WCW Thunder (December 10, 1998)

 

Original Airdate: December 10, 1998 (taped December 3)

From Memphis, Tennessee; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Lee Marshall, and Bobby Heenan

Chris Jericho v Bobby Duncum Jr: Duncum overpowers him as they posture, and he grabs a standing side-headlock, but Jericho forces a criss cross. Duncum wins it with a big boot, and he throws a clothesline to put Chris down for a chinlock. Chris escapes, and throws a dropkick, then takes Duncum into the corner for chops, but a cross corner whip backfires when Duncum rebounds with a lariat. Chris bails, but Bobby is on his tail, delivering a suplex on the floor. Inside, Jericho manages a drop-toehold into the ropes as they criss cross, and Chris uses a snapmare to set up a senton splash for two. Jericho holds a bow-and-arrow, but Duncum reverses, so Chris somersault mulekicks his way out of the hold for a one count. Chris with a backbreaker hold, and he tries a flying splash, but Duncum gets a boot up. Bobby goes on the warpath from there, and a cross corner whip rebounds Jericho into a bulldog for two. Powerbomb, but Chris counters to a cradle, and uses the ropes for leverage at 6:27. That draws WCW Television Champion Konnan out, and he alerts the referee to the leverage, and the stupid official just takes his word, and restarts the match! Didn’t even hear him out and ask for a replay, or something. Just, ‘sure, Guy Who Talks About Being a Thug All Day Long, I trust you implicitly.’ And then Konnan whacks Jericho with the title belt, and Duncum pins him at 7:24. This was a solid match, but the last minute killed all the positive feelings I was having for it. * ¾ 

Saturn v Glacier: Glacier tags him with a savate kick right away, but Saturn responds with a takedown into an anklelock, and he goes to a spinning toehold from there. Glacier escapes, so Saturn goes to a kneebar, but Glacier is in the ropes. Saturn with a superkick to put him on the outside, and Saturn follows to whip him into the guardrail. That draws Sonny Onoo out to hook Saturn’s leg, and the distraction allows Glacier to suplex him back into the ring. Glacier adds a punch for two, and a rolling backelbow finds the mark. He tries a slam, but Saturn cradles for two, so Glacier puts the boots to him. Glacier with a cross corner whip, and he delivers a big boot on the rebound. Glacier works a reverse chinlock, but another big boot misses, leaving Glacier crotched on the ropes. That allows Saturn to make a comeback, and a flying elbowdrop gets him two. Backdrop, but Glacier blocks. He tries a short-roundhouse kick, but Saturn blocks, and a reversal sequence ends in the rings of saturn. That looks to be all, but Onoo comes in for the DQ at 6:37. This was flat. ¼*

Norman Smiley v Kaz Hayashi: Some posturing to start, and Kaz manages a headscissor takedown. Smiley fires back with a pop-up flapjack, and a cross corner whip rebounds into a swinging bodyslam. Smiley tries a tilt-a-whirl, but Kaz blocks, so Smiley simply hits him with a big boot instead. Smiley with a hanging butterfly suplex for two, and a Saito suplex leads to a bow-and-arrow. Kaz looks to escape, so Smiley shifts it into an armbar, and forces his weight on Hayashi. Smiley dumps him to the outside for a shot into the apron, and he looks for a bodyslam on the way in, but Kaz holds on into a cradle for two. Smiley cuts him off, so Kaz tries a charge in the corner, but misses. Smiley tries a charge, but Kaz blocks with a drop-toehold, and he dives with a flying bodypress for two. A sunset flip follows, but Smiley blocks, so Kaz uses a victory cradle for two instead. Smiley tries a backdrop, but gets nailed - only to get a crossface chickenwing on anyway at 6:01. They did not work well together… this just didn’t click, even though both guys were making an effort. ¼*

Ernest Miller and Sonny Onoo are out, but get into an argument, and don’t really say whatever they came to say. They should argue more

#1 Contender’s Match: Rey Mysterio Jr v Juventud Guerrera: The winner gets a WCW Cruiserweight title match at Starrcade. They feel each other out a bit, and get into measuring one another with shots. A criss cross allows Guerrera a rocker dropper, but Rey fires back with a headscissor takedown, and he delivers a corner clothesline. The adds a bronco buster, but Guerrera shakes off a ten-punch with a running sitout powerbomb, as the LWO make their way down. Guerrera with a slam to set up an elbowdrop, but a flying splash gets blocked when Rey gets his boot up. Rey with a bodyslam to set up a slingshot moonsault for two, but a reversal sequence ends in Guerrera snapping his throat across the top rope. That allows Guerrera a flying bodypress for two, and he holds Mysterio in a chinlock from there. Rey manages a springboard legdrop for two upon escaping, and a bodyslam sets up a headscissor hold. Guerrera escapes, and uses an inverted vertical suplex to drop Rey across the top rope with. Rey fires back with a springboard victory roll for two, and a pop-up facebuster gets another two. Guerrera with a bulldog for two, but Rey blocks a German suplex, and tries a springboard moonsault press, but Guerrera catches him. That triggers a reversal sequence, ending in Guerrera planting him with a scoop sitout brainbuster. Guerrera goes up to finish up, but Rey crotches him on the top to prevent the dive. Rey brings him off with a rana, but the LWO attack him for the DQ before he can score the pinfall at 10:41. This was a little lethargic for these two. I’m not sure if they were working around injuries, or just surrounded by angles. Guerrera also seemed to be getting the hang of working heel. Afterwards, the LWO go to work on Rey, but Billy Kidman gets him out of there before they can destroy him. * ½ 

Booker T v Lodi: Booker wins a criss cross with a jumping forearm, and he lands an axekick, as Stevie Ray comes into the ring with a microphone in hand. He berates Booker for ‘lowering’ himself to wrestling Lodi, and then whacks Lodi with the slapjack for the DQ at 1:31. DUD

Chris Benoit v Kanyon: Kanyon wins the initial lockup with an armdrag, and celebrates it, Owen Hart style. Benoit grabs a wristlock, but Kanyon reverses, and hooks a cradle for two. Kanyon with a fisherman swinging neckbreaker for two, but Benoit fires back with the rolling German suplex. Kanyon knocks the second alarm, so Benoit resorts to chopping him instead, and a corner whip rattles the ring. Benoit takes Kanyon upstairs for a vertical superplex, but Kanyon wisely rolls out of the ring to prevent a cover. Benoit follows to pepper him with chops, and a snap suplex gets him two on the way back in. Benoit with another corner whip, but a second one gets reversed, and Kanyon delivers a Russian legsweep on the rebound. That gets him two, and a vertical suplex sets up a slingshot elbowdrop for two. Into the corner, but Benoit turns the tables, and stomps a mud hole. Chris hits a backbreaker for two, but Kanyon fires back with a modified facebuster for two, and he grabs a chinlock to ground the Crippler. Chris fights free, but Kanyon hits another modified facebuster for two. Chris gets to the top, but Kanyon knocks him off, as Raven comes in to whack Benoit with a paint can for the DQ at 10:16. This was a pretty good match, with a really shitty finish. ** ¼ 

Handicap Match: Konnan and Lex Luger v Stevie Ray, Vincent, and Horace: Well this is extremely lopsided, star power wise. This is supposed to be a six-man, but neither Kevin Nash or Sting show up for the Wolfpac, so we just do a handicap match instead. Lex dominates Ray to start, so the other guys come in, but Luger throws them around as well. A cheap shot from Stevie allows them to get Lex in trouble, and they work him over. Konnan gets the tag, and runs wild, but gets triple teamed, and they work on him now. Luger gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door. Luger hits Ray with the running forearm smash, but Stevie blocks the torture rack by going low. He pulls the slapjack out, but Scott Hall shows up to prevent him from using it, and Luger puts on the rack at 8:33. DUD

BUExperience: This was just kind of ‘there.’ Nothing of note, nothing worth going out of your way to see.