WCW Thunder (August 5, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: August 5, 1998

From Casper, Wyoming; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Lee Marshall, and Bobby Heenan

Lizmark Jr v Giant: Lizmark tries attacking, but gets quickly shrugged off, and chokeslammed at 0:23. Afterwards, Giant promises to help Bill Goldberg ride that high he’s been on by taking him even higher: in the chokeslam. DUD

Goldberg hype video

Lex Luger is out, throwing out a challenge to nWo Hollywood for a six-man tonight, with he, Sting, and Konnan against three of theirs

Juventud Guerrera v Psychosis: Dean Malenko acts as the special guest referee here, and Chris Jericho is out to mock him during the entrances. Psychosis attacks from behind, but Juvi reverses a cross corner whip, and delivers a matslam. Guerrera goes up with a flying headscissors, and a clothesline gets two, as the crowd goes wild for Juventud. Guerrera with a corner whip, but the charge in gets blocked, and they do a reversal sequence, ending in Guerrera delivering a DDT for two. He tries another one, but Psychosis uses a spinebuster for two, so Guerrera monkey flips him out of the ring to buy time. Guerrera sets up a dive, but Jericho whacks him with the Cruiserweight belt before he can, and Psychosis capitalizes with a flying legdrop at 3:10. Good stuff, but too short to really go anywhere. * ½ 

Eric Bischoff is out to do his Tonight Show ripoff segment, and Eric makes one crack too many about Kimberly Page, drawing Diamond Dallas Page out to nearly kill the man live on TV. Like, shit, he flew over that desk, knocking Eric out of his chair, and then delivered a serious, realistic beating. The segment as a whole was bad, but the ending saved it

Jim Duggan v Meng: They slug it out right away, and Meng gets him on the mat in a nervehold. Jim fights free, so Meng slugs him back down, but misses an elbowdrop. That allows Duggan a ten-punch count, but a criss cross results in a double knockout, as Barbarian and Hugh Morrus show up to attack both guys for the no-contest at 1:34. DUD

Tony shows an American Iron Horse motorcycle off, and Marshall immediately ruins it by calling it an ‘Iron Hood’

nWo Hollywood are out to lob more threats at Goldberg 

Steve McMichael v Stevie Ray: Stevie is still carrying Booker T’s WCW Television title around. Stevie attacks before the bell, and chokes Mongo in the corner. Stevie keeps unloading, and a jumping big boot finds the mark. Stevie with a bodyslam, but a clothesline misses, and Mongo uses a side suplex. Mongo adds a pair of three point stances, and a corner whip works, but the charge in does not. That allows Stevie to kick him down, but Chavo Guerrero Jr shows up to do his bullshit. Specifically, he comes out with paperwork claiming that now he’s the TV champ. So he grabs the belt, Stevie chases, and Ray gets counted out at 2:31. Building an angle for Ray and Guerrero is good. This match was not. DUD

Schiavone brings Rick Steiner out, and Rick’s ready to beat some sense into brother Scott’s head at Road Wild

Arn Anderson tribute video

Handicap Match: Saturn v Riggs and Sick Boy: Saturn is supposed to have Kanyon as a tag partner here, but ends up having to go it alone when he mysteriously no shows. No matter, as Saturn easily suplexes them both around, but eventually gets overwhelmed by a double team, and the heels take control. Boy with a springboard missile dropkick, and a suplex-neckbreaker follows. Tag to Riggs for a sidewalk slam, but Saturn fights back with more suplexes, and Boy eats a death valley driver at 2:22. Raven hits the ring as soon as the bell sounds to slug it out, and Saturn gets the better of it, but the rest of the Flock overwhelm him, and he ends up taking a DDT to leave him looking up at the lights.  ¼*

Eddie Guerrero v Disco Inferno: Some posturing leads to Eddie delivering a series of chops, followed by a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Irish whip, but Disco reverses, and manages a pop-up flapjack ahead of a piledriver for two. Side suplex, but Eddie blocks, so Disco regroups with a swinging neckbreaker for two. Disco with a bodyslam to set up a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop, but Eddie rolls out of the way. A criss cross allows Eddie to follow up with a jumping backelbow, and a shoulderbreaker draws Tokyo Magnum onto the apron. Eddie takes the bait, but Disco’s sneak attack backfires, and Eddie kills him with a brainbuster to set up a flying frogsplash at 2:55. This was decent enough for what it was, but too short to really be notable. ¾*

Buff Bagwell calls in to announce that Scott Steiner is injured, so he can’t face Rick at Road Wild. Sadly

Hollywood Hulk Hogan is out to cut his go-home promo on DDP and Jay Leno. Bischoff selling the beating from earlier in the background the whole time is a nice touch

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Scott Hall, Curt Hennig, and Brian Adams v Sting, Lex Luger, and Konnan: Everyone brawls on the outside at the bell, and the dust settles on Hall and Luger. Lex with an atomic drop followed by an inverted version, and a forearm smash gets him two. Tag to Hennig, and Curt tries a waistlock, but Luger pops him with an elbow. Lex with a few punches, and the Wolfpac pinball him around in their corner. Tags to Adams and Konnan, and Brian delivers a backbreaker for two. Adams with a bootrake, and the heels triple up on Konnan. They work him over, but do a shitty job of cutting the ring in half, and Sting just kind of catches a tag. He runs wild on Hall, and Roseanne Barr the door! Konnan gets Adams in the tequila sunrise, but Hennig saves. Adams wasn’t even selling it there, that looked terrible. And then Konnan just cradles Adams for the pin anyway at 5:54. Just going through the motions here. ¼*

BUExperience: A pretty easy watch, but not a good episode, if that makes sense.