JULY 29TH — MOLINE, IL — TAPED
MATCH #1: THE CAT VS. BARRY DARSOW
NOTE: Cat predicts that he’s going to win the match in less than five minutes.
FINISH: Cat nails Darsow with a kick wearing a red shoe and pins Darsow for the win. Cat won the match in under five minutes. After the match, Cat and Ono celebrate.
Bob’s Take: I must admit it is a bit jarring to see Barry Darsow on WCW TV in 1999. It’s to be expected on Saturday Night or Worldwide, but not on Thunder. WCW is seen as the older promotion and Darsow certainly feeds into that narrative. Cat successfully winning the match in under five minutes is perfectly fine as Darsow isn’t going to be impacted one way or another. 0 for 1
MATCH #2: BUFF BAGWELL VS. ERIK WATTS
NOTE: They showed footage of DDP on Hollywood Square and the match was joined in progress as a result. Reminder, this is a taped show.
FINISH: Bagwell hits the Blockbuster, but The Cat comes out and accidentally elbow drops Watts. Apparently, the referee counted a three count before the interference. After the match, Bagwell clotheslines Ono on the aisle.
Bob’s Take: Watts showed some good heel antics to get the crowd to jeer him fairly well. Watts seemed to not overly care, but in a good way as he hit a standing moonsault at one points. Which, I don’t think I’d ever expect to see something like that out of Watts at this point. Bagwell is getting a good crowd reaction, but his steam of moving up the ranks seems to have stalled quite a bit. I actually enjoyed this largely because of Watts antics and doing random moves that I was not expecting him to do. 1 for 2
MATCH #3: BOOKER T VS. BAM-BAM BIGELOW
NOTE: DDP and the Triad cut a pre-match promo. DDP claims he’s a movie star now. Bigelow calls out Booker to come out, but before that happens they do momma jokes.
FINISH: Late in the match, DDP and Kanyon enter the ring to attack Booker causing the disqualification. After the match, Stevie Ray runs into the ring with a chair to make the save.
Bob’s Take: There was some decent action, but the lame DQ finish is a bit expected. I wish WCW would get behind Booker and allow him to win these kinds of matches. The Triad are over enough that losing a match here isn’t going to hurt anyone. It was a it underwhelming. 1 for 3
STEVIE ASKS FOR BOOKER TO REUNITE
CONTEXT: Stevie is pissed about the Triad and asks Booker T to reform Harlem Heat. Booker grabs the microphone and says he wants to see Stevie take off the NWO t-shirt. Ray quickly tosses the shirt off to the side. Booker needs his brother to watch his back. Booker embraces Stevie and Harlem Heat is officially reformed. They will be challenging the Triad at Road Wild for the tag titles.
Bob’s Take: It’s a bit baffling to have the official reunion airing on a taped version of Thunder, but whatever. The crowd wanted it and the crowd responded very well. I think Harlem Heat will be good for the short-term, but Booker needs to a singles wrestler for the long-term. 2 for 4
MAIN EVENT: CHRIS BENOIT, PERRY SATURN & DEAN MALENKO VS. RIC FLAIR, DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE & KANYON
FINISH: Flair gets a pair of brass knuckles and decks Benoit. Kanyon is placed on top and pins Benoit for the win.
Bob’s Take: At some point in time the young core of WCW need to be able to prevail in matches against the old guard. Sure, they accomplished that about a month and a half ago on Nitro when Bagwell pinned Flair, but they have been shifted downward quite a bit. It’s not lost on me that this downward trend started upon Hogan’s return to WCW. There is good action throughout the match and the pace is pretty good, too. WCW tends to book the heels strong, but they could have afforded a win for the young guys here. 3 for 5
SHANE DOUGLAS JUMPS THE RAILING
CONTEXT: Douglas gets in the ring and tells them that they’ve been screwed around in WCW for long enough. Douglas says he didn’t get a plane ticket until 3:30pm and is sick of the politics. Douglas believes you can’t stop a revolution and they are here to take back what it rightfully theirs. They will not stop until they achieve it.
Bob’s Take: I feel like this speech would have been better if they had actually won the match. They had just lost and sure it was with a brass knuckles shot, but they are seen a bit less than when they can’t get any momentum against the heels. I’m not killing it dead yet, but they need a moment of hope for the fans aside from just one. 4 for 6
It’s a taped show, but still had some quality action on it for the most part. The highlight videos focused on the Hogan/Nash issue and they didn’t drag on the show. Harlem Heat reunion is a fairly big moment kind of wasted and forgotten about on Thunder, but the crowd loved it. I wish there was more actual wrestling as if this format continues fans won’t have much of a reason to tune in every other week.
7/29 WCW Thunder TV Rating: 2.8
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