WCW Thunder - Thursday, September 17, 1998

Howdy. It's been far too long since I've done a Thunder report for DDT Digest. The last one was in April, I think.
 
So, I guess I should reintroduce myself. I run a little site called Xavier Doom's Slayground. I call myself Xavier Doom, though some people call me Jethro.
 
Tonight's Thunder is taped. So those of you who surf the so-called "news" pages may already know the results.
 
So shhh.... don't tell me what happens.
 
I wonder if there's a chance this show will be any good. Hmm... coming off a bad pay-per-view and a then historic Nitro, who the heck can tell?
 
Enough preamble, time for Thunder.
 

• Opening montage: No opening montage. But there are fireworks in the ring. And fireworks on the rampway.

• We go to the three shot. Bobby Heenan, Tony Schiavone and Lee Marshall. I can't stand Lee Marshall. Every time I watch Thunder, I have my CD player ready to go, just in case Lee talks too long. Tonight, I've got the new Marilyn Manson CD loaded. I'm ready to blast "The Speed of Pain" if Marshall talks too much.

• Tony says Arn Anderson will arm-wrestle Eric Bischoff later in the show. If Arn wins, Ric Flair can return to WCW. Marshall starts to talk. He's worried about Arn. "I think Arn Anderson could literally get his bicep blown out." By Eric Bischoff? Oh, come on, Lee.

• Match One: Bobby Eaton vs. Wrath/Adam Bomb/The Nightstalker
  • Bobby Eaton?
  • Is this 1991 again?
  • Wrath should squash Eaton.
  • The big guy's in great shape.
  • He pummels Eaton in the corner.
  • Whip the other way, and a Wrath clothesline.
  • The wrestling portion of the show was pre-taped a week ago. But the voice-over was obviously done after this week's Nitro. Marshall quotes Anderson from this week's Horsemen reunion at Nitro.
  • Eaton with a few punches.
  • The offense is short-lived. Wrath with a boot that sends Eaton out of the ring.
  • Wrath slams Bobby into the ring post.
  • Wrath rolls Eaton back in, and then climbs to the top turnbuckle.
  • Flying fist. Not bad.
  • Bobby whipped into the ropes. Shoulder tackle.
  • Wrath ties up Bobby in a pumphandle position. He then pulls Eaton over his shoulder and delivers a powerslam. The MeltdownŠ.
  • A good move.
  • But a flying fist to a shoulder tackle to a MeltdownŠ was terrible chain wrestling.

• We go to commercial and they roll some classic Flair pictures. (Still 1, Still 2)
  • They come back from commercial teasing Halloween Havoc. Hollywood Hogan and The Warrior will fight each other. I'm not looking forward to that.
  • Lucky me, I'll be writing the pay-per-view report for that card.

• Match Two: Mike Enos vs. Lenny Lane
  • Oh, man...
  • Neither of these guys do jack for me.
  • Lane slaps Enos.
  • Enos with a Beel throw -- and a hell of a throw.
  • No matter how good that move was, this is still Mike Enos vs. Lenny Lane.
  • Enos never did anything for me. Not when he was in The Destruction Crew, and not when The Destruction Crew became The Beverly Brothers.
  • Enos with a gorilla-press slam.
  • A couple of elbows.
  • Lane gets the advantage.
  • Lane with a dive outside on to Enos.
  • Lane with a bulldog. Two count.
  • Lane tries a leapfrog -- and gets caught in a slam.
  • Man, this is getting boring.
  • Enos nearly scores the pin after a reverse neckbreaker.
  • Stun gun by Enos. Two count.
  • Reverse airplane spin by Enos. 1-2-3, and not soon enough.
  • Two matches so far. Both were crap.
  • If I wasn't writing this report, I'd turn the channel.

• Mean Gene interviews Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner.
  • Gene tries to give them hell for deceiving Rick Steiner.
  • Buff says he's got the largest arm in the world. What about his other one?
  • Too bad he lost all his wrestling ability while building that body.
  • It'll be Scott vs. Rick at Halloween Havoc.
  • Gene says Buff will be forced to stay away.

• Recap of Chris Jericho vs. "Bill Goldberg" at Fall Brawl.
  • They're showing the part when Jericho and his bodyguards got lost backstage.
  • As I'm sure many of you know, this was "borrowed" from the movie This Is Spinal Tap.
  • It's Jericho's favourite movie -- and mine, too. I've seen it about 40 times.
  • If you've never seen it, rent it. Especially if you like heavy metal. The movie is about an incredibly stupid metal band. Many of the funniest scenes are based on things that happened to real bands.
  • The scene where the band gets lost is based on something that actually happened to The Scorpions.
  • One last Spinal Tap note: when it was released in 1984, a lot of people thought it was for real.
  • Funny that the public would think the movie was a shoot when it was a work.

• Another Flair promo. (Still 1, Still 2)
  • Flair vs. several wrestlers.
  • "To be the man, you've gotta beat the man."
  • Damn straight.
  • If it wasn't for Ric Flair, WCW wouldn't have survived long enough for the arrival of Ted Turner, Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan.

• Match Three: Steve Armstrong vs. Vincent
  • Save me.
  • Both of these guys blow chunks.
  • Vincent spends several minutes working over Armstrong's shoulders.
  • Armbar by Vincent. Submission.
  • Who the hell submits to an armbar?

• Just as we go to commercial, there's laughing and lights flashing in the arena, and the camera tilts up to the rafters. Nothing there. This happened on Monday Nitro, too. The announcers didn't ade no mention of it then, so it almost seemed like someone had actually commandeered the sound system for a second. Now that it's happened twice (and this probably didn't even happen at the Thunder show...it was likely dubbed in later), it's obviously leading up to something.

• Match Four: Rick Fuller vs. Ernest Miller
  • The Cat is back after his "arrest" on Nitro.
  • Miller boasts about being three-time world karate champion.
  • He tells Fuller that he'll turn his back and give him three seconds to leave.
  • Fuller stays. The match is on.
  • Miller punches Fuller, chokes him with a camera cable, and tries to nail him with a chair.
  • They fight outside. Fuller gets the advantage for a moment.
  • Miller throws Fuller into the stairs. Looks like it hurt.
  • They take it back in.
  • Fuller regains the advantage. Heart punch (sort of). Slam. Then Fuller tries a bodypress and he misses.
  • Miller with the FelinerŠ kick.
  • Pin. "It's Miller time."

• Another Flair promo.
  • Flair talking on the old mid-'80s WCW show.
  • Flair clip from when he returned to WCW earlier this decade.

• Match Five: Norman Smiley vs. Curt Hennig
  • Hennig. Finally. A name.
  • They start slow. Switches and whatnot.
  • Smiley has "Magic" on his trunks...he is known as "Black Magic".
  • Smiley showing up Hennig with some mat wrestling.
  • Hennig comes back in and goes to work on the left leg.
  • Hennig with a Flair chop. We get a "Whoo!!!" from the crowd.
  • Smiley limps around. Hennig corners him.
  • Smiley pushes Hennig out of the corner and whips Hennig to the ropes.
  • Hennig stops. He hooks the fisherman supplex. Pin.

• Yet another Flair promo.
  • Flair's robes and entrances shown.

• Match Six: Stevie Ray and Scott Hall (with Vincent) vs. Kevin Nash and Konnan
  • Hall's drinking again.
  • Stevie's new trunks "slapjack", the name of his finisher, on them. According to my dictionary, slapjack means "pancake" or a type of card game.
  • Hall does the survey. It's Wolfpack country.
  • Commercial break.
  • We come back. Nash and Konnan come out.
  • The Wolfpack grab the stick and work the crowd.
  • Stevie and Konnan start the contest.
  • Hall's acting drunk and disorderly.
  • Nash jaws at Stevie.
  • Heenan says Nash is a future world champ. Maybe he's seen the booking sheets.
  • Stevie gets the advantage, and then swallows a Konnan clothesline and low dropkick.
  • Stevie regains the momentum.
  • Without mentioning WrestleMania VI, Schiavone talks about the upcoming rematch between Warrior and Hogan at Halloween Havoc.
  • Hall tags in.
  • Konnan takes down Hall, who's stumbling.
  • Hall tags Stevie, but stays in anyway. Stevie asks if Hall is okay. But Stevie looks frustrated.
  • Hall tries to psyche Nash. Nothing doing.
  • The announcers talk about The Warrior kidnapping The Disciple. Who cares?
  • Konnan trips the drunk again. Camel clutch.
  • Hall boots Konnan, and looks ready to hurl again.
  • Konnan tries a couple of quick pins, but Hall kicks out.
  • Konnan knocks down Hall near the ropes. Konnan grabs Hall by the hair, and Hall grabs his drink from Vincent.
  • Konnan lets go of Hall. Konnan, Nash and Stevie look like they don't know what to do about Hall.
  • Hall gets up and tries The Razor's EdgeŠ. Konnan backdrops Hall.
  • Konnan smashes Hall's face into the mat.
  • Hall gets up and falls through the ropes. He hangs by his feet and then hits the floor.
  • Stevie Ray has had enough. He tells Vincent: "Hey man, I'm not working with no lushes, man."
  • Hall and Stevie are counted out.
  • Nash never got in.

• Recap of Horsemen reunion on Nitro
  • Powerful. Just frikkin' powerful. Welcome back, Nature Boy.

• Arm wrestling match: Arn Anderson (with Dean Malenko) vs. Eric Bischoff (with Buff Bagwell)
  
  • Nick Patrick is your impartial ref. He explains the rules.
  • Arn offers his right arm. Bischoff says that wasn't the deal.
  • So it's left instead of right. Arn's left hand is weak because of the operation he had last year.
  • Bischoff refuses to lock up.
    
  • Uncle Eric tells Buff to arm wrestle Arn. Eric says he didn't agree to take part. He just agreed that Arn would get an arm wrestling match.
  • Buff teases Arn about his career-ending injury.
    
  • Arn offers his arm.
  • And he tells Bischoff that the next time he sees him, it'll be with a tire iron in his hand.
    
  • They lock up.
  • Buff wins in a flash.

• Er, that's it.

We arrived at the arena at about 6:30, which was the posted belltime. Once we found our seats, David Penzer made his way to the ring and we thought we were getting ready to start the festivities. He gave his usual speech, no throwing items towards the ring, no laser lights, etc. He brought out Wildcat Willie, who was waving a University of Kentucky flag to draw some heat, which of course it did since this is Wildcat Country. He then introduced Doug Dellinger, who was greeted with a chorus of boos. Then he introduced a couple, who we thought were getting married, but had won some sort of contest. The woman got in the ring and was handed the mic, and she said "Are you ready for some World Wrestling Championship action?" which got a LOT of laughs.

Our signs:

1. Up Next Movies For Guys Who Like Movies
2. Warlock 10:05 EST
3. MENG
4. I Camped Out 16 Hours For This??
5. Wild Wayland Wrestling Rulz!

After some more gibberish from Penzer, we were ready for the show. He said that some of the matches would be shown at a later date, which probably means we'll see them next week on Thunder. The first match was the The Disciple against Scott Armstrong, a great way to start the show. The Barber cut Armstrong down to size with a pitiful looking apocalypse for the win.

Up next was Raven against Kidman, which convinces me that Saturn will win their match at Fall Brawl. We tried our best to start a 'Raven' chant, but to no avail. We did have a brief 'Evenflow' chant for a few moments, but I'm not so sure if the audio picked it up or not.

Mike Enos defeated Lenny Lane...not much heat for either man.

Penzer came back into the ring and counted us down to Live Thunder. The nWo Hollywood music began and immediately the crowd began to chant 'Hogan sucks'. We could not hear a word of what Hogan was saying for all the boos. He definitely got the most heel heat of the night.

The cruiserweight title was up for grabs next. Earlier in the evening, when Penzer was announcing who was gonna be on hand, Juvie got booed!!! But he got a decent pop in this one. King's mouth was busted in this match, which we feel led to the strange finish.

I think during this commercial break was when a really good looking woman in the front row began to, how shall we say, disrobe? The Keystone cops soon made their way over to her and she put her shirt back on before we got to see anything. When they turned their backs to her, she flipped them off!! I think Doug Dillinger gave her his phone number, but I'm not certain.

The Jericho-Wrath Television title match was such a ripoff. Easily the most boos of the night when the referee called for the bell. When Wrath went to the back to chase Jericho away, the camera man forgot to shut down his camera, because you could see Wrath and Jericho stop running and they stood right beside one another!!

The Duggan interview was very sad. The entire crowd fell dead silent during this...I regret every harsh word I have ever tossed out at 'Hacksaw' and I wish him the best of luck!!

Saturn got a well deserved pop from the crowd in his 'confrontation' with Kanyon. Each maneuver he hit on Kanyon got a cool 'buh!' from the masses.

I am very proud to say that myself and my friends Jarrid and Alan got the "We Want Flair" chant started =). Arn Anderson got the second loudest pop of the night!! We're not really sure what happened to Mongo, but I'm not so sure that he was really hurt. The place also blew up when AA wrapped his hands around Eazy E's throat!

Lex Luger got a pretty good pop from the crowd, as did Bret Hart to my TOTAL suprise! I really don't know where they're going with this Bret Hart thing, but I just wish he would either be a heel, or a face, not a tweener.

The only thing missing in the Disco vs. K-Dawg match was an appearance from Tokyo Magnum. Disco drew some decent heat when he said that he and Alex Wright were ready to join the Wolfpac. Very quick job for Disco, we were suprised that Wright didn't interfere, he just turned his back on Disco.

Piper got a great pop from the crowd, probably the third best of the night. We had a feeling that Page was gonna show up in the crowd during this, because there was some commotion before Piper came out. Most of us missed our queue on the Hollywood "SCUM" Hogan chant, but everyone was in on the "Feel the Bang" chant.

Take a wild guess who got the best pop of the night....clue: It wasn't Goldberg...I'm lying by the way. The place absolutely came apart when he hit the spear!!!

We had a gut feeling that Stevie Ray would be involved in the main event, and boy were we right. I really don't understand why Stevie Ray has been thrust into main event status, when his brother is 10 times the athlete he is and is only a mid-carder. Big pop went to Nash, especially when he hit the jackknife on Vincent. The Scott Hall attack was a total suprise to everyone in attendance.

These are matches/altercations that happened after Thunder went off the air and will probably air next week...

• Curt Hennig over Norman Smiley.
• Buff Bagwell over Arn Anderson in an arm wrestling match.
• Juvie defeated Disco Inferno
• The Cat over Rick Fuller.
• K-Dawg and Kevin Nash over Scott
• Hall and Stevie Ray via countout.

Overall, a pretty good Thunder, considering the crap they had been booking as of late. After the show, I wrote "Autographs $5.00" on my Meng sign and drew an arrow pointing down to myself. It was hilarious because I was running around the arena acting like Meng and threatening random people with the Kick of Fear and the goozle!!! Unfortunately, I didn't have any takers on the autograph deal. Although I did walk up to my friend Alan in a group of people and cinched him in the goozle. I took him down with people all around watching.