Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WCW Thunder 3/5/98
A recap of Savage being Harvard’s National Lampoons man of the year. He talks about Hogan and that he knows what is wrong with the nWo. He does all his catch phrases and they do a crash TV type presentation as he is asked questions by college kids.
Here comes Hogan with his cronies in tow. Bischoff loves the crowd too. He mocks Savage for even thinking he is a real man. He has been walking in Hogan’s shadow for his entire career. He asks Hogan how he could stand Savage. Hogan has had enough of the propaganda and his nWo-ites watch his back and once you are nWo you are for life. Sting was stung and Macho will not be a threat as he beat Macho like a dog on Nitro. He is the true macho man as he is Hollywood Hogan. He calls Macho’s award the biggest joke he has ever seen. Liz has been his manager before and her skinny legs show that! Hall is going to take care of Sting at the PPV. He took care of Savage so he should get another opponent but if Savage wants to crawl to the ring and face him….Brian Adams interrupts and calls Hogan the best and that he can beat the Hell out of anyone. Brian wants Hogan to take the night off and if Savage has the guts to show up he wants to take off his head. Hogan likes his loyalty and that Savage wants nothing to do with the nWo because they are too sweet. EB states maybe next time and it is flex time.
Match 1: Vincent v. Goldberg
This could get ugly! Jesus, Goldberg is starting to get some epic pops. Vincent knees him as he gets into the ring. Goldberg is not fazed and it is Spear and Jackhammer time! Vincent is dead….
***I mean how to rate this? It is just an epic squash to show Goldberg is getting over and that is why it is high because WCW is doing it right.
Match 2: Prince Iaukea v. Eddie Guerrero
Eddie is told unequivocally that he sucks. They exchange hammerlocks and Prince snaps him over; Eddie whines that his hair was pulled and shows the ref what happened and then asks the crowd. Iaukea knocks him down and Eddie wants him to leapfrop but instead Prince stops and drops an elbow on him. Eddie is kicked to the floor where Iaukea leaps off the apron and nails him. Back in the ring, Eddie pulls the ref in his way and this stops Iaukea so Eddie dropkicks him there. He works on the knee and ankle and after an awkward pause he is rolled up for two. Prince dumps him over and gets two and even another two after an over the top suplex. Eddie is slammed but as Iaukea goes for a springboard kick he gets nailed and the Frogsplash ends it.
**1.2 It is so clear that Eddie is over, but…..WCW fails to follow through on that.
Match 3: El Dandy v. Juventud Guerrera
Juve starts with some chops but gets nailed and then spun around by his hair. Dandy slams him and then kicks him in the chest. The Flock heads to ringside; Juve ducks some blows and then headscissors him over and does it again. He chops away but Dandy returns the favor but is whipped into the corner and placed up top. Juve mounts and pounds him. Dandy is knocked to the floor and Juve dives out on top of him. Juve chops him in the chest, rolls him back into the ring and Dandy hits him as he comes in and tries to suplex him into the ring but Juve blocks only to be back suplexed and nearly pinned. Dandy is back dropped and then drilled with a DDT. Dandy grabs him and has the arms wide like he wants a powerbomb and Juve walks up on him and the exchange and break holds and moves and Juve rolls him up for two. Dandy is rolled up again for a near fall. Dandy is up on his shoulders and pancaked and Juve goes up top and the 450 ends it.
**Okay match. The fans have been hot for the end of this one and the Guerrero match.
Konnan comes in and gets booed for his stupid ass catchphrases. He slurs out some Spanglish and then tells him how he has lost some of his identity. Juve does not care what he has to say as he is ready and never surrenders.
Savage comes out and wants to call out the two idiots out here: Brian Adams and Hogan and he is not leaving until they come out. They do along with Bischoff. The fans tell Hogan that he sucks. Savage does not like being called delusional and that half the guys in the nWo may shake his hand but they want to stab him in the back. Savage’s phone is ringing off the hook and the main goal of his so-called nWo-ites are to get him out of the nWo. Savage has known him for too long and the fans are chanting “Macho” and Hogan is like a horse with a broken leg and he is going to be sent to the glue factory. Now to Brian Adams, and he mocks him for betting his career on Hogan and will take that bet and raise him five. After he is done with Adams he wants Hogan right in the middle of the ring tonight. Hogan is chortling and after Uncensored Macho’s new career will be in comedy. Hogan will love to watch this match tonight. Macho does not want them to be late for their date tonight.
Match 4: Scott Steiner v. Chase Tatum
Tatum is a big dude but his offense does not last long and he is nailed with a belly to belly. Steiner flips off the crowd and then hangs him upside down in the corner and yanks on the neck. He dumps him to the floor and then runs him into the railing. Back in the ring, Steiner kicks him and then just keeps mauling him with a shot after shot. A double underhook slam and it is Recliner time and it is over.
**Squash.
Match 5: Curt Hennig v. Jim Neidhart
They bat hands, finally lock up and Jim shoves him into the corner. Curt retreats to the floor and confers with Rude. Back in the ring Jim puts him in a side headlock and rubs it in. Curt pushes him off only to be knocked down and staggers right back into the headlock. Curt escapes but is sent into the corner and armdragged. Curt retreats to the floor again. Jim helps him back into the ring and then works over the back and puts him in a reverse chinlock. Curt gets to his feet and pushes him into the corner and his chops have zero effect. Curt is bodyslammed and then yanked up and dropped twice by his chair. Rude was trying to yank out a chain and could not so somehow gets a board and Jim sees it coming but preps for it and is walloped and finished with the Plex. They stomp away and Bulldog runs down to make the save.
*1/2 Not much, a botched ending but oh well.
Tenay calls out Raven who takes his time coming down. Raven slumps in the corner and Tenay has to get low and wants him to shed some light on his background with DDP. Raven talks about labyrinths and hate and corridors. He helped DDP when no one else would, and DDP never thanked him. He keeps saying what about him. He spent three years in barbed wire city and when one is scarred enough you no longer feel the pain. Tonight will be his vindication and Page’s Waterloo. Raven will not put the title up at the PPV in the three way if he wins; they will have to wait due to the pain in his past or some sort: This means no win for Raven.
Jericho gets a video package! He is shadows and talks about the fans really liking him. They need to listen him and will keep cheering for him. He should be put on a pedestal and treated like the idol he is as well as a role model. All the bad things happening will never, ever happen again! Now this is the Jericho that is classic!
Match 6: Chris Jericho (c) v. Ciclope
He wants everyone to Wang Chung tonight. Every week he addresses his fellow Jerichoholics with the truth. There has been a man following him: Dean Malenko. And he was up at night figuring out all his moves and he knows a 1004 and that is four more ways he can beat him.
Syxx is supposed to be in Fargo ND when tickets go on sale this month! Um, he is punished with Fargo?
They lock up and Jericho pushes him into the ropes; the ref calls for the break and now Jericho goes for the arm but is tripped up and Ciclope misses the elbow drop. Jericho kicks and punches him, off the whip Jericho is kicked in the gut and Jericho is given a brainbuster. Jericho tries to fight back but is knocked to the floor. Ciclope flies out over the top and Jericho sidesteps him and then stomps on him. Back in the ring, Ciclope leaps on his shoulders and is dropped and the Liontamer is on and he taps. He keeps holding it in and Dean comes down and beats him up, back suplexes him and puts him in the Cloverleaf.
**Angle advancement and to give Jericho some more exposure.
Match 7: Scott Norton v. Renegade
Renegade hammers him only to be shoved into the corner and squashed over and over and then chops away. He keeps decimating him in the corner. Renegade tries to fight out but cannot. Someone starts to come down and it is the Giant and he gets in the ring and taps Norton on the shoulders and headbutts him and it is powerbomb time! Renegade is baffled and so he gets chokeslammed! Giant has the mic and he has been sitting at home with a bad neck and now Nash has a bad back and it is Checkmate and Nash needs to show up. The cuffs do not fit so they wrap chains around his wrists.
*** Not for the match but for the aftermath.
Raven is in the ring and gives DDP one last chance to beg for forgiveness and these are Raven rules.
Match 8: Raven v. DDP (c) For WCW US Title
DDP has his forgiveness right here and he wants DDP rules: No ref. They tear into each other and DDP goes off on him on the floor. He whips him into the railing and Raven returns the favor. He keeps at him as the fans chant for DDP. Raven knocks him down up by the stage and keeps punching him in the chest. They go to the back and Raven is knocked through the curtain and Benoit is in the fray and all three are going at it. Benoit stiffly chops Raven; DDP runs down and sticks Benoit and pounds on him. Raven jumps up and stomps on DDP. Now all three head towards to the ring beating on each other. All are choking each other and flinging each other into the railing. They get back into the ring and Benoit misses the diving headbutt and now DDP looms over the downed men stomping where he pleases. He elbows Raven and some random big man gets into the ring and he hits DDP and then front slams Benoit. DDP clotheslines him to the floor and Saturn comes in and puts the Rings on Benoit and DDP gets the Evenflow. The Flock brings in a railing and he DDT’s both men onto the railing and Raven stands tall.
***1/2 Great advancement for the PPV a bit short but good stuff.
Match 9: Brian Adams v. Randy Savage
Savage has the mic and here is the deal what Hogan said about Liz earlier has some merit. Hogan was managed by her and what we need to know now who the real man is and asks Liz who the real man is and she declares it is Macho Man. Now another reference about who a real man is and Macho tells Hogan to ask his wife!! Hogan goes after him but gets knocked back and Savage takes out both men with blow after blow. Both men are sent to the floor and Savage has the leather belt and whips him with the belt over and over. Adams tries to make the save and has him in a bearhug but Liz rakes his eyes. Hogan is going to punch Liz Savage saves her. Hogan begs for mercy. But the Disciple runs in and attacks him from behind and gives him a Stunner. Now the rest of the nWo comes down and beats on him. Sting runs down and clears the ring.
**** Remember I rate this on a lower plane than Nitro and RAW. This was good. The Savage stuff was gold. I mean his promo was awesome and the fans were hot. It was great. This shit needs to be saved for Nitro but if anything it gets people to tune in. The Raven/Benoit/DDP match was a lot of fun. The Giant coming down was well done, and even the squashes were fun to watch. Hell this was better than Nitro.