WCW: Thunder
April 16, 1998
Fargo, ND
Fargodome

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Sting (2/22/1998)
WCW U.S. Champion: Diamond Dallas Page (12/28/1997)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Outsiders (2/22/1998)
WCW World Television Champion: Booker T (2/22/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Chris Jericho (1/24/1998)

They replay the ending of Monday Nitro. HOT ending, for sure.

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Lee Marshall.

The following announcement has been paid for by the new World order: It’s all about Buff Bagwell. It’s unfortunate he’ll be gone in a week.

• Rick Steiner (w/Ted DiBiase) vs. Buff Bagwell (w/Vincent)
  

Just noticed Buff has a real Zoolander strut as he walks down the aisle. Buff mocks Rick to start because he’s Buff. Rick has enough and beats him down. An atomic drop and a clothesline sends out Buff. Back in, Bagwell cheapshots Rick and pounds him down. Steiner catches a double sledge and flips Bagwell over with a Belly to Belly Suplex. Judo toss gets two. Rick heads up top for the Steiner Bulldog, but Scott Steiner appears and shoves his brother down for the DQ. (2:51) Lex Luger comes out and helps out Rick to wrap things up. Still no mention of a tag match for these four at Spring Stampede. ¾*

In an nWo-style promo, Hollywood Hogan tells Sting he’s ready to take his belt back. Shoot?

Kevin Nash comes out this week wearing an nWo tank top. Tonight’s main event has already been announced: Nash will team up with Randy Savage to face Sting and Bret Hart. He calls Hogan a turd in no uncertain terms. Last week on Nitro, Bret Hart made the biggest mistake of his wrestling career. He quotes Jim Croce: You don’t pull on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind, you don’t pull the mask off Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess with Big Sexy. I don’t recall that last part. He gives Hogan one more chance to stop Armageddon in the nWo. Be his partner in the bat match or Nash will be the man who drives the stake into Hogan’s career. Whether Hogan is with him or not, Nash says he’ll beat both Roddy Piper and the Giant by himself. WHERE IS SCOTT HALL? If it comes down to it, Nash will beat all three of them. Tonight, Hogan will see how a real tag team partner operates. Put on your best face paint, Sting. WCW doesn’t make the rules around here – BIG SEXY DOES. Another shoot comment?

They replay Bret Hart’s advice he gave to Randy Savage on Nitro.

Another video gets replayed: “60 Seconds with Goldberg”.

• Bill Goldberg (72-0) vs. Barry Darsow
  

They announce that Goldberg will be wrestling Saturn at Spring Stampede. Goldberg NO-SELLS getting thrown to the floor, pops back up on the apron, and SPEARS Darsow. JACKHAMMER CITY! Goldberg wins at 1:51. Tenay makes the “Jackhammer City” comment. What a trail blazer that man is.

We hear more from Hollywood Hogan with the Disciple standing behind him. Whether Nash likes it or not, the pecking order exists. He made Nash and he can break him. HE DESERVES A WORLD TITLE SHOT, not Nash.

They replay the DDP-Raven feud video that aired on Nitro.

Tony Schiavone talks with JJ Dillon (because Gene doesn’t work Thursdays). He announces that the winner of the DDP versus Raven U.S. title match at Spring Stampede will face Bill Goldberg on Monday Nitro. Why not make the winner of Goldberg versus Saturn a #1 contenders match?

• WCW World Television Championship: Booker T (c) vs. Rick Fuller
  

Fuller gets quite a bit of power offense against the TV champ. Again I say, POWER. Heenan thinks Fuller will be making some big noise in the near future. Comeback by Booker leads to the Sidewalk Slam, the Axe Kick, SPINAROONIE, and the Harlem Side Kick. MISSILE DROPKICK connects for the win at 3:00. *

More soundbites from Hollywood Hogan. He should still have the belt!

Video package highlighting the trouble between Kevin Nash and Hollywood Hogan.

Tony announces another match for Spring Stampede: Lex Luger and Rick Steiner against Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell. Scott and Buff come out to cry about it. Scott makes the case that he didn’t turn on his brother, he turned on WCW. Stop trying to make them wrestle!

• Chris Benoit vs. Scott Norton (w/Vincent)
  

Didn’t Norton randomly beat Benoit a few weeks ago on Thunder? Benoit wears a Calgary Hitmen jersey to the ring. Norton overpowers Benoit despite Benoit’s best efforts to chop him. Out on the floor, Norton misses a clothesline up against the ringpost. It doesn’t seem to bug him too much as he powerslams Benoit in the ring. Benoit fights back with Rolling Germans. Norton misses a corner charge and runs his shoulder into the post to set up the CRIPPLER CROSSFACE, but Vincent pounces on Benoit for the weak DQ. (3:29) Booker T saves Benoit from a further beatdown and naturally Benoit doesn’t want his help. ¾*

They replay Bret Hart calling Kevin Nash scum and Hollywood Hogan WORSE than scum.

WCW Saturday Night! Watch it – IF YOU WILL! 6:05PM eastern time on TBS! JIM DUGGAN, the Barbarian, Reese from the Flock, “Big Poppa Pump” Scott Steiner, and many more will be in action! It’s the MUTHASHIP! Take it to the PAY WINDAH, baby!

Tony Schiavone brings out the Giant and Roddy Piper. Piper comes out riding on Giant’s shoulders to show how cool they are together and that Piper can get a bat from any place. Piper continues to put over the Giant as only Piper can do. He then talks about what he’s going to do to Hogan and Nash at Spring Stampede. They’ll bring the bats, the nWo can bring the balls.

• Curt Hennig (w/Rick Rude) vs. Super Calo
  

MORE SUPER CALO~! I don’t like his chances here. Rude gets rid of Marshall and joins the commentary table. Basic Hennig squash. The HENNIGPLEX secures the victory at 2:50.

Another snippet from Hollywood Hogan. He tells Diamond Dallas Page that he doesn’t want a shot at the world title. Is he asking for a match? I haven’t heard that.

THIS WEEK IN WCW MOTORSPORTS: have they ever won a race? Dale Torborg and Chad Fortune have joined the pit crew.

They replay the “Lost in Space” trailer.

• WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. (w/Eddie Guerrero)
  

Good to see Eddie back. Tony makes the claim that unlike some other organizations, we follow through on what matches we promote. The winner of Raven vs. DDP will face Bill Goldberg on Nitro – plain and simple. When Chavo gets on a roll, Jericho trips him up into the ropes and hits a vertical suplex for C’MON BABY. Jericho avoids the Tornado DDT, but takes an atomic drop. Chavo wants a sunset flip, but Jericho blocks and locks in the LIONTAMER. Chavo reaches the ropes, but Eddie slaps his hands away and Jericho walks him back to the center of the ring for the tapout. (2:23) While Eddie puts the towel over his head in shame, Prince Iaukea comes out and decks Jericho with the scale from last week. Iaukea then beats Jericho up the aisle. Once they clear out, Eddie tells Chavo he’s got a lot to learn before he beats somebody like Chris Jericho. Eddie messes up saying Chavo wrestles Jericho at Spring Stampede. You can hear Chavo say “Dragon” repeatedly to Eddie. If Chavo loses to Ultimo Dragon, Eddie says he will ride Chavo twice as hard. *½

Hollywood Hogan, the Disciple, and Eric Bischoff come down to the ring. I didn’t think Hogan would show in Fargo. What’s funny is I thought we had already heard enough from this guy. He gives Kevin Nash one last chance to save *his* Armageddon from happening. Some chick in the audience near a mic is saying “shit” quite a bit during this segment. He brings up Monday Nitro where everybody was digging at the Stinger. Hogan says he is the only guy in the nWo who deserves a world title shot. When you live and breathe Hollywood Hogan, you’re in it 4-LIFE.

More from Bret Hart. All he wants is a shot at the world title.

Tony brings out JJ Dillon again. If Randy Savage is not medically cleared by a doctor, he will not wrestle at the PPV against Sting. There are three other top challengers that will be considered as his replacement if he is not cleared: DDP, Kevin Nash, and Hollywood Hogan. Also, Randy Savage cannot wrestle with a cast like we saw him wearing on Nitro. Well, Randy Savage and Elizabeth come down to talk this out. Savage is still wearing the cast. He tells Dillon he has no jurisdiction over the Madness. If Dillon wants to do something constructiveness, go outside and look for red and yellow Dodge Vipers driven by blonde headed people with California license plates running over people outside the arena. Dillon reminds him of the conditions Savage must meet before Spring Stampede, but Savage says he will face Sting on Sunday night and will take the law in his own hands. DIG IT!

• The Giant (w/Roddy Piper) vs. Brian Adams (w/Vincent)
  

This is the first time we’ve seen Giant wrestle since UnCeNSoReD if I’m not mistaken. Adams rules the ring until Giant comes back with a slam and a big boot. When he calls for the CHOKESLAM, Vincent jumps Giant from behind for the DQ. (1:12) Scott Norton, Curt Hennig, and Buff Bagwell join the other two nWo cronies to get beaten by the Giant while Piper stands in the corner directing traffic. ¼*

Little video package on Raven.

• Saturn (w/Kidman) vs. Silver King
  

Saturn hits the Gargoyle-Plex from the top rope and applies the RINGS OF SATURN for the submission at 1:09.

Now we get a look at Diamond Dallas Page. He bangs a lot of dudes.

Tony Schiavone brings out the *real* US champ DDP for an interview. He looks forward to banging Raven and Bill Goldberg over the next several days.

Our last snippet from Bret Hart re-airs. The guy he respects the most is Sting. If there’s a situation where Sting needs him, just let Bret know. He’ll be there.

• Bret Hart & Sting vs. Kevin Nash & Randy Savage (w/Elizabeth)
  

Tony makes a point to say that they should be off the air right now, but unlike another promotion they will give you what you want to see. Oh geez. Bret and Nash trade shots to start. Nash gets Bret in the corner though and delivers the knees, the elbows, and the boot choke. Just like old times. Nash eats a boot off a corner charge and gets nailed with a flying clothesline. Bret headbutts Nash in the groin and tags Sting. Sting lands the jumping elbow drop on Nash, but then Nash goes to the eyes and tags Savage. Savage receives a clothesline and Sting applies the SCORPION DEATHLOCK, but Nash pulls Savage out to the floor. Interesting that Sting wins the world title a year from now in this very building. They are LOVING him tonight. Back to Nash and Bret, they trade more blows on each other. Side Slam from Nash gets two. The commentators are still hyping this Goldberg match for Nitro. Nash avoids the Sharpshooter by going to the eyes. He hits a short-arm clothesline and applies a sleeperhold, but Bret counters with a back suplex. Hot tag to Sting, he nails Savage with the Stinger Splash. When he goes to the opposite corner for another one, Nash drills him with a clothesline. While Nash and Bret head to the floor, Savage blocks a second Stinger Splash with the cast. Seeing the end is near, he heads up top for the MACHO ELBOW only for the Disciple and Hollywood Hogan to be late on their cue to knock him off the top for the DQ. (8:13) Hogan tries to injure the arm even further by bouncing it off the ringpost. Nash tosses Hogan away and they continue to argue while the nWo keep them separated to close out the show. Pretty standard Nitro main event stuff here. It’s the match of the night though as it was the only competitive match to go over four minutes. **

Spring Stampede 1998 is next, but so long for now.

WCW/nWo Spring Stampede LIVE ON PPV premieres April 19
from the Denver Coliseum in Denver, CO.
MAIN EVENT
WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Sting (c) vs. Randy Savage
WCW U.S. Heavyweight Championship: DDP (c) vs. Raven
WCW World Television Championship – NO TIME LIMIT: Booker T (c) vs. Chris Benoit
WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Prince Iaukea
Bat Match: The Giant & Roddy Piper vs. Hollywood Hogan & Kevin Nash
Davey Boy Smith vs. Curt Hennig
Bill Goldberg vs. Saturn
Lex Luger & Rick Steiner vs. Scott Steiner & Buff Bagwell
Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Ultimo Dragon