WCW: Thunder
August 20, 1998
Fargo, ND
Fargodome

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Bill Goldberg (7/6/1998)
WCW U.S. Champion: Bret Hart (8/13/1998)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Giant & Scott Hall (7/20/1998)
WCW World Television Champion: Chris Jericho (8/10/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Juventud Guerrera (8/8/1998)

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

• WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Juventud Guerrera (c) vs. Psychosis

Our esteemed commentators are already discussing Warrior’s appearance. Psychosis goes for the win early with La Magistral cradle for two. Guerrera gets a drop toehold and grabs a headlock. From there, Psychosis fights out only to have Juvi dropkick him to the floor. Hmm, no dive from Guerrera. Back in, Psychosis buries a knee and chops Guerrera in the corner. He puts Juvi in a full nelson and bounces his face off the top buckle once or nine times. Juventud fights back and comes off the top with a flying bodypress, but takes too much time celebrating to get the pinfall. Psychosis blocks a wheelbarrow move with a facebuster. The crowd is all over him. Guerrera blocks a corner charge and runs him down with a clothesline followed by a spinning heel kick. Off the top again, Juventud lands the flying headscissors. Slow cover gets two. Guerrera avoids another corner charge and heads up top for a THIRD time, but Psychosis crotches him by shaking the ropes. Psychosis brings Juventud down to the mat with a victory roll bomb type move for two. Commercials! When we come back, Psychosis delivers a sitout gourdbuster for two. There’s a bridging electric chair drop from Psychosis. He scores another nearfall there. Psychosis couldn’t BELIEVE that didn’t win. From the top, Psychosis hits the GUILLOTINE LEGDROP and delays the pin. When he does cover Juventud, he presses down on the mid-section and doesn’t hook the leg, so you know he’s only getting two. Next thing we know, Juventud flips out of a German suplex and hits the JUVI DRIVER for the win. (8:08 shown) What a battle here. Psychosis got too cocky and it cost him the Cruiserweight title. **½

nWo Wolfpac video. They are most definitely in da house.

When we return, Gene Okerlund talks with Stevie Ray. He’s here to tell the GOSPEL TRUTH that his brother Booker T signed the Power of Attorney over to Stevie Ray and defended the TV title slapjacking guys all over WCW. He calls Chris Jericho a “sissy” but he’ll fight anybody. He won’t cry about how the Giant snuck up on him. HE’S COMIN’ FOR YOU, GIANT. When Okerlund asks about Booker T, Stevie Ray says we don’t need to worry about it.

We get a video recap of what went down between Warrior and Hollywood Hogan on Monday Nitro.

• Jim Duggan vs. Barry Darsow

From Mid-South to the WWF and now to WCW, Duggan and Darsow know each other quite well. Duggan controls to start and looks to put away Darsow early with the Three Point Stance, but Darsow ducks out. They brawl to the floor where Duggan shoves Darsow off into the ringpost. Back in, Darsow jumps Duggan on the apron and runs his face into the buckle. Darsow grabs a neck wrench. Tony explains that Warrior doesn’t have a WCW contract, but on Nitro we will hear from Interim Commissioner Roddy Piper who should shed some light on Wargames and Warrior’s status in WCW. Duggan comes back with punches. He hits the big swinging slam, the Three Point Stance, and the OLD GLORY knee drop gets the win. (4:18) Boy, people sure do love Duggan, don’t they? ½*

This Week in WCW Motorsports! YEAH!

We get a WARGAMES video package which explains the rules while showing a bunch of cool moments from over the years. I guess 1993 wasn’t worth mentioning.

Gene Okerlund talks with the U.S. champ Bret Hart. It’s confirmed Bret will be part of the nWo Black and White team in the Wargames match at Fall Brawl. Bret won’t reveal who the third man will be on their team. He will be a mystery until Bret or Hollywood Hogan want to tell the world who he is. No matter what, Bret Hart came to WCW to win the world title and he thinks he’s the guy who can beat Bill Goldberg. Gene says Goldberg prefers people drop the “Bill”, but Bret calls him “Bill” again – because he’s such a HEEL.

MOVIES FOR GUYS WHO LIKE MOVIES: Tonight it’s “Rapid Fire” (1992), starring Brandon Lee.

Next up, Gene Okerlund speaks to Steve McMichael. Tonight, Mongo has Curt Hennig. He’s just now wanting revenge for what Hennig did to Flair last year?

• Dean Malenko vs. Brian Adams (w/Vincent)

Talk about a contrast of styles here. Malenko has to get Adams off his feet, but isn’t too successful to start. He grabs a claw hold on the pecs. Malenko escapes, but runs into a backbreaker. A couple legdrops from Adams gets two. Adams throws Malenko out for Vincent. Back in, Adams gives Malenko a press into a gutbuster. Malenko avoids an elbow drop, but takes a headbutt. Adams misses a corner charge, but catches Malenko in a bearhug. Malenko manages to counter with a DDT. WHOA. While Vincent distracts the ref, CURT HENNIG runs down and whacks Malenko from behind. Once Hennig is out, Adams lands the Tour of the Islands for the win. (4:32) I mean, it got what they wanted, which was the Hennig interference. Actually, not as bad as I thought it would be. *

nWo Black and White get a video package too!

They take us back to Nitro where Scott Steiner and Buff Bagwell brought out a fake doctor to explain why Scott can’t wrestle his brother at Fall Brawl.

WCW Saturday Night! Watch it – IF YOU WILL! 6:05PM eastern time on TBS! Chris Jericho meets Chavo Guerrero Jr. for the TV belt while Scott Hall meets Konnan! It’s the MUTHASHIP! Take it to the PAY WINDAH, baby!

Buy the new Property of nWo “Just Too Sweet” t-shirt for only $20 bucks!

They take us back to WCW Saturday Night (WHAAT?) where Saturn got Raven to agree that if he beats him at Fall Brawl, the Flock will be set free.

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

Mike Tenay replaces Lee Marshall. He explains if Saturn loses at Fall Brawl, he has to rejoin the Flock and be subservient to Raven again. This is a “four corners” match where there’s two guys in the ring and you can tag out to either guy on the apron. Too many entrances as we go to commercial. The bell rings as we come back. Raven and Saturn look to start, but there’s no contact and Raven just tags Horace. WHERE ARE THE RULES? Horace beats down Saturn and delivers a powerslam for two. He catches Saturn with a corner clothesline, but Saturn comes out fighting with sumo strikes and kicks. Horace yanks Saturn into Kanyon and goes after Kanyon on the floor. I guess there was a tag. Back inside, Horace gets a short-arm clothesline. Kanyon comes back with a swinging fisherman suplex. He gives Horace a big slam and Raven gets a tag. Raven orders Horace tag out to Kanyon, but Horace won’t do it. Raven slaps him around and throws him into Kanyon’s corner, who tags Horace. Now it looks like Horace and Raven are working together as they work over Kanyon. The Hat Trick of Russian Legsweeps gets two. Saturn makes the save. Raven tags Saturn. He gives Kanyon an arm trap suplex and tags Horace. Kanyon blocks a vertical suplex and hits one of his own. Horace is the first man up and lands a flying splash for two. Saturn makes another save. Lodi traps Saturn while Raven and Horace go to whack Kanyon with the stop sign, but Raven winds up eating the stop sign. Horace doesn’t even seem to mind. Kanyon gets a nearfall. Both Raven and Kanyon go to Saturn for a tag, so Saturn tags Kanyon so he run wild on Raven. In comes Horace, he takes a suplex as well. Saturn hits the Flying Splash for two. Saturn decks Kanyon and the ref calls that a tag. In comes Kanyon, he grabs Saturn off the top and delivers the electric chair drop facebuster onto Raven! Cover, 1-2-NO! Kanyon lands a flapjack out of the fireman’s carry on Raven, but Horace breaks up the pin. FLATLINER to Horace! Now Lodi pulls out Kanyon as the Flock swarm on him. Next thing we know, Saturn flies onto Kanyon. They continue to brawl while Raven lands the EVENFLOW DDT on Horace for the win. (9:39) This was a pretty good match, but the crowd didn’t seem to care. I think they are just growing tired of the whole feud as it seems like it will never be over. Even Tony and Mike can’t explain what’s happening. **½

Get the WCW/nWo Magazine!

Gene Okerlund talks with the Giant. It seems Giant is a fan of Stevie Ray’s ambition by stealing his own brother’s title belt. Giant doesn’t care where you are from whether it’s Harlem or South Carolina, he will close the gap between them by putting his hand around Stevie Ray’s neck for the CHOKESLAM.

• Curt Hennig (w/Rick Rude) vs. Steve McMichael

Hammerlocks are exchanged to start. Hennig decides to bail and get some advice from Rude. Back inside, McMichael squeezes on a headlock and runs down Hennig with a shoulderblock. Back to the headlock, Hennig escapes and delivers a drop toehold to grapevine the legs. The Hennig neck snap is next. Hennig twists on the knee and grabs the ropes for leverage. He continues to take Mongo to school, but Mongo punches back and hits a reverse neckbreaker to piss off Rude. Here comes the Three Point Stance moves. Next thing we know, Rude whacks Mongo as he comes off the ropes with a chair. HENNIGPLEX! Hey, it’s Dean Malenko! He breaks up the pin for the DQ. (4:50) Now Rude and Hennig double-team Malenko. They wipe him out with a double DDT. They do the same to Mongo as well. Heenan says these two are proof you can do it in wrestling tights or in an expensive suit. This was awful. ½*

Get your nWo Wolfpac t-shirt for only $20 bucks.

They take us back to Monday Nitro to show what happened in the three-way match between TV champ Chris Jericho, Stevie Ray, and Chavo Guerrero Jr. Can you imagine those three would be booked together a year earlier?

• The Giant (w/Scott Hall) vs. Stevie Ray

This won’t last long. They tie-up and neither man is willing to sell for the other. They exchange wristlocks for some reason. Stevie Ray punches back and hits a bicycle kick. In comes Hall, he takes punches all over the place. Giant slugs Stevie Ray down for the save. CHOKESLAM! Instead of pinning him, Hall comes in and starts putting the badmouth to Stevie Ray while he’s down. Ref Mark Curtis won’t stand for this anymore and calls for the bell. (2:10) Giant throws Curtis out of the ring. Curt Hennig, Brian Adams, and Vincent head down to embarrass Stevie Ray some more. We’re outta time. N/R

This Stevie Ray deal is one of those decisions where it makes zero sense. It might make a little bit of sense once some other things play out, but right now it would make no sense whatsoever.

THE REVOLUTION STARTS MONDAY, WARRIORS! Until then, so long for now.