WCW: Thunder
August 5, 1998
Casper, WY
Casper Events Center

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Bill Goldberg (7/6/1998)
WCW U.S. Champion: Bret Hart (7/20/1998)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Giant & Scott Hall (7/20/1998)
WCW World Television Champion: Booker T (6/14/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Chris Jericho (7/13/1998)

HOUR NUMBER ONE! Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Lee Marshall, and Bobby Heenan.

Road Wild this Saturday night. You’ll get three hours of wrestling and then a Travis Tritt concert! Lee informs us that Saturday night is in fact alright for fighting, which tells me he’ll be heading for the hotel room once Travis Tritt walks out on stage. He says he can’t wait, but I feel different. They are still talking about the nWo battle royal which will also include Bill Goldberg who is *not* actually in the nWo. I guess it’s an nWo/GOLDBERG battle royal. They take us back to Monday Nitro when Sting pulled a Mick Foley by turning into BLACK AND WHITE STING when he got real mad at Bret Hart for attacking his buddy Lex Luger or something. Meltzer says it’s another idea Bischoff stole from New Japan when Keiji Mutoh turns into the Great Muta. Earlier in the show, the nWo Hollywood crew assaulted DDP and held his wife Kimberly against her will. It adds some heat to the PPV, but his tag partner is JAY “DO I LOOK LIKE I WORK OUT” LENO.

• The Giant vs. Lizmark Jr.

Did anyone watching think this would be competitive. You could have at least grabbed another luchadore and made it a handicap match. Lizmark punches the Giant and tries a springboard move, but flies into a CHOKESLAM. Good night. (:26) Afterwards, Giant gets on the stick and says he’s tired of hearing about Goldberg. He may be on a roll right now, but the Giant showed he can Chokeslam Goldberg like anybody else. If Goldberg wants some, come get some. Giant looks JACKED right now. If Goldberg thinks he’s the future of wrestling, Giant feels otherwise and knows he can beat Goldberg. He’s just telling it straight – DAMN straight. Whoa, buddy. This show is PG. N/A

They replay the dramatic Goldberg video from Nitro – which now includes a GIANT chokeslam.

Lex Luger comes out and doesn’t exactly look like he got laid out two nights ago. No bumps or bruises. Wolfpac is in the house, fellow white people. They aren’t for life, they are forever. The nWo Hollywood boys can keep playing dirty because the Wolfpac grows all the more strong. What did you come out here to say, Lex? Apparently, it was Scott Hall who beat up Lex on Monday night. Luger won’t leave Casper Wyoming without a showdown with the nWo B&W. He yells for Hall to bring two friends because Lex has some friends who will join him tonight. Sting and Konnan head down to the ring to get the crowd HYPE for later in the show.

Dean Malenko comes out to be the special referee for this next match, but he’s stopped by Chris Jericho who questions Malenko’s integrity. He thinks Malenko kissed a lot of butt to get to be the referee in his match at Road Wild. Jericho wants Malenko to prove to everybody that he can be unbiased by following the rules as referee in his assigned match. Malenko tells Jericho to buzz off.

• Psychosis vs. Juventud Guerrera

Dean Malenko is *your* special referee. Heenan brings up a great point that Jericho is trying to get under Malenko’s skin before the match starts hoping he’ll lose his cool and be forced out of refereeing his title match at Road Wild. Psychosis BUM RUSHES THE SHOW, but Juventud comes back with a flying headscissors. Psychosis fires back with a lariat and blocks a corner charge. He tries a powerbomb, but Guerrera counters into a DDT. Basically his WCW/nWo Revenge GRAPPLE finish. Psychosis catches Juventud coming off the ropes with a spinebuster of sorts. That gets two. Right after that happens, he runs at Juventud and takes a monkey flip bump over the top rope to the floor. While Malenko is leaning through the ropes counting Psychosis, CHRIS JERICHO has snuck down and whacked Juventud with the Cruiserweight belt. Malenko now sees Guerrera is down, but has no idea why. Psychosis hits the GUILLOTINE LEGDROP. Jericho is back up on the apron throwing a tantrum directed at Malenko to count the pinfall. He does. (3:09) Jericho barks at the camera that Malenko was totally unbiased since he got the decision he wanted to see. Juventud is now 0-2 since beating Rey Mysterio for the Cruiserweight title shot. Malenko stares at Jericho because he knows there was something fishy going on, but he can’t prove it and he can’t BLOW HIS TOP. **

TBS DINNER AND A MOVIE: This week, it’s “Fire Birds (1990)” starring Tommy Lee Jones, Sean Young, and Nicolas Cage. It’s a cross between “Top Gun” and “Top Gun” with a little hint of “Blue Thunder”. TBS used to be fun.

It’s time for nWoooooo NIGHTCAP. Hopefully for the last time. Eric Bischoff and Elizabeth head out to the set. Bischoff reacts to Jay Leno calling Hollywood Hogan a “pin head”. You know, Eric Andre needs to get up with Eric Bischoff. He makes more “jokes” at DDP, Kimberly, Kevin Eubanks, and Jay Leno’s expense. Some fan throws a drink at Bischoff and he yells for somebody to get that guy a fresh beer because it was a little stale. Real or plant? That was awful quick. Who knows. Bischoff heads to the desk and makes Kimberly a deal: if she doesn’t come into the ring at Road Wild, he won’t sit at the end of the bed when she’s working. Next thing you know, Diamond Dallas Page is out. He LEAPS over the desk and beats the shit out of Bischoff. He even proceeds to DESTROY the nWo Nightcap set with Bischoff’s body. Heenan says Bischoff will never make Road Wild if somebody doesn’t pull DDP off him. TRUTH. Eventually, Casper’s finest come out and pull DDP off Bischoff to take him backstage leaving Bischoff on the floor. Tony – “Bischoff is out!” Heenan – “Who cares.” Always the realist. The Giant comes out, throws Bischoff over his shoulder, and takes him backstage. Crowd is chanting Goldberg, but there’s no Goldberg.

THIS WEEK IN WCW MOTORSPORTS. Since the WCW car wasn’t really doing anything and this segment is brought to you by Valvoline, they can talk about how great of a 1998 Mark Martin had (Valvoline car driver #6). I live in North Carolina. Most people who have roots here have basic knowledge of NASCAR and some of their drivers especially in the 1980s and 90s, although personally I’m not a fan. It’s not so much racing as it is just turning left as far as I can tell. Then again, we watch wrestling which I’m sure doesn’t make sense to some NASCAR fans, so there ya go.

WCW Saturday Night! Watch it – IF YOU WILL! 6:05PM eastern time on TBS! A warm-up to Road Wild. You’ll see Saturn, Lex Luger, and “Big Sexy” Kevin Nash all in action. It’s the MUTHASHIP though! Take it to the PAY WINDAH, baby!

Tony Schiavone says Hollywood Hogan saw what just happened to Eric Bischoff and he’s on his way to the building with some “biker friends”.

• Meng vs. Jim Duggan

No Jimmy Hart. I can’t keep up with their relationship these days. Lots of clubbering to start. This match needs Dusty Rhodes on commentary. Okay, now the relationship between Meng and Jimmy Hart is more clear. Jimmy comes out with Barbarian and Hugh Morrus. Duggan gets dumped into the steps leaving Meng all alone to be beaten down. (:45) Jimmy grabs the 2×4 and climbs to the top rope. While Meng is held by Barbarian and Morrus, Hart leaps off the top and whacks Meng over the head with the 2×4. Naturally, Meng NO-SELLS. Barbarian delivers the KICK OF FEAR to Meng. Duggan wakes up, grabs his 2×4, and cleans house. Meng and Duggan have a stand-off, but neither man decides to fire on the other. Meng decides to run after Jimmy Hart and the Dungeon of Doom 2.0. Meanwhile in the ring, we get a lot of HOOOOO! N/A

ROAD WILD! Travis Tritt says he will see you at Sturgis.

Since Gene Okerlund doesn’t work on Wednesdays, Tony Schiavone does our live “American Ironhorse” commercial.

Curt Hennig, Scott Hall, and Brian Adams are joined by Scott Norton, Rick Rude and Vincent as they head to the ring. Rude says that Road Wild will be “hog heaven” for some, but for Goldberg it will be a “living hell”. On behalf of Curt Hennig, Rude says Goldberg will not survive the battle royal and promises Goldberg will not leave Road Wild “unblemished”. Hennig looks deathly serious. The stick goes to Scott Hall. Hey yo. He now wants to be known as “Medium Sexy – the Nash Killer”. He tells the Wolfpac boys to go over to the Nitro Girls locker room, knock on the door, ask for some Monistat-7, and clear up that yeast infection. DAMN. Hall tells Lex Luger that it wasn’t more than one guy from the nWo B&W that put him down last week on Nitro, it was just him. He says Luger was on “queer street – and liking it”. DAMN AGAIN. Hall says he never liked Konnan anyway and he’ll squash him like a cock-a-roach. As for Sting, he’s so scared of the B&W, he can’t decide what color to paint his face from week to week. Long story short, they accept the nWo Wolfpac’s challenge because the B&W in Casper is just too SWEET. Tony tells us to expect a battle later on tonight.

• Stevie Ray vs. Steve McMichael

Stevie Ray has the TV belt with him. Tony is all vague about this being a “return match” as if anyone is on the edge of their seat about these two feuding. Stevie Ray beats on Mongo, but then McMichael catches him coming off the ropes with a back suplex and starts taking out the knee. Mongo runs into a boot in the corner and gets kicked down. Hey look, it’s Chavo Guerrero Jr. He’s still got Stevie Ray’s stolen notary stamp and made up a contract that makes himself the TV champ. Why stop there? He grabs the TV belt and starts going backstage. Stevie Ray stalks Chavo, rips up the contract, and then loses by countout. (2:30) Stevie Ray fights off Mongo and goes after Chavo hoping to get his brother’s TV belt back. ½*

Tony Schiavone brings Rick Steiner out for an interview. Hopefully Rick and Scott Steiner battle it out at Road Wild. COME FACE THE DOG LIKE A MAN, SCOTT.

Get the “Big Sexy” t-shirt for only $20.

HOUR NUMBER TWO! Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan.

We take a look back at “one of the leaders of the Four Horsemen”: Arn Anderson. THE FOUR HORSEMEN, YOU SAY?

• Perry Saturn vs. Sick Boy & Riggs (w/Lodi)

After Saturn heads to the ring, Raven comes out to make Saturn think the triangle match including Kanyon could turn into a handicap match. Just to mess with him, Raven calls Sick Boy and Riggs to fight him. Tony says it was originally supposed to be Kanyon and Saturn against Riggs and Sick Boy, but there’s no Kanyon and thus we have this handicap match. Lodi has a sign that says “Saturn Broke My Fingers”, to which Tenay thinks has to do with Raven and his “mind control” tactics. Saturn did snap Lodi’s fingers too though, Mike. Saturn throws these Gen X freaks around to start. The numbers game works in their favor as they hit some spots on Saturn. While Riggs holds Saturn, Sick Boy does a springboard back elbow off the ropes only to miss Saturn and nail Riggs by mistake. He throws Sick Boy and kicks away Riggs. There’s the DEATH VALLEY DRIVER to Sick Boy for the win. (2:24) Raven comes out and takes some shots from Saturn, but Riggs is enough of a distraction for Raven to surprise Saturn with the EVENFLOW DDT. Crowd is all over Raven. *

ROAD WILD! JAY LENO! SATURDAY NIGHT! TRAVIS TRITT!

• Eddie Guerrero vs. Disco Inferno (w/Tokyo Magnum)

Disco and Magnum dance a little bit. Heenan – “Tony, are you ever out of your pants as quick as Tokyo Magnum gets out of his pants?” Poor Eddie is in no man’s land right now while his crazy nephew is pretending to be the TV champ. He chops Disco around and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Tony announces Bret Hart defends the US title against Lex Luger next week on Thunder. Disco launches Eddie and follows up with a Jumping Piledriver for two. Heenan gives Disco crap for not covering him strong enough. There’s a swinging neckbreaker to Eddie for another two. Disco misses the flying elbow and eats a European uppercut. Guerrero continues with the jumping hip attack and a nasty shoulderbreaker. Tokyo Magnum starts dancing on the apron. Sensing it’s a setup, Eddie avoids Disco’s charge and hits the Brainbuster. He heads up top and Tokyo Magnum shoves Eddie off into the FROG SPLASH on Disco for the win. (2:56) Whoops. *½

Tony talks to Buff Bagwell on the phone. He’s laughing his head off. Tony brings up Rick Steiner to join in on the conversation. Buff wants everybody to sit down and shut the hell up. He tells everybody that Rick saw what phenomenal shape Scott Steiner is in and attacked him and Buff with a chair. Rick says Buff left to go find his momma. Buff tells Rick that the contract for his match with Scott Steiner was signed, but he had to go and be stupid by whacking Scott with a chair because now Scott Steiner can’t wrestle at Road Wild. The commentary boys and Rick Steiner all roll their eyes. Buff laughs it up some more and calls Rick “stupid” again. Rick challenges Buff and Scott again. He’ll be at Sturgis and they can show up if they want to. Time to end this segment.

Why are so many 1990s sitcom stars concerned with how much money I spend on long distance phone calls?

Hollywood Hogan, Eric Bischoff, and the Disciple head to the ring. Bischoff is licking his wounds. Hogan says DDP has finally drew the last straw that will ultimately break his own back. Apparently, he had to do everything he could to stop his biker friends from beating DDP so bad, he won’t show up for Sturgis. By the grace of God that DDP actually makes it to Sturgis, Hogan will break every bone in his body. Once he puts DDP in a pine box, he begs Bischoff to leave Jay Leno to him. When you mess with Hollywood Hogan, you go down – FOR LIFE. Tony thinks this is the maddest we’ve ever seen Hollywood Hogan in the history of our sport.

• Sting, Lex Luger & Konnan vs. Scott Hall, Curt Hennig & Brian Adams

Kevin Nash, Rick Rude, Scott Norton, and Vincent are all conspicuous by their absence. Big brawl outside the ring to start. Sting beats on Hennig, Konnan tears into Adams, and Luger gets his hands on Hall. Once everything settles into the ring, Luger starts his atomic drops on Hall. There’s a Bionic Forearm for two. Hall crawls back into his corner and tags Hennig. He can’t handle Luger. Hennig’s right knee has a huge brace on it. He gets caught in the Wolfpac corner. Tag to Adams, he beats down Konnan and delivers a backbreaker for two. Adams draws Sting and Luger in so that Konnan can get triple-teamed. Hennig chops Konnan and drills him with a knee lift. Hall tags in and delivers the Fallaway Slam on Konnan. Crowd is totally WOLFPAC. Sting gets a random tag and tears into everything nWo B&W. He tells Hall to suck it and delivers a running face slam. More atomic drops. The match breaks down as Konnan hits the X-Factor. He applies the TEQUILA SUNRISE on Adams while Sting and Luger hold off Hennig and Hall. Hennig makes the save for Adams. Meanwhile, Konnan rolls up Adams for the win. (5:58) I guess they didn’t want Adams “submitting”. Old school. Sting and Luger are punching Hall in the dick as we close the show. *½

Some more notes from Meltzer pertaining to this time period. He says the Time Warner higher-ups were mad about the angle from Nitro involving Kimberly went over the line claiming sexual harassment. Bischoff didn’t care and thought it was great since it got needed heat for the Road Wild main event. I agree. It added EXTRA incentive and I would wonder if they were worried about it in early 1997 when the nWo pulled out her Playboy magazine.

Anyways, that’s all for today. ROAD WILD IS NEXT! Until then, so long for now.