WCW Thunder (May 27, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: May 27, 1998

From Nashville, Tennessee; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Lee Marshall, and Bobby Heenan

Bret Hart comes out to comment on the Sting situation, and suggests Sting join nWo Hollywood instead of the Wolfpac

Barbarian v Jim Powers: Powers sticks and moves, but can’t get much traction against the big Barbarian, and ends up getting clobbered. Barbarian unloads in the corner, and a backbreaker connects. A cross corner whip works, but the charge in doesn’t, and Powers throws clotheslines - Barbarian absorbing them without going down. Powers manages a kneelift to put Barbarian down, so Jimmy Hart distracts him, and Barbarian recovers with a big boot at 2:49. DUD

Schiavone brings Chris Jericho out, and he declares war on JJ Dillon for Dillon’s ‘conspiracy’ against Jericho

High Voltage v Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart: High Voltage attack before the bell, but Bulldog and Anvil clean house. The dust settles on Kenny Kaos and Jim, and they trade wristlocks, dominated by Anvil. Robbie Rage takes a cheap shot to allow Kaos to turn it around, but he only holds control briefly, and Smith gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door. Bulldog with a hanging vertical suplex on Kaos for two, and the running powerslam finishes at 3:01. DUD

The nWo Wolfpac come out, complete with new, distinctive theme music. And it’s rap, which gives Marshall a chance to try and sound hip by calling Lex Luger ‘Snoop Doggy Luger.’ Cringe. Lex clarifies that, while he’s joined the Wolfpac, he didn’t ‘turn on’ WCW, he still respects WCW, it’s just the right move for him. But Sting hasn’t accepted the offer, and Luger makes his case for him. Luger was really great here, showing real fire and passion

Glacier v Van Hammer: Glacier grabs a standing headlock right away, but Hammer slugs free, so Glacier takes him down with a legsweep. Wristlock, but Hammer reverses, and gets Glacier in a cobra slam. Hammer with a jumping shoulderblock, and a clothesline gets him two. Hammer with a slam for two, so Glacier bails, but Hammer chases. Glacier steals the high ground, allowing him to nail Hammer on the way back in, and a standing dropkick finds the mark. A cross corner whip rebounds Hammer into a roundhouse kick, and Glacier puts him in the rings of saturn. That draws Saturn himself out, however, and he blasts Glacier with a superkick for the DQ at 3:53. Afterwards, Hammer goes after Saturn, but Raven comes in to save, giving Saturn the breathing room to hit Glacier with a death valley driver. With the ring cleared, Raven begs Saturn to rejoin him, and Saturn agrees. Well, that was pretty easy. Luger should take notes. But then Mortis shows up, and knocks Raven out with a weapon, then disappears before Saturn can retaliate. ¼*

Best of Seven Series Match: Chris Benoit (1) v Booker T (0): Benoit dominates early on, but walks into a well executed powerslam during a criss cross, and Booker adds an elbowdrop for two. Booker goes to an armbar from there, but a savate kick misses, and they trade waistlocks - ending in Booker landing a superkick to send Benoit to the outside. Booker dives from the apron with an axehandle out there, but he loses the high ground on the way back in, and Chris clobbers him. Benoit delivers a backelbow and a snap suplex for two, followed by a short-clothesline for two. Into the corner for chops, and a cross corner whip gets him two. Chris goes to a chinlock, then into a bow-and-arrow when Booker starts fighting free. Booker wrestles to a vertical base anyway, managing a reversal, but then getting clobbered. Chris adds a chop, but a criss cross ends in Booker clobbering him, though both men are left looking up at the lights. Chris recovers first, but Booker counters a suplex with a small package for two. Benoit responds with a backdrop, and he adds a backbreaker to set up the flying headbutt drop - perfectly executed. It only gets two, so Benoit goes to another chinlock, still rattled from the headbutt himself. Booker fights free, and lands an axekick for two. Harlem sidekick, but Benoit ducks, and Booker ends up crotched across the top rope. That allows Benoit to cover for two, and a bridging German suplex is worth another two. Chris puts the boots to him for two, but Booker fires off a spinebuster to buy some time. That allows him a side suplex, but the Harlem sidekick misses again. That triggers a reversal sequence won by Booker, and he dives with a missile dropkick to even things up at 11:26. This was a pay per view level match, both in the storytelling and delivery. ** ½ 

WCW Television Title Match: Fit Finlay v Brad Armstrong: Fit dominates early on, but loses a criss cross to a hiptoss, giving Brad a two count. Finlay takes him down into a nervehold, and drills him with an elbowsmash, then delivers a bodyslam. Brad fights back with a pair of knees, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and gets nailed. Finlay with a short-clothesline for two, so Brad tries a sunset cradle for two, but gets nailed again. Finlay with a corner whip, and he works a chinlock, but Brad manages a backslide for two, followed by a Saito suplex. Fit fights him off again, however, and the tombstone finishes at 5:38. They tried really hard to make this interesting, but they just didn’t have a lot of chemistry together. ½*

Saturn v Barry Darsow: Saturn with a takedown, and he gets a side-headlock on, but Barry side suplexes him to escape. Barry with a pair of axehandles, but a clothesline misses, and Saturn suplexes him. Saturn goes to work in the corner, but loses a criss cross, and Barry lands that clothesline for two. Barry with some rope chokes, and they spill to the outside, where Saturn gets sent into the post. That allows Barry to work on the arm, but a criss cross goes Saturn’s way with a spinheel kick. Saturn with a cross corner whip, but an avalanche misses, and Darsow delivers a shoulderbreaker. Barry goes for a hold, but Saturn is in the ropes, and he throws a superkick after the break. That allows Saturn a death valley driver at 3:45. I appreciated Darsow trying to bring some psychology to this. *

WCW United States Title Match: Bill Goldberg v Barry Horowitz: Barry tries to attack before the bell, but it goes badly. Bill with a powerslam, and the spear leads to the jackhammer at 0:54. DUD

nWo Hollywood come out to air their grievances at the Wolfpac, with Bret leading the charge this week, since Hollywood Hulk Hogan isn’t around. Bret makes another play for Sting, but the Wolfpac come out instead. Everyone fighting over Sting feels really weak, as far as angles go. Also nWo v nWo might sound good on paper, but it kind of sucks

BUExperience: A pretty weak show this week, though the Booker/Benoit match was good.