WCW Thunder 03-19-98

Can Rick Steiner upend Hennig? Will Jericho lose the Cruiserweight title? How will Benoit fare against Norton? And what’s going on with the US title? Let’s find out!

Prior to the opening match, Jericho runs down Terre Haute or as he put it “Terry Hut.” Luckily, he didn’t call it Jabba.

Match 1 for the WCW Cruiserweight title: “Lionheart” Chris Jericho (champion) versus Super Calo

Calo leapfrogged Jericho and followed with a monkey flip.
When Calo charged at Jericho, he ate a mule kick.
Calo then clotheslined Jericho for 2.
As the Terre Haute faithful chanted “Jericho sucks,” their nemesis hooked a delayed vertical suplex, displayed an arrogant cover, and got 2.
Jericho slammed Calo, went to the apron, and hit a springboard splash for 2.
After he gave Calo a cross corner whip, Jericho came up empty on his follow-through. In fact, he vaulted over the top rope down to the floor.
Calo then delivered a tope suicida and attempted to suplex Jericho back into the ring.
While Jericho escaped, Calo secured a sunset flip for 2.
Jericho then reversed a cross corner whip, but Calo leaped to the top turnbuckle and uncorked a missile dropkick.
Do we have a new champion?
1-2-NO!
Calo then attempted a victory roll, but Jericho countered with a LionTamer.
When Calo tapped, Jericho retained at 4:35.

On WCW Saturday Night, DDP and Benoit square off against Saturn and Hammer. Get all this!

Popcorn, anyone?

As he supplied Windham with a DDT, Dandy missed a baseball slide.
Raven’s Flock made their way to ringside, and Raven held the US title belt. Did I miss something?
Yes, Schiavone pointed out that the Flock manhandled DDP on MTV Live last night and stole the belt. Please forgive me, as I didn’t know MTV Live was required wrestling viewing.

Nevertheless, Dandy backdropped Windham and followed with a clothesline.
Windham then bulldogged Dandy and got the pin.
Considering this was fodder compared to Raven’s theft on a completely different network, I couldn’t give a shit about how much time it took.

At the entrance, Schiavone interviews Hennig along with Rude who states that he “got the job done” by getting rid of Bret. Rude then refers to Bret as the “Zitman.” HA!

La Parka strutted for the Terre Haute faithful, but Saturn didn’t like it and clotheslined him.
When he sent La Parka down to the floor, Saturn suplexed him back into the ring for 2.
Saturn then applied a Fujiwara arm bar, but La Parka grabbed the bottom rope.
As Saturn delivered a T-bone suplex, he got another 2.
La Parka then countered an Irish whip with a clothesline for 2.
After they botched a leap frog, Saturn retaliated with a back elbow.
La Parka then unleashed an enziguri, and the Terre Haute faithful chanted “Lodi sucks.”
While La Parka sent Saturn down to the floor, he mounted the top turnbuckle and launched a cross body block to both Saturn and Lodi. Woohoo!
He then tossed Saturn back into the ring, mounted an adjacent top turnbuckle, and dealt Saturn a corkscrew moonsault for 2.
When La Parka sought his chair, Saturn dropkicked him sending La Parka directly into the chair. OUCH!
Saturn then hooked a head-and-arm suplex followed by a Rings of Saturn.
As La Parka submitted, Saturn won at 3:54.

Summary: When the announcers react to your botch, it’s time to either stop leapfrogging or work on it.

We then head to MTV Live, and DDP and Raven trade smack while Raven’s audio goes SOUTH. While Raven gives a short soliloquy on the CRTV, he attacks DDP from behind with a STOP sign. He then DDTs DDP through the US title belt and coffee table before heisting the belt.

Traylor dealt Darsow a big boot followed by a sliding uppercut.
As Darsow rebounded with a belly-to-back suplex, he got 2.
Darsow then attempted a Barely Legal, but Traylor made the ropes.
When Traylor rebounded with a one-arm slam, he missed an elbow drop with his injured arm.
Darsow then nailed Traylor in the midsection, gave him a cross corner whip, but came up empty on his follow-through.
After Traylor delivered a Traylor Trash, he pinned Darsow at 4:10.

Since it’s March, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper will return to WCW this Monday on Nitro.

Nagata vaulted him to the apron, but Iaukea unleashed a springboard somersault senton for 1.
When Iaukea dropkicked him, Nagata rebounded with a cross arm breaker.
Iaukea escaped, but Nagata delivered an overhead belly-to-belly suplex for 2.
As he supplied Iaukea with a pair of kicks, Nagata hit an enziguri.
Onoo got up on the apron to distract referee Charles Robinson, and Iaukea reversed an Irish whip that sent Nagata into a kick by Onoo.
After Iaukea hooked a Northern Lights suplex, he pinned Nagata at 5:21.

Summary: Nagata’s stock is dropping fast as Iaukea chalks up another victory.

We then revisit the PPV from last Sunday when Giant won by DQ. Next, we revisit Nitro when Nash performed a cannonball. Since Hall is on hiatus, his trip to the pool is not shown.

As Adams sent him down to the floor, he joined and military-press-tossed Jannetty back into the ring. Impressive!
He then gave Jannetty a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
When Jannetty mounted the second turnbuckle, he attempted a flying fist; however, Adams caught and bearhugged him.
Jannetty escaped by ringing Adams’ bell but failed to slam him.
After Adams clotheslined him, Jannetty sold it with a 360°. Wow!
Adams then missed a big boot, so Jannetty attempted a cross body block.
While Adams caught him, he intentionally dropped Jannetty over his head.
He then gave Jannetty a HARD cross corner whip to injure the back.
As he provided Jannetty with a backbreaker, Adams missed a knee drop.
Jannetty then escaped a vertical suplex attempt and dealt Adams an inverted atomic drop.
When he clotheslined Adams, Jannetty mounted the top turnbuckle and launched a missile dropkick.
Do we have an upset?
1-2-NO!
Jannetty then hooked a sleeper, but Adams backed him into the corner.
After Jannetty leaped over him, he suffered a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
1-2-3.
Adams won in 3:32.

Summary: Jannetty sold extremely well, but the bigger Adams stopped him in his tracks.

We then revisit Nitro when Sting rappelled from a helicopter down to the ring. Since WCW has spent a lot of money on it, they want to ensure that you’ve seen it. On an episode of Legends of Wrestling, Mick Foley takes Eric Bischoff to task for his overacting during that segment. HA!

Eddie clotheslined Psicosis and followed with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
When Psicosis reversed an Irish whip, he leapfrogged Eddie.
He then escaped a belly-to-back suplex and uncorked a spinning heel kick for 2.
As Eddie reversed a cross corner whip, Psicosis leaped to the second turnbuckle, but Eddie evaded the float-over.
Psicosis then dropkicked Eddie, mounted the top turnbuckle, and delivered a guillotine leg drop.
After he baseball-slid Eddie to the floor, Psicosis mounted the top turnbuckle, and unleashed a corkscrew moonsault. Awesome!
He then tossed Eddie back into the ring and dealt him a springboard elbow drop for 2.
While Psicosis escaped a powerbomb attempt, he supplied Eddie with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
He then mounted the top turnbuckle again but missed a second corkscrew moonsault.
When Eddie mounted the top turnbuckle, Psicosis caught and joined him.
Eddie then blocked a superplex attempt by shoving Psicosis down to the mat.
As Eddie scored with a frog splash to the back, he pinned Psicosis at 4:13.

Can Brad last longer than :03 this time?

Upon Brad’s entrance, Hammer nailed him from behind.
Reese entered the ring and supplied Brad with a huge slam.
As Reese brought Brad to him, Raven ran him down on the microphone.
When Lodi’s sign tied itself to Brad’s younger brother’s catchphrase, Raven cut a promo on DDP.
Raven then dealt Brad a DDT and pinned him despite the lack of an opening bell.

Norton reversed an Irish whip and DESTROYED Benoit with a flying shoulder block.
When Norton distracted referee Billy Silverman, Vincent put the Nikes to work on Benoit. SNEAKY!
Vincent tossed Benoit back into the ring, and Norton gave Benoit a cross corner whip followed by an avalanche.
As Norton clotheslined him, he powerslammed Benoit for 2.
He then gave Benoit a second cross corner whip followed by a Samoan drop for another 2.
After he gave Benoit a third cross corner whip, Norton came up empty on his follow-through.
Benoit then delivered a release German suplex, mounted the top turnbuckle, and landed a diving head butt.
While Benoit applied a Crippler Crossface, Vincent got up on the apron to distract him.
Norton then countered a German suplex with a shoulder breaker.
1-2-3.
Norton won in 5:18.

Summary: The advantage of having Vincent kept Norton from losing. It appears that Benoit’s push has stalled.

According to Heenan (through Tenay), Goldberg’s record is 55-0.

Bloom hooked a full nelson, but Goldberg escaped and hooked one of his own.
As Goldberg slammed him out of the full nelson, he supplied Bloom with a pumphandle slam.
Bloom rallied against Goldberg and gave him a cross corner whip.
On the other hand, Goldberg stormed out of the corner and speared Bloom.
He then delivered a Jackhammer and pinned Bloom at 1:20.

Match 11: Curt Hennig (w/ “Ravishing” Rick Rude) versus the “Dog-Faced Gremlin” Rick Steiner (w/ Ted DiBiase)

Hennig delivered a knee in the corner while removing Rick’s headgear.
When Rick reversed an Irish whip, he hip-tossed Hennig.
Rick then powerslammed Hennig and followed with a Steinerline.
As Rick mounted the top turnbuckle, Rude upset his balance. How dastardly!
Referee Mark Curtis called for the bell, and Rick won by DQ at 1:25.

Afterward, Rude enters the ring to stomp Rick, but DiBiase also enters to fight with him. Hennig nails DiBiase down US-150 SOUTH, and the nWo double-teams Rick. When Rude exits to further inflict pain upon DiBiase, Rick reverses an Irish whip by Hennig and hooks an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. More members of the nWo minus Scott Steiner storm the ring to assist Hennig. Are we seeing another nWo beatdown to end a WCW telecast?

Suddenly, Traylor hits the ring to aid Rick, but the nWo subdues him immediately. While Rude punishes Traylor, DiBiase and Vincent rekindle their feud from earlier in the decade. Rude then helps Vincent by choking out DiBiase.

As if an alarm went off backstage, Goldberg rushes to the ring, vaults over the top rope and spears both Hennig and Adams simultaneously. Norton tries to attack Goldberg but gets speared. As Goldberg returns backstage on his own, Traylor and Rick keep the nWo at bay to end the show.

Conclusion: Since WCW knew they couldn’t top Sting’s rappelling from a helicopter, they did the next best thing—sic Goldberg upon the now. While this episode held some competitive matches, it holds zero historical value. Check out the main event for the Goldberg save, but skip the rest.