Thunder Results
September 3rd, 1998.
Live/Taped: Taped 8/26.
Length: Two Hours+.
Location: Peoria, Illinois.
Hosted By: Tony Schiavone, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Lee Marshall.

Schiavone doesn't mention where tonight's show is taking place, mostly 
because sharp-eyed fans might notice that it's taped. Tony hypes tonight's 
big main event, which is definitely odd when you figure the main event of a 
WCW show usually isn't made until the NWO comes out and challenges someone. 
Are they actually admitting that "WCW matchmakers" have a main event in 
mind BEFORE the show starts? WCW shouldn't give critics like me such good 
ammo to use against them.

MARTY JANNETTY vs. RICK FULLER
Even here WCW won't admit that Fuller is a jobber. Marshall says he's only 
lost his matches because of mistakes, while Heenan call him "championship 
material". Jannetty wins with his finishing move, the name of which I 
forget.

They replay Saturn's interview from Nitro, as well as miscellaneous clips 
from the Saturn/Lodi tag team match.

KAZ HAYASHI vs. LENNY LANE
Hayashi's push continues as he gets the win. Before the match Lee Marshall 
says (what must be a lie) that Kaz is a huge star in Japan, beloved by the 
press over there. Heenan says the competition in WCW is much stronger, with 
no "ham & eggers" on the roster. I'd say two "ham & eggers" just went at it 
in the ring. Schiavone and Marshall spend part of the match building the 
upcoming Dean Malenko/Curt Hennig feud, saying Malenko wants Hennig in a 
Cage Match at the PPV.

Clips from Thunder last week.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT vs. HIGH VOLTAGE
Man, I'm glad I'm giving this up. HiV gets the win.

After the match Schiavone points out "One Warrior Nation" shirts the fans 
have at ringside, (shirts which WCW handed out before the show. Not that 
Tony admits it). Schiavone says "it's true the Warrior is here ... as a 
force in professional wrestling!" Not paying close attention one might 
think he meant the Warrior is on Thunder tonight.

WRATH vs. BARRY HOROWITZ
I'm REALLY glad I'm giving this all up. Wrath wins.

They play an "up close & personal" interview with Saturn, who has all the 
charisma (and metal in his face) as the grill of a garbage truck.

THE FLOCK vs. MENG
It's a handicap match, but Meng still wins. Raven then tells Lodi to order 
Saturn into the ring. Saturn goes in and, due to interference by Kanyon, 
gets killed.

KANYON (w/ the Flock) vs. SATURN
Saturn is still laid out in the ring from Meng's assault. Kanyon beats up 
on him until Saturn rallies back, at which point Lodi orders Saturn to let 
Kanyon nail him with a Flatliner. He does, and Kanyon gets the pin. I don't 
mind the finish, but there was no reason to let the match go on as long as 
it did to get there. Schiavone and Heenan say "integrity" about fifty 
times.

DEAN MALENKO vs. BRIAN ADAMS
Curt Hennig attacks Malenko before he can reach the ring. The ref is laid 
out and Hennig, Adams and Ric Rude work over Malenko with a piece of steel 
fencing. The match is immediately stopped (though it never even started), 
and the beating continues. Hennig gets on the mic and says the Horsemen are 
no more, and that there's no one in the Horsemen who could fight him in a 
Cage Match. Well, other than Ric Flair, anyway. Pencil that one in for 
Halloween Havoc.

RIGGS vs. NORMAN SMILEY
During the early part of the match Schiavone announces that Hennig must 
face Malenko ... or someone ... in a Cage Match on next week's Nitro. Tony 
opens the door for a substitute if Malenko can't compete. Looks like it 
could be Flair's big return--or at least that's what WCW wants us to think.

Smiley wins via submission, dropping the temperature in Hell by a few 
degrees.

THE ARMSTRONGS vs. DISCO INFERNO/ALEX WRIGHT
Forget me for a minute, what did WCW's *fans* do to deserve this match? The 
guys in the funny clothes win. No, I mean Wright and Disco.

THE GIANT/STEVIE RAY vs. DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE/KONAN
NWO run-in. DQ. Goldberg makes the save. He and the Giant stare down as the 
show ends.

Next Monday: Hennig/Malenko Cage Match.

Next week: Nothing announced.

Comments:

What better way to end my run as Thunder recapper for the WrestleManiacs 
site than by serving up what was, hands down, the worst installment of 
Thunder ever. Scrub matches, squashes, Flock angle overload and a total 
lack of big name talent highlighted what was probably also the least 
eventful Thunder ever. Even the gang beating of Malenko came off as lazy 
and uninspired.

As I said above, this marks my final Thunder Recap here at WrestleManiacs. 
I'm passing the torch on to someone with more stomach for WCW's Thursday 
night "showcase". I hope they have as much (well ... more, actually) fun 
than I've had doing it. I'd like to thank Rick and Mike for giving me the 
opportunity to contribute to their wonderful site, and I hope all you 
regular readers check out the new guy--whoever it turns out to be--and send 
him all the kind E-Mails you sent me. Especially the ones with words like 
"bastard", "clueless asshole" and "WWF shitheel". Aww, I kid. Sort of. No, 
really, I kid. Mostly.