Mother’s Day has come and gone, and one of the memories that stands out to me is the time my Mom and I saw WCW Monday Nitro at the Fleet Center in Boston.
It was my sophomore year of high school, and my best friend was grounded the Friday before the event. My Mom hinted she wanted to go, but what teenager wants to have their Mom tag along with them to a wrestling show?
I pretended not to pick up on the hints because I was sure I’d find someone to accompany me.
Yeah, not so much.
Monday arrived, and no sooner did I turn the door knob to leave for the train station did my Mom ask if I had found anyone to go with me. I shrugged it off and told her I decided to go by myself.
“Oh…well, have fun,” she replied in a disappointing tone. I immediately felt guilty. The angsty teenager in me turned to her and said: “I guess you can come if you really want to.”
The Commuter Rail sped towards Boston as my anticipation grew with each passing stop. As the train pulled into North Station, I saw “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and Ric Flair filming a promo for their tag team match against the Outsiders.
This was my first live WCW event, and to say I was a gigantic nWo fan would be an understatement. A nWo shirt was my holy grail, and I ran to the souvenir stand as if my life depended on it. I wore that thing everywhere, with a matching nWo hat.
My homeroom teacher thought I was a gang member and scanned my white spray-painted apparel while I enthusiastically waved “4-Life” hand gestures in the hallway
We grabbed our last-row balcony seats, and I couldn’t help but notice my Mom smiling at me. It didn’t matter, though, because I was at Monday Nitro, baby! It was one of the most incredible times of my life.
From Ultimo Dragon in the opening match to the mega bench-clearing brawl with the entire roster that culminated with the loudest pop I have ever heard. Sting descended from the rafters to save Diamond Dallas Page from a nWo assault by hooking him up and ascending up to the rafters in a manner that would make The Dark Knight proud.
My Mom watched me yell, scream and mark out all night and barely gazed upon the action in the ring. On the walk home from the train station, I asked her why she was looking at me so much. She smiled and said, “I was having fun watching you have fun.”
I didn’t understand what that meant until a year after her passing when my girlfriend and I went to an IFL (International Fight League) event at Mohegan Sun. As stoked as I was to be there, the highlight of my night was watching her have an amazing time. She cheered for “Ryan the Lion” (Ryan Schultz) and even informed a fellow observer that elbows were illegal in the IFL when he complained about none being thrown.
At that moment, I finally understood why my Mom had such a great time years earlier, and it made me miss her even more. It also made me realize how much I love the girl, cheering for the lion, who eventually became my lovely wife.
-WCW Monday Nitro Results 6/7/97
Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Dennis Rodman about their match Bash at the Beach.
To the back, we see Elizabeth getting out of a limo. Before Randy Savage can step out, Diamond Dallas Pages comes by, closes the door shut, and on the third try, KICKS IN THE WINDOW! He opens the door to get at Savage, and when he does, Liz slams the door on his ribs. Once DDP hits the concrete, clutching himself, Liz runs away as the limo screeches away.
1.) Ultimo Dragon, Juventud Guerrera &, Super Calo defeated Psychosis, La Parka, & Silver King when Ultimo submitted Psychosis with the Dragon Sleeper.
-Gene Okerlund interviews out Lex Luger. Lex announces that he is cashing his title shot that he won at Spring Stampede in April and will wrestle Hogan for the title.
– Piper and Flair promo I saw on the train coming into Boston.
2.) Alex Wright pins Chris Jericho with his feet on the ropes
3.) WCW Women’s Champion Akira Hokuto (w/Sonny Oono) defeated Malia Hosaka with a Northern Lights Bomb
– Steve McMichael vs. Konnan never occurred since Kevin Greene attacked McMichael in the aisle. In the ring, Konnan is lying face down in the ring next to a broken broomstick. The camera didn’t catch, and it was played up as ‘Who Dunnit.’
But Hugh Morris came through the audience and hit Konnan from behind.
4.) Lex Luger submitted Hollywood Hogan with the Torture Rack clean in the middle of the ring. It was announced right before the match that the title was no longer on the line. The nWo entered the ring and delivered a post-match beatdown to Lex Luger. Scott Hall held Lex for the Atomic Legdrop as the second-hour pyro went off.
JJ Dillon fined Randy Savage $50k for assaulting him the week prior. He also announced that WCW wouldn’t sanction DDP-Savage II at the Great American Bash, and it will now be a “lights out” match
Randy Savage and Elizabeth appear in the stands. Savage says he’s got $100k set aside for what he did last week to JJ Dillon and what he’s about to do to JJ Dillon this week. Diamond Dallas Page walked out and said he wants Savage ASAP. Savage ran down, only for security to pull them apart.
5.) Jeff Jarrett defeated Dean Malenko to become the new WCW United States Champion thanks to an assist from Eddie Guerrero, who drilled Malenko with a Frog splash. Jarrett locked in the Figure Four Leg Lock, forcing Malenko to submit.
Gene Okerlund interviewed Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan mentions his Boston roots, calls out Chris Benoit, and orders Meng and Jacqueline not to touch him. Here comes Benoit, and he trades blows with Sullivan. Meng and Jacqueline try to contain themselves but eventually help Sullivan beatdown Benoit.
6.) Rowdy Roddy Piper & Ric Flair over Scott Hall & Kevin Nash by Disqualification due to interference from Syxx.
The Four Horsemen come out to even the odds. Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton come out to aid their nWo brethren. Kevin Greene comes out and makes a b-line for Steve McMicheal.
The Steiners and Harlem Heat fight all around the announce position. Even Glacier, Mortis, and Wrath trade fisticuffs. Dungeon of Doom the luchadors get in on the action as Sullivan and Benoit pick up where they left off.
Savage and DDP enter the fray and DDP drops Savage before Hollywood Hogan came out of nowhere and smashed DDP in the head with the world title belt, knocking him to the floor.
Sting descends from the rafters to the floor and fends off the nWo with his black baseball bat. Sting hooked up DDP, and they ascended into the rafters in true superhero fashion as Hogan shook his fist while yelling in defeat.
Ringside Logic 
THAT’S NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!