WCW: Thunder
January 28, 1999
Indianapolis, IN
Market Square Arena

The current WCW champs are as follows:
WCW World Champion: Hollywood Hogan (1/4/1999)
WCW U.S. Champion: Bret Hart (11/30/1998)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: Vacant (1/7/1999)
WCW World Television Champion: Scott Steiner (12/28/1998)
WCW Cruiserweight Champion: Billy Kidman (11/22/1998)

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan.

• Hugh Morrus (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Psychosis

Psychosis tries to get the quick win on Morrus to start – and laughs about it. Eventually, Morrus gets tired of it and turns him inside out with a clothesline. Morrus catches Psychosis with a nasty avalanche, but then Psychosis stuns Morrus with a spinning heel kick and a headscissors out of the corner. When Morrus decides to bow out, Psychosis blindsides him with a nice tope suicida. Back in, Psychosis lands a missile dropkick to the back of the head for two. When Psychosis gets out of a chinlock, he trips up Morrus and dropkicks him to the floor for a pescado. The bad part is Morrus catches him in mid-air, puts him down, and whips him into the steps. Jimmy Hart gets to put the boots to Psychosis. Morrus whiffs on a pescado, allowing Psychosis to grab Jimmy and dropkick him in the chest. Morrus grabs Psychosis for a suplex into the ring. He slows things down with a chinlock. This continues on for a couple minutes while Tony and Mike discuss Goldberg being in the upcoming Universal Soldier II film. Morrus misses a flying splash and then gets nailed by a flying spinning heel kick from Psychosis. He goes up for a flying moonsault, but Morrus gets out of the way. A big slam on Psychosis sets him up nicely for the NO LAUGHING MATTER as Morrus gets the win. (10:15) It had its moments for being a fun little man / big man match, but ultimately fell short. *½

Get your nWo Red & Black t-shirt for only $20 bucks.

LAST WEEK ON THUNDER: They replay all the shenanigans with the nWo B&W boys – including Ric Flair submitting Vince(nt) in the middle of the ring.

• Chris Jericho (w/Ralphus) vs. Silver King

Silver King scares Jericho with his lasso before the match. Jericho grabs the mic and works the crowd for a moment. Hilarious. Silver King gets the BETTER of Jericho to start. Heenan seems to be in a good mood tonight – joking around with Tony and Mike about Ralphus. Commercials! When we come back, Silver King still has the advantage. He catapults Jericho from inside the ring out to the floor for a springboard plancha. Back in, Jericho counters a suplex into a nice reverse suplex. NOW JERICHO IS PISSED. He kicks and stomps Silver King. The Stalling Suplex leads to the C’MON BABY, but Silver King kicks out. Back on the floor, Jericho kicks Silver King in the head and chokes him with the camera cable. Back in, Silver King grabs his lasso around Jericho’s neck. How has the ref not DQ’ed Silver King? Jericho fights back and whips Silver King. He looks for the Liontamer, but Silver King retreats to the ropes. Silver King avoids a corner charge and delivers a Helicopter Spin followed up with the somersault legdrop for two. Big Swinging DDT gets two as well. Next up, they head to the corner where Jericho catches him in mid-air, slams him down, and applies the LIONTAMER for the tapout. (7:57 shown) Pretty competitive match here, but ultimately meaningless. **½

They air a lengthy Flair v. Hogan video package hyping SuperBrawl IX.

• Fit Finlay vs. Super Calo

Yes, SUPER CALO ALERT! Finlay controls to start and delivers a nasty inverted atomic drop. Everything he does always looks like it hurts. Calo catches him off guard with a nice dropkick off the top rope. As Super Calo gets whipped into the ropes, he decides to slide out to the floor. Back inside, he sunset flips Finlay for two. A springboard crossbody block gets two as well. Finlay stops him with a Finlay Roll and tosses Calo to the floor for some brief guardrail violence. Back in, Finlay delivers that full body slam and sits down on a rear chinlock. Running shoulder butt in the corner gets two. Back to the floor, Finlay slams Calo off the ring apron and threatens him with a chair. Ref Charles Robinson won’t let a chairshot happen though. BOO! Back in, Finlay applies a nasty half crab with his knee in Calo’s back. He tries a pump splash, but Calo gets the knees up to block. Unfortunately, Finlay cuts off the comeback with a thumb to the eyes. A couple standing clotheslines gets two on Calo. Back again to the floor, Finlay drops Calo from his shoulders face-first on the apron. Back in, Finlay pounds Calo all around the ring. Calo slips away from a backbreaker off the shoulders and kicks Finlay down for a splash from the second turnbuckle. He tries to do the missile dropkick done earlier in the match again, but slips and crotches himself. As he leans backwards, Finlay picks him up for the TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER for the win. (8:48) Another luchadore bites the dust as they are 0-3 tonight. Is it smart to use them as mid-card cannon fodder? *½

The WCW BRUISE CRUISE! May 17-21! The Nitro Girls will be there – and they might even talk to you.

• The Outsiders vs. Mike Enos & Bobby Duncum Jr.

It’s supposed to be Van Hammer and Wrath against Enos and Duncum Jr. in a WCW tag team titles tournament match. When Hammer and Wrath don’t show up, we cut backstage to see Hammer face down with Disco Inferno calling Wrath a “chicken”. If you’ll recall the Nitro before last, Disco got a huge upset win over Wrath – and we haven’t actually *seen* him since. I would have make myself scarce as well, pal. Back in the arena, the nWo Wolfpac theme plays and out comes the Outsiders. Both Hall and Nash wearing the Outsiders gear like old times. They threaten to beat up Enos and Duncum if they don’t take a walk. Well, that’s all Enos and Duncum needed hear to tear into them. Duncum beats on Nash and dropkicks him to the floor while Enos runs wild on Hall. He’s been wanting to get his hands on Hall since Memorial Day ’96. Interrupt my match with Steve Doll, will ya! Of course, Hall doesn’t care about who beats him up, so Enos gets a nearfall off a powerslam. Tag to Duncum, Hall reverses a whip and Nash nails Duncum from behind into a clothesline from Hall. Nash tags in and hits the Side Slam. He lays back on Duncum and crotch chops in the direction of Enos. The Big Boot and the JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB ends Duncum. (2:11) This tournament is so messed up and confusing. ½*

Get your WCW Mastercard today and build up massive amounts of credit card debt!

• Disco Inferno vs. Hector Garza

Wow, another Mexican wrestler about to get his ass beat. They trade armdrags to start. Disco lands an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline. Garza fights back and snaps Disco’s neck on the top rope. He comes off the top rope to somersault OVER Disco and dropkicks Disco down. While Disco complains to the ref, we go to commercials. When we come back, Disco is putting the boots to Garza. He avoids Garza charging at him in the corner and grabs a chinlock. Garza fights up and sends Disco to the floor for a moonsault off the second turnbuckle! Looks like Disco tweaks his ankle here. Back inside, Disco avoids a Corkscrew Moonsault and hits the CHART BUSTER for the win. (5:09) Disco gets another win. *½

The WCW BRUISE CRUISE! May 17-21! The Nitro Girls will be there – and they might even talk to you.

We get more summarized clips of what went down on Nitro last week.

• Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Kaz Hayashi

Seriously, what is with all the cruiserweights being used this way? There was no way Bigelow wouldn’t make this one entertaining. He throws Hayashi around the ring to start. Hayashi rakes the eyes to escape a press slam and jumps on Bigelow’s back for a sleeperhold. When Bigelow shrugs him off, he drops between Hayashi’s legs and headbutts poor Hayashi on his inner thigh. He walks around the ring with a suplex and falls backwards with Hayashi. After an avalanche, Hayashi pisses off Bigelow chopping him on the chest, so he delivers some falling headbutts. He flies off the top rope looking for a flying headbutt, but Hayashi moves and actually scores with a flying body press for a one-count. Hayashi ends up on Bigelow’s shoulders and maneuvers around for a victory roll for 1-2-NO! WHOA. Bigelow immediately jumps up and runs down Hayashi with a clothesline. GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK finally ends Hayashi. (5:33) I told you Bigelow would make it entertaining. **

MFGWLM HYPE: “Lethal Weapon” (1987) starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover.

JOIN MIKE TENAY AND SCOTT HUDSON FOR THE MUTHASHIP ON TBS! LIVE AND IN PUBLIC IF YOU WILL. Well, it’s not live, but it will be on TV. This week, Fit Finlay and Dave Taylor as a tag team and Perry Saturn (in a dress!) will be in action. The main event will be Chavo Guerrero Jr. against Nor-MON Smi-LAY – in addition to Billy Kidman taking on Rey Mysterio Jr. and Psychosis in a triangle match. It’s WCW SATURDAY NIGHT at 6:05PM EST.

• The Outsiders (w/Disco Inferno) vs. Konnan & Rey Mysterio Jr.

Konnan runs through his usual spiel on the mic and calls the Outsiders and Disco “three strawberries”. When Nash wants to “speak on dis”, he and Hall give Konnan crotch chops. How do they look significantly less cool doing a crotch chop than DX? Is it so Vince doesn’t sue them? Has Vince trademarked the “crotch chop”? What do you think? Hall throws the toothpick in Rey’s face to start – and doesn’t take Mysterio seriously whatsoever. Rey runs wild on Hall to start using his speed. He catches Hall with a springboard legdrop for only a one-count. Rey feels good about it though. As Hall gets up, he spits in Rey’s face and tags out. Now we get Nash and Konnan – who wags his dick around. Nash takes his time and delivers his usual corner offense on Konnan. Crowd is chanting “K-Dog” if you can believe it. Konnan fights back and gives Nash a ten-count corner punch. Hall comes in after him, but Konnan slugs him down as the Outsiders take a breather with Disco. Rey does his fake dive through the ropes and Nash sells it perfectly. For some reason, they are allowed to send Disco in to face Konnan, and he gets his ass beat. Hall tosses Disco aside and goes after Rey as we break for commercials. When we come back, the Outsiders are in total control. Nash gives Rey the Snake Eyes and Hall gives Mysterio the Fallaway Slam. Nash hits the Side Slam for two. Hall gives Rey the Back Superplex for 1-2-NO! In comes Nash, he biels Rey across the ring and lifts him up as high as he can. Mysterio tries to come back on Nash and looks for a springboard sunset flip, but Nash lifts him up by his neck and throws him into his corner to tag Konnan. Whoops. He runs wild on Hall and Nash – delivering K-FACTORS everywhere. Disco breaks up the TEQUILA SUNRISE on Nash, but winds up taking a K-FACTOR as well. And wouldn’t you know it, here comes the nWo. LEX LUGER runs down Konnan for the DQ. (11:13 shown) Yep, even Miss Elizabeth and Hollywood Hogan are here. They stretch out Rey so that Hogan can whip Rey with his weightlifting belt. The Outsiders and Hogan singing “Whipping Post” is a nice touch there. They spray “NWO” on Rey while Konnan is forced to watch, which feels very reminiscent of what they did to the Flairs. Hogan cuts a promo calling out to Flair – saying WCW will all have to their licks. **¼

Until next time, so long for now.

WCW / nWo PRESENTS: SUPERBRAWL IX
LIVE on February 21 from The Arena in Oakland in Oakland, California! ONLY ON PPV!
MAIN EVENT: WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Hollywood Hogan (c) vs. Ric Flair
WCW U.S. Heavyweight Championship: Bret Hart (c) vs. ???
WCW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals
WCW World Television Championship: Scott Steiner (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page