WCW Thunder 9/3/1998

Written by: Kevin Kindelberger

WCW Thunder 9/3/98
Match 1: Rick Fuller v. Marty Jannetty

Marty controlled most of this match and gets the win.

** Nice to see Jannetty get a random win.

Match 2: Lenny Lane v. Kaz Hayashi

Kaz is flying around the ring but is dropped throat first on the top rope. Lenny hotshots him off the top rope. They go back and forht and out goes Lane via a headscissors and now Kaz leaps out on top of him. Back in the ring Lane strikes with a flying crossbody and he gets two. Lane chokes him out, pulls him up and vertically suplexes him. Kaz rolls out of the pin and gets two but Lane leaps on him to stop any momentum. They exchange roll ups and Kaz goes up top and Frankensteins him off and finishes him with a senton splash from the top and the fans love it.

*** Great match.

Match 3: Disorderly Conduct v. High Voltage

High Voltage gets the win….it was short and to the point.

Match 4: Barry Horowitz v. Wrath

This should be fairly short and so far Wrath is making mince meat out of him. Wrath slings him into the corner with some heat but Barry goes behind and gets a one count. He punches him in the head but is powerslammed. The Meltdown and over.

** Not bad.

Saturn was discussing his integrity in a pre-recorded interview.

Match 5: Meng v. Raven

Raven has the mic and hands it to Kanyon who declares the match under Raven’s rules and it will be a handicapped match. Raven tells Riggs and Sick Boy to get him but Meng destroys both. Now Horace is sent in and he wallops him with the stop sign but it has no effect and he is put in the Deathgrip. Sick Boy leaps off the top and right into the Deathgrip and it is over.

*1/2 Squash.

Lodi tells Saturn to get in the ring and Raven wants it down quicker. Saturn does so and they pummel each other. Saturn staggers him with blows and kicks to the head. Kanyon kicks Saturn into Meng who applies the Deathgrip on him now.

Match 6: Kanyon v. Saturn

Kanyon takes advantage of a hurt Saturn. He dismantles him and Saturn’s only offensive move has been a roll up. Kanyon poses for the crowd. He covers Saturn and only gets two and so Saturn rolls him over and he gets a near fall. Kanyon dumps him to the floor after using the ropes to choke him out. Raven taunts him and rolls him back into the ring, Kanyon places him up top. Kanyon gives him a neckbreaker off the top rope and Saturn refuses to give up and kicks out. Saturn gets a second wind and fires off some shots but Kanyon drops him with a big right. Kanyon turns a neckbreaker into a cradle and gets another near fall. Saturn is picked up and powerbombed and Saturn still kicks out. Saturn gets another burst of energy and strikes with two belly to belly suplexes and now a fall away slam. Lodi has the mic and yells that Saturn is not supposed to win and he wants to see a Flatliner and orders him to take it. Saturn finally acquisces and it is over.

** Long squash but made Saturn look resilient and ultimately strong.

Match 7: Brian Adams v. Dean Malenko

Hennig hits Malenko from behind. Adams beats on him out on the aisle. The ref is knocked out. Dean is tossed into the ring but Malenko gets up and assaults Curt and then Adams. Rude comes into the ring and Malenko is overwhelmed. Curt runs him into the post and Adams puts him back into the ring. Rude hits the neckbreaker. Curt calls out a trainer and admits that he had respect for Dean until he tried to reform the Horsemen and he beats him some more as doctors check him out. Curt mocks Dean for wanting him in a cage match and he declares the Horsemen over and no one is capable of fighting him in a cage match so there will not be one. Rude places a chain link portion over Dean and stomps on him yelling this is your cage match.

NR Angle Advancement.

Match 8: Riggs v. Norman Smiley

Riggs is still smarting from Meng’s assault. But he is able to hammer Norman. Riggs has him in a sleeper but Norman counters and gets in a couple of blows but it does not last long. They go back and forth for a bit and both men are down. Riggs is up and stomps on him in the corner. Norman gets the win!

** Norman!

Match 9: Disco and Wright v. Armstrongs

They go back and forth for a couple of minutes but Wright gets the pin.

*1/2

Match 10: Stevie Ray and the Giant v. DDP and Konnan

Ray and Konnan start off. Stevie stomps on a downed Konnan, pulls him up but is sent for the ride and dropped with a rolling clothesline. Giant is tagged in and so is DDP. Giant mocks him and so DDP responds with a flurry of shots but he killed with a short clothesline. DDP unwisely goes for a sunset flip and he is pulled up by his throat and given a backbreaker. DDP is pulled up and whipped into the ropes and they collide with DDP DDT’ing him but Giant practically landed on him. DDP makes the tag and Konnan runs over and hits the Giant who hits him back and so does Ray. Stevie is tagged in and clotheslines him and knocks DDP off the apron. Giant hammers Konnan as the ref is distracted. Konnan escapes and DDP gets the hot tag. Diamond Cutter! Giant makes the save and here comes the nWo and they beat down Konnan and DDP.

** Angle advancement.

Goldberg comes down and spears Brian. Vincent gets a press slam. He and the Giant are face to face and we fade.

** Better than last week’s show and it worked in setting up the PPV.