Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WCW Thunder 4/16/98
They recap the main event from Nitro.
Buff has his own nWo video! Looks like he is getting a push.
Match 1: Buff Bagwell v. Rick Steiner
Rick forces Vincent off the floor by whipping his collar around. Buff gets in the ring and taunts him but then retreats to the corner. They lock up and Buff armdrags him and then flexes. This upsets Rick who sticks him and pounds on him. He works him over in the corner, gives him an inverted atomic drop before sending him to the floor with a clothesline over the top rope. Buff gets back in the ring, goes off on Rick with fists to the head and then clubs the back. He bodyslams him and goes up to the second rope and goes for a double axe but is grabbed and tossed back, and then tossed again. He takes him down and then clotheslines him. Rick goes up top and Scotty shoves him off the top and he and Buff beat him up. Lex comes down in his gay flannel and takes out Scotty who flees with Buff.
*1/2 Okay. Angle advancement.
Hogan is giggling about Savage getting run over and being dumb for jaywalking backwards and he is ready to take his belt back from Sting.
Nash comes out and grabs the mic, calls for his music to be cut. For two years Hogan has tried to prove to the wrestling world that he walks on water and you know what he agrees with him because everyone knows a turd floats. He should be standing here before everyone tonight with the belt around his waist and that gets boos. Hollywood could not stand the chance that Nash would be champion and last week Bret Hart made the biggest mistake of his wrestling career. He tells Bret he should not tug Superman’s cape and continues to quote Croce and finishes by telling him that he should not have messed with him. He tells Hogan in order to avoid Armageddon Hogan needs to be his partner or he will drive a stake through his heart and end his career. He reminds Piper and the Giant that he will gladly beat them on his own and even Hogan too. He then tells Hogan to sit back and watch how a real partner is as he and Savage will take care of business. He tells Sting to get on his best facepaint as WCW does not make the rules Big Sexy does.
Match 2: Goldberg v. Barry Darsow
Barry goes after the arm and is picked up held there and tossed down with ease. Goldberg whips him into the ropes and Barry goes for a sunset flip and is picked up and tossed into the corner and then annihilated with a huge hip toss. Goldberg catches a leaping Barry and gives him a backbreaker. Barry rakes the eyes but is run over only to toss him oto the floor, but Goldberg lands on his feet and leaps onto the apron and into the ring where he spears him and then finishes him with the Jackhammer.
*** Holy shit I am an official Goldberg fan. Never thought that would be the case but he is impressive and has won me over.
Schiavone is with JJ Dillon. Tony knows how busy JJ has been but he has a big announcement for Nitro (advertising something due to RAW perhaps….). There will be a US Title match at Nitro the winner of the Stampede match will face Goldberg. This means Raven will win. And they are clearly hotshotting this to get viewers. Raven and DDP could have kept their feud going until GAB and then get Goldberg involved later in the summer….oh well. JJ continues how impressive Goldberg has been….
Match 3: Booker T (c) v. Rick Fuller
Booker takes him down with a kick and then again with a forearm. Fuller comes back by shoving him into the corner and keeps him there only to run into a back elbow, but when Booker runs at him he powerslams him. He whips him into the corner, places him up top and tosses him off. Fuller keeps at him but misses him in the corner and is caught off the rebound and spinebusted and Schiavone is not there to fuck up the name: Thank you Tenay. Booker axe kicks him and then back suplexes him. After the Sidekick he heads up top and missile kicks him for the win.
** Another win for Booker and the fans love it.
Hogan again and everyone knows it is his built as he beat Sting and therefore should be facing Sting again.
Schiavone is on the ramp and there is a tag match between Buff/Scotty and Rick/Lex. Buff and Scotty come out and do not like that. Scotty claims that people like Tony have polluted Rick’s mind. And seeing as he is not a part of WCW he does not have to do what they say and so he will not show up and besides his parents do not want to see him wrestle his brother! Classic.
Match 4: Scott Norton v. Chris Benoit
Benoit is taken down and hammered. Norton does not let up and he pounds him in the corner. He slams Benoit, pulls him to his feet and chops him in the chest and this wakes up Benoit who returns the favor but Norton knocks him down. Benoit is sent into the corner and then squashed by Norton. Norton runs him over and Benoit collapses to the floor. Norton goes out after him and runs his head into the steel and goes at him again but Benoit dodges and Norton bounces off of it. They are in the ring and Norton whips him into the ropes and powerslams him. Benoit shoves him into the corner and it is rolling German time! He gets two, and kicks him into the corner only to be whipped into the opposite corner but Norton eats the post. Benoit takes him down and goes for the Crossface but Vincent is on the apron and he knocks Vincent off the apron and goes for it again but this time Vincent causes the DQ and they beat him down. Booker runs them off and Benoit shoves him down and leaves.
** Okay power match but why not allow Benoit go over cleanly?
Schiavone calls out Piper who is on the Giant’s shoulders giggling like a child with Down’s (no offense intended) I mean he has a shit eating grin on him like when I give my one year old a treat. Giant climbs into the ring with Piper still on his shoulders and Tony gushes how great that is, someone punch him please. Piper declare he can reach a bat from anywhere. It is time for a bat match and he has real life mean Giant. Roddy babbles for a moment and asks what the opposite of Big Sexy is and thinks it is Pee Wee Herman (WTF). He wants down and I am sure he had a woody. He acts like the Giant is a wild animal and calms him down and calls himself friend. He thanks Hogan and Disciple for beating him up on Nitro and he is ready for Denver and once again he knows who the real Giant is and he is going to Denver to chop down the nasty vince so Hogan will fall into his arms where he can take the bat and beat him within an inch of his life and we will see you will hit a home run and they hug!
Match 5: Super Calo v. Curt Hennig
Rude is at the announce table and Tony kisses his ass but does wonder about the handcuffs and Rude responds they use them after hours! Meanwhile Hennig is tossing Calo around, snaps him over and then snaps the neck after jumping over him. Curt sends him into the corner but Calo moves and then nails him with a missile dropkick and he gets one. Calo jumps right into his arms and is pushed into the corner and then slapped and stomped. Calo goes to kick him but Hennig grabs the leg, trips him up and stomps on his groin area. Curt sends him for the ride and drops him with a knee. It is Plex time and over.
* 1/2 Squash. Cruiserweights are no match for Curt!
Hogan warns DDP he does not want a shot at the title…he gets one or is that their older match. Anyway Hogan warns him off….
Match 6: Chavo Guerrero v. Chris Jericho (c) for WCW Cruiserweight Title
Oh boy Tony is fired up and claims that when WCW announces a match they will have it unlike other organizations (um, that is calling the kettle black or whatever the phrase is). Chavo tees off and shows some anger as he beats on him. However, Jericho counters, drops him and gets two after a vertical suplex. Chavo is sent into the corner but gets his boot up and then takes down Jericho getting two. He follows up with an atomic drop, Jericho reverses a whip and Chavo ducks and rolls up Jericho for two but then Jericho grabs and puts him in the Liontamer. Chavo gets to the ropes and Eddie smacks the hand away twice! Prince comes down after the match and clocks him with the scale and beats him all the way to the back. Eddie has the mic and tells an angry Chavo to calm down. Eddie tells him that he cannot beat a wrestler of Jericho’s caliber and knocks him on the head with the mic. Eddie does declare that if he beats Jericho on Sunday Chavo is free and it takes Chavo a couple of attempts to remind Eddie that it is the Dragon he is facing….but if he loses Eddie will ride him twice as hard.
** Angle advancement.
Here comes Hogan along with EB and the Disciple. EB is in penis licking mode as he lays praise on Hogan. He goes back to the time they laid eyes on each other in July 94 and learned to never litter. Hogan talks about all the people who worship him and he makes fun of Savage and others are littered around….shit I got distracted. Oh well, he calls Nash a big stinky goof and continues that he understands why everyone is jealous of him. He is the most powerful man in wrestling and it has its drawbacks, and when he his movie premiered and when he was Leno he saw how jealous Nash and Savage were. He is the only one who should get the title shot and when you live for Hogan and love him you are in it for life.
Schiavone is with JJ Dillon and the former asks about all the injuries and wonders who will face Sting. JJ does not answer and reminds us that Goldberg will face the US champ on Nitro. Also, Buff and Scotty will face Rick and Lex. Now to Savage who has a cast on his arm and he is worried about him and there are three others who can face Sting like DDP, Nash or Hogan despite their matches. So that was what Hogan was talking about….What about Bret Hart? That would be awesome. Savage comes out with Liz and gets in JJ’s face and he has no jurisdiction for this and tells JJ to do something constructive such as looking out for red and yellow Vipers driven by bald people who like to run over people. JJ would love to have conclusive evidence but they do not. He and the WCW Committee have to have a doctor’s note (is he absent from school) and no cast in order to wrestle. Savage responds that he will not be stopped and will take the law into his own hands. JJ declares that what happened to Savage was wrong but we have a title shot and something has to be done.
Match 7: Brian Adams v. the Giant
Adams takes it to the Giant with a series of blows but the offensive does not last as Giant hammers him back. He scoop slams him and then gives him the big boot. He readies for the chokeslam. Vincent runs in and causes the DQ and the “B” Team runs down and gets demolished as Piper directs traffic.
** Angle advancement and it is way too soon to job out Adams.
Raven video package.
Match 8: Saturn v. Silver King
This one is already in progess and they are going back and forth. Saturn misses in the corner as does King. They are both up top and Saturn basically powerslams him from the top and Saturn finishes him with the Rings.
** Squash and Saturn’s biggest and hopefully not last push.
Video package for DDP.
Schiavone is in the ring with DDP and the former reminds us that DDP is really the champ and he can get his title back. DDP brushes that off and wants to focus on what JJ said about Goldberg on Nitro. This makes DDP even more jacked up. He has seen Goldberg and his buddy the Jackhammer roll through WCW and he wants to see how bad he truly is when they go eye to eye. DDP now turns to Raven and recaps their feud and about his whining. He believes that Raven is delusional and does not know who he is but DDP knows who he is. himself that is, and that is going into the PPV to get his title back and Raven will feel the Bang.
Match 9: Kevin Nash and Randy Savage v. Bret Hart and Sting (c)
Bret starts off against Savage but Nash wants in and Bret grins, so Savage obliges. Bret motions that Savage is chicken! Bret and Nash go at it by exchanging fists but Nash over powers him and works him over in the corner with his usual offense of knees and forearms. Nash taunts him and then strikes with another forearm. He mixes it up a bit by…..choking him out with his boot! Bret is sent into the other corner but gets the boot up and then goes off the middle rope and clotheslines him. He then mounts and pounds him, drops the head into the gut and tags in Sting to the roar of the crowd. Sting drops an elbow but gets the eyes raked and bodyslammed. Savage gets the tag and Sting immediately counters and puts him in the Deathlock and Nash makes the save by dragging him to the floor. Nash gets the tag, takes his time getting into the ring and wants Hart back in, so the Stinger obliges. Hart gets in but is reticent and Nash charges him, knees him in the gut and places him over his shoulder but Bret goes behind and pushes him into the corner and then pounds him. Nash comes back with a few blows of his own and then side slams him getting a two count. He pulls up Hart, headbutts him back down but misses the elbow drop and Hart goes for the Sharpshooter but Nash rakes the eyes and Savage grabs him and runs his head into the top buckle. Hart fights out of the corner but is grabbed and short clotheslined. Nash pulls him up sends him for the ride and for some reason puts him in a sleeper but turns it into a side headlock. Bret counters with a back suplex and both are down and Bret makes the hot tag and Savage is in and Sting ducks the haymakers with the cast and decks Savage, turns and decks Nash. He Stinger Splashes Savage who had lowered his head and his head is bent. He turns to do the same to Nash but gets clotheslined in mid leap. Hart pounds Nash but a boot sends him to the floor. Sting dropkicks Nash to the floor and he and Hart brawl. Sting goes for a Splash on Savage and he hits all cast! Savage goes up top and stays there for a moment…..okay the Disciple is fucking slow and finally gets down and shoves him off. Hogan enters the ring and Nash wants a piece of him and the shoving match is on as the nWo holds back Nash and we fade…..
*** Just great to see Bret Hart. Sting again though does not look strong so this most likely bodes ill unless they give him the big win at the PPV. Nash is not good in the ring but this is the most intriguing he has been since he first arrived and was overshadowed by Hogan.
**** Great show. However, WCW is already panicking. I do not think Goldberg needs a belt right now. Just keep having him dismantle opponents, there are plenty of jobbers for him. Also, he could dismantle the Flock and then Raven later. Oh well. My guess, Hogan is getting the belt back sooner or later as EB thinks Hogan=ratings and no doubt Hogan does too. Fuck. Anyway they set up the PPV and did a damn fine job of it and I am looking forward to it. Now Benoit should have won and then got beaten up and saved by Booker. There was no Davey Boy and that is odd but other than that everything is in place and now all they need to do is follow through with a great PPV. That is usually easier said than done and the bat match has the potential to be fucking awful but I hope not.