Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WCW Thunder 2/12/98
No need for an intro….let’s roll.
We get a recap of Savage and Hogan and the net dropping on Sting and Savage.
Here comes Hogan and EB, and Bischoff is not trailing behind like a little lost kitten. EB states that it is time to get serious and the nWo is declaring war on anyone and everyone associated with WCW. He is going to take each and everyone out in alphabetical order with EB handling the “A”‘s and Hogan handles the “B”s. Everyone from Turner to the guy who waters the plants are fair game. Hogan declares the fans as fair game too. Now he turns his ire towards Bret Hart who is a Canadian yellow belly for costing him the nWo title. He would also have no stinking rematch with Sting, and whether it is an arena or at Venice Beach he will beat him and even beat him, if necessary, from one end of Canada to another, so Bret better watch out. Now it is time to address the nWo family situation. He wants Savage to come out as he has something to say to him. Savage takes his time strolling out and gets a big pop. EB and Hogan want Savage to listen and be calm. Hogan discusses their past history and knows when he is right and when he is wrong, and in front of all the nWo fans there will be an apology (the fans boo). Before he gets to the that EB put together a match with Hogan and Macho against Sting and Luger. Hogan thinks he should thank EB for giving him that opportunity. Hogan now goes to the pecking order and how he thought Savage could handle and run with it but it was clear that he could not, and he dropped the ball and blew his chance. Hogan wants an apology for Savage’s failure. A contrite Savage agrees there should be an apology and then decks Hogan, winds up and takes out EB too. He runs off as Hogan comes into the ring with a chair. The fans chant that Hogan sucks!
Match 1: Prince Iaukea v. Kidman
Louie Spicolli in his last show is at the announce table and admonishes Schiavone for saying “bombshell in OKC! DAMN. Apparently the brass did not like that and Tony wisely led it slide.
Kidman gets choked out with his own shirt and is knocked to the floor. Iaukea goes after him and gets whipped into the side of the ring, off the rebound he is dropkicked. Back in the ring Kidman knocks him around and pounds him in the corner. Iaukea gets the boot up and after the whip and now kicks him a few times.
They go to Raven sitting in the lockerroom and Mortis walks in and Raven tells him that if he wants to join the Flock he basically needs to dump the clown costume. He needs to be himself and be true and unafraid. Mortis nods and then tells him he needs to do DDP as well.
Kidman has him in a rear chinlock. Prince gets up, elbows free and strikes with a snap suplex. Now the go back and forth, a forearm from Kidman sends him down. Iaukea does not take too kindly to that and drops him. Iaukea flips him over the back and unleashes some chops. Now a back body drop, and off the whip Kidman strikes with a bit lariat. Kidman goes up top and leaps right into a powerslam, and Kidman barely kicks out at two. Prince goes up and misses the guillotine legdrop, and Kidman spikes him and it is over after the Shooting Star.
**1/2 Nice match, not sure about the interruption but overall it was fast paced.
Match 2: Meng v. Hugh Morrus
Morrus does not waste anytime and runs in, rams Meng’s head into the buckle and then sandwiches him in the other corner but Meng enjoys it and slugs away with a series of blows to the gut and chest. Meng gives him an atomic drop followed by a lariat. Meng chokes him out, and now uses the ropes to choke him out. Meng bodyslams him and goes up top, and he strikes with a big splash getting a two count. Meng’s whip is reversed but Morrus gets nailed with a spinwheel kick, and Morrus no sells and then clotheslines him, after a bodyslam he heads up for his finisher but for some reason Meng needs little Jimmy Hart to roll him away. Morrus leaps and no one is there. Meng superkicks him and has him in the Deathgrip. It takes the Barbarian to pull him off, now the Barbarian has it applied and he kicks at Jimmy!
*1/2 Okay, Meng looks a monster then gets buried. They set up a match between Spicolli and Zybscko at the PPV.
Match 3: Mortis v. DDP (c) for WCW US Title
The fans chant for DDP and they lock up with Mortis getting shoved down like a child. Mortis elbows out of a hammerlock only to run right into a side salto. Mortis escapes the Cutter but gets driven into the corner. DDP whips him to the other corner but gets only post on the dive into him. Mortis drives him down with a series of blows and Vandenberg adds some choking. DDP makes a comeback and whips him into the corner and follows up with a series of blows. Mortis front kicks him in the head and then is given a sweet neckbreaker from the top rope! Mortis gets two and DDP does not sell it as well as he usually does as he is able to roll him right up for a near fall. DDP is faceplanted and put in a rear chinlock. DDP fights out with a back suplex. DDP slugs away, and gives him in atomic drop. They tussle and it is Cutter time….game.
*** I enjoyed it. Kanyon is fun to watch.
The Flock comes down sans Raven to circle around Mortis and they circle around and carry him off. Raven comes out and kicks him and gives him a DDT on the ramp.
Match 4: Jim Neidhart v. Steve McMichael
Jim knocks him to the floor, goes after him and whips him into the steel steps. Mongo is thrust into the post now. Back in the ring, Jim goes for a tackle but misses but Mongo does not. Now he hammers him and picks up the steel steps and looks to toss them on him even though he is in the ring. Davey Boy comes down and stops him and they brawl….
** For angle advancement and I enjoy Davey and Anvil.
The two fought over the break and they show the replay of them brawling all the way to the back.
Match 5: Buff Bagwell v. British Dude
I think it is Dave Taylor but I missed the intro and too lazy to rewind. Buff pounds him only to be slammed twice. It is Chris Adams. Adams is back dropped. We get a shoving match, now a slapping one. Chris clocks him and clotheslines him a couple of times. Adams leaps at him and hits all ropes and he gets a near fall after a swinging neckbreaker. Buff argues with the ref and after a bodyslam he leaps on knees. Adams clotheslines him and then back body drops him. Now after a slam he gets a near fall. Buff pokes the eyes and Adams comes right back with a piledriver that clearly did not connect. Adams pounds him and Vincent just stands on the ropes waiting for the kick and it happens but Buff runs over, kicks him and finishes him off with the Blockbuster.
*1/2 Really? Buff cannot win against this guy without distraction.
Match 6: Chavo Guerrero v. Chris Jericho (c) for WCW Cruiserweight Title
Jericho has to be convinced to take off the belt. Still going as Jericho shadowboxes towards Chavo and the ref goes off on Chris and he complies. Chavo chops him and back drops him. Jericho though knocks him to the floor. He suplexes him back into the ring and poses for the crowd and he does not like the boos! A double underhook slam for a two count. Chavo shoves him back and now it is his turn to get in some offense, Jericho then misses in the corner and is nailed. He is tied up in between the ropes, off the whip he floats over in the corner but Jericho is still hit with a back elbow. Chavo goes for his finisher and Jericho escapes and it is Tamer time. Chavo taps. He holds it down and Juve runs down and is dropped. Jericho tries to take off his mask but Juve fights him off and Jericho flees.
** Really this should have been a lot better. Jericho needs the win but Juve? Chavo is fun to watch and this does not help him then again he is seen as a jobber at this point.
Match 7: Sick Boy v. British Bulldog
Shit, I missed the intro again. March Madness! Distracted. I think it is Sick Boy. It is, damn I am good. EB comes to the announce table as Davey takes it to Sick. EB calls what is going on a Right Wing Conspiracy (a play on what Hilary Clinton said who was against her husband as Lewinsky was going down). Sick Boy is in command and he dropkicks him and gets two after a springboard. EB is pissed about They Live being the movie after Thunder as it stars Piper….a nice way to hype it up. Davey is really selling Sick Boy’s offense. He is now in a rear chinlock. Davey gets to his feet, but is dropped with a knee. Now Davey is done with the shenanigans and powerslams him and it is over. Mongo runs down and they go at it again. Security led by the ever present Dillinger tries to pull them up.
** I never thought I would say this: I am liking the Mongo/Davey feud.
Match 7: Chris Benoit v. Raven
Raven hits him from behind, and then runs him into the ring, leaps off the apron nailing him. He sets up a chair in the ring and trips him into the chair. The chair is wedged in the corner, and Benoit reverses a whip into the corner and Raven flies into it and he does it again! This time with more authority. Benoit wedges it into the corner again and kicks away at Raven who slumps down. He breaks it and does it again and the fans love it. He goes to dive into him and Sick Boy moves him and Benoit’s head is drilled into the chair. Benoit is down, Raven slowly grabs him and Benoit grabs him and gives him four German’s! He wants a fifth but Raven slumps and now the Flock comes in and they get dismantled. But the numbers game takes over. Now Benoit is hammered. DDP runs out and unloads but Saturn has Benoit in the Rings the entire time but now those two go at it and DDP still has the ribs wrapped! DDP helps up Benoit who screams that he needs no help. DDP begs to differ.
*** Good stuff
Match 8: Glacier v. Goldberg
Fans erupt. Goldberg is green and got a big head but it is amazing how he got over and ran with it. WCW got behind him and then dropped the ball down the road. Still I figure I will enjoy it until they do so or he gets old.
Glacier attacks him but Goldberg does a backflip and then murders Glacier with a swinging neckbreaker. Glacier though fires back. He kicks him into the ropes and he is speared and now a Jackhammer. Over.
*** Not sure how to rank this. But Glacier was considered decent at one point and now Goldberg is starting to destroy everyone.
Match 9: Ric Flair v. Lex Luger
Um, where has Flair been? Rumor has it that the fans did not boo him during his really brief heel turn so he was taken off TV. Now he has no feud and Flair is clearly needed as the fans love him and he is awesome in the ring. Whatever Bischoff, douche.
Luger drops him and now a gorilla press slam. They do their 95-6 thing with Luger no selling the chops. He nuts him and then takes him down and Flair gets two. Flair goes up top and is caught and tossed. Luger flexes at him and then whips him into the corner sending him upside down onto the apron where Flair is clotheslined. He tries to suplex him in and Flair lowblows him! Flair denies doing that. Flair kicks him in the ribs a few times. Flair chops him in the corner a few times but now it is Luger time and his patented offense of blows and then clotheslines. He has Flair up top and utterly demolishes him with a superplex. Ouch. Luger powerslams him and calls for the Rack. He has him up and the feet of Flair hit the ref. Luger checks and Flair clips the back of the knee and it is Figure Four time. Luger reverses it, and Macho runs in and hits Luger and I think he hit Flair and now Hogan comes in and beats him. Some more nWo run down and assault Luger and Savage. Sting runs down and he goes after Hogan as Luger goes after Savage.
***1/2 it was enjoyable to see Flair again. Yes, Luger cannot wrestle but I am not Dave Meltzer and fancy myself an expert. It was fun and that is what matters.
**** Good show. Nothing to complain about. I loved the beginning and Bret Hart was mentioned and he may not be dead after all. I forgot to mention that he has been a no show for weeks since the PPV during the last Nitro recap. The wrestling was not great but not bad. Everything clicked fine and the feuds were advanced and Louie who is great on the mic was heard on last time. Good stuff. Now I hope Nitro continues this trend.