Superbrawl IX is five weeks away and the main event for the pay per view has been determined. WCW World Champion Hollywood Hogan defends against Ric Flair in a match that has a much more personal tone to it than any other match in their long standing rivalry. It is by far the most interesting and compelling feud that WCW is promoting. I should note that most of that credit belongs to Ric Flair and his promo work. Flair’s ability to come across livid with Hogan makes a viewer want to see Flair get his hands on Hogan. Hogan isn’t doing much promo wise and the beating on David at Souled Out is the main purpose for the feud. Considering they can’t have Goldberg win the title quickly from Hogan it’s a suitable placeholder for Flair to chase. Should Flair win? I could see it happening, but the end game ideally should be Goldberg gaining revenge for January 4th.
Another interesting angle on the shows has been the direction of Rey Mysterio Jr. It appears that there could be a feud brewing for Rey with either Luger or Nash. The match with Luger on Nitro was surprisingly enjoyable as Luger bumped around well for the smaller Mysterio. It may be difficult to buy into Mysterio beating a guy such as Nash, I can understand that. If they lead into that kind of feud with Mysterio pinning Luger and even Hall to justify a match with Nash, I could probably get behind it. Konnan’s association makes sense considering he was kicked out of the Wolfpac, but my focus is on Mysterio since he’s a far more enjoyable performer.
Scott Steiner’s recent obsession with Kimberly Page on Nitro came across poorly. Steiner defeated DDP, Kimberly’s husband, on the 1/11 Nitro and it’s obvious they are continuing that feud for whatever reason. Steiner essentially harassing and stalking Kimberly made Steiner look like a fool. As I’ve said before, there’s been two weeks of Nitro already in 1999 where some kind of harassing/stalking angle is being portrayed whether it be legit or phony. Steiner shouldn’t be trying to convince a woman to be with him, that doesn’t fit the character. He’s self obsessed and thinks highly of himself, but Steiner was essentially begging for a chance with Kimberly. Hardly a badass presentation for the WCW TV Champion.
Those are the top three angles on TV at the moment. Of course, we have Saturn wearing a dress for at least 90-days and is being embarrassed by Jericho on a seemingly nightly basis. Plus, Booker T continues to be a bright spot on TV in the early stages of ’99. Cruiserweight action continues to be fun to watch and Psychosis got a clean win on Nitro. WCW’s got some positive stuff going on in the first few weeks of ’99. Lets see if it can continue on this live edition of Thunder.
JANUARY 21ST — INDIANAPOLIS, IN — MARKET SQUARE ARENA
NWO BLACK & WHITE BICKERING BACKSTAGE
CONTEXT: Stevie Ray is leading a meeting amongst the team. Ray is tired of standing in the dressing room and not knowing what’s going on. Vincent asks where the shirt is at and Ray tosses the shirt aside. Scott Norton gets in Ray’s face asking who made him boss. Vincent grabs a letter. Ray says he didn’t sign off on being the B-team. They complain about how they’re being treated. Vincent suggests the NWO is having problems.
Bob’s Take: I couldn’t care any less about the NWO B-Team. 0 for 1
MATCH #1: DISCO INFERNO VS. JERRY FLYNN
FINISH: Inferno pins Flynn following the Chartbuster
Bob’s Take: It seems that Inferno is getting over a bit as the lackey of the New World Order. I’m still not overly sold on the association. Inferno isn’t cool and the comedy aspect of the character doesn’t vibe with the New World Order despite Hogan’s attire choices since returning. Flynn had a moment of shine with some impressive kicks, but there wasn’t much to this. 0 for 2
THE NWO BICKERING CONTINUES, ATTACKED BY HORSEMEN
CONTEXT: The B-Team are using a walkie talkie to communicate and make sure it works. Horace leaves the locker room and they test the walkie talkie. Norton is not a patient guy. Norton tells Horace to wait for Hollywood to show up. Vincent insists they need to stay together. After a commercial, they are still talking backstage. Vincent brags about having the Wolfpac phone number and makes a call. Vincent calls the numbers, but the call goes to voicemail. Norton gets a message from Horace that Hollywood has arrived, but Stevie wants to stay in the locker room. Horace welcomes a limo arriving to the arena. However, it’s actually the Horsemen. Horace is beaten down by the Horsemen and Flair makes his way down to the ring.
Bob’s Take: Again, I don’t care about the B-Team and their motives. Horsemen beating up the B-Team isn’t all that important as they should be able to beat up lower midcard workers without issue. 0 for 3
WCW PRESIDENT RIC FLAIR CHATS WITH MEAN GENE
CONTEXT: Flair lets us know that the Outsiders are not the tag team champions and there will be a tag title tournament with the finals at Superbrawl, which is where Flair will also be kicking Hogan’s ass for the WCW World Championship. Flair is a bit bitter about Hogan keeping wrestlers in the shadows for twenty years. Flair is pissed about working hard and Hogan taking time to make (bad) movies. Flair claims that Hogan can’t carry his jock in the ring. Flair is livid about Hogan beating up his son, but at Superbrawl they will determine who is the one true champion. At Superbrawl, it will be Hogan’s fame vs. Flair’s reputation. Flair tells a fan in the front row that if there’s a problem with that he’ll take Hogan’s wife and make a woman out of her. Flair warns Hogan for the hardest match of his life against the dirtiest player in the game at Superbrawl. Flair knows that in 90-days he could be out of power, but for now he has the power.
Bob’s Take: This is a bit confusing because they already were doing the tag title tournament, but the New World Order continually ruined the matches. The Outsiders hadn’t been tag champions since Hall turned on Nash back at Slamboree 1998, right? So, for over six months the Outsiders as a unit have had nothing to do with the tag titles. It may be important to focus on Flair’s wording that he said he COULD be out of power in three months. It’s not an overly memorable promo and a little bit repetitive, but Flair is captivating on the microphone especially when his target is Hogan. 1 for 4
HORACE IS CHECKED ON BY THE NWO
CONTEXT: The B-Team checkup on Horace where Norton is pissed that a guy who was laid out didn’t use the walkie talkie. They are all bickering about what’s going on.
Bob’s Take: I’m not sure why there’s so much focus on these guys. 1 for 5
MATCH #2: PERRY SATURN VS. AL GREENE
FINISH: Saturn picks up the win following the Death Valley Driver
Bob’s Take: I enjoyed this for Saturn’s offense and nothing to do with Greene. Saturn got extra livid when Greene pulled up the dress. So, Saturn isn’t going to stand for being harassed in the dress. 2 for 6
RAVEN’S FAMILY CLIPS
CONTEXT: These are clips that have already been shown on Nitro in recent weeks. Raven is a spoiled rich kid. Kanyon is there as Raven’s best pal. Jim (Sandman from ECW) tries to make Raven treat his mother better. While in the garage, Raven came across old photos of Roddy Piper to seemingly tease a feud.
Bob’s Take: If the end game is a feud with Piper, I’m all for it to elevate Raven. 3 for 7
MATCH #3: KENNY KAOS VS. GLACIER
FINISH: Kaos picks up the win following a springboard clothesline from the apron
Bob’s Take: Kaos has a great look and there’s a level of intensity that comes across well on television. However, he’s not ready for primetime singles wrestling matches even against someone at the level of Glacier. When Kaos teamed with Rick Steiner he benefited by not being the sole spotlight. That’s not to say Kaos doesn’t have potential to do big things if given time to develop, though. There wasn’t much crowd interest in the match either. 3 for 8
NWO BLACK & WHITE CONTINUING TO DO WHAT THEY DO BEST… BICKER
CONTEXT: Vincent is complaining about getting beaten up and is trying to rally the troop. Vincent suggests they go get them and he remains in the locker room while they all leave. Vincent removes his B-Team shirt and reveals a Wolfpac shirt, which he likes a lot better.
Bob’s Take: Okay, Vincent thinking he’s in the Wolfpac is a bit funny. I’ll give them that. 4 for 9
NWO BLACK & WHITE IN-RING PROMO BECAUSE WE NEED IT
CONTEXT: Vincent takes control of the segment and reveals that Horace and Brian Adams will be in the tag title tournament for the NWO B-Team. Vincent also issues a six man challenge for the Horsemen tonight where Vincent will team with Norton and Ray. However, it’s noticeable that the other members are not liking this direction.
Bob’s Take: Vincent taking charge as the leader and believing he’s in the Wolfpac is actually hilarious and I may now enjoy this. It’s incredible because I can’t take Vincent seriously at all. Vincent bossing guys like Stevie Ray, Scott Norton and Brian Adams around makes me laugh more than it should. I honestly can’t wait for Vincent to get his ass kicked in the main event. 5 for 10
MATCH #4: BOOKER T VS. NORMAN SMILEY
FINISH: Smiley decides to bail on the match to avoid the missile dropkick. Booker wins by count-out. Smiley is heard saying “you can’t beat me.”
Bob’s Take: Smiley winning on PPV and now being protected from taking a pin loss could be the signs of a push for the Big Wiggle. Smiley is getting over with the Big Wiggle as the crowd reacts in a big way each time he does it. Booker continues to be someone I find to be invested in and I actively remain focused on his matches. A weak finish, but a solid encounter. 6 for 11
MATCH #5: CHAVO GUERRERO JR. & WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION KIDMAN VS. BRIAN ADAMS & HORACE — WCW TAG TITLE TOURNAMENT MATCH
FINISH: Vincent whacks Kidman with a slapjack as the referee was distracted allowing Adams to pin Kidman for the win.
Bob’s Take: The crowd gave Horace some surprisingly loud “Horace Sucks” chants during the match. I’m a bit surprised they’d even care about Horace to chant that. Considering the focus on the NWO B-Team tonight it would have been illogical to have them lose to Kidman and Chavo. In a perfect world, I’d like Kidman and Chavo win because they are better wrestlers, but in wrestling sense, the NWO are an actual team and know how the other works best. So, it’s not the worst decision. Plus, the size difference makes it believable, too. Shockingly, I enjoyed the action. Vincent actually doing something positive and not messing up was not expected, either. Earlier I didn’t care about the group, but now I’m entertained. I can’t make sense of it. 7 for 12
NWO BLACK & WHITE REFUSE TO GET ALONG
CONTEXT: Vincent is thrilled with their win, but Stevie Ray is pissed that Vincent grabbed the slapjack from his bag. Vincent calms Ray down and they focus on the main event tonight. Ray continues to ask Vincent about the Wolfpac shirt. Vincent insists they are together. Adams accepts they aren’t in the Wolfpac and it appears they are a unit.
Bob’s Take: Vincent is being far too entertaining. 8 for 13
MATCH #6: REY MYSTERIO JR. VS. LA PARKA
FINISH: Mysterio picks up the pin following a tilt a whirl bulldog
Bob’s Take: Solid match with limited time. Mysterio looked great and it feels as if he’s outgrown the Cruiserweight division. Whether that be challenging for the TV or US Championships it’s probably time to elevate Mysterio to bigger things. Mysterio is probably on the same level as Booker in the sense of I actively watch and enjoy his matches. 9 for 14
DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE CHATS WITH MEAN GENE ABOUT SCOTT STEINER
CONTEXT: DDP says that someone is always trying to hit on Kimberly, but he’s use to it. DDP tells Gene that being mad at Steiner’s antics would be an understatement. DDP proclaims that he’s got Steiner’s hookup. DDP warns Steiner that if he breathes the same air as Kimberly it’s going down.
Bob’s Take: DDP’s acting was rather horrendous. For some reason I’m not buying into DDP has a viable threat to Steiner, at all. Judging the audience, it doesn’t sound like they are buying into him either. I’m wondering if losing to Steiner on Nitro already was a mistake. Not a strong promo by DDP. 9 for 15
NWO BLACK & WHITE… AGAIN
CONTEXT: Vincent wants the team to call him Vince now instead of Vincent. Vince tries to get them to be a united front, but they all walkout on him. Vincent tries to drink raw eggs, but gags. Vincent notices a camera in the locker room and we see the Wolfpac watching on in the limo. Hogan and Nash appear to be disappointed in what they’re watching. Hogan says “well boys, I guess we know what time it is.”
Bob’s Take: They better not kill Vince, but I am curious as to what they’re thinking. 10 for 16
MAIN EVENT: SCOTT NORTON, STEVIE RAY, & VINCENT VS. RIC FLAIR, CHRIS BENOIT & STEVE ‘MONGO’ MCMICHAEL
FINISH: Flair locks in the figure four leg lock and forces Vincent to submit in the middle of the ring. After the match, Benoit puts the Crossface on Vincent because he can.
Bob’s Take: Flair didn’t even break a sweat competing tonight, nor should he considering the opponents. I’d like to see better usage for Norton. I buy into his style and think Norton could easily be a strong midcard heel if given the opportunity. In fact, Norton had quite the winning stream throughout ’98 but didn’t seem to have much of a direction. A clean finish in the main event for WCW and I left satisfied with the babyfaces getting the better of the heels. 11 for 17
It’s a weird feeling to be dreading segments with the NWO B-Team, and then midway through the show actually enjoy them. Am I a victim of Stockholm Syndrome? Vincent was on a different level tonight and provided entertainment that I was not expecting. Vincent being casted as a delusional guy thinking he’s in the Wolfpac is a great fit. Why does it work for Vincent and not Disco? These guys don’t even realize that they’re not truly associated with the New World Order. They’re being lied to and most of them are probably aware, but simply in denial about it. Vincent is not in denial and thinks he’s in the Wolfpac for whatever reason. Inferno appears to be loosely associated with the New World Order and primed to actually join the group once he fully proves himself. Wolfpac needs to stick to the core foundation of Hogan, Hall, Nash, Steiner, Bagwell and Luger. However, Luger is even a guy I’d kick out when the times right.
Diamond Dallas Page stood out for a bad promo and the lack of crowd reaction. The guys wife is getting harassed and the crowd isn’t behind him to fight for Kimberly’s honor. DDP was weighed down by Kimberly a few years ago and it looks like history may be repeating itself. DDP is at his best when he’s on his own fighting his own battles.
The second hour carried the program to being an enjoyable overall experience. Booker T & Rey Mysterio Jr. being showcased freshened up my mood. I hope they don’t mess up their momentum.
1/21 Thunder TV Rating: 4.2