WCW Thunder - Thursday, October 21, 1999

As for the show, I did get to watch some of it. Kevin Nash's commentary, while a little too "smart" for some viewers, was pretty amusing at times, especially when calling everything "Old Glory." Overall, though, the show was lacking in quality wrestling and excitement, and would barely pass as a WCW Saturday Night broadcast. With Smackdown dominating Thursday nights now, WCW has no excuse in not stepping up the quality of the shows. I don't think having two jobbers go at it will cut it anymore for the casual audience.

On a positive note, I think WCW is starting to realize this, as Thunder is scheduled to be taped on Tuesday nights as early as the month of December according to the event schedules on WCW.com. This should allow some of the bigger stars from Nitro to wrestle on Thunder without having to go home then return to the road for a taping.

• Jabel corrects me:

  I read the following line in the "nasty" (or is it lazy?) Brian Knobbs vs Chris Benoit match:

  "This guy changes theme music more often than a child eating Mexican food changes his underwear."

  Not that I got very offended by it, but mind you, Mexican food (REAL Mexican food - not Taco Bell garbage) is not bad at all. I challenge you to eat some real Mexican stuff like chicken with some real mole and some real tortillas, and you'll see there is nothing to be afraid of our food. I have eaten Mexican food all my life and I have never been in the need to get a Tums.

  Oh yeah, and Gorditas are not like that atrocity that that #%#^ dog sells.

• Senator Penguin discusses the canned chants on Thunder:

  I've been hearing for a long time about the "canned heat" and "piped-in" Goldberg chants that WCW supposedly uses to add the illusion of heat in cases when the crowd is less than alive. I always wondered whether or not it was just a myth concocted by the legions of WCW detractors on the Internet. (Maybe that makes me an unrepentant WCW mark, or perhaps I'm just very optimistic.)

  After seeing the Thunder on 10/7, I can't help but think that the tremendous amount of crowd heat came from a tape machine somewhere in the editing bay at WCW. The crowd reaction was constant throughout the entire show -- even for wrestlers who normally couldn't get heat if you gave them a flamethrower. I also found it odd that even when the crowd heat was at its highest, the fans at ringside sat motionless, as if they were at a church service.

  Maybe this seems like a dumb question, but could you just clear this one up for me? Does WCW, in fact, boost the audience reaction artificially?

  P.S. Tell Dan that was a good call, comparing Dale Torberg to one of the "Baseball Furies". It was exactly what I was thinking when I first saw his new make-up job. Actually I was thinking of a "Baseball Fury", Kane and Brian Adams as "The Demon" all smashed together at high speed. "Good evening, boppers... the Baseball Furies have just struck out..."
  

  Well, the only people who can tell you if a heat machine is used is WCW themselves. But, here's what I have noticed:

  1. If you've ever been to a WCW Saturday Night taping, at one point Penzer tells the crowd to cheer for two minutes and then boo for two minutes. During these segments, the sound engineers tape the feedback to use for the show. This is why when the heel hits a move, it sounds like the fans immediately "boo" without a long reaction time.
  2. Lately, on Thunder, it does look like the producers air canned heat. I can't prove it, for I'm not an insider, but if you check out the crowd (and the empty seats) you notice not everyone's on the edge of their seats. Also, the cheering is too consistent to be real.
  3. Other than the "Goldberg" chants, which are real mostly, but sometimes piped in to help the crowd along, I've noticed no sound enhancements on Nitro.

• Thomas contradicts WCW's claims of Disco Inferno's vital statistics:

  I've seen Disco in my gym (Main Event fitness in Atlanta) and he's short - only about 5' 9" or 5' 10" tops (I'm 6' and I looked down at him as I walked by.)

• Sven submits:

  The WWF's MVP was Steve Lombardi, aka the Brooklyn Brawler. He showed up on Raw about twice (I distinctly remember Owen Hart booting him during a battle royal) and then was re-tooled into Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz, who went "on strike" at the same time as the MLBPA.

  The main difference was that the WWF's MVP wore white makeup... so is this guy MVP Wolfpac?

  My head hurts just contemplating the stupidity of some WCW undercard bookers.

  All we need now is for Russo and Ferrera to bring back The Ding Dongs.

  If you have no idea as to who the Ding Dongs are, go to Xavier Doom's website, The Slayground, and check out his WCW Hall of Shame.

• Jon tries to explain the origins of Dale Torberg's latest sure-fire, can't miss gimmick:

  I Don't know if this "explains" the baseball gimmick, but Dale Torborg's father is MLB baseball manager [and former professional baseball player] Jeff Torborg.

  Dale also played baseball at Northwestern.

• The piano music brings out Maestro.
• YES!! SMILEY!!
• Maestro pauses to play to the crowd.
• Smiley controls with some grappling.
• Maestro goes behind with a waistlock.
• Smiley escapes a full nelson, only for Maestro to reapply.
• Smiley gets out, goes off the ropes and wiggles.
• More grappling.
• Smiley with a knee and a European uppercut.
• Maestro reverses a whip.
• They lock up by the hip in the corner and Maestro takes Smiley down.
• Maestro yanks Smiley's face.
• Maestro hits a side slam.
• Two-count.
• Maestro with a chinlock.
• Maestro stomps on Smiley's face.
• Smiley gets whipped and tries a sunset flip, but Maestro drops down to counter.
• Maestro with a right.
• Smiley off the ropes, tries a sunset flip but Maestro blocks.
• Maestro covers for two.
• Smiley hits a headbutt.
• Smiley with a couple armwringers.
• Smiley takes down Maestro and follows with the spinning bodyslam.
• Maestro goes outside to regroup while Smiley hits the SMBU.
• Maestro pulls Smiley outside.
• Smiley reverses a whip to the ringpost.
• Back inside, Maestro gets a boot to the back of the head.
• Maestro reverses a whip.
• Maestro blocks a hip toss and tries an inverted DDT.
• Smiley slips out and applies the Norman Conquest for the victory!
• YOUR WINNER: Norman Smiley via Norman Conquest in 4:29.
• The Maestro is now 0-2 on Thunder.

• Cripes.
• Apparently, Dale Torberg is to be known as MVP from here on.
• I should point out that the sound machine is cranked to ridiculous amounts of heat.
• His opponent: Horace.
• I smell a classic.
• Lockup, Horace pushes MVP in the corner and applies some headthrusts.
• Horace whips MVP into a shoulderblock.
• MVP gets shot to the corner and eats a clothesline.
• MVP whips Horace, who hits a shoulderblock.
• MVP with a hip toss and a dropkick.
• MVP baseball slide kicks Horace to the outside.
• MVP goes outside, as well and lands some rights.
• Horace gets tossed to the rail.
• MVP throws Horace back in and goes to the apron.
• Horace sends MVP back outside with a high knee.
• Horace brings MVP back in and gives him a clothesline.
• Horace comes off the ropes with an elbow for two.
• Horace sends MVP outside again.
• Horace follows and shoots MVP to the stairs.
• Like I said, a classic.
• MVP gets tossed back inside.
• Horace tries the Ric Flair pin but the referee stops it.
• MVP blocks a clothesline with a sunset flip for two.
• Horace lands a back elbow.
• Horace with the VERTICAL SUPLEX OF DEATH!
• Horace does a backbreaker for two.
• Horace whips MVP, who ducks a clothesline and hits a crossbody for two.
• MVP gets sent to the corner.
• Horace tries a charge but misses.
• MVP applies a backdrop suplex.
• MVP blocks a punch and hits his own.
• MVP with a whip and a kick.
• MVP off the ropes with a high knee.
• Running lariat gets two.
• Horace applies a release German suplex.
• Horace with the H-Bomb (Samoan Drop) for the win. Nepotism lives!
• YOUR WINNER: Horace via H-Bomb in 5:31.
• With the loss, MVP's Thunder record is now 1-1.

• Vincent Curly Bill comes out to "I Hate Rap." My guess is that with Jeff Jarrett's return to WCW, "Good Old Boys" has been retired for Jarrett's use.
  
• Wow, Lash gets to pin a former nWo member. :-)
• Lash struts to start and gets beat down as a result.
• Hudson calls the nWo "a defunct organization." Yes!
• Boot to the face by Curly.
• Lash fights back and gives Curly a cross-corner whip.
• Curly raises his boots on the charge attempt.
• Curly with a running lariat.
• Curly with a nice single-arm takedown.
• Curly pulls Lash outside.
• Curly rams Lash into the steps.
• Curly grabs Lash on the apron and gives him a jawbreaker on the ropes.
• Curly applies a front facelock and delivers a swinging neckbreaker.
• Curly with a chop.
• Lash fires back.
• Curly reverses a whip to the corner.
• Curly with a high knee.
• Curly jaws with the fans.
• Curly with a delayed scoop slam and an elbow.
• Curly applies a chinlock.
• Lash fights out but runs into a knee.
• Curly with a scoop slam.
• Curly with the SLAP OF DOOM!
• Lash gets up and fights back.
• Lash with a sunset flip for two.
• Lash with a couple of punches, his strut and a clothesline.
• Lash hits a dropkick.
• Curly gets out of a fireman's carry.
• Curly applies the Fujiwara armbar but Lash gets to the ropes.
• Curly kicks Lash in the corner.
• Lash whips Curly to the other corner.
• Curly floats over a charge but Lash gets a kick in.
• The Whiplash ends it.
• YOUR WINNER: Lash LeRoux via Whiplash in 5:55.

• No entrances, due to the Heat losing the tag team titles on Nitro. Thankfully, the moving of Thunder tapings to Tuesdays come December will eliminate the need to do an edit-job for future situations.
• Regal with an armbar.
• Booker counters into a wristlock.
• Booker gets out of a hammerlock but eats an elbow.
• Regal with a shoulderblock.
• Booker leapfrogs over Regal and hits a forearm.
• Tag to Stevie Ray.
• Regal gets sent down again.
• Stevie with a back elbow.
• Regal goes into convulsions, then backs off and tags Taylor. Priceless.
• Taylor comes off the ropes with a kick.
• Stevie hits a lariat and tags Booker.
• Side kick onto Taylor. Regal saves.
• European uppercut sends Booker outside, where Fit Finlay awaits.
• Finlay punishes Booker and sends him inside.
• Taylor tags Regal.
• Regal sends Booker to the corner.
• Booker floats over a charge and hits a urinage.
• As Booker goes for a tag, Finlay knocks Stevie off the apron.
• Booker with the axe kick off the ropes.
• Tag to Stevie.
• Stevie's a fruit-booty on fire.
• Stevie clotheslines Taylor over the top rope.
• Tag to Booker.
• As the Heat set to finish off Regal, Hugh Morrus and Brian Knobbs interferes, causing the DQ.
• YOUR WINNERS: Harlem Heat via DQ in 4:23.
• The Heat run off the First Family contingent.
• For those who are wondering why Morrus and Knobbs would run-in and attack a team that is currently not in contention for the tag team titles, consider this. The match you just saw was taped prior to Rey Mysterio, Jr. and Konnan winning the titles on Nitro.

• In case we haven't been tortured enough tonight, the Rednecks get another segment.
• That's right. Have Brad beat the lazy out of Mr. Windham tonight.
• Kendell begins with a big boot.
• Kendell with a chop.
• Kendell whips Brad to the corner but misses the charge.
• Brad gets a couple armdrags in.
• In the corner, Brad gets six punches in before Kendell counters with an inverted atomic drop.
• Brad gets a running lariat in.
• Brad with a wristlock.
• Kendell counters with an armbar on the mat.
• Kendell applies a wristlock.
• Brad switches and gets to the ropes.
• Curly distracts Brad near the apron, allowing a big boot by Kendell.
• Brad gets sent outside.
• Curly with some varied offense, including the BACK SCRAPE OF MILD AGGRAVATION!
• Back inside, Kendell whips Brad into a clothesline for two.
• Kendell with a chinlock almost three minutes in.
• Brad elbows out, goes to the ropes and runs into a high knee.
• Kendell drops some fists and a knee.
• Kendell covers for two.
• Kendell with ANOTHER chinlock. Why is this guy still on WCW payroll?
• Kendell whips Brad, who counters with a five-arm.
• Big right by Brad.
• Brad whips Kendell into a powerslam.
• Curly gets to the apron.
• Brad is distracted, which allows a ballshot.
• Kendell's boot comes off.
• As Brad goes for more offense, Kendell shoves Brad into Johnny Boone.
• Curly comes in while Boone is down and gets the boot.
• Kendell holds Brad for Curly to swing at. If you can't guess what comes next, you haven't been watching wrestling long enough.
• Anyway, Brad gets the boot and cleans house.
• Brad follows it up with a Russian Legsweep for the win!
• YOUR WINNER: Brad Armstrong via Russian Legsweep in 5:09.

• Possible match of the night here.
• Kaz and Blitz gets no entrance.
• This one will be too fast for me, so I'm only calling the high spots.
• Mark Johnson (the bald guy) is your referee.
• Juvi and Blitz start.
• Blitz with a series of kicks to start.
• Tag to King.
• King misses a dropkick.
• King reverses a whip, but Blitz counters with a variation of a victory roll for two.
• Off the ropes, Blitz gets launched skyward by King.
• Tags to Juvi and Kaz.
• Juvi bows, and Kaz counters with a push to the head.
• Juvi hits a shoulderblock.
• Series of rope runs lead to a reversal flip-out and a chop-fest.
• Kaz goes to the ropes.
• Juvi applies a body scissors into a DDT.
• In the corner, Juvi gets ten punches in.
• Tag to King.
• King with a kick to the mouth.
• King lands a chop.
• Kaz reverses a whip to the ropes.
• Blitz kicks King from behind and Kaz gets a spinning heel kick in.
• Blitz is in and puts on a camel clutch.
• Kaz attacks from behind.
• King gets sent to the ropes but raises a leg on the charge.
• King with a kick to the back to the head.
• Kaz tries to block a King tag attempt but eats an enziguri.
• King whips Blitz into his airplane spin neckbreaker.
• Tag to Juvi.
• Juvi with a crossbody on Kaz and Blitz.
• Blitz eats a headscissors takeover.
• Blitz flips out of an attempted Juvi move and hits a corkscrew for two.
• Blitz with a chinlock.
• Juvi comes off the ropes with a sunset flip for two.
• We go to commercials at 5:25.
• Blitz tags Kaz in.
• Blitz holds up Juvi for a Kaz missile dropkick.
• Kaz taunts King, who enters the ring.
• This allows Kaz to put Juvi into the Tree of Woe.
• Blitz gets his kicks in on Juvi.
• Kaz whips Juvi into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
• Blitz comes in off the top with a gullotine legdrop!
• Blitz with a front slam followed by a corkscrew senton for two-and-a-half.
• Blitz whips Juvi into the corner but misses the dive.
• Juvi gets in a flying heel kick.
• Juvi ALMOST gets a tag to King in, but Kaz intercepts.
• Juvi evades Kaz and Blitz for a while until Kaz hits a clothesline.
• Double-whip by the rudos.
• Juvi applies a body scissors on Blitz, leading to a double DDT!
• Tag to King.
• Missile dropkick on the rudos.
• Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Kaz.
• Tilt-a-whirl on Blitz, who counters with an armdrag.
• Blitz gets a sunset flip for two.
• King reverses a whip and they trade reversals.
• Juvi comes in with a crossbody.
• Kaz reverse suplexes Juvi to the floor.
• Kaz hits a moonsault on Juvi outside.
• Meanwhile, Blitz goes to the ropes, leaps on King but gets backdropped.
• King goes up top and hits the moonsault but Kaz makes the save.
• King lifts up Blitz for a powerbomb but Kaz hits a missile dropkick, sending both combatants out of the ring.
• Juvi comes out of the nowhere with a top-rope frankensteiner!
• Juvi hits the JuviDriver for the win!
• YOUR WINNERS: Juventud Guerrera and Silver King via JuviDriver in 10:29.
• That was an INSANE match!

• And, on the other spectrum of the workrate scale, we get this goof named Rick Steiner.
• Steiner blabbers on the mic.
• La Parka will be the designated squash victim tonight. The price you pay for getting a win on Nitro, I guess.
• Hudson talks about Buff Bagwell phoning it in Monday Night.
• Steinerline to start.
• Kick in the corner by Steiner.
• Parka gets whipped to the corner and dodges a charge.
• Hiptoss by Parka.
• Steiner with a belly-to-belly suplex.
• Steiner hurls Parka outside.
• Steiner sends Parka to the guardrail.
• Apparently, Steiner will face Chris Benoit for the TV Title at Havoc. If they job Benoit to this joker....
• Back inside, Steiner with a chinlock and a fist to the mask.
• Steiner with a release German suplex.
• Cover gets two when Parka's boot touches the rope.
• Steiner whips Parka to the corner but runs into a boot.
• Steiner swats away a dropkick and gives Parka a side belly-to-belly suplex.
• Steiner goes up top and delivers the SBOD for the win.
• YOUR WINNER: Rick Steiner via top-turnbuckle bulldog in 2:36.
• Retire, Rick. For the love of God, just get him off my screen forever.

• Historical note: These two feuded in late 1997 with reversed face-heel roles.
• TP wastes some time posing on the entryway.
• Buff is already in the ring.
• TP starts with a kick to the gut and a double sledge.
• TP with a right forearm.
• Buff reverses a whip and delivers a hip toss.
• Buff with a scoop slam.
• TP bails outside, but Buff follows and brings him back in.
• Buff sends TP to the turnbuckle head-first.
• Buff whips TP into a back elbow.
• TP bails again.
• Buff goes outside and gives TP a kick to the gut.
• As TP begs off, Liz shoves Buff from behind.
• This allows TP to get the CLOTHESLINE OF SEVERE PAIN in.
• TP sends Buff head-first into the rail.
• TP stomps on Buff.
• TP sends Buff inside and follows suit.
• TP kicks a field goal into the ribs.
• TP with a chinlock on the middle rope.
• TP rakes Buff on the top rope.
• TP with some kicks in the corner.
• TP applies a boot choke.
• Buff blocks a ram attempt to the turnbuckle and starts ramming TP's head into the corner.
• TP gets a face rake in and hits a running lariat.
• Cover for two.
• TP applies another chinlock.
• Buff with the requisite elbows to the stomach.
• Buff comes off the ropes with a crossbody for two.
• TP hits a running lariat.
• Hudson mentions the steel plate in TP's forearm from seven years ago. Good job!
• TP sends Buff to the corner and runs into a boot.
• Buff with a series of lariats.
• Buff goes up top.
• As TP distracts the referee, Liz trips Buff from the turnbuckle.
• TP carries Buff into the ring and whips him into a powerslam.
• TP puts Buff into the BIRD DANCE OF UTTER ANNIHILATION for the win.
• YOUR WINNER: The Total Package via Torture Rack in 7:17.