WCW: Thunder
August 26, 1998
Peoria, IL
Peoria Civic Center

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.

• Wrath vs. Scott Putski

What’s with the Third Eye Blind-style theme music for Putski? Wrath made his repackaged debut on Nitro two days ago. He rips into Putski something fierce for the first minute or so. There’s a flying clothesline to take down Putski. Wrath catches him with a nasty shoulderblock and puts him down with the MELTDOWN (sort of) in 2:21. Putski didn’t turn over onto Wrath’s shoulder and so Wrath had to settle for a nasty looking Dominator there. ¼*

MGFWLM: Tonight, it’s “I Come in Peace” (1990) starring Dolph Lundgren. This looks like a movie Charlie and the Gang might be watching.

Tony Schiavone brings out the newest member of the nWo B&W: Stevie Ray. Vincent is by his side, because OF COURSE he would be. No new B&W tights just yet. He’s got the dope nWo tank top though. Stevie Ray explains that JJ Dillon has been in Booker T’s ear when Stevie Ray was injured and Stevie Ray didn’t like it one bit. Apparently, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff helped Harlem Heat out when things weren’t going so well three years ago and he owed them a debt. Huh? He doesn’t know what happened to Booker T, but Stevie Ray is now nWo 4-LIFE. Moving on, Stevie Ray says there’s a bounty out on DDP that will be paid by Hogan. Stevie Ray says he’ll SLAPJACK DDP in the middle of the ring tonight. No fruit booty or anything. We ain’t there yet. Relax.

• Mike Enos vs. Bull Pain

This is my first look at Bull Pain in WCW. He’s been an indy guy for a long time and has done squashes for the big leagues. The only other time I can remember watching him was on an ECW show in 1995 where he was a curtain jerker. Of course we’re all familiar with Mike Enos. Bull Pain slaps Enos and gets stomped down in the corner. Bull Pain goes to the eyes and comes off the top rope with a shoulderblock. He walks the middle rope and tries an elbow drop, but misses. Enos comes right back with a powerslam. He slaps Bull Pain and runs him down with a shoulderblock of his own. To the mat with a hammerlock, Bull Pain gets up and forces Enos to the floor. He comes off the apron with a clothesline and tries a double ax handle from the apron, but Enos catches him in mid-air for a belly to belly suplex. Continuing to work the back, Enos runs him into the ringpost. Back inside, there’s a spinning side slam. Bull Pain counters Enos with a jawbreaker, but gets slammed off the top. DOWN COME THE STRAPS! Enos gives Bull Pain a SUPER FALLAWAY SLAM for the win in 4:00. *

WCW Saturday Night! Watch it – IF YOU WILL! 6:05PM eastern time on TBS! Stevie Ray, TV champ Chris Jericho, Meng, Konnan (from nWo Wolfpac!) will all be in action! Plus, an interview with Meng! YES! I want to see that. It’s the MUTHASHIP! Take it to the PAY WINDAH, baby!

• Ernest Miller vs. Disco Inferno

The Cat is back. Disco wants to dance, but Ernest Miller wants to show Disco why he’s a three-time karate champion. When Disco first turns his back on him, the Cat kicks him in the head. Disco is DEAD. A Hook Kick puts Disco on his butt as the Cat picks up the win in just 16 seconds. The Cat gets on the mic and tells the people he’s a three-time karate champion and not a wrestler. He says there’s nothing anybody in the locker room can do to stop him. So the Cat is back to start doing his Cassius Clay bit. N/R

• Konnan vs. Silver King

Konnan puts Silver King on the floor with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and the crowd goes nuts. Back inside, Konnan applies an Indian deathlock near the ropes. Silver King comes back with a spinning heel kick. To the outside, he flies out of the corner with a springboard dive to the floor. Back inside, Silver King does a fancy springboard spinning heel kick in the corner. Whoa. Konnan catches Silver King with a press slam and then follows up with the Rolling Clothesline. Here comes the low dropkick. He delivers a gutwrench suplex for two. Silver King ducks Konnan flying out of the corner, but then turns around and eats a clothesline. There’s the K-Factor and the TEQUILA SUNRISE for the submission victory in 4:33. Curt Hennig, Rick Rude, Stevie Ray, Brian Adams, Scott Norton, and Vincent come out looking to beat up Konnan. Rude says he’ll allow Konnan to pick one of the nWo B&W guys to fight. Konnan challenges them all and when they charge him, he ducks out. Rude says after Wargames, there will be no more games. YOYOYO LET ME SPEAK ON DIS. ¾*

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Tony Schiavone brings out Diamond Dallas Page to answer Stevie Ray’s challenge. He talks more about Team WCW for Fall Brawl Wargames. DDP wants to know why Eric Bischoff is so bothered that he would bring in somebody like the Warrior. He’s brought in Karl Malone and Jay Leno, but seems to really have a problem with this acquisition. Obviously, Hollywood Hogan is scared and playing with Bischoff’s head. DDP doesn’t seem to be sweating Stevie Ray. He’s going make Stevie Ray FEEL THE BANG!

When we come back, Mike Tenay has replaced Lee Marshall, so it must be 9PM.

• Kaz Hayashi vs. Evan Karagias

Tony already pokes holes in Stevie Ray’s story saying the nWo weren’t even around three years ago, so why would he owe Hogan or Bischoff to join the nWo for him? He’s “OUTRAGEOUS” Evan Karagias. He’s like an shorter version of Tom Zenk. It’s unfortunate he suffered a real bad concussion while getting trained in the WWF during the Invasion angle. I don’t know if he would have made it big, but I would imagine he would have been a part of the cruiserweight division on Smackdown. As for Hayashi, Tenay believes he could be a big future star. Hayashi controls much of the match to start, but Karagias turns things around with a powerslam. Sonny Oono comes out to get a closer look at the Ultimo Dragon fan. Hayashi delivers a suplex and a slingshot senton. Always love it when Bobby Heenan puts over Sonny Oono. He’s always looking out for the managers. Karagias shows off with a press into a front powerslam. He goes up top, but Hayashi brings the knees up. Hayashi comes off the top with a FLYING SENTON for the win at 4:34. Sonny Oono is IMPRESSED. *½

• Raven’s Rules: Saturn vs. Lodi

Lodi wants to fight Saturn over Raven breaking his fingers. Saturn doesn’t want to waste his time, but Lodi calls him a pussy and says if Saturn beats him, he’ll leave Raven’s Flock. If Lodi wins, Saturn has to be his “slave” until Fall Brawl. The fight is on. Not much of a match. Sick Boy and Riggs attack, but they aren’t much of a problem. Here comes Raven. Saturn lands the DEATH VALLEY DRIVER on Lodi, but Raven hits the ring. He gets pulled into a T-bone suplex from Saturn. He wants to give Raven the Death Valley Driver, but KANYON SHOWS UP and breaks up the move to give Saturn the FLATLINER. I AM SO OVER THIS WHOLE FEUD. Kanyon shakes Raven’s hand and makes the ref count the pinfall as Lodi picks up the win at 2:08. So yeah, now Saturn will be Lodi’s “slave” until Fall Brawl. WHAT. I can’t follow this one anymore. N/R

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• Scott Norton (w/Vincent) vs. Jim Neidhart

Is the push for Norton to build his upcoming IWGP heavyweight title run? Norton overpowers Neidhart from bell to bell. Vincent gets involved for a moment and that’s as much offense as Neidhart is given here. He tries a clothesline off the second rope, but Norton totally NO-SELLS. An avalanche by Norton leads to the POWERBOMB for the win in 3:16. ½*

• WCW World Television Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Alex Wright

Where Eddie Guerrero was the number one heel in WCW in 1997, this is the year Jericho is the number one heel in WCW. Big stiff tie-up to start. Some fan throws a drink in the ring and Jericho takes a sip. The dude is just on another level. They trade waistlocks and Jericho pulls the hair. Wright has enough and heads up the aisle like he’s going to try again another day despite this being a TV title match. I wonder if our esteemed commentators will mention Alex Wright beating Chris Jericho on a July 1997 Nitro for the WCW cruiserweight title. Back in, they do some flips to escape a wristlock. Wright blocks a hiptoss and clotheslines Jericho down. Now he puts the boots to Jericho as they go to the floor. Wright gives Jericho a big suplex on the floor. Tony conveniently mentions the time-limit on TV title matches. Jericho gets MAD and chops back before sending Wright into the guardrail. Back in, Wright takes over and hits a belly to belly suplex for two. Jericho fires back with a jumping reverse kick. He follows up with a vertical suplex and C’MON BABY for two. Wright goes low on Jericho and delivers a Hennig neck snap. Back to the floor they go for a brawl around the ring. Jericho is the first man in and applies a chinlock. He then applies a weird “wishbone” stretch hold on Wright’s legs and we’ve got a shot of Alex Wright’s package that we didn’t need to see. Jericho slams Wright for the Lionsault. He prances around the ring as only Jericho can. Wright begs off and goes to the eyes. He tries a comeback with a backbreaker for two. A spinning heel kick gets two as well. JERICHO WILL NOT DIE! Wright applies a chinlock, but Jericho escapes with a back suplex. Both men are down! They’re up at six. Wright nails Jericho with another spinning heel kick, but Jericho finds the Butterfly Backbreaker. He taunts the crowd and then charges into a hotshot. Wright hits a backbreaker and goes for a flying double sledge, but misses. Wright goes up again and hits a flying sunset flip, but Jericho rolls through and applies the LIONTAMER for the win. (10:23) Wait, I thought there was a ten-minute time limit. Whatever. One thing is sure: Alex Wright isn’t a very interesting character without Disco. Hard fought match though. **

• Curt Hennig (w/Rick Rude) vs. Van Hammer

What an odd match. Van Hammer calls out to Raven on his way to the ring. Hammer is all shoulderblocks and clotheslines. Hennig bails and then jumps Hammer when he turns his attention to Rude. He rips into Hammer and then Rude gets his claws on him as well. Hammer misses a corner charge and runs his knee into the top buckle. From there, Hennig takes Hammer to school. Hammer tries getting a few quick pins on Hennig, but the HENNIGPLEX is inevitable for the win in 4:13. ¾*

• Diamond Dallas Page vs. Stevie Ray (w/Vincent)

This is Stevie Ray’s first match as an official member of the nWo B&W. DDP ducks and jabs all over Stevie Ray to start. He goes for the Diamond Cutter, but Stevie Ray hits the deck. DDP goes after him, but Vincent grabs DDP to allow Stevie Ray to stomp him. Stevie Ray whips him from corner to corner and delivers a backbreaker. Stevie Ray moves the ref so Vincent can choke DDP on the bottom rope. DDP earclaps out of a bearhug, but Stevie Ray boots him coming off the ropes and calls for the Slapjack. The crowd is freaking out. DDP backdrops him over and hits the Discus Clothesline. More punches from DDP, followed by a swinging neckbreaker. He calls for the Diamond Cutter, but Vincent comes in and takes the DIAMOND CUTTER for realz. DQ! (4:29) The Giant comes down to help out. Of all people, KONNAN shows up and pulls DDP out to safety. What’s that about? ½*

That does it for this week. Until next time, so long for now.