WCW Thunder (October 15, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: October 15, 1998 (taped October 8)

From Indianapolis, Indiana; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Lee Marshall, and Bobby Heenan

Van Hammer v Sick Boy: Some posturing to start, controlled by Hammer. A clothesline sends Boy to the outside to regroup, and Hammer dives with a plancha. Boy manages to snap Hammer’s throat across the top rope on the way back in, and he delivers a baseball slide. Boy grabs a sleeper, but Hammer reverses, so Boy drops down into a jawbreaker to break. Boy with a snapmare to set up a fistdrop, and a bodyslam leads to a springboard backelbow for two. Boy with a corner whip, but the charge in misses, and Hammer slams him off the ropes for two. A criss cross from there, and Hammer wins with a whiplash at 4:22. ¼*

Four Horsemen video package

La Parka v Konnan: Konnan blitzes him at the bell, and a rolling clothesline finds the mark. Konnan with a snapmare to set up a seated dropkick, but an exchange in the corner ends with Parka using a mulekick, and he adds a clothesline. Parka with a corner clothesline, and a spinheel kick gets him two. Parka with a cross corner whip, but the charge in gets blocked, and Konnan hits a splash mountain for two. He grounds Parka in a chinlock from there, but Parka gets into the ropes. To get out of a chinlock?! You weak, weak little man. Konnan with chops in the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Parka clotheslines him on the rebound. Parka with chops in the corner now, but Konnan counters a gutwrench suplex into a cradle for one. Parka responds with an enzuigiri, but a corner charge gets blocked, and Konnan delivers a bulldog. He adds a sitout facebuster, and the tequila sunrise finishes at 4:45. This was generally solid, but it felt like they couldn’t get a good flow going. ¾*

Fit Finlay v Riggs: Riggs is still in full Flock mode, and other than Kidman, they all pretty much are. I guess there was no real plan beyond ‘let’s break up the Flock.’ I know, I’m shocked too. Riggs dominates early, and gets a few two counts, so Finlay pokes him in his good eye, and throws a clothesline for two. Fit goes to a chinlock from there, and a cross corner whip works, but Riggs blocks the charge in. That allows Riggs a dropkick for two, and he starts working the arm. Fit manages a takedown, and a kneedrop gets him two. He hammers Riggs with elbowsmashes, then goes to town in the corner. Fit is just teeing off here, and little else. Finlay uses a bodyslam to set up a pump-splash, but Riggs gets his knees up to block. That allows Riggs to throw shots in the corner, and a cross corner high knee finds the mark. Riggs with another charge in the corner, but this one misses, and Fit delivers a tombstone at 6:07. Despite getting six minutes, they didn’t really get out of the dock here. ½*

Bill Goldberg/Diamond Dallas Page hype video

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Billy Kidman v Kaz Hayashi: Kaz grabs a headlock, but Kidman forces a criss cross, and they trade off to a stalemate. Kidman with a turnbuckle smash and a headscissor takedown to send Kaz to the outside, and the champion dives on him with a plancha. Billy uses a slingshot legdrop for two on the way back in, but an attempt to suplex Kaz over the top gets blocked. That triggers a reversal sequence that ends in Kaz side suplexing Kidman over the top, and the challenger dives after him. Inside, Kaz peppers him with chops, and a somersault senton splash connects. Kaz goes to a chinlock, but Kidman escapes, and hooks a sunset flip for two. Kaz cuts him off with a clothesline for two, and a bodyslam sets up a slingshot somersault senton splash. Kidman reverses a cross corner whip, but misses a corner splash in, and Kaz dropkicks him. Kaz with a backbreaker to set up a flying moonsault, but Kidman rolls out of the way. That allows him to make a comeback, and a bulldog gets him two. A reversal sequence ends in Kidman hitting a sitout spinebuster, and he goes upstairs, but Kaz follows. They slug it out, and Kaz manages a chincrusher off the top. That allows the challenger a brainbuster for two, as Sonny Onoo makes his way out. Kaz goes up with a flying bodypress, but Kidman blocks with a dropkick. He tries a German suplex, but Kaz lands on his feet, and grabs the champion in a rana into a cradle for two. Kaz with a bridging German suplex for two, but Kidman counters a powerbomb with a facebuster. That allows Billy to get to the top unblocked, and he leaps with a flying shooting star press at 10:25. They worked really hard here, and told a good story. Afterwards, Onoo comes in to put the boots to Kaz, but Kidman saves. ***

Warrior/Hollywood Hulk Hogan hype video

Ernest Miller is out to make an open challenge, which draws somebody out of the crowd (kayfabe), but Miller kills him. This was a quick segment, which was the most effective way to deliver it

Prince Iaukea v Chavo Guerrero Jr: Criss cross to start, won by Chavo with a shoulderblock. He adds an elbowdrop before throwing some chops, but another criss cross goes Iaukea’s way with a knife-edge chop. A dropkick follows, so Chavo bails, and regroups with Pepe. Back in, Chavo hopes to slow things down with a test-of-strength, but Iaukea gets the better of it. Chavo manages an armdrag into a chinlock, and he gives Iaukea a wet-willie in the process. Gosh, the disgusting things we did in a pre-COVID world. Iaukea reverses the hold and gives a willie of his own, then grabs Pepe to really get into Chavo’s head. Chavo successfully pleads with Iaukea not to smash him, and Guerrero attacks as soon as Pepe is safely set down. Chavo lands a clothesline, and he grounds Prince in a chinlock from there. Backdrop, but Iaukea blocks, and hooks a rollup for two. Iaukea adds a bodypress for two, and a victory roll is worth another two. A Samoan drop leaves Guerrero begging off, but Iaukea stomps him in the corner. Cross corner whip, but Chavo reverses, and uses a springboard bulldog. Chavo goes upstairs, but Iaukea crotches him, and tries a superplex, only for Guerrero to counter into a tornado DDT at 6:36. This walked an uncomfortable line between being a comedy match and a serious effort, and dramedy doesn’t generally work in wrestling matches. *

Goldberg/DDP hype video

Tony brings DDP out, as he prepares for Goldberg at Halloween Havoc

Dean Malenko v Stevie Ray: This gets the full Michael Buffer treatment. A distraction from Vincent allows Stevie to sneak attack, and a big boot sends Dean to the outside for another Vincent attack. Inside, Stevie gets a bearhug on, wearing Dean down for a cross corner whip. Stevie with a sidewalk slam for two, and he slaps on a bow-and-arrow. Stevie dumps Dean into the ropes for another cheap shot from Vincent, and a snapmare sets up an elbowdrop for two. Back to the bow-and-arrow, but Dean escapes. He tries a sunset flip, but Stevie blocks, and gets another bearhug on. Dean escapes, so Stevie clotheslines him. A corner whip works, but the charge in does not, and Dean dives with a missile dropkick. Stevie tries to get back on track with a big boot, but Dean counters to the Texas cloverleaf, so Vincent runs in for the DQ at 6:04. Stevie as anything but a tag wrestler is a losing gamble. He just doesn’t have anything to carry a match, especially the heel side. Afterwards, Scott Norton runs out, and we get an nWo Hollywood beat down, until the Horsemen save. With the ring cleared, the Horsemen cut a promo on Eric Bischoff to close the show. DUD

BUExperience: A good Cruiserweight title match, but not much else of note, in or out of the ring. Not a hard episode to get through, but if you missed it, you didn’t miss anything.