WCW Thunder - Thursday, July 8, 1999

It's kind of strange, because to be honest, I never had a real intention of being a reporter for DDT Digest or any other site. However, I did enjoy Wade's Nitro reports since his days with the Internet Wrestling Zone, and became acquainted with him through e-mail. Even though he did have a tendency to call me "Montoya." :)

Wade asked me to do an arena report for a July 29^th, 1998 edition of Monday Nitro that was based in Tampa, FL. Needless to say, the show tanked, and not just because nWo Late Hour debuted that night. Click on the previous link if you want to know my thoughts.

Strangely enough, around this time, Bill was conducting a try-out for the {Pro} reporter slot. Bill was looking for a victim, err, reporter to cover the show, as most of the staff underwent a reorganization due to the departure of the Triple Threat (Chan, Charlie and Matt). Wade must have sent my arena report to Bill, because the next day he asks me if he can use the report, with the possibility of offering me not just a spot, a liver spot or a spot like my dog Spot, but the {Pro} reporter spot.

And my response? IT WOULD BE AN HONOR!

Okay, it wasn't those exact words, but I did accept. And somehow, I got the job. My first assignment, eef you weeeel, was for the July 5^th show.

Eventually, {Pro} would die a sad death, and Bill agreed to let me do Thunder "for a while," starting on October 1^st. And it's been great. I've conversed through e-mail with many great fans and worked to improve my writing skills.

Am I rambling? Probably. But, I figure I'd let you all know the story behind how I got here. To all my veteran readers, thanks for sticking with me. For your newbies out there, I hope I can make this a weekly stop for you!

Oh yeah. Thank you's go out to the two guys that helped get me here. Bill, Wade, take a bow. :)

If there is a moral to this diatribe, it's this -- Being the "Regular Mailbag Schmoe" has its privileges. :)

• Harley points out a visit from a Ghost of WCW Past:

  I might be mistaken, but during the WCW Credit Card commercial on Thunder, I thought I saw the Giant (Paul Wight) credit card. I guess the WWF doesn't have to worry too much about WCW showing Sable as long as WCW keeps showing the Giant, huh?

  This comes from Bill:

  Regarding the Giant on the WCW credit card, you own any images of a wrestler while they worked for you, so WCW can't get into any trouble for it.

• The Webmaster of The Flatliner mentions:

  Just a thought here. One of the wrestlers you at DDT Digest usually mention in your "give the young a push" rant is Kanyon.

  How sad is it that he worked his ass off, then had to resort to "be friends with the booker" to get some gold?

  Probably about as sad as seeing a guy you grew up watching become a f***ing No Limit Soldier.

• Mike Irwin from StockCarFans corrects me:

  I didn't see Thunder, so I don't know what they said about Lake Speed and the 9 car, but Lake Speed is the general manager for the #50 Midwest Transit Winston Cup Chevrolet.

  Here's some excerpts from StockCarFans recent e-mail newsletters.....

  #50 News: GM Lake Speed of the #50 Midwest Transit Winston Cup Chevy has six drivers in mind for the team and hopes to make an announcement sometime next week, Craven is one under consideration (WC Today Radio) (6-15-1999)

  Grissom Wanted? I hear Lake Speed spoke with Steve Grissom Monday afternoon concerning Grissom's interest in the #50 car. The job was not offered to Grissom but Speed is gauging interest in the ride with several drivers(6-15-1999)

  Here is a letter from the VP of Lake Speed's fan club......

  Greetings Friends, Family and Lake Speed Fans!

  Many of you have been writing wanting to know what the possibility would be for Lake to drive the #50 Midwest Transit Chevrolet at Daytona next month in the Pepsi 400. According to Lake he will not drive in that race. He stated that he had been concentrating 100% on getting the race team reorganized and turned around to bring them up to a competitive level.

  How ever he did mention there "could" be a possibility that he might drive the car at a later date, if and only if the situation and the conditions were right.

  Lake said he was taking everything one day at a time. He wanted to thank everyone for "sticking" behind him in their thoughts and most of all your prayers. He said to let everyone know he was doing OK and to be patient, as he is doing at this point.

  I would like to thank everyone for their patience regarding Lake, I have received a ton of e-mail s regarding his driving status. I hope this answers everyone's questions.

  Continue to monitor the web page at http://www.lakespeed.net for any further updates.

  Thanks a million to the greatest fans in the world,

  Joe Linville, Vice President
  Lake Speed Fan Club
  www.lakespeed.net
  (from an e-mail I received)
  ______

  I know most of what I read about the "This Week in WCW Motorsports" from wrestling writers is usually negative, but there are some of us who follow stock car racing and wrestling who enjoy those segments.

  Thanks for listening.

• Wull, gollllll-ee! Logan1980 checks in with:

  I thought of this the other day while I was taking a Master P. Anyone that ever watched the Andy Griffith Show, knows that Master P's hooty-hoo yell was stolen from the great Gomer Pyle. I don't remember the episode but Gomer had to give a signal and he chose his great owl impersonation. And it was exactly like the hooty-hoo thing that Master P is doing that makes me want to get a gun and shoot my TV every time he is on there. On another note, anybody know where I can get a copy of Hennig's entrance music?

• Brandon talks about earrings and such:

  This kind of goes along with your earrings making wrestling look less realistic. They shouldn't wear gold chains either. Those make wrestling look a hell of a lot faker than earrings do.

• Adam pontificates about the new Nasty Boys:

  Brian Knobbs + Hugh Morrus = the New Nasty Boys

  I give it three weeks at the most until Hugh is slapping on the other Nasty's shirt.

  P.S Any idea what the lyrics to "Bad Street USA" by Michael Hayes were?

  All I can work out is "Bad Street, Atlanta GA. Baddest street in the whole USA". Then it's all garbage. *sigh*

• Nic T has a quick thought:

  On Thunder, I just heard Larry Z. say that guys like Bagwell and Benoit have "had opportunities for years."

  Do the American Males count as opportunities?

• Finally, Chris Chandler makes a confession:

  During the eight man tag match on the 7/1 Thunder, I thought Randy Savage was involved, but it turned out to be Silver King wearing some of Macho's duds. So, unfortunately, I was fooled by his stocky physique.

• Nash has a mic.
• Nash opens up with some good ol' fashioned cheap heat.
• Nash sat back and watched the re-take of Monday involving himself, Sid, Macho Man and Sting.
• Nash says as world champion he has certain privileges and rights.
• Nash offers to put the world title on the line at the BATB. The person that gets the pin on Nash gets the gold.
• Nash says it felt good to powerbomb Sting.
• Nash challenges Sting to pin him to win the belt.
• Nash predicts he'll battle 3-on-1 during the tag team match.
• Nash tells the camera crew to focus on two lovely women who have signs wishing him a happy birthday.

• Dean Malenko interrupts the scene.
• Malenko calls Flair a coward for stepping out of his pay-per-view match due to a bad back.
• Flair says his back is bad due to carrying the company for twelve years.
• Flair says he's the president, so Malenko will wrestle who Flair tells him to.
• Double-A threatens a power swing to Malenko.
• Flair tells Malenko that although he is the Man of 1,000 Holds, he's not Ric Flair.

• Lodi Signs: "What a Fabulous Combination", "Bring Back Boy George"
• Lenny Lane jobs tonight to...
• Eddie Guerrero!
• Lodi Sign: "If U Can Read, U R NOT From Alabama"
• After a lock-up, Lane retreats to Lodi for a hug.
• Lockup, Lane gets Eddie to corner.
• Eddie with some fists and a European uppercuts.
• Eddie with a big dropkick off the ropes.
• Eddie whips Lane into another dropkick.
• Eddie rams Lane's head to the buckle.
• Cross-corner whip by Eddie.
• As Eddie floats over to the turnbuckle, his legs knock Billy Silverman out of the ring.
• Eddie gets in a backdrop suplex after being picked up by Lane.
• Lodi gets in the ring with Lane for a two-on-one attack.
• However, the Luchadores Eddie implicated on Monday night run-in and beat the holy hell out of him. That's points for plot continuity.
• After a Psychosis guillotine legdrop, the Luchas flee and Lane re-enters the ring.
• Lodi brings Silverman back in the ring, and Lane gets the pinfall victory?!
• YOUR WINNER: Lenny Lane via pinfall in 3:28.
• You take your wins any way you can get, I guess.

• Gene informs Disco that he'll be facing Ernest Miller.
• As a wrestler, Disco knows that Ernest Miller stinks.
• Wrong. Ernest Miller sucks.
• Disco says that Miller learned his karate by "Tae-Bo."
• Disco's mother learned karate from Tae-Bo, apparently.
• Gene warns Disco about Sonny Onoo.
• Disco says that Mr. Miyagi was a tough guy in The Karate Kid, but this is wrestling, not movies.
• Disco says he'll give Miller a good ol' fashioned, Brooklyn, NY tushy-kicking.

• The former #1 Contender to the WCW Heavyweight Title makes his Thunder return.
• Van Hammer will be his opponent. Cripes.
• They show Van Hammer demanding a TV Title shot for the pay-per-view.
• Lockup, Hammer and Greene are separated in the corner.
• Mid-ring, Greene gets jiggy with it and scores some offense and a scoop slam.
• Lockup, Greene comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock.
• Greene goes to the ropes and gets beiled by Hammer.
• Hammer sends Greene out of the ring with a clothesline.
• Hammer follows Greene outside and nails him with a forearm.
• Hammer sends Greene back in.
• Hammer with a cross-corner whip and a big boot for two.
• Greene with a cheap shot to the face.
• Greene whips Hammer, who counters with the Flashback.
• Hammer gets the cobra-clutch slam for the win.
• YOUR WINNER: Van Hammer via cobra-clutch slam in 2:14.
• Post-match, Rick Steiner pearl-harbors Hammer and beats him up. Yay.
• Steiner rambles in the camera as he walks to the back, saying he doesn't give a damn about Van Hammer. Funny, I don't recall giving a damn about Rick Steiner.
• I guess after wrestling as a rulebreaker just now, we're supposed to believe Hammer is the face on Sunday night.

• Yes! Finlay!
• I know his WCW career is going nowhere, but I still dig this guy.
• Finlay's opposition is in the form of Brian Knobbs.
• Bell sounds, and Knobbs gets the jump on Finlay.
• Finlay gets whipped to the corner, but gets his legs up as Knobbs charges.
• Knobbs slams Finlay to the mat.
• Knobbs tosses Finlay over the top rope.
• Knobbs sends Finlay into the steel steps.
• Jimmy Hart gets his kicks in.
• Knobbs lands a forearm.
• Knobbs tries to whip Finlay to the rail, but he reverses.
• Finlay has the offensive advantage now outside.
• Finlay hits a European uppercut.
• Finlay sends Knobbs into the ringpost.
• As Finlay gets a table from under the ring, Hugh Morrus and Jerry Flynn attack, drawing the DQ.
• YOUR WINNER: Fit Finlay via DQ in 2:06.
• Steve Regal comes out in support for Finlay.
• Some of the Luchadores also make their way out, making this one big promo for the Hardcore Invitational.
• Horace comes out, also.
• It's one big Amtrak train wreck in the ring.
• La Parka tries a chairshot on Knobbs at one point, and somehow hits himself.
• Knobbs covers Parka as Jimmy Hart counts the pin.
• Horace then battles Knobbs and takes him to the Thunder set.
• Knobbs takes a piece from the set and breaks it over Horace's back.
• Hey guys, some actual, y'know, WRESTLING here?

• Roddy Piper yells on the mic, shutting my brain off. He says something about running over Buff Bagwell, though.
• Piper uses the Peter McNeely 30-second fiasco from years ago as a cheap reference to mock Buff.
  • For the uninitiated, Peter McNeely was a boxer whose biggest claim to fame was making a few million dollars for getting the tar beat out of him by Mike Tyson.
• Piper says he'll make Buff the "Buff Boy Poster Boy Man." Sigh.
• Ric Flair says Asya wants to look under the kilt. Apparently, she's never seen a fake hip before.
• Flair reminds us that he's El Presidente.
• Flair says he's a busy man with a big calendar and cannot wrestle Dean Malenko on Sunday.
• Flair brings son David, the new "U.S. Champion" to the camera.
• Flair says David will defend his U.S. title against Malenko!
• Flair offers Asya to Gene if his son beats Malenko Sunday night.
• Flair puts a liplock on Asya as we close.

• The unmistakable disco music brings out The Inferno himself.
• Kidman comes out. Maybe we'll have some decent action for the first time tonight.
• Kidman ducks Disco to start and dropkicks him.
• Kidman whips Disco to the corner chest-first and clotheslines him.
• Disco reverses a whip and counters a legdrop DDT with a clothesline.
• Disco follows with a neckbreaker for two.
• Kidman forearms his way out of a wristlock.
• Kidman goes off the ropes and gets tossed out of the ring.
• As Kidman gets sent to the rail, we get a second screen with Steve Regal accepting the Hardcore Challenge.
• Kidman dives onto Disco outside.
• Both men back in.
• Disco reverses a whip, picks up Kidman and drops him chest-first.
• Disco tries an inverted atomic drop for two.
• In the corner, Disco wails away.
• Disco with a cross-corner whip.
• Kidman puts a boot up as Disco charges and hits a crossbody from top.
• Short powerbomb by Kidman gets two.
• The Cat and Sonny Onoo come out.
• Disco hits the Macarena Driver for two.
• Kidman flips out of a backdrop suplex and hits a bulldog off the turnbuckle.
• Cat enters the ring and kicks Kidman with the SHINY RED SHOE OF DEATH. Damnit!
• YOUR WINNER: Kidman via DQ in 4:14.
• Onoo holds a downed Disco up for Cat, who kicks... Onoo.
• Disco hits The Last Dance on Cat and dances over him.

• The Jersey Boyz make their way out.
• Some guy in the audience has a sign that says "Cayon Rules."
• DDP says that the crowd's reaction disappoints him.
• "Two-time, two-time, two-time."
• According to DDP, Perry Saturn did not beat him last Thursday.
• We see footage from the match in question, followed by footage from the six-man tag on Monday with DDP commentary.
• DDP says that on their best day, Benoit and Saturn cannot touch The Triad.
• DDP says that Benoit and Saturn have a snowball's chance in hell of winning.

• Yes! Benoit's gonna save the show, hopefully!
• The Triad is still in the ring.
• Kanyon will be the Triad's representative tonight.
• Kanyon charges at Benoit in the corner and drives a shoulder into Benoit's stomach.
• Benoit comes back with chops, but Kanyon rolls out to the floor.
• Lockup, Benoit applies a side headlock.
• Benoit comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock.
• Benoit blocks a kick, spins him around and misses a clothesline.
• Kanyon rakes the eyes, and gets control.
• Kanyon connects with a scoop slam but misses the elbowdrop.
• After a snap suplex, Kanyon hits the floor.
• Benoit gives chase, and Kanyon attacks as he re-enters the ring.
• Kanyon drives Benoit's head to the turnbuckle.
• Benoit reverses a cross-corner whip.
• Kanyon attempts a floatover but eats a knife-edge chop.
• Benoit hits a lariat and blows the snot rockets at Kanyon.
• A loud chop sends Kanyon down.
• Both men go outside.
• A second-screen shows Jimmy Hart trying to recruit Mikey Whipwreck into the Hardcore Invitational.
• Meanwhile, Benoit has his way with Kanyon outside.
• Apparently, Savage and Co. are going nuts in the locker room because WCW officials won't let them on camera.
• Kanyon beans Benoit with the championship belt.
• Kanyon does a suplex on the safety carpet.
• Kanyon gets back in the ring and still sells Benoit's chops!
• Both men in.
• Kanyon elbows Benoit on the head.
• Kanyon goes on the middle turnbuckle and hits a legdrop DDT for two.
• Kanyon applies a snapmare and drops an elbow for two.
• Kanyon puts on a chinlock.
• Benoit fights out and tries a powerbomb.
• Kanyon counters with a sitdown powerbomb from the standing spinebuster position!
• Benoit gets a Dragon suplex out of nowhere for two.
• Kanyon stumbles up top, but Benoit cuts him off.
• Benoit hits the superplex, and both men are down on the mat.
• Benoit and Kanyon punch away, with Benoit getting the upper hand.
• Kanyon misses a lariat, allowing Benoit to hit two rolling German suplexes.
• As Benoit tries a third, Kanyon fires a back elbow.
• Bam Bam Bigelow comes out with the title belt and goes on the apron.
• Kanyon whips Benoit to Bigelow's belt, but Benoit reverses.
• Benoit goes up top but Bigelow knocks him off.
• Perry Saturn tries to even things up but gets sent to the rails by Bigelow.
• Benoit and Kanyon grapple, ultimately resulting in the Crippler Crossface.
• Bigelow tries to interfere but misses the diving headbutt.
• Benoit dropkicks Bigelow out of the ring.
• Benoit goes up top and hits the diving headbutt!
• DDP comes in, but cannot make the save in time. Benoit wins!
• YOUR WINNER: Chris Benoit via diving headbutt in 10:27.
• Post-match, Benoit and the ref get leveled by the Diamond Cutter.
• Saturn comes in to stomp on DDP but Bigelow attacks from behind.
• DDP and Bigelow hit the double Diamond Cutter.
• Great match, if not a little overbooked.

• It sounds like they tried to superimpose the Thunder theme for a second during "I Hate Rap."
• "Tequila Sunrise" brings out the Soldiers.
• Just for the record, I will NEVER refer to Brad Armstrong as "BA."
• But, Brad's being pretty fly for a white guy.
• Match starts, sans catchphrases. Thank you!
• Duncum gets on the apron but Konnan charges at him, sending him back to the floor.
• Konnan hits a kick off a test of strength.
• Konnan hits an armdrag takedown followed by the worst-looking spinning bulldog I have ever seen.
• Konnan with a DDT.
• Kendell Windham interference allows Hennig to take over.
• Hennig with a chop and an elbow.
• Hennig with the knee o' death.
• Hennig tries a whip, but Konnan reverses with the rolling clothesline.
• Mule kick. Facebuster.
• Hennig throws Konnan out to the Rednecks.
• The No Limit Soldiers converge on the Rednecks, resulting in a humongous brawl.
• As Konnan applies the Tequila Sunrise, Barry Windham beans him with the cowbell.
• Hennig then makes the cover for the win.
• YOUR WINNER: Curt Hennig via interference in 2:54.