WCW Thunder - Wednesday, November 15, 2000

• I, King Leo the Wednesday Night Hermit who decided to hang out with friends last week rather than watch Thunder, am back because every wrestling great needs a triumphant return every once in a while.
• Another Sign that King Leo is a Complete Wrestling Mark: I watched BattleDome last weekend for the express purpose of seeing if there were any WCW wrestlers on it. It's obvious that BattleDome's reason to associate themselves with WCW is to attract the wrestling mark demographic, but I don't think it's working.
• Does anyone else doubt that they flew the BattleDome guys to England for the express purpose of being in a backstage "earlier tonight" segment on Nitro?
• Trivia Question: Who was the first wrestler to win the WWF World Heavyweight title on RAW? (answer at end of report)
• Bret Hart isn't on the Thunder ad anymore.

• Last Monday, Lance Storm won the U.S. title back, the Thrillers realized that maybe they didn't want to break ties with Kevin Nash like they did, and there was a completely random Lethal Lottery.
• All should rejoice, for Thunder is coming to us from Manchester, England where they actually give a crap when WCW comes to town and where they invented soccer. A good crowd can make any event better.
• Scott Steiner arrives and beats up Some Guy.
• It sounds like they have the announcers' audio turned down and the crowd noise turned up to begin with.

• Match #1: Big Vito vs. Reno
• Big Vito comes out and makes us proud.
• His opponent: Reno.
• They show some of the history leading up to the match.
• The match starts outside the ring where they exchange punches. Reno takes the advantage as they get back in.
• Reno with a dropkick to the midsection.
• Reno with a move that looks like a variation on the fireman's carry takedown.
• Vito regains the advantage with a clothesline.
• Mafia kick from Vito.
• Vito with a double arm suplex.
• Vito goes to the top and hits an elbowdrop for two.
• Vito with a side suplex.
• Vito goes back to the top, takes too long, but hits a swandive headbutt anyway.
• Mark Jindrak & Sean O'Haire run down.
• O'Haire hits a standing sidekick while referee Mickey Jay is distracted by Jindrak.
• Reno hits the Roll of the Dice for the pin.
• Your Winner: Reno.
• Reno grabs the mic and challenges Crowbar to a match at Mayhem.
• That match could have gone a bit longer, but it wasn't bad.

• The CEO speaks to us.
• He says that he expects an answer from Mike Sanders tonight as to what to do with the Cruiserweight title.
• He lies and says that the Hardcore title is held in high esteem.
• He says that Bam Bam Bigelow will get a shot at that title because he was the last man to beat Crowbar.
• He says that the U.S. title match at Mayhem will be the last for the title between Storm and Rection.
• Flair tells us to enjoy the show. Whooo!!

• We come back to see Mean Gene with Team Canada.
• Lance Storm has once again pasted the Canadian title sticker on the belt.
• Storm challenges Booker T for the World title tonight.

• Match #2: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Hardcore champion Crowbar.
• As the match begins, Crowbar is in the ring and Bam Bam Bigelow pulls out three tables.
• Crowbar hits Bigelow with a garbage can as Bam Bam gets in the ring.
• They brawl outside and Crowbar reverses an Irish whip into a table leaned against the ring apron.
• They get back in the ring and Crowbar throws a garbage can hitting Bigelow's tattooed head.
• Bigelow slams Crowbar onto a garbage can.
• Bam Bam sets up a table in the corner.
• Bigelow throws Crowbar into the table, but it doesn't break.
• Bigelow goes for a splash, but Crowbar rolls off sending Bam Bam through instead.
• Crowbar throws Bam Bam out and hits a pescado.
• Crowbar hits Crowbar on the back with a chair.
• Crowbar goes for a dive, but Bigelow counters with a chair to the head.
• Bam Bam hits Crowbar again.
• Crowbar with a dropkick off the apron knocking a chair into Bigelow's face.
• Bigelow with one of the most brutal chairshots that Mike Tenay has ever seen.
• Crowbar is staggering.
• Bigelow with a garbage can shot.
• Bigelow sets up a table.
• Bigelow puts Crowbar under the table.
• Bigelow goes to the top and signals for something.
• We don't see what because Mike Awesome runs out and pushes Bigelow off through the table as Crowbar rolls away.
• Crowbar gets the pin.
• Your Winner: Crowbar.
• Despite my earlier gripe about the Hardcore title, I just realized that his title reign is one of the reasons I like Big Vito. The main problem with Hardcore matches is that they spend too much time setting up spots and not enough wrestling. Then again, wrestling hasn't been about the matches since the '80's.

• Mean Gene talks to Booker T.
• Booker says that everybody is getting under his skin.
• Booker says he gets no respect.
• Booker welcomes Lance Storm to Hell.

• Mike Awesome talks to Crowbar only to have Bam Bam Bigelow attack him.

• The Misfits look unusually grim tonight.
• It must be about a girl. I've learned recently that grim looks usually come as a result of girls.
• Chavo suggests spending some time on their own.
• Lash says maybe it's best that they split up.
• A-WALL says they should split up.
• Chavo says that's not what he meant.
• Hugh says they need each other.
• Hugh says that if they do split up, they are misfits.
• Hugh says they need to stick together, and everyone agrees.

• Match #3: Kwee Wee vs. Billy Kidman vs. Rey Misterio (or Mysterio if you're a gringo) vs. Lt. Loco vs. Cpl. Cajun vs. "Prime Time" Elix Skipper in a six-man four corners elimination match for a Cruiserweight title shot.
• Stevie Ray wonders how they can have a six-man four corners match.
• Skipper comes down with Maj. Gunns.
• Chavo starts out against Elix.
• Chavo with a clothesline.
• Chavo with a suplex.
• Outside, Gunns, Paisley, and Tygress exchange words.
• A-WALL comes out and confronts Maj. Gunns.
• Our Patron Saint says that it's OK because basically when a yak gets out of hand, she needs to be put in her place.
• The referee orders the yaks away from ringside.
• During the confusion, Skipper took the advantage.
• Elix tags in Lash.
• The Misfits beal Skipper in.
• They beat Skipper and get disqualified for shoving the ref just for trying to get the illegal man out of the ring.
• We go to commercial break.
• When we return, Kwee Wee covers Skipper but only gets a two count because Kidman makes the save.
• Kidman hits a headscissors on Kwee Wee.
• Kidman with a baseball slide to the groin.
• Rey follows up with a bronco buster.
• Skipper hits a missile dropkick on Kidman and clotheslines Misterio to the outside.
• Skipper whips Kidman who goes for a flying headscissors on Kwee Wee who counters with a facebuster move for the pin, so Kidman is eliminated.
• Misterio hits a bombs away on Prime Time.
• Kwee Wee with a full nelson on Misterio. Skipper hits a spinning heel kick-type move from the top and Kwee Wee covers for the pin.
• It's just Skipper and Kwee Wee left.
• Kwee Wee with a flying forearm.
• Skipper throws Kwee Wee out.
• Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes out, but we'll take THE MONSTER MENG!!!! for the block.
• Meng holds onto Skipper allowing Kwee Wee to get the pin.
• Your Winner: Kwee Wee.
• Meng and Kwee Wee embrace in one of the most disturbing scenes I've seen.

• Mean Gene talks to the Boogie Knights.
• Don't tell Allen this, but Alex Wright really impresses me. He is still Das Wundersuck, but I like the way he wrestles.
• They'll face Konnan and a mystery opponent tonight.

• Mean Gene talks to Mike Sanders.
• He won't wrestle Kwee Wee until Mayhem.
• Sanders talks about how Kwee Wee is a young upstart.
• Ric Flair walks in and says that he's flown someone in to wrestle Sanders tonight.

• Let's shoot with Buff Bagwell and Mike Tenay.
• Tenay says that Bagwell is frustrated.
• Bagwell is frustrated because he and Sting are two of the most loyal members of the WCW roster.
• Bagwell says he enjoys the improvement that WCW has seen, but doesn't get what he deserves.
• Bagwell says he hasn't had his chance.
• Bagwell says he deserves the chances that Jarrett, Steiner, and Luger have had.
• Bagwell thinks he deserves a title.
• Bagwell says when he comes out, the fans will see a good match and be entertained.
• Bagwell challenges Jarrett for Mayhem.

• They show the EA Sports Ringside Release of SSX (rated E for everyone).
• Mike Sanders is on the phone with "Jeff."
• Sanders says Bagwell has no respect for the veterans.

• Match #4: U.S. champion Lance Storm vs. World Heavyweight champion Booker T for the World title.
• Lance Storm comes out with Maj. Gunns.
• Gunns joined Team Canada because . . . I don't know.
• Storm needs our attention.
• Storm says he brings dignity to WCW.
• Storm says that Booker T is good, but not as good as the man from Calgary . . . Alberta, Canada.
• Maj. Gunns stands at attention while the Canadian National Anthem plays.
• They talk about how Maj. Gunns broke the hearts of the Misfits.
• Booker T is our end-of-the-first-hour World Heavyweight champion.
• Looks like we'll get a scientific match tonight by the feeling out that's going on.
• Booker with a side headlock.
• Storm escapes with an Irish whip, but Booker hits a shoulderblock.
• Booker clotheslines Storm over the top.
• Booker goes after the yak.
• Storm attacks from behind.
• Storm rolls Booker back in.
• Booker whips Storm into the corner, then Storm block the splash with a knee.
• Storm with a clothesline that sends the champ over the top.
• Outside the ring, Storm rolls Booker back in.
• Storm with a missile dropkick for a two count.
• Storm with a dropkick to the shin.
• Booker goes for the bookend that gets reversed with a swinging neckbreaker for two.
• Booker goes for the ax kick but Storm gets up.
• Then, Booker hits the ax kick for real.
• Spinnerooni! and while Stevie Ray was denying that Booker showboats.
• Storm ducks a Harlem sidekick.
• Storm locks on the maple leaf in the middle of the ring!
• Booker grabs the rope.
• Outside, Booker throws Storm into the Safety Rail of Pain a couple of times.
• Booker goes to the top and hits a missile dropkick onto a chair that goes into Storm's face.
• Booker gets a two count.
• Storm goes to the top, but Booker hits the rope.
• Storm throws Booker off and goes for a flying axehandle.
• It doesn't work, though, and Booker hits the bookend for three.
• Your Winner: Booker T.
• Post-match, Prime Time runs in and gets nailed, as does Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
• Booker with an ax kick on Skipper.
• Maj. Gunns hits Booker with the flag and he hits a bookend on Maj. Gunns.
• Ding dong the yak is dead! Or at least momentarily dazed.

• Wizards of the Coast brings us Closed Captioning now. I guess George Foreman had other committments.
• The Boogie Knights wonder if Konnan will find a partner.
• Disqo says he has an idea and asks Wright if he's got any money, thus foreshadowing a run-in by Kronik.

• Match #5: Cruiserweight champion Mike Sanders vs. mystery opponent Kevin Nash in a non-title match.
• Mike Sanders makes his way down the aisle.
• His mystery opponent: well, Ric Flair is coming down in a suit, so it's probably not Flair even though his music is playing.
• Flair has some good news and some bad news.
• Flair says it's a non-title match tonight.
• Flair says that it's non-title because the opponent missed the Cruiserweight limit by almost 100 pounds.
• Big Lazy's music plays bringing out Kevin Nash.
• Even my roommate Pete, a casual wrestling fan at best, notices the slowness and laziness of Kevin Nash.
• Typical Kevin Nash match.
• Nash hits a sidewalk slam for a two count.
• In back, security is holding the Thrillers back.
• Nash with a big boot to the head.
• Nash lowers the strap and goes for the jackknife.
• The Thrillers run down and attack nWo style: one at a time.
• Nash fights valiantly, but there are too many men to take on.
• Your Winner: Kevin Nash via disqualification.
• Post-melee, the Thrillers stand and pose for the camera reinforcing the idea that there is strength in numbers if you just attack at the same time.

• Danny Young is in back tending to Kevin Nash's knee.

• Match #6: Boogie Knights vs. Konnan & The Cat.
• The Boogie Knights come down (sans Duck.)
• Some girls in the crowd are dancing to their music.
• I wonder about it until I remember that young people like that type of music in Europe.
• Konnan says he found a partner.
• The Cat was first in line.
• The Cat grabs the mic and says a lot of nothing.
• Miller starts out with Alex Wright.
• Wright has the early advantage.
• Jimmy Hart will wrestle Mancow at Mayhem.
• Konnan tags in and has his way with Das Wunderkind.
• Konnan with 9 Punches of Doom in the corner.
• The Boogie Knights double-team Konnan.
• Disqo stomps away at Konnan.
• Konnan hits a bulldog on Disqo.
• Cat with a blind tag and a kick to the head.
• Miller with a slam and an elbowdrop.
• Cat nails Disqo with an uppercut.
• Wright tags in.
• Cat and Wright go down with a double clothesline.
• Both men get the tag.
• Konnan with a rolling thunder clothesline.
• Disqo goes for a chartbuster, but Konnan counters and hits an Ace crusher of his own.
• Konnan only gets two because Wright gets the save.
• Wright accidentally takes out the ref.
• Kronik sneaks in--theme music, full intro, and everything.
• Kronik hits the high time on K-Dawg.
• Disqo covers as the ref counts three.
• Your Winners: Boogie Knights.

• Tickets go on sale in a bunch of places, but nowhere anywhere near where I live.
• Goldberg wrote a book. I hope it's better than DDP's.
• DDP's book wouldn't be too bad if it didn't keep talking about Chris "Beniot" and other such people.
• Apparently Lex Luger is supposed to have an interview with Mean Gene, but Luger isn't in the proper place, so Mean Gene finds him.
• So instead of getting an interview with Mean Gene, Luger gets an interview with Mean Gene. Weird.
• Luger is reading Goldberg's book. He can't put it down.
• Luger seems bitter about Goldberg and his book.
• Luger is bitter that he's not in Goldberg's book.
• I was at Goldberg's first televised match and I bet I'm not in the book either. At least not mentioned by name.
• Luger says that he began Goldberg's career and he'll end it.

• Match #7: Buff Bagwell vs. Goldberg
• Buff Bagwell makes his entrance.
• Goldberg makes his long entrance.
• There's nothing cooler than when he blows smoke, though.
• I don't think his streak will end tonight. Maybe on Worldwide.
• Goldberg with a gorilla press slam.
• Goldberg hits a spear.
• Jackhammer!
• Three count.
• Your Winner: Goldberg.
• Goldberg's at 19-0 now.
• Post-Match, Goldberg helps Bagwell up and they hug.
• Too much hugging for me tonight.

• Booker T leaves the arena as the London Lethal Lottery comes to a close.

• Match #8: Scott Steiner vs. Sting
• Scott Steiner and Sting worked well as a team on Monday. They really are two of the best in the business.
• Sorry Allen. I really do like Sting as a wrestler. Sting and Alex Wright. And I liked Owen Hart, too. That's right, the three men who were the bane of your existence back in the day. I like Phil Collins too. Not as much as Neil Diamond, though.
• Steiner says that he'll do the same to Sting tonight as he will at Mayhem.
• Then Steiner says that he'll do to him the same as he will to Booker T at Mayhem. Yes, he repeats himself.
• As Sting makes his entrance, they go to commercial.
• Sting's still making his entrance as we return.
• We have about five minutes for a match.
• Steiner starts right off the bat.
• Sting with a back bodydrop to the outside.
• Sting hits Steiner in the back with a chair.
• Sting back in the ring hits a bulldog.
• Stinger splash! Stinger splash!
• Stinger splash reversed into a belly-to-belly overhead suplex.
• Steiner with a backbreaker for two.
• Big Poppa Pump with a belly-to-belly suplex for two.
• They talk about the anger management classes.
• That's the difference between wrestling and sports entertainment.Wrestling = angry people; sports entertainment = people working their anger out in productive and often amusing ways.
• Steiner with a surfboard that gets countered.
• Steiner hits another suplex for two.
• Steiner has Sting in a tree of woe.
• Big Poppa Pump with more pushups.
• Sting with 6 headsmashes in the corner.
• Sting goes for a crucifix that doesn't quite work, but hits a Scorpion deathdrop for three!!!!!
• Sting upsets Steiner!!! Sting upsets Steiner!!!!
• Your Winner: Sting.
• Midajah distracts Sting while Steiner attacks from behind.
• Midajah has the straitjacket.
• They put the straitjacket on Sting. The crowd chants for Goldberg because they haven't got anything better to do.
• Sting gets nailed with the lead pipe. Steiner has lost it!
• Steiner locks on the Steiner Recliner as we go out.

• The Good: I don't think I had to ask myself what was going on at any point of the night.

• The Bad: The Vito/Reno and six-man four corner match were way too short.

• The Ugly: I don't remember who it was, but somebody almost got their trunks pulled down when they were being thrown out of the ring. It might have been Kwee Wee.

• Trivia Answer: Psycho Sid.

First things first: Thunder is not shown here in Britain, so I will probably never see what it looked like on TV. If anyone would be so generous as to send me a copy of it, drop me a line by way of e-mail (I will pay postage).

We (myself and fellow fan Jordan McHale) arrived at the arena at 5:00 pm. There were only about 30 people in the line at the gates, which was a little surprising when you consider the gates opened only one hour later (That’s bad weather for you).

Once inside the arena, WCW had done a much better job than at the March house show. The merchandise was much more current and wide ranging than back then. The new JJ shirt, Vampiro masks, Goldberg and Kronic shirts, foam guitars and so on were all available.

The event programme cost £7 (about $11) and contained profiles of all the big stars. In fact from the stars featured only three or four were absent from the event itself.

We had third row floor seats, on the side that the cameras are placed, which meant our signs had little chance of making TV:(

By bell time the arena was about half full, not bad for an arena that holds around 21,000. I bet WCW would love attendances like this in the US.

Worldwide matches saw A-Wall and Norman Smiley get wins over two supposedly English jobbers. One was billed as being from Leeds, the other Bristol. I follow British wrestling fairly closely, and had no clue who they were (Perhaps they were from the Power Plant???)

In matches shown on Thunder:

Crowbar’s facial expressions were priceless. They had the fans around us laughing lots. He was certainly popular with the fans. Bam Bam appears to have put on a lot of weight however.

The six-man cruiserweight match was very messy. The DQ for the MIA was cheap, Kidman was virtually non-existent but we got to see the MIGHTY MONSTER MENG!!! If this match had been given more time it could have been a whole lot better.

Storm vs. Booker T was a solid outing, and Booker was over HUGE, contrary to what you may read on some American web postings. The funniest thing here was when Storm was doing his anthem thing. We were waving our Union Jack (British) flag frantically at him, and Major Gunns cast a piercing glance at us!

We Brits must be great fans of domestic violence because the cheer when Booker gave Major Gunns the Bookend was amazing.

Nash against Sanders was probably our most memorable match of the night. When Sanders came into the ring before the match he caught a glance of our NATURAL BORN CRANBERRIES sign, and got into a shouting match with us. He kept saying to me “I am not a cranberry” it was funny stuff! Stasiak and the other cranberries also gave us some shit following the post match beating!

Nash predictably got a monster pop. I just shouted obscenities at him throughout the match such as ‘Big Lazy’, other more knowledgeable fans chipped in with ‘Master Blaster’ which brought a smile to or faces.

Flair’s appearance before that match was well received, it is just a shame we didn’t see more of him. It did appear that he was trying to set some sort of record for the most number of "Whoos" in a minute however. I bet it seems really silly on the broadcast!

Sanders for obvious reasons impressed me, and I think he has what it takes to become a well-established, top line heel in the near future.

Before the Boogie Knights vs. Konnan/Cat match it sounded as if Konnan during his mic work called the Knights ‘Batty Boys’ which is really funny over here because it is a term that questions their sexuality. Was it bleeped out? I bet it wasn’t!

Konnan did look legitimately hurt after Kronic gave him the High Times (perhaps revenge for his comments about them in the past?) Ed Ferrara and Terry Taylor coming out to help him wasn’t a good sign, and the Nitro Girls were also sent out, somewhat unscheduled, to keep us entertained was he was attended to.

The pop when Goldberg’s music hit was a little disappointing, but more comedy was evident. Doug Dillenger in the English ‘Bobbies’ (Cop) Helmet was really funny. It looked as if they had bought it from a local Toys R Us. It was so poorly fitting it was unbelievable!

The main event saw us get the chance to use our second sign: BIG POPPA ‘ROIDS. The man himself cast a few stares towards us, scaring me :)

The match itself was finished in a terrible way. Sting deathdropped BPP, and looked to have got a three count, when the ref said only two. Sting looked confused and pinned him again for the three count. I don’t know if this was edited out on TV, but why Sting didn’t deathdrop him again to ‘finish him off’ is beyond me.

The event ended with sting getting clubbed by Steiner and put into a straitjacket. No run ins, no nothing.

Also during the night got acknowledgement by way of a thumbs up from referees Charles Robinson and Mark Johnson. They will forever be WCW Legends to us.

We didn’t see/hear too much backstage stuff (A typical complaint from fans in the US), but this didn’t detract from the night too much at all. Overall it was a typical Eddie Ferrara booked affair, but still a great show for us British wrestling-starved fans to see.

Fat Eddie Ferrara is however a man I now dislike. After the event I saw him in the arena parking lot, and asked him to wave at us. He just breezed past. What an asshole.

At the end Penzer was also non-committal about whether they would return to the UK again. I hope they do.

Some funny signs:
VINCE RUSSO BOOKED TUA VS LEWIS
GIVE KEVIN NASH HIS P45 (A document given to people here in Britain like the pink slip)
BID 4 WCW @ EBAY.COM
STASIAK TAPED ME

THE GOOD: Our tickets, the sheer number of stars present, Mike Sanders
THE BAD: Security who told us to stop waving our signs, otherwise we would be thrown out (This was after Penzer had told us to hold them up!!!) and Stevie Ray’s shirt
THE UGLY: Jim Duggan...who cares? Major Gunns (Jordan’s classic quote: She looks a bit rough around the edges), and the finish to the main event.

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