Written by: Kevin Kildenberger
Buff comes out and says what is up to the crowd. He is happy the fans stuck by him but not too happy with Scotty. He makes some juvenile jokes but he is Buff and the Stuff. He is sick of all the politics too. Gene brought up all the individualism. He states he is tired of Macho Man and issues a challenge for tonight.
Match 1: Rick Steiner (c) v. Scott Putski for WCW TV Title
Rick is destroying him. He makes him tap after about five minutes of punishment.
*1/2 Squash.
Ric and the Horsemen are in the back and Flair talking to Barry Horowitz. He tells Barry that he will be wrestling David and reminds him that he is the boss. He relays a plan that essentially Barry has to lose. He is reluctant s Flair tells him the Horsemen will be ringside etc. He finally agrees.
Match 2: Juventud Guerrera v. Kidman
They have been going back and forth. Not their typical high flying match but decent.
Hart and Nash on Leno on Monday. No ref. It will be shown on Nitro.
Juve scissors him to the floor and then Juve flies over the top rope and nails Kidman. They go back and forth for another minute. Juve is crotched up top after pushing Kidman off. Kidman heads up after him and superplexes him back into the ring. But Juve makes a comeback and spikes him and motions that he is ready to put Kidman away but he walks into a powerbomb and is nearly pinned. Juve floats over but he is grabbed and pinned!
*** Pretty good.
Match 3: Kaz Hayashi v. Rey Mysterio
They have been exchanging holds and moves. Kaz misses in the corner and Rey runs up top and strikes with a running headscissors. Rey leaps on him but Kaz drops down and Rey bounces off the top rope throat first.
Savage comes out and calls Rey the man and tells him that it is on. He first says that Buff will find out later tonight. Kaz has Rey down as Savage keeps talking. Rey is the giant slayer and he is the man with the rep. He took Nash down. Savage wants Rey on the team. Kaz powerbombs Rey and gets two. Savage hypes up Rey some more and….
Commercial.
Rey beats him off a great Frankensteiner.
**1/2 Decent. Some Angle advancement.
Savage is in the ring and wants the music cut. He tells Rey to concentrate and he is lucky that Savage is taking the time to talk to him. He is the man that beat the man Nash. Savage reiterates that Rey is the man but not the man because Savage is the man, the Macho Man!! Classic. He wants Rey to concentrate and join the elite group. He wants an answer right now. Team Madness all voted for him. They do not need him but would like to include him in the secret plan. All he needs is an “Ohhh Yeahhhh” and Rey is considering it. Rey respects him like Savage cannot imagine him. It would be an honor….but, he has other plans. Savage is not too pleased. He asks him to reconsider. His deal is the real deal and wants an Oh Yeah. Rey is unsure. He says no. George hits him from behind and into a Savage clothesline. Rey fires back and springs into a dropkick. George jumps on his back but is flipped over. Madusa kicks him and Savage piledrives him! Kidman runs down and flies into him. Mona misses an elbow drop but Madusa nails him and Savage drops him throat first onto the top rope and then piledrives him. Konnan flies into the ring and strikes with a rolling clothesline and he mounts and pounds him in the corner but he is blindsided by one of the girls. Savage goes up top and it is elbow time!
Match 4: Raven and Saturn v. Horace and Vincent
Raven’s Rules. They win after about six minutes. Vincent is double pinned by Raven and Saturn piling on top.
** nWo is done for.
Hart is on Jay Leno. Jay is telling him about Nash’s challenge. Bret calls Nash Big Boring and he has always beaten him. He is willing to take him on. He wants a clip shown of Goldberg getting pasted by a chair from the PPV. He laughs that Goldberg is toast and soon Nash and then Leno will be toast.
Match 5: Barry Horowitz v. David Flair
Barry gets in some offense but Flair wins with the Figure Four.
*1/2
Match 6: Disco Inferno v. Curt Hennig
Curt shoves him into the corner but Disco comes back and hiptosses him. They go back and forth and here comes Macho Man. Disco attacks him as he gets in the ring and chases him around but Savage lures him in and destroys him. Savage rubs his face into the concrete but Buff runs down and blindsides him and the match is on.
Match 7: Macho Man v. Buff Bagwell
Savage is whipped into the railing and Buff unloads on him. Savage is rolled back into the ring and Buff pursues him with a flurry of rights and then he mounts and pounds him. Savage is whipped into the corner but runs into an elbow and now into a big boot. Buff dropkicks Savage and keeps after him. He snaps him over and stomps on his chest. He puts him in a clutch. He jumps on his back and gets up but Savage counters by knocking him to the floor and he heads out after him. He pounds on him and then rolls him back into the ring and continues to punish him. He drives his shoulder into him and then elbows him. Buff fires back and kicks him in the gut and snaps him over. Buff drops the elbow and gets a two count. He uses the ropes to choke him out and Madusa slaps him a few times. He grabs at her but gets elbowed in the neck courtesy of Savage and is then tossed to the floor. He drops him throat first onto the railing. He takes the chair and chokes him out and the ref calls from the bell. Nick Patrick is tossed. Penzer was too. Savage has a chair and Savage drives it into the neck some more. Savage goes up top as Madusa holds the chair and security runs out and surrounds Buff. Savage finally jumps down and there are some boos that he did not destroy Buff. He decks the ref and some security dudes.
** Angle advancement.
Buff did not lose but looked a bit weak. I am not a huge Buff fan but there is no doubt he is over and has a chance of getting even more over. He needs a signature win. Like Konnan he is on the cusp of the uppercard but cannot break through.
***1/2 Good episode of Thunder. They worked through the angles and had a couple of decent matches. Savage destroying Rey and company would normally get me fired up. But I am a Savage mark and will be subjective on this. They got in some offense….but as long as it does not become a habit then I am fine with it.