WCW Thunder (November 19, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: November 19, 1998 

From Fort Wayne, Indiana; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko, with Lee Marshall (first hour), and Mike Tenay (second hour)

Booker T v Norman Smiley: Posturing to start, and Smiley gets control with a trio of uppercuts. Smiley with a corner whip, and a modified bodyslam follows. Smiley goes to the mat with a chinlock, until Booker escapes, and goes on the comeback trail - finishing with the Harlem sidekick at 3:30. This was too short to be of note, but Booker was good enough to give him something here. ¼*

Disco Inferno v Scott Hall: Disco dominates early, and delivers a swinging neckbreaker, ahead of a clothesline. Disco stays on him with a pair of turnbuckle smashes ahead of a ten-punch count, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Hall follows in with a clothesline. Hall unloads with rights, and a fallaway slam follows, before the crucifix powerbomb finishes at 2:31. Hall looked good here, for the first time in a while. ½*

Tony brings WCW Cruiserweight Champion Chris Jericho out, to discuss the rematch against Bobby Duncum Jr that’s been ordered for World War 3. But before Chris can write Bobby off completely, Duncum attacks, and hogties the champion 

Earlier today, Scott Hall blew Kaz Hayashi off when Kaz tried to have a drink with him

Billy Kidman v Eddie Guerrero: This is supposed to be Kidman against Rey Mysterio Jr, but Eddie uses his LWO leader perks to take the match, since beating the guy who just lost the Cruiserweight title would put him in the top rankings for a shot. Kidman dominates early, and avoids Eddie’s attempts at suckering him. Kidman hooks a sleeper, but Eddie uses a jawbreaker to escape, so Kidman uses a slingshot headscissors. Kidman goes back to the sleeper, but Eddie escapes, so Kidman uses a rana into a cradle for two. Kidman with a rebound clothesline, but another clothesline gets countered into a uranage. That allows Eddie to go up, but Kidman superplexes him off for two. Kidman tries a suplex, but Eddie blocks. Eddie goes for a powerbomb, but Kidman counters to a facebuster, and he goes up to finish, but sees the LWO on the floor. He reroutes with a dive onto them (including Rey), and manages to catch a recovering Guerrero with a sitout spinebuster for two. The LWO distract him, however, and Eddie schoolboys at 5:36. This was solid, but a little all over the place, especially with all the angles. * ½ 

Kevin Nash/Scott Hall feud review video

Scott Norton v Scott Putski: Putski gets into a brawl with Vincent before the bell, and Norton picks up the pieces. He dumps Putski to the outside for both Vincent and Stevie Ray to abuse, and Norton puts it away at 1:49. DUD

Earlier today, Kaz tries to recruit Disco Inferno as a partner, but gets blown off. Saturn defends him

Ernest Miller is out, and wants a challenge, but Sonny Onoo hasn’t been able to find anyone suitable. Kaz Hayashi runs in to attack both of them, but gets beat down, until Saturn makes the save

Alex Wright v Chavo Guerrero Jr: Alex with a pair of bodyslams right away, and he pounds Chavo into the corner. Wright unloads, but Guerrero turns the tables, and uses a headscissor takedown, ahead of a dropkick. Guerrero with chops, but he gets stomped during a criss cross, and Alex delivers an elbowdrop. Guerrero tries a bulldog, but Alex blocks, and throws a spinheel kick at him. Alex tosses him over the top, and he dives with an axehandle from the apron. Alex adds a bodyslam on the floor, but Guerrero snaps his throat across the top on the way back in, and a springboard flying bodypress gets him two. Guerrero adds a schoolboy for two before getting clobbered, and Alex tags him with a cross corner backelbow. Alex with a slam to set up a slingshot splash for two, and a snapmare allows him a chinlock. Wright with a suplex for two, and a side suplex sets up a dive, but Guerrero blocks. Guerrero unloads in the corner, and a cross corner forearm leads to a springboard bulldog. Guerrero with a backdrop, and he catches him with a clothesline for two. Wright with a clothesline of his own for two, and a reversal sequence ends in Chavo taking a spill over the top. Back in, they do another reversal sequence, and Wright hooks a cradle to win it at 5:34. **

Prince Iaukea v Kanyon: Kanyon tries attacking in the aisle, but Prince beats him off. Inside, Prince lands a dropkick for two, but telegraphs a backdrop, and gets nailed. Kanyon with a pancake powerbomb for two, and a modified vertical superplex gets him another two. Kanyon goes to a cobra clutch, but Prince fights, so Kanyon turns it into a cobra slam for two. Prince tries a sunset flip, but gets blocked. Kanyon with a rocker dropper for two, but Prince fires back with a leg-feed enzuigiri. Prince keeps coming with a backdrop and a suplex, and a Samoan drop gets him two. Prince tries a suplex, but Kanyon counters to a reverse STO at 4:35. This was okay. *

Saturn v Wrath: Wrath throws him around to start, so Saturn tries grabbing a headlock. Wrath quickly fights him off, so Saturn tries a suplex, but gets blocked. Wrath tries a clothesline, but Saturn ducks, and uses a springboard forearm. A dropkick puts Wrath on the outside, and Saturn is on him with a plancha. Wrath beats the count, so Saturn works an armbar, but Wrath short-clotheslines his way to freedom. Wrath with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, as Tony kills the pay per view buys by promising that the battle royal could last ‘thirty or forty minutes.’ Thanks, but no thanks. Wrath unloads in the corner, and a side suplex leads to a flying clothesline for two. Wrath keeps pounding him, but misses a corner splash, and Saturn delivers a suplex for two. Saturn with a sunset flip for two, and a superkick connects. Saturn goes up with a flying splash for two, so Ernest Miller sneaks in with a shot, knocking Saturn silly. That allows Wrath to recover with a pumphandle-slam at 6:08. That finish was trying to serve too many masters. ¾*

Bret Hart v Konnan: They slug it out to start, dominated by Konnan. To the outside, Konnan feeds him the guardrail, so Stevie Ray nails him with a slapjack to turn things around for the Hitman. That allows Bret to deliver a headbutt drop to the groin, and the Sharpshooter finishes at 2:55. WCW Bret makes me sad. Afterward, Bret keeps the attack going, until Diamond Dallas Page makes the save. DUD

BUExperience: Decent enough, though not essential viewing by any means.