WCW Thunder - Thursday, 04/16/98

By Bill

Trivia Question: During Chris Benoit's brief stint in the WWF, who was his manager? (Answer at bottom of the report)
As for the picture on the main page, many thanks to Shawn M. from Alliston, Ontario, Canada, for giving me the heads up. He saw Glacier and Kidman in the crowd on the satellite feed over the weekend and let me know when the show would be on the air. My video capture card paid for itself in laughs with that one photo last night. If you didn't already notice, that's ring announcer David Penzer in the lower right-hand corner. I didn't see anyone else I recognized, although the guy sitting next to Glacier was wearing a Nitro shirt.
Regarding "Flair being fired", as you all know, this is not a rumors site. So, I'm not going to talk about the rumors of what was said in what meeting, where he was when, etc. Who the hell knows if that's true? Heck, the whole thing about Flair's son being in a wrestling tournament may not even be true, for all we know. I suggest you look at the only two facts:
1. An angle was shot on this issue with Arn Anderson last Thursday (evidence it is a work)
2. Flair was promised on Monday, and absolutely no mention was made of him on the show (evidence it is not a work)
And, one conjecture I've made is that assuming Savage is truly hurt, they are really hurting their buyrate for Spring Stampede since I, for one, don't want to see a guy who can't perform at 100% wrestle for the title. One might argue that Flair was supposed to replace Savage, and if this whole thing is not a work, this stuff with Flair has thrown a monkey wrench into the PPV.
But, given the only two facts, what's going on is anybody's guess. And, keep in mind, that's what you are reading out there, guesses. As for me, I have no friggin' clue what the real deal is.
The mailbag:
- From Nick V.:
  I saw that you were surprised about the baby on Nitro. Well,when I went to the ECW show in Indiana back in Janauary, there must of been 10 babies there and their parents would just run up to the guardrail with their beer in their hand and the baby. The beer got all over them and then they just put the babies down so they could touch the wrestlers. One of the stupidest things I've seen in my life!
- I got a number of e-mails about Bret Hart's "Throw me a friggin' bone comment", but the best one was this one from Tom B.:
  Didn't you see Austin Powers? This is an obvious attempt to build up a future feud between Hart and Neidhart.
  Neidhart's mantra, "Yeah, baby" also happens to be Austin Powers' trademark phrase. While Hart adopts Dr. Evil's quote: "Throw me a frickin' bone, here!"
  Look for Neidhart to change his tights to blue crushed velvet with white lace trim, and to be wearing horn-rimmed glasses on his way to the ring.
  Hart will counter by shaving his head, wearing all silver, and stroking a hairless cat named Mr. Bigglesworth during his entrance.
- Wondering why there was no 1-800-YES-CREDIT commercial on Monday? I haven't verified this information, but Sue V. in Bergen County, NJ sent this to Charlie:
  Charlie...I saw in your Monday Nitro report you were lamenting the fact that there was no 1-800-YES-CREDIT commercial. Well, I gotta feeling you aren't gonna be seeing them any time soon, if at all. Why? Well, in my hometown paper (The Bergen Record) today was a story with the headline "CREDIT REPAIR COMPANY SHUT DOWN". It's a rather lengthy article, however, I will just give you the first column and if you want the whole thing, let me know. Anyway, it states, "An Edgewater-based credit-repair company, charged by a federal judge with preying upon economically disadvantaged people, has been shut down after a court-appointed receiver found that it was not taking in enough legitimate money to keep operating. The action against National Credit Management Group - which did business as "1(800)YES-CREDIT" - comes six weeks after the company was charged in a joint federal-state investigation with cheating consumers out of more than $1 million over the past three years. The receiver, former state Supreme Court Justice Robert I. Clifford, called for the shutdown. U.S. District Judge Alfred J. Lechner Jr. sided with Clifford."
  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I figured you'd want to know why your favorite commercial is not airing any longer.
- Brian Russ from Clemson University sends the following Nitro Party report from Monday:
  This past Monday, we had an official WCW Nitro party in Death Valley, the football stadium. Ric Flair was originally scheduled to be there, but instead Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the Disco Inferno were there. Two of the Nitro Girls, Chae and Kimberly (bang!) were also there. About a thousand students and local people came out. We watched Nitro on the big screen and there were a lot of contests.
  There was a wrestler look-a-like contest that was hilarious, and our mascots had a wrestling match where they beat these other two guys by giving them the diamond cutter, the DDT, and the rack. It was a lot of fun, and Disco worked the crowd well. He was the "bad guy" for the evening, he kept bragging about the University of Georgia, which is a big Clemson rival. Hacksaw went over well and signed a lot of autographs. They gave out a lot of free T-shirts, hats, and posters. The Nitro Girls were favorites of the crowd as well. It was a good time for everybody and Disco says that they are going to try to bring Nitro to Clemson in the fall. They are supposedly going to do some more of these parties around the country at other colleges.
Arn Anderson will be making an appearance at University of Alabama on April 30th. See Arn's official page for more info.
I've gotten a couple of e-mails noting that Sting is wearing Macho Madness gloves. As yet, I haven't been able to confirm nor deny that. [Editor's note: Since first posting this, I've gotten a number of e-mails telling me they are Mechanix gloves.]
Eric Anderson sent in an interesting link with a newspaper article on pro wrestling.
Brian M. from Greenville, SC, saw an ad for a June house show in his area and it listed DDP vs. Kevin Nash for the World Title. Promoting a little too early, perhaps. I doubt it, seeing as all booking seems to be done about 48 hours in advance. :-)
I got an e-mail from Jerell P. letting me know that they are rerunning a WCW PPV from 1992 on upcoming Sundays on German television. Sounds like WCW is trying to build a fan base in Europe.

Dark match: Yuji Nagata defeated Erik "Lay Down Because My Daddy's The Boss" Watts with the Nagata Lock.
The show starts with a replay of Bret Hart sticking his nose in at the end of Nitro on Monday.
We are live from Fargo, North Dakota. Over 20,000 people in the Fargo Dome tonight.
Fans start off with a "Weasel" chant.
Sting and Bret Hart vs. Kevin Nash and Macho Man tonight. Hmmm...
Rick Steiner defeated Buff Bagwell w/Vincent via disqualification when Scott Steiner interfered.
- The match was preceded a "Paid for by the nWo" feature on Buff Bagwell. "You can't get Buff just in the gym...you've got to be Buff. You've got to live Buff". He spends most of his time looking at himself in the mirror. Pretty funny.
- Lee Marshall goes on and on about how Rick Steiner wants to know who recruited his brother into the nWo, and how he suspects it's Buff. Gee, Lee, if you watched Nitro like the rest of us, you'd know that Kevin Nash owned up to it. But, don't worry, Lee. It's not your job to be knowledgeable about this type of stuff.
- Buff shoves Rick down and does his little strut to start the match. Rick responds by pounding The Stuff down.
- Buff gets tossed from the ring and is pissed.
- Good crowd tonight.
- Rick goes to the top turnbuckle and Scott shoves him off.
- Scott, Buff, and Vincent start beating on Rick.
- Luger makes the save.
Kevin Nash comes out to talk.
- Before Nash starts talking, someone in the crowd yells out loud and clear "Nash, you homo!!!" Nash ignores it.
- Nash says Hollywood thinks he walks on water. Nash says he's right, because "a turd floats". Nice.
- Nash threatens Hogan, threatens Bret Hart.
- Nash says Hogan has one chance to "prevent Armageddon in the nWo" in the bat match. Otherwise, Nash will personally end Hogan's career.
- By the way, Nash will beat up Giant and Piper by himself if he needs to.
- Why doesn't Nash hold the microphone below his mouth instead of in front of it?
They play the "60 Seconds With Bill Goldberg" feature.
Goldberg pinned Barry Darsow following a jackhammer.
- On a side note, people are asking "When's Goldberg going to get a title shot?" Well, he already did against Disco Inferno when Disco Inferno was TV champion. The match ended in a no contest due to interference.
- According to Tenay, Kevin Greene was Goldberg's roommate during his football days.
- It's all Goldberg.
- Heenan: "This could be a hair-raising experience for Barry Darsow".
- Barry gets a brief advantage with an eye poke. Very brief.
- Goldberg: 73-0
Montage of DDP and Raven. Hey, think Raven's going to get pearl harbored again tonight?
J.J. Dillon is brought out to announce that on next Monday's Nitro there will be a match for the U.S. Title. Whoever comes out of Spring Stampede with the U.S. belt will face Goldberg on Nitro for the belt. And, as if Tony had been reading my report as I'm typing it, Tony adds to the earlier ignorance of Lee Marshall by saying it's Goldberg's first shot at a major title. I always considered the TV Title a major title. I must be wrong.
WCW World Television Champion Booker T pinned Rick Fuller following a missile dropkick.
- Hmm, Fuller's got a shot at the TV belt. I guess Tony's right about it not being a major title, after all.
- Fuller tosses Booker T like a rag doll off the top turnbuckle.
- Booker T spinebusters Fuller without help from inertia! Immmmmmmpressive!
- Axe kick, belly-to-back, breakdance, Harlem Side Kick, missile dropkick.
- It's over.
Montage of the brewing Nash/Hogan feud.
Tony Schiavone announces that at Spring Stampede Lex Luger and Rick Steiner will face Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner. Buff and Big Poppa Pump come out to take issue with it. BPP says WCW is the problem, not the nWo. Whatever. BPP tells Schiavone to cancel the match because he (the Pumpster) and Buff are not showing up.
"Crippler" Chris Benoit defeated Scott "Flash" Norton w/Vincent via disqualification when Vincent interfered as Benoit had the Crippler Crossface on Norton.
- Benoit comes out in a Calgary Hitmen shirt again.
- Benoit starts off by pounding away on Vincent.
- Norton no-sells Benoit's backhand chops.
- It's all Norton early on.
- Benoit comes back with two German Suplexes in a row.
- Benoit gets the Crippler Crossface, Vincent distracts him, Benoit locks it on again.
- Vincent jumps in. DQ.
- Norton and Vincent start a beating, Booker T makes the save.
- Benoit thanks Booker T by shoving him down, again.
Tony Schiavone invites Piper and Giant to the ring. Giant brings Piper out on his shoulders and actually steps over the top rope without putting Piper down. Piper gives his interview from on Giant's shoulders. Piper tries selling Giant as mean...no go. Piper tells lame jokes...crowd's silent. Piper keeps trying to sell Giant as mean. Whatever. Piper: "We'll bring the bats...you bring the balls!"
Curt Hennig pinned "The Man With The Glued On Sunglasses" Super Calo with the Hennigplex
- You know, if I were wrestling Curt Hennig, I would never sit up in the center of the ring with Curt Hennig behind me.
- Hennig pretty much is in control throughout.
- *** yawn ***
"Lost In Space" promo. I read on another page that Hogan's new movie was a complete bomb and took in all of $100,000 in its first weekend. Can't say I'm upset about that. I think Hogan's had more bombs in a row than Blake Edwards.
WCW World Cruiserweight Champion "Lionheart" Chris Jericho made Chavo Guerrero, Jr submit to the Liontamer.
- Chavo's still wearing that t-shirt. He doesn't look too happy about it, either.
- Tony S.: "Unlike some other wrestling organizations, when we say we're going to have a wrestling match, we have it". That's a reference to the non-match between Austin and McMahon on RAW. Yeah, Tony, WCW deliver on all its, all right...how about Flair last Thursday and this past Monday?
- Chavito got his face dropped on the bottom rope. That looked like it hurt.
- Jericho gets the Liontamer on, Chavo walks the move all the way across the ring but Eddie slaps Chavo's hand away. Jericho locks it back on, Chavo taps out, and Eddie covers his head with a towel.
- Iaukea comes out and attacks Jericho with a scale and chases him back to the dressing room.
- Eddie and Chavo have words after the match and Eddie wants to ride Chavo twice as hard.
Hogan, Bischoff and Brutus Beefcake come out. Hogan says promoters beg for him to come back, he's going to beat up Kevin Nash, he makes a lot of money...yadda, yadda, yadda. Then he pushes his new movie. Yeah, it's doing real well, Terry.
- What a dull spot.
- Sign: "Hogan Drove Over My Grandma". It even had a drawing. Heh.
Schiavone brings J.J. Dillon out to talk about who's facing Sting at Spring Stampede. J.J. assures us that Goldberg will get his shot and Big Poppa Pump and Buff will be wrestling at Spring Stampede. J.J. says Savage will need a doctor's clearance and no cast on his arm to wrestle on Sunday (although, seemingly, it's not needed to wrestle tonight). Of course, that brings Savage and Liz out. Savage says he is in charge of his own destiny, so no one's going to tell him what to do.
Giant w/Roddy Piper defeated Bryan Adams via disqualification when Vincent interfered.
- Oh, Lord, just when you thought things bottomed out with Super Calo and Hennig, here comes Bryan Adams.
- Oh, it's the Giant, at least we'll see Adams get crushed.
- Bryan Adams attempts a move off the top turnbuckle and plain out falls off. Klutz!
- Giant goes for chokeslam and, here's a first, the nWo runs in.
- The Giant clears the ring as Roddy Piper directs traffic.
- Well, it may have been painful, but at least it was short.
Next week's Thunder is on Wednesday.
Saturn made Silver King submit to the Rings of Saturn.
- It doesn't look good for Silver King. He didn't even get an entrance. Guess they had to make time for that great last match.
- Well, before I could type anything, the match was over. That's how quick it was.
- Riggs flicks his tongue at the camera after the match.
Montage of Diamond Dallas Page. Then Schiavone brings him out to the ring for an interview. DDP doesn't want to talk about Raven, he wants to talk about Goldberg. DDP wants to beat up Goldberg, after beating up Raven first. Page goes off on a rant. No reaction. DDP is not over in Fargo.
Randy "Macho Man" Savage and Kevin Nash defeated Sting and Bret "Hitman" Hart via disqualification when The Name With No Name interfered.
- Hart and Nash start the match. Hart looks like a midget compared to Nash.
- It looks like there's a Dusty Rhodes lookalike in the crowd...wearing a bathrobe.
- Sting tags in, then Savage tags in.
- Savage is in for about 20 seconds, gets put in the Scorpion Deatlock, and Nash pulls Savage out of the ring.
- Nash gets tagged back in. (There's no way Savage can wrestle a main event on Sunday.)
- Hart gets tagged back in.
- Say, are the tag belts being defended at Spring Stampede? :-(
- Hart almost gets the Sharpshooter on Nash.
- Announcers talking about how big Nitro will be with Goldberg challenging for the title. They really don't want to lose the ratings war to RAW again, do they?
- Hart and Nash both down, and Sting and Savage tag back in.
- Hart and Nash go out of the ring, Stinger goes for a splash but Savage hits him with the cast.
- Savage goes up top, and Zodiac pushes him off. Ouch.
- Hogan and Booty Man try to do more damage to Savage's arm, and Nash makes the save.
- Fade to black as the nWo is keeping Nash and Hogan separated.

Trivia Answer: Ted DiBiase.

WCW Thunder - Thursday, 04/16/98

By Bill

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