WCW Thunder (January 14, 1999)

 

Original Airdate: January 14, 1999 (taped January 7)

From Richmond, Virginia; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

Bam Bam Bigelow v Scott Putski: Bam Bam pounds him into the corner, but misses an avalanche. That allows Putski to get some shots in, but Bam Bam blasts him with an enzuigiri. Bigelow with a bodyslam to set up a headbutt drop, and a powerslam gets him two. Bam Bam works a chinlock, but Putski fights free, so Bigelow drops him with a knee. Bigelow continues to hammer on him for a spell, before finishing with the over the shoulder reverse piledriver at 6:04. This was way too long, and dull, as a result. DUD

Prince Iaukea v Norman Smiley: Tony with two important notes here: “don’t go to the Waffle House,” and “people don’t watch Thunder to get an education.” The man speaks the truth. Posturing to start, with Prince controlling. Smiley fights him off, and after some boring back and forth, puts Prince away with a crossface chickenwing at 10:05. This was extremely long for what it was. DUD

Gene Okerlund brings Jimmy Hart out, and he reveals that he’s reunited the Faces of Fear (after a year apart), and that they’re going to win the tournament for the WCW World Tag Team title

Chris Jericho v Van Hammer: Saturn is out to observe, and Hammer actually dominates things here. He misses a clothesline, allowing Jericho a side suplex, and Chris goes to the top, but Hammer crotches him. Hammer brings him down with a hanging vertical superplex for two, which is a ridiculously cool move. Hammer keeps going with a cobra slam for two, but a leg-feed enzuigiri misses, and Chris gets the Liontamer on at 4:23. That superplex does not get talked about enough. I’m honestly surprised no one has really stolen it. ¼*

WCW World Tag Team Title Tournament First Round Match: The Faces of Fear v Mike Enos and Bobby Duncum Jr: Barbarian and Enos start, and basically just slug it out for an extended period. Enos throws chops in the corner, so Barbarian charges, but hits an elbow. Tag to Bobby, but Barbarian sweeps the leg, and tags Meng. They have their over slugfest, and Bobby cross corner whips him, so Meng responds with an inverted atomic drop. That allows Meng to put the boots to him, and a sunset flip gets him two. Duncum responds with a dropkick, so Meng superkicks him, and tags out. Barbarian comes in with a headbutt drop to the groin, and an elbowdrop follows for two. Back to Meng for an overhead suplex, and Barbarian tries a backdrop, so Bobby uses a sunset flip for two. Barbarian cuts him off with a backbreaker for two, and he holds a chinlock, but Bobby manages a jawbreaker to escape. He looks for a tag, but Meng cuts him off, and chokes him down. Enos comes in, and it turns into a brawl, but here’s the Wolfpac to attack everyone for a no contest at 7:00. This was a fun match, with big dudes throwing each other around, but ultimately it was all just killing time until the run in. Afterwards, the Wolfpac cut a promo, and again promise to continue disrupting this tournament to prevent the crowning of new champions. ¾*

Wrath v El Dandy: Well, this is quite the pairing. Dandy tries sticking and moving, but it goes badly. Wrath looks to finish it off with the pumphandle-slam, but Bam Bam Bigelow attacks him for the DQ at 3:42. DUD

Disco Inferno v Super Calo: Another absolutely bizarre pairing. Disco dominates, and beats on Calo until Calo ends up on the outside. He climbs back in, and wants to criss cross, so Disco dumps him back to the outside, and follows to feed Calo the guardrail this time. Disco with a bodyslam on the way back in, and a 2nd rope pointed elbowdrop gets him two, as Scott Hall comes down to ringside. Disco works a front-facelock, but Calo escapes, and tags Disco with a spinheel kick. Calo with a flying dropkick for two, and a sloppy tilt-a-whirl slam gets two. Cue Hall with the cattleprod, and that allows Disco a jawbreaker at 3:18. Afterwards, Hall grabs the microphone to hype his Souled Out ladder match against Bill Goldberg, and he suggests that Bill go down to Blockbuster Video to rent the tapes of Scott’s previous ladder matches to get an idea of what he’s in for. Blockbuster Video! I understand that reference! ½*

Curt Hennig and Barry Windham v Steve McMichael and Chris Benoit: There are a lot of empty seats in this building. Hennig and Benoit start, and they posture. Benoit cracks him with a few blistering chops, and a cross corner whip rattles the ring. It looked like Curt wanted to do a big oversell there, but couldn’t get it going. Tag to Mongo for some double teaming in the babyface corner, and Steve throws a clothesline. Curt slips away long enough to tag, so Mongo clotheslines Windham as well, as Heenan goes on a funny run about how it’s “easier to beat up a ten year old than a twenty year old, but when they’re eleven, that’s when they get really strong.” The heels manage to get control and work over McMichael, as Bobby makes another joke about how Curt’s mom was the tougher parent, dubbing her ‘Irene the Battleax.’ This wasn’t the best period for Heenan, but he’s hitting some great notes here. Benoit gets the hot tag, and hits Windham with a flying headbutt drop for two. He gets the crippler crossface on, but Hennig comes in with a chair for the DQ at 7:25. Afterwards, Ric Flair comes out to make the save, but the heels double up on him, so David Flair rushes in to make that save, as we run out of time. ½*

BUExperience: It feels like the ‘workrate’ era of Thunder has come and gone, and we’re into the ‘sucky episode of Nitro’ era.