WCW Thunder (October 8, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: October 8, 1998

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

Mike Tenay catches up with Scott Hall, who is hanging out in a bar around the corner from the building. And he looks drunk off his ass as he challenges Kevin Nash to come down and take him on

Outside, a limousine pulls away from the arena, which the announcers speculate is Nash’s

Prince Iaukea v Kanyon: Kanyon strikes, then stalls, so Prince gets pissed, and dropkicks him. Prince with a koppou kick to send Kanyon to the outside, and Prince is on him with a somersault senton from the apron. Prince unloads in the corner as they head back in, but Kanyon manages to drill him with an elevated neckbreaker for two. Kanyon with a facebuster for two, but he argues the count, and Prince hooks a sunset cradle for two. Backdrop, but Kanyon blocks, and uses a swinging neckbreaker for two. Kanyon goes to a chinlock from there, but Prince escapes, and manages a backdrop. He adds a fireman's carry slam, and a springboard flying somersault senton gets him two. He looks for a follow up, but Kanyon blocks, and delivers the reverse STO at 5:17. *

WCW Television Champion Chris Jericho pounds on WCW World Champion Bill Goldberg’s dressing room door, challenging him to a match for tonight

Scott Steiner reminds us that he’s the one who carried the Steiner Brothers team, and carried Rick on his back. Scott in pre-taped form is much better than his live interviews, as they distill is down to the best parts, and it’s really strong stuff, as he promises to make Rick the final trophy in his case at Havoc

Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell come out to do the live version of literally the same thing the last segment did. So after the usual stuff about Rick, Scott turns his attention to Buff, and Steiner is upset that Bagwell couldn’t keep a ‘leash’ on his mother at Nitro. Buff defends his mom, and teases a babyface turn… again

WCW stars appeared on Wall Street yesterday, promoting the new WCW Mastercard series 

Meng v Jerry Lynn: We spot Peyton Manning in the crowd, looking like a child. And he couldn’t even score ringside seats! Meng with the death grip at 1:38. DUD

Backstage, Jericho is still throwing around challenges to Goldberg

Meng is still in the ring as Chris Adams makes his entrance for a match, and Chris makes the mistake of climbing through the ropes, so Meng chokes his dumb ass out as well. That draws Wrath out (Adams’ scheduled opponent), and he pulls Meng off of him, triggering a brawl between the two

The Horsemen arrive at the building, but are turned away by security, due to a restraining order from Eric Bischoff. All, except for Dean Malenko

Tokyo Magnum v El Dandy: Dandy grabs a wristlock, but Tokyo fights into a cradle for two, and they do a pinfall reversal sequence. Another reversal sequence ends in Dandy delivering a monkey flip, and Dandy abuses him in the corner, but loses a criss cross to a hip attack. That triggers a slugfest, and Tokyo uses a belly-to-belly suplex for two, as we hear that weird laugh over the PA. Dandy with a takedown for a headbutt drop, and he grabs a chinlock from there. Dandy with a 2nd rope legdrop for two, but Magnum escapes another chinlock, and they slug it out again, until Scott Norton comes out, and beats both guys up for a no contest at 2:39. This was going along nicely, so, of course, we have to make both guys look like losers who eat shit from the real stars. Of note: Norton has the IWGP title with him here, which he’d recently won in Japan. Afterwards, Eddie Guerrero comes out, and recruits Dandy to join his new LWO faction. Again, I like the angle, but why are they saddling him with all the least interesting guys? *

Saturn v Scott Putski: They trade hammerlocks to start, then headlocks from there. Scott throws a knee to get control, but a clothesline misses, and Saturn delivers an inverted atomic drop. Saturn adds a springboard forearm for two, and he takes Scott into the corner to crack with chops and kicks. Saturn with a cross corner whip, allowing him a superkick for two as Putski rebounds. Saturn goes to an armbar, but Scott gets into the ropes, and throws punches on the break. Scott clotheslines Saturn over the top, and he follows for a whip into the guardrail before taking things back inside. Scott with a snap suplex, and he throws some chops of his own. A clothesline connects, and Scott grabs a sleeper to try finishing him off, but Saturn drops down with a jawbreaker. He adds a few suplexes, and a bodyslam sets up a flying splash for two. Scott fires back with a powerslam for two, but Saturn hooks a small package for two. Scott throws a clothesline to cut him off, and a sidewalk slam is worth two. Scott with a corner whip, but the charge in misses, allowing Saturn a falcon arrow. Death valley driver, and good night at 5:12. Solid action here. * ¼ 

Disciple is out, and spills the beans: Horace (of the Flock) is Hollywood Hulk Hogan’s nephew. That draws Horace out, and it’s on!

Horace v Disciple: This is like the battle to see who gets to carry Hulk’s bags that probably happened in the back every week, so hopefully they’ve had plenty of practice to work out a good match. Horace dominates early on, and a side suplex sets up a splash. He wastes time gloating, however, and Disciple recovers with a jawbreaker at 1:49. That’s right, keep your mitts off the TUMI, Horace. DUD

Halloween Havoc ad

Tony brings Chris Jericho out, and reminds Jericho that Goldberg isn’t even in the building, so what game is he trying to play with his challenges. Jericho denies that Bill isn’t here, and in fact, claims that he has accepted Jericho’s challenge. Bill’s music hits, but he doesn’t come out, and Chris demands the referee count him out, and award him the bout. Jericho’s stuff is fun, and continues to advance the angle

Tony brings WCW United States Champion Bret Hart out, and he challenges Sting to a match at Halloween Havoc

Four Horsemen hype video

Dean Malenko is out, and demands a match, since he’s a wrestler. That draws Bischoff out, and he obliges: booking him against Barbarian, right here, right now

Dean Malenko v Barbarian: Eric offers to double Barbarian’s salary if he hursts Dean ‘bad,’ and Barbarian sets off to get that paper. Barbarian beats and chokes Dean down, as Eric jumps onto commentary to explain that he didn’t bar Malenko from the building for this very purpose. No, really? Barbarian continues going to town, but Dean blocks a superplex, and dodges a cheap shot from Jimmy Hart. That allows Malenko to dropkick the leg to take Barbarian down, and Dean gets the Texas cloverleaf on to finish at 2:36. Nothing as a match, but entertaining enough as an angle. DUD

Raven’s Rules Match: Raven v Diamond Dallas Page: Page charges in, but Raven has the high ground, and pounds him down. Raven chokes him with a shirt, but that fires Dallas up, and he throws down. Diamond Cutter, but Raven blocks, and throws a mulekick to buy time. Raven grabs a chinlock from there, but Page fights free, so Raven throws a knee to send Dallas to the outside. Raven follows for a Russian legsweep against the rail, but an attempt to use the post backfires. Raven tries using a chair, but that backfires, and Page adds a clothesline for two. Page with a belly-to-belly suplex for two, but a corner charge misses, and Raven schoolboys for two. Sleeper, but Page escapes, so Raven tries a backslide, but Page counters to the Cutter at 5:24. ½*

Lex Luger v Stevie Ray: Posturing to start, dominated by Lex. Stevie manages to pound him down, but a corner whip gets reversed, and Luger backdrops him on the rebound. Lex adds a clothesline for two, but a charge in the corner gets blocked, and Stevie sidekicks him. That sends Lex to the outside for Vincent to abuse, and Stevie ropechokes him as Lex gets rolled back in. Stevie with a clothesline for two, and he goes to a chinlock from there. Lex fights free, so Stevie uses a sidewalk slam for two, but Luger fights back with a vertical suplex. Stevie cuts him off with a chincrusher, and he tries the piledriver, but Lex backdrops him to block. That allows Luger to make a comeback, and he looks for the torture rack, but Scott Hall runs in. Lex fights him off, so Stevie pulls the slap jack out to wallop Lex with, and the referee finally calls the DQ at 4:30. Konnan tries to run in to make the save, but gets destroyed as well, and Nash can’t save since Hall led him away at the top of the show. Wouldn’t he have figured out Scott wasn’t at the bar by now? That was, like, two hours ago! And Hall said the place was right down the street from the arena! ½*

BUExperience: Just another episode. Nothing really happened here, mostly just name checking the various storylines, without advancing anything.