Thunder – June 21, 2000: Woody Woodpecker And A Shaved Head
Thunder
Date: June 21, 2000
Location: Breeden Fieldhouse, Bozeman, Montana
Commentators: Bobby Heenan, Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay
We’re coming off the first not horrible show in a long time and hopefully Russo is still gone tonight. Bash at the Beach is coming up and normally you could figure out what’s coming but given how this is WCW in 2000, we might not have even come close to knowing what’s coming yet. Let’s get to it.
Recap from Nitro with the contract being eaten.
Opening sequence.
Rick Steiner vs. Tank Abbott
This is the result of a quick call out by Steiner over Tank costing them the Tag Team Titles on Monday. Tank slams Steiner down to start, followed by something like a knee bar. Steiner gets to the ropes so Tank tries an armbar, only to have Rick get to the rope again. No break this time though so Rick punches him in the face to escape. Well that’s another way to do it. They roll around on the mat for a bit until Tank nails his big punch. Instead of covering after his one big move (is a punch really a move?), Tank stands up and tries it again, only to eat a Steiner Line and a t-bone. The Steiner Bulldog gives Rick the fast pin.
The announcers recap what we just saw because they think we’re idiots but here’s Tank again to drag a fan over the barricade and rip his shirt off. The fan gets taken away for no apparent reason.
The New Blood arrives in a limo. The driver (who I believe is Ice Train) opens the door and Jeff Jarrett asks Cat if Mike Awesome can have Scott Steiner at the pay per view. Cat will do it for the ratings because that’s his thing now. The driver whispers something in his ear and Cat is very pleased.
The Perfect Event is in the production truck and Stasiak starts pressing buttons. We cut back to the arena where fireworks go off, scaring Penzer half to death.
Here are Jarrett, Awesome and Cat with something to say. Jeff brags about being an awesome champion and about how his Slap Nuts shirt is the hottest selling item in WCW. Somehow I could see that as being true as it’s one of the few shirts that I can think of at the moment. Jeff has been sending Hogan get well soon cards every day so Hogan will be ready for Bash at the Beach.
Once they get there, Jeff is going to find a fat woman to sit on Hogan and sing, because it’s not going to be over until the fat lady sings. Sweet goodness he went a long way for that joke. Awesome promises to go after Scott Steiner’s back because it’s the one weak spot on him. Cat promises to rip up Hall’s contract and goes to yell at a fan while mentioning that it’s Jarrett/Awesome vs. Nash/Steiner tonight.
General Rection tells the Misfits about their three way mixed tag. They’re ordered to stick their chests out and I think you can figure out where this is going.
Terry Funk teaches Johnny the Bull how to use a trashcan. Johnny hits him very hard and Funk says he’s learning.
Rey Mysterio/Tygress vs. Lieutenant Loco/Major Gunns vs. The Artist/Paisley
Cat’s no interference policy is still around, meaning people are allowed at ringside but can’t interfere. Again: that’s now the special rule instead of the rule as it’s always been. Tygress and Gunns start but Tygress tags Rey in before anything can happen. A low blow makes Rey hop around a bit and it’s off to Chavo for a quick dropkick. That goes nowhere so here’s Paisley vs. Tygress with Paisley grabbing a very delayed slam. It’s off to Rey who tries a Bronco Buster on Paisley with Artist making the save. Guerrero cross bodies Artist and everything breaks down, leaving Artist to hit his jumping DDT to pin Chavo.
Rating: D. The guys were good but the girls were as dreadful as you would expect three non-wrestlers to be. At least we didn’t get much of the man on woman violence that Russo seems to love so much. It’s amazing how much calmer things are without him around, as this wasn’t so much insane as it was bad.
Post match Lance Storm comes in and cleans house, including a superkick to Artist and a BIG springboard dive to take out the MIA.
The Demon finds an earring in Vampiro’s hearse. “ASYA!”
Here’s Vampiro with something to say but the Demon (or is it Torborg now?) jumps him in the aisle. Torborg wants to know where Asya is and Vampiro holds up the other earring. He’s the only one who knows where she is but he also knows that Torborg has the sickness. Vampiro talks about Torborg needing to embrace the Demon and if he wants Asya back, he’ll have to do everything she’s done in the past few days. They walk off together as I continue to try to figure out why Vampiro is dealing with Demon after beating Sting. You would think that would mean a major promotion, but not around here.
Shane Douglas suggests that Cat makes Chris Candido (who still has a broken wrist)/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Buff Bagwell for the sake of the ratings. Cat agrees but Shane owes him one.
Vampiro makes Demon drive the hearse away.
Hardcore Title: Big Vito vs. The Wall
Vito is defending. You know what’s sad? This battle of the Mamalukes story with Vito beating Funk and Funk tutoring Johnny to be a better hardcore wrestler is by far and away the best story going in WCW at this point. Vito jumps him in the back with a kendo stick before shrugging off a boot to the face (as you do). Tony informs us of a new rule saying the hardcore matches start in the back and have to end at ringside. In other words, make sure you take away the most entertaining part of the matches. Wall throws Vito at a table but can’t put him through it.
An anvil case staggers Vito again as we cut to Funk coaching Johnny even more. They get to ringside with Wall whipping him into the barricade and then the steps. We go inside for a bit as Vito kicks him in the face before putting a trashcan lid between Wall’s legs and crushing it with a ball bat. It’s table time but the long delay lets Wall get up and grab a side slam. Vito fights out of the chokeslam attempt with a kendo stick, followed by a running powerbomb through the table to retain.
Rating: D. I’m so sick of these uninspired hardcore matches. WCW has managed to copy one of the WWF’s signature things and take away every interesting and entertaining aspect. Wall has gone from an unstoppable monster that even Hogan couldn’t take out to a midcard jobber while Vito is actually getting somewhere with this hardcore thing. Let’s see how long it takes them to screw that up too.
Goldberg chokes a cop and makes fun of two more.
Here’s Goldberg to a face reaction. He knows Nash isn’t here tonight (even though he’s scheduled for a match) and that’s the best news for him. The only person he hates more than Nash is Hall and he’ll deal with that at Bash at the Beach. We hear about him ripping his arm apart last December and now he wants to kill people, starting with Nash. As expected, the fans cheer to wrap up this pretty worthless cameo.
Shane comes in to see Candido and Bigelow so he can run down the Cat for his ratings nonsense. So after Bagwell, we’re moving on to Shane vs. Cat? Egads indeed.
Goldberg leaves as Steiner and Nash arrives, causing Goldberg to come back and glare at them through the window of his car.
Quick recap of Bagwell vs. Douglas.
Chris Candido/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Buff Bagwell
There’s no pyro for Buff, thanks to Perfect Event’s shenanigans in the production truck. Candido still has his arm in a cast but he’s cleared to wrestle it seems. He’s even able to grab a suplex but Buff dropkicks him a few times and grabs a neckbreaker. Hey Buff, why not try FOR THE BIG CAST ON HIS ARM? It’s off to Bigelow who has a bit more luck with a clothesline, followed by a falling headbutt.
Candido adds a knee to the back and it’s a big Samoan drop from Bigelow. Heenan: “SQUASH!” Back to Candido for a chinlock and some choking before it’s back to Bigelow. To be fair the guy has one arm at the moment. A double headbutt misses as Tenay calls them the Triple Threat. At this point, does it really matter how many names they steal from ECW?
The Blockbuster gets two on Candido as Bigelow breaks it up so Buff double arm DDT’s the big guy. It’s time for another Blockbuster but only one is allowed per match, meaning Shane runs in with a pipe to knock Bagwell out. Greetings From Asbury Park is good for the pin on Buff.
Rating: D+. You know what might be nice for some of these feuds? A title to fight over. Yeah instead of just talking all the time and making up whatever your latest reason is for them to fight, how about having Bagwell and Douglas fight over the US Title? That’s what would make sense, but we need to give Steiner’s chick something to carry because of reasons. The match was a bit better than you would expect but still nothing good.
Daffney slaps David for cheating on her. After a break, David swears it wasn’t him and she starts to cry, earning herself a hug.
Here’s Kanyon to teach us how to be positive. This could be good actually. He’s going to read us a full chapter from Positively Kanyon before the movie starring Harvey Keitel come out. The chapter tells a story of Page calling him one day, saying BRO approximately 847 times and ripping on “Buffoon T” for trying to stab all the veterans in the back. Booker comes out for a brawl until Kanyon hits him with the book to knock him unconscious. Kanyon laughs and tears the book up, revealing a brick inside. Kanyon: “Have mercy!”
David and Daffney are about to leave when David says he forgot something. He runs into the production truck and asks who played the tape of he and Hancock. Perfect Event points out a guy so David whips out a razor and shaves the guy’s head before leaving with Daffney.
Cat gives Shane Kronik tonight for interfering, which is of course against the rules.
The guy whose head was shaved (who has been called Woody Woodpecker all night for whatever reason) locks Perfect Event in the truck.
Here’s 3 Count to debut their new single (which of course is currently on my iPod) and we cut to the wrestlers in the back, complete with Tank doing a bit of dancing. Eventually Kronik comes out for the beatdown before calling out Shane.
Brian Adams vs. Brian Clark vs. Shane Douglas
Wasn’t this a handicap match? Shane tries to run off but gets caught by Bagwell, meaning the double beating is on. A kick to Adams’ face doesn’t do him much good as Kronik hits their big finishers, only to have Clark clotheslines Adams by mistake. They start brawling before changing their minds and hitting High Times so Adams can pin Shane. I’m still not sure what’s going on in this story.
Perfect Event laughs at Kronik and plays corny Leave It To Beaver music. They go to leave but realize they’re locked in.
Post break Kronik breaks into the truck and beats down the champs.
At a cemetery, Vampiro shows Torborg Asya’s coffin but it’s full of pillows. Vampiro hits him in the head with a shovel and walks off.
After the announcers talk about we just saw and we cut to Vampiro bringing Asya to the unconscious Torborg. He throws her in the car and says that Torborg and his buddy need to come get them.
Jeff Jarrett/Mike Awesome vs. Kevin Nash/Scott Steiner
Notice again that the World Champion is on last again with Russo gone. Before the match, here’s the Cat to do commentary. Cat and Bobby are suddenly friendly, with Bobby mentioning a bonus in his pay envelope. Steiner shoves Jeff around to stat and kicks him in the corner a lot, followed by the bicep curl elbow drop. Off to Nash for two off a chokeslam before Awesome comes in to run Big Kev over.
Steiner comes back in for another power brawl, including an Alabama Slam to give Awesome two. Back to Jeff who gets caught in a suplex as Schiavone wants the name Career Killer taken away from Awesome due to the Kanyon charade. Fair point actually. Everything breaks down and Steiner hits a quick double underhook powerbomb for the clean pin on Jarrett.
Rating: D. Not the worst main event here and oh my goodness it had a clean ending. I’m not sure what the logic is with having Steiner pin Jarrett but you don’t want Steiner pinning Awesome this soon before their title match. For once this would have been a good place for a screwy finish but after so many of them I think I can live with this. It’s not like Jarrett is a strong champion in the first place.
Post match Steiner puts Jeff in the Recliner until Awesome hits him with the belt for the save. Awesome and Steiner trade suplexes but Jeff gets back up with the save. Nash comes back in after a belt shot on the floor (off camera) for the save. Goldberg makes a last second appearance and holds up Hall’s contract, saying it’s on his time. Wait didn’t he eat that?
Overall Rating: D. This was a step down from Nitro but it’s still an upgrade over most of what they’ve been doing lately. The problem here was too much going on. You had the production truck stuff, the Vampiro stuff and the Hall contract stuff. Calm down and stop doing so much and let the wrestlers wrestler, preferably for titles, which currently don’t mean much.
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