WCW Thunder (June 18, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: June 18, 1998 (taped June 17)

From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

Lex Luger and Konnan come out to start the show, and it’s basically just Luger ranting at Hollywood Hulk Hogan. He kind of throws down a challenge on behalf of Bill Goldberg here, which I’m sure we’ll hear more about at some point

Steve McMichael v Mike Enos: The pyro budget for these shows is insane. The opening was, like, literally two straight minutes of pyro. This is Steve’s first match since suffering an arm injury at SuperBrawl in February. Enos goes right after Steve’s bad arm, and they spill to the outside, where Mike bodyslams him on the floor. He bashes Steve’s arm into the steps, but McMichael manages a clothesline on the way back in. Mongo with a corner whip ahead of a three-point stance, and the tombstone looks to finish, but Enos blocks. Mike with a corner whip to set up a corner clothesline, and a kick to the head gets him two. Enos with a legdrop, and man, Mike looks like he’s been hitting the tanning salon with Hogan. Enos tries a backdrop, but gets blocked, and McMichael hits the tombstone at 3:30. ¼*

The Flock are out, but Raven immediately sends Reese to the back to prepare himself for his US title shot against Goldberg later. Saturn isn’t with them, and Raven rants at him, telling him he broke his heart by not getting the job done against Kanyon at the Great American Bash. That draws Saturn out, and he officially leaves the group… which promptly gets him beat up by the group. Kanyon makes the save

Bill Goldberg video package

Fit Finlay v Brad Armstrong: They’re using a much darker mat this week, and coupled with the black ropes/turnbuckle pads, it’s giving this show a really drab, depressing look. Posturing to start, and Finlay gets a standing side-headlock on. He shifts to a cravat as Armstrong tries to break, and he blasts Brad with a shoulderblock. Back to the headlock, but Brad keeps fighting, so Fit shifts to a nervehold. Brad forces a criss cross and manages a powerslam, then adds a side suplex for two. Armstrong with an armbar, but Finlay gets into the ropes, and decides to stall Brad out a bit. Heenan does a good job of getting the psychology of that over here. Fit with a cheap shot, allowing him a snapmare into a chinlock, and he bodyslams Brad when Armstrong tries escaping. Fit with a pump-splash, but a second one ends badly when Armstrong grabs him in an electric chair. Armstrong with a 2nd rope axehandle, but Fit blocks, and spikes him with a tombstone at 5:41. Solid enough. *

Giant v Disco Inferno: Disco scolds Giant for smoking, warning that it will ‘stunt (his) growth.’ Okay, I laughed at that one. Sadly for him, that was his high note, as Giant kills him with a chokeslam at 0:56. DUD

Tony brings Dean Malenko out, and he promises to take the WCW Cruiserweight title back from Chris Jericho, and show him that the ‘champion makes the belt,’ not the other way around

Davey Boy Smith and Jim Neidhart v Masahiro Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan: Chono and Tenzan are the IWGP Tag Team champions here, and carry the belts out with them. Bulldog is looking really puffy and out of shape here. Hard to believe he was a headline act in the WWF less than a year before this. The heels attack before the bell, and dump Jim to the outside, allowing them to double team Davey. Smith manages a press-slam, and Anvil rushes back in to help clean house. Back in, the heels take control on Neidhart, and cut the ring in half. Bulldog gets the tag and hits Tenzan with the running powerslam, but Chono comes in with one of the title belts, whacking Smith with it for the DQ before he can score the pin at 4:19. Total junk. DUD

Tony brings Rick Rude out, and he puts over how hard Curt Hennig is training for Goldberg, while trying to invent a narrative of Goldberg wasting time on the trapping of fame. Uh, what? Like, all Goldberg ever does is come out, slaughter guys, and leave. He doesn’t even cut promos, and suddenly we’re pushing a narrative that he’s ‘changed?’ Also, Rude looks really weird with that goatee/sideburns combo

Alex Wright v Konnan: Alex attacks before the bell, and hammers Konnan into the corner. A snapmare sets up a flying stomp, and he got some serious hangtime there. Alex with a cross corner whip into a backbreaker on the rebound, and he puts the boots to Konnan from there. Alex with a slam to set up a slingshot splash, but Konnan gets his knees up, and lands a rolling clothesline. Konnan with a snapmare to set up a seated dropkick, as Rick Rude wanders out to distract him. That allows Wright to recover and attack, and a spinheel kick gets him two. Alex adds a side suplex for two, but misses a charge in the corner, and Konnan hooks a rollup for two, then a clothesline for two. Konnan with a sitout facebuster for two, so Alex goes to the eyes, but Konnan quickly hooks a cradle anyway at 4:17. ½*

Eddie Guerrero v Chris Benoit: Benoit stomps Guerrero down right away, and he whips Eddie into the ropes for a backelbow. Chris with a snap suplex, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Guerrero throws a dropkick. Eddie puts the boots to him, and a Saito suplex gets him two. Eddie with a springboard rana into a cradle for two, but a whip into the ropes gets reversed, and Benoit drills him with a clothesline. Guerrero buys time by dropkicking the knee, and he works the part from there. Eddie with an Indian deathlock, but Benoit blocks a suplex, and manages a two-alarm rolling German suplex. Chris goes up with a flying headbutt drop, but Guerrero dodges. That allows Guerrero to go up with the flying frogsplash, but Chris dodges that. Benoit goes for a suplex, so Eddie counters to a sleeper, but Benoit quickly counters back to the crippler crossface at 3:42. Good action, but too short to truly find its voice. Afterwards, Chavo Guerrero Jr comes out to try and encourage him, but Eddie is in no mood. **

No Disqualification Match: Public Enemy v Riggs and Sick Boy: I don’t have high hopes for this one, but it’s Philly, so I get why we’re seeing it. Everyone abuses each other with weapons… and really, that’s it. They just do that. A lot. Boy ends up getting put through a double stack of tables, and Rocco Rock pins him at 6:20. DUD

WCW United States Title Match: Bill Goldberg v Reese: Goldberg powers him into the corner at the bell, so Horace tries whacking him with a stop sign, but Goldberg shrugs it off. It does allow Reese to deliver a hanging vertical suplex, but Bill no-sells, and pops up with a spear, and adds the jackhammer at 1:12. Everything it needed to be. ¼*

BUExperience: This wasn’t a good episode, and it didn’t really have a ton of star power, but it also wasn’t a drag to watch. It had momentum.