WCW Thunder, Wednesday, 2/14/2001

By Mike I.

Valentine's Day 2001 in New York City, home of more than 7,500,000 people. Certainly, in a city this size, there is a romantic match for any one seeking one, yes? I can only speak for myself, of course, but it appears my date this evening includes a bottle of Jack Daniels, WCW Thunder, and thou.
Personally, I don't think it's going to work. It's not you, it's me. Let's just stay friends and leave it at that, OK? Don't get all mushy on me.
And we check the mailbag! Only one email... such is the life of a DDT Digest sub.
- From DDT Digest's own Big Mike:
  Hey, Mike,
  Sorry, I must have been drunk or something when writing the last Thunder report. I said the following:
  "Let's trying something new here. Anyone who has any comments about the new direction of WCW (where it's going, where it should go, etc.), e-mail me here. I will post the best of them next week in the Thunder report."
  Well, obviously, I'm not doing the Thunder report this week, and I forgot that. I promise I will post the best of the responses I got (and there were some good ones) in next week's report.
Enough with the hootenanny... let's watch the graps. I must confess, I've been taking a brief hiatus from WCW watching. I have tickets to WrestleMania this year, so I've been investing all my wrestling energies into the WWF. Hopefully, I will look on the product with fresh eyes.
We are taped from Em eye ess ess eye ess ess eye pee pee eye. Join our hosts Tony Skeeavone and Iron Mike Tenay for two hours of localized atmospheric disturbance (insert Madden joke here).
Very crisp clip package of Nitro. Including "exclusive footage" of Kevin Nash being carried out on a gurney.
Lance Storm (in a suit) books Mike Awesome in a match. Scott Steiner asks Storm to make it possible to break someone's ribs. I'd think sickeningly huge arms and a metal pipe would make that possible.
Match One: Air Paris and AJ Styles vs. Evan Karagias and Jamie Knoble
- Winners advance to the six man at SuperBrawl: Revenge
- Knoble starts out with Styles or Paris. Announcers won't say.
- It's Styles. (23 from Gainesville, GA). Chain wrestling starts and Knoble takes advantage.
- Styles does the flippy flippy stuff the kids like so much. Is he related to Joey?
- Sweet dropkicks... quite a few of them from Styles.
- Back body drops all around for the vets (sorry, I don't know who the heels and faces are).
- Possible trainwreck spot? No.
- Wait... here it is... alley oop dive, Styles assists Paris over the rope to the floor.
- Paris looks like a dorky love child of Evan Karagias and Steve Corino. Picture that.
- Big spinebuster-alike from Paris.
- Rolling senton from Styles gets 2 on Karagias.
- Back to chain wrestling.
- Snap suplex with a floatover by Karagias gets two.
- Guillotine leg drop gets 2 but Paris breaks it up.
- Short Stinger splash from Karagias, the second finds a boot.
- Karagias powerslam snags a one count.
- The veterans get a nice double elbow.
- Knoble with a northern lights and then gets all submission style with a surfboard w/ rear headlock thing.
- Double KO body press spot causes partners to reach for each other (It is Valentine's Day).
- Knoble goes for a tombstone but Styles reverses into a short powerbomb.
- "Hot" tag to 21 year old Air Paris.
- Who hits an "inverted Steiner driver".
- Kind of.
- Karagias almost kills himself on a pescado.
- The vets hit a Devastation Device.
- Knoble and Karagias fight over who gets the pin.
- Too much pride...
- After a mish mosh, Karagias hits a 450 Splash (!) on Styles, but Paris breaks up the pin.
- Trainwreck #2, this time a springboard shooting star (Shooting Styles Press) on the outside from Styles which only takes out Air Paris .
- The springboard dropkick into a powerbomb finishes. Knoble and Karagias advance to the Six Man Match at Superbrawl.
- Styles and Paris are greener than my liver the day after St. Patty's. But Styles at least looks like he has a thin veneer of personality hiding underneath several layers of inexperience.
Mike Sanders sucks up to Storm. Lance assigns Sanders to take care of Kwee Wee.
Gene O. is with Sean O' Haire and Chuck Palumbo. O' Haire cuts a promo on Jindrak and advises that he "Look in these eyes and fear what you see." OooOOOooOoo... Rods and cones!
- These two had a match at the Pillman show last Spring. Glad they've patched things up.
Superbrawl rundown, which is full of Flair.
- Recaps are hard to recap, ya know?
That was the entire segment.
3000 Miles to Graceland looks surprisingly good.
Tony is taking Thunder to the next level. Now it's up to "mediocre".
Match Two: Mark Jindrak vs. Sean O' Haire
- Sean powers Mark out of the lockup, Jindrak locks up
- O'Haire with a soupbone, and then some kicks in the corner
- Contrived arm drag from Jindrak, then a nice dropkick.
- Backflip, chop, and big knee from O'Haire.
- Vertical Suplex from Sean O'Haire, but he just drops him.
- O'Haire is clearly in control, and uses the rope to maintain his advantage.
- Jindrak comes back with punches, but O'Haire kicks him out of the ring.
- O'Haire needs to work on his striking
- Flying shoulder block off the stairs from Jindrak.
- Seanton bomb off the stairs from... well.. Sean. That was cool.
- Jindrak dropkicks the middle rope (Tenay: top rope) to remove Sean from the top who was going for a real Seanton bomb.
- BIG Frankensteiner from Jindrak.
- Flying clothesline gets two.
- This is like a slow mo cruiser match.
- I dig it
- They must have botched a spot because we get a long crowd shot... it's TAPED!
- Multi reversal into a swank DDT
- Stasiak watches from the top o' the ramp.
- Quebrada misses for O' Haire.
- Jindrak sets O'Haire up in the corner, but gets pushed back.
- O'Haire flips off the top, slams Jindrak, and nails the Seanton bomb for the 1-2-3
- These guys have still got some work to do but have tons of potential. But... who's the heel? This is twice now. O'Haire was slightly heelish, but so is Stasiak who is Jindrak's partner. I'm so confused.
JJ and The DFG approach Storm about a match of some kind. Storm is showing personality. This is Bizarro Thunder.
Match Three: Above Average Mike Sanders v. The Kwee Wee
- Kwee Wee is "the eccentric maniac".
- Recap of Kwee Wee's personal path of rage.
- Sanders blows Kwee Wee a kiss and then slaps him.
- Kwee Wee goes nuts, Thesz Press and lots of punching.
- Mike Sanders with the showboatin' knee... he can't use that once Road Dogg is on the roster.
- Admittedly, Sanders' is a lot better. Probably because Road Dogg always has to "aim for the head in the middle".
- Wow... ok... that's hard to call... long story short, Kwee Wee hurricanranas Sanders to the floor.
- Sunset bomb off the apron... neat.
- Back in the ring, Allan greets Sanders with a knee.
- Through-the-Crotch suplex from Sanders.
- Sanders hits the headlock, I can catch up on the play by play.
- Angry Allan bangs Sanders noggin into the mat, then goes to the ribs.
- Kwee Wee in the corner gets 6 punches and 2 slaps.
- Kwee Wee is intense.
- Shades of Fit Finlay with the forward roll slam.
- How is Fit?
- Finlay... err... Kwee Wee charges the corner, hits his shoulder on the post, Sanders rolls through and grabs the tights.
- 1-2-3
- Good match, crowd got into it. Not a big fan of the Kwee Wee gimmick, but both guys have got skills.
So far, everyone in a match tonight, one year ago, was either a fixture on Saturday Night , or aspired to be a fixture on Saturday Night.
Chavo kibbitzes with Wall. Wall looks funny.
Storm talks to Clarke, who menaces. Security takes Clarke away because he can't wrestle with his concussion. Now Adams menaces.
- Until Totally Buff take out Adams.
- Now Konnan starts to get in the action.
- There's security to break it up.
Gene O. is with Canadian Killer Mike Awesome, who is about to take out the Cat.
- That nickname makes no sense. I thought he was on Team Canada.
- Awesome: "You know Gene, they say cats have a knack for landing on their feet. Well, Cat, that'll be pretty hard, because I plan on breaking every bone in your body."
- Oh Mike... next time try, "that'll be pretty hard, after I tear off your legs." or something like that. You had us thinking about the feet. Very specific. Then you generalize. Specificity, Mike. Come on!
- It's like "Why don't you make like a tree and get out of here?"
- I hate "dangling punchlines".
Oh yeah, that was the entire segment.
Match Four: "Canadian Killer" Mike Awesome vs. Cat w/ Ms. Jones
- Was that El Dandy in the front row?
- It's a good thing the RCMP don't know about Awesome and his Canadian murder spree.
- Awesome brutalizes Cat and nails a splash in the corner.
- Shoulder block from Awesome gets 2.
- Cat comes back with punches, but Awesome is too powerful.
- Cat fights back with chops and a DDT.
- Awesomeline, which Cat can't sell.
- Awesome works the back and then grabs a sleeper, but Cat hulks out.
- Awesome knee stops that little comeback.
- They trade rear waist locks until Awesome lands the mule kick.
- I know who the heel is here. I'm happy.
- Outside, Awesome whips Cat in to the railing
- Crowd just went from 1 to 10... work on that sound editing.
- Cat gets cables around Awesome's neck, ref stops it.
- Awesome with a clothesline on the outside.
- Awesome runs gut first into the safety rail.
- Cat sets CK Mike against the rail, and then kicks the pole.
- Moron. Stick with cinderblocks and two by fours.
- Back in the ring, Cat really hurt his paw.
- Awesome goes for the Awesome bomb, Cat wiggles out and lands on the bad foot.
- Awesome chop blocks the leg, just playing with the Cat.
- Awesome whips out a ball of yarn and a plastic mouse with a bell in it!
- Kidding.
- Awesomesplash mercy kills the Cat 1-2-3.
- A second splash for Cat. Why? BECAUSE HE CAN.
- I like Mike Awesome.
Backstage, Lance Storm talks to the monitor. Creepy.
DDP and Dustin stand with Gene O. They have a tag match with Rick Steiner and JJ tonight.
- Dustin is sticking with the "You will never forget the name..." catchphrase.
- DDP references Florida Championship Wrestling.
- DDP: "I'm going to hit you so many times you're going to think you're surrounded."
Wait... that music... Eddy~! is back in WCW! Oh... it's Chavo. Well, close enough. Here's the Wall. Oy.
Match Five: Chavo Guerrero and Wall v. Rey Mysterio and Hugh Morrus
- Ah, what happened to the Rey I used to love? The one without horns.
- Rey and Wall start, but Chavo chases Rey and Morrus cuts that off with a lariat
- Sunset Flip on Wall doesn't work
- Morrus droptoe holds Wall, Rey hits a legdrop
- Morrus charges Wall in the corner but finds a foot, but then he hits a powerslam.
- Rey can't whip Wall, while Wall will whip Whey... Rey. Tilt a whirl slam ends the alliteration.
- Chavo is in, and Rey tosses him into the corner.
- Sloppy headscissors from Rey and the *sigh* bronco buster.
- Face miscommunication costs Rey a pin.
- Chavo with the Gory Special and the Gory Bomb (or, as Tony calls it, Gorybuster).
- Wall grabs a choke from the second rope and then drops Rey.
- Wall toys with Rey, pulling up a pin after 2, then chokes him on the second rope.
- Wall biels Rey across the ring, and Chavo cherrypicks for the two count.
- Morrus interrupts the count and Chavo grabs a chinlock.
- Rey escapes, goes up top, Chavo crotches him.
- Chavo follows, then, for some reason, offers his back to Rey, who promptly hurricanranas him off.
- Morrus and Chavo are in.
- Rey hits a diving splash off of Morrus' shoulder.
- Wall breaks the pin.
- Morrus doublelariats Chavo and Wall.
- Chavo fights back, goes for a leapfrog, but Morrus snags him and sends him to the mat with a Ligerbomb.
- Wall pulls Chavo out of the way of the No Laughing Matter.
- Wall potatoes Morrus, but Morrus hits a huge German Suplex.
- Wall Chokedrops Rey for the pin.
- Post match, Morrus lovingly caresses Rey's head. Shades of Nash and Goldberg.
- This time, Wall and Chavo are there to beat down both faces.
- Good match. If I could somehow build healthy knees, Rey would get the first pair, but he still knows how to put a good match together. Except for that damn bronco buster.
I gots to say, this has been a good Thunder.
Totally Buff chills with Gene O. Wow... both of these guys annoy me.
- Buff mocks the entire Latino people. Good stuff, Buff.
Recap of the Nash-Steiner feud.
That was the entire segment.
OK... it's been a good Thunder except for the 1.5 minute no content segments.
I just looked in the mirror and my hair looks disturbingly like Sean O'Haire's hair.
Match Six: Buff Bagwell v. Konnan
- This match happens because Konnan stuck his nose in other people's business
- Konnan speaks on dis, and adds some izzle to his schtick. Don't ask
- Konnan wants to get his mash on with Buff... what?
- Buff dances, poses, laughs, looks confused. What range.
- Buff chokes and pushes the ref.
- Alleged Konnan hiptoss, then with a DDT... I miss the 1-8-7
- Kinda neckbreaker from Bagwell.
- If Bagwell is as fundamentally sounds as any one on the WCW roster, I'm worried for the company.
- Bagwell hits a move then dances, repeat as need.
- A rear chinlock offers Buff the opportunity to pose and "work" at the same time.
- Konnan hulks out but a knee to the gut cuts it off.
- Tenay is doing some good analysis, it should be noted.
- Konnan hits the rolling lariat, and here comes Luger.
- Konnan connects with the Carpetmuncher (Thanks, Wade).
- Luger hits the "Bionic" Forearm on Konnan.
- Buff nails the Blockbuster for the win, as Brian Adams arrives too late to help.
Scott Steiner beats up the catering section and asks after Nash.
Match Seven: Jeff Jarrett and Rick Steiner vs. Diamond Dallas Page and Dustin Rhodes
- JJ starts us off with an anti-Mississippi promo which seriously offends both people watching.
- Hey, when did Jarrett start carrying a guitar?
- JJ references Limp Bizkit for no apparent reason.
- Now Rick Steiner has the mic and uses his catchphrases to great effect
- Both assert that they will end the careers of their respective opponents at SuperBrawl.
- Sorry... that wasn't the match... let's watch commercials.
I had to check to make sure it was Wade who called Konnan's facebuster the "carpetmuncher", so I checked the archives. It was him, by the way... but while I was there I saw some pictures from a Nitro in '98 with Eddy Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio. I remember that match. I miss that match.
- DDP enters with pyro. And is followed by Dustin Rhodes and it is on.
- Like neckbone. (Enjoy retirement, St. Stevie)
- Dustin got fat and gets into it with the DFG while DDP takes on JJ.
- Ironically, Dustin does have a DR on his tights, so I could have used that joke to better effect.
- In the ring it's Dustin and Jeff. Now Dustin and Rick.
- Pretty generic brawling, hence the lack of play by play.
- Here we go, Page with a flying clothesline.
- Page with a shoulderblock and his nice swinging neckbreaker.
- Rhodes and Page play make-a-wish with Rick's legs.
- Steiner gets 2 after a slam.
- JJ is in and hits a spinning back elbow.
- JJ controls with a front face lock.
- Rhodes gets a sunset flip, JJ fights it, and Rhodes can't hook the arms with his legs... try losing the gut, Dustin.
- Steiner controls over Dustin and takes DDP out with a forearm, knocking him off the apron.
- Steinerline gets 2.
- DDP plays "dumb face" and distracts the ref.
- JJ gets a sleeper, pushes Dustin off, grabs it again, Dustin reverses, JJ gets the backdrop suplex...
- Hot tag to DDP who connects with a whole lot of punches and lariats.
- Ligerbomb from Page gets two on JJ
- Steiner attacks from behind and sets DDP up for the top rope bulldog and hits it!
- And doesn't break his neck!
- After some brawling, DDP goes to diamond cut JJ, Rick interferes... JJ hits the Stroke, 1-2-3.
- Postmatch, Scott Steiner comes out with a pipe and starts banging on DDP's ribs... I bet we see tape on them on Sunday.
- Before Steiner can break DDP's leg, Hugh Morrus and Brian Adams are out to lend a helping hand, then some more heels to even the score... and then security to break it all up.
- And WCW doesn't disappoint me... I was going to give this Thunder a glowing review, but then they had to go and do this:
- Big Poppa Pump hits one of the security guys with the pipe and his leg falls off upon impact. OK, not completely off, but everything under the knee just dangles.
- Not bent at an awkward angle, not twisted the wrong way. If the guy was wearing shorts, his leg would have fallen off.
- Schiavone, of course, has a heart attack conveying the message that the injury is just like Sid Vicious'. Well, no... Sid's wasn't worked. But thanks for playing, T-Bone.
The Good: Honestly, most of it. Very good show. Lance Storm makes a good commissioner. The matches were all solid except for the opener which was way too long and very sloppy.
The Bad: The useless segments. The main event was kind of lackluster. All in all, this was a very old school Thunder. Good matches, no plot advancement, disappointing main event.
The Ugly: That last bit with the leg. Hideous. Also, whatever Wall was wearing during his conversation with Chavo backstage. He looked like a refugee from the Blue Oyster Bar.

WCW Thunder, Wednesday, 2/14/2001

By Mike I.

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