Taped from Roanoke, VA
Airdate: November 12, 1998 (taped 11/05)
Attendance: 8,470 (7,750 paid, sold out)
Hosted by Tony Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, & Lee Marshall
Can Konnan topple the Giant? Who will become the #1 contender to the Cruiserweight title? Will Chavo capture the Cruiserweight title from Kidman? Plus, Stevie Ray, Glacier, and Chris Adams!
Opening montage.
Prior to the opening match, Glacier grabs the microphone and is upset about people stealing his move. Bring on the innovator of the superkick!
Match 1: Glacier versus “Gentleman” Chris Adams
Highlights:
- Adams uncorked an enziguri and followed with a belly-to-back suplex.
- When Adams charged, Glacier backdropped him over the top rope to the floor.
- He joined and rammed Adams face-first into the apron.
- As Glacier mounted the second turnbuckle, he leaped, but Adams put a boot into the midsection.
- Adams powerbombed him and unloaded a superkick.
- Do we have an upset?
- 1-2-NO!
- For what appears to be some inexplicable reason, Sonny Onoo jumped onto the apron to distract referee Mickey Jay.
- Suddenly, Ernest “The Cat” Miller emerged on the opposite side of the ring and leveled Adams with a springboard Feliner. SNEAKY!
- Adams was OUT COLD.
- Applying an Asiatic spike, Glacier won at 3:54.
Rating: *
Summary: I understand they’re pushing Glacier in his return to WCW, but Adams had the match won.
Thunder is sponsored by 1-800-COLLECT.
We revisit Nitro when Hollywood Hogan announced his candidacy for President in 2000.
Match 2: Kenny Kaos versus Kendall Windham
Highlights:
- Kaos dealt Windham a belly-to-belly suplex, and the match segued to the floor.
- As Windham rammed him face-first into the steps, Kaos returned the favor.
- He fed Kaos a lariat and slam.
- When he mounted the second turnbuckle, Windham leaped but missed a flying knee drop.
- Kaos gave Windham a cross corner whip and followed with a corner clothesline.
- After he delivered a double underhook suplex, Kaos powerslammed him for 2.
- Windham blocked a vertical suplex and countered with a swinging neckbreaker.
- While he gave Kaos a cross corner whip, Windham ate a back elbow on his follow-through.
- Kaos migrated to the apron and connected with a springboard clothesline.
- 1-2-3.
- Kaos won at 4:13.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Kaos. Methinks the Roanoke faithful may have been slumbering.
Hasbro Interactive sponsors the replay.
Match 3: Stevie Ray (w/ nWo Hollywood) versus “Lightning Foot” Jerry Flynn
Highlights:
- Stevie Ray clotheslined and slammed Flynn.
- When he distracted referee Charles Robinson, Vincent blasted Flynn. Nefarious!
- He distracted Robinson again, and Norton gave Flynn the business. How dastardly!
- As Flynn rebounded with a leg lariat, he unloaded some kicks in the corner.
- Vincent distracted Robinson again, and Stevie Ray took Flynn both WAY DOWNTOWN and out of the ring.
- After Flynn demolished both Horace and Vincent, Norton rammed him back-first into the apron twice.
- Stevie Ray applied a bear hug, but Flynn rang his bell to escape.
- While he clotheslined Stevie Ray, Flynn ate a standing side kick.
- He planted Flynn with a Slap Jack and pinned him at 4:00.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Stevie Ray with too much interference.
Match 4: Rey Mysterio, Jr. versus Juventud Guerrera
Highlights:
- Winner will face Kidman for the Cruiserweight title at the PPV.
- As Guerrera dumped him with a spinebuster, he reversed an Irish whip.
- He dealt Mysterio a reverse suplex that left him out to dry on the top rope.
- When Mysterio reversed a cross corner whip, Guerrera floated over, but Mysterio wrangled him with a flying headscissors.
- Following a commercial break, Mysterio fed Guerrera a bronco buster. He’s not earning the same reaction as X-Pac.
- Guerrera countered a side head lock with an atomic drop and connected with a spinning heel kick.
- After he landed an elbow drop, Guerrera got 2.
- Mysterio escaped a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker attempt and stymied Guerrera with one of his own for 2.
- While he delivered a springboard moonsault, Mysterio got another 2.
- Guerrera rebounded with another spinebuster for 2.
- Squirming himself onto Guerrera’s shoulders, Mysterio maneuvered into a cradle for 2.
- He gave Guerrera a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- Before Guerrera could mount the top turnbuckle, Mysterio hooked his leg. Smart!
- Guerrera attempted a springboard leg drop, but there wasn’t any water in the pool.
- Dropkicking Guerrera between the ropes to the floor, Mysterio went for an aerial maneuver but had to perform the fake out since Guerrera saw him coming.
- Back in the ring, Guerrera demolished Mysterio with a brainbuster and got 2.
- The bell rang, and referee Charles Robinson conferred with ring announcer David Penzer.
- According to Penzer, the TV time limit expired, but Robinson declared there must be a winner.
- Guerrera reversed an Irish whip and planted Mysterio with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
- Giving Mysterio a cross corner whip, Guerrera came up empty on his follow-through.
- Mysterio slammed Guerrera, mounted the top turnbuckle, leaped, but whiffed on a senton splash.
- Crawling over to make the cover, Mysterio got 2.
- Guerrera reversed another Irish whip and caught Mysterio with another spinning heel kick.
- With Mysterio on the floor, Guerrera soared with a springboard tope. Woohoo!
- He slowly mounted the top turnbuckle allowing Mysterio to catch him.
- Despite Mysterio’s joining him, Guerrera hooked a sunset flip into a powerbomb for 2.
- He destroyed Mysterio with a Juvi Driver, yanked him into position, and mounted the top turnbuckle.
- Since Guerrera took his DAMN SWEET TIME, Mysterio crotched him on the top rope.
- Mysterio joined Guerrera atop the top turnbuckle and unleashed a super huracanrana.
- 1-2-3.
- Mysterio won at 16:23 shown.
Rating: ****
Summary: Spectacular match with plenty of psychology, high-flying, and storytelling. Mysterio earns the #1 contender spot to face Kidman at the PPV. Bravo, gentlemen and WCW for not cheating the audience.
Match 5 for the WCW Cruiserweight title: Kidman (champion) versus Chavo Guerrero, Jr. (w/ Pepe)
Highlights:
- Kidman leapfrogged Chavo before connecting with a dropkick.
- When Chavo dealt him a flying headscissors, he clotheslined Kidman who celebrated with a 360°. Splendiferous!
- He flattened Kidman with a belly-to-back suplex and got 2.
- As he powerslammed Kidman, Chavo got another 2.
- Following a commercial break, Kidman gave Chavo a cross corner whip resulting in a sternum-first bump.
- Kidman immediately clotheslined him, migrated to the apron, and decimated Chavo with a springboard leg drop.
- After Chavo rebounded with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, he hooked a German suplex with a bridge for 2.
- He gave Kidman a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- While he delivered a rapid spinning heel kick, Chavo applied a Muta lock.
- Kidman rebounded with another dropkick but missed a third one.
- Landing an elbow drop, Chavo got 2.
- He rode Pepe around the ring before nailing Kidman with a seated dropkick.
- Getting reversed on a cross corner whip, Chavo vaulted Kidman to the apron.
- Kidman quickly mounted the top turnbuckle and hit a cross body block for 2.
- Receiving a cross corner whip, Chavo flipped out of the corner, hooked a sunset flip, and got 2.
- Chavo trapped Kidman in a victory roll for another 2.
- Escaping a vertical suplex, Kidman annihilated Chavo with a sit-out powerbomb for 2.
- Chavo reversed a cross corner whip and devastated Kidman with a flying forearm.
- Bouncing Kidman’s head off the mat with a springboard bulldog, Chavo got 2.
- He tried to, but…say it with me…YOU CAN’T POWERBOMB KIDMAN!
- Instead, Kidman rammed him face-first into the mat.
- He mounted the top turnbuckle, but the lWo stormed the ring.
- As a result, Kidman won by DQ at 10:02.
Rating: ***½
Summary: Could have had two consecutive **** matches, but the lWo finish ruined it.
After the match, Kidman and Chavo fight off Psicosis and El Dandy until lWo reinforcements win the numbers game. Eddie storms the ring and stops them from beating up Chavo. As Mysterio arrives, he mounts the top turnbuckle and destroys Kidman with a missile dropkick. I smell a really solid battle at the PPV.
Prior to the next match, Kanyon polls the Roanoke faithful but yet again doesn’t receive the response he desires.
Match 6: Dean Malenko versus Kanyon (w/ Raven)
Highlights:
- Malenko whipped Kanyon back into the original corner but ate a back elbow on his follow-through.
- As he hooked a sunset flip, Malenko got 2.
- Kanyon clotheslined Malenko, mounted the second turnbuckle, and connected with a bulldog leg drop for 2.
- When Kanyon applied a sleeper, Malenko countered with a belly-to-back suplex.
- Kanyon dealt him a vertical suplex, migrated to the apron, and scored with a springboard elbow drop for 2.
- After Kanyon reapplied the sleeper, Malenko escaped but ate a swinging neckbreaker.
- Kanyon only got 2 because Malenko put his foot on the bottom rope. Genius!
- While he slammed Malenko, Kanyon mounted the top turnbuckle, leaped, but there wasn’t any water in the pool.
- Malenko rebounded with a spinning heel kick and got 2.
- Clotheslining Kanyon in the corner, Malenko gave him a cross corner whip but ate boot on his follow-through.
- Kanyon unloaded a knee lift so strongly that Malenko landed outside of the ring.
- Despite Raven’s walking around the ring toward him, he never touched Malenko.
- Kanyon slammed Malenko, yet Raven meandered back to the locker room.
- Seeing Kanyon distracted, Malenko rolled him up and got 2.
- Kanyon obliterated Malenko with a stun gun, but Malenko blocked a Flatliner attempt.
- Escaping a Texas Cloverleaf attempt, Kanyon hooked the bottom rope.
- He uncorked a reverse electric chair for 2.
- Although Kanyon mounted the second turnbuckle, Malenko powerbombed him.
- Malenko locked on a Texas Cloverleaf, but Lodi interfered.
- As a result, Malenko won by DQ at 9:49.
Rating: ***
Summary: Solid match where Lodi’s interference ultimately protects both guys from jobbing.
Following the match, Chris Benoit, in street clothes, hustles to the ring to assist his fellow Horseman and disposes of both Lodi and Kanyon.
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Prior to the main event, Konnan recites his catchphrases while I admire my towel collection.
Match 7: The Giant versus Konnan
Highlights:
- Joined in progress for some reason, Giant manhandled Konnan.
- He gave Konnan a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- When he hammered Giant, Konnan stupidly attempted to slam him.
- Giant landed on top and unleashed a side-Russian leg sweep.
- As the match segued to the floor, Giant headbutted Konnan.
- He slammed Konnan on the floor, positioned a table against the ring post, charged, but ate the table himself.
- After Konnan grabbed a cushioned folding chair, he tapped Giant with it.
- Referee Charles Robinson called for the bell, and Giant won by DQ at 3:43 shown.
Rating: DUD
Summary: What a crock of shit! And I mean the big, steaming, stinky kind.
Afterward, a frustrated Giant chokeslams Robinson WITH ONE HAND to end the show.
Conclusion: Main event aside, there were three good to great matches that automatically give it a…
Stay tuned for WWF Sunday Night HeAT 11-15-98!
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