. Metallica plays again as commentators wonder what he looks like under there. He didn't cut all his hair off, did he? How sad!

One more reminder - "Nuremberg Part 2"will air next Monday, and Nitro will be on Tuesday instead.

JEDOUBLEF JADOUBLEREDOUBLET v. WHITE THUNDER (with Midajah) v. "POSITIVELY" KANYON v. $OLDBERG in a four corners #1 Contenders match - last night, Tony Schiavone kept Mark Madden from saying a line he was just DYING to say at the end of the pay-per-view. "Hulk Hogan, you can go to hell. Straight to hell." Madden SO wanted the line, but Schiavone talked right up to signoff and didn't give him the chance. I take back everything I've ever said about Schiavone, because this isn't the first time he's managed to pull that off. Of course, Schiavone ruins this good feeling by saying "The platform for the New Blood was always 'level playing field.'" The PROBLEM with that was "level playing field" was always an *ironic* term when it came from Russo and Bischoff. Let us take pause and watch Steiner threaten to beat up random fans. Steiner and Kanyon start, lockup, knee from Steiner, knee, knee, knee, kick, right, chop, chop, into the ropes, Steinerline, elbowdrop. Military press - letting him drop.