Live from Norfolk, VA
Airdate: September 24, 1998
Attendance: 8,858 (sold out)
Hosted by Tony Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, & Lee Marshall
Can Kanyon attain glory by winning the World title? Or will Goldberg remain undefeated? Will the Horsemen be in town? What’s the latest on Disco? Batten down the hatches, ‘cuz a storm’s a brewin’!
Opening montage.
While the broadcast team warms up the TV audience, the Norfolk faithful are already primed with both “Gold-berg” and “We Want Flair” chants.
Match 1: The “Dog-Faced Gremlin” Rick Steiner versus Hugh Morrus (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Highlights:
- Morrus, either being on a losing streak on Nitro/Thunder or relegated to WCW Saturday Night, cut his hair to hopefully change his path going forward.
- When Morrus attempted to leapfrog him, Rick caught and powerslammed him.
- Rick landed an elbow drop, but Hart jumped onto the apron.
- As Rick hammered him, Hart fell prone upon the apron.
- Morrus checked on his manager but got clotheslined over the top rope to the floor.
- After Rick turned his attention back to Hart, Morrus re-entered the ring and ambushed him from behind.
- Morrus slammed Rick, mounted the top turnbuckle, but wasted a ton of time.
- While he attempted a flying elbow drop, there wasn’t any water in the pool.
- Rick, on the other hand, mounted the top turnbuckle and uncorked a Steiner bulldog.
- 1-2-3.
- Rick won at 2:29.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Rick as Morrus’ days in the loss column continue.
We revisit Nitro with the latest chapter in the Hogan-Warrior saga.
Prior to the next match, Miller grabs the microphone and offers Dinsmore a chance to leave. Unlike Lenny Lane, Dinsmore refuses.
Match 2: Ernest “The Cat” Miller versus Nick Dinsmore
Highlights:
- Dinsmore attacked him before the bell and scored with a dropkick.
- As he hooked an overhead belly-to-belly suplex with a bridge, Dinsmore got 2.
- Miller responded with a thrust kick, but Dinsmore secured a sunset flip for 1.
- When Miller fed him another thrust kick, he got 2.
- He gave Dinsmore a cross corner whip and followed with a Feliner.
- 1-2-3.
- Miller won at 1:41.
Rating: ½*
Summary: Showcase match for Miller.
On WCW Saturday Night, ah, skip it unless you’re a big squash fan.
Sorry, Chester.
Match 3: Saturn versus Psicosis
Highlights:
- Saturn scored with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex and swept the leg.
- When Psicosis reversed an Irish whip, he escaped a tilt-a-whirl and clotheslined Saturn for 2.
- He fed Saturn an enziguri but fell victim to a pair of kicks in the corner.
- As Saturn gave him a cross corner whip, he dealt Psicosis a superkick.
- Meanwhile, Lodi emerged and displayed his depression via his signage.
- Saturn confronted him, but Lodi cowered immediately.
- After Psicosis mounted the top turnbuckle, he uncorked a somersault tope to Saturn on the floor. Woohoo!
- He tossed Saturn back into the ring, mounted the adjacent top turnbuckle, and unfurled a missile dropkick to the back of Saturn’s head.
- While he reversed a cross corner whip, Psicosis dropkicked him.
- Saturn rebounded by hanging Psicosis out to dry on the top rope.
- Dropkicking the knee, Psicosis returned Saturn to the floor and slammed him.
- He mounted the second turnbuckle but missed a guillotine leg drop on the floor. OUCH!
- Back in the ring, Psicosis reversed an Irish whip, but Saturn delivered a T-bone suplex.
- He clotheslined Psicosis, slammed him, mounted the top turnbuckle, and launched a frog splash.
- 1-2-3.
- Saturn won at 7:43.
Rating: ***
Summary: Psicosis never backed down, but Saturn was too much for him. Some would say that Psicosis didn’t want to be pinned here, but the match was absorbing too much time for a different finish.
Cinnaburst sponsors the replay.
Video airs featuring Goldberg.
At the entrance, Schiavone interviews Alex Wright who speaks German. When he realizes NO ONE can understand him, Wright dismisses Schiavone. He runs down Schiavone and touts himself. Upon naming Norman Smiley, Finlay, and Davey Boy Smith, he disparages all of them.
Video airs featuring the Four Horsemen.
Match 4: Fit Finlay versus the Barbarian (w/ Jimmy Hart)
Highlights:
- As the match began, a staggeringly drunk Scott Hall emerged and joined the broadcast table.
- Barbarian reversed a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- When Finlay hit something off-camera, Barbarian no-sold it and headbutted him.
- Hall took Marshall’s spot on commentary while Barbarian slammed Finlay.
- After Finlay headbutted him twice, Barbarian no-sold them and returned the favor.
- Finlay countered a reverse chin lock with a jawbreaker and scored with a high knee.
- While Barbarian caught him, he fed Finlay a spinebuster.
- He placed Finlay in a fireman’s carry and dealt him a military press gutbuster.
- Giving Finlay a cross corner whip, Barbarian came up empty on his follow-through.
- Finlay delivered a short-arm clothesline followed by a knee drop.
- Jumping onto the apron, Hart distracted Finlay.
- Barbarian charged but decimated Hart instead of Finlay.
- Planting Barbarian with a tombstone, Finlay won at 4:50.
Rating: *
Summary: No heat to this match as the Norfolk faithful was more interested in Hall than anything else.
Video airs featuring the PPV main event.
In the ring, Schiavone interviews DDP who informs Goldberg that bookmakers in Vegas have their money on him. Conversely, DDP likes being against the odds as he touts his unfathomable rise to the top. Ultimately, he’s ready to give Goldberg the BANG! Poor Kimberly.
Again, we revisit Nitro when Raven and Kanyon almost ended Villano IV’s career. Spectacularly, Villano IV wasn’t seriously hurt despite the major botch.
Prior to the next match, Kanyon takes the microphone and introduces Raven. As he spouts his narcissism, Raven promises to “hurt (Villano V).”
Match 5: Raven (w/ Kanyon) versus Villano V
Highlights:
- V ambushed Raven before the bell and fed Raven a drop toe hold.
- When he fed Raven a leg drop, V ate a knee lift.
- Raven dealt V a series of side-Russian leg sweeps and grabbed Penzer’s chair.
- As V dropkicked him, he rammed Raven face-first into the mat.
- V delivered an inverted atomic drop, but Raven side-stepped him.
- After he set up the chair, Raven hit a drop toe hold sending V face-first into the chair.
- He destroyed V with a DDT and pinned him at 2:16.
Rating: ½*
Summary: Showcase match for Raven.
Snickers sponsors the replay.
Match 6: Disco Inferno versus Chavo Guerrero, Jr. (w/ Pepe)
Highlights:
- Chavo dropkicked Disco sending him to the floor and followed with a plancha.
- As Disco backdropped him, Chavo landed on his feet. Impressive!
- Disco reversed an Irish whip but fell victim to a flying headscissors. Chavo got 2.
- When he clotheslined Disco, Chavo fed him a belly-to-back suplex for another 2.
- In the meantime, “Iron” Mike Tenay announced that Scott Norton won the IWGP title in Yokohama last night. He beat Yuji Nagata.
- Disco reversed an Irish whip and dealt Chavo a stungun.
- Following a commercial break, Disco connected with a flying back elbow.
- He slammed Chavo, landed his version of the People’s Elbow, and got 2.
- After he mounted the second turnbuckle, Disco leaped, but there wasn’t any water in the pool.
- Chavo rebounded with a forearm smash followed by a springboard bulldog for 2.
- While he backdropped Disco, Chavo taunted him with Pepe.
- Disco thwarted another back drop attempt and delivered a swinging neckbreaker for 2.
- Escaping a belly-to-back suplex, Chavo dropkicked Disco in the back.
- He leaped to the top turnbuckle, hooked a sunset flip, and got 2.
- Evading a dropkick, Disco piledrove Chavo.
- 1-2-3.
- Disco won at 5:32.
Rating: ***
Summary: Chavo looked sharp, but Disco came to play tonight.
After the match, Juventud Guerrera approaches the ring and hands referee Billy Silverman a note. Referee Nick Patrick joins the party at ringside and tells Disco that his doctor’s note has been altered regarding his weight. Reluctantly, Disco steps on the scale and weighs 231 which is over the 225 lb. Cruiserweight limit much to the delight of Guerrera. Disco takes exception to Guerrera’s joy and makes him HIT THE POLE. Due to Disco’s illegitimate paperwork, Silverman reverses the decision and awards the victory to Chavo.
Match 7: Alex Wright versus Norman Smiley
Highlights:
- Wright offered a handshake but nailed Smiley.
- When Smiley ducked a haymaker, he clotheslined Wright.
- He slammed Wright who sought refuge outside the ring.
- As Schiavone mentioned Magnum T.A., Smiley hip-tossed Wright for 2.
- The Norfolk faithful got restless, yet Wright monkey-flipped Smiley.
- After he nipped up, Wright dropkicked Smiley.
- Smiley blocked a hip toss and fed Wright one of his own.
- While Smiley slammed him again, Wright leapfrogged and dealt Smiley a backbreaker for 2.
- The match segued to the floor, and Wright bounced Smiley face-first off the apron.
- Ramming Smiley back-first into the apron, Wright tossed him back into the ring.
- He gave Smiley a cross corner whip and followed with a back elbow.
- Slamming Smiley, Wright charged but came up empty.
- Smiley headbutted and backdropped Wright before delivering a drop toe hold followed by a leg drop.
- Landing an elbow drop, Smiley got 2.
- Wright countered a few moves and flattened Smiley with a hangman’s neckbreaker.
- 1-2-3.
- Wright won at 6:10.
Rating: *
Summary: While there was good psychology, there was also a lack of chemistry in addition to a less than enthusiastic Norfolk faithful. WCW will need to do something to pump them up.
Stevie Ray emerges with a microphone and states that he received a call from Eric Bischoff who’s in Japan. According to Bischoff, the Four Horsemen are not permitted to be shown on Thunder. Stevie Ray refers to himself as the “enforcer for the nWo.” Methinks he might regret that moniker.
As the Norfolk faithful began to chant “We Want Flair,” WCW Security Director Doug Dellinger informs the Four Horsemen that he “doesn’t want to see them in the ring tonight.” To ensure that, he turns his back so he can’t see them. HA!
The Four Horsemen emerge, and Stevie Ray puts it in reverse. Upon reaching the curtain, Stevie Ray got flattened. What happened? Oh, the REAL “Enforcer” Arn Anderson appears while holding a tire iron. Awesome! As the Horsemen enter the ring, Schiavone interviews them. Arn says that “unless there’s 15,000 people missing a thumb, (Norfolk) is a Horseman town.”
Arn’s prepared for the Horsemen to take back WCW. When Dean Malenko gets his turn, he thanks Arn for inviting him to be a Horseman. He mentions Curt Hennig as someone who disappointed the Horsemen and firmly states that he won’t do the same. While Chris Benoit grabs the microphone, he cuts a promo on both Bishoff and Elizabeth. Mongo gets a chance to speak and threatens to destroy Bischoff.
Finally, Ric Flair notes that Elizabeth “is tied up at the Hilton…and the man of 1000 positions, er, holds, is going to show her why he’s a Horseman.” Four fingers are held up throughout the Norfolk Scope as the Horsemen are riding high. Great segment!
Promo airs for WCW Halloween Havoc ’98. It will be LIVE on PPV on October 25. Order NOW!
Prior to the main event, Kanyon grabs the microphone and asks “Who’s better than Kanyon?” Goldberg’s music answers him.
Match 8 for the WCW World title: Goldberg (champion) versus Kanyon
Highlights:
- Raven joined the broadcast table for this match.
- As Kanyon reiterated his question to the Norfolk faithful, Goldberg speared him.
- He destroyed Kanyon with a Jackhammer and pinned him at 0:24.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for the World champion who’s 145-0.
Conclusion: Thunder is suffering from the same issues that RAW experienced when they initially changed to a live/taped schedule. The live episodes are livelier than the taped ones.
Having said that, the Norfolk faithful was JACKED for the Horsemen. Kanyon deserved better than a match shorter than a commercial, but, as a loudmouth heel, he did his job. Also, the Chavo-Disco match was solid as Disco brought his working boots to hang out with Chavito. Saturn and Psicosis put on a show until the match hit its allotted time.
I’ll say this about Thunder: It’s not Nitro because it doesn’t have RAW nipping at its heels for ratings; however, it’s also not WCW Saturday Night due to its having more than one competitive matchup. I’ll keep plugging along with it as I’m sure a gem or two could happen at any time.
TV Rating: 3.42
Stay tuned for WWF Sunday Night HeAT 09-27-98!
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