JULY 22ND — MOLINE, IL — MARK OF THE QUAD — LIVE
MATCH #1: VAN HAMMER VS. KAZ HAYASHI
NOTE: Hayashi is no longer using anything Glacier related.
FINISH: Hammer wins the match following the cobra clutch slam.
Bob’s Take: The crowd liked the visual of a larger man destroying a smaller wrestler for the period of time this match took place. In fact, when Hayashi had a flurry of offense as the underdog the crowd kind of booed his attempt to get some offense. I’m not sure if the fans actually liked Hammer or if it’s simply enjoying a guy dominating. It’s a decent match and I enjoyed it for what it was as they focused on Hammer’s strength and Hayashi is a Cruiserweight I tend to enjoy. 1 for 1
LENNY & LODI CHATTING
CONTEXT: They are talking about their meeting with JJ Dillon and they thought it went well, but they wonder what they did to deserve this.
Bob’s Take: It’s a mystery as to what they’re talking about, but I’m guessing they are going to be getting destroyed tonight. I like not telling us forcing the viewer to watch the show to find out. 2 for 2
MATCH #2: MISS MADNESS VS. BRANDI ALEXANDER
NOTE: This is the first women’s match on WCW TV since a singles match between Starla Saxton and Malia Hosaka on the 12/28/1998 edition of WCW Worldwide. The last women’s singles match on WCW primetime TV (Nitro or Thunder) came on June 9th, 1997 when WCW Women’s Champion Akira Hokuto defeated Malia Hosaka.
FINISH: Miss Madness picks up the victory with a bridging suplex.
Bob’s Take: Considering it’s been a significant amount of time between women’s matches on primetime WCW TV, I thought they did a decent job at getting the crowd to respond and holding interest. It’s not a match that is must-see or anything, but I’ve seen a lot worse from the male wrestlers on these shows. Miss Madness, who would later be known as Molly Holly, clearly has talent and if WCW ever decided to have a women’s division and actually care about it, she’d thrive in such a division. 3 for 3
CURT HENNIG PROMO
CONTEXT: Hennig is pissed about Goldberg getting TV time and focus on Megadeath. Hennig says the West Texas Outlaws are the hottest things going in WCW. Hennig tells Gene to find out how well their I Hate Rap song truly is doing on the charts. Hennig calls out Goldberg tonight. Hennig thinks Goldberg either isn’t here or is a coward. So, Hennig decides to issue a challenge to Goldberg for a match on Nitro this Monday and calls Goldberg a skinhead.
Bob’s Take: Here’s a fun fact, apparently WCW censors decided they needed to censor Hennig saying “Goldturd” instead of Goldberg. I find that hilarious. Obviously Hennig has no chance in hell on Monday, but at least their doing something to promote Goldberg’s in-ring return to action. 4 for 4
MATCH #3: CURT HENNIG VS. CHASE TATUM
FINISH: Late in the match, Swoll accidentally hits Tatum with a heart punch. Hennig hits the Hennig Plex and pins Tatum for the win.
Bob’s Take: There wasn’t any connection to Mysterio and Konnan noted during the match, so I’m wondering if they are distancing themselves from the No Limit Soldiers entourage. Tatum has a good look, which I’ve noted before. I think he needs a bit more training before being put on the national spotlight. This wasn’t very good, but Hennig winning is the right move since he needs to have some momentum for Goldberg to end it on Nitro. 4 for 5
LENNY & LODI CONCERNED
CONTEXT: They are concerned about wrestling Sid Vicious tonight. They hide as Sid Vicious walks by. Jimmy Hart walks by and tells them they should get a doctor at ringside because they are going to need it.
Bob’s Take: Are they going to make Lenny and Lodi a comedy babyface duo to get sympathy for them? This could work, but I feel like the WCW audience wants to boo them. 5 for 6
MATCH #4: WCW CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPION REY MYSTERIO JR. & EDDIE GUERRERO VS. JUVENTUD GUERRERA & PSYCHOSIS
FINISH: Mysterio hits a top rope hurricanrana on Psychosis after Eddie lifts Mysterio into the air leading to Mysterio pinning Psychosis.
Bob’s Take: Obviously this is a ton of fun and full of action. I will say, I couldn’t help but feel as if Eddie was going to turn on Mysterio at some point. I’d love to see Eddie and Mysterio challenge the Triad and have a hell of a match on TV at the very least. The crowd responded well to the action here and it’s a solid Thunder match. 6 for 7
RANDY SAVAGE FIRES MISS MADNESS
CONTEXT: Savage comes down to the ring alongside Gorgeous George and Miss Madness. Savage brings up the next election for President in 2000 and demands the fans vote for him. Savage declares he’s the boss and he’s not afraid to make a decision. Savage talks about Dennis Rodman hitting him with a loaded purse and trying to take his reputation. Savage isn’t going after Rodman’s vote and considers Rodman is in danger zone. Savage doesn’t believe Rodman would survive in the danger zone. Savage needs to trim the fat. Savage announces that Madusa has been fired and claims she’s not taking it well. Savage turns his attention to Miss Madness and tells her that she’s no longer Miss Madness ’99. Savage says she has confused a lot of situations around the ring. Savage tells her that it’s all about him. Savage grabs Madness by the chin and backs her against the ropes. The camera is zooming out and the crowd is booing Savage. Savage wants Madness to get on her knees and beg for her job. Savage fires her anyway and kicks her out of the ring. Savage says he’s not done with Kevin Nash.
Bob’s Take: Well, I don’t like the character development that Savage abuses women or it’s heavily implied that he’d do it. The crowd was giving him a lot of heat for his treatment of Madness. I didn’t find there to be much purpose for this. 6 for 8
MATCH #5: WCW TELEVISION CHAMPION RICK STEINER VS. SICK BOY
NOTE: Rick Steiner cuts a promo before the match saying if Goldberg gets in his business he’ll rip his face off.
FINISH: Steiner finishes Sick Boy off with a top rope bulldog to win the match.
Bob’s Take: While I’ve not been enjoying Rick Steiner since his heel turn, I am fine with the idea of Steiner having a short-term feud with Goldberg. All the main heels seem to be busy heading into Road Wild. Steiner has been a dominate champion, so Goldberg beating him may actually matter to some viewers. As for the match here, this is nothing and it was incredibly short. 6 for 9
KEVIN NASH CALLS INTO THE SHOW; TAG CHALLENGE FOR NITRO
CONTEXT: Tenay mentions that Nash has some kind of challenge for Hogan on Nitro. Nash issues a challenge to Hogan for a tag match. Nash will team with surprise partner that is in his room as they speak to take on Hogan and Sting. Tenay asks if we know who the man is and Nash says he’s known him for nine years and is a good buddy. Nash says that it is time for Hogan to pass the baton. Nash notes that until someone takes out Hogan it’s going to stay the way it has been. Nash doesn’t trust Hogan and is going to drop Hogan like a bad habit at Road Wild.
Bob’s Take: This feels like a tease for Scott Hall returning on Nitro to team with Nash, and I’m all for that honestly. I thought this was a fine promo and it adds some more questions for Nitro. 7 for 10
MATCH #6: SID VICIOUS VS. LENNY & LODI — HANDICAP MATCH
FINISH: Sid powerbombs both men and pins them while they are in the 69 position
Bob’s Take: Literally a squash with minimal effort. There wasn’t any humor in this at all. I didn’t think there was a need to do this to Lenny and Lodi at this point. 7 for 11
MAIN EVENT: RIC FLAIR VS. DEAN MALENKO
FINISH: Late in the match, Flair tries to leave the match, but Benoit & Saturn walk down the aisle to prevent that from happening. The Triad comes out to brawl with Saturn and Benoit. DDP tries to get involved, but Malenko fights DDP off. Flair takes advantage with a rollup and pins Malenko to win the match.
Bob’s Take: One of the biggest pops of the night came when the referee shoved Flair, which I’m not sure that’s a good sign for the crowd interest in the product or the wrestlers on the show. It seems like a safe bet that WCW is not entertaining the idea of a young vs. old angle and I think that’s especially true with Hogan returning from injury. I never thought Malenko was going to win this match. The interference didn’t bother me as it still led to a finish. I’m thinking the Triad turns on Flair at some point because Flair doesn’t have any power for them to take advantage of. I was a bit bored by the match, though. 7 for 12
They promoted a few things for Nitro, but I’m not sold on them being necessarily draws for the program. Goldberg vs. Hennig is a match that has been done plenty of times and it will be the same routine for Goldberg. There’s not much interest in that one. Nash promoting a tag match and leaving it a mystery as to who his partner may be could lead interest to the match if people think it is Scott Hall. Obviously that is where I mind is going and probably hoping for.
WCW Thunder 7/22 TV Rating: 2.6
Thanks for reading.