Thunder
Date:
January 22, 1998
Location:
Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Commentators:
Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Lee Marshall
Reviewed by Tommy Hall
It's
the go home show for Souled Out and things are actually cooking for
WCW. We still don't know anything about the world title situation
other than Hall has to fight somebody for the title at SuperBrawl.
As for Saturday, it looks like the main event is going to be Hart vs.
Flair in a really well built showdown for respect. Tonight we have
Giant vs. Hall in the main event which brings two major matches for
Saturday together. Let's get to it.
The
announcers tell us that we'll get an announcement on the world title
situation on Saturday as well as an appearance from Roddy Piper.
Scott
Steiner vs. Konnan
Scott
overpowers him to start and shoves Konnan down to the floor with
ease. Back in and Vincent earns his paycheck by tripping Steiner up
to give Konnan control. Scott comes right back with a gorilla press
and a gorilla press as we're in squash territory here. The top rope
Frankensteiner is loaded up but Buff and Norton hit the ring for the
quick DQ.
Rick
Steiner and Ray Traylor run out for the save but Scott walks out to
pose at Bagwell.
Here's
Nash to say that in 90 minutes, he's going to be $1.5 million richer.
Giant wants Nash more than a lap dance after being at sea for 20
years but Nash isn't afraid of him at all. Saturday is about the
physical torture but tonight is all about the psychological. Good
promo here as Nash keeps it simple.
Super
Calo/Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Silver King/La Parka
This
is Lucha Libre rules, meaning you can change with your partner if you
go to the floor. Chavo starts out with Silver King and takes over
with a quick headscissors on Silver. Everything quickly breaks down
with Calo pounding on La Parka but getting caught in a powerslam.
Raven comes through the crowd sans Flock as La Parka dives over the
top to land on Calo's stretched out back.
Back
in the ring Silver King powerbombs Calo down for two before La Parka
comes in for a double enziguri on Calo. La Parka and King allow Calo
to make the tag as everything breaks down again. Chavo dives to the
floor to take out La Parka as Super Calo hits a top rope hurricanrana
on King for the pin.
Rating:
C-. This was an entertaining
mess with the emphasis on mess. The match didn't get anywhere near
the excitement that these matches are capable of reaching and none of
these guys did anything to set themselves apart from the others. La
Parka was the only guy in the match who was a big deal at this point
but he was barely in the match at all.
Post
match La Parka blasts everyone with the chair until Juventud and
Lizmark Jr. run out for the save. Psychosis and El Dandy run in as
well and it's a big brawl. Nearly everyone gets to hit a big dive to
make up for the so-so match.
Nick
Patrick wants to talk about something but Rick Martel walks in behind
him. Kidman comes in to yell at Martel for the fight on Nitro.
Saturn runs in and throws Martel through a glass door. It's as out
of nowhere as it sounds.
Dean
Malenko vs. Marty Jannetty
They
start with an armbar each with Marty actually taking over on the mat.
Dean escapes and goes after Marty's knee, only to be put in a front
facelock. The technical exhibition continues with Dean going after
Jannetty's knee again, only to be countered into a catapult into the
corner for two. We hit a chinlock on Dean for a few moments before
Malenko fights up with a belly to back suplex.
A
regular suplex gets two for Malenko but Marty comes back with a
clothesline for two of his own. Jannetty goes after the leg....and
now the arm a few seconds later. I guess all that cocaine made the
limbs look the same. Dean fights up again but gets caught in a
faceplant for two. In a rare botch in a Malenko match, Marty loads
up a snapmare but Dean falls like a neckbreaker, making it look more
like a Stunner. A few seconds later Marty tries the Rocker Dropper
but is countered into the tiger bomb and the Cloverleaf for the
submission.
Rating:
C-. This was slow paced and
methodical but it wasn't bad at all. Jannetty didn't look as good as
he did on Nitro but his WCW run isn't going badly at all. Malenko
has been left out in the cold since Starrcade due to Mysterio and
Jericho taking the focus on the Cruiserweight Title.
Goldberg
vs. Kendall Windham
Goldberg
takes him to the mat with a leg lock but Kendall makes a rope. A
clothesline gets two for Windham but it's spear/Jackhammer for the
pin. The reactions are getting louder and louder.
Here's
Hall for his survey with WCW taking the night. Hall is looking
forward to Saturday so he can shut Zbyszko up once and for all. Cue
Louie Spicolli with Larry's golf clubs which are rapidly bent and
broken. Larry comes out and is ready to fight Hall but Spicolli
wants a piece of him instead. Zbyszko immediately takes him down
with a guillotine choke but has to avoid an elbow drop from Hall.
Larry bails and says he'll have backup at Souled Out.
We
get some clips of Piper on Walker Texas Ranger. When Chuck Norris is
the best actor ina scene, you know you're in trouble.
Cruiserweight
Title: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
Rey
has a bad knee. Eddie is challenging and charges right at Rey, only
to be taken down by an armdrag. A hurricanrana sends Eddie most of
the way to the apron as his leg is caught in the apron on the way
down. Back in and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker puts Rey down for two
as it's all Eddie so far. A brainbuster looks to set up the frog
splash but Rey gets up top for a superplex to put both guys down.
Eddie is dropkicked out to the floor and Rey hits a dive over the
top, reinjuring his knee again in the process. With Eddie down on
the floor, Jericho runs to attack Rey for the DQ.
Rating:
D+. This didn't have the time
to go anywhere but it was angle advancement anyway. Rey's knee is
very banged up thanks to Jericho's recent attacks and this match
didn't do it any favors. Eddie is in the same spot that Malenko is
in at the moment: just floating around waiting on something to do.
Eddie
and Jericho stomp Mysterio down but Eddie is mad at Jericho costing
him a match. Benoit sneaks in behind Jericho for their upcoming
match as Eddie bails. The look on Jericho's face when he sees Benoit
is priceless.
Chris
Benoit vs. Chris Jericho
Benoit
sends him into the corner as Dean Malenko and referee Mickie Jay
carry Mysterio to the back. Jericho bails to the floor as we take a
break. Back with Jericho continuing to run but getting caught by a
suicide dive. They head back inside and Jericho hits a quick
dropkick to take over. A spinebuster looks to set up the Liontamer
but Benoit chops his way out of it. Jericho runs some more but gets
caught in a dragon screw leg whip.
Benoit
is taken down by a back elbow for the ARROGANT COVER for two. The
Lionsault connects but Jericho waits for the fans to cheer him
instead of covering. Instead a superplex gets two on Benoit and it's
off to a chinlock. Benoit fights up with a belly to back suplex
followed by a German and a whip to send Jericho into the Tree of Woe.
There's the Crossface but Jericho taps out before the hold is even
on. That's a smart move given his title shot in two days.
Rating:
C+. These two have a natural
chemistry that few other pairs can rival. The ending shows thinking
as well which isn't something you often get in wrestling. It's also
nice to see actual stories develop and intertwine with each other
with all people involved being elevated. It's like the company is
planning for the future or something like that.
Here
are Hogan and Bischoff with something to say. Hogan says it's going
to be a big party when he gets the title back on Saturday because he
never lost it in the first place. Bischoff and Hogan praise each
other and Hogan poses to end things.
Rick
Martel vs. Perry Saturn
Martel
charges at the ring and runs Saturn over as the bell rings. Saturn
is sent to the floor and into the steps for good measure. Back in
and Martel pounds on Saturn in the corner but the Flock comes out for
a distraction. Martel is crotched on the top rope before getting
suplexed down for two. The Flock leaves and Martel misses a charge
into the post. Saturn puts on an armbar and then a cross armbreaker
but Martel counters into a quickly broken STF.
We
take a break and come back with Martel pounding away in the corner
but getting caught with a swinging neckbreaker. Saturn gets some
quick rollups for two before going to the middle rope. A sunset flip
gets two on Rick but he rolls through into the Quebec Crab to make
Saturn submit in a hurry.
Rating:
C-. Martel has only been back
for a few months but I'm starting to buy into him here in WCW. He
looks very smooth in the ring and has more than enough experience to
back it up. The window stuff from earlier added nothing to this so
the fans weren't caring at all, but they got an ok match out of it.
Post
match the Flock runs in but Martel rolls away to let Kidman hit
Saturn.
Scott
Hall vs. The Giant
Hall
gets in Giant's face and is launched across the ring as he should be.
A front chancery gets Hall placed on the top rope and he dives into
the bearhug. Giant headbutts Hall down but here are Hogan and Nash
to ringside. Nash gets in a cheap shot with some kind of a weapon as
Hogan gets in the ring for the DQ in less than two minutes.
Savage
tries to intervene but Luger runs out and Racks him. Nash looks at
Savage in the Rack down and does nothing about it. Instead Nash
comes in and pounds on Giant but Giant doesn't touch him. Instead
Giant goes to the floor, grabs the post, and BREAKS THE RING to end
the show.
Overall
Rating: C+. This was the kind
of show Thunder was designed to be: focus on the midcard feuds and
have the main event guys do some stuff to close the show. It built
up the Souled Out matches that we didn't get to focus on Monday while
giving us some solid action tonight. Good show here and I want to
see Souled Out.
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