Skip to main content

Thunder - January 12, 2000

Thunder
Date: January 12, 2000
Location: Civic Center, Erie, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 3,947
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Scott Hudson, Mike Tenay

Reviewed by Tommy Hall

We're officially on Wednesdays now as Thunder goes running away from Smackdown as fast as it can. It's the final show before Souled Out, which isn't going to wind up meaning anything as the top half of the card is going to be thrown out the window due to a bunch of injuries. Let's get to it.


We open with clips from Nitro this week. The old guys are prominently featured.

Bret Hart arrives separately from the NWO.

Vampiro vs. Crowbar

To set the tone for this show, Tony brings up the Old Age Outlaws and Scott's immediate response is “Oh you didn't know.” Vampiro jumps David Flair during the entrances and goes after Crowbar early on. David gets planted with a Rock Bottom on the floor but Crowbar pops back up with a moonsault to the floor to take both of them down.

Crowbar hits a slingshot splash for two but Vampiro plants him with another Rock Bottom. Some kicks set up a pose but Crowbar plants him with a German suplex followed by a slingshot legdrop. Back up and Vampiro gets crotched on top, only to counter a hurricanrana into a superbomb for the pin. Short but entertaining while it lasted.

Vampiro gets beaten down post match until Arn Anderson comes out to talk to David. Crowbar goes after Arn and gets laid out.

Time to run down the card.

Here's Bret Hart with something to say. The crowd has a right to boo him right now because he's let them all down. He doesn't like the way the NWO takes all those shortcuts so the NWO is out and the pink and black attack is back. Bret tells the NWO where they can stick it and here they come to the stage. Nash says Bret hasn't learned a thing “since New York” because he's still too stupid for his own good.

The crowd may want heroes, but Bret could have become a god in the NWO. Bret needs to forget about this Canadian hero bull because hard work doesn't pay. That would be one of those shoot comments that isn't meant to be a shoot comment. Nash offers Bret a chance to come back to the team right now, but Bret swears a bit more. He'll go through the NWO one by one starting tonight so Nash promises to end Hart's career. It's a nice idea, even though I'm not entirely sure why Bret has had a change of attitude.

After a break, Bret is sitting in a room with a ball bat.

The Old Age Outlaws are watching on a monitor. I guess that passes for interesting now.

Hardcore Title: Brian Knobbs vs. Norman Smiley

Norman is defending and this is taking place outside, but Norman it's too cold. He's finally forced outside and gets jumped by Knobbs, who nails him with a bunch of weapons. Norman comes back by throwing him into a wall and they hit each other with trashcans and a metal sheet. Cue a car to run Norman down, allowing Knobbs to hit him with a shovel, because RUNNING HIM OVER WITH A CAR isn't enough, for the pin and the title, because Brian Knobbs is a better choice to be a champion than the entertaining Smiley, and doing this four days before a four way title match makes total sense.

The NWO kicks Bret's door down.

Here's the Revolution with something to say. They're ready for the big showdown with the Filthy Animals on Sunday and Shane might even get in the match himself. Malenko promises to raise the Revolution flag on Sunday over the bodies of the Filthy Animals. Saturn talks about spinning wheels and nearly gets into it with Asya until Shane calms them down and tells Asya not to screw this up.

The NWO has Bret and carry him through the back. The Old Age Outlaws are STILL watching all this. I'm still trying to figure out why this is supposed to be interesting.

Jerry Flynn and Tank Abbott get arrested for fighting.

Madusa vs. Oklahoma

Non-title, but this is an evening gown match. Oklahoma comes out in a dress and carrying the Cruiserweight Title, so here's Miss Hancock to shake her head at him. Madusa comes up from behind and kicks Oklahoma down before they whip each other into the steps. He can't get the barbecue sauce taped to his leg so he slams Madusa and tries to get it out again. With that taking way too long, Madusa suplexes him down and strips his dress off for the win.

As if that's not enough, Oklahoma gets the bottle loose and nails Madusa, rips off the top of her dress and pours the sauce over her. This is in no way symbolic of anything whatsoever.

The NWO burns Bret's gear.

Madusa yells a lot, the producer yells clear, the segment ends.

Midnight vs. Booker T. vs. Stevie Ray

It's an elimination match. Why you ask? I don't know, but I'm assuming Oklahoma in a dress pouring barbecue sauce over Madusa's chest will explain it. Midnight comes out first but we see Stevie jumping Booker backstage. Stevie comes out and beats Midnight into the corner for a knee to the ribs and right hands to the face. A clothesline and ax kick set up a powerslam as Midnight has had no offense.

Cue Booker who punches Stevie to the floor but Stevie wants a mic. He's going to leave now and since this is an elimination match, Booker now has to beat up Midnight. So after we had the regular man on woman violence, we now get man on woman violence against the man's will. Can we please get rid of Russo so we don't have to watch his weird fetish stuff anymore?

Booker grabs a headlock before putting Midnight down with a few shoulders. He doesn't want to follow up though so they stumble around until Midnight scores with a dropkick. Booker hits the ax kick but Stevie low bridges him to the floor and blasts him with a slap jack. He throws Booker inside and tells Midnight to pin him, but Midnight pulls Booker on top of her to give him the win.

Rating: F. So we had a man beating up a woman, a man reluctantly fighting a woman, and then a woman laying down and pulling a man on top of her. I'm sure Russo and Ferrara loved it because they seem to hate women in any form and good for them for getting to enjoy themselves for a few minutes while everyone continues to watch anything else.

Midnight dropkicks Stevie post match, but since that might mean a lowly woman got one up on a MAN, Stevie slap jacks her to put her back in her place.

Jerry Flynn is put in his cell and Tank Abbott jumps him. Because they're cell mates. It's WACKY!

Kanyon is ready for his champagne on a pole match. Well of course he is.

Nash is going to cut Bret's hair.

Funk sends Zbyszko to find out if Bret has had his head shaved, because he doesn't care enough to go find out himself. And that's the boss people.

Chris Kanyon vs. Bam Bam Bigelow

Champagne bottle on a pole. Kanyon slugs him down as Bigelow gets inside but Bam Bam nails an elbow to the face. An early climb is countered with a powerbomb from Kanyon (looked better than you would think) but Bigelow crotches him to break up a bottle attempt. Bigelow nails a belly to back and falling headbutt as they're trying this wrestling thing for a change. This time it's Bigelow getting crotched as he goes up, allowing Kanyon to Russian legsweep him down from the ropes to put both guys down.

It's Bigelow up first but Kanyon's girls get on the apron to break up Greetings From Asbury Park. Your good guy tries to kiss the girl but Kanyon gets up for a save. Kanyon pulls down the bottle and dives into a right hand to the head. Bigelow grabs the bottle, throws it down, and headbutts Kanyon between the legs. Greetings From Asbury Park ends this.

Rating: D+. Somehow this is probably the match of the night, even though they ignored the gimmick of the match. You can almost cringe in advance whenever a woman is on screen these days though and it has nothing to do with their performances. Somehow we've reached the point where Vince having Trish bark like a dog is a lot easier to sit through than what's going on here.

Post match Luger, still dressed as Sting, comes out and nails Bigelow with a ball bat. Luger loads up a Scorpion Deathlock (oh I'd pay to see him try that move) but a crow appears at ringside to screw off Luger and Liz. Bigelow gets up and yells at Luger, earning him a champagne bottle shot to the head.

Zbyszko and Orndorff look for Bret.

Package on Page vs. Bagwell, which makes sense, even though they never actually showed what started the thing.

Kimberly comes out to talk about various challenges before Gene gets to the point: why are she and Page having issues? Apparently Page doesn't like Kimberly getting too involved with all the people at work but this isn't about Bagwell. Gene: “How are things in the bedroom at home?” I'm wrapping this up quickly: Kimberly says this is private and doesn't refute anything Bagwell has said other than she's taller than he says.

MY GOODNESS stop treating the women on these shows like this. Madusa is stripped and covered in sauce, Midnight is beaten up and blamed for splitting up a team and now Kimberly is basically called a slut who has been with every member of the locker room as Gene asks her about her sex life. This gets more and more ridiculous every day and it's getting sickening.

Sid and Benoit are ready for tonight as well as Sunday.

Sid Vicious/Chris Benoit vs. Jeff Jarrett/Kevin Nash

Jeff promises to take Benoit apart on Sunday but gets cut off by Sid. It's a big brawl to start with Benoit taking Nash to the floor as Sid hammers on Jeff in the corner. Well it's not like Jeff can look any worse at this point. A big boot sets up a chokeslam but Nash comes in off the apron to break it up. Nash and Sid pair off as Jeff and Benoit fight to the back of the arena. This is firmly in the “it's technically a match” category. Benoit comes back for a save but gets double teamed as the referee tries to keep this straight.

Jeff puts on the sleeper and of course gets reversed. He does however mix things up by jawbreaking his way out instead of using a suplex. Benoit grabs the ropes to avoid a dropkick and catapults Jeff into the corner. Nash breaks up the Crossface and everything breaks down again. They send Benoit to the floor and Nash blasts Sid with the US Title. Jeff tries the same thing on Benoit but eats a suplex. The Swan Dive is broken up and Nash shoves Benoit onto the belt, setting up the Stroke for the pin.

Rating: D. Total Attitude Era style main event here with neither team looking particularly good. I'm still not sure why I'm supposed to care about Sid vs. Hart on Sunday when they've barely interacted or why Nash being commissioner is going to be interesting (you know he's going over Funk) but the wrestling isn't helping anything.

Scott Steiner is out cold under a table and Bret is gone.

Bret, covered in bruises, walks outside but says he isn't leaving like that. Ignore his hair clearly under the back of his hat.

It's time for our big closing segment with Bret coming to the ring with a pipe. He wants the NWO out here right now so here are Nash and Jarrett with ball bats. Remember when people fought with their fists instead of metal objects? Bret gets beaten down so Anderson (with a bucket. A bucket?) and Funk (branding iron) come out. Didn't Funk say he didn't care? The old guys clean house but Funk thinks something is up.

Anderson throws the bucket of water on Bret, cleaning the bruises off his face. As you should have seen coming, Bret takes off his shirt and reveals an NWO shirt (because OF COURSE). Cue the New Age Outlaws (as Tenay calls them) but they're quickly taken down. Sid and Benoit come out and take beatings as well, only to have Funk hit Nash low (because Sid and Benoit are worthless when compared to a legend like Funk) and go for the branding iron to end the show.

Overall Rating: SLRAMYBIBAWRPFBYAAWHNWHTAOGWCAYOPPBYATETGAJAEACDJWMAARATSTCFYHMPDAWSISGYOOAJAWFTDWRSIAYRHMDYRHDTTSOF.

For so long Russo and may you be impaled by a wild rhinoceros, preferably female, because you are a woman hating neanderthal who has treated a once great wrestling company as your own personal playground because you aren't talented enough to get a job anywhere else and couldn't do jack without McMahon, Austin and Rock around to save the company from your horrible movie plots disguised as wrestling stories. I'm so glad you're out of a job and wait for the day when reality sets in and you realize how much damage you really have done to the sport of wrestling.


Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Comments

  1. Cena vs Orton,one more timeJune 6, 2015 at 8:01 AM

    *gives standing ovation*

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is probably giving him way too much credit but Vampiro might have been what broke WCW for me. He was an asshole who never had a match or promo that I the least bit liked. You can get away with one or maybe two of those, but all three? Nah, plus around the time I stopped watching WCW, fucker was getting a lot of air time. Sting and pretty sure some Muta thrown in

    ReplyDelete
  3. Buffalo HopscotchJune 6, 2015 at 8:24 AM

    SWERVE!

    I never got that from Russo. He became so predictable with the swerves that the only way he could actually swerve you was by not doing the swerve at all. Which he never did.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This show sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's amazing that people could read this, and still think hiring Russo would help the WWE currently.

    ReplyDelete
  6. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 6, 2015 at 8:49 AM

    I liked him at the time, though I was 12.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Anyway...How is your sex life?"
    So, somehow Tommy Wisseau got influenced by 2000 WCW shows.

    And "The Room" makes as much sense as this shows...

    ReplyDelete
  8. The shows are so bad it hurts my brain to even read the recaps.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What do you mean by "learn his craft"?

    What exactly did Tiger Jeet Singh learn? And what craft?

    ReplyDelete
  10. China is on the blacklist, because kids could google her...

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm surprised they never exploited the fact he accidentally killed someone in training and called him "Killer Khali."

    ReplyDelete
  12. He was better than El Gigante at least

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think by that point just being really tall wasn't special anymore

    ReplyDelete
  14. I was thinking more about the 97 run.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Well, I'm sure he learned something in wrestling training.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I know that! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  17. That's like saying, well he's wasn't as bad as Hitler.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I know, was trying to say something positive lol

    ReplyDelete
  19. Not just a sledgehammer...the hammer part of it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey, only Glenn Beck gets to call people Hitler!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Just watched a Botchamania featuring the Jeff Hardy drugged up match with Sting. Goddamn I forgot just how bad the whole thing looked.

    How the hell did they send him to the ring? They clearly knew the situation. Have him get taken out backstage and replaced. Hell, considering the earlier No1 contenders match went to a draw, have the main event be a triple threat with Sting and those two guys.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yeah not as bad as you're making it out to be. The stuff involving the women, however, wasn't very inspired.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I hated Khali, but there is something about seeing a larger than life figure in person. I consider myself a fairly big guy, but felt like a small child when I first met Shaq. I had never seen anyone that big before. His hands were the size of.. etc.. etc..

    ReplyDelete
  24. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 6, 2015 at 10:18 AM

    I'd lean more towards worse than I've made it out to be. To go from Sting vs. Hogan two years ago to this is beyond bad and into ridiculous.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Khali could have worked with a mask. He is so damn ugly...

    ReplyDelete
  26. MaffewOfBotchamaniaJune 6, 2015 at 10:24 AM

    I was floored when I found out Russo was married.

    ReplyDelete
  27. But Khali could not rock a leathet jacket like El Gigante http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AJbtd8QHNhU&t=250s

    ReplyDelete
  28. I still unashamedly loved his "Land of Five Rivers" theme music

    ReplyDelete
  29. And she probably sits in the bed every night and awaits her man to finally yell SWERVE~! at her.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Amazing how the guy gets injured and doesn't even compete in the first one and even more amazing after watching it bomb the first time someone thought to do another one of of these a year later.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Fat, Ugly Inner-City SweathogJune 6, 2015 at 10:59 AM

    A Bret Hart redemption angle could have been great if he was healthy. Gets bitter after Montreal, disillusioned about the business, lost his brother, broken family, etc...vows to be the hero again and end the nWo

    ReplyDelete
  32. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 6, 2015 at 10:59 AM

    Yeah that's not bad. Unfortunately WCW made sure we could never buy into the idea of redemption because it was all a work.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Jeff was one of their few actual draws and they probably didn't want him off the card. Plus given how many other wrestlers showed up late/ not at all, it would not surprise me that tna management didn't know Jeff's condition until he was out in the ring.

    Reading LOLTNA makes me amazed at how much of a money mark the Carters are. Any respectable company would have cut ties years ago.

    ReplyDelete
  34. They REALLY hated Punk, didn't they?

    ReplyDelete
  35. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 6, 2015 at 11:08 AM

    Yeah that's not bad. Unfortunately WCW made sure we could never buy into the idea of redemption because it was all a work.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I liked the Punjabi Prison Match he had with Batista, actually.

    ReplyDelete
  37. They have to bring the gimmick back at some point, don't they? Given the expense of building it?

    ReplyDelete
  38. You seem so concerned with how women are,treated on this fictional program I look forward to your rant on steve austin abusing his wife. But that's different because that's real life right? Women getting mis treated in real life is none of your business but women bing portrayed distastefully on a wrasslin show is serious business!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Adam "Colorado" CurryJune 6, 2015 at 12:00 PM

    Which episode is that?

    ReplyDelete
  40. I remember one of the ex creative guys was on Keller talking about the creation of the Punjabi Prison. They had envisioned it more as an alternate take on Hell in a Cell / Elimination Chamber but kinda like a third world prison. What they sketched out was much darker but Kevin Dunn altered it to a much more cartoony design when his production team built it. Steph and the creative guys weren't happy but they couldn't go spend another $200k or whatever on another super cage like that to fix it.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Even that doesn't work, though, due to his lack of, well, everything. It worked for Brock, Taker, and Sting because the audience wanted to see them and were willing to pay to do so. Nobody was interested in seeing more Khali.

    ReplyDelete
  42. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 6, 2015 at 1:33 PM

    There's no excuse for Austin either.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Because Steve Austin has so much to do with 2000 WCW, right?

    ReplyDelete
  44. If they insisted on sending him out there, I don't get why they did things the way they did.. Could they not have had Sting drag him around for 10 minutes and put on a passable * match? It might have been terrible, but couldn't have been much worse than what they did.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Sonjay Dutt is Indian-American, him maybe?

    ReplyDelete
  46. And this was supposed to be funny right?

    ReplyDelete
  47. ARRRRGH THE BARBARIANJune 6, 2015 at 3:15 PM

    If I had the book, Khali's gimmick match would be a cluster due to his ramblings. A goat tied to a ring post, a fire pit, strippers giving lap dances and a children's choir

    ReplyDelete
  48. Not really... they may as well save whatever it costs lugging that thing around

    ReplyDelete
  49. It's a shame Ring Ka King didn't stick, it could've been great for Indian wrestling, developing homegrown talents while importing foreigners to have them learn from.

    ReplyDelete
  50. in real life

    ReplyDelete
  51. gimmick match

    ReplyDelete
  52. No, I mean, it's only costing them theoretical money sitting in the warehouse. As long as they don't need the space for something else, it can stay there and collect dust.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Sadly Mr. Hall, he came back and the promotion was even worse for it. Too bad the Sullivan era had no chance after @the radicalz@ walked out.

    ReplyDelete
  54. Austin probably let his emotions get the best of him. I'm not trying to justify it, because that is not who I am, but the fall of man twisted things and Austin reacted how a sinful man would react. Totally wrong, but it is what it was.

    ReplyDelete
  55. I see your humor is on part with his

    ReplyDelete
  56. Russo tried to explain himself on a podcast years ago. He came off okay, but reading these reviews has a lot to be desired. Tank Abbot made more sense than the women stuff in hindsight.

    ReplyDelete
  57. If only he changed his name to Vampyro.

    ReplyDelete
  58. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 6, 2015 at 5:26 PM

    Yeah it wasn't much better, but at least they knew what they were getting into. I actually like 2000 a bit more as they had no pressure and just threw random stuff out there.

    ReplyDelete
  59. Yep, because he totally defended Austin in the review. Oh. Wait. He didn't. So I guess at least one S in the name stands for straw man.

    ReplyDelete
  60. I'm sorry you aren't capable of understanding the correlation and my point. He's calling Russo out for his deal with women and getting on a soap box about that but I don't see him or anyone else calling out these grown men for the real shit they've done to women. Austin, Savage and who knows who else did much worse to women yet Russo the one that has female issues? I just think it was the wrong point to make vince has treated females WAY worse so it's not even like Russo is the knly booker to mis handle women and he's not even the worst.

    ReplyDelete
  61. I was in attendance for this one.

    ReplyDelete
  62. If I remember correctly my wood shop teacher moon lighted as a security guard and was holding back Goldberg with other security people in one of the backstage segments.

    ReplyDelete
  63. I can't wait until Orton beats Brock in 5 minutes on free tv.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Yeah, Russo generally comes off great in podcasts and he's fully aware how the IWC see him, but then you hear the guy fantasy book stuff and you suddenly remember why you hate the guy.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Vampiro was actually an Internet darling at the time, which just seems weird in hindsight.

    ReplyDelete
  66. If you married Debra and had to listen to her moan all the time in that annoying voice, wouldn't you flip her the bird, before kicking her and stunning her on the kitchen floor?

    ReplyDelete
  67. In some ways comparing Russo and Austin/Savage is a bit like apple and oranges because one's a booker and the other is a wrestler. A better comparison would be with Heyman since he did a lot of misogynist angles in ECW.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Even if the Radicalz had stayed, the Sullivan era still would have been awful. No way you can book a Yappapi Indian Strap match on top and expect it to be good or draw money.

    ReplyDelete
  69. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 6, 2015 at 8:27 PM

    I don't call them out for what they did here because it has nothing to do with what's going on with this show.

    ReplyDelete
  70. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 6, 2015 at 8:28 PM

    My guess is because he was something fresh and fans were clinging to false hope.

    ReplyDelete
  71. Yeah he was part of the new blood that fans wanted to see pushed, plus I think a lot of emo fans connected with him too because of his gimmick. I'm not to sure on this, but vaguely remember reading back in the day that Vamp would generally score good ratings for his quarter hour segments.

    ReplyDelete
  72. I know your having trouble sitting through this but I am enjoying your recap of the Russo train wreck here. I never watched back in the day because "God why would I?" So it's a lot of fun to find out how bad it actually got.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Yeah but you called Russo out for his views and treating of women on the show yet I've never heard you call out Heyman or McMahon or any other booker . You could have said aot that pertained to just Russo but bringing up his treatment of women when Heyman and McMahon where WAY worse. You stood up here white knight ijg for women and the way Russo treated them as if he was the only or worst of the bunch when neither is close to true.

    ReplyDelete
  74. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 7, 2015 at 2:14 PM

    ....huh?

    You're actually taking issue with me complaining about how Russo treats women but not complaining about something that isn't on a show I'm reviewing?

    ReplyDelete
  75. kbwrestlingreviewsJune 7, 2015 at 2:15 PM

    Yeah it is in a way. If nothing else, it gives me ammo to throw at people who say WWE is as bad as 1999/2000 WCW.

    No, no it's not.

    ReplyDelete
  76. She awaits the Divorce Papers on a Pole Match.

    ReplyDelete
  77. I remember Herb Kunze's column talking about why he was popular: he wasn't a good worker, but he REALLY tried, and it reflected well on him. Kunze says the fan picked up on it and cheered the one guy out there giving half a fuck.

    ReplyDelete
  78. Did you know that that you can make money by locking premium pages of your blog / site?
    All you need to do is to join AdWorkMedia and implement their content locking plug-in.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment