WCW Thunder - Thursday, April 22, 1999

By Aldo

If you've read the mid-week report, you've heard the bad news about one "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Damn shame, really, as we've lost another link to the past. 40 years of age is too short for anyone to live. Nevertheless, I remember Rick Rude as a talented worker -- as Bill put it, anybody who can make the Ultimate Warrior look like a million dollars has talent. Also, Rude played the mic and his character well, setting trends that wrestlers (IMO, the best example being Val Venis) follow today.
I apologize if this seems short, but Bill's about covered it all on the guy. My condolences go out to the family and friends of Rick Rude.
To be honest, though, the thing that upsets me more about Rude's demise is that as of the Thursday edition, The Orlando Sentinel has not made one damn mention of this. It has been made clear that the media thinks of professional wrestling as one big laughingstock, but would it be too much to ask for a brief mention of a man who has made a quantifiable impact on his sport?
If the Sentinel has made a mention by the time this report has been posted, a thank you is in order. If not, change the word thank to something that rhymes with "truck" for my opinion.
No mailbag this week, but instead I want to try something. In the mid-week report, Wade pointed out that the nWo B-Team did in fact serve a useful purpose on last week's Thunder. Yours truly was a bit too high and mighty to realize this, as I failed to realize the impact Stevie Ray, Horace, Brian Adams, and (especially) Vince have made in WCW.
In response, I'd like to perform a make-shift poll, asking the following question:
What can we, as professional wrestling fans, thank the nWo Black and White for?
If you have a submission, please click on the pretty link. The best submissions will be posted next week. Thanks!
Editor's note: Sorry, no JPGs for the show. VCR seems to be broken.
Opening montage.
We are TAPED for two hours of Thunder!
"Iron" Mike Tenay and "The Legend of Zelda" Larry Zbyzsko are in the "booth."
- Goldberg will wrestle tonight on Thunder.
- We'll see Dean Malenko/Chris Benoit take on Raven/Perry Saturn.
  - Later on, the announcers mention that this will be a six-man tag team match consisting of Benoit/Malenko/Kidman vs. Raven/Saturn/Rey Mysterio, Jr.
- Buff Bagwell also in action tonight.
- Tenay shills Slamboree on May 9^th.
Match #1: Hugh Morrus (w/ Jimmy Hart) vs. Hak (w/ Singapore Cane and Chastity)
- Hart leads his charge out for this opening bout.
- His opponent will be Sandman^H^H^H^H^H^H^HHak.
- Chastity comes from the side with a bin full of weapons.
- Upon entering the ring, Hak gets assaulted with the cane.
- Morrus bashes Hak with a trash can.
- Morrus gets a mop and hits Hak in the shoulder blade.
- More shots with the cane.
- Hak gets a trash can lid and hits Morrus in the back of the head.
- Hak nails Morrus with a trash can.
- Morrus gets sent outside.
- Morrus counters a whip and sends Hak to the safety rail.
- Assorted garbage lies in the ring.
- Morrus with a trash can shot to the head.
- Morrus whips Hak into a clothesline.
- Morrus puts a chair down in the center of the ring.
- Hak lands some punches and drops Morrus' face on the chair.
- Hak performs a bulldog headlock on the chair.
- A punch sends Morrus down.
- Morrus blocks a suplex but gets draped on the ropes.
- Hak goes up top and does a gullotine legdrop.
- Hak gets two tables from under the ring and brings them inside.
- Hak finds a ladder under the ring and throws it in. How convenient.
- Hak hurls the ladder at Morrus' back.
- Hak sets the ladder upright.
- Morrus reverses a whip and does a powerslam.
- Morrus jaws with the fans then goes up top and hits the No Laughing Matter.
- Hart comes in and helps Morrus set up a table.
- Hart and Morrus put a second table on top of the first.
- Morrus makes like Chris Benoit and does the thumb across the throat.
- Hak gets draped between the tables.
- As Morrus heads up top the ladder, Chastity brings a fire extinguisher in the ring and blasts Hart.
- When the smoke clears, Hak gets on the ladder and punches Morrus off onto both tables.
- Hart and Chastity grapple with a weapon.
- Hak gets the cane and does the cane-assisted Russian Legsweep for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: Hak via Russian Legsweep in 7:26.
- I don't know if this means anything but MiCasa reported that Hugh Morrus injured his leg at this set of tapings, as did Wrath.
Promo for DDP vs. Kevin Nash at Slamboree.
From the April 19^th Nitro: The nWo B-Team beat down Konnan.
- Maybe the B-Team is useful after all!
Match #2: Konnan vs. Scotty "The Narcissist Without a Push" Riggs
- Sigh...
- [Catchphrases.]
- Riggs is holding a vanity mirror with "Better looking every day" written on it.
- Konnan punches away as Riggs feels his face.
- Konnan with an armdrag takedown.
- Konnan goes behind Riggs and hits a bulldog.
- Konnan does a dropkick.
- Konnan does the ten punches on the turnbuckle.
- Riggs flees to the outside.
- Riggs headthrusts his way back into the ring.
- After getting kicked in the gut, Konnan shoots Riggs to the ropes.
- Riggs with some fist-oriented offense.
- Riggs does a whip and a dropkick which caught some serious air.
- Riggs does a one-finger cover for two.
- Riggs applies the American Male chinlock.
- Konnan elbows out and goes off the ropes but eats a back elbow.
- Riggs shakes his booty in the ring a la Rick Rude.
- Riggs with a suplex for two.
- In the corner, Riggs applies a shoulderthrust.
- Riggs shoots Konnan to the corner and hits a high knee.
- Riggs sends Konnan to the corner and misses the axehandle.
- Konnan whips Riggs into the rolling clothesline.
- Riggs tries a roll-up but Konnan sits down for two.
- Konnan with his mule kick and facebuster.
- Konnan gets whipped but Riggs misses the dropkick attempt.
- Konnan then locks on the Tequila Sunrise for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: Konnan via Tequila Sunrise in 4:44.
Promo for Ric Flair vs. Roddy Piper at Slamboree.
Promo for the WCW Slam Society.
From the April 19^th Nitro: Psychosis wins the Cruiserweight Title. Yes!
Match #3: Al Greene vs. El Vampiro
- The former #1 contender to the WCW Heavyweight Title comes out.
- He'll be facing El Vampiro.
- Vampiro is playing the face this time around.
- Vampiro gets an armbar out of a lockup.
- Greene puts on an armbar.
- Vampiro goes behind and brings Greene to the ropes.
- Vampiro with a go-behind full nelson.
- Greene comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock.
- Test of strength time, but Greene lands a kick instead.
- Vampiro whips Greene into a leg-assisted takedown.
- More takedowns follow and Greene retreats outside.
- Vampiro slingshots over the top rope with a cross bodyblock.
- Vampiro chops Greene in the corner.
- Greene shoots Vampiro into the corner and does a gorilla-press release slam.
- Vampiro with a front kick in the corner.
- Greene whips Vampiro to the corner and hits a splash.
- Greene applies a sloppy double underhook suplex for two.
- Vampiro ducks a clothesline and hits a side kick.
- Vampiro goes up top and hits a crossbody.
- Vampiro then rolls up Greene out of nowhere for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: El Vampiro via rollup in 4:06.
Tenay plugs the WCW Hotline.
Match #4: Bobby Duncum, Jr. vs. Booker T for the WCW Television Title.
- Tenay offers his condolences to the family of Rick Rude and goes as far to mentioning the WCW International Title.
- Even more surprising, Zbyzsko actually says something nice about the late Rude. Good job.
- Lockup.
- Tenay mentions that Booker T never played any organized sports in school but did play the drums.
- Duncum has a headlock applied.
- Booker does a headlock of his own.
- Booker comes off the ropes with a flying shoulderblock.
- Duncum with a kick to the gut and some boots in the corner.
- Booker whips Duncum to the corner and hits a clothesline.
- Booker does a spin kick for two.
- Duncum slams Booker to the mat.
- Duncum comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock.
- Booker leapfrogs over Duncum and hits a flying forearm.
- Booker does his back kick.
- Booker sends Duncum over the top rope with a clothesline.
- Duncum trips Booker by grabbing his legs, brings them around the post and ties his bullrope around them.
- As Billy Silverman unties Booker, Duncum lays the boots on his opponent.
- Commercials.
- Duncum has a chinlock applied.
- Booker elbows out but eats a kick coming off the ropes.
- Duncum covers for two.
- Duncum with a side-belly-to-belly suplex for two.
- Duncum puts on chinlock #2.
- Duncum applies a headlock and puts his feet on the bottom rope for leverage.
- Booker gets sent outside.
- Duncum follows and sends Booker to the rail.
- Duncum picks up a chair but Silverman takes it away.
- Duncum gets another chair but that, too, is removed.
- Duncum goes up top and hits a flying clothesline for two.
- Chinlock #3 is applied.
- Booker floats over a suplex attempt and does a suplex of his own.
- Duncum comes out of a three-point stance with a clothesline for two.
- Duncum covers again for two.
- Duncum brings the bullrope in the ring and misses a swing.
- Booker does the axe kick.
- Booker whips Duncum into the 110^th Street Slam.
- Booker goes up top and hits the missile dropkick for the win!
- YOUR WINNER: Booker T via missile dropkick in ~8:02.
From the April 19^th Nitro: Buff makes a challenge to Triple S for the United States Title.
Match #5: Fit Finlay vs. Buff Bagwell
- I was going to suggest putting Finlay's mug on a milk carton, but forget it now.
- Out comes Buffy "The Tombstone Slayer."
- Buff starts a mild U.S.A. chant.
  - I'd suggest Buff take lessons from Hacksaw Jim Duggan, but his head got burnt off. Oh well.
- Buff gets an armdrag takedown out of a lockup and poses.
- Finlay talks smack to some schmoe in the crowd.
- Lockup, Finlay with a headbutt.
- Buff lands a hip toss.
- Buff poses and immediately after, Finlay applies a reverse atomic drop.
- Finlay lands a right to the chin and an European uppercut.
- Finlay brings Buff to the apron and slams his face into it.
- Finlay gets a chair but the ref snatches it away.
- Back in, Finlay applies a snapmare and drops an elbow for one.
- Finlay clamps Buff's neck and then pulls on his nose.
  - Get off my... NOSE!
- Buff lands some elbows and a jawbreaker.
- Finlay reaches on the ropes.
- Buff grabs Finlay by the legs and slams him down to the mat.
- Finlay regains control and hits a scoop slam.
- Finlay with a side headlock.
- Buff goes to a vertical base and hits some elbows and a headbutt.
- Buff comes off the ropes into a knee to the midsection by Finlay.
- Finlay lands a boot to the gut.
- Buff tries a dropkick but misses when Finlay holds onto the ropes.
- Finlay with a sit-down splash for two.
- Finlay does a European uppercut.
- Buff tries an axehandle but Finlay counters with his forward roll slam.
- Buff sends Finlay to the corner and hits a back body drop.
- Finlay charges at Buff and eats a boot.
- Buff goes up to the middle turnbuckle and applies the Blockbuster for the win!
- YOUR WINNER: Buff Bagwell via Blockbuster in 6:03.
Promo for the WCW Magazine.
This Week in WCW Motorsuck.
- NASCAR drivers, you better move over for the #9 car or he'll run you into a wall along with himself.
From the April 19^th Nitro: Ric Flair is taken to a happy little place by some nice guys in white lab coats.
Match #6: Disco Inferno vs. Rick Steiner
- After doing these Thunder reports for almost seven months, I've come to this conclusion. You just can't have a Thunder with the Disco Inferno.
- AAAAACK! Not the SHITTY BULLDOG OF DEATH! Noooooo!
- Commercials to delay the inevitable. :(
- Promo for the Goldberg T-Shirt.
- Steiner lands a kick.
- Disco flees the ring but re-enters.
- Steiner lands some punches and does a boot choke in the corner.
- Tenay talks about the "new" Alex Wright we saw on Nitro.
- Steiner shoves Disco into the corner and pounds away.
- Steiner whips Disco into a clothesline.
- Steiner pounds on the back of Disco's head.
- Steiner pulls Disco up and levels him with a punch.
- Steiner covers for two.
- Steiner chokes Disco some more.
- This is a pretty sad squash thus far.
- Steiner beats on Disco some more.
- Disco gets sent to the ropes and bails.
- Steiner gives chase and follows Disco into the ring.
- Disco lands a kick, goes off the ropes and does a swinging neckbreaker.
- Disco goes to the second turnbuckle and drops an elbow on Steiner's chest.
- Disco tries it again and gets caught for a belly-to-belly suplex.
- Disco tries a kick but Steiner blocks it and delivers a suplex.
- Steiner goes up top and hits the SBOD.
- Steiner then applies a variation of a deathlock for the win.
- YOUR WINNER: Rick Steiner via deathlock submission in 4:19.
- Well, that really sucked. Usually they put guys like Steiner over guys like Nick Dinsmore in squashes, not midcarders such as Disco Inferno.
From the April 19^th Nitro: Diamond Dallas Page turns heel.
WCWSN this week will feature Lash LeRoux (Yes!), Norman Smiley (YES!), "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (NOOOOOOO!), Scott Norton (Who's he?) and Booker T (Uhhhhhh!)
Match #7: The Cat (w/ Sonny Onoo) vs. Goldberg
- We follow the Rick Steiner squash with an even greater form of suck in The Cat.
- Goldberg comes out. I'm not a real big fan of the guy, but anyone who will beat the shit out of Kitty B. Badd is okay in my book.
- Cat gets the mic and says he wants respect.
- Cat wants to start at the top [Goldberg] and work his way down.
- Cat gives Goldberg the five-count.
  - Speaking of which, I think it would be really cool if King Kong Bundy got the five-count on Ernest Miller.
- At the count of two, Cat lands a side kick on Goldberg's face.
- Some kick-oriented offense by the Feline follows.
- Goldberg evades some chops and hits a right fist.
- Onoo comes in to tend to Cat and charges at Goldberg.
- Goldberg then military presses Onoo!
- Goldberg tosses Onoo onto The Cat and spears both men at the same time!
- Man, I've always wanted to say this. Jackhammer. Splat. Win. So long, Kitty.
- YOUR WINNER: Goldberg via Jackhammer in 2:30.
Promo for the WCW Debt Card, err Mastercard.
At 9:43 P.M. EDT we get the fireworks.
Match #8: Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Kidman (w/ Arn Anderson) vs. Raven, Perry Saturn and Rey Mysterio, Jr.
- Kidman walks several paces ahead of the Horsemen en route to the ring.
- We see a clip from Nitro in which a six-man melee erupted.
- After the clip ends, we see the opposition in the ring.
- Your referee is Charles Robinson. Hmm...
- Rey and Malenko start us off.
- Lockup, Malenko misses a punch allowing Rey to fire away.
- Rey and Malenko come off the ropes several times.
- Rey eventually does an armdrag takedown.
- Tag to made to Kidman.
- Rey considers battling his friend but decides against it and tags in Raven.
- Lockup, Raven lands some shoulderthrusts in the corner.
- Kidman gets whipped, ducks under a clothesline and applies a headscissors takeover.
- Raven does a short-arm kneelift.
- Raven lands a boot to the head.
- Raven chokes Kidman with a boot.
- Tag to Saturn.
- As Raven crotches Kidman on the top rope, Saturn goes up top and connects with a missile dropkick.
- Saturn readies himself for a plancha but Rey stands in front of Kidman.
- Saturn yells at Rey and sends Kidman back inside.
- Kidman rolls up Saturn for two.
- Kidman with a standing dropkick.
- Tag to Benoit.
- Forearms and kicks and chops, oh my!
- Benoit brings Saturn to the corner and tags Malenko.
- Malenko whips Benoit in Saturn's direction.
- Benoit drop toeholds Saturn while Malenko connects with a dropkick to the face.
- Kidman makes the reluctant tag.
- Saturn tries a powerbomb, with the usual result.
- Kidman goes up top but Raven cuts him off.
- Saturn applies a release superplex for two.
- Tag to Raven.
- Kidman is whipped into a double clothesline.
- Raven sets Kidman on the turnbuckle.
- Kidman punches Raven to the mat, then drops down and tags Malenko.
- Raven kicks Malenko.
- Tag to Saturn.
- Malenko sent to ropes, Raven applies a drop toehold followed by a Saturn elbowdrop.
- Tag to Rey.
- Malenko does an overhead suplex.
- Tag to Benoit.
- BIG whip by the Horsemen lead to a double elbow.
- Benoit stomps on Rey as we go to...
- Commercials.
- ECW is coming to the Kissimmee Agricultural Center on May 2^nd.
- Benoit blows snot rockets at Saturn.
- Saturn is seen wearing a funny-looking red headdress.
- Benoit works on Rey's knee.
- Benoit picks up Rey but gets rolled for two when Malenko makes the save.
- Saturn comes in to deal with Malenko and Robinson holds him back.
- This allows the Horsemen to administer more punishment to Rey.
- Cover for two.
- Rey counters a suplex into a rollup for two.
- Rey walks into a forearm by Malenko.
- Tag to Malenko.
- Malenko applies a big vertical suplex for two.
- Malenko whips Rey and hits a running knee.
- Malenko pulls Rey to his corner and tags Kidman.
- Kidman pulls Rey up and gets decked by Malenko for doing so.
- Benoit slaps Kidman on the back and throws him out of the ring.
- Arn gives some stern words to Kidman.
- Benoit puts Rey on the turnbuckle and instructs Robinson to hold Saturn.
- Benoit tries a suplex but Rey falls on top for two.
- Tag to Malenko.
- A couple of near falls by both men.
- Malenko sends Rey outside.
- Benoit picks Rey up and Kidman tries to tend to him.
- Raven attacks Benoit outside, allowing Kidman to bring Rey to the rail for safety.
- Inside, Malenko puts on a backbreaker submission hold.
- Malenko whips Rey and eats a facedrop.
- Tag to Saturn.
- Saturn disposes of Malenko and Benoit. Kidman, however, chooses to stay behind the ropes.
- Saturn applies a T-bone suplex on Malenko.
- Saturn with a clothesline on Benoit.
- All hell has now broken loose.
- We end up with Kidman, Rey and Malenko in the ring.
- Malenko sits in the corner as Rey charges toward him.
- Rey does a headscissors on Malenko and goes up top!
- Arn goes to the apron and knocks Rey off!
- Arn then comes into the ring and GIVES REY MYSTERIO, JR. THE SPINEBUSTER! YES!!
- Kidman disputes with Robinson about what just happened.
- Malenko hits Kidman from behind, causing him to fall on top of Rey.
- Robinson makes a quick three-count for the win.
- YOUR WINNERS: Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Kidman in ~13:11.
- That ruled!
The Good: The Cat got his ass handed to him by Goldberg. The six-man main event had an excellent workrate and was an overall great contest, spinebuster or not. Kudos to WCW for putting on a real main event match.
The Bad: Disco Inferno jobbed to the SHITTY BULLDOG OF DEATH in a near squash. While the Greene/Vampiro match-up wasn't awful or great, I was expecting more than a roll-up for the pin.
The Ugly: Not Chastity. (At least this week.) She looked kind of cute this time around.

WCW Thunder - Thursday, April 22, 1999

By Aldo

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