WCW Thunder (January 22, 1998)

Original Airdate: January 22, 1998

From Huntsville, Alabama; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Lee Marshall, and Bobby Heenan

Scott Steiner v Konnan: Scott powers him around until Konnan bails. Back in, Konnan tries a backdrop, but Scott pounds him down, and then tosses him with a suplex. Scott with a press-slam and a tiger bomb, before taking Konnan to the top to finish - only for the nWo to run in at 2:30. This was a complete squash before the DQ finish. Afterwards, Rick Steiner and Ray Traylor run out to make the save, but Scott wants to (and does) clear them out himself. ¼*

Kevin Nash joins us, and he’s going to push Giant over the edge tonight and collect his security deposit, you watch

Chavo Guerrero Jr and Super Calo v La Parka and Silver King: Tony is in full hyperbole mode, calling the Ric Flair/Bret Hart match for Souled Out not just ‘spectacular’… not just ‘mega’… but ‘mega spectacular.’ Oh dear. Mike Tenay sits in on commentary here. Parka hits Calo with a powerslam for two, as Raven makes his way through the stands to distact everyone. King takes a cheap shot at Calo to allow Parka a double stomp plancha, and King covers for two off of it. King with a helicopter powerbomb to set up a somersault legdrop for two, and a standard powerbomb is worth two. Parka tries an enzuigiri, but ends up hitting King, allowing Calo to tag out. Chavo comes in hot, and I never realized how much he looks like Johnny Drama. Or, Kevin Dillon, I guess. Calo catches King with a headscissors off the top, and that’s the pin at 4:17. This felt kind of all over the place, but it wasn’t bad. Afterwards, all the cruiserweights run in for a big brawl, though not for any established reason. Maybe they were just getting jealous of watching the nWo do it every week? *

Earlier tonight, Rick Martel arrived at the arena, but got attacked by Raven’s Flock for sticking his nose in their business on Nitro

Boston Brawl ad. In the same building as WrestleMania, just a few weeks earlier! Coincidentally. Coming to pay per listen!

Dean Malenko v Marty Jannetty: Marty not wearing either elbowpads or wrist tape during this period gives him a really weird look. It’s such a minor thing, but it really makes a difference. They trade wristlocks to start, and Malenko plants a dropkick on him for two, but Jannetty grabs a front facelock. Dean counters to an anklelock, so Marty throws an elbow to escape, and uses a catapult into the corner to set up a schoolboy for two. A neckbreaker goes awkwardly, but still gets two. Chinlock, but Dean uses a side suplex to force a break, and a vertical suplex gets the man two. Marty throws a few rights ahead of a jumping backelbow for two, and he starts working Malenko’s leg. Somersault cradle is worth two, so Marty takes it back to the mat in a crucifix hold, but Dean fights him off in the corner. Marty throws an elbow to shake him off again, and he adds a facebuster. Clothesline, but Dean ducks. He throws a bodypress, but Jannetty rolls through for two. Backdrop, but Dean blocks. Malenko tries an electric chair, but Jannetty counters with a sunset cradle for two, and he adds a swinging neckbreaker. Rocker dropper, but Malenko blocks, and a reversal sequence ends in Dean delivering a tiger bomb. Texas cloverleaf, and Jannetty is done at 7:20. They didn’t really click here, and Marty looked off, but it was decent enough anyway, mostly because they had plenty of time to figure it all out. *

Bill Goldberg v Kendall Windham: Goldberg with a takedown right away, and he sinks his teeth into a grapevine, but Windham makes the ropes. Windham throws a kick after the break, allowing him a clothesline, and he unloads with mounted punches. Windham with more punches, but he just ends up angering the beast, and Goldberg spears him. Jackhammer finishes at 1:21. Windham looked legitimately annoyed with Goldberg here, for whatever reason. DUD

Scott Hall comes out to talk about how cool he is, when Louie Spicolli shows up, and he’s got Larry Zbyszko’s golf clubs. They get wrecked, of course, which draws Larry out, and he’s upset that Louie is getting involved with these good for nothing greasers. They’re a bad influence, sonny boy! So Louie challenges him to throw down right now, which of course leads Hall to attack, but Zbyszko manages to get away unscathed. Good go-home promo for their Souled Out match

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Rey Mysterio Jr v Eddie Guerrero: Tenay is back to call this one. Eddie tries to Pearl Harbor him, but Rey fights that off, and sends Guerrero to the outside with a headscissors. Eddie trips him up on the way back in to set up a slingshot somersault senton splash, and he drives Rey to the mat with a side suplex. Again, but Rey topples him for two, so Guerrero swipes at the bad knee of the champion. Bodyslam, but Rey topples him for two again, so Eddie takes another shot at the leg. Brainbuster rattles the ring, but he’s too slow getting to the top rope with a follow up, and Rey vertical superplexes him off. Dropkick knocks Eddie to the outside, and Rey is on his challenger with a somersault suicada. Eddie milks the count, but before he can climb inside, Chris Jericho runs in to attack Mysterio for the DQ at 3:20. This could have been great, but it was too short to get there. Afterwards, the heels give Mysterio a beat down, though Eddie quickly gets in Jericho’s face as well, since he just cost him his chance at the title. As they fume at each other, Chris Benoit shows up, and we segue right into the next match. * ½ 

Chris Jericho v Chris Benoit: Benoit unloads with chops right away, and a whip into the ropes allows him a backdrop, as Rey gets carried out. Jericho may have been too smart for his own good, Mysterio may not be able to compete in their pay per view title match now. Jericho bails to the outside to stall, so Benoit drags him back in. Jericho bails again, so Benoit gets more physical with a tope, and that calms Jericho down big time. Inside, Benoit tries a powerbomb, but Jericho counters with a spinheel kick. Spinebuster sets up the Liontamer, but Benoit blocks, and cracks him with a chop. Jericho bails, so Benoit chases, giving up the high ground. That allows Jericho to stomp, but Benoit fights that off, and Jericho hides in the ropes. He manages to sucker Benoit, and a clothesline puts the Crippler down. Jericho tags him with a backelbow, and a bodyslam sets up the Lionsault. He wastes time playing to the fans, allowing Benoit to recover, but Jericho fights off the chop attack. Jericho takes him upstairs with a vertical superplex for two, and he works a chinlock, but Benoit side suplexes his way out of the hold. Jericho stays on him with a dropkick, as Tony goes back to the ‘mega spectacular’ well. Jericho with a vertical suplex, but Benoit counters with a German suplex, and he corners Jericho with chops. Cross corner whip flips Jericho into a tree of woe, and Benoit dropkicks him. Jericho tries to recover with a spinkick, but Benoit brushes it off, and puts him in the Crippler Crossface at 9:38. I liked how Jericho immediately submitted (even before Benoit could fully apply the hold) to save himself for the title match at Souled Out. This was a good match, not surprisingly. Afterwards, Raven attacks Benoit, beating him down ahead of their mega spectacular pay per view encounter. ***

Eric Bischoff and Hollywood Hulk Hogan come out to announce that WCW will be officially giving him the World title belt back at Souled Out. I think that’s the first time we’ve even mentioned the World title situation in a while, let alone connecting it to the pay per view

Saturn v Rick Martel: Pretty quick recovery for Rick, considering Saturn threw him through a glass window earlier. Poor Marty Jannetty must have been triggered by that one. Martel charges in, blitzing Saturn. Backdrop and a series of clotheslines send Saturn to the outside, and Rick follows to send him into the steps out there. Inside, Rick hammers him with a ten-punch, so Lodi distracts him, allowing Saturn to crotch Rick across the top rope. Back in, Saturn tries a clothesline, but Martel ducks, and delivers a bodypress for two. Saturn fights back with a suplex for two, and he slaps on a fujiwara armbar. Martel escapes, so Saturn boots him back down, and works an armbar. He shifts to a cross-armbreaker, but Rick manages to counter to an STF. That goes nowhere, and Saturn delivers a swinging neckbreaker for two, before going back to the arm. Criss cross ends in a double knockout spot, and Martel makes a comeback. 2nd rope clothesline gets him two, but Saturn hooks a cradle for two. Small package gets two, and a sitout backslide is worth two. 2nd rope sunset flip, but Rick rolls through, into the Boston crab at 8:14. Martel showed some great fire here, and Saturn’s work was pretty focused, though I think this one actually got too much time, and lost the crowd a little bit. * ½ 

Giant v Scott Hall: Hall tries to find an in against the big man, but ends up getting trapped in a bearhug. Giant knocks him around for a while, as Hogan and Nash mosey on down to ringside. That distraction allows Hall to get control, and Nash takes a cheap shot with a weapon. As the referee deals with that, Hogan runs into the ring, but Giant fights them both off. That draws Randy Savage out, but Lex Luger shoves him off the ropes before he can dive at Giant, and Lex puts him in the torture rack. Nash is right there, but refuses to help Macho, as Giant hits Hall with a chokeslam. Cover, count, but Nash runs in for the DQ at 4:00. Afterwards, Nash tries to engage Giant, but Giant keeps his cool - literally destroying the wrestling ring to vent, in a great bit. This was just a big angle to push all the top matches for Souled Out. And that’s fine! That’s what TV is for. DUD

BUExperience: This worked! It worked as an entertaining wrestling show, it worked as a go-home show for Souled Out - good, focused episode.