WCW Thunder 5/27/1998

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WCW Thunder 5/27/98
A Wednesday edition; maybe we will find out what is going on with Sting and the second of best of seven between Booker and Benoit. Thunder is still good, so I hope it continues.

This is the Bret Hart I like. He wants the crowd to listen, and they may be disappointed in him but he is with them. No one knows what it is like to give it all every time he gets in the ring like he does. He is the best etc. He knows there is a guy in the back going through what he has, and that is Sting. He is being pulled in every direction, and he tells him that those Red and Black colors are not him and never will be. Tonight he wants Sting to listen to him and he will tell him that he has the key to his wrestling future and Sting will need none of these people.

Match 1: Jim Powers v. Barbarian

Powers gets in some offense, goes for a sunset flip but gets chopped in the shoulder blades and choked out. Barbarian unloads on the poor dude who is just getting demolished. He is able to get the boot up but two clotheslines barely stagger him and a third does nothing either but the gut shot bends him over and the knee lift finally sends him down. Hart is on the apron and Jimmy is knocked off and Jim turns into a boot to the face and it is over.

* Overlong squash.

Tony is with Jericho and they are discussing his shot at Dean Malenko. Chris apologizes to JJ Dillon and it will never happen again. He hopes JJ will see the light and return his title. Tony informs Jericho that JJ is not here tonight, so Jericho has Schiavone hold a sign that says “Conspiracy Victim and he goes off on JJ calling him fat etc. Jericho has had enough and he is going to Washington and he is going to the the best law firms and libraries along with the Senate and House and even the president. He will find the Jurisprudence to get his title back. He will never be intimidated again and he will get his title back as this is war!

Match 2: High Voltage v. Bulldog and Jim Neidhart

Another botched opportunity by WCW. Voltage takes it to them right away but get swung into each other and Rage is back dropped and Voltage retreat to the floor. Jim and Kaos start off and they go back and forth. Kaos snaps him over and Rage is tagged in and he strikes with a slingshot legdrop. He attacks Davey and then tags Kaos back in who bodyslams Neidhart, the tag is made again and Rage misses the springboard flip. Davey gets the tag and runs over both Voltage. Davey powerslams him and they get the win.

** Nice to see Jim and Davey, not for long I am sure.

Here comes the Wolfpac and they have some new music: a rap, not bad. Too bad they did not save it for Nitro. The fans are standing. Marshall tried to make a rap joke equating Luger with Snoop Dog….fucking awful. Nash has the mic and the Wolfpac is in the house. Nash asks Macho what he thinks about Bret running his mouth and Savage responds that Lex will respond as he is the man. Lex has the mic, and sometimes in life you have to go with your gut and do what is right. He could go into a thousand reasons as to why he joined them; he hypes up all three other members as title holders and they are where it is happening here and across the country. He has turned his back on no one; he carried the WCW banners for years and did not turn his back on them and still respects them but there is something bigger going on. This is why he is in the Wolfpac and they feel it too and Konnan gets a Wolfpac chant going. He is here to talk about a decision about a guy he has been through a lot with, inside and outside of wrestling and he is talking about Sting. They have never made decision for each other, and he and Sting and the fans felt it, Lex took the step and he wants Sting to take that step. Bret Hart knows nothing about Sting and it makes him sick to his stomach, so Stinger he can take that step and become a part of the most powerful and awesome force that has ever been assembled and come together. The Red and Black is just too sweet….One of Lex’s better promos but he cannot go for too long as he stumbles and gets repetitive.

Match 3: Glacier v. Hammer

They tie each other up a few times. Nothing much going on. Hammer strikes with a flying shoulder tackle and after sending him into the corner clotheslines him then getting a two count. He chokes out Glacier and then tosses him off the top rope for another two count. Glacier rolls to the floor and Hammer goes after him. They tussle for a bit but once they are back in the ring, Glacier kicks him in the head and applies the Rings of Saturn on Hammer. Hammer does not give up and Glacier gets up and Saturn has run down and he kicks Glacier in the head. He tries to pick up Hammer but they just kind of dance around. Raven runs down and gives him the Evenflow and Saturn gives him the Death Valley Driver.

*1/2

Raven begs for him to come back and Saturn who is not good on the mic agrees and then Raven freaks out about Mortis. Saturn grabs a popcorn seller and realizes it is not him and Raven screams that it is someone else and as Saturn gives chase, and Kanyon comes up and knocks out Raven. Saturn and the riot police carry him off.

Match 4: Booker T v. Chris Benoit

They exchange holds and blows for a minute. Booker runs him over but Benoit comes back with some chops but as he runs off the ropes he is powerslammed. Booker drops the elbow and he gets a two count. Booker kicks him to the floor and then sledges him from the apron. Benoit is rolled back in and he hops right up and greets Booker with some stomps. Booker is flung into the ropes and blasted with a back elbow. Benoit gets two and after a short clothesline gets two more. Benoit connects with a flurry of chops and stomps. Booker is thrust into the corner and he collapses. Benoit covers him but Booker gets his foot on the ropes and Benoit puts him in a rear chinlock. He pulls back on the arms, Booker powers up and out but a couple of knife edge chops sends him back down. Booker is sent for the ride, Booker is sprinting off the ropes and he ducks a blow and they both collide. Benoit is up first and wants a suplex but is rolled into a cradle and nearly pinned. Booker is back dropped after the whip. Benoit gives him a backrbeaker and hits the diving headbutt! But he is slow to get to his feet and is really woozy, and now he covers him but Booker kicks out at two and a half. Back to the chinlock. Booker is up and hits the axe kick! He gets two and then hammers him a bit. Benoit is set up on the ropes and Booker goes for the Harlem Kick and Benoit does not really move and Booker gets him a bit and mostly the ropes. Benoit takes him down for two. He gets another two after a bridged German suplex. Benoit kicks and then stomps a hole in Benoit. The ref pulls him back, so Benoit covers Booker for a two count. Booker spinesbusts him but misses the Harlem Kick but then dodges and connects he is up top and hits the missile kick and it is over!

**** Damn that was good!

Tony asks Benoit what happened. Benoit admits that Booker has talent but he questions his heart. He is going to find out what he is made of but Booker will find out why he is called the Crippler.

Match 5: Brad Armstrong v. Fit Finley (c) for WCW TV Title

They lock up, exchange some holds. Fit has him in a headlock but Brad takes him down and gets a near fall. Fit is up and the fans boo him as he and Brad circle around one another. Fit kicks him in the gut, snaps him over. Fit takes him down and elbows him in the back of the neck, picks him up and bodyslams him. Brad gut punches him. Fit clotheslines him and gets another two count. He picks him up over his shoulders but Brad drops down rolls him up for two. But Fit is up and he kicks Brad a few times. Fit rocks him with a few shorts, whips him into the corner and the drives his shoulder and head into Brad and puts him in a rear chinlock. Brad is up after a series of boring chants, Fit elbows him on the apron but Brad fights back and slams him and foot catches him after a whip into the corner. Fit sweeps the leg and really drives his neck into the mat with a Tombstone….damn that looked painful.

** Fuck the fans, show Fit some respect you fuckers.

Recap of Macho, Bret and Piper from Monday night.

Match 6: Barry Darsow v. Saturn

Barry actually takes him down but Saturn is up and blocks a hiptoss and kicks him to the mat. He puts him in a side headlock but Barry counters with a back suplex. He follows up with some sledges but misses clothesline and is tossed back. He is thrust into the corner where he is kicked numerous times. Barry comes back with a clothesline and gets two. An uppercut hangs Saturn over the middle rope, so Barry chokes him out with it. He runs him head first into the corner and then tosses him to the floor. He goes after him and runs his shoulder into the post, pulls him up to the apron and bends him back over the top rope and then snaps him into the ring. Saturn ducks, a spinkick sends Barry down, some blows to the skull but misses in the corner after the whip. Barry hoists him up and strikes with a shoulderbreaker. He goes for his finisher: Barely Legal, some sort of arm submission but Saturn gets to the ropes and holds on for dear life and the ref forces the break and Barry argues with the ref and turns into a standing sidekick and is done after the Death Valley Driver.

** Not bad.

Match 7: Barry Horowitz v. Goldberg (c) for WCW US Title

Goldberg is attacked but boots Barry and then powerslams him. He pulls him up and it is spear time! The Jackhammer finishes it.

** Squash.

Bret Hart comes out with the nWo sans Hogan in tow. Bret thinks that after all he has done he should be able to get some respect. He should listen to the fans and the lack they show. The only person Sting can trust is Bret. He cannot trust anyone else; Bret helped him at Starrcade and Sting would still be champ if he had his way. The wrestlers in the back do not respect him and he goes over their similarities. The scum of the earth like Nash, washed up old Randy Savage, and he wants Sting to remember who double crossed him not long ago as did Nash. Bret does not trust Lex. The Black and Red, the Wolfpac, and he and everyone else want where he stands. His true colors, and he unfurls an nWo shirt and tells him that it is as easy as black and white. Cue the Wolfpac. Nash has the mic and tells Bret he can run his mouth all night long. But everyone knows he belongs with the Wolfpac. Bret yells that they are scum and backstabbers and the only person Sting can trust is him. Nash declares that they could discuss this all night, Sting has probably made up his mind and he will make the right decision and it is Black and Red and he wants to fight. Giant heads to the floor and the brawl begins and we are out of time.

**** Nice solid show. They covered everything. Had a couple of decent matches with Benoit and Booker kicking some ass. Not sure why Bret wants Sting on his side but it is interesting that he keeps wanting Sting to side with him and only mentions the nWo in passing. We will see where it goes, but hopefully they tease it out a bit. Bret is getting more air time but being a part of the nWo is asinine. Two nWo’s and a useless WCW? I guess we will see.