WCW Thunder (March 4, 1999)

 

Original Airdate: March 4, 1999

From Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

Backstage, Arn Anderson sits down with Ric Flair, trying to counsel him through the David stuff. But, Ric is ready to move past it, and focus on Hollywood Hulk Hogan. Arn thinks he’s being a little self absorbed. This was a solid segment, grounded in reality, but it went on for a little too long

Rick Steiner v Hugh Morrus: Steiner knocks him around to start, but Morrus gets control. Morrus goes up for a dive, but takes too long with it, and Rick slams him off, then uses a dive of his own with a flying bulldog at 3:29. DUD

Gene Okerlund brings Dean Malenko and Chris Benoit out to talk about their quest to win the WCW World Tag Team title, and they announce that they’ll have their rematch with Curt Hennig and Barry Windham at Uncensored in a Lumberjacks with Straps match. They aren’t the best promos, but this was solid enough

Handicap Match: Al Green v Ernest Miller and Sonny Onoo: Miller gives him a chance to walk away, but Green violently refuses. Green unloads for a bit, and holds a headlock, but Miller forces a criss cross, and takes him down. Onoo gets involved, but that goes badly, so Miller knocks Al silly, and Sonny pins him at 3:38. DUD

Okerlund brings Saturn out, but Chris Jericho quickly interrupts to continue mocking Saturn’s look, ahead of their Dog Collar match at Uncensored

Prince Iaukea v Bam Bam Bigelow: Bigelow just wrecks him here, taking Prince apart at will, before finishing him off at 5:39. Just a squash. DUD

Curt Hennig and Barry Windham v Vincent and Horace Hogan: The WCW World Tag Team title is not on the line. Curt and Hogan start, and Hennig manages to get him into the heel corner for some double teaming. Tag to Barry, and he wins a slugfest, as Stevie Ray shows up to beat up Vincent. That leaves Horace alone, and the champs unload, but Malenko and Benoit run in on them for the DQ at 1:29. DUD

Jim Duggan is out, happy to announce that he’s beaten cancer. He gives an inspirational speech, and even does a prayer. This wasn’t part of any angle or story, just a nice segment

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Billy Kidman v Chavo Guerrero Jr: Tenay excitedly tells us that he did significant research, and has learned that Kidman has been champion for around four months. That required research? The world was such a different place before Wikipedia. Posturing to start, and Chavo gets control. He unloads in the corner, and they get into a variety of reversal sequences, trading pin attempts along the way. Chavo hooks a leveraged pin for three, but the referee quickly notices, and cuts off the bell call. That allows Kidman a cradle for two in the confusion, and Billy delivers the flying shooting star press at 9:42. ¾*

WCW World Champion Hollywood Hulk Hogan, who is getting a kick out of Ric Flair’s parental issues

Booker T v Buff Bagwell: Buff dominates, and gets Booker in a chinlock for a bit. Booker escapes, and makes a comeback, but accidentally hits the referee with the Harlem sidekick. That allows Scott Steiner to run in with a chair, and Buff hits the 2nd rope somersault neckbreaker at 9:09. ¼*

BUExperience: I was really bored with this one. It was loaded with Nitro recaps, and terrible wrestling. Not my speed.