Written by: Kevin Kindelberger
WCW Thunder 6/11/98
The nWo is lounging by the ramp….
Schiavone informs us that the PR department, which promised a major announcement tonight. I did not bring it up on Monday because Schiavone informs us of some type of shit each week, something earth shattering…..well guess what, it is postponed! It is beyond their control as event on Monday caused it or some shit, something about Rodman but no explanation and they recap the end of Nitro!
EB interrupts and brags about Jim Kelly being there (they are in Buffalo) and how he and everyone else wants to see the nWo. EB discusses that the Giant can choose whoever he wants to be his partner. Giant talks about chokeslams. He is going to take out Sting, and discusses finding his partner and how he needs to be as hard as a rock. It is the fucking Disciple….what happened to Adams? Maybe he said he was unavailable. Giant rambles some more about Beefcake….who should thank Buddha that Hogan keeps employing his mediocre ass. EB mentions his lawyer…..
The nWo has their own limo inside the arena. Disciple is hitting on some chick.
Match 1: Riggs v. Dean Malenko (c) for WCW Cruiserweight
They lock up, Riggs misses a blow and is taken down and put in a front chancery. He gets up and has the arm, but is taken down. Dean snaps him over and puts him in a rear chinlock. Dean is sent into the corner after Riggs gets vertical, Dean tries a float over but is grabbed and spiked. Riggs dropkicks him and gets two. He follows up with a bodyslams and has the arm. He works him over for a bit, sends him for the ride and drops him with a back elbow. Riggs gets a two count and goes back to work on the arms. Riggs chokes him out on the ropes before being taken down with a sunset flip. Riggs, though, comes right back and hammers him some more. Dean knocks him down, goes for the Cloverleaf but Riggs is right on the ropes; Dean back suplexes him and gets a two count. Riggs dodges in the corner, kicks him in the gut and suplexes him for two. Riggs slowly goes up top and Dean shakes the ropes and Riggs leg gets caught as he falls off and Dean finishes him with the Cloverleaf.
**1/2 Not bad.
Video package for Goldberg.
Jericho mocks the video and yells that he has been to DC and so has done everything possible. He wants JJ to get his fat posterior out here so he can get his belt back. He continues, Dean had a “great” match but he will have the title for only another hour.
Match 2: Kidman v. Juventud Guerrera
Kidman has him in a side headlock. Juve escapes and the nWo leaves….Tony calls it intimidation. The two fly around the ring and Juve gets the advantage tossing him to the floor. He attempts a slingshot splash and eats all floor. Shit, Kidman pretty much powebombed him into the railing and then hits a shooting star off the apron. Back in the ring, he gets two and puts him in a rear chinlock. Juve escapes but is decleated with a clothesline and then kills him with an exploder. He gets a two count, sends him into the corner and misses the splash. Juve charges, sent over to the apron where they tussle and Juve rams Kidman’s head into the top buckle and goes up top and nails him with a spin kick for two. Kidman runs into a boot after reversal but connects with a powerslam off the rebound. He powerbombs him for two more. Juve lands on his feet after a German attempt, and Juve hits the Driver and the 450 for the win.
**** Great. Will Kidman get a win?
Tony calls out Luger and asks about DDP. Lex mentions that the nWo left because they knew the Wolfpac was in the house. They were worried about dealing with him face to face as they like to attack from behind. The door is still open for DDP to join. Macho and him are challenging Giant and Disciple.
EB is with Bret, and the former calls Lex a loser, well close to one. EB is all over the place and not making sense. Bret wants Benoit, a fellow Canadian, to join the nWo. He talks about his history with Benoit and wants him to join the greatest Canadian wrestler in history. He wants him to make his decision to join Eric and Hogan and the nWo. He wants to know now and sits down with EB by the ramp.
Match 3: Chris Benoit v. Booker T
Stevie Ray is barking out orders that are ignored….Benoit gives out some stiff chops, sends him for the ride but is blocked. They go back and forth and Benoit snap suplexes him. Booker barely clears off the leapfrog and Benoit is dropped. Benoit retreats but Booker leads him back into the ring and beats him down for a bit until his leg is snagged and given a dragon leg whip. Booker rolls to the floor and then rolls back in. Benoit picks him up by the knee and spikes it and jumps on it….
Commercial….DURING THIS? FUCK OFF WCW.
Benoit is pounding on him in the corner, flings him across the ring where Booker’s leg gives out. Benoit is taking his time. Booker counters and backslides for two, but Benoit goes right back after the knee. He twists and turns it. Booker kicks him off with an enzuguri. Both are down, Benoit is up and chops him and down goes Booker and he gets two. Benoit pulls him up and gives him some knife edge’s in the corner, kicks him and then hangs him upside down in the corner where he kicks him in the gimpy knee. Benoit is stomping on the knee after Booker falls to the mat, and he gets another near fall as Bret and EB watch. Benoit twists and turn the knee, hangs over Booker and hooks the arms! He is pulling back and Booker refuses to give up.
ANOTHER BREAK!!!!!!! Okay, Booker got to the ropes right before it.
FUCK, Booker just tore off his head with an axe kick as Benoit was standing. He pancakes him but misses the Harlem Kick. German Suplex time and he hits all three and only gets two. Benoit goes up and hits the diving headbutt!! Only two though, Bret runs down and hits Booker with a chair and wants Benoit to cover but he will not but Nick Patrick is counting and at nine Benoit stops the count and points at Bret and it is a DQ. Benoit looks stunned despite ratting out Bret and the fans yell at Hart.
***1/2 I hope it does not end like this but even WCW will not fuck that up….perhaps. Sudden Death at the PPV?
Malenko and JJ are with Tony and Dean is tired of Jericho’s whining. Dean takes pride in having the belt and is willing to give back the belt in order to face him one more time. He has confidence in his abilities to beat him anytime, anywhere. Jericho comes out, after Dean leaves, and is ecstatic. But JJ will not relinquish the belt. Jericho will have to face him at the PPV. Jericho freaks and his dad comes out to ZERO crowd support until he mentions some hockey players from Buffalo. He is sick and tired of Jericho whining and tells him to shut up and wants him to earn the belt like a man. Jericho runs off….but the match is on at the PPV.
Match 4: Konnan v. Some Random
This is “exciting” as they go back forth. Konnan is knocked to the floor but is up and snaps him over and hits him with a seated dropkick. It is Scott Putski….been awhile, my bad. Konnan bulldogs him. Konnan goes after the leg, takes him down and puts him in an armbreaker. He gets a couple of two counts and Scott comes back with a suplex. He slams him and heads upstairs and leaps right into a big boot. Konnan hits his 187, Cradle DDT, and finishes him with the Sunrise.
** Have to make him strong going into the PPV facing Goldberg.
Match 5: Saturn v. Glacier
Seriously? This feud is continuing? Glacier runs down and assaults him with a slew of kicks and punches. He kicks him in the gut and snap suplexes him. Saturn comes back, tosses him over and puts him in an STF but Glacier breaks it by grabbing the ropes. Saturn pounds him in the corner. He kicks him over and over. Glacier blocks a blow after the whip and kicks him in the chin getting two. Saturn reverses the whip into the corner and back drops him. Glacier comes back and Lodi is kicked off the apron. Glacier goes for the Cryonic Kick on Saturn but he counters with a kick to the nuts and then finishes him off.
**1/2
Raven does not care and wants to know about himself. He starts talking about Kanyon and wants him to come to him so he can set him free…that was a lot of him’s probably did not make sense. Raven calls his protection inept….clearly Kanyon is one. Nope. He fires them all and he and Saturn beat them up. Nope, one is Kanyon and he boots Raven and then runs off….
JJ would like Booker to come out. He does not want the feud with Benoit to end like this. Booker states that those were the greatest of matches and that he has great respect for Benoit. He does not want to end it like this. They need to settle this the right way. Now JJ states that the ref made the right decision, Ray agrees. JJ though can do something about this and this decision does not count and the final match will be at the PPV. The winner will face Fit and Ray is not happy about that and Booker tries to calm him down.
EB comes out with Liz and has the mic, and wants to reiterate something’s. He thanks the crowd for showing the love and wants to tell Randy it is Niagra Falls not Viagra Falls (Really?). He wants to give Liz a chance to give her thoughts after the mean things said about her. Liz does not think he is over her as she left him. The best thing about him is his checkbook and that she has been his crutch. It is time to move on as she has, and think about that Macho Man thing….and stops and I missed it but I am sure it was rather pointless but she was actually solid there….
Match 6: Giant and Disciple v. Lex Luger and Randy Savage
All four go at it. Giant accidentally clotheslines the Disciple. EB taunts Savage and Savage goes after him as Luger takes out both men. Hart comes out of the limo and assaults him and Hogan joins in the fun. Giant is stomping on Lex and the match is called. Nash comes out, early for once, to help out Savage. Giant rumbles down and beats on Nash as Savage gets pasted.
NR
**** The main event was too short but teased the PPV and that is what it needed to do. The rest of the show was solid. They had only a few matches but they were long and pretty damn good. I really enjoyed the show as they kept it simple, some interviews, focused on the midcard with the nWo/Wolfpac being the overall arc. No Eddie and Chavo but they did a good job.