WCW: Thunder
July 8, 1998
Birmingham, AL
BJCC

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Bill Goldberg (7/6/1998)
WCW U.S. Champion: Vacant (7/6/1998)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: Sting & Kevin Nash (6/15/1998)
WCW World Television Champion: Booker T (6/14/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Chris Jericho (6/15/1998)

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON: Bill Goldberg is the *new* WCW world heavyweight champ.

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

We go to JJ Dillon who has just got out of a meeting with the WCW board of directors. Now that Bill Goldberg is the world champ, he has now decided to defend his newly won title against Curt Hennig at the Bash at the Beach PPV. Originally scheduled to team up with Kevin Greene against Hennig and the Giant, now Kevin Greene has agreed to wrestle the Giant since that’s the guy he wanted to get his mitts on anyways.

Tony Schiavone brings out Curt Hennig (with Vincent) to respond to the changes for Bash at the Beach. Hennig refuses to wrestle Diamond Dallas Page tonight as scheduled because of this upcoming world title match. Rick Rude is meeting with attorneys in Atlanta on Hennig’s behalf to get out of this match. As for Goldberg, Hennig thinks that he’s celebrating this victory a little too much and feels this is the best time for him to strike and put Goldberg out of wrestling. Tony pushes the issue about the DDP match to close the interview, but Hennig says that match won’t happen.

• Public Enemy vs. Tokyo Magnum & Shimo Nobunaga
  

We get another look at some of Ultimo Dragon’s students here. Shimo avoids a springboard moonsault from Rocco and manages to do a few flying moves to him, but then receives the DRIVE BY through two tables. That’ll do. (2:53) Tokyo Magnum wants to dance with Public Enemy after the bell, but gets clubbed for trying to be friendly. Next thing we know, Alex Wright and Disco Inferno hit the ring and put the boots to PE. Tokyo Magnum wants to be friendly with Wright and Disco, but gets tossed aside instead. Poor fella. He just wants to dance with somebody. He wants to feel the *heat* with somebody.

They air a montage of the mainstream media talking about the Bash at the Beach main event.

• Ernest Miller vs. Villano IV
  

Yeah, this one should butts in the seats. Miller wrestles most of the match with his robe on. Los Villanos do the heel switch, but the fresh Villano V still can’t get the win as Miller hits the FELINER for the three-count in 3:38.

Tony Schiavone brings out Eddie Guerrero to explain why he’s cutting on his nephew Chavo’s hair. First off, Eddie congratulates Goldberg for winning the world title. This Sunday at Bash at the Beach, Chavo will relearn to respect his elders. He can’t wait to shave Chavo’s head – because nobody likes BALD PEOPLE, especially Uncle Eddie. Never forget, Chavo, that Eddie’s doing this all because he loves you!

THIS WEEK IN WCW MOTORSPORTS: Zzzzz.

After the break, Tony Schiavone is in the ring now and brings out Diamond Dallas Page. He congratulates Goldberg on winning the title belt, too, because WCW is WCW whether you’re face or heel. DDP talks up Karl Malone hanging and banging in the gym. He calls Malone a “Rodzilla Killa”. As for Hogan, he’s about to have the worst week ever. He brings up Curt Hennig and doesn’t think Hennig will get out of feeling the BANG tonight.

• Juventud Guerrera vs. Judo Suwa
  

Another Toryumon student here. Guerrera and Suwa exchange holds to start. Suwa busts on Juventud with a body attack off the ropes, but Juvi comes right back with chops and a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. As Suwa rolls out, Juventud wipes him out with a pescado. Back in, the scrony Suwa hits a pump splash. Guerrera comes back with a springboard dropkick. Out comes Kidman to ringside. Juvi finds one JUVI DRIVER that doesn’t look too good. He plants Suwa with a second one and gets the three-count. (3:38) Afterwards, the Flock comes out and attacks Guerrera. They hold him down by his arms and legs while Kidman gives him a SHOOTING STAR PRESS. **

Tony Schiavone brings out Steve McMichael to talk about the Four Horsemen. He puts over Arn Anderson and tells the production crew to show everybody something. It’s that GREAT promo from Fall Brawl 1995 when Arn wrestled Ric Flair. Sort of a retcon moment, but Tony feels this was the night Arn went to the top of the Four Horsemen because he was able to pin Ric Flair. Mongo is then trying to put over the fact that Arn Anderson can be the driving force of the Four Horsemen again in 1998. That’s really telling about the legal situation between Ric Flair and WCW for the time. The fact that they would even consider putting the Four Horsemen back together without Flair is one sad idea.

Now they air a montage highlighting all the angles involving the Bash at the Beach main event.

• Konnan vs. Stevie Ray
  

Stevie Ray wants to dedicate this match to his brother Booker T and to remind him that they came from the streets. He then lets everybody know that he isn’t going to change his ways for any of these suckas out in the audience. Somebody has been listening to some James Brown, too. Let’s hope they keep this short. Stevie Ray clubs him a bit, but Konnan comes back with the Rolling Lariat and the X Factor. They go to the floor where Stevie Ray boots him down and smokes him with a chair for the DQ. (2:05) He looks to nail Konnan again before Booker T comes out to stop it from happening. ¼*

In the back, Curt Hennig has gotten Rick Rude to get this match for tonight canceled. All he has to do is sign and fax a document to the building as soon as possible.

• Saturn & Kanyon vs. Raven & Horace (w/Lodi)
  

Saturn and Kanyon do not appear to be the best of buds right now, but they’re teaming up anyways and do some double-team stuff to Horace. Kanyon tries a crucifix while Saturn dropkicks Horace over. As soon as Horace is down, Kanyon chases after Raven and punches on him until Horace saves the day with a tope suicida. Back in, Raven tags in and clotheslines Kanyon in the corner. That staggers Kanyon into a running knee lift that sends him flying over the top to the floor. A Russian legsweep back into the guardrail gets two. Back over to Horace, Kanyon escapes a headlock and hits a Flapjack off the shoulders. Hot tag to Saturn, he gets rid of Raven and delivers a hurracanrana to Horace. While Saturn sets up a table at ringside, Kanyon stops Horace up top and brings him down with an electric chair drop facebuster. Meanwhile, Raven gets attacked and put on the table. While Kanyon is holding Raven on the table, Saturn is on the top rope ready to splash him when Lodi throws powder in his eyes and Horace whacks Kanyon with the stop sign. Now Kanyon gets put on the table instead of Raven. The blinded Perry Saturn then leaps off the top and elbow drops Kanyon through the table. BECAUSE OF COURSE HE DOES! That’s enough for Raven to pin Kanyon. (5:16) Not a bad little brawl and it continues the problems between the three guys heading into Bash at the Beach. **½

• Steve McMichael vs. Rick Fuller
  

Mongo gets a few football tackles and tries the MONGO SPIKE, but Fuller cuts him off and beats him up in the corner. Fuller slams him for a legdrop for two! Our esteemed commentators are too busy talking about Nitro to mention that. When Fuller goes up top, McMichael punches him down and delivers the MONGO SPIKE for the win in 2:27.

Tony announces now that Dean Malenko has been suspended for his attack on Chris Jericho this past Monday on Nitro, he will no longer be granted the Cruiserweight title shot at Bash at the Beach.

• WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Ultimo Dragon
  

Jericho comes out with a band-aid over his left eye. He’s upset now that Malenko has been suspended and won’t be at Bash at the Beach, his fans won’t be able to see him wrestle. He now wants JJ Dillon to tell him who his opponent will be. No JJ Dillon. He says he will be performing at the PPV no matter what if he has to put on a top hat and dance. Headlocks and shoulderblocks ensue. A spinning heel kick by Dragon sends Jericho to the floor for a dropkick through the ropes and a pescado. Back in, Jericho blocks a suplex for one of his own and dropkicks Dragon in the corner. After Jericho gives up on the backbreaker, Dragon comes back with his signature Kick Combo. Jericho catches the Handspring Elbow and gives him a German suplex for two. They fight up on the top rope and wind up crashing to the mat from a superplex position. Dragon is the first man to his feet and La Magistral cradle gets 1-2-NO! Having had enough, Jericho kicks him for a Butterfly Backbreaker for two. Dragon backflips off the ropes to catch Jericho with the DRAGON SLEEPER, but Jericho makes the ropes. Jericho catches Dragon in the corner and delivers a spinebuster. Hoping to set up for the Liontamer, Dragon counters to a rollup for 1-2-NO! Hurracanrana gets another nearfall. Dragon counters a powerbomb and tries another hurracanrana, but this time Jericho blocks and finds the LIONTAMER for the tapout. (6:03) Well, that was a good one. **½

We now go over to Tony Schiavone who meets with Kevin Greene to talk about the Giant. He congratulates Goldberg on the title win. At least that makes sense considering they were roommates and buds. GET READY, GIANT.

Diamond Dallas Page comes out to the ring anyways to face Curt Hennig. Out comes Hennig and Vincent. Hennig has the fax in his hand and looks pretty pumped about it. Ring announcer Dave Penzer reads the fax that says Hennig is under no obligation to wrestle DDP tonight since he’s facing Goldberg for the WCW world title at Bash at the Beach. No match, but there is a fight. Vincent gets BANGED while Hennig slithers away before that can happen to him as well. Before Hennig leaves, Goldberg’s music plays and the pyro goes off to scare Hennig, but we don’t get to see any Goldberg.

Goldberg does in fact come out for the live crowd after the tape machines stop rolling to wrestle a match against Scott Hall.

Until we get to Bash at the Beach, so long for now!

WCW/nWo: Bash at the Beach
Sunday, July 12, 1998 from the Cox Arena in San Diego @ 7PM EST
MAIN EVENT: Hollywood Hogan & Dennis Rodman vs. Diamond Dallas Page & Karl Malone
WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Bill Goldberg (c) vs. Curt Hennig
WCW World Television Championship: Booker T (c) vs. Bret Hart
Hair Match: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.
Raven’s Rules: Raven vs. Saturn
Kevin Greene vs. The Giant