WCW Thunder 1/3/2001

Written by: Bob Colling

World Championship Wrestling presents Thunder
Date: 1/3/2001
From: Memphis, TN

Matches:
1.) Shane Helms defeated Jamie Knoble
2.) Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo defeated Cpl. Cajun & Sgt. A-Wall
3.) Meng defeated Crowbar in a chair on a pole match
4.) Goldberg defeated Mark Jindrak
5.) Ernest Miller defeated Reno
6.) Mike Awesome defeated Jim Duggan
7.) Dewayne Bruce defeated Buff Bagwell by disqualification
8.) Jeff Jarrett defeated Sid Vicious by disqualification

Angle Developments/Notes:
1. Lance Storm, Elix Skipper and Major Gunns are talking backstage about how they are better with Mike Awesome. They walk outside to see Mike Awesome has painted his bus with the Canadian colors.

2. CEO Ric Flair walks down to the ring to cut a promo. Flair puts over WCW as the number promotion going today. Flair runs down a few matches taking place at the Sin pay per view. He also says that WCW World Heavyweight Champion Scott Steiner has to learn to play by the rules. Jeff Jarrett cuts Flair off and comes down to the ring. Jarrett is tired of Steiner’s actions and all the talk about the mystery man. Jarrett wants to know who the mystery guy is or he is going to hit Flair with his guitar. Flair instead tells Jarrett he will be in the main event tonight where if he loses he loses his spot in the main event. Sid Vicious comes down and is announced as Jarrett’s opponent! Flair assures Jarrett that he can’t get out of the match!

3. Backstage, Flair talks to Mike Sanders about Kevin Nash and DDP. Sanders tells him that they were given the night off.

4. The Natural Born Thrillers talk with Sanders in his office. They brag about messing up the Insiders travel plans. They continue to mock Nash and DDP before walking off.

5. Backstage, Mean Gene talks to Crowbar about facing Meng tonight in a chair match. Crowbar instead talks about his match with Terry Funk at Sin. He is going to beat Funk half to death and will get passed Meng who is his only roadblock to do so.

6. The first match of the night takes place with Shane Helms squaring off against Jamie Knoble. Helms attacked Knoble from behind and hit a middle rope fist drop for an early near fall. Knoble came back with a neck breaker and a fisherman suplex. Helms connects with the Verterbreaker and the Nightmare on Helms Street to win the bout. After the match, Evan Karagias enters and attacks Helms with a neck breaker. Shannon Moore drops Evan with a sleeper hold slam. Knoble plants Moore with a tombstone pile driver. Helms hits Knoble with another Nightmare on Helms Street. Chavo Guerrero Jr. runs in and hits Helms with the WCW Cruiserweight Championship to end the segment.

7. Backstage, Elix Skipper confronts Konnan. Skipper shoves Konnan and runs away. Mike Awesome attacks Konnan once he turns a corner. Skipper adds insult to injury by talking trash during the beating.

8. Backstage, Mean Gene chats with Ernest Miller. Mille r says Reno can’t beat him and that he is coming for Mike Sanders.

9. Backstage, Sid Vicious has attacked the Harris Brothers. Jeff Jarrett ended up finding them in the locker room laid out and Sid’s name having been painted on the mirror. Yes, Sid can spell.

10. Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire were able to pick up the win over Cpl. Cajun and Sgt. A-Wall this week on Thunder. Palumbo springboard dropkicked Cajun off the apron. Back in the ring. Palumbo super kicked A-Wall and O’Haire hit the swanton bomb to win the match. After the match, Chavo Guerrero came out again and helped MIA brawl with the Natural Born Thrillers. Shane Douglas also showed up to attack Hugh Morrus on the floor.

11. Backstage, Shane Douglas says he will make Morrus’s life miserable. He will take the WCW United States Championship from him. Douglas announces a chain on a pole match before Morrus shows up to attack Douglas.

12. Outside, Jim Duggan attacks Elix Skipper on the bus. Duggan make it clear he doesn’t back down from a fight.

13. Backstage, the Filthy Animals are talking about Team Canada attacking Konnan. They are going to get revenge.

14. The Mamalukes are walking backstage when they meet up with Ernest Miller. Miller tells them he is going to take care of Reno.

15. Mean Gene interviews Buff Bagwell. Bagwell insults Bruce for teaming with Goldberg. Lex Luger chimes in with a joke about Goldberg’s inability to spell. Bagwell wants Goldberg to come to the ring tonight for the match.

16. A video promoting Dewayne Bruce is aired. Yeah, that just happened.

17. Lance Storm tells Jim Duggan he will wrestle Mike Awesome tonight. Awesome is excited to take Duggan out.

18. Ric Flair tells Mike Sanders that Reno will face Ernest Miller tonight and that Thrillers are barred from ringside. Also, Mark Jindrak will have a match against a mystery person.

19. Mean Gene is with Sid Vicious. Sid is going to beat Jarrett and send Jarrett to the hospital.

20. Meng and Crowbar tried their best to make the chair on a pole match slightly entertaining, in that regard they succeeded. Although Meng doesn’t have a pay per view match, he beats Crowbar in the middle of the ring with the Tongan Death Grip.

21. Backstage, Ric Flair is shaking hands with Totally Buff.

22. Backstage, Jeff Jarrett is pacing around.

23. Mark Jindrak’s opponent ends up being Goldberg. Jindrak wins!… Just kidding, Goldberg connects with the spear and Jackhammer to continue his winning streak. Afterwards, Goldberg tells Totally Buff that they are both next!

24. Backstage, Mean Gene talks to Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett wants the mystery man to decide if they would rather want Sid or Jarrett at the pay per view. Jarrett has proven himself several times and is tired of having to do so.

25. Totally Buff is talking to Kronik but we can’t hear about what. They give Kronik some money.

26. Ernest Miller backed up his talk by beating Reno following the Feliner.

27. Lance Storm cuts a promo saying that Mike Awesome is faster, stronger and younger than Jim Duggan. Duggan ends up cutting off the Canadian national anthem and would soon pay the price for doing so. Duggan fights off Team Canada on the apron but is beaten by Awesome who hit a top rope frog splash. After the match, the Filthy Animals save Duggan from a beating. Konnan shows on the big screen that they spray painted the new bus!

28. Mean Gene is outside to get Team Canada’s reaction. Lance Storm challenge the Filthy Animals to a match at Sin.

29. Backstage, the mystery man puts his gear on.

30. Sarge vs. Bagwell isn’t all that important as this was just a way to progress their feud with Totally Buff. The important stuff happened backstage as we saw Kronik attack Goldberg and put him in a box shipping him out of the arena. With Goldberg out of the building Totally Buff ended up breaking Sarge’s arm.

31. Outside, the Insiders attack the Natural Born Thrillers as they tried to enter a limo.

32. Sid attacks Jarrett on the ramp way to start the main event. Jarrett low blows Sid back in the ring to gain the advantage. Jarrett gets a two count following a dropkick and a top rope cross body. Jarrett gets a sleeper on Sid but Sid recovers. Sid big boots Jarrett and goes for the power bomb but the mystery man enters the ring and attacks Sid. After the match, the man takes his mask off and its Scott Steiner! Sid is beaten down to close the program.

Final Thoughts: This show felt like it took forever to get through. A lot of the segments were promoting the same matches throughout the night. I don’t think there needs to be several segments to promote a Miller/Reno match, but that’s just me. The crowd was actually quiet for everything, even Goldberg. It was just an awful show to kick of 2001.

Thanks for reading.