Thunder – November 1, 2000: Much Like TNA
Thunder
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November 1, 2000
Location: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Commentators: Mike Tenay, Mark Madden, Tony Schiavone
3 Count vs. Jung Dragons
Rating: C. I can always watch these guys do their high spots and the storyline breakup is fine, but stop hammering it in like this. Would it have killed you to set this up over the course of a few weeks? I know it would have cut into Jeff Jarrett calling people Slappy but it might have worked a little better than inventing it in one night.
Bam Bam Bigelow attacks Crowbar, who just happened to be standing there waiting while a camera was on him.
Elix Skipper vs. Lieutenant Loco
This is still fallout from the parody and has nothing to do with the Misfits getting back the US Title or Major Gunns. Loco starts fast with clotheslines and a dropkick because what else is a midcard cruiserweight supposed to do. A pumphandle suplex gets two on Skipper but the Matrix is enough to let him take Loco out to the floor.
Chuck Palumbo vs. Shawn Stasiak
Post break, Palumbo gets checked out while the rest of the Thrillers promise to take out Stasiak tonight.
Mayhem video.
Boogie Knights vs. Rey Mysterio/Kidman
Rating: C. As not great as the booking has been, WCW has actually been putting together a very nice tag division around this time. You have the Thrillers on top and Kronik as the monsters with teams like these two filling in the extra time. Now you even have the three teams from the opener and the thing is really stacking up. Factor in the Harris Twins disappearing again and everyone wins.
Crowbar wants to fight Bigelow tonight. I thought we had covered that already.
Sgt. AWALL vs. Lance Storm
Actually never mind as Storm has found a replacement.
Sgt. AWALL vs. Meng
Storm yells at Meng post match and gets the Tongan Death Grip.
Vampiro and Jeff Jarrett are ready for the main event.
Lance Storm vs. Norman Smiley
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Crowbar
Jeff Jarrett/Vampiro vs. Mike Awesome/Sting
Jarrett backtracks up the aisle before sneaking back in for a cheap shot on Sting as a tag match breaks out amid the fighting. A double back elbow gets two on Sting and Vampiro kicks him in the face for two. The announcers bring up Sting flying off the video screen a few months back as it occurs to me that Nitro and Thunder are shot very differently.
On Thunder, the camera is mostly from ringside instead of the standard hard camera. It actually makes the shows feel different, aside from the fact that nothing happens on Thunder. Jarrett slaps on the required sleeper until Sting breaks free and makes the tag to Mike. Everything breaks down and Sting uses the ball bat to block a guitar shot. The Awesome Bomb is enough to pin Vampiro a few seconds later. STRIKE UP THAT 70s ELEVATOR MUSIC!
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